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On Power
Exchange
by
Juliette and Miss
Blondage
Miss Blondage and I recently received an
inquiry regarding the definition of “Power Exchange.” It was
brought to our attention that the term was left out of the
extensive, yet eternally incomplete
Dictionary on SandM.com.
Before we turn to Merriam Webster and Friends for some etymology,
history, and a side-order of semantics, I'd like to revisit a
philosophical ramble I had not too long ago:
Life is Submission. We submit to the elements, to the weather,
to the day and the night, and we fight it. We stay up late at
night in artificially illuminated rooms and we sleep in during the
day with the curtains drawn. Our defiance defines us. Perhaps it
is due to our fundamental powerlessness that we enact exchanges of
power here on the human level.
The presence of power exchange is everywhere. Every oppressor is
in turn the oppressed. This ladder of subjugation extends all the
way to and through existence itself; is itself existence. There is
a spiritual principle being enacted on this stage of human power
exchange: Humiliation is a forced feeding of the much needed
spiritual principle of humility.
Power Exchange is about Transformation.
Transformation is an obsession of mine; one of the wonders of the
world which provides a gateway for my meditations on the human
experience. We change and exchange: a constant flux of property,
partners, identities, and ideas.
The Power Exchange describes the concept of their namesake as
"...balanced fantasy, the consensual transfer of control..."
Miss Blondage puts it this way: Power Exchange means different
things to different people, but generally speaking it refers to
one person willfully transferring or giving up their own power
over themselves to one or more other people who then use it to
guide that person on a spiritual, sexual, or sadomasochistic
journey that is outside the realm of their control, either
literally or figuratively.
As with all things of this nature there is, or at least there
should be, plenty of room for variation within this concept. This
exchange/transfer need only be to a degree that both partners are
comfortable with. Power Exchange can also be used to describe a
continually shifting position of power within a certain scene,
which includes anything from basic "switching", to Tantric style
energy play, to just the ebbs and flows that take place within any
sexual interaction.
It is incredibly human to want control over that which we cannot
control. It is also very human to attempt to relinquish control
over ourselves to greater forces, whether be they fate, god, the
universe, or another person. Put this way, these are the things
that fantasies are made of. Since fantasies are often fueled by
what we crave but cannot ultimately have, the gaining or
relinquishing of Power is rather standard fodder for thought.
"Power”
itself is a complex and dynamic concept, with definitions which
reference the worlds of Physics, Mathematics, Politics, and
Philosophy. In the end, it seems that Power Exchange - whether be
it in sexual, spiritual or more "mundane" incarnations; even all
of the above - opens us up for catharsis. Transformation.
In our society, where we are not often encouraged to let go in
this way, enabling experiences can become very important, not to
mention very intense. From catharsis can come clarity and
balance. I know that, generally speaking, my life makes
tremendous shifts for the better after a good scene in which I let
someone whom I trust take “control” and lead me on a journey.
I
know that I am not alone in this. The act of simultaneously
letting go and opening up, in an environment in which I feel safe,
then letting someone push me to the edge, leaves me with a greater
knowledge and understanding of my own self. Being on the other
side of the equation, acting as the controller, dominant, top,
person of power, etc., can be equally enlightening.
The concept
of power is something that many people, Americans in particular,
seem to chase their entire lives. If they are actually able to
capture it, many have no idea what to do with it, and the results
are often ugly. Playing with power in my personal life has given
me a much greater appreciation for it as a concept. It has had a
very positive effect on my daily life as well as my
sexual/spiritual existence. The knowledge that power is not only
about control, but also about trust and love, is not solely
applicable to my private life, and gives me a new-found sense of
appreciation and obligation every time I am confronted with the
chance to taste it.
The Exchange
of Power is a gift, not to be taken lightly, and meant to be felt
deeply.
Much Love,
Juliette and Blondage
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