Chapter 4 of the Rule entitled Tools for Good Works showers the reader with Scripture quotes found in the Gospels and Pauline epistles. Those quotes intercepted with Benedict’s own insights fall into the following general categories: Scriptural Commandments beginning with the Greatest which sum up the Law and the Prophets: Love God (whoever you conceive
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Chapter 2 of the Rules of Benedict outlines the qualities of the Abbot: As the one holding the place of Christ in the community, the Abbot must lead by word and example, mingling gentleness with sternness and tempering the rigor of the master with fatherly love. The RB makes it very clear that the Abbot
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There’s an on-going debate in kink as to weather BDSM is about sex or not.   One one side are those who say “duh! Of course it is.”  On the other side, are those who say “No, the sex is just an extra treat, it’s about power and interaction.”   The truth of  the matter is probably
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It is my conviction that kink is grounded in all things real. Many things that we consider kinky today were commonplace yesterday: 1950s’ household speaks for itself, corporal punishment was practiced universally and remains a standard disciplinary practice in some contemporary cultures, I just got stuck by four needles in the doctor’s office, various BDSM
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We often talk about “discipline” in BDSM, but what is it we’re really talking about?  Without even bringing in the BDSM aspects, the word has a lot of definitions.  While a couple of them are outside the scope of kink, most of them are appropriate–as well as completely different.   In BDSM, even more so
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In BDSM, we often talk about the practice of “topping from the bottom”.  This is where the submissive manipulates the rules and the top’s reactions in order to invert the power dynamic and take control.  It is talked about with derision–as are the people who practice it.   If a person wants to be in control,
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Starting off can be exhilarating.  There are so many new things to try that trying to pick just one is a task in and of itself.  Even attending events can be a lot to take in; everyone seems to have their own little specialty and niche, and oh the outfits!  At the vanilla-friendly events, it
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Recently, I was asked about how I like my subs to service me.  I made a quip about on their knees, which made the person laugh.  What they meant was, what things do I like having done for me by a sub to make my life easier. That led to several good conversations, and having
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For those who enjoy their kink a little more public, while still staying soft, there are plenty of ways to go about it.  As mentioned in previous articles in this series, two major factors in kink are often the feeling of restraint, and the power dynamic.  Those can both be had without getting aggressive–though you’ll
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One of the primary aspects of BDSM is submission–and the trust that goes along with it.  For some, the submission is physical, for others it is mental, and for others it is merely situational.  Almost every aspect of BDSM has some degree of “giving up control”.  There are a lot of reasons why people enjoy
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