Tree-humping dendrophiliacs aside, few interpret the mantra "Love the Earth" literally. Leave it to Annie Sprinkle, the porn star-turned-performance artist, to take it as far as anyone.
Best known for her Public Cervix Announcement shows—a speculum, a flashlight and her ladybits—Sprinkle is now exploring the sexy side of environmentalism with her longtime partner and collaborator, Elizabeth Stephens. They call it "sexecology" and it involves shows, symposiums, workshops and "ecosex" walking tours of various natural locations, including Oregon's Clackamas River.
Based in San
Francisco, Sprinkle has been researching and exploring sexuality for 30
years. A former prostitute of 20 years, she's long been an advocate for
hookers, championing the sex-positive feminist movement, and authoring
several books. We spoke with Dr. Sprinkle—she has a doctorate in human
sexuality—to learn more about her new environmentalist take on sex and
to get some tips on celebrating a sexier Earth Day without those dreaded
splinters.
WW: How do sex and ecology relate to each other?
Annie Sprinkle: [Sexecology] explores the places where
sexology and ecology intersect in our culture. We have found many
examples, such as a wide variety of nature fetishes, the use of
marijuana and psychoactive plants combined with sex, super-sexy
environmental activists, orgasmic experiences with the ocean, Isabella
Rossellini's Green Porno, vegan sexuality, ecosexuality,
nature-inspired high couture, mud wrestling, flagellation with oak
leaves, bondage-fairy comic books, watching bees pollinating,
fuckforforest.com, the 64dakinioracle.com, Robert Mapplethorpe flower
photographs, Marina Abramovic's Balkan Erotic Epic.
How do we treat the earth like our lover? Where's its G spot?
We connect with nature erotically through our senses. The G
spot is very well known—as ecosexuals, we have what we call "E spots,"
which are ecosexy or ecosensual spots. So you can be walking in nature,
or even in a city, and find a super sexy tree, or want to take your
shoes off and massage some moss with your feet.
Smell her, taste her, touch him all over! Let the ocean waves pound you naked from behind! Make love outside.
There are hundreds of
ways to have sensual, erotic and sexual experiences with
nature—thousands. We take groups of people on ecosex walking tours, and
they can experience nature as a lover.
What plant, tree, rock or other natural formation is the most erotic?
I couldn't possibly choose. But once we
went to the museum to view what's called a giant corpse flower found in
the Amazon. When the flowers open, they supposedly smell like a corpse.
But we didn't get a whiff. It wasn't open yet.
Apparently
in the Victorian age, women weren't allowed to see them lest they get
too aroused and faint in ecstasy. Well, I have to admit, it was indeed
totally arousing, and I almost fainted in bliss.
What's your sexiest suggestion for celebrating Earth Day?
Lay on top of the earth, or let the earth get on top of
you. Press your body close. Put your third eye on the grass. Press your
pelvis down into the earth. Just relax, breathe and let erotic energy
flow back and forth between you and the earth. Happy horny Earth Day!
SEE: Learn more about the sexecology movement and see Annie Sprinkle's calendar of events at sexecology.org.
WWeek 2015