A wonderful gathering of neurodivergent folk, navigating and enjoying M/s, D/s, leather and kink through a neurodiverse lens.

Come armed with your questions, listen to the discussion and learn from those already treading this path.

We talk about informed consent and risk awareness, but how many have deeply investigated the legal risks inherent in what it is that we do? The simple truth is, legal issues abound when it comes to M/s & BDSM, and always have. They can impact several areas of our lives including family, criminal, civil, estate planning, healthcare, and even business law. Join former Assistant District Attorney Bunny and Attorney Lady Steele for a frank discussion about M/s and the Law, which will include recent updates to the Modal Penal Code related to Consent that may have a dramatic impact on our community in for years to come.

Gather round and ‘meet’ with some of the members of the UK KRueL Leather Family, UK. We’ll be introducing ourselves individually, talking about each person’s journey into and with the leather family, then we’ll be opening up to a question and answer session with attendees. Hear our stories, answer your puzzlements, enjoy the banter between people who’ve travelled a leather path together for many years. We’ve been enjoying and indulging for decades, travelling and teaching workshops, giving demos and being interviewed since the 1990s. Come have your curiosity satisfied!

Oh, sure, you’re way into kink. You know all the old stuff, fancy words, fancy techniques, ceremonies and flags, you’re know it all, right?

Not so fast. Do you know where to find the oldest recorded lifetime “collaring” ceremony? How to make a contract spelling out goals, responsibilities, rights and break-up instructions – in one page? Does moderation make the heart grow fonder? Was Eve framed? What are the real differences between Christian and Jewish interpretations about sexual behavior, identity and ethics? Because there are some serious division!

The Jews have been discussing this stuff for literally centuries. Want some really OLD GUARD wisdom, humor, advice and quandaries made for generations of arguments, compromises and survival against the odds? Then what are you waiting for, bubbelah? Not Jewish? Well, no one’s perfect! Come on in, have a nosh, learn some Torah. There are worse things to do with your life.

The DSM has a long history of pathologizing BDSM, and those of us in M/s cultures spend a lot of energy refuting that misunderstanding. What we do and how we define ourselves is not a product of psychopathology. Yet, the M/s dynamic and culture can result in dismissing, excusing, masking, and overlooking predatory, damaging, or criminal behavior. We have to acknowledge that when kept in the dark, masked, unmanaged and allowed to run unchecked, mental illness can quickly become a problem for the individual, the dynamic, and the community and that there are some diagnoses that, when unmanaged, are more tightly linked to predatory behaviors. We also have to name that not all predatory behavior is correlated with a mental illness.

In this workshop, we want to begin a difficult conversation about what we should do as a collective when we encounter a Master engaging in what we perceive to be predatory, damaging, or criminal behavior. Additionally, how do we know the Master in a dynamic is psychologically healthy (taking care to note that a mental health diagnosis does not, in and of itself, mean someone is unwell)? How do people who mentor Masters become sufficiently knowledgeable about how to detect legitimately problematic behavior in Masters and ethically act accordingly? A few important notes about what this workshop is not: it is not a call for blacklisting individuals based on a mental health diagnosis, it is not a lesson in armchair diagnostics and therapy, it is not about furthering stigma or shame, it is not about removing accountability for one’s actions because of a mental health diagnosis, and it is definitely not about blaming mental illness for problematic behavior.

While Eckhart does not think that BDSM existed before the 20th century, she does use some ideas from the ancient Roman world in her own life. This lecture with power point slides and handout looks at four slave roles in the Roman world and how they require a great deal of freedom for the submissive while reaffirming their position as consensual property. These roles are steward, secretary, valet, and manager. The chapter, “The Basic Realities of Greco-Roman Slavery” from Our Lives, Our History: Consensual Master/slave relationships from ancient times to the 21st century (2016), was partly drawn from this lecture and from Eckhart’s research into and publications about slavery in the ancient world as a historian. Target Audience would be someone interested in history or desiring some “historical” foundation for how they do Ds or M/s in their own lives. Lecture hook-up for computer for projector to show slides on a big screen.

Choosing to step into an authority based relationship based on a Master/slave model is no small choice, and it is most definitely not for everyone. Learning to honestly reflect on yourself and determine whether you belong on this path is something that takes time, commitment and brutal personal honesty.

There is no comprehensive manual or common check list that says you are or you aren’t a Master. This is something extremely personal.

Wanting to be a Master isn’t just taking a quick course or buying great leathers. There are choices, skills and a constant quest to improve ourselves as Masters.

There is no keener reflection of whether you are standing firmly in your true self as a Master than the eyes of a slave who is trying to surrender to your leadership.

We are going explore those choices, skills and deep motivations that draw us to walk this path as a Master.

This is an open discussion that might be of interest to all people who strive towards successful authority based relations as well as those who are already walking their path.

Pillars of Hercules are often referred to as being many different things, including: a gateway or a passage, the point of Non plus ultra (“nothing further beyond”), or the pillars that hold heaven and earth in the right relation. What are the pillars we rely on when embarking on living our lives in power exchange? How do we build them? How do we maintain them? How can they support staying in balance with each other?

Join us as we explore these fascinating concepts in a facilitated discussion.

All experience levels are welcome.

For some Masters and slaves, the M/s power exchange moves beyond something that is simply fun and sexy into the realms of something we are meant to do. Master/slavery becomes something that you are called to do. Called from a place deep inside in much the same way people feel about religious orders or life work.

M/s is often spoken of as being a very spiritual exchange, a moment when we can connect with the divine in each other and the divine within ourselves. It can be the one time where we feel grounded, clear, and authentic to our real selves while in relation with another person.

Let’s explore together what it feels like or might feel like when your relationship moves from just fun and sexy to feeling like a calling.

How do you navigate those feelings?
What if it only feels like that for one of you?
Does it make M/s feel obligatory or more powerful for you?
Do you have to answer this calling?
What does it feel like if you don’t answer the call?
Come share your thoughts and experiences while we explore M/s and Spirituality – Answering your calling.

Open to everyone of all levels of engagement.

Cuckolding/cuckqueaning is the most commonly recognized style of playing with jealousy, but not the only way to do it. Jealousy play can be as simple as whispered stories of how much better all your past lovers were, or as intense as being denied your favorite kind of play and having to watch your partner do it with someone else. It’s anything that tugs at the fear of being replaced, of not being special, of losing your partner’s affection to another.

With care, creativity, and the right kind of twisted desires, you can provoke that fear and come out the other side even closer and more special for having shared such a vulnerable and taboo experience together.

Becoming a fully-faceted self-actualized individual requires having integrity. Integrity is defined as “knowing and accepting one’s self.” To the extent we hide who we are, we cripple our own capacity to become wholly immersed in our dynamic. “Acceptance” is a two-way street. And, it begins by having the courage to be seen.

Consent is the foundation of every interaction in our communities, from a scene, to power exchange relationships, to even a simple hug. So how do we change our culture to always make consent the cornerstone of our conversations?

We will share concrete methods by which to simplify the consent conversation. We’ll discuss principles to integrate consent into everyday life! In this class, we will provide a repeatable format to be taken back to your own communities so that these discussions continue. This is an interactive discussion and participation is encouraged!

How should ‘the reporter’ and their report be handled? How do you identify & help someone experiencing ‘trauma response’? We’ll discuss steps that can be taken to protect the integrity and handling of such a report.

What are the implications for your group or event? Do you have a uniform, consistent method for handling such reports? What if a conflict of interest arises?

We’ll look at all these aspects and more; protecting the reporter of the incident, how to handle such a report (i.e. unwanted advance vs more serious report) and building a ‘consent policy’ for your groups for more uniformed handling of such incidents.

How do we balance a Power Hierarchy within other non-hierarchal, non-monogamous relationships? And how may Couple Privilege come into play? How can we manage ‘care & feeding’ of all the parties, including the Unicorn & the House slave? Can bodily autonomy work in Poly, when one is collared? Let’s dig deep into our Poly & TPE!

We enter serious Master/slave relationships expecting them to last. And when they do, we then ultimately confront the realities of life changes, major sickness and death in those relationships.

I have had personal experience with all three of these realities in Household Keppeler, my immediate leather family.

In this workshop I will catalogue what has happened to us through the years and explore ways we coped with the physical needs and the changed dynamic of the relationship.

I will also discuss ways to prepare for such experiences, especially death and incapacitating sickness when they come into your life and your Master/slave relationship.

Neurodivergent (ND) people often have differences in sensory processing, executive function, and communication if compared to neurotypical (NT) standards. When ND folks are held to NT expectations, this can lead to distress, conflict, and challenges within power dynamic relationships. After covering basic terminology, I’ll dispel some common myths about ND conditions, then discuss the “double empathy problem” in ND to NT communication. I will offer suggestions to improve your communication and BDSM play, then talk about why embracing our neurological differences may be a path to greater intimacy and fulfilment within our power dynamics. Finally, I’ll give some practical tips for ND self-advocacy, inclusivity, and accessibility to boost our collective compassion for and acceptance of neurological difference.

‘To increase accessibility for those who might benefit, Cassidy will make their slides available in advance. Email them at imsl2007@gmail.com. All attendees will be provided with a link to access course materials. There is no expectation of participation or contribution in this class and there will be time for questions. Cameras not required but welcome.

For context, in leather families like ours there is often a role of ‘major domo’ and our LeatherEagle fulfils that role, i.e. being submissive/collared to myself and taking a ‘management’ or dominant role with the other submissives of the family. Leading on training, event planning etc. Kind of my ‘right hand man’ as it were.

However there are also members – such as Alistair – who are both in an M/s dynamic as slave with me, whilst being a dominant in his own right (earned his leathers and recognition as a Leather Sir through the UK KRueL Leather family) i.e. having D/s or M/s relationships of his own.

We’d like to share and talk about that journey, the conflicts and complexities of it, and how he’s finally arrived very comfortably in this place of relationship dichotomy.

There will be discussion around ‘switching’ but this isn’t that, this is a dominant; who chooses one relationship in which to be the ‘s’ instead of the ‘M’.

This class will focus on defining service and what it means to anticipate the needs of another, show how to develop anticipatory skills and personalize service with devotion. How the Master can communicate desires and teach the slave how to serve them within the dynamic so anticipatory service does not end up being or seem as though the slave is topping from the bottom. Through service, you can both find such connection, intimacy, love, devotion, appreciation and commitment. It is truly a place to develop the uniqueness of your own M/s dynamic.

Rituals, in one form or another, have been with us from the time the beginning of human history. Sacrifices, rites of passages, proof of obedience, show of devotions, signs of loyalties and list goes on and on. And this is also true in the realm or our chosen lifestyles. We see many rituals in lots of relationships and dynamics.

Rituals are guiding lights. They help us grow. They help us stay focused. They allow us to be on our chosen paths. They strengthen our dynamics and relationships. They are reminders, if done consistently, to be what we claim to be to each other and to our larger tribe.

We shall discuss the allure and perhaps necessity of rituals. We shall emphasis that it is in our power to creat our own. Pehaps we shall be able to create some unique rituals in this presentation. Come and join us and feel the power and magic of our most ancient form of interaction….RITUALS.

There are a great numbers of master/slave relationships which are less than a year old. Then the numbers starts declining with the passage of time….5 years? 10 years? 15 years? and beyond?

We have been in our Master/slave dynamics for 15 years now. Was it easy? HAHA!

Did I catch her before she tried to run out the door….naked? YES!

Did she bodily stop me before I even got dressed? Hell YES!

Through heated discussions, even arguments (we are human first…. and yes…master and slaves do argue…just in a different tone), cries, anger and so many emotional roller coasters….we thrive and stay vibrant.

Have you ever stretched the rubber band to its limit before just breaking? Try that in real life dynamics and see what happens.

We have done it.

HOW?

That is what we would like to share.

And it is so simple. (and yet so complicated!!)

Local chapters are the lifeblood of MAsT International and the primary vehicle through which the organization fulfills its mission of providing education and support for those interested in consensual Master/slave relationships.

Join the CEO and COO of MAsT International as they offer insight and answer your questions about the process of successfully starting and running a MAsT chapter in your local community.

When the PAUSE button breaks; how do we maneuver through challenges in our M/s dynamics without putting the relationship on hold? A few questions for thought/discussion:

Do you put your dynamic on hold/pause when a crisis occurs?
Is the M/s dynamic a distraction when a crisis occurs?
Does egalitarianism fuel the need to put your dynamic on hold/pause during challenges?
Why are we really pushing the pause button too much?
We will share perspective on application of authority-based M/s regarding living everyday when encountering challenges and crisis. To PAUSE or not?

In this presentation, we’ll view video clips from popular culture that depict attempts to dominate persons and situations — widely differing shots across the bow of Dominance, sometimes successful, sometimes not — and we’ll consider how they went wrong and how they went right.

At some point in our lives, each of us faces fear. Even more so in our bdsm/leather relationships and s/m interactions, we find ourselves actively using and facing fears. This workshop will touch upon why fear seems to play such a key role in our power exchanges, how we utilize fear within our bdsm, and how we can come to terms with our fears and allow them to be a tool for growth. Take a step toward embracing that which you fear.

In this presentation you are invited to dialogue with slave Rick as he shares some thought provoking realizations derived from his 22+ year relationship with his Master, and from his experiences as a practicing psychotherapist within the BDSM community, that will assist you in recognizing the enticing rhythms of your own particular D/s dance.

How much better would your relationship be if the Leader clearly communicated their version of a “perfect life” so you knew what you needed to do? How much better would your relationship be if the follower knew what to follow?

Protocols are an outgrowth of your values. Some “standard responses” are tried-and-true, some you’ll have to create to suit your own relationship. You can create protocols that support your own version of a magical world and you can create protocols that solve challenges. For example, you can create a protocol that addresses “getting back into Master or slave headspace after a long day at work.” Protocols can also be used to help stabilize relationships that are being pulled back to the land of vanillas.

We’ll discuss practical protocols: attendees will have the opportunity to ask for help designing protocols to fit their particular needs. (NOTE: attendees may wish to take notes.)

Our Book Supporting this Presentation: Master/slave Mastery—Protocols: Focusing the intent of your relationship

The idea in backward design is to design a household structure toward an “end point”, which typically ensures that the Master remains focused and organized. This, in turn, aims at promoting better understanding of the characteristics of potential personnel as well as the processes (protocols, rituals, and etiquette) to be learned by other members of the Household (slaves/submissives/servants/pets/etc). The Master is able to focus on addressing what members need to learn, what data can be collected to show that members are performing at a level of excellence (desired outcomes) and how to ensure the members will continue to learn and grow.

“Trust me, I’ve got you.”

“Follow unquestioningly.”

“Lead with clarity.”

These are all phrases we have heard tossed about when the subject of authority transfer comes up. Yes, Master/slave relationships are built on a foundation of trust, without it, they crumble. But what happens when trust has been deeply violated, not by a current partner, but by someone in the past? We both know firsthand the complex reality that navigating life after abuse presents, how deeply difficult is to trust—and how easily that trust can be shaken, how terrifying it can feel to lean in no matter how strong the desire to do so is, and how impossible it can feel to not hold back and protect a piece of yourself. Join us as we step into our vulnerability and our power and share with you the ways in which we have been able to lean in, trust, and build a rock solid and thriving M/s dynamic despite our complex histories.

In this workshop, Josh will talk about a broader concept of surrender, including not just our fickle emotions, but our decisions and actions. How can we feel centered in our role, provide good service, be pleasing to our “M”, even when the emotion isn’t there?

You’ve found what you believe to be the perfect authority exchange relationship with one exception… they are located across the country or even across the world! A long-distance relationship can be difficult in the vanilla world. To live fully in a relationship that exchanges authority long distance brings with it many additional challenges and also many opportunities for service, surrender, and sexy connection. Tomo has spent many years in long distance authority exchange relationships and will share her experience from both Dominant and servant perspectives. We will discuss the complexity of this type of relationship, and share ideas for building solid ground, consistency, and closeness to maintain the dynamic and your erotic connection long distance.

Many of us who live in relationships that exchange authority participate in relationships with more than one person. While having multiple partners in your life can bring joy and fulfillment, the path can also be tricky to navigate, particularly when we add authority exchange to the mix. Tomo will share her thoughts and experience as we examine hierarchy and poly during this moderated participatory discussion. Please join us and discuss different combinations of poly and hierarchy; what is necessary to have healthy poly relationships within a dynamic that exchanges authority; common poly and hierarchy challenges and solutions; the fun and sexy opportunities for connection; and the inter-related dynamics between the layers.

The main purpose of this workshop is not to find solutions to the issues that our community is experiencing with diversity; but to deepen our understanding of one another and to develop and learn to use tools that will bring us closer to a solution.

Many have attempted to “find solutions” without first trying to exercise tools to bring us to a place of understanding. What I have witnessed in some platforms is that nothing gets solved and it leads to more confusion and despair.

The M/s community has a responsibility to us and others to be a beacon of light and hope to the rest of the communities and groups that make up the “lifestyle”. So many of us are pioneers and leaders in our own right and bear the privilege of growing and learning from each other. My intention is to ignite a healthy dialogue to start this process.

Some of the discussion topics, will include

1. Identity privilege.
2. Understanding gender etiquette.
3. The importance of inclusion, and the difference between celebrating a culture versus separation of a culture by way of “blank” only events and meetings.
4. Learning the tools on how to change our language of communication to convey a peaceful and respectful voice.

Topics include building an early foundation, the development and use of meaningful protocols and rituals that sustain a relationship during stormy times, and the settling in effect. Also included is a hard look at the stagnation stage and the 6 subtle red flags that signal a breakup. Is it possible to fix these? Find out in this thought-provoking class.

Quote: The cool thing about being in the lifestyle for so long is you have seen what works and what does not work. ~ Master David Walker

This presentation looks at what works in a M/s relationship. There are seven key ingredients that stabilizes and drives a M/s dynamic. Knowing these components ensures success. Topics include identifying each ingredient, how they work, how they support the relationship, and how to implement them into your relationship Primarily a presentation but provides time for participants to share techniques and methods they may have found.

• Presentation Type: Presentation / Discussion Style presentation.
• Timeframe: 90 Minutes
• Recorded: Yes.

Sir Wombat and Pug share some of their personal experiences and discuss what it means to be part of a leather family, the various dynamics that can emerge, and the challenges that can arise in such relationships.