VBB 286 VIRGIN REDEFINED

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!