How Crimson Minx Became Her Own Sexual Muse
"I've been able to manifest a pretty rad life for myself since I’ve started tapping into and owning this energy."
Here at Yes, Misstrix, I often have the pleasure of speaking with amazing people doing fascinating work in the realm of sex, sensuality, sexuality and desire. Last week, I shared part one of my conversation with Crimson Minx, the founder of Austin's Minx + Muse feminine playhouse. You can read part one right here. In this portion of our conversation, we’re talking about the beauty of setting sexual boundaries, releasing shame, inspiring sensual embodiment and finding joy in movement.
Yes, Misstrix: Last week, we ended our conversation with a really beautiful description of how sexual energy can be used to manifest a magical reality. That brings me to a question about what sensual movement has meant to you. How have you used it in your life? How has it empowered you to bring this work to others?
Crimson Minx: I would absolutely say that, prior to discovering this style of dance, I was very disconnected from my body. I was very boundary-less with my sexuality. I was definitely not showing up in my day to day able to tap into my highest potential because I was so locked and shamed in my sexuality. Like we said before, it is our ability to create, magnetize and all of that. So, if you're shut down with your sexual energy, you're not showing up in your highest vitality. Since I've discovered this style of movement, I've stopped being so critical and fighting my body.
And here's the thing: We're kind of taught that sexuality has to look a certain way—that you have to be a certain size or wear a certain thing or fall into a certain age group. Society tells us that so it can sell us things, We don't feel good enough, and it's impossible to reach those standards. But once you learn to feel sexy, which I was able to access through dance, all of a sudden, I wasn't trying to appear sexy or think my way to sexy. I felt it. I embodied it. I stopped giving a shit about society’s definition of sexy. Now, you can't tell me that I'm not that because I’ve experienced it, and I’ve felt it. That's super important.
It’s my mission to let people know that it's going to look different for everyone, and you don't have to fall into a category to own this energy. That was a big thing. It doesn’t mean that I’m never self-critical anymore, but I have found so much more acceptance of my physical body while also honoring my sexual energy more. Before, I was looking for other people to sexually empower me. For example, I was trying to have these intimate relationships with people and partners, but if I wasn't really connected to that aspect of myself, I sure as hell wasn't going to be able to have them access it for me.
Look, I lived in New York during Sex in the City, and that's when the message was like, ‘Go out and have sex with a lot of people. Own your sexuality. You'll be sexually empowered this way.’ So, I was doing that, but it felt so empty. It didn’t feel good. I didn’t feel like I was sexually empowered—I felt like I was giving that part of myself away. It felt almost like I was even more ashamed that aspect of myself. So, I knew that that wasn't the answer.
Over time, I come to find out that it's because it isn't something that you necessarily find with a partner. And it isn't something that you necessarily find through sex itself. It's something that you have to access energetically. For me, it was just through dance movements. So now, I have way more boundaries when it comes to sex. I feel like my sexuality is sacred, and it's not something that I'm just going to give away so freely. And because of that, I feel I'm in a much more emotionally balanced, happy place with that.
I’m not trying to pass judgment or anything, but when I talk about my personal experience, I found that trying to find sexual empowerment outside of myself didn’t work. Because of that, I’ve really come to understand this part of myself that I'm really connected with. I feel it now, and it's not something I want to share with everyone. So, that's definitely been a big change. It also means that I really have to be able to trust a partner, and when I do trust him, it’s blown everything open. I can be more exploratory, more willing to find even deeper pleasure in our moments together. That’s a good thing.
Overall, I really have to say that I've been able to manifest a pretty rad life for myself since I’ve started tapping into and owning this energy. It feels like I’m leaving behind a sense of victimhood or the idea that my life is up to destiny or circumstance. I feel like things flow a lot more easily now that I can hear my body and my intuition. Now that I’m embodied through this style of dance, I can hear my intuition speak to me and guiding me.
Before, I was just trying to make all decisions from my head because I was cut off. I couldn't hear anything. But our bodies are our strongest oracle, and it's always going to tell us to trust this person or not, to head this direction or don’t. That’s why it’s important for us to teach embodiment. You can be a really great dancer and execute technical moves, but you can also be disembodied. Sure, you're moving your limbs, and you're doing things, but the important part is dropping into the feeling. That's where you're actually connected to this source of wisdom and guidance. It’s really beautiful.
YM: It sounds like becoming comfortable with your sensuality and sexuality was a journey. How did you get to the point where you started to see it as powerful?
CM: I think I felt it from the beginning, but it wasn't something I was comfortable with for a while. And you know the honest answer is that with embodiment, it's just repetition. It's doing things over and over again, and it's doing the external work to deal with these issues up here [in your mind] that are holding you back. Whether that means going to a therapist or doing reflection and shadow work, whether it's releasing limiting thoughts, beliefs, shame guilt and things like that, you have to deal with it.
That's where the witchcraft is super important. Shadow work is very ingrained to having a healthy witchcraft practice. You do a lot of reflecting on things like, ‘Why am I so resistant to this? And where did this come from? And how can I release that?’ It takes time. I can't say, ‘Take a few classes, and you're there.’ I'm still on that journey, and I've been doing this for over 10 years now.
It requires commitment to the practice. You’ve got to get to a place where you’re not necessarily worrying about how the dance looks or if you’re becoming more advanced. To me, dance is about asking whether you can go deeper. Can you get more into your body? Can you get more authentic in your expression? I really think that a lot of that comes from doing the work of internal reflection and healing and growth.
YM: At Minx and Muse, everyone starts by taking a class on esoeroticism. How do you take someone brand new to this work and get them to go a little bit deeper to start exploring these more sensual parts of themselves?
CM: That first course was very much set up for beginners, so it’s dance and movement. It’s all floor work, and we break down some really foundational sensual floorwork moves. This way, people feel like they're starting to get some movement that they can access into their toolbelt. But that’s not really what it’s all about. There is a lot of prompting for them to start self-touch in their movement. And there's also a lot of what we call ‘swaggin it out’ in that movement.
We leave space for them to freestyle, but not in the sense where it gets scary. It’s more like, ‘I want you to sit with your booty on your heels and circle your hips and touch on yourself.’ Through these prompts, people start realizing, ‘Wow, I have dance in my body already. If I just circle my hips or my chest and feel all over myself and try to shift into different positions, I am dancing.’
There's also a discussion component of every class where we actually explain why what they're doing is magic. So, by week three, they have an understanding of why the whole point of this work is to get out of their head and into their body and not be concerned about what it looks like but how it feels. Students are learning these new movements and implanting them with what they’re feeling at the time. It’s about feeling sexy and sensual and safe in your body. It’s about feeling good, so it really is almost like a magical ritual that we teach.
One of the things we’ve found is that by teaching this way, we not only make it less intimidating for people who are brand new, but students come to us when they’re ready. Because if you’re not ready, you’re going to hate that class. You’re not going to want to do any of that. So, you have to have that internal desire of, ‘I'm ready to do this.’ That's also why we don't encourage people to bring their friends who don’t want to come. Don’t force your homies to show up with you. Come by yourself, if you’re feeling it, and do the work. It’s not for everyone. Not everyone is there yet. But for people who are ready, it’s transformative.
YM: What have you seen happen to your students once they start to embrace the dark feminine through dance, movement and their innate magic?
CM: Oh my gosh. It's so beautiful. I have seen people set much stronger boundaries in their life and have much higher expectations for themselves and others. I have seen them trust themselves and follow their deeper, more authentic desires, whether that has to do with their work, their relationships or where they want to live. I’ve seen people find connection to one another. We're all genders here, but I see a lot of feminine energetic friendships and community being built. People are supporting each other and building each other up. This is major in a society that seems to want us to break each other down.
I have seen people give themselves much more permission to access joy and pleasure in life, especially when, perhaps, they have been sold this idea that life is all about work and achievement and competition. Being able to find permission to say, ‘You know what, I can take breaks. I can pursue pleasure. I can find joy.’
People begin to find self-acceptance and self-love through this work. Being in this studio space, especially, where you're surrounded by people who are all so diverse in their backgrounds and age and body size and abilities, it really gives you perspective. You’re able to witness all this self-acceptance of being sexy—not by the standards of what’s sexy in a magazine, but what that looks like in each person.
YM: That sounds like such a beautiful transformation to be able to witness. My last question is if there's anything else you'd like to share about yourself, your studio or what you're trying to create in the world?
CM: I want to continue building a very kind, magical, empowered community for people to find this work when they need it and when they're ready for it. We're always trying to be better, to have better classes and better programs. That's why we started a virtual membership last year called the Minx + Muse Multiverse. People were really desiring to do this extra work outside of dance classes. They wanted to go deeper in their lives, and the membership resulted from that request.
It's an actual membership. Each month, we have a specific archetype that we work with. For February, it's the Sexual Sorceress. In January, it was the dreamer. We work with different archetypal energy each month, and students also get a full workbook of different exercises, shadow work prompts, tarot spreads, magical insights and energy work. They also get new moon and full moon toolkits, which include a meditation, an astrology report and a spell-casting ritual. We also do a monthly Master Workshop. We have unlimited virtual classes and private group events. For example, on Wednesday morning, we do dance parties at 8 am.
Everything we do is to help people go deeper into what we call ‘erotic witchcraft’. That’s really the one thing I would say. If you start with the classes, and you’re ready to go deeper, join the Multiverse. That’s where you’ll find those who are really ready to commit. It’s the most transformational experience that we offer.
With pleasure,
Yes, Misstrix
P.S. I’m so excited to announce that I was featured on the ZFG Living Podcast! In this episode, host Melissa Trumble and I talk about taking responsibility for your joy and pleasure. Listen to the episode here.
P.P.S. Thank you for reading part two of my conversation with Crimson Minx. It’s my goal to make these types of conversations a lot more commonplace in our society. If you’ve loved the wisdom shared here, please spread the word using the buttons below.