Illuminations: Lashes of Pleasure

I was visiting my mother, sitting with her as she cleaned out her walk in closet when quite unexpectedly I saw the red and black leather bullwhip that I remembered seeing coiled on a hook in my grandfathers’ closet as a little girl. In another flash clouded by years I remember granddad having me stand on the porch well out of harms way as he fumbled with it. Soon, I saw the throw, and heard the signature hiss and crack of the bullwhip. Even as a little girl I found the sight and sound of it absolutely fascinating... He made it seem almost magical as he made it wave through the air and hiss before speaking. It was my very first introduction to the whip.

Years later, and more than once I have found myself the observer of other owners of single tailed whips as they too seemed to make the lone lash of the whip take on a life of its own and speak loud and clear. Clearly etched in my mind is a female dominant that was warming up while her submissive waited tied and hanging upside down for her attention. I watched her shake the tail out which sent it doing its slithering snake like dance across the floor. Before it came to a stop the tail was whisked back the other direction and before I knew it was thrown again and all I heard was the soft hiss just before the sharp crack echoed throughout the room. It was so sexy to watch... I have watched whip scenes with sadistically curious pleasure as both male and female bodies were lashed bloody by the long slithering tail of the whip. It is mesmerizing to see and many people feel that way. It is not at all uncommon in a busy play space to see very large crowds of people watching a scene involving the whip. A Dominant that can throw a whip with skill and precision during the course of a scene is one who will always pick up a large audience of spectators.

Of all leather tools which may be incorporated into BDSM the whip is perhaps one of the most challenging to master. Despite the association of whips with BDSM it is not a very common practice due to the difficulty and time consuming task of mastering the whip well enough to be able to use it safely and responsibly. The signature hiss and crack of the bullwhip is as a result of the tip moving faster than the speed of sound through space and creating a vacuum. By the time the energy rushes through the whip into the popper end of the whip the tip is moving at over 700 miles an hour which is faster than a bullet that rushes from the barrel of a gun. At this velocity the ability for the whip to slice flesh deeply is very real.

I think it is this seduction of the potential danger of the whip which causes it to be viewed as the epitome of SM expression. For many people who practice sadomasochism it is the forbidden mingling of the sensual fear and sexual arousal which cause us to be drawn to tools such as the whip. Some will seek to submit to the physical seduction of the whip and know its caress through first hand experience of its lash while others will never do more than gain satisfaction through voyeuristic participation because they just can not get over the fear factor induced by the sight and sound of this tool in motion.

When I think of seeking the real physical experience of the whip I think of the bodies I have seen lashed from the single tail. It is a fascinating and frightening pull I feel to have the experience. I watched as the bodies twisted and jerked in time to the lash. One submissive was completely hooded and hanging upside down from the rafters as his mistress lashed him with the bullwhip. Another was tied to a post bent over with her breasts swaying freely. The soft jutting motion of her breasts as her Dominant let the fiery tongue of his whip lick at her nipples was mesmerizing. She too was hooded but left un-gagged so the audience could appreciate the apprehensive and erotic sound of her cries as she and her dominant experienced her public lashing together. Later, she was tied with her back to pole so that passers by could observe closely the welts of her breasts from the kiss of his whip. I watched anther female submissive endure a public lashing at the hands of her mistress and never once did she cry out. She writhed and softy moaned to the pleasure the lash of her Mistresses whip allowed her to feel.

The signature sound of the whip can send a chill down your spine no matter if you are just an observer or the intended target. It is the sound which most people first learn to associate with the whip and it can be deceptive. "The sound of the whip can make the intended bottom cringe. It is possible to feel the air as the whip moves through it against your cheek as it cracks near your ear without ever feeling the bite of it in your flesh. It is somewhat comical to watch a tied bottom tense and jerk in his or her binds when they hear the hiss and feel the whisper of air on their body as the fear of feeling the bite in their flesh will not allow them to remain still. They feel foolish when after the scream they realize it should have hurt already.

"The mind fuck can be notched up a bit more. Just as the bottom is comfortable with the fact that the sound will announce the lashing fire of the whip comes the bite from no where... it’s the one that is felt long before it is heard. In this presentation there is nothing before it to tell the nerves to prepare. The pain and fright comes out of no where and the scream of the bottom is priceless in its sincerity and the scream will often drowned out the crack of the whip when it does sound. It is a mind fuck of the highest order and a wonderfully sadistic game for the sadistic Master to play with his captive. One has to be careful with it though because the bottoms nerves tend to be drawn tight rather quickly and can make for short scenes". (I can see this).

Dominants vary in their styles no matter what the sensation is. There are dominants who value a good warm up for their submissive prior to extreme sensation play so that their endurance is increased before the extreme sensation is there to be dealt with. Others have no interest what so ever in a warm up. They get their thrill from watching their submissive struggle to deal with the sensation they are given. Neither style is right or wrong provided everyone is in agreement. Like everything else BDSM the experience is not the same for everyone. The single tail offers room for deviation in how its sensations are experienced. The whip does not have to hurt. It can offer soft gentle lashes that feel like nothing more than the warm lick of a lovers tongue. Or it can bite hard and in its work leave its mark deep in the flesh.

Also, (Master permitting) if the whip master stays in the same place as the bottom learns to process the sensation of the whip she can adjust the space between herself and the top and increase or decrease the sensations intensity that is provided. If the bottom is bound obviously they will not be able to experiment in this fashion. Also, until a top and a bottom are used to the sensation of single tail play it is in bondage that the beginning experiences are likely to be most safe.

No matter what the underlying goal of single tail whip play is (or any play for that matter) the most important thing for any scene is that you are fully "there" both dominant and submissive. It is about feeling everything there is to feel and being honest about how you feel and letting your partner see your participation. When playing with the single tail whip the biggest draw back I could see to it on a personal level is that the play has to take place across a distance. I am one of these people that like to be close to him. I like to feel him near me. I like to hear his breathing as he works me and winds himself. I like to hear the soft moan of his pleasure when he likes what he sees. I like to feel his body against me... Communication from across a large space has to be less physical but it has the potential to be just as emotional and personal.

I am a long way from that little girl who got the first demonstration of a single tail whip from her grandfather. It made me sad that day when I felt how brittle the leather felt to my fingers. I caressed it with all the innocence of that little girl as I thought of taking it home and using it in a big girl way. I felt guilty... and I took it home...

Life is fragile ... Cherish today.