For too long as a culture we have neglected to cultivate the delights of our own Garden of Eden. As wives & mothers juggling our survival needs with those of our family it’s often hard to find the time & space (let alone a babysitter) to indulge ourselves in a sensate arousal that requires more effort than gobbling a Tim Tam while propped against the kitchen bench. Alternatively, we may find ourselves to be single pursuing love & sex in our spare time but viewing sensual pleasure as something reserved for those lucky couples canoodling under plump feather eiderdowns in quaint weekend B&B’s.
Whatever our reasons, be it our early religious upbringing or habitual workaholism, more & more of us are beginning to realize that if we don’t reclaim our deep need to experience pleasure for pleasure’s sake we are in danger of falling into the trap of achieving a certain lifestyle which is void of the simple pleasures that make life truly worth living.
For example, I recently returned from a short stay with friends who are building a mudbrick home in the Strathbogie Ranges in rural Victoria. Whilst even more bitterly cold than my hometown, Melbourne we warmed our spirits by drinking local wines, eating local produce, sharing stories whilst cooking on an open fire & sitting under the stars in their homemade wooden hot tub. Subsequently, I returned to Melbourne with a sense that my urban existence was somewhat bland by comparison, kind of like a reconstituted supermarket juice sitting there gathering dust in its vacuum sealed packaging when others were hand picking & squeezing the nectar of life straight from the limbs of their own orchard.
It seems in our collective attempt to better ourselves & make something of our life many of us forget the simple seasonal pleasures that the rotund Earthly Empress, Mother Nature is always quietly offering to us if we allow ourselves the time to experience. Just as small children are filled with the light of awe & wonder at her majesty, we can reconnect with a deep sense of fulfillment just by communing with the fertile smells of damp leaves & bracken underfoot, crisp twilight air chilling our noses whilst walking along clumsily in heavy Winter boots.
If however, you can’t see a window of opportunity to immerse your senses in the natural world, create your own recipe for pleasure from my list of alchemical ingredients below to enjoy the sacred gifts of the Sensual Goddess!
Divine Feminine Pleasure.
METHOD:
To activate the inner kitten of contentment simply combine one aspect from each of the following elements.
1. FIRE
To revive your energy & lightheartedness & inspire your creativity try any of the following: light candles, gaze into open fires, barbeque or smoke your food, eat spicy dishes, listen & dance to sultry music such as Latino / African grooves & roast yourself slowly in a sauna.
2. AIR
To elevate your thoughts away from mundane stress & invigorate your sense of smell try any of the following: burn incense or dab aromatherapy essential oil blends on your light bulbs or bed linen, cultivate an aromatic garden of culinary herbs, experiment with aromatic spices in your cooking, choose flowers for their perfume, read erotic literature in bed & listen to natural soundscape CD’s.
3. WATER
To calm your nerves & awaken the inner romantic try any of the following: luxurious bathing rituals accompanied by exotic fruit mocktails or champagne (a foot bath after work for a quickie!), walking on the Beach (even in Winter), going to the Opera, Art Gallery, Concert Hall or Art House Cinema, walking in the rain (or just after) wearing a raincoat & gumboots, blowing bubbles or washing the dog with children, making homemade soup & having a water feature or fish tank.
4. EARTH
To nourish your sense of taste & touch try any of the following: swap a foot massage, cook naked (save for an apron), eat outdoors or with your fingers, lovingly apply pampering body potions & lotions, get your hands dirty by gardening, pottery or painting on a large canvas with a glass of red wine, use henna to dye your hair, make your own incense blend using a mortar & pestle, draping yourself & your home with textured, flowing & vibrant fabrics & soften harsh lights with lamps.
Ultimately, I believe sensuality is a state of mind that occurs when we allow ourselves to surrender to a sense of union between the mind & body. The more physically aware & aroused we allow ourselves to become through direct communion of the inherent beauty & sacredness contained within the natural world, the more available we are to appreciate the natural beauty & sacredness in ourselves & each other.
Discover more ways to fill your cup with self love here and connect with the elements here
Copyright. Tanishka. 2006. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.