How can you utilize taboo themes in a setting without alienating a modern audience?
All of reality exists inside the cosmic womb of the goddess. People, planets, animals, etc, were all created when she bled into the universe, birthing life to all things. The faith honors this event in a week long celebration which takes place once a year during the growing season.
The religion in question is matriarchial, and is led by a priestess-queen along with the priestess under her. As such, females are celebrated in the theology, and a woman's period is considered sacred instead of being a shameful subject. At the end of this week, the male priests of the church cut themselves into a bowl during a ritualistic ceremony known as the Sanguinala, as they do not bleed every month. This process is meant to honor the sacrifice of the goddess, and allow them to symbolically take part in the life giving process.
Since this setting includes certain biological processes that is often considered taboo to discuss openly, how would this play with modern society? Would it be considered too disturbing or disgusting? How do you avoid offending the audience and how much should you focus on it?
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1 answer
Lean into it.
Don't treat it as shocking -- a reader too scandalized by your subject matter probably shouldn't be reading this book to begin with.
Instead, use all the tools of worldbuilding and exposition to portray this world as it is to its people. It isn't taboo for them; and that's the society you're portraying.
As long as you're presenting their point of view, they see menstruation as deeply significant. You need to construct that significance; lead the reader into being able to understand it. This is no different than presenting any other worldbuilding element that differs wildly from our own -- except that you'll be anticipating a slightly different reaction from the reader.
In this particular case, I'll point out that there are plenty of people who do not consider menstruation a taboo topic by any means. Definitely ask some women, and some outspoken women's hygiene advocates, for an opinion on your manuscript once you've gotten through a draft or so.
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