Confessions of a Tantric Pastor with Anthony Michael

Have a question or comment? Send it to Kristin!What do you call a pastor who trades Bible verses for breathwork and starts preaching the gospel of pleasure?In this episode, I chat with Anthony Michael, a former pastor turned tantra teacher, community builder, and “minister of pleasure.” Together, we dive into the intersection of religion, sexuality, and sacred embodiment.From his 17 years in ministry to creating tantric play parties and a thriving conscious community in Houston, Anthony shares the radical journey of transforming guilt into grace and discovering how sex can be a prayer and pleasure can be devotion.🎧 Inside:What happens when a pastor discovers TantraHealing religious shame and sexual repressionWhy “safe masculine presence” makes the feminine bloomHow divorce, desire, and devotion became his catalystsFinding God in orgasmThe divine masculine, safe presence, and embodied leadership Rewriting your gospel through love, wholeness & desireThe surprising overlap between theology and sexualityA conversation for anyone who’s ever felt torn between God and pleasure, holiness and wholeness. Spoiler: they might just be the same thing.Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & “What’s turning you on right now?” 02:00 – From pastor to tantra: the safe masculine presence 05:30 – Growing up in the church & early call to ministry 09:00 – AOL chatrooms, Jesus moments, and hearing “the call” 11:00 – Seminary stories & inclusive churches 13:30 – Divorce, sexual awakening, & first casual encounters 17:00 – Getting fired from church  20:00 – Redefining sex, casual connection, and healing codependency 22:30 – Meeting Samantha on Tinder & birth of Houston’s Tantra community 26:00 – From sermons to sacred sex: ministry of pleasure 31:00 – Codependency, control, & inner work 33:00 – Reimagining Jesus, Christ consciousness, & inner divinity 37:00 – God in the bedroom: “Jesus would fuck—and he’d be good at it” 40:00 – Mary Magdalene, Gnostic Gospels, & divine union 44:00 – Creating safe spaces for sensuality & shadow 46:30 – Potential vs. kinetic energy: the physics of a play party 49:00 – Breath, sound, & grounding in Tantra 50:00 – What his younger preacher self would say now 51:00 – If I preached today… “The gospel of oneness and sex as sacred” 01:02:00 – Divine masculine/feminine and shifting collective energiesConnect with Anthony:IG: https://www.instagram.com/anthony._michael/Support the showConnect with Kristin:WebsiteInstagramFacebook YouTubeKristin’s Book:Sex, Drugs, & Soul Spotify AudiobookSubscribe:YouTubeSpotifyApplePeptides:Oral Quicksilver GHK/Copper Peptidehttps://elliemd.com/kristinbirdwellMicrodose 🍄 https://myfeelium.co/password: opensesameCode: kristin20 for 20% off