Rebirth: Spirit of Pleasure

We are worthy of pleasure, play, and joy.

Many of us may have grown with a limited perception of pleasure due to the constructs of White Supremacy, Capitalism, and the erasure of our ancestral ways of being. We may have been taught super- ficial modes of pleasure because it was all which seemed accessible at a certain period of time. We may have adapted a relationship to pleasure which equates to instantaneous escape from our pain, which in turn may have led some of us towards our addictions, dependencies, and vices.

We, as People of Color, Queer, Trans, Non-Binary, and the multitudes of intersecting identities we hold, carry a legacy of pain. This pain is one which can be overbearing & manifest into our lives in a multitude of ways. It makes sense that we would want to escape our pain, and we must remember that one of our most powerful strengths is our ability to transmute our pain into pleasure. This is the spirit of pleasure. Our pleasure is our power and we come to know our pleasure deeply through knowing the origins of our pain. In a world where grief and pain can feel never-ending in our communities, and the long-term sustainable solutions we seek may not happen overnight, we must remember to make a ritual of our pleasure. This does not mean we avoid the grief and pain. It means we make peace that they will always be present to some degree and make space for the joy and pleasure our ancestors may have not had the privilege to cultivate for themselves.

Pleasure gives us a safe container to rest, restore, and refuel ourselves. For many of us, our compulsions & addictions serve as a way of us trying to connect back to this restoration in a disconnected way. We may feel that we are being fulfilled only to find the void we were trying to escape is still there. Honing into the power of the spirit of pleasure means we accept and make peace with having to be patient with the necessary times in our lives which we need that void to simply exist. It is not meant for us to try to fill, but rather allow the space to exist. This space is oftentimes an invitation from spirit to delve deeper in the depth of pain, which in turn brings us into a deeper relationship with our pleasure.

It is important that we are mindful that as we commit to our true pleasures many emotions may be triggered, shame being a prominent one. Shame has been a weapon used against our communities. It is one of those emotions which can keep us stuck in unworthiness and have us question if we truly are deserving of pleasure when so many have been devoid of it. We are being called to collectively heal from this spiritual wound inflicted onto our communities and remember that through pleasure we can embody more of our sacred aliveness.

May I forgive myself for the many ways I have avoided my pain and in turn cast away my true source of pleasure. May I offer myself peace and acceptance that although pain exists, I am allowed to take breaks from it in ways which do not harm me or others. May I embrace that I am still worthy of experiencing the vastness and richness my pleasure offers and that this can exist within an ocean of pain. May I remember that I was brought to this physical plane for a holistic experience, one which allows me to play & explore the elements of who I am.