Since rituals are such a big and broad topic, I would like to continue my article from the previous week (click here for article).
In my last article, I touched mostly on how rituals are beneficial in power exchange relationships. This week I would like to piggy back on that topic and provide a more in-depth guide on how to pick them and implement them.
Rituals Must Be Enjoyed and/or Valued By All Parties Involved
First of all, in my opinion, rituals must be enjoyed and/or valued by all parties involved. If one person is just doing it out of obligation, in time, it will grow to be thought of as a hassle. If this occurs, the ritual would not be serving its purpose. It has to be looked forward to by all parties involved or serve a practical purpose that the sub understands the importance of.
For instance, check- ins are often a great ritual to implement. Check- ins are a required text or phone call sent to the Dom by the submissive when he or she safety makes it to a destination. This ritual may not be enjoyed, but there definitely is a practical safety component to it.
Other rituals, as I mentioned previously, are just to allot time for service and/or spending time together such as pleasing rituals and greeting rituals.
Also, some rituals are put in place to make sure the Dom’s needs are met, such as filling their water cup after they come home from work or preparing a shower for them in the morning. These rituals serve to make the Dom’s life easier, so he or she has more time to serve the relationship. For example, I have very specific rituals I do in our home to help my Master such as cleaning his retainer or bringing him his morning coffee.
Rituals should also be something that the sub can be trained to do. The Dom must give the sub what he or she can realistically learn to do innately. If this cannot be achieved it will be hard for the ritual to be maintained healthily long term.
It’s very easy to do a ritual for a month. But especially in very established relationships, you should be thinking about what can be sustained for a year, two years, etc. Or at least have a plan of action for when you want the ritual to be modified or talked about with all parties.
Deciding Which Rituals to Implement
When deciding what rituals to implement many things should be considered such as all partner’s schedules, all partner’s needs, the relationship’s needs, and what all parties can realistically handle and do consistently.
Rituals can be updated, changed, and modified at any given time depending on where the relationship is and where all parties are emotionally, physically etc. If a ritual isn’t working, don’t be afraid to talk with your partner(s) about why it isn’t working. Power exchange relationships are all about flexibility, communication, trial and error, and modification. It’s perfectly okay to try something and then admit that it didn’t work out the way you thought it would. This goes for Doms too. After all, Doms are fallible people.
Also, the rituals that you implement one year may not work the next year based on changing life circumstances. This is perfectly normal too. All rituals should be adjusted and talked about as life throws new curve balls your way. Always have a plan of action in place, but be ready to change that plan of action as life surprises you.
However, never implement something that does not have a shot at being done correctly and consistently from the get-go.
It’s very easy to live in a dream world where the sub greets the Dom every day dressed to the nines, but how realistic is that?
Also, the Dom should take the sub’s state into account every day, and if necessary, be willing to deviate from the usual rituals if the sub truly needs it. I am in NO WAY saying that Doms should let their subs get out of doing rituals on a daily basis. The sub should be pushed on most days to perform the rituals as outlined. But, if for an example a family tragedy hits or a sub has the flu, the Dom should be ready to be a little more lenient on their usual rituals.
I know there have been a few instances where my Master, due to special circumstances, has let me greet him in the bedroom instead of in humble position by the doorway. When this happens, it makes me feel so loved that my Master does not ask things of me that physically cannot be done. This is one way I know he truly cares about my well-being.
On the contrary though, there have been plenty of times when my Master has pushed me to perform rituals when I feel I am not able to do them. I am always so grateful when he does this because it helps to show me my own emotional strength and that I was able stay true to our dynamic despite whatever was going on in my life.
In my opinion, rituals are an integral part of any power exchange relationship and should be thought about carefully before implementing them. Before giving your sub a ritual, think how does this benefit me, our relationship, or them? If this question cannot be answered, then the ritual should most likely be modified.
I strongly recommend that rituals be put into your contracts (if you have a contract). They are just as important as rules and should be written down to provide precision and clarity to all parties involved.
So, in short, rituals should be something that all parties can realistically perform consistently, should bring about benefits to the relationship, and facilitate growth.
About the Author:
Slave Bunny, a 1950’s power slave, is involved in a wonderful and loving TPE 24/7 M/S relationship with her Master and husband. She is also the Creative Director of Kink Weekly.
She has dedicated her life to working on herself mentally, spiritually, and physically, and hopes to inspire others to do the same. Through teaching and mentoring, she hopes to help everyone in the Kink community as much as she can.
Feel free to add her on Fetlife (Slave_Bunny992) to see her upcoming workshops and classes.
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