Face of Anasyrma
Raquel
One of my first models in Paris was Raquel. During the session, we did an experiment where I photographed her face for a few minutes as she stretched her vulva wide. We took about 30 photos during this phase of the session as I whispered to her quietly. What you see is her relaxed, trusting and gentle humility, and her ease of contact. She invites you to gaze right into her eyes as she offers the sacred gesture of Anasyrma, the goddess reveals herself. As such, it’s her opportunity to incarnate for a few moments as an expression of the divine, who wants more than anything to be known and understood.
“Anasyrma is effectively ‘the exposing of the genitals’. This is a form of exhibitionism found in religion or artwork, rather than a display for arousal, and it always refers to the act of a woman exposing herself. The act of lifting up one's skirt to display the genitals can be an apotropaic device; it can, in circumstances of war, evoke the fear of the enemy. It can also be an act that evokes surprise and subsequent laughter and a letting go of sadness. What is significant about anasyrma is that it reflects the numinous quality of the female genitals and the genital region through which birth ensues. In several cultures, there is a myth of anasyrma used for emotional healing.”
Eric’s comment: Anaysyrma is an access point to the emotional/erotic healing nexus. Arousal from this gesrure comes with a melting quality for the viewer, a sense of astonishment and the sensation of what an honest moment in the universe feels like. For the one offering the display, it’s a moment of total surrender to who she is, with the feeling of being accepted and adored. It’s an offering for both parties involved in the exchange and for the viewere, an essential gesture of paravriti, the turning toward the source of time and the gateway to life.