Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Lenore.
Hi Lindsey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Aphrodite’s Atrium began with a long held grievance against the way society holds space for (or rather doesn’t hold space for) women’s sensuality, confidence, and their right to feel good in their own bodies.
The beauty/fashion industry, self help circuits, and even the adult retail business models- all of these spaces too often cater exclusively to cis male fantasy, with little or no room left to center female led desire, pleasure, self love, and empowerment; especially for those who do not fit into the hetero- normative definition of “what it means to be a woman.”
Our self worth is stolen from us, repackaged by the patriarchal beauty standards of the day, and then sold back to us as a form of social commodity; femininity becomes a duty to be performed, not an experience to be felt.
I began this movement to help change that.
As an art nude/boudoir model and pose coach, I’ve seen the remarkable change that comes from sessions where women questioned their worth walking in the door, and left feeling like they could take on the world on the way out.
Time and time again, I saw women prove their worth to themselves during these photo sessions. After shooting a concept where I felt beautiful and powerful. I’ve witnessed the atmospheric shift in myself as well.
I’ve also always been a very spiritual person. spellwork, tarot cards, you get the picture here. And after years of experiencing this same phenomenon over and over again, I put two and two together: Owning your sensuality is quite literally a spiritual experience.
And if that’s true, what if the act of daring to feel sexy and empowered was a sacred ritual in itself? How can we push back against the narrative that loving yourself and feeling good in your body could ever be a sin? Can a photoshoot fight the patriarchy? Is this witchcraft? How does any of this fit together?
I reached out to my brilliant pal Nikki, who has not only been my friend, but a major source of inspiration to me in the photography realm. (You might know her from her days, running Vixen Pin-Up photography.) I picked her brain about this idea that had completely dominated my headspace, trying to figure out how to bring it into the world. And wouldn’t you believe it, she had also felt the same pull I felt towards building something centered around women and their path to empowerment. Something that captured that same feeling women got from feeling like their best, sexiest, most confident selves during a photo shoot, but something deeper.
Enter the birth of Aphrodite’s Atrium.
Each month we host a half day retreat for groups of women to rediscover the Muse within themselves. We do this through guided meditation and intention setting, group ritual, spellwork, and of course a goddess-inspired photoshoot to finish the event, as reminders of the high priestess that lives in all women. A physical souvenir that we can carry with us, as a gift from our higher selves.
Aphrodite’s Atrium is fundamentally organized around a woman honoring herself. It’s not just about decorating our bodies to make us feel powerful, it’s about adorning our inner worlds so that we can walk through life as the most magical, magnetic versions of ourselves. We’ve seen the magic that happens when a woman feels good about herself. We know how life changing it feels to own your desire instead of performing it, and we’re determined to bring that feeling to as many people as possible.
That’s why in addition to our workshop packages, we offer free, donation based monthly new moon gatherings for those that cannot attend the full goddess retreats, because we believe that empowerment and community should be accessible to everyone. (For information on any of our events, be sure to check out our social media and/or our website.)
As of now, Aphrodite’s Atrium has hosted two half-day retreats, and three free community gatherings. What started as an idea is slowly but surely snowballing into a movement. Nikki and I are planning our first full weekend retreat for the fall, and we have plans to open up a retail space and studio within the next coming years.
This has been not only my largest project as an artist/entrepreneur, but the thing that has become my life‘s purpose. If for some reason money didn’t exist, I would still be doing exactly what I’m doing today. Healing the sensuality wound and building up confidence in women is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done, and hope I’m blessed with the chance to keep doing it again and again.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say the road has been smooth by any means, but truthfully what path worth walking is?
I was ironically enough previously interviewed by Voyage KC around five years ago, surrounding my work in the art nude and boudoir modeling space. Looking back on the interview now, I can read clearly how passionate I was about women shedding the shame surrounding their bodies, their confidence, and their sexuality.
At the time of writing it, while working another dead end job I knew I’d soon outgrow, I knew I wanted to continue growing my own work in that space, but just didn’t know what that looked like or how to get there. Years later, it is truly a full circle moment to be interviewed by the same magazine, while I’m settled fully into what I now know is meant to be my life’s work.
Many people did not and still do not understand why this work is important to me: Which is why it is important work.
Women are still ostracized for owning their sexuality, shamed for daring to be confident, and looked down upon for putting themselves first when self love should be our default setting.
It is my firm belief that sex/body positivity is not an inferior thing that needs to be chaperoned by emotionalism or morality. It is an essential part of what makes us human, what makes us whole, and taking that away or viewing it as a character flaw is a tremendous disservice to the divine.
We’ve been impressed with Aphrodite’s Atrium, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Aphrodite’s Atrium is a sanctuary where women reclaim their sacred sensuality
and power, and embrace their right to pursue confidence, pleasure, and self love.
Through community, feminine fine art portraiture, and glamour Magick, we shed the shame that was wrongfully prescribed to us and trade it for the gift of knowing that we are divine, that we are worthy, that we we are “Our own Muse”
Lindsey & Nikki are on a mission to create spaces where the feminine spirit is honored, uplifted, & exalted. At our glamour magick workshops, group meditations, fantasy photo sets, & retreats- desires are portals & self love / self lust is an offering to the highest self.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
A ridiculous amount of blind optimism will take you further than all the knowledge in the world if you don’t do anything with said knowledge. You can complete hundreds of practice runs, you can read all the books, take all the classes, think about all the things you want to do, but in the end, the arena teaches better than the classroom. Stop thinking about what you want to do and just get out there and do it. Do it even if you don’t know what the hell you’re doing. You can figure it out along the way, and the pieces will fall into place when you show the universe you actually mean business.
Pricing:
- Half Day Goddess Retreats range from $222-$444
- Weekend Retreat pricing to come
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AphroditesAtrium.com
- Instagram: @aphrodites.atrium
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19WhzRxEPM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
