Important Realization

[qos]

At the beginning of the "Sacred D/s" workshop I just attended we spent a minute each introducing ourselves with the usual: name, bdsm orientation, intention in coming to the class, and whatever else felt pertinent.

During my intro I said that I was a priestess of Ereshkigal and that part of my path was to work with people in this area, and that I was also interested in learning how others do it.

A few minutes ago I got out the presentation on "BDSM and the Sacred" that I did for last year's Pantheacon, and I saw how good it was, how much more material there was than what I'd just sat through, and I realized: No, I don't want to learn "how others do it." I don't want to sit in any more classes and listen to someone else talking about concepts which I have developed extensively -- and uniquely -- on my own and with my own partners. I want to be standing in my own authority and teaching my own classes.

This is not to say that I never want to study with someone else in this area. I always want to learn. But it's time to stop using attending other peoples' classes are prerequisites to teaching my own class.

Comments

[watcher457.livejournal.com]

you know, this is something that happens, i think, to a lot of people. they think that, unless they have taken classes and listened to lectures and actually had the lessons physically presented to them in the ordinary world that they cannot have enough information to teach/guide/be a authoritative noice on a matter. i do this as well (not that i calim to be authoritative or anything :) ) and a friend told me that i just have to have faith that what i am taught by my spirits and guides IS the correct way to do it. again, it's that second-guessing that we talk about.

i'm glad you've had this realization. if you teach a class, lemme know. i want to attend.

[shadowandstar.livejournal.com]

yeah, man, it's so cool to enter an altered state while playing, it makes me feel so...spiritual

LOL! You're right. I hadn't quite made that connection, but you're spot on.

Thanks for the affirmation. It means a lot.

[shadowandstar.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't say that I know "more" than Galen does. He's clearly a man of considerable experience and thoughtfulness. It's more that I didn't think he was an effective teacher in this context, that his presentation didn't communicate the richness of his experience as well as it could have, and I have a very different perspective on some of the things he was talking about.