Read Online Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook by Michael Makai - Free Book Online

inspire you, motivate you, nudge you,
or challenge your assumptions. 
    ·          You empowered me by showing me those
little things that make a difference in your life and bring you joy. 
Others may think they know you, but they don’t know you like I do. 
    It would be difficult for anyone to hear or read
these responses and not know for a fact that the phenomenon of power exchang e
is a very real one.  There is no question that both a
Dominant and his submissive can be empowered by their relationship
dynamic.  The degree to which that empowerment is fulfilling, significant,
meaningful, or symmetrical is entirely up to you.

Types of Submissives
    If you are in the BDSM lifestyle or involved in a
D/s relationship, you may know some of the following categories of
submissives by different names. You may even know of additional categories or
traits that are not fully represented here, and that’s okay .  No
book on this subject is going to be able to capture every aspect of the
lifestyle or its many subcultures.  Even so, I’m sure you’ll recognize
many of the character traits and behaviors we’re about to explore, and perhaps
even learn a little about yourself and others you may know.
    As we go through these categories, you may find
yourself wondering why there is no category designated for the “sex slave.”  
The reason is simply that, in my humble opinion, there is no such category of submissive.  A submissive in any of the following categories
could accurately be referred to as a sex slave, particularly by those
with a limited understanding of the D/s or BDSM lifestyles.  I believe
that sex is something that a person does ; it is not a very good
description of who someone is .  Frankly, anyone can have sex
or role-play the part of a sex slave.  That doesn’t really tell us
anything useful about who they are, how they love, or how we can love them.  
    The Acolyte
    The Acolyte is a submissive who is usually in a D/s
relationship with a Lesser God Dom.  There is a very real distinction
between being in a relationship with the Lesser God Dom, versus being
attracted to a Lesser God Dom.  The reason for this distinction is
actually quite simple.  The Acolyte is a member of an intense D/s
personality cult.  She rarely enters into any relationship with a Dominant
as an Acolyte; she is invariably converted to it. 
    The Acolyte may be referred to as a disciple,
follower, worshipper or priestess , and considers herself not only her
Dominant’s number one fan , but also as a holder of sacred knowledge ,
a gatekeeper with the keys to her Dominant’s inner sanctum, and a part of a
relationship that will endure through eternity, transcending even death. 
The reason for that belief is rooted in the quasi-religious foundations of this
sort of D/s relationship.  The Lesser God and his Acolytes are part of
their own private religion , where sin and redemption are redefined and
the Dominant sits at the center of his worshippers’ universe as a god or
prophet.  They don’t expect or need the rest of us to understand, as long
as it continues to work for them .
    Of all the submissive types, the Acolyte usually is
in the greatest danger of potential abuse, even more so than the Novice (see
below).  A Lesser God Dom considers himself unbound by any rules other
than those me makes for himself, and the Acolyte typically exists in a
detached, isolated and sometimes amoral reality in the presence of her
own personal god.  When things are going well in this kind of
relationship, they tend to go very well.  But when things begin to
go badly – and they often do - it can be a disaster of biblical proportions.  Within their quasi-religious paradigm, death is
often viewed as a mere illusion or as a graduation from one level
of awareness to the next.  This can become problematic when the Lesser God
Dom is revealed to his Acolytes to be a mere mortal, or when the group feels
threatened by outsiders. 
    The