Power to the people?

Well, I thought my first post would be a general introduction kind of deal, but circumstances of the past couple of days have given me the need to write about something else. Power.

I've often taught about Judaism's differing models of power: Moses and Miriam in particular. Look at Song of the Sea. Looking at the Hebrew, Moses starts the song off in the masculine singular...he sings, people follow. Miriam, on the other hand, leads the song in the plural, leading from within. And such it is with the D/s power dynamic, to an extent. The Dom leads--we subs follow by our nature. But let's not underestimate the power of Miriam...in this dynamic, the power of the sub.

I'm not talking about "topping from the bottom." That's not what this is about. But, at the same time, we do have a great power to determine how we move forward. Or don't. We know what we need the song to be...and if the melody isn't working then, well, we have the power to walk away.

But just like Moses' song only works if the people answer, the Dom only has power if the submissive, well, submits. If a masochist doesn't respond to the pain that a sadist gives (or at least accept the pain), then have the sadist's desires and needs really been met? If we don't answer the call, then there's nothing. The power vanishes.

Miriam's style isn't an easy leadership position (in general, or especially in particular in the D/s realm). But it's part of what all of this is about. And it's necessary. Let's not forget that these relationships (for lack of a better word) aren't about one partner or the other having all the power...it's more about transferring authority. And figuring out how to make that work.

Me, I'm still figuring out how it all works to its greatest potential.