Dedication to Sacred Mastery

The following is a self-dedication for a pagan who wishes to embark upon the journey of being a dominant, master, or mistress - sexually, emotionally, and in day-to-day relationship. Dominance can be a dangerous thing. If you aren't careful, it can run away with you, and that can hurt people. If you aren't careful in the other direction, you can armor yourself so tightly that you lose contact with human energy, and can no longer ask for help when you need it. To be the keeper of another person's soul is to walk a very narrow path, and you must be bound by honor and rules and human kindness. This self-dedication can be undertaken at any time during your journey, in public or in private.

You will need a blade of some sort, from knife to sword size; a candle, a cup of water, and a stone small enough to lift easily yet large enough that you cannot close your fingers about it.

To begin, stand facing the east and salute the Spirits with your blade.

Hail, breath of Life, sharp and clean!
I come before you seeking wisdom
And strength to take on a path
Of awesome responsibility.
Zeus, Master of Olympus, far-seeing eagle's eye,
Give me confidence in my own authority
So strong that I do not feel the need to prove it
With unnecessary displays of force.
Oya, Lady of the Wind and Rain, whose fingers
Hail down like the beat of a thousand whips,
Sweep me clean of old angers and resentments,
That nothing foul shall taint or corrupt this Work.
Hermes who guides souls to and from the Underworld,
I will soon be bringing trembling souls
Along that dark path, into their deepest places;
Teach me to bring them safely back
Made better for the journeying,
And help me to always be one step ahead.

Turn to face the south and raise the candle like a torch.

Hail, fire of the Spirit, path of Power!
I come before you burning with the need
To master another soul and make them do my Will,
Yet well I know that if this Will be let
To burn unchecked like the Sun,
It will destroy everything it touches.
Apollo Lord of Brightness, chariot-driver,
You who hold your horses to a chosen path
And never swerve, show me the straight road of Honor
That I may not fall from grace into needless, wanton cruelty.
Heimdall, Guardian of the Gates of Valhalla,
Help me to understand and respect boundaries,
And to always protect that which lies vulnerable in my keeping.
Artemis, Wolf-Goddess, you who protect your pack
While insisting that they show throat to you,
Who never slays for sport,
Teach me to restrain the Beast Within,
Bringing it only forth on a heavy chain
Where it can do only good
And where it will be loved as well as feared.

Turn to the west and hold the chalice to your heart.

Hail, water of the heart, which ebbs and flows like the tide!
I come to you thirsty for a willing soul
To be my chalice, and let me drink of them,
Let me penetrate to their intimate depths,
Let me fish for the delicate threads of pain and joy.
Great Mother Goddess who nurtures all the world,
Teach me to remember to care
Remind me to be kind when it is needed.
Ereshkigal, Lady of the Darkness,
You who hung the Queen of Heaven above your throne
Yet released her for the price of tears of compassion,
Let me never lose that compassion
Lest I come to devalue the gift of submission.
Baphomet, Lord of Perversion,
Teach me well the skill of responsive mastery
That I may read my power
Written in lines of joy
In the face of those who serve me.

Turn to the north and kneel, holding the stone in your hands.

Hail, Powers of Earth, keepers of my flesh and blood!
As I will own the flesh of another,
So you own my flesh,
And can take it back whenever you choose.
I am grateful for my life,
And will extend that gratitude onto this path.
Herne, hunter and tracker of ancient trails,
Teach me to track the responses of a writhing body,
Knowing exactly when to pounce and when to stop,
Never missing a step or passing by a chance.
Hades, Lord of the Dead, you who set the final limit,
You who rule the dark places into which
We will journey together,
Remind me that you are Comforter and Counselor
As well as the grim, implacable giver of Death.
And finally, Kali Ma, Goddess of Destruction,
You who eat your children, you who trample
Great Shiva the Destroyer beneath your feet,
You who bring rebirth through your black womb,
Lady of Dire Necessity, to you I kneel this moment.
Dark Lady, make sure that I never forget
That I am subject to a Deeper Power,
That I am watched, and judged,
That the Lords of Karma will deal with me
As I have dealt with the privilege of power
That is the gift of willing service to my Will.

Stand in the center and lift your arms to the sky.

Let me always remember
That the word Mastery
Means not only Power but Skill.
Be with me as I walk the narrow edge
Of this ecstatic razor blade.

Pagan BDSM

Raven Kaldera

Dedication to Sacred Mastery