Dedication to Sacred Service

The following is a self-dedication for a pagan who wishes to embark upon the journey of being a submissive -- sexually, emotionally, and in day-to-day relationship. Real submission is put down as degrading by many individuals, and preyed upon by others. To be submissive -- especially when you do not yet have an appropriate relationship -- is dangerous. You must be ready to open yourself wide to a dominant's will, yet always be watchful in the early stages to make sure that your trust is not being taken advantage of. You must go down neither to shame nor to despair nor to codependence. This self-dedication can be undertaken at any time during your journey. Ideally it should be done alone, in the privacy of your home, but it can also be performed in front of an audience.

If you are alone, be naked for this ritual. Don't even put on fetish gear, or collars, or anything like that, unless it is an item that you are obligated to wear due to current commitments and promises. The idea is to be as naked as possible, without the aid of props and costumes to shield you from the force of your own need. If you are in public in a space where nudity is not appropriate, dress as simply as possible, without fancy accoutrements. You will need a sharp blade, a cup of water, a candle, and a bowl with a handful of grain or coarse flour or dried beans or peas.

First, face the east, kneel, breathe deeply, and place the blade against your forehead.

Odhinn All-Father, crucified one of the sacred Ordeal,
Mithras whose blade cut open the heart of the bull,
Persephone, Queen of the Dead
Who was once Kore, innocent maiden of spring,
I am at the mercy of this great need to submit.
It overruns me, and it will not let me rest
Until it is satisfied.
So by this blade I hold I swear
To undertake the path of sacred service,
To find no shame in my nature and my need,
And to follow the path that the Gods have set before me,
Inscribed into the depths of my mind.
Help me to see clearly and sharply
Whom I should trust and from whom guard myself.
Let my judgment always be keen and honest,
Even when I am following that of another.
May this blade seek my blood
And all the breath run from my body
If I lose my courage and betray myself
To fear and denial and self-loathing.

Face the south, kneel, light the candle, breathe deeply, and drip a bit of its wax in the palm of your hand, and elsewhere if you like.

Ninshubur, warrior servant of the Queen of Heaven,
Tyr, soldier bound by honor,
Hestia, quiet guardian of the hearth and pantry,
This need burns within me like a buried star.
Teach me to submit the fire of my will
To discipline, to obedience, to the chains of my own honor,
And let those chains be strong and unyielding,
Bearing me up against the blows of the world.
Help me to face fear, and weariness, and any pain
This path may send to me, willing or unexpected,
With the courage and strength of steel.
By Your will, O Gods, may all the blows
And fire and heat be but the hammer
That shapes me to be a new and finer tool
To better walk this two-edged path.

Face the west, kneel, breathe deeply, and pour a libation from the cup between your thighs.

Ganymede, cupbearer of Zeus,
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love,
Inanna, Queen of Heaven who knows the Dark,
You whose priest/esses gave their bodies
In honored service to the Force of Love,
Giving the lonely masses a taste
Of Your skilled hands,
I feel within me the need
To be open and vulnerable,
To lay my heart wide to another's need.
Guard and protect me in that moment, O Gods,
Help me to be like the ocean's water,
Which, when struck, does not strike back,
But yields, and is unhurt, and flows to fill again all space.
Let me be an unending fountain
To slake the thirst of those who drink from me.
Help me to learn the skills I need
To bring ecstasy of the body
To whomever I serve.

Face the north, kneel, breathe deeply, touch your forehead to the earth, and then sit up and pour the grain or beans between your cupped hands.

John Barleycorn, golden son of autumn,
Ing, corn god of the fields,
Dumuzi, running prey whose blood is spilled for us,
You who are sacrificed
That others may have one more day,
One more month, one more year of life,
Help me to understand the true nature of Sacrifice,
That it is hard and painful,
That it will make you weep,
That it takes all your effort,
That it must be the very best you have,
That it is sacred and honored,
That it should always be greatly valued
And never taken for granted;
That it is the source of Life,
That it is the way of Rebirth.
Let my body feed the needs of those I serve
As willingly as You feed all the earth.

Stand in the center, close your eyes, and turn your face upward.

O Gods who guard the cycle of Life
Guide my feet upon this path
As I walk blindfolded and trusting into my own destiny
With open hands
With open mind
With open heart.

Pagan BDSM

Raven Kaldera

Dedication to Sacred Service