I only had sex for money once.

It had been a fantasy for a long time and although I skirted around the edge of the sex industry for years and have also been an outspoken advocate for sex worker rights, it only happened once.

I was so curious. Would it be pleasurable? Would I feel ashamed? Empowered or powerless? And so I allowed my curiosity and desire for truth to guide me and arranged a meeting in a hotel with some one – a government official I believe.

45 minutes later, I was standing by the door about to leave, 500 euros clutched in my hand.

He looked at my sheepishly, muttering the words “Next time it will be better”.

The moment that followed only lasted a matter of seconds, yet in that moment profound insight came tumbling through.

The vulnerability in being a man.

The power in being a woman, who owns her allure.

As women  – of course as humans, beyond gender as well – we don’t realise how powerful we are: as mothers and bringers of life, as guardians of our earth, as mystical, beguiling and sensual beings who are longed for and desired. Lets rise up in that power, not use to manipulate or make men feel small, but use it to speak our truth, show the fierce and tender love towards our planet how and see just how much beauty we can create.