first of all I want to thank you all. thank you to those who encourage me to be myself. to those who support my project in miscellaneous ways. I see all of you. thank you to those of you who experienced Vol.1 with me as active readers, lovers, receivers. thanks to everyone actively witnessing this journey and being part of it.
it’s a beautiful feeling to share what you love and while I aspire to be detached from the outcome, the reciprocacy of it, while I create for the sake of creating, of expressing myself, it’s equally astonishing to witness my expression being perceived, received and loved. I’m honored to hear what it has moved within you.
For all your openness on Volume 1, I am deeply grateful. it moves me to hear your insights and experiences and it startles me to see a tapestry of collective emotions being woven together, strings of knowledge and fragments of experience being put together to a web of welcoming connection, spun all over the globe. from Berlin, to Munich, to Copenhagen, to Brussels, to New York, from there to Portugal and back again to Berlin.
It has been my great honor to guide you and to see the pieces of Volume 1 fall together so perfectly.
I often get questions on how I came up with the idea, how I chose the book and why and the answer is very simple. it came to me.
through the practice of getting to know myself, it came to me.
This practice is kundalini yoga, a portal to intuition and a highway to creative intel, that’s swifting through the universe, waiting for you, only you, like a cup that holds just the right space for it to pour into. and when it rains, it pours. in the swift moment of a second, I had it in front of me, 6 weeks, 4 zooms, 2 dinners, 1 book. and then I acted on that.
With finding the topic for Volume 1, which ended up being “Community”, it went a little different, it took some time. I had my mind made up on another topic and I ordered many books that sounded like a great fit, but didn’t feel just right. until I allowed myself to step away and let my intuitive guidance take over. I asked a well-read friend, an aspiring writer and actor from London, what he has been reading, I looked into all of these books and when I left another few days to marinade on the question “what topic will Volume 1 have” it struck me, on an idle day, folding laundry, and then I just knew. I think its awesome how, once we create space, by stepping back, by reconsidering, by zooming out, we open capacity for things to come to us. to receive. it’s the principle of venusianpleasures_ itself.
it’s not a state of doing nothing. it’s a state of active trust.
I really wanna take you deeper into the lessons and biggest take aways from the book, which is what I will do in another essay, to keep this one nice and crispy. Here are some keywords I jotted down for you to simmer in:
holding contradictory emotions / expanding your capacity / finding fullness / connection throughout contradiction
I do however, wanna extend the voices from the VP Vol.1 crowd to you, that double down on the shared experience of how special it feels to put a space like this together - and it made me realize once more, ONCE WE CREATE SPACE, things flow into it. And it grows, proportionally to the potential we give to it.
Ultimately, the program is a manifestation of its own making, the physical realm is like a mirror of the unseen. (but hey, more on this in yet another substack)
What’s to come
I’m already receiving many questions on Vol.2 and be assured — it’s coming. I’m planning it for Fall/Winter 2023.
Simultanuously, I want to make the concept more accessible and envision some pop-ups over the summer, as well as sharing bits and pieces like the ring from Vol.1 with you. You can order it via DM, it’s 15€ each + shipping, comes in different sizes and is uniquely made for you from my home in Berlin.
The ultimate vision for venusianpleasures_ is to grow into retreats, poetry pop-ups, and continue the bookclub concept. I’m beyond excited to see how it unfolds, knowing that sometimes we have to take a step back, zoom out, to let creativity rush in like a hungry wave on the morning shore, swallowing the wet sand with excitement, eagerness, determination. a state of active trust.
stay tuned and feel free to share this with your friend, who is a lover of the simple pleasures of life like I, like you.
a good book / ripe peaches dripping from your fingers / sun startling through the trees / the sensuality of warm sand on your skin / words that strike your heart like lightening / a firm hug / a shared croissant / hot coffee on a sunday morning / fresh morning air breezing through your hair / crispy asparagus on soft fruit / the culmination of tastes and textures dancing on your tongue / +++
I can’t wait to share more with you,
warmly,
Ray