From Sensuous Sadie, author of It's Not About the Whip: Love, Sex, and Spirituality in the BDSM Scene. SensuousSadie@aol.com


A while back Raven Kaldera asked me to contribute an article for his book: Dark Moon Rising: Pagan BDSM and the Ordeal Path. Sadly I had to decline because, as I said, "there's not an ounce of Pagan in me." So when I received my review copy of it in the mail last week, I had to admit that I wondered if there would be anything in it that would make sense to me. Although I have a deep and abiding interest in spirituality and BDSM and I have a deep and abiding interest in Raven himself, I have to admit that 400 pages about Pagan stuff seemed a bit over the top.

Here I am, three days into my vacation and not only have I read the book but have devoured it. Yum Yum Raven! I've just finished writing my own book on BDSM & spirituality and I'll admit I was a bit apprehensive that somehow Raven might have stolen my thunder (guilty as charged!). My approach is non-denominational, interviewing a wide variety of practitioners (including Raven of course) about how they do what they do in the context of God. You could say that I'm a General Practitioner. Raven however, is a heart surgeon, specializing in the Pagan way of spelunking in the dark world of BDSM.

Raven's book includes both his writing as well as a number of essays and poems from other writers, including his slave Joshua. It's broken down into several major sections including sacred pain, the journey into the underworld, the path of service and mastery, and the gods and goddesses and their relationship to BDSM.

While his book covers the basics of the spiritual journey into BDSM well, it also goes deeply into several main areas that I have not seen explored comprehensively in any other collection. One of these is that he includes a large section on ritual as a conduit to spiritual experience. Not only does he explain the importance of ritual and how it should be used, but he includes an extensive number of actual rituals that can be utilized directly by the reader - individually or with a group. Raven is a practical guy and I like that.

Another area that he explores in depth is not just the importance of tools and toys in the spiritual BDSM process, but how to imbue them with spiritual properties. I don't believe that I've read anything about this specifically before, which probably reflects my lack of Pagan background. Regardless, this concept of preparing objects with a spiritual consciousness (or extending their chi, as he says) is one that is only touched on is most of the other spiritual writings. Here, Raven gives us details on how to go about it.

The last thing I'd like to mention specifically is his discussion of the spiritual journey of the Dominant, another area that is woefully ignored in most of the "non-denominational" literature. The vast majority of writings in this area focus on the path of the Submissive, leaving the Top to do the job of getting them there. Raven instead helps us to understand how the Dominant needs to attend to his own journey, and in fact how his Submissive or Slave can to help him on that journey. His slave Joshua does an excellent job of explaining this job in his article titled: Shaman's Boy: Serving a Greater path.

I probably will never become a Pagan because I suspect it would require me to wear peasant type clothing, but Raven's work and his mind have inspired me in a thousand new ways. I would absolutely recommend his book to anyone – Pagan or not - with an interest in BDSM and spirituality.

Dark Moon Rising is a groundbreaking collection of perspectives from numerous skilled and wonderful Ordeal Masters and Ordeal Dancers. Raven Kaldera has brought together essential technical information and profound personal experience on the often taboo subject of Sacred BDSM and the Ordeal Path.

Within these essays the details of the Ordeal Path are set forth as a practical spiritual way of life. The reader cannot help but be awed by the power of the diverse voices raised in celebration of the Divine Mystery. This is a work of terrible beauty, visceral truth, and is certain to provide a greater understanding of working with your own personal darkness.