This blog deals with submission, kink, sex and power, and how all these things fit together in the life of this Christian submissive.
7/25/2010
Tickle Sex Store
I've just discovered another online sex toy shop that I really like, My Tickle Spot. I like Tickle because their site is elegant and easily laid out. You can search for toys by most popular and by category, but also by circumference, hypoallergenic materials, shape, and special features.
They also have the We-Vibe II, which I have been lusting after for... oh, about a year now.
They also have some great BDSM books, including S&M 101 and How to Be Kinky: A Beginner's Guide to S&M, but I didn't see any great bondage kits or BDSM toys on their site. :( However, I did notice that their collection of BDSM and fetish books is tres cheap, ranging from $8 to $21. For instance, S&M 101 is only $19.50, and How to Be Kinky is on sale for a phenomenal $13.26. These are the cheapest I have found these books at any sex toy store, so if you want to add to your fetish book collection (I do!), here's the place to do it.
And if you use the coupon code above, you can save 30% off your purchase! I was impressed by this since most stores won't give more than 10% discounts.
7/19/2010
I'm On Vacation!
My father and I are heading to Europe to spend a few days in Paris and then some sightseeing in England and Ireland. I used to live in France, so I'm terribly excited to be going back, especially with my dad, who was a history teacher and will love Paris. I'm also excited to have a real croissant and pain chocolat again.
I've never seen England or Ireland, so I'm tickled to be seeing those for the first time ever, especially the Cliffs of Moher.
Maybe I'll even find some European S&M clubs that I can visit just for kicks. ;)
I will miss my Dom and our cats terribly, and I'll miss my lovely online community of bloggers and FetLifers, but I'll be full of delightful stories to tell when I come back! I can't wait to get back and read all the news and drama that has happened in my absence.
Below is our trip map so you can see and feel jealous. :P
In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter and Formspring until I get back to the world of sex and BDSM blogging. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them on Formspring or my blog. I hope everyone has a great end of July and enjoy the rest of summer! Bon voyage!
7/18/2010
My Rant: Why Christians CAN be Kinky
I mean, cognitively, I understand it. I understand that people think most devout Christians are Bible-thumping, conservative, blue-state, pulpit-preaching jerks. There are many Christian leaders, politicians, and groups out there that have earned the rest of us that nasty reputation (thanks for that, by the way, guys. ::rolls eyes::).
But that isn't ALL of us.
When people say "Christians can't be kinky," I tend to reply, "You're confusing what a Christian is." A Christian isn't someone who goes to church or votes for George W. Bush (::eye rolls again::). A Christian is someone with a relationship with Christ. We are followers of Christ. We're not perfect, we make mistakes, and sometimes we make asses out of ourselves as a group. I'm not even going to list all the embarrassing things Christians have done in history, but as a group we've done some pretty terrible stuff. But as a group we've also done some really great stuff. And I just tell myself that's because people who follow Christ may be human and imperfect, we are all sinners, but you should not confuse Christians with Christ. If I had to look to some of the small-minded Christians I know for my faith, I'd be turned off, too. Luckily, I don't. I can ignore them--they have their own path of faith to follow--and concentrate solely on Jesus. And seriously, He was one cool guy. Strong, fearless, leader, servant, obedient, divine but still flesh. You never saw Jesus claiming to do one thing and then doing another. Jesus was never a hypocrite. Jesus was never malicious or judgmental or unforgiving. We, his followers? Yeah, we're all those awful things and more, because we're human. But you can't confuse one Man with all us sinful beings following Him.
It just makes me so mad when I see these groups on Fetlife and around the internet asking "How can Christians be kinky?" Some of the more inflammatory get away with saying we all follow "the undead zombie from the sky," like we're some kind of idiots who believe fictional myths without any proof. It just angers me to no end. I'm an intelligent, educated woman who chose to be Christian after much research and study. My husband and I both have a Masters and he has a university degree in Religious Studies (it was my minor). I'm not an idiot and I resent people who assume I am because I'm a Christian. People think BDSM must be against the Bible (it's not). They think BDSM must incorporate sin (it can, but it doesn't have to). They think you can't be Christian and kinky.
Well, I'm Christian and kinky.
I'm also things that many stereotypical "Christians" are not. I vote Democratic, all the time. I've visited mosques and synagogues and would go again. I'd vote for gay civil unions if it ever came up. Yeah, I'm saved. I'm devout, conservative even in my religious beliefs (I'm pretty much pro-life, anti-premarital sex, and I do believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. I read my Bible, go to church most every Sunday, and have a crucifix in my house). But I also have friends who are not Christians, people I love very much and that I respect. I think they ask good questions that challenge my faith. My faith is not threatened by a friend who is pro-choice or Republican or Muslim or atheistic. And my faith is not threatened by BDSM.
One man on FetLife was just such a guy who doesn't see how people can be both Christian and kinky. He started a discussion called M/s, BDSM, and Christianity, which if you have a FetLife account you can read even if you're not part of the Masters and Slaves group, but unfortunately I'm not part of that group so I couldn't respond. So I'm venting on my blog. I'm going to outline the original poster's questions, both in the first discussion and in his follow-up post, and I hope that for once people can stop assuming all Christians are Bible-thumping, gay-hating, anti-sex, ethnocentric idiots. Some of us are, and they annoy me just as much as they annoy you. But just like all Americans don't think the same way, all Christians aren't represented by the small, bigotted, yet strangely vocal minority.
So if you are one of those who identify as Christian, how do you resolve the cognitive dissonance between the M/s you engage in (the BDSM, the polygamy, the sex for recreation instead of procreation and so on and so forth) and the Christian doctrine? Any kind of fun, kinky sex within a Christian marriage is okay, so there is no cognitive dissonance between M/s and BDSM. As for polygamy, the Bible is unclear whether God is for or against it, and theologians differ. If a man is married to all his wives, he is technically not sinning by being polygamous. It is only a person who is not married to all his partners who is fornicating. As for the "sex for recreation instead of procreation," only a minority of Christian groups believe this is wrong, mainly Catholics and Mormons. Most Protestant sects have no problem with sex for recreation and bonding without the possibility of procreation.
And that One True Way, Christianity or following God’s words, seems to be very opposed to most of what is considered the norm for M/s and BDSM. This is true. For Christian kinksters, some things are just flat-out forbidden by the Bible. No sex before marriage, no swinging, no threesomes, no porn, no orgies, no bestiality, no sex with close relatives, no adultery. Even if both partners agree, those kinky activities are out for Christians, because their marriage is a three-way relationship between the spouses and God, and all three of them must agree. However, this still leaves tons of kinky activities open for Christian kinksters, including Master/slave, puppy play, rape play, roleplaying, pain, spanking, bondage, punishment, dirty talk, etc, etc, etc. I personally feel like most of the activities associated with BDSM can easily be kept within a monogamous marriage.
So without resorting to Ephesians 5:22-24 (way too easy), which is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how much this religion is phenomenally misogynistic, just how do you resolve the cognitive dissonance between being either Master or slave and being Christian? Part one. I do not think Christianity is misogynistic. I think the Bible was written by misogynistic men living in a misogynistic culture, but honestly, most cultures back then were. The only time women are supposed to submit is 1. during church services (1 Timothy 2:12) or 2. to her husband (1 Peter 3:1). That leaves 99.9% of situations and men that she is completely an equal to. Most Christians do not follow the 1 Timothy 2 verse about women not speaking in church; that was seen as a cultural command and not a moral one. For every verse about a woman submitting to her husband, there is one about men and women are equal in Christ and equal spiritually.
So for those who say they are M/s Christian and not in monogamous relationships, there has to be some cognitive dissonance. Or have I got it wrong and do you just simply willingly commit sin? For those Christians who are not in monogamous relationships or at least striving toward that (we all sin!), they either usually believe that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally (in which case why are they Christians?) or they justify it using some vague verse in Matthew about how we are not under the law and only need to love God to be a good Christian. I don't agree with this interpretation at all.
In Ephesians it becomes clear that the wife should not disobey the law of God under the guise of submission. This is where the cognitive dissonance question I asked in the OP comes into play. At what point does the Christian/slave/wife deny her Christian/Master/husband’s command? If such a command is something defined as being ‘sin’ in the Bible, does the Christian slave then defy God or the Master? This is a great question and one that is addressed in virtually every book written about Christian submission within marriage. Even non-kinky Christians need to know "Where does submission stop?" The answer is: a Christian woman should submit to her husband in everything that is not specifically defined as a sin in the Bible. She submits to her husband as he submits to God, so ideally her husband would never lead her astray. God is leading both of them to truth through the authority of the husband. But, husbands are human and they sin, too! In that case, a woman should submit to God first. If her husband commands her to do something against her faith or the Bible, she has a right to refuse.
7/17/2010
10% off coupon code to Fascinations
7/16/2010
Bondage Rope and Shots Scenes
The other day, my Dom used our bondage rope for a wonderfully devious purpose--to force me to do his will during the scene. Instead of tying my wrists or ankles with the rope, he looped it around my neck in a gentle knot. I was stuck.
This extra control was great for him, because with just a slight tug or pull he could force my head and body to go wherever he wanted them. He forced me to kneel before him on a pillow, tugging at the rope whenever I was too hesitant or slow for his liking. Then he forced me to give him head, even with me saying no and protesting and turning my head away, by pulling on the cord around my neck until I had no choice but to take him in my mouth. (For those new to the blog, we have a relationship of consensual non-consent and I am always allowed to use my safeword.)
I can't lie, the control was hot. Not the things we were doing, but being forced to do them. With just a soft rope around my neck and him pulling it like a leash or lead, I was at his mercy. I think we both enjoyed it.
Later, we went to a hookah bar since I'd never tried the hookah bar. Some people we knew were there, so we stayed very late, and during that time I told him "no" several times, so afterwards for my punishment he took me to a seedy bar and made me take 2 double shots of whiskey, which I don't like. I pouted and whined and promises to be better next time, but he was completely firm, and no amount of pleading, cajoling, or rationalizing worked. Finally, I took my two shots worth of punishment and we headed on home, me feeling tipsy and even more at his control. We ended the night by cuddling up in bed and falling into an exhausted sleep, but it was a very fun night out.
Today has been rather unactive. My Dom found a kitten outside that was obviously alone and hungry so we've let her in and given her food and toys. Our two kitties are very unhappy with this; one is watching her every move like a hawk and the other is hiding in the back bedroom. I'd love to keep her, but we can't keep three kitties so I will eventually put her up for adoption. She's a cute cat and very young so we hope we'll find her a good home.
Well, that's all my news for the day. I think the scene from last night was very good, so if you like any of the ideas, feel free to use them as suggestions for your own scene ideas with your sub or Dom.
Oh, and I'm on Twitter now, so if you want to follow me, go to http://twitter.com/Sexperts_!
7/15/2010
The Eden's Fantasy Dilemma, or Why I'm Through
I'm Lovin' It
I don't think it matters if you are vanilla, M/s, D/s, Taken in Hand, codependent, CDD, or whatever else you want to be, as long as you are both happy. In fact, even though I identify as D/s as well as CDD and Taken in Hand, I still have long and fruitful talks with my vanilla girlfriends about sex, relationships, and men. Relationships are just relationships, and even my BDSM marriage has more in common with a vanilla relationship than it differs.
Right now, I'm frustrated because Blogger doesn't have a gadget so I can publish my comments that I make to other people's blogs. There are so many great blogs out there to do with D/s, that I find through the blogrolls of the blogrolls of my Google Readers, and I comment on them because they're good and they make me think. I want my readers to be able to see these great blogs as well as my comments on them, and I also want to be able to find these blogs later once my "internet trail" is all but forgotten in a blitz of right-clicking and opening new tabs from the blogs I'm on. I'm always amazed by how many good D/s blogs there are out there.
So why am I happy?
I got a lot of sleep. That's always awesome for me. I was traveling the last five days and up late every night. When I got home, I kept my exhausted body up til 2:30 am with my husband, first fighting and then making love, and I slept until 2:30 in the afternoon the next day! (!!!!!) I mean, I normally sleep til 8:30 or 9 am. Sleeping in til 10:30 is a great morning for me. I cannot remember a time I have ever slept that late, but it really screwed up my sleep schedule since at 5:30 am this morning I was awakened by a purring kitty and felt wide awake.
I'm also happy because of the cats. We have two kitties, near and dear to my heart. One of them, the snobby one I've had since she was a kitten, is cuddly and nice about once a week, and the rest of the time is aloof, grouchy, needy, jealous, and whiny. But today, since I was gone for five days, she has been purring and laying on my lap, even though I'm typing.
The other one we adopted when she was about a year old from a family who had saved her from being put down by a neglectful owner. I'm not sure WHY this owner would ever put her down, since she is the most laid back, low-maintenance, lovey and friendly cat I have ever met. It makes me so mad when people do not take care of their animals. When we got her, she was ugly and scrawny, bony with nasty, gross-feeling yellowed fur that felt icky no matter how many times I gave her a bath. Now, a year after being in a happy, healthy home with regular access to nutrition and meals, she is a gorgeous, white, chubby kitty with soft, fluffy, healthy fur. I'd like to just punch her old owners in the face, whoever they were.
Anyway, this second one is usually pretty self-sufficient and uses humans only to be petted. I knew she loved to cuddle and get pets, but I assumed I was about as important to her as any warm machine that could deliver the same amount of cuddles and pets. However, leaving for 5 days has proved me wrong! She has followed me around for two days now, purring at a ridiculously loud volume and basically loving all over me. Cuddles, tummy rubs, purrs, kneading, and batting at the air have been going on for two straight days now. I think she actually missed me! In fact, last night I climbed in to bed, and she climbed up and flopped down next to me and started rolling on her back and pawing the air so energetically that she forgot where she was and slid right off the bed. It was hilarious! I saw her realize she was going down, too, and her little ears went back and she tried to grab the bedsheets as she slid down with a crash. It was pretty funny!
Anyway, aside from cats and lots of sleep, I'm happy in my relationship. It's such a strange feeling for me, after years of never trusting or being happy. Trust and happiness are still elusive for me, but it's improving. I don't always trust my Dom, but I'm slowly starting to more and more. We both hope that after years of marriage, I will eventually be able to open my heart to him and be fully healed.
We've had sex three times in three days, which is unheard of for us with my past of sexual abuse. I can go for 4 to 6 weeks with no sex without blinking, which drives him nuts. In fact, he really hurt my feelings the other day by telling me that although sex is great when we have it, the lack of frequency makes our sex life unfulfilling for him. I pride myself on being good at sex, and on fulfilling him in other ways than vaginal intercourse, so that news really, really hurt me---and made me less likely to want to have sex with him. Sexual healing is a vicious cycle.
Last night he gave me some new rules (hurray!) and although I don't like all of them, I am excited to have that structure. I don't think there's such a thing as too many rules for me, as long as he is able to remember and consistently enforce them all.
One of my rules is to have dinner ready at 5:30 pm. Yesterday I was very bad and got hooked on reading blogs, so I had to grab a fast dinner (cold chicken pasta salad on crackers) to get done on time, and I was really cutting it close at 5:28 pm. But I still made it! It wasn't a culinary masterpiece so I'm not really proud of it, but there's so much left over we'll probably have it for dinner the next two nights.
Another of my rules is to be sexually available at all times. This is also hard for me, due to the aforementioned lack of sex. I'm just normally not that interested. Intercourse scares me and makes me feel used and disliked. It's hard to train myself otherwise, even though in my head I know he loves me.
Last night, we had sex and it was very nice. But for some reason, I couldn't handle the "tender lovemaking" scene. I felt needy and spread too thin, like there were a billion ways I could go and I felt completely overwhelmed by them all. I didn't like it when he was trying to bring me pleasure tenderly. It just made me feel panicked. (I'm sure a psychologist would have a field day with this confession, but hey---I admit I've been screwed up and I'm healing, and I admit I prefer a codependent and enmeshed marriage to an independent one.)
Anyway, part of my training---he hasn't said this, but I can tell---is that he's trying to train me to ask for what I want, emotionally and sexually. This is very difficult for me. I tend to hint, or whine, or complain, or demand, or beg, but never simply make a request. I don't know why. Making a request makes me feel too needy, too scared, and too vulnerable, so I attempt other means to get what I want. Unfortunately, he seems to have caught on.
So he's slowly forcing me to make requests. He's stopped responding to my hints and moans and scrunched-up, unhappy faces, even though he usually probably knows what I want. Sigh. He forces me to say the words out loud and finish them with a "please."
Well, I don't like to ask for stuff sometimes. It's embarrassing to ask him for my vibrator or to ask him to hurt me. I feel like those desires aren't "normal" and they are shunned by society. A Christian wife should enjoy lying there, being made love to by her husband. But as a submissive, I want more. I don't want to be made tender love to (at least not usually, but sometimes I do!). I want to be hurt, controlled, and made demands of.
Last night, I needed to be controlled. "Making love" left open too many possibilities that just scared me to death. I wanted to be held down and used. Specifically, I wanted his hand on my throat, threatening that ultimate submission of lack of air.
I whined, and I scrunched up my face, and I twisted around, but he wouldn't do it. I think he knew what I wanted, too. Stubborn man. Sigh. I took his hand and put it back around my throat, but he wouldn't do it. Panicky me.
Finally, he laughed with a low growl and said, "Ask me for what you want."
Sigh. I hate asking. Especially for things society tells me I "shouldn't" want, even though I know in the BDSM community and with my Dom they are perfectly normal and acceptable, things "good girls" don't want or need like being slapped or hit or called names or having their husband grab them by the throat while they're making love. I just need something that makes lovemaking a little less intense and scary while I'm learning how to deal with it.
So, [groan], I asked for it. I even said please. My Dom didn't judge me for wanting to be held down and my throat grabbed, he just did it and kept one or both hands around my throat for the remainer of the time. When he took his hands away, I felt panicky and insecure. When he put them back, I was able to relax and go limp. I don't know why, but I needed that extra control.
Afterward, we cleaned off and drifted to sleep. I like it best when he grabs my hair or throat as I fall asleep, when he squeezes me tight against him with one hand and tangles his hand in my hair and pulls gently with the other hand. I need that slight tug of pain to feel safe as I drift to sleep.
This morning, I woke up at 5:30 because Cuddly Cat was flipping herself out purring so much as she snuggled her little face into my poor chin. Seriously, that cat was LOUD. I'm going to Europe in a few days and I can hardly wait to see how happy they'll be when I come back.
Anyway, I wanted to be squished, hair pulled lightly, body smushed down, but he isn't very good at that when he's sleepy. He just wants to cuddle vanilla-style. But then he woke up and asked if I wanted to have sex.
I was honest and said no, but I'd be willing. So he said okay and he had to go to work soon anyway. I think he wanted a little more enthusiasm on my part.
Well, one of my new rules is that I'm supposed to be available for sex at all times. I assumed this meant I had to be willing, even when I didn't want to. But as soon as I said I was willing, but not excited, he just gave in to me and said okay. So even though I didn't want to have sex, then my feelings were a little hurt because he didn't want to have sex with me. Even when I don't want to have sex, I want him to want me, you see? It's complicated, but then I'm a woman.
So I asked him if my feelings should be hurt, and when he realized I was willing and remembered he'd instructed me to be ready at all times, he went ahead and did it. He had to command me to open my legs a few times, and I wasn't warmed up so it was uncomfortable and it hurt. That excited me, since I like it when he enjoys me with little to no regard to my feelings or desires (maybe not all the time, but it's hot every once in a while!).
He pushed my legs over his head, and that hurt me so much I was crying out in pain, so he took pity on me and slammed me in regular missionary-style position. It hurt a bit, but not so much I couldn't take it, and I think he likes my breathing and cries when I'm in pain. I'm not sure if he knows which noises are "horny" and which ones are "pain," but I think he can normally tell and likes them both equally.
Once he was done, I took a quick shower with him and then he went to work. The sex may not have been mind-blowing orgasmic, but I've noticed that the more we have sex, the more open I am to the idea later, even if I'm not raring to go I'm at least willing. And it makes me just generally more open to his kisses and cuddles for the next several hours as well. I guess sex really is the glue that binds marriages together.
Today, I've been asked to drink some water (so I stay healthy and don't get a UTI from the sex) and also to put away my clothes. I'm not sure if he means my dirty clothes from my trip, or the clean clothes on top of the dresser, so I'll just do both.
It's a hot, muggy summer day here in Missouri, but life is good and I'm a happy sub. I'm finally being given rules, sex, structure, and commands. Life is good!
Asking Permission to Do Things
- Going to the bathroom.
- Using furniture in the house (including beds, tables, and chairs).
- Using the phone or internet.
- Leaving the house.
- Shopping or spending money.
- Corresponding with new people on Fetlife or the internet.
- Posting photos to Fetlife.
- To talk to other Dom/mes or Masters/Mistresses.
- To ask Doms and Masters permission to speak to their slaves or subs.
- To begin eating.
- To masturbate.
- To orgasm.
- To sexually pleasure the Dom or Master.
- To leave the Master's presence.
- To drink anything other than water.
- To change a profile picture online.
- To speak or ask a question.
- To go out late with friends.
- To open the mail.
- To read or respond to messages online.
- To smoke or drink.
- To sleep in bed every night.
- To post to online blogs or journals.
- To visit friends or family.
- To choose the clothing for the day.
Depending on how strict or laid back a Master wants to be, the rules can be very general ("You don't have to ask permission to do anything unless I am in the room with you") or very strict ("You can't use public or private toilets with the seat down"). It all depends on the couple!
7/14/2010
My Current Rules
- Be home waiting for him when he gets off work every day.
- Get up to answer the door and let him in every day when he comes home from work.
- Have dinner cooked and ready by 5:30 pm every evening.
- Say "please" when making sexual requests or asking for a favor (this is a terrible habit of mine.)
- Say "thank you" after every orgasm.
- Greet him with a kiss on the mouth or cheek when he comes home from work.
We'll see how this work out, and if I get any more rules for this week I will add them here!
7/09/2010
The Different Kinds of Submission
There are two types of submission: natural and learned. Each of us has both inside us, even our tops and dominants. For those of us who identify primarily as submissives in our relationships, rest assured that we all carry both elements of submission inside us.
What is submission?
Submission: the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another. Meekness: the feeling of patient, submissive humbleness.
Submission can be an inborn trait, but it can also be learned. It can also be enforced from the outside by a stronger power, but that is more similar to conquest. Submission can be an attitude or an inner strength. You can also have submissive actions.
The Bible speaks a lot about submission. We are all called to submit to one another.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. -Ephesians 5:21
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. -Romans 13:1-2
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. -James 4:7
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not
come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. -1 Peter 3:1-7
Submissives are full of inner strength, grace, and quiet beauty. It takes a strong woman to submit and an even stronger one to develop a fully submissive attitude. As a submissive, you can bring many blessings to your family and your partner, as well as to your church and community.
One thing I do not like in BDSM communities is the talk about a "true submissive." This implies that there is a right and a wrong way to be submissive. It insinuates that some submissives are better than others, that they are "more truly" submissive. Not only is this rude and degrading to other submissives, but in my opinion it shows an alarming lack of humility.
Some submissives will post about how they are "natural submissives," as though that makes them better than those of us who have to work at it. I dislike this attitude. We are all working toward a common goal, and the only judge of how "submissive" we are should be Christ, ourselves, and our husbands--in that order. No matter how "naturally submissive" you are, you still have areas you could improve upon. That is why we all have dual natures to our submission: the natural and the learned.
Natural Submission
Natural submission is something all of us, even the most toppy Master, have. All of us have times in our lives when we naturally acquiese to the desires of those around us, whether to our parents when we were younger, to our partner or children, to a policeman or other civil authority, to Christ and the authority of His Church, or to our boss. We don't have to fight our natural instincts to submit; we just recognize an authority over us and do as we are asked. This is natural submission.
Learned Submission
Learned submission is what we fall back on when we run out of natural submission. Maybe we don't want to do what we've been asked or told, even if the request comes from an authority figure. In those cases, we make a conscious decision to submit anyway. Perhaps we disagree with our boss, but we do it anyway. Or you are angry at your Dom and feeling bratty, but you swallow your pride and accept his authority graciously. That is learned submission.
I often find myself using learned submission in my relationship with Christ. Perhaps I don't want to follow His rules (stamp foot here). Sometimes it is hard for me to not want to try pot, or engage in premarital sex, or drag myself out of bed to church. In these instances, I rely on my self-discipline to get me through, not any naturally submissive tendencies of my own.
Additionally, there are two types of learned submission: types you teach yourself, and types you learn from others. You can work on your self-discipline and submissive mindset on your own, especially with the wealth of great submissive resources out there on the web. Also, your Dom could train you in an area he especially wants you to improve in. Or, if your Dom wants you to learn to serve a formal dinner, but has no idea how to do this himself, he could arrange for someone else to teach you, perhaps by paying for a class or having a friend do it. A large part of any Dom's job is training his sub to be the person he wants her to be.
For those of us who identify as Christian submissives, we have the ultimate example of perfect submission and self-sacrifice: Jesus Christ. He was completely obedient to His Father, yet He was never a doormat. In fact, there are many lessons in the Bible that can teach us about Jesus' earthly life and how He balanced being a true submissive and a true King and leader at the same time.
As submissives, our lives can be both challenging and greatly rewarding. Welcome to the journey!
Types of Dominance
Top
A top is generally someone wielding the "instruments of terror" in the relationship. This is a very generic name for anyone who plays the top, including doms, masters, trainers, and the like. Also, a top often means there is little to no power exchange in the relationship.
Sadist
A sadist is just what it sounds like: a top who enjoys inflicting pain on the bottom. This term usually means someone who enjoys hitting, hurting, flogging, pain play, and the like, without a power exchange.
Dom/Domme
This implies a power exchange, whether it is full-time D/s or only in the bedroom. This person may make rules, establish protocol, and otherwise control the bottom. However, this term doesn't imply the complete ownership that Master or Mistress does.
Master/Mistress
This is a full-time, total power exchange. The slave has no control once she has consented to the relationship. Like a Dom, the Master may have rules, rituals, and protocol for the slave to use. There may be restrictions on what furniture the slave may use or the slave may be required to ask permission before speaking, using the restroom, or eating. The Master often has complete and total control, and the slave is a piece of owner property.
Owner
While a Master is indeed a type of owner, the difference here is that a Master owns a slave and an Owner can own a slave or a human animal. The owner may have a puppy or kitty bottom, for example.
Trainer
A trainer is a specific type of top that, in my experience, owns a (human) horse. In BDSM pony play communities, there are often elaborate annual horse competitions where human horses must compete exactly like a real horse competition. Their owners spend months and years training them for these competitions.
Daddy/Mommy
Those tops who are engaged in age play or have Adult Babies (AB) are called Daddies and Mommies. Sometimes, the Daddy is also a Dom or a Master, but the "Daddy" persona is more tender, playful, and parental.
Of course, there is no reason that you have to pick one kind of topping and stick with it. Variety is the spice of life! My Dom is sometimes more of a "daddy" figure during scenes, and I change how I address him accordingly. Also, a sadist could also be a Master or Owner or Dom. You can be any kind of top you and your sub are comfortable with. Explore and have fun!
7/08/2010
Slashy Speak
W/we went to pick up O/our children after school so W/we could take them out to
eat ice cream.
Every night, She lays down and i give Her a back rub.
Every night, She lays down and this slave gives Her a back rub.
7/07/2010
Slave Positions
Lesha
Submissive Journaling Prompts
- Are you a natural submissive or a learned submissive or both? What parts of you are each?
- What does submission mean to you? Surrender? How is this different from passivity? Are the two connected?
- Would you rather surrender or be conquered? Why?
- When you were younger, what kind of fantasies did you have? Did you understand what they meant? How did you feel about them? Did you share them with anyone? Try to act any out? What happened?
- How do you feel about punishment in a BDSM relationship? Is it necessary for all Masters and slaves? Does it turn the slave into a child or make her a more responsible adult?
- What parts of you are submissive? What parts of you are dominant or a switch? How do you balance out these different parts of yourself?
- What actions your Dom does have you noticed make you feel immediately submissive or small? What actions just annoy or irritate you? Make you horny? Make you resentful? Afraid? Grateful? How could he recreate the good feelings in you and avoid the bad ones? Should he avoid the bad ones or do they help you grow?
- What aspects of your Master's leadership do you enjoy? What are harder to deal with? How do you find the inner strength and patience to endure the aspects you don't enjoy?
- What do you think about the phrase, "Topping from the bottom"? Is it always a bad thing? Do you do it sometimes? Why? How does your Dom react?
- What do you think are the top five qualities any Master should have?
- What activities or limits did you use to be afraid to try, but have now tried? Did you like them? How did you feel when you tried them despite your fears? Why did you try them?
- "A sub with a safeword is just a Domme on her knees." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?
- Do you ever desire to be a Top or a switch? In what situations? Why do you think these situations bring out that desire in you?
- How did you and your Master meet? When you first met your Master, what initially attracted you to him?
- What was your first introduction to BDSM? Who was involved? What aspects did you like or not like?
- When did you first begin to think you might like to live a lifestyle as a submissive? Did you enter the lifestyle with complete joy or did you have some reservations? How did you overcome them? Do you still have any reservations?
- What personality traits or habits do you most need to overcome in order to grow in your submission?
- What parts of yourself are not yet totally submitted to your Master? Why do you keep those parts separate? Does he know about them, and if so, how does he feel about them?
- Do you think you could be happy in a vanilla relationship? What would that look like?
- Describe what it would look like if you and your Master decided to have a vanilla-only relationship. What would change? What would stay the same? How would you feel?
Submissive Journaling
Submissive Booklist
A Right or Wrong Way to Dominate?
"Do it the way you want to, otherwise you become a slave to the role of Master."
A lot of Doms and Masters want to know, "Is there a right way to dominate? A wrong way?"
Well, here's my answer:
There is no right way to dominate.
There are, however, some wrong ways to dominate.
Here's my logic: there is no "right way" to do something as personal as dominate another human being. Every Dom and Master will bring his (or her) own personality, strengths, weaknesses, goals, experiences, and styles to a relationship. Some will be very laid back, others harsh, others affectionate and playful, others stern and demanding. Some will be all four at different times! There are almost infinite ways you could dominate someone, and if that style makes both of you happy, it's okay.
On the other hand, there are definitely wrong ways to dominate. If you are not consistent, or if you are weak. If you are an asshole instead of a Dominant (you'd be surprised how often the two are confused by new Masters). And especially, especially this: if you are abusive. When your domination starts being nonconsenual, and about your control and power trip at the expense of your slave/sub, then it becomes abusive. Some examples would be beating your sub because you're angry, verbally abusing her, or harming [not hurting] her. If you cause damage to her psyche or body, that's not good domination. Masters want something out of the relationship for themselves, of course, but they must also give. They are responsible for the wellbeing of another person, and she is his treasure and greatest achievement. As he shapes her into the person he wants her to be, he must also ask, Is this who she wants to be? Is this is her/our best interests? Will this make her a better person in the long run? If the answer is no, you have a problem.
But some Doms and Masters think there is only one right way to dominate. However, do it the way you want to.
Do you want to give commands? Do it. Would you rather ask politely? Do it. Would you rather have your slave sit and you do it yourself? Do it. You have the power in the relationship, and that means you can choose how and when and where you want to wield it.
Be safe. Be sane. Be consenual. Always keep in mind the best interests of this being you love, who has given you control of her life. Enjoy the control. That's why you're Master.