Card 18 · Femessence Series · 2026

Belong

Age 32 · Caucasian background · Vaginal birth: No

Femessence — Belong, Card 18Femessence — Belong, Card 18Femessence — Belong, Card 18

She spent years so disconnected from her body that she cannot recall a single encounter. When that relationship ended, she began the slow work of finding her way back — to her womb space, to herself. What she discovered was that she knew what her body felt like but had no idea what it looked like. Even in intimacy, her eyes stayed shut.

“To leave behind the hiding and bring love and reverence to this sacred space of creation.”

For most of my early life, I had zero relationship to my vulva. I was very disconnected from her and I consistently disassociated during sex. After years of partnership with a man I no longer remember a single sexual encounter with, I ended things and began a journey of discovery. In that time, I started to get to know my entire womb space, on a physical level.

It wasn’t until this project that I realised that though I know what it feels like, I have no idea what my vulva looks like. I also began to realise that even still, in partnered interactions, I keep my eyes squeezed shut from a place of shyness, shame, afraid to know what he sees.

I jumped at the chance to participate in this project. To leave behind the hiding and bring love and reverence to this sacred space of creation.

To her teenage self

Love your body. Love her no matter what you hear, no matter how heavily they drill it into you. Shut out the noise. You and her are together forever — treasure her. Listen to her. She will guide you to your highest heights, your deepest discoveries, and your ultimate peace.

Belong is the card for the woman who is coming home.

This portrait is part of the Femessence Women’s Celebration Series — a body of work by artist and arts therapist Caris Pepper honouring the sacred feminine through vulva portrait art. Each portrait in this series is becoming a card in the Femessence Vulva Portrait Oracle deck, coming 2027.