ABSTRACT
Variously called a core of creativity or a furnace of carnality, a biological powerhouse or a suffocating mother, the womb is the focus of both dread and desire. Therefore, the initial conception of the womb is a magical interior, a conjunction of body and breast which carries the expectation of continuous, effortless pleasure experienced as warmth, softness, fullness, and satisfaction. Greedy desires sustain the impression that the vagina/womb/woman can never be satisfied. Women are a centre of mystery and a keeper of mysteries which men spend much of their lives trying to discover, debunk, emulate, and prove worthy of knowing. Women share traditional beliefs that they are unclean and contaminating during the menses. In popular parlance they often refer to the menstrual period as “the curse”, a term which implies much more than “a nuisance”. Aggressive onslaughts on the pregnant woman and the child-to-be are commonplace, and include neglect, assault, and malicious rivalry.
