http://www.tbd.com/blogs/amanda-hess/2011/02/dark-odyssey-d-c-sexual--8534.htmlSexual Adventurers Commandeer Downtown D.C. Hotel This Weekend
Amanda Hess - February 15, 2011 - 11:15 AMFor three days this weekend, an unidentified downtown D.C. hotel will be converted into a "labyrinth of playspaces" spanning "the entire ballroom level of the hotel" for "a total of 20,000 sq ft." of "special spaces for Shibari, Wrestling, Spirituality, Medical, a Theater"—"and of course, Sex-O-Rama."
Commandeering the hotel is
Dark Odyssey: Winter Fire (
http://www.darkodyssey.com/winterfire/home.html), a "weekend convention for open-minded adults from all walks of life" who are interested in exploring "the many facets of sexuality." Among them: swinging, polyamory, flogging, sensory deprivation, Tantra, paganism, Vampirism, and "blood play." An exploration of Dark Odyssey's offerings, after the jump:
Please, no pictures: Attendees are requested not to use cameras or cell phones in the conference's play places. but staff photographer Hypnox will be on-hand to catch memories for attendees wearing special-coded wristbands, signifying that they have signed a "model release."
Blood sport: In Dark Odyssey workshop "Cutting and Suturing," (
http://www.darkodyssey.com/winterfire/workshops.html) Sharrin Spector will cater to "the arts and crafts enthusiast who wants to add style and pizzazz to their blood sports play." The class will be molded "to the skill level of the participants" and will include discussions of "anatomy, health and safety along with a liberal dose of fun and blood."
The "Hogtie Cuddle Party": "How many different hogties can we create in the same room? Come find out!"
Vampirism: "Prepare to bare your soul and be devoured (or do the devouring) in this initiatory rite that harnesses the spiritual alchemy and transformational power of vampiric energy echange," this workshop promises. "Twenty-four participants will learn how energy work--and particularly a psychic vampire's method of "feeding"--can be used to open, release, and transform another person's energy, impacting body, mind, and spirit."
Object lesson: In "Erotic Objectification for Animists," Lee Harrington will explore objectification's bad reputation from a pro-object perspective. "In the erotically adventurous world, a lot of conversation has been batted about concerning the idea of objectification and its supposed partner humiliation. However, for those of us who believe objects have souls, things have value, and the earth itself is not something to be thrown away when we are done with it, how does this dynamic between human and human-object shift? How does our interaction with a human table change for those of us who look at tables as more than wood?"
Balanced predation: In "Ethical Predator: Desire & Skills," Pittsburgh "poly dominant, sadist, and sex pig" Bobby will lead a discussion and skills workshop "designed to uncover our dark nature then to sharpen our skills for getting what we want. The dance of predator/prey can be either seductive or blunt; facilitated by trash talk or duct tape; decorated with hoods or electrical wire; and be designed for dependence or torture. At the end of this class, we will know dark energy as balance, rather than threat."
But whatever do I wear? "You must be street legal when walking the hallways, in the lobby, elevators, restaurant and lobby bar area," the FAQ reads. "Most people dress casually during the day for workshops. At night we expect to see you in your fetish finest. There will NOT be any bizarre dress code restrictions. Cross dressing is perfectly acceptable. T-shirts with cute sayings are great. Men in kilts turn us on. Outlandish costumes will be applauded. But you MUST be street legal at all times in the public areas of the hotel."
The "Little Miss / Mister Littles" pageant. People over the age of 18 who enjoy consensually role-playing as children are invited to "Experience the thrill of competition!" with the "Little Miss Littles Contest" this weekend. The contest "encourages your Little to speak in an articulate fashion, model in a confident manner, enter a room with a bright disposition, and learn the importance of a big smile!" Pageant categories including modeling ("Little outfits can include: glamour, traditional, genre or babywear"); talent ("Only props that can be carried onstage by the Little and their hairdresser will be allowed"); and a question period ("Each Little will be asked a question pertinent to the Littles lifestyle.") Later on, "Littles" can participate in "Mr. Coxxx's Story TIme," with the "loveable, hug-hungry Mr. Coxxx," who will help "Littles of all ages" in "creating a special storybook of our own."
http://www.darkodyssey.com/winterfire/workshops.html#MichelleMichelle Belanger * Returning to Our Flesh: Energetic Scenes and Aftercare
* Sado-Shamanism: BDSM as a Path to Altered States
* Vampire Sex Magick
* Evening Event: The Rite of TransformationMichelle Belanger (MichelleBelanger.com), is best known as the author of the Psychic Vampire Codex (Weiser, 2004), Michelle Belanger is a skilled energy worker and the founder of House Kheperu. An arresting figure of six foot one, Michelle is a dynamic speaker as well as a gifted writer. Creative and driven, she does not limit herself to magick and psychic phenomenon alone but engages in a variety of creative outlets from fiction to music to the visual arts.
Returning to Our Flesh: Energetic Scenes and AftercareMichelle BelangerVeterans of the kink community know it can take a little while to come down from a really intense scene. Proper aftercare is necessary to help a bottom come back up from subspace, but tops often achieve altered states during their activities as well. This class looks beyond the physical basics of a blanket and a glass of water to explore the energetic impact of an intense scene. Learn how common techniques in energy work, such as grounding, centering, and shielding may help both tops and bottoms pull themselves together more efficiently following intense play.
Sado-Shamanism: BDSM as a Path to Altered States
Michelle BelangerSado-shamanism is a technique that uses the sensations of the physical body collectively as a tool for pushing the mind past its self-imposed barriers. Once these barriers have been broken down, the subject of the session can be propelled into an altered state of consciousness. This altered state facilitates catharsis and healing on both a psychological and an energetic level. In this informative demo, Michelle Belanger introduces the concept of sado-shamanism and covers a number of techniques for achieving shamanic trance through BDSM.
Vampire Sex Magick
Michelle BelangerFrom True Blood to Twilight, vampire lovers are a hot commodity. But this isn’t the first time pop culture has turned to vampires to “do bad things” in the bedroom. In this presentation, learn the secrets behind the enduring allure of the vampire in myth, literature, and film. Then discover how to harness the psycho-sexual power of this archetype in erotic roleplay, energy work, and other kinky fun.
The Rite of Transformation
Michelle BelangerPrepare to bare your soul and be devoured (or do the devouring) in this initiatory rite that harnesses the spiritual alchemy and transformational power of vampiric energy echange. Twenty-four participants will learn how energy work -- and particularly a psychic vampire's method of "feeding" -- can be used to open, release, and transform another person's energy, impacting body, mind, and spirit. Used to trigger vampiric "Awakening," the Rite of Transformation can be harnessed to achieve initiatory experiences for vampires and non-vampires alike. Prior to the ritual, the participants will be divided into pairs, one a catalyst, and the other an initiate. During the rite, the catalyst will embody the potent psycho-sexual archetype of the vampire, feeding upon the vital energy of the initiate as a way of triggering and guiding the initiatory experience. This energy will be safeguarded, transformed, and then fed back to the initiate to complete to exchange. Please note that this is a ritual based on energy work. Some familiarity with a system of energy work (Reiki, Qi Gong, Healing Touch, etc.,) will be helpful for participants, although it is not strictly required.
The ritual will be open to witnesses and those willing to help guide the energy of the space by drumming during the process of initiation and exchange. The first 45 minutes will be devoted to instruction and to pairing the catalysts and initiates from the twenty-four participants. Witnesses and drummers do not need to show up to the ritual space until the top of the second hour of the class. An important final note: this is not a blood-letting ritual. All feeding will take the form of energetic exchange. While this can involve biting and other forms of physical contact as agreed upon by the participants, the focus of the rite is energy, not blood.
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