VIRGIN.BEAUTY.B!TCH VIRGIN.BEAUTY.B!TCH

Virgin and virginity have long been a source of taboo thoughts and moral fixation. How did the virgin come to mean so much and have so much power in our individual lives, especially the lives of women? How can one intimate heterosexual encounter change a woman forever? Why is losing it, giving it away, or having it taken against a woman’s consent have the power to defile a her virtue or, in many cases, destroy her reputation? Why do we allow myths, philosophies, religious dogmas, and fairy tales to condition us to believe that a woman’s value and self-worth is based on her denying nature’s most potent force — female sexuality? These questions and many more come to the surface over our four-week journey in conversations that explore the Virgin as a physical entity — the body, the Virgin as a belief or a mindset, the Virgin as governor of intimacy and sexual desire of the heart and finally, the Virgin that is true to ancient definitions of virginity — a woman sovereign onto herself — a Virgin spirit. In this episode, Christopher and Heather rewind highlights and learning moments explored in four conversations with nine unique and remarkable women including, Laura M. Carpenter author of Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences, and Hanne Blank Boyd who authored the definitive book on the topic, Virgin: The Untouched History. Enjoy!

As a historian and author, Hanne Blank Boyd literally wrote the book on Virginity. Her seminal work, Virgin: The Untouched History, is a provocative exploration of the complex concept of Virginity throughout human history. Also enriching this conversation is Kim Hudson, author of The Virgin’s Promise, which talks about women’s path to finding their own power and authentic selves. This is part four of our four-week journey into the VIRGIN. So far, we have explored the history of the VIRGIN Body — the Hyman Maneuver we call it. The VIRGIN Mind and how forced virtue impacts a VIRGIN Heart that craves to love but often is stained by shame and guilt. In this final chapter, we explore the VIRGIN Spirit with Hanne and Kim. As a bonus, we also included a conversation with Jungian analyst, author, and podcaster Lisa Marchiano. Her new book, The Vital Spark, features a chapter on the Virgin, and we cover Virginity as a symbol of unbroken psychic wholeness. It’s a remarkably enlightening and soulful conversation. It’s a conversation that was interrupted by a major seismic disturbance. Listen through to the end to hear that earth-shaking event as it happened.

What can a grown-up, experienced woman possibly learn from any talk about virginity? Well, when so many women go through life being made to feel dirty, deviant, shameful, and even sinful about sex and their own sexuality, we wonder, where do those beliefs originate? Is it too far-fetched to look for seeds in a belief that insists women renounce their sexual nature until marriage, and only then can they express it in the name of motherhood? That might work for some women but not for Gina Cloud. Gina's the best-selling author of W.O.M.A.N.: A New Definition For Reclaiming The Feminine and a deeply devoted teacher and speaker who inspires women to embrace their bodies fully and learn from their inner wisdom. We also welcome Stephanie Horton, a women's circle facilitator who recently created a social group called The Wild Feminine. It's a conversation most women are never encouraged or invited to have, but all will be inspired to hear.

Welcome to episode two of our four-part conversation on Virginity and its lasting impact on women's lives. This week, we shift from what's between a woman's legs determining Virginity to what's placed between her ears that impacts her virtue and self-image. A seminal work on the topic is Virginity Lost, written by Laura Carpenter. She joined us from her day job as an associate professor at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Pauline Mortas is a recent graduate from the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris. She is a specialist in the history of sexualities in the 19th and 20th centuries. She comes to us through an article titled Women and Men Faced with Virginity, which explores the social and symbolic meanings ascribed to Virginity. This conversation reveals how the notion of Virginity intertwines with societal norms, personal identity, and the ongoing journey to redefine sexuality in an empowering light. Before you push play, get ready to question, to challenge, and to rethink what Virginity means on a societal level and how it still defines what goes on between a women's ears.

Do words define us, or do we define words? VBB Podcast is built on the belief that — we, the people — ultimately determine how words define us. Putting that belief into action is why we chose to name our Podcast using words that have terrorized or demonized women for centuries. VIRGIN is such a word. It has been used to regulate female sexual expression by dividing women into Madonna's or whores. It's a tragic binary definition for women to live under and a devastating stigma to overcome. Over the next four weeks, we explore what VIRGIN means to women and their power to change inherited definitions. In week one of our four-episode journey, we explore the Virgin Archetype with Metaphysical Minister, speaker, and author of three provocative books that challenge cultural taboos around God, Death, and Sex, the Irreverent Reverend Stephanie Clarke. We also welcome blogger, videographer, and the author of Goodby Virginity, Talia Grey. In this inaugural episode, we recall the origin of the Virgin, its purpose, and its influence on the lives of women in our modern world. 

Amanda is an internationally published journalist writing stories about relationships, travel, and wellness. In 2013, she wrote an essay that changed my life entitled “Does My Virginity Have a Shelf Life?” It caused a flood of retorts when it debuted in The New York Times. Ironically, feminists and misogynists attacked Amana’s decision to remain abstinent. It was as if a woman not having sexual intercourse is a woman who is somehow not complete. And it’s not like the girl wasn’t trying; by age 40, Amanda had dated over 100 men. She recalls dating physicists, army captains, a strip club bouncer, a philosopher, a professional country singer, a peace-treaty negotiator, a yacht captain, a waste management baron, a professional athlete, a farming landscape painter, firefighter, ER doctor, a minister, and a retired CIA spy. Christopher & Heather spoke with Amanda in 2020, shortly after finding what she had been waiting for this whole time: mutual love with someone who accepted her virginity as a gift. Amanda was also celebrating being pregnant with her first child. Unfortunately, the scorn Amanda endured as a woman determining her own sexual path remains a pressure women feel around the man-made construct we call The Virgin. Join VBB as we explore The Virgin archetype over four weeks and four unique episodes. As a preview, enjoy our conversation with Amanda, the 40-year-old Virgin.