I talked about Power Exchange relationships in my last article, BDSM basics. But, today I am going to go into more detail.
As I mentioned, all relationships have an element of Power Exchange, whether you realize it or not. Your teacher assigns homework; you do the work: the teacher has the power, that you gave (exchanged with) them because you took the class. You could also say that you are Bond to that assignment and the outcome reflects your discipline. You see BDSM is, in fact everywhere! Okay maybe that’s a stretch: SM is probably not everywhere.
Anyway, relationships within the BDSM community typically determined by the principle of Power Exchange. You have a Top/bottom, Dominant/submissive, Daddy/brat, Master/slave, and so many more Role/roles and combinations. Even in friendships there is a recognition of dominance in whatever area it falls in. Intimate BDSM relationships can last as long as a fifteen-minute scene to a 24/7 lifetime. These relationships are often so orderly that people are able to safely express their true natures or at least explore deep inside, discovering what that nature is.
Power Exchange relationships begin with individuals wanting to enter a D/s relationship. On an equal playing field they will negotiate an agreement — including expectations, boundaries, areas of Dominance and submission. Often, people put a renegotiation date on it, or even an expiration date. Some of you may think this is very unromantic. Don’t get me wrong, while some D/s relationships are strictly “professional,” many are full of love and affection. You see, when you get all of the fine print out of the way, there is whole lot of room for love and affection (and a lot less anxiety!).
Master/slave, or as I like to call them O/p, relationships are typically the most encompassing relationships in the D/s spectrum of relationships and usually involve Ownership. Person A gives themself to the person B and Person B becomes the Master/Owner and person A becomes the slave/property. As I said, this type of relationship can last a scene, a weekend, or a lifetime — the choice is yours.
Any questions? If you are interested, keep coming back for more as I will be writing about this subject in the weeks to come.
Nathalie