Leather, Kink, & BDSM

The Vulnerable Dominant

Embracing that we D-types are fundamentally human means facing our egos and practicing humility. We are not good leaders despite being vulnerable, we are good leaders precisely because we can be vulnerable. In this roundtable discussion, we talk about ways to undefend and share our strategies to face the challenges of being both fallible humans and also Divine Infallible Mistresses/Dominants/Mommies/Sirs. Come ready to embrace paradox and learn the bubble theory of a good owner: hard on the outside but soft and squishy deep down.

Ownership As A Spiritual Path

Some submissives describe their journey as being “monks for love.” Some owners are worshipped. Considering all of the protocol, ritual, symbology, traditions, and ordeals that we pursue, there are many parallels to spiritual traditions. Let’s talk about ways a spiritual path can be incorporated as a model or tool to strengthen your dynamic, and ways that you both can find spiritual value and deep soul satisfaction on the path of your relationship, no religion required! We will share our personal experiences with Buddhism, Energetic embodiment, Christianty of many flavors, and spiritual animism and welcome discussion from the group’s diverse belief systems. M/s is truly a vocation; for those of us who feel the pull, it can be a powerful engine for spiritual growth and meaning.

The Protocol Game

Creating, implementing, and enforcing protocol in M/s dynamics can be hard. But it can be easier. Come create your own Protocol Game and create, implement, and enforce 52 protocols in the next year. In this workshop, you’ll learn: how to create a “training wheel” of categories that will drive your protocol, how to implement new protocol so it actually sticks, and how to enforce new protocol with the minimum of effort. And you’ll walk away with your own Protocol Game to play.

Claiming Your Property: Using Marks for Power Dynamics

Often, we think of marks as a side-effect of kink play, but they can also be the goal. And if we pair that with the intention of deepening our power dynamic, we can come up with all sorts of creative marks. Come talk about using all of your senses, ways to categorize marks through difficulty and longevity, and brainstorm ways to use marks to enhance the values of your power dynamic.