NEW VIDEO - Third in the series

To celebrate the turning of the year, here is the third video in this series. We wish all our supporters and the worldwide odalisque community, Slavekeepers and their beautiful slaves, all the best for 2014.

(Music by The Residents. Some original homemade footage and technical assistance thanks to jojo and Mr Hudson.)

Different traditions

In order to place Code d' Odalisque and consensual odalisque slavery within the whole spectrum of contemporary erotic lifestyles, it is necessary to acknowledge and delineate divergent erotic traditions. It is fair to say that most people are probably ignorant of these various traditions and tend to have insular views, regarding their own way as the only way. Mainstream BDSMers tend to be like this very much. There is something disturbingly smug about many people in the 'scene'. They look down their noses at so-called "vanilla" people and sneer at anyone who does things differently. Among BDSMers generally, the SM crowd are especially prone to this. They tend to treat people who are not into SM as inferiors, as people who are not into the 'real thing'. But in fact, the SM side of the BDSM spectrum is only one tradition among many. Specifically, it is a tradition with its roots in the French Revolution. The great spokesman of the tradition was the Marquis de Sade who explored and defined a genre of eroticism based in the reflexes of sadism and masochism. Some of the features typical of the tradition are: chains, whips, leather, torture, clamps, wracks, dungeons etc. You know the stuff. It is a tradition that eroticizes pain, fear and violence. More recently, this tradition - often developed in association with military culture - has sometimes taken the name 'Old Guard', so let's call it that for want of a better name: the Old Guard tradition.

But not everyone within the BDSM spectrum is into sadomasochism. There are other traditions. One of these has been beautifully rendered by John Norman in his World of Gor fiction series. While cast as science fiction, Norman in fact evokes a world of noble Barbarian culture. The Gorean lifestyle that has developed from this is founded upon ideals of naturalism, with its chief motif being the right of the strong to rule. Male dominance and female submission is seen as a natural order that, when properly restored, allows for an innate beauty and dignity in both Master and slave. This has very little to do with Marquis de Sade and the 'Old Guard' tradition. The Gorean tradition - a modern invocation of an ancient order - is not about eroticizing pain, fear and violence. It is a different tradition. Often, in on-line BDSM chat rooms, Goreans converse with Old Guard types. Their conversations are at cross purposes. They belong to very different traditions with very different philosophies and ideals. Goreans, it must be said, often do not fully appreciate the extent to which their tradition is different to the French Revolution Old Guard tradition in both principle and practice.

Then there is odalisque slavery. It is a tradition of female sexual submission. It does not draw upon models from the French Revolution and it does not look back to the models of tribal Barbarians. Instead, it looks to the historical slave traditions of the ancient and medieval Orient. This is a sumptuous slavery that served a hedonistic culture of urban traders. The odalisque is a specifically erotic slave. The odalisque lifestyle is for sexually submissive women. But there is no sadomasochism involved. No dungeons and whips. The natural arena of the odalisque is the bath and the spa and the boudoir. This is a very rich tradition that once fascinated the imaginations of Europeans. There is a rich tradition of odalisque imagery in European painting and early erotic photography. Code d' Odalisque is a revival of odalisque slavery as another alternative within the broad range of erotic possibilities. It is specifically female submissive, and submission is specifically sexual. The implicit philosophy is hedonistic - the sophisticated man's pursuit of new pleasures. Plainly, this is a quite different thing to either Old Guard or Gorean modes of consensual slave play.

A lot of very annoying sniping goes on between advocates of these different traditions. A lot of misunderstanding and disagreements could be avoided if everyone acknowledged that there are different ways for different people. Some people respond to sadomasochism. That should be respected. Some people feel fulfilled by the Gorean lifestyle. That too deserves respect. It also needs to be ackowledged throughout the wide BDSM world that there needs to be an alternative for submissive females who do not respond to pain. They are submissive, but it is a sexual submission, and it is not suited to the 'Old Guard' lifestyle. Code d' Odalisque is a third way. Odalisque slavery is a different tradition again.

Only for rich men?

Question: Is keeping an odalisque only for rich men?

An odalisque is a luxury slave - she is not one of the essentials of life. So any man who struggles to maintain the essentials - mortgage, medical fees, loan repayments etc - should not add keeping an odalisque to his financial burdens. An odalisque is an indulgence, like a sports car or a yacht. Clearly, not every man can afford one.

On the other hand, keeping an odalisque is not the preserve of only the filthy rich; it is possible for men of relatively modest means to purchase and keep a cockslave. It is quite possible to keep an odalisque on a decent middle-class income if one is prepared to forgo other luxuries in order to pay for her. If it is what a gentleman really wants to do, and he is sufficiently well-off to meet all the essential obligations in life, then he can easily reorganise his finances in order to accommodate her.

Ideally, an odalisque is entirely kept. This means that her Master keeps her in occlusion and pays for her; she does not have to work. In Code d' Odalisque, work is a characteristic of low slaves (memlooks) and an odalisque, by definition, is "preserved from toil." Indeed, it is a travesty that an odalisque should have to get her hands dirty with common labour. It is an outrage that an odalisque - an object of beauty - should ever have to work in a factory or at menial tasks. By definition, an odalisque is lifted above labour. She is kept. Ideally, a man who owns an odalisque should be able to provide for her entire up-keep in order to preserve her from labour.

In today's conditions, however, this is not always possible. For financial or for other reasons, it is often the case that an odalisque may have to earn some money at a part-time job. The rules of the Code allow for this. The slave may go on "sojourn" like a freewoman between the periods when she is held in active "occlusion". We know of many cases of this. For many couples, there is no alternative because they would struggle to live on a single income. The woman (odalisque) plays slave to her Master as often as possible, but she goes out to work (or study) on a part-time basis in order to supplement their finances. This is not ideal, but it is often necessary.

If that is the case, then the odalisque should only be required to do suitable work and should be protected from any injurious labour. For example, she should not do any type of work where she might get burnt or where it will impact upon her beauty. She should not be a dishwasher, for example, because that type of work will age and damage her hands. She should not be a bricklayer; hard physical labour will age her and make her skin rough and damage her beauty. If an odalisque must go out to work, it should only be to part-time jobs and jobs that are soft, clean and light. Light labour only. Secretarial work would be suitable, for example.

Other than having the slave work part-time, there are other strategies that can help make keeping a cockslave a viable option. Most importantly, Code d' Ode is a social form of slave play. An odalisque is bound to a single man (her Slavekeeper) but, by default, he is to share her. It is quite possible for a group of gentlemen to contribute to the maintenance of an odalisque. She can only be bound to one Master, but she may be enjoyed by a circle of gentlemen. Her Master cannot prostitute her - a Slavekeeper is not a pimp! - but there is nothing to prevent an agreement between gentlemen concerning the maintenance of an odalisque.

Similarly, let us remember that an odalisque is, by definition, extra-marital. In many cases, husband/wife couples play Master/slave, but it is not necessarily the case. It is possible for a married couple to acquire a slave for themselves. In that case, the slave will be bound to the husband as her Slavekeeper, but she plays the role of sex toy to the married couple. In such cases, the combined income of the married couple is enough to support owning an odalisque. (This, of course, requires an agreeable wife.)

How much does it cost? There are different estimations. In the past, we have quoted the figure of $12,000 a year, but this has proved to be inflated. That figure works out at about $250 a week. We have, however, spoken to Slavekeepers who put their costs at much less than that - barely $100 a week.  Figures can be very rubbery, though. The main pitfall is health costs. Provided an odalisque remains fit and healthy, costs can be kept to a minimum. There are no clothing costs. Feeding an extra mouth doesn't take too much extra money. But if she needs medical attention, it can start to get expensive and go well beyond $100 a week. That is life. Life often has many hidden costs. This should be taken into account.

It would be wrong, though, to say that owning an odalisque is only for rich men. It is more accurate to say that it is not a game for poor men. Experience shows that any man who is relatively settled in life and who is gainfully employed can, if he is keen, make the financial adjustments in order to keep an odalisque. It means not buying so many CDs, not spending $150 for tickets to a sports game, and cutting back on other luxuries. An odalisque is luxury enough. If a middle-class gentleman cuts back on frivolities and other indulgences, and manages his finances well, there is no reason why he cannot afford the pleasures of an odalisque.

VIDEO - The Odalisque's Life

This is the second in a series of video promotions that capture and illustrate aspects of Code d' Odalisque. The series, which we will roll out in the New Year, will include multi-media presentations with audio lectures. Enjoy. Please feel free to share and distribute it to those who might be interested. We appreciate any efforts to bring Code d' Odalisque to a wider audience. 

Karsya - formal begging (repost)

17.8. - Karsya

An odalisque shall be trained in the formal mode of begging to be used in cock worship. The slave falls to her knees, clutches her Keeper's legs, rests her cheek on his thigh such that his crotch is near her face, and she begs him for cock in this position. She begs directly to his cock. It is called "Karsya", face to face or eye to eye.

Article 17.8 of Code d' Odaliusque describes a method of cockworship called "Karsya", a term meaning 'face to face' or 'eye to eye'. This is very simple. The Slavekeeper can be standing or sitting. The odalisque falls to her knees, clutches hold of his legs and places her cheek on his thigh so that her face is then directly facing his cock only inches away. In this position, she starts talking directly to his cock. She does not address her Master here. She addresses his cock directly. She begs. She implores. She might say to it, "Please fuck me... Please fuck me...Please let me serve you.." She speaks in a passionate whisper and begs the cock to let her serve it.

This method of begging for cock - or begging TO cock - is called 'Karsya'. If a Slavekeeper commands his slave "Karysa!" then she falls to her knees, hugs his legs, puts her cheek on his thigh and starts begging his cock that she might serve it and worship it.

The method of Karsya should be included in the training of an odalisque. She should learn how to beg in this manner to her Master's satisfaction.

Moi - self-referencing

Strictly speaking, a slave owns nothing. Under the etiquette of Code d' Odalisque, therefore, an odalisque ought to avoid the use of the possessive parts of speech. She ought not refer to things as "mine" and should especially not refer to the Slavekeeper who is over her in this manner. It is not an absolute rule; she might use the possessive in some contexts but ordinarily she should try to find alternatives to the phrase "my Master". Of course, her Master is not "hers" - rather, she is an object and he owns her, not the other way around. It is a figure of speech to say "my Master" but if it can be avoided, it should. She can do this by avoiding the first person. She should avoid saying "I" and by extension "me" and "mine". A slave has no real right to such phrases. When she speaks to her Master she should say, "Your slave is happy to serve you, Keeper" rather than "I am happy to serve you, Keeper." She might say, "The Master of this slave" rather than "my Master". Much depends upon context, but avoiding the possessive forms of speech and shunning the first person are conductive to good mental discipline in a slave and helps to shape her slave-heart.

This is true of all slaves, memlooks and odalisques. By definition, slaves are stripped of both identity and possessions. An odalisque, however, is given the privilege of being able to refer to herself by the French word "moi" (pronounced mwaa) - me.This concession is largely to enable her speech to be attractive. In order to avoid the possessive and first person, speech can sometimes become clumsy. Instead, here the odalisque can use the French. "The Master of moi." "Moi is sleepy." Only odalisques among slaves can use this form. It is part of the way the speech of an odalisque, under the etiquette of Code d' Odalisque, is peppered with French words and phrases. This is one of the most important instances of it. When she refers to herself, instead of saying "me" she can revert to the French and call herself "moi". It is characteristic of odalisques; they refer to themselves as "moi".

All of this is set out in the etiquette and manners sections of Code d' Odalisque. The Code provides a detailed system regulating the speech of odalisques.

Video - Code d' Odalisque

The end of the discalcing ritual?

Question: What happens at the end of the discalcing ritual? In the published version it says that it must be a memorable experience - a gangbang. Is that always the case? Is it for the pleasure of the slave or the Master? Can you explain what is supposed to happen at the end of the ritual?

The published ritual is one example of a discalcing ritual. Discalcing is the name of the ritual by which a freewoman becomes an odalisque. The slave surrenders her shoes in a symbolic gesture - odalisques are barefoot (discalced). When the formalities of consent, vows and other spoken parts are completed, the example ritual concludes with an orgiastic initiation of the slave into her new life. It reads:

At this point all the men undress and may freely enjoy the slave as they desire (subject to the restraints of her Contract of Submission). At a discalcing the slave should be fucked vigorously - gangbanged. It is her initiation into erotic slavery. It should be made an occasion she doesn't forget.

It is not essential. The actual requirements given in the Code itself are more broad. Article 4.8 (h) simply reads:

(h) The woman shall be led naked and barefoot into occlusion (captivity).

And, in any case, please note the proviso: (subject to the restraints of her Contract of Submission).If, for example, the woman has become a slave to only serve her Master and she does not want to be shared, then a "gangbang" would violate her Contract and be out of the question.

A discalcing is essentially a ritual stripping. The steps are: the woman consents to becoming a slave, she is stripped, then she is led into occlusion. It is not essential to end the ritual with an orgy, a "gangbang" or any other sex. It is, however, entirely appropriate to do so if one so wishes (and if it does not violate the slave's limits). It makes sense that since the woman is being initiated into sexual slavery she should at this point be initiated into what sexual slavery is all about. It should be a memorable event for the slave. It is not every day a woman commits herself to a life of sexual service. 

The discalcing ritual is a matter for personal creativity. The published ritual is only a guide. 

On cockworship

In popular speech these days "cockworship" refers to intense fellatio. When a woman immerses herself in the act of sucking a penis, when she really gets into it, it is called "cockworship." For obvious reasons. The woman closes her eyes and puts her heart and soul into it and sucks and licks and kisses the cock like it is a sacred object to her. It seems very much like an act of religious devotion - hence it is called "worship".

The term "cockworship" has a wider meaning than this in Code d' Odalisque. By all means, odalisques are encouraged to be expert in sucking cock in the way described above, but that is not the only act of "cockworship" for an odalisque. More generally, an odalisque is sworn to cockworship as a state of mind and as an attitude. She is expected to have a love for cock and to have an urge to devote herself to pleasuring cock. It is her obsession. There is nothing she loves more. She loves it so much, in fact, that she has devoted herself - her body - to cock. She makes herself into an object to be used for phallic pleasure. Code d' Odalisque is an exploration of this obsession. Obsession and monomania are among its themes.

In particular, for an odalisque cock is the object of worship, not the man to whom it is attached. Man is her master. Cock is her god. In a lot of Dom/sub play and consensual slavery the female sub become obsessed with the person of her Master. She becomes fixated upon him. In some cases, Masters expect to be worshipped like gods and want their slaves to be willing devotees. All of that is about power. Code d' Ode, on the other hand, is focused on pleasure, not power. Slaves are not expected to regard Masters as gods. Code d' Ode is a phallic thraldom. The slave obeys her Master and respects her Master, and may even love her Master, but cock is her god. She wants nothing more than for her Master to give her cock to serve. She loves him because he supervises her devotion to cock. Cock is her thing. He facilitates it.

For a woman to have aptitude for the odalisque's life, then, a woman must above all be cockloving. Some women even where they are sex loving are not necessarily cock-loving. Some women just love men, but not necessarily cock. Lots of fem subs are in this category. What they love about men is their power and strength; virility is a function of this. But some women are actually smitten by cock. They love the phallus. They may not even be especially fond of men socially and otherwise, but they love cock. They think cocks are beautiful. They love pleasuring them. They love being pleasured by them. They love fucking them. They love sucking them. They love everything about them. This is the type of woman who would be well-adapted to the odalisque role.

It is an ancient obsession. Phallic worship goes back to the neolithic age. But always, of course, the phallus is a symbol of greater things than the six to seven inches of swollen flesh that constitute the male organ. Often, of course, what is symbolized is fertility. The phallus is an ancient fertility symbol and that is the basis of a lot of phallic worship in history. This is not the odalisque's motivation. She is interested in the phallus as a symbol of bliss, rapture, pleasure. She loves cock because there is nothing on earth than can shake her reality like the virile orgasmic power of a cock. It represents concentrated pleasure. It is the god of transformations. Cock makes her tremble. Cock makes her swoon. Cock gives her a taste of heaven. It is the virile potency she worships, not its fecundity.

There are numerous practices in Code d' Odalisque that have cockworship as their intent. For example, there are various methods and modes of begging for cock that can form part of slave play. They are all designed to enhance and develop the woman's natural love for cock and to nurture it into a form of dedicated devotion. That devotion, ideally, should be as deep as religious emotions - thus it is called cockworship. A cockslave is for cockworship. Code d' Odalisque is specifically phallic. Odalisque slkavery is, in the end, a vehicle for phallic worship.

*Practical slavetraining

Grading vulva

Undoubtedly, one of the most salubrious aspects of assessing and grading an odalisque is the inspection of her vulva. Grading includes an assessment of her teeth, skin and other attributes, but it also includes an aesthetic estimation of her genitalia. Accordingly, the grader must make a careful inspection of the slave’s pussy. 

The vulva is assessed on a scale of one to nine (1-9). There are defined types, as set out in the Code. The types are usually grouped into four distinct categories:

1. Concave (1-2)

2. Flat (3-4)

3. Arched (5-6-7)

4. Extended (8-9)

What we are after and regard as the ideal is a well-defined and gracefully attractive “arched” type.

This is usually determined by viewing the vulva from the side in profile. The grader should ask the woman to stand side-on. Then ask her to move her near leg back slightly. The mool can then be viewed from the side. The grader should do this from both sides, both views, as well as inspecting the vulva from other angles. It is best if the women is smooth shaven for this. It can also be helpful to change the lighting in order to see the slave in silhouette.

Ideally, looking side-on, there is a gentle, well-defined crescent moon shape made by the lower belly, the vulva and the perineum. The vulva does not protrude out too far, and nor is the vaginal entry sunken and hidden.

To some extent, this is an assessment of the size of the vulva. Are the cunt lips too big or too small, or in between? The protruding vulva is usually because the lips are too large, too flabby or swollen, chubby. The concave shape is usually because the vulva is small, thin. In some cases, the vulva are best described as “flat”. But it is not only size. It is also a question of shape, form, volume. Some allowance needs to be made for ethnic differences – Asian women are likely to have smaller lips, for example – but the range of types is universal.

We are interested in this line (marked in black) in the female form. It is a crescent shaped arch that extends from the lower belly to the perineum. How well-shaped is this line in any given specimen? Men who are grading slaves should look at this line in the subject's anatomy. 

Universally, too, there is a lot of variation between women. These days more and more women are having cosmetic surgery to correct what they see as imperfections. Different gentlemen might have differing tastes in this sort of matter too. All the same, the ideal shape in Code d’ Odalisque conforms to popular preferences, i.e. neither too big nor too small, neither protruding nor sunken. We are not imposing an unusual standard. The ideal is a steady line, a gentle arch, a visually attractive form.

This is necessarily a subjective aspect of slave grading, but the grader should try to be as objective as possible. After inspection – guided by the four groupings – he gives the specimen a score on the 1-9 scale. Is the mool shapeless? Are the lips lacking in contour and definition? Or are they extended or even pendulous, over full? Finally, it is a judgment about the woman’s entire genitalia – obviously an important attribute for a sexual slave.

A vulva that deviates wide of the ideal should not be regarded as a fatal flaw, however. It is merely one factor in the assessment, and compared to other things it is, in the end, not a defining matter. On the contrary, too, a vulva that deviates from the ideal is still a thing of beauty. Here is an example:

This vulva would be graded 8 or 9 on our scale, classified as "extended", but no one is saying it is unattractive. The Code sets a standard and it is used for grading purposes but in the end pussy is pussy and the red-blooded hetero Slavekeeper has a natural love for them all. 

Lucile - a case study

This is the story of a young woman of our acquaintance. Let's call her "Lucile". She is an attractive dark-haired woman, slim, pretty, small-breasted, chocolate eyes. Her father was an academic professor and so she came from a well-to-do home, had a standard, stable middle-class upbringing. Several older siblings.

A restless spirit, however, she left school early (just before her seventeenth birthday) and left home to live with her uncle who owned a hobby farm and was pursuing an alternative lifestyle in the sub-tropics. She lived on welfare initially but then worked occasional  rural jobs such as fruit picking. She became a vegetarian and learnt guitar. Retro-hippy.

After that she became involved in a travelling street-theatre group populated by a range of feral but creative misfits. Sexual promiscuity was the norm in that group, and so it was at this stage that she became fully active sexually. She slept with a lot of boys - and some girls - and became engaged in theatre plays involving nudity and exploring sexual themes. The troupe specialised in alternative and slightly BDSM ritual theatre.

These connections led her to find a place in an inner city shared house where she became best friends with a young woman who worked as a burlesque dancer. Through her, Lucile eventually started a career as a dancer, making most of her money as a stripper. Moving around among various clubs, she soon came in contact with a man named John who acted as an agent for pole dancers and strippers, and soon after that began a sexual relationship with him. This was her first serious relationship.

It lasted just under a year. He was much older than her and turned out to be both emotionally cruel and manipulative. She wasn't mistreated physically, but John siphoned her wages away from her and she found that she was working more for him than for herself. He also pressured her to try prostitution, but she resisted this.

All the same, she did sleep with various men as a way of advancing her career and getting work. At the age of twenty, she could reasonably be described as a very nubile young woman, attractive and very sexy, and men were eager to sleep with her. At one stage she decided to return to study in order to get some qualifications, but John obstructed this and wanted her to do more dancing instead. This strained their relationship and eventually she fell in with another older dominant man, Steven, a former soldier. He removed her from the stripper scene, but he was possessive and egomaniacal. He wanted her to be entirely focused upon him. Submissive by nature, she began a dominant/submissive relationship as the passive partner over another eighteen months.

Steven was also into S & M. He had a particular thing for torturing women's breasts. He liked to apply nipple clamps, tight bondage, air suction or just pins to Lucile's breasts. She didn't enjoy this at all, and was scarred by it, but while it turned her off, it was wildly exciting to him. She spent most of the eighteen months she remained with him trying to find a way to get away from him. When she finally left him, he stalked her and her father intervened to get rid of him.

After this, she spent some time unemployed before getting work as a model. It was through modelling that she met "Richard", a mature intelligent gentleman who would employ attractive young female models for his own personal photography shoots. It was Richard who introduced her to Code d' Odalisque, sharing a copy of the Code with her. Richard was an artistic and sophisticated bohemian type. She spent a lot of time with him (always Platonic) listening to his ideas and reading his books. He thought she might be interested in Code d' Odalisque.  She read the Code and was attracted to the idea straightaway.

Shortly after this, Richard asked her if she was serious in this. She said she was, and so he introduced her to a friend, Jeff, who was also interested in odalisque slave play. Jeff was 45+ yo, athletic type and owned a boating and yachting small business. He was divorced, no children. Loaded. Lucile met him over dinner one night and quite liked him. Not a genius, but handsome and warm. They negotiated the prospects of a contractual arrangement. He also had a business partner, Des, who was involved. (They had done similar things before, Jeff and Des.)

At length, Lucile - then nearly 23yo - consented to live as odalisque to Jeff for an agreed period of a year. Lucile saw this as an opportunity to re-orientate her life and to catch up on education. She enrolled in a diploma by correspondence (which pleased her father.) Jeff owned a large, modern home on the riverfront and dedicated two adjoining rooms and a bath and spa to be Lucile's quarters (with a sweeping view over the river.)

They adopted the protocols and slave positions of Code d' Odalisque - Lucile became her Keeper's dedicated cockslave, being kept barefoot and (mostly) naked for his sexual use. From time to time he would lend her to Des as a "Guestmaster". He and Des used her and enjoyed her. She found that she enjoyed the role and adapted naturally to it. She liked the leisure. She like being naked. She liked the house. Her Keeper was nice and above all she thoroughly enjoyed the sex. It was fun. It was fun being used in men's fantasies in a safe environment. All the while she remained friends with Richard and modelled for him. He had become important to her. She felt he was looking out for her.

Apart from the sex, her Master (Jeff) also taught her many things. A yachting man, he liked to keep a tight ship. Her upbringing had been liberal. She had always been undisciplined. Jeff demanded good grooming, punctuality, no round shoulders, clean fingernails, no smoking. He imposed structure upon his slave. It was also an experience in which she came to understand much more about men's sexuality. His athleticism was sexual; he made lots of use of her.

All of this was several years ago now. Since then Lucile has met a man and got married and works in the aged care industry. we like to think she was a successful case where Code d' Odalisque was useful to a young woman in the course of her life. Being an odalisque gave Lucile some stability and time out in life after getting off to a reckless start. This might seem a strange claim to make: being a sexual slave gave someone stability in life, but it is true. For over a year Lucile lived in the stability of Jeff's home by the river, rarely going out, and did her studies, and served her Master's bed (and often that of her Master's friend Des as well.) It was like all the fun of promiscuity without it being self-destructive. It was a settled, predictable life, with fringe benefits. Her family never knew she was living as an odalisque, but they were happy that she had found some stability and had moved on from hippy street theatre types and sadistic Iraq War veterans.

Pleasure and pain (repost)

t is a matter of common experience that there is no real hard and fast dividing line between pleasure and pain. While we think of pleasure and pain as opposites, often they seem to complement each other, or are interchangeable. Pleasures can be excruciating, pain can be delicious. But pleasure/pain responses in individuals differ markedly. There are some people who need pain to feel pleasure. There are others for whom any sort of pain kills all sensations of pleasure. People are wired differently. There is no across the board “norm”.

Accordingly, there are types of sexual play that cater to different types of people and different responses. For example, sado-masochistic play (SM) caters to people who enjoy or need pain for erotic fulfillment. Pain is their pleasure. It excites them. It is what they enjoy. Many submissives need the experience of pain in order to “zone” into a fully submissive state. The psychology of these responses is well understood.

But there are others – the majority, as it happens – who experience pleasure and pain as a polarity and so for whom pain kills (rather than deepens or enhances) pleasure. When they experience pain, it kills their libido. Pain is a turn off. So they find it hard to conceive of erotic pain. Nor do they experience intense pleasure as a type of pain. They are wired on/off. It is either pleasure or pain, but never both. Obviously, such people are not suited to sado-masochistic play. They will not use pain to further their pleasures. Their pursuit of erotic fulfillment will be hedonistic rather than sado-masochistic.

Code d’ Odalisque is a code of consensual slave play for women of the second type. Odalisques are protected from sado-masochism. The mode of play is hedonistic. It suits women who love sexual submission but who do not enjoy pain.

The advantage of using pain in sex play is that it is a fast track into deeper levels of submission. People (organisms) will readily submit to pain. Since pain is not used as a tool in Code d’ Odalisque other methods – psychological manipulations – are used to reach deeper layers of submission.

Any sort of developed hedonism must extend from simple pleasures of the flesh to pleasures of the imagination and the mind. Code d’ Odalisque seeks intensities of sexual pleasure – attained without the use of pain – as well as refined aesthetic pleasures such as the visual enjoyment of the naked female form.

Taking on a slave's debts?

In modern consumer society everyone is in debt. Everyone lives on credit. Even before we have reached full adulthood most of us have already acquired some level of debt. It is a pervasive fact of life. How then is a woman to give herself to the odalisque's life, where she is kept for sex in a state of occlusion, doesn't work and has no means of her own? An odalisque is "preserved from toil". She is not a work slave. By definition, an odalisque is outside of the workforce; she is preserved as an object of beauty and desire. She lives naked and wears no protective clothing or footwear. She does nothing that would blemish her skin or disfigure the beauty of her hands. Ideally, therefore, she does not have a job. She is not expected to pay her way. She is kept. So what becomes of her debts? Who pays her credit cards?

This question arose early in the history of Code d' Odalisque. A slavekeeper had found a woman who was willing to serve as his odalisque, but she had debts that required her to continue working a 35 hour a week job. This prevented her from serving and also from relocating to where the Slavekeeper lived. The question then was: could he pay out her debts for her if she agreed to live with him as his slave? Or could he take on her debts and meet the payments for her so that she could live in occlusion for him? The question provoked some controversy. According to some, this proposal amounted to a financial inducement to the woman and so constituted a type of payment for service. Thus it was akin to prostitution. They argued that this would be against the letter and spirit of Code d' Odalisque.

This point of view was finally rejected, although the grey area is acknowledged. It was decided that Slavekeepers can pay out or take on the debts of a prospective slave if this enables her to live in occlusion. This does not amount to sex for hire. Certainly, it is legally permissible and does not encroach on legal definitions of prostitution. The payment of debts cannot be directly connected to sexual acts (which would be prostitution) but otherwise it is no different to a man taking on the debts of his wife-to-be. The grey area is that, yes, it is open to abuse. There is a danger, for example, that young women might turn to odalisque service as a way of getting free of their debts. If a young woman is in debt, she can find a Slavekeeper and promise to serve as his slave so long as he pays off her debts. An odalisque makes no money from her service, but she can use service as a way of paying former debts.

It admittedly gets hazy but in the end it is more important that there is a way for an odalisque to serve in occlusion. Since everyone carries debts these days, the only prospect for a woman seeking to live in occlusion as a cockslave is to be debt free, or else she must continue working for a wage to meet her repayments. It is reasonable that a Slavekeeper can clear a path through this thicket of debt and release the woman from that financial burden so that she is at liberty to serve. Note, though, that it is not a binding agreement. If, for example, a man paid off a slave's debts but she then left his service, he could not claim he has been robbed. There was no agreement of a debt-for-sex nature. If a Slavekeeper wants to pay off a woman's debt in the hope she will be his odalisque, the risk is entirely his, and he must understand that the paying of the debt in no way places the woman under an obligation, legal or otherwise. Consent must be free of financial coercion. Regardless of what money a Keeper spends on a cockslave, under the terms of Code d' Odalisque, she must always be free to withdraw consent. The Keeper/slave bond is not a financial one for the simple reason that an odalisque is not a whore.

On this question then, as reflected in the protocols of the new edition of the Code, a Keeper may pay off or pay out the debts of a slave in order to enable her to serve and live in occlusion. This is not a binding financial arrangement. The Keeper does it merely to free the slave from the need to work.

Inquiry from an 18yo

A young lady writes to us:

I am 18 years old. The Code sounds fantastic. This is for me! How do I get involved? Can you help me find a Master?

To which we reply:

Dear Mademoiselle,

Thank you for your inquiry and for your enthusiasm for Code d' Odalisque. The Code offers a new alternative for sexually submissive females. It is very pleasing that you find the Code inspiring. For some women this can be a very fulfilling lifestyle.

Usually, however, women who become involved in Code d' Odalisque are 21 years or older. Of course, the legal age for consent is 18 years, but our experience is that women under 21 are rarely in a position to make a fully informed and carefully considered decision about this. Sexual service as a consensual slave is demanding and few women have true aptitude for it. You may be one such woman, but it is not a lifestyle into which you should rush. There are many options in life for young women. Code d' Ode is really only for those who have given it lots of thought and who know exactly what is involved.

Our advice in the first instance, therefore, is that you should give the matter more thought. If, after that, you are still enthusiastic and still want to serve a Master, then we would be happy to help you find the right man. Please take the time to do some more reading about Code d' Ode. We have attached a copy of our booklet, A Ladies Guide to Code d' Odalisque, to assist you in this. Perhaps give it a couple of months and get back to us after that.

Please do not be affronted by this approach, Mademoiselle. Our first concern is safety and the welfare of the slave. It would be remiss of us to not advise you to take more time making such an important decision. It would be wonderful if, in the end, you decide that you are indeed an odalisque at heart and that you are ready to serve. If that were the case then your enthusiasm will not wane over time. If, in a few months, you are still keen, then that would be a sure sign it is for you.

In the meantime, we are happy to answer any questions about the odalisque's life that you may have. We are here to assist.

Sincerely

The Peacock Feather

The forthcoming seventh edition of Code d’ Odalisque corrects many omissions. One of them is that it includes among the emblems of an odalisque, the peacock’s feather. In European depictions of odalisques they are often shown holding peacock feathers. From the beginnings of Code d’ Odalisque, this was also a feature of play. An odalisque owns a peacock feather. It is a traditional symbol of her status and her craft. Accidentally this was left out of earlier versions of the Code, then in subsequent revisions it was not regarded as important. This oversight has now been corrected. 

What, though, does the feather symbolize? What does it mean? Why are peacock feathers associated with odalisque eroticism? The peacock can have many meanings. In Christian symbolism, for example, the peacock usually signifies pride and arrogance and hence the Fall. That symbolism does not apply to odalisques. Or else, in many traditions, it symbolizes vanity and narcissism. There may be a hint of that in this case, but it is not the relevant symbolism either. Rather, in this case the peacock’s feather represents the idea of EXCESS. Surely, there is nothing more excessive in nature than the peacock’s tail! It is completely excessive. In eastern traditions, the peacock feather signifies excess and so by extension debauchery and indulgence. This is why odalisques are shown holding them. They can be used as ticklers, but mainly their purpose is symbolic: when a naked woman is shown holding a peacock’s feather it signifies her willingness to engage in sexual excess.

Traditionally, an odalisque’s feather is referred to ironically as her “weapon”. It is in contrast to the sword wielded by the Slavekeeper. The Master and the slave = the sword and the feather. The sword and the feather is a symbolic theme in Code d’ Odalisque. The new edition of the Code finally acknowledges it.

The Turkish Bath

The bath is a natural arena for odalisque eroticism. The preferred style is what is popularly called the "Turkish bath" but which has its roots in ancient Greek and Roman practices. This is distinct from Far Eastern - especially Japanese - styles, although these can be easily adapted to our purposes. Code d' Ode appeals to a historical culture in which water was scarce and hence a symbol of wealth. Sumptuous bathing is part of 'Code culture'. Slavekeeping is a luxury. So is decadent bathing.

Few can afford their own Turkish bathhouse, but many people can afford at least a home sauna and spa and perhaps other water equipment. Often, excellent facilities can be hired for private functions, although the adult-party friendly establishments can be cheesy and kitsch.

The proper sequence of bathing in what is called the "Turkish bath" goes as follows:

1. Warm Room
2. Hot Room
3. Bathing and massage
4. Cooling Room

So, where a Master is being given a Turkish bath the typical sequence is:

1. First he relaxes in a Warm Room.
2. Then he relocates to a Hot Room
3. Then he enjoys bathing and is massaged
4. Finally he relaxes in a cool room.

There are many ways that this experience can be replicated at home. If nothing else, all you need is a sizeable bathroom with a good temperature control system. The room is pre-warmed. The Master enters and relaxes. Then the odalisque turns the temperature up. At the end she turns the temperature down and perhaps turns on a fan to quickly cool the room.

Whether this is a prelude to erotic play or a platform for erotic play is up to individual tastes. The four steps of the typical "Turkish bath" is a framework for creative play. Given the room, for example, it would be possible to structure orgia in this fourfold pattern. Water rituals.

In any case, an odalisque should learn to be expert in the arts of the bath and should know the Turkish style of bathing especially.

The Problem of Work

A central problem in the life of many people - if not most people - is the question of work. How do I make a living? What do I do for an income? The global financial crisis and the technological revolution have made this a more difficult problem than it used to be. Once there were manufacturing jobs. For others there were office jobs. Most of these jobs have disappeared or have been automated. Increasingly, people have to find casual work or low paid menial jobs. Even well educated people find it hard to find a long-term satisfying occupation.

The problem for women is especially acute. There are less decent jobs and fewer well-established pathways in the workforce. When all the good jobs are gone, a higher proportion of women have to fall back on lousy employment: waiting tables, serving drinks, cleaning, spoon-feeding dementia patients, and so on. It is estimated that over the next thirty years nearly a half of all current jobs will be replaced by automation. Jobs traditionally done by women will be particularly hit.

According to studies, one of the consequences of declining job and pay rates is that more women are turning to prostitution. Scandalously, it is now not at all uncommon for young female college students to be funding their degrees by working as sex-workers at night or on the weekends. When there is no decent work left, women go on the game. It has always been the way. Inevitably, too, however, crime and drugs follow. As more women go into prostitution just in order to live, crime syndicates, pimps, drug-dealers, bikie gangs and other low-life move in to get their share of the profits. While it might at first seem an easy way to make a quick dollar, women soon find that prostitution is full of pitfalls and serious dangers, not least the ever-present and inherent dangers from law enforcement, disease, deranged clients, and so. It is not a romantic life. It is really only suited to tough-hearted women with strong internal defences. Timid women, submissive women, women who are not good at being combative and independent, are soon crushed and abused and exploited.

The odalisque’s life offers itself as a possible alternative. There are some women for whom it might be an attractive proposition. Certainly, it might be a better option for those women who would otherwise turn to prostitution. An odalisque is not a whore, but her role is sexual and her job is to provide sexual pleasure to men. Specifically, to her Master. An odalisque is a bonded slave. This means that she serves the man to whom she is bonded, but in return she is kept, housed, fed and nurtured - her Master has an obligation to protect and look after her and to meet all her needs. Obviously, it is a lifestyle that only suits women with the right aptitude. Submissive women. Highly sexual women who find fulfilment in sexual service. 

Note that an odalisque is a bonded slave. This is in contrast to a hired worker. A whore is a hired worker. So too is a plumber or a secretary or a burger-flipper. Hired workers are paid by the hour. Bonded service is entirely different. A bonded servant is not part of the hired workforce at all. It is an arrangement based on mutual obligation, obedience and fealty. Of course bonded service has no official place in the modern economy, but there are shades of it in the traditional housewife or the trophy wife. As far as the IRS is concerned, an odalisque is just a kept woman. She has no income of her own. Odalisque slavery under Code d’ Odalisque is a system for reviving bonded sexual service on a consensual basis. For some women it might be a solution to the problem of work - at least for a phase of their life. It takes them out of the job market. It offers them a life of leisure. It might be better than cleaning motel rooms for $8 an hour. And it might certainly be a better choice than whoredom. 

The Edward Bagley Case

The present case of Edward Bagley cannot go without comment. See the article below. The abuse of young "sex slaves" by sadistic men is exactly what first gave impetus to Code d' Odalisque. The codifications of odalisque slave play offered in Code d' Ode are all calculated to prevent such cases. Moreover, such cases underline the fact that there is a problem of criminal abuse on the fringes of the BDSM sub-culture. Code d' Odalisque was first put together by people who were looking for consensual, safe and sane "sex slave" play within an organised framework without sado-masochism, torture and violence.

Please read the article below. It is an appalling case. It illustrates exactly what Code d' Odalisque is not.

* * *

Three men from the state of Missouri have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sexual torture of a woman who was held as a sex slave for six years.

For three years, the victim only could watch as prosecutors, defence lawyers and federal judges battled in court to resolve a grotesque sex torture and bondage case.

But on Wednesday, at last, was her day.

Three times the young woman, short and pretty, stood from a courtroom bench, walked to a lectern and described how the men who were to be sentenced that morning had hurt her - some through near suffocation, mutilation and even skewers through her breasts. All enjoyed applying electrical shocks, she said.

But each man, according to her descriptions, had dealt her a measure of cruelty that has changed forever how she views those around her.

"I don't know how to trust men," she said before revealing that she now has a baby daughter. "I have to protect her from men like Ed."

Edward Bagley, whom both she and prosecutors have described as her chief tormenter, remained in his seat just a few feet away, looking forlorn while dressed in orange jail scrubs and a pair of blue Crocs clogs.

US District Judge Dean Whipple had just sentenced the Lebanon, Montana, man to 20 years in federal prison.

In quick succession, Bradley Cook of Kirkwood also received a 20-year sentence, and Dennis Henry, a former postmaster from Wheatland, was sentenced to 10 years.

Three other defendants, James Noel of Springfield and Michael Stokes and Bagley's wife, Marilyn Bagley, both of Lebanon, await sentencing on Thursday.

When prosecutors filed the case in September 2010, they described the young woman as "mentally deficient" and said the indictment's allegations were "among the most horrific ever prosecuted in this district".

The allegations of torture were so wrenching that prosecutors chose not to mention them in official statements and a press release.

For five years, according to the indictment, the woman endured sexual torture with techniques described as "flogging, whipping, shocking, choking, piercing, sewing" and "stapling".

Her tormenters nailed intimate body parts to slabs of wood, sewed private orifices shut and forced high levels of electric current through the most sensitive parts of her body.

Defence lawyers responded almost immediately that they hoped to prove that the young woman had consented to the sadomasochistic sex, which would have made it all completely legal.

But as the lawyers reviewed the images and videos of the woman's condition, and weighed the prospects of presenting them to a jury, defendants began to plead guilty.

The victim, now in her mid-20s, said on Wednesday that her suffering was real.

"It started bad and got worse and worse," she said. "Ed told me I wasn't good for anything except to be used by him."

Bagley, 46, pleaded guilty in January to having a sexual relationship with the victim before her 17th birthday and then grooming her with bondage and sadomasochistic videos for life as his sex slave after she moved into his trailer home.

The woman elaborated in her statement, describing a hard life in and out of foster care before meeting Bagley when she was 15 or 16. He promised to protect her, she said. He had his wife model sexy clothes for her, and he showed her pornography and talked about how he was going to make her look beautiful.

"I was so excited about my new life," she testified before recounting the electric shock torture that "shoots your arms and legs out, and you want to die".

She added: "Ed killed me and brought me back to life."

Cook, 34, admitted at his December 2011 plea hearing that he often watched Bagley abuse the young woman during live online sessions.

Several times, Cook travelled to Lebanon to abuse and torture the woman, leaving Bagley with gifts of hard drives containing images and videos of bondage, domination, sadism and masochism. Cook said at his plea hearing that he believed that the woman had not consented to the acts and that it was the "most extreme he had ever seen".

Henry, 53, confessed in March 2011 to meeting the young victim in 2004 when Bagley invited him to Lebanon because he "had something to show him". There, Bagley presented the girl, who wore chains on her legs and restraints on her wrists.

Henry acknowledged having sex with the victim and whipping her in what he described as Bagley's "play room".

The Code Collection Archive

The work of several dedicated contributors, the Code Collection is an extensive collection of erotica, old and new, pertaining to the aesthetics and ideals of Code d' Odalisque. It features erotica across a wide range of categories. The Collection also includes instruction material.

Follow the direct link to the archive below:

The Code Collection Archive

Vow of Devotion (Repost)

5.9. - Vow of Devotion

Once she is bound and washed an odalisque is required to make a Vow of Devotion under threat of the sword. She shall be held forcibly, made to kneel and forced to expose the back of her neck to a sword wielded by whatever man is officiating. The position of kneeling, head forward and down and with the back of the neck exposed is the essential physical pose illustrating the cockslave's submission.

When a freewoman consents to enter life as an odalisque she makes a Vow of Devotion. This is usually done “under the sword”. The woman is naked on her hands and knees, her hair thrown forward, head down, the nape of her neck exposed. The Slavetrader (or the man presiding) places the cold steel of his sword on the back of her neck in an implicit threat of beheading. In this position he makes her give her Vow of Devotion. This consists of a series of assertions. The Trader says to her:

“Say: I am a cock slave!”

In response the woman says, “I am a cockslave”

The Trader says:

“Say: I am a cunt to be fucked!”

In response the woman says, “I am a cunt to be fucked!”

And so on.

Code d’ Odalisque includes a generic Vow of Devotion that can be used, but players should feel free to write their own Vow and to make it a creative feature of the woman’s initiation into the odalisque’s life.

These same Vows can also be included in later sessions of training or play. From time to time it is advisable to make a slave repeat her Vow of Devotion. It will remind her of her initiation (discalcing).

The intention of the Vow, it should be noted, is to dedicate the woman to cockworship – for this is what defines an odalisque and what sets her apart from other slaves. An odalisque is dedicated to serving male sexuality, and specifically phallic sexuality. She makes a vow to serve and worship cock. That is, she swears to be a sexual slave, serving male (phallic) sex, a cockslave. This is what makes her an odalisque. An odalisque is sworn to cockworship, and she does this through her Vow of Devotion. Article 5.11 of the Code explains:

5.11. - Intent of the Vow of Devotion

The intent and purpose of the odalisque's Vow of Devotion is to pledge herself to Cock Worship and devotion and service to the Phallus and to obedience to the men who are placed over her. It is the Vow of Devotion, above all, that makes her a sexual slave as distinct from any other type of slave.

The Red Rose in Thorns (excerpts)

Excerpts from The Red Rose in Thorns illustrating various aspects of Code d' Odalisque:

Methods of punishment

An odalisque is protected from cruel punishments and pain. She is not a pain slave. She is spared from the whip and the paddle in order to have her beauty preserved and in order for her to be dedicated to the arts of pleasure. How then is she disciplined? How does a Slavekeeper or a Slavetrainer instil good behaviour into her? How is she trained? How is she punished when she misbehaves?

Code d' Odalisque sets out recommended modes of punishment, as follows:

19.2. - Recommended modes of punishment

The recommended modes of punishment set by this Code and those employed in normal circumstances are:

(a) bondage - to remind the slave of her helplessness
(b) caging - to remind the slave of her captivity
(c) solitary confinement - to remind the slave of her captivity.
(d) silence - to remind the slave of her passive role
(e) holding positions - to teach the slave obedience
(f) chanting - to remind the slave of her purpose.

Note that each of them has a purpose. In each case, the punishment is designed to reinforce some aspect of slavery and to teach and improve the slave. Punishment is not for its own sake. In some forms of BDSM the punishment of slaves becomes the focus of play itself. The centre of play becomes the dungeon and the punishment of the slave is the action. In Code d' Odalisque, this is not the case. Ideally, a slave does not need to be punished very often, and when she does it is always with a view to correcting her behaviour.

There is, all the same, a great deal of latitude in this. The Code specifically forbids some types of punishment - for example, a Master cannot cut his slave's hair to punish her - and it recommends types of punishment, but there is scope for a Master or Trainer to devise methods suitable to his slaves. Like all aspects of odalisque slavery, there are broad parameters but within that it is always a creative endeavour. How a slave is punished for her failings, omissions and misdemeanours is a matter of creative slave play. 

The Non-Sadomasochistic alternative

The original impetus for Code d' Odalisque came from women who, while sexually submissive, did not want to be subject to sadomasochism. This is the main characteristic of Code d' Ode: it offers slave play without SM. Recent contacts reiterate that this is still the main motivation behind people who are interested in this style of slave play; they are looking for fem sub play without SM. While true odalisques are rare, and it is hard to find women who are suited to the odalisque lifestyle, it is surprising just how common it is to find women who are in the submissive-but-no-SM category. It is a very common sexual orientation. Remarkably, it is not well catered for.

This fact was illustrated to us recently when, in the company of several young (and not so young) women, we were looking for female submissive erotica on-line. It is a simple experiment. Open google and search images for search strings such as "female submissive sex." You will find that such searches yield a high proportion of images such as this:

Search results for "female submissive sex" yield very few images of female submissives having sex and quite a lot of images of women having their nipples tortured or their backs flogged raw with a cat-of-nine-tails. It raises the question: since when is this sex? Obviously there are people who find such images stimulating and presumably they get aroused by them - which is fine. But the women who were perusing this material with us found it quite the opposite. I paraphrase, but one of them put it like this:

That is exactly the problem! I'm a submissive, but I don't want to be treated like this. When I say I'm a submissive, I mean a sexual submissive. I like to be used for pleasure. But as soon as I say I'm a female sub, guys and so-called "doms" think I'm saying that I want to be tortured and beaten and spat on. That's not my idea of submissive!

The other ladies all agreed. They all described themselves as "submissive" but they all found these images a turn off. Why, it must be asked, does a search string like "female submissive sex" turn up hundreds of images of pain maids? Why is there so little content concerning submissive females who are not into pain? Why should the word "submissive" be synonymous with sadomasochism? 

Code d' Odalisque offers female submissives a clear alternative. It is a different mode of slave play that draws upon different traditions of slavery. It is essentially hedonistic, devoted to sexual pleasure, rather than to "power exchange". It is essentially non-sadomasochistic; an odalisque is regarded as a creature of beauty and is protected from abuse and violence. Instead, an odalisque is a female sexual servant - not a pain slave. It is a defining feature of odalisque slavery. It is about pleasure, not pain. 

Converting your wife to an odalisque

A wife is very different to an odalisque. They have starkly different roles and different functions. The Master/slave relationship is very different to the modern husband/wife relationship. The most common form of odalisque slave play today, however, is that of a married couple who have converted their marriage relationship to a Master/slave relationship, either on a part-time basis for fun or as a lifestyle. One of the most common requests we receive by email is from men asking for advice on how to "convert" their wife into an odalisque. What practical steps are necessary? How is it done?

Assuming, of course, that the wife is fully consenting, here are a few of the main things to consider:

*One of the main differences between a wife and an odalisque is that a wife has a range of domestic duties whereas an odalisque does not. Wives will often (or usually still) cook and clean and keep house.  If a wife is to become an odalisque she must be relieved of these duties so that she is free to devote herself to the odalisque's role. A simple way to do this is to hire a housekeeper. If a man hires a housekeeper then his wife is free of the burden of domestic chores. Then she can be put to those tasks typical of the odalisque, namely the provision of sexual pleasure. An odalisque is a pleasure slave. She is preserved from toil. First step, therefore, is to hire a maid and free your wife of domestic labour.

*Similarly, an odalisque should be free of the obligation to work in employment. Wives these days very often work jobs. For many couples this is a financial necessity. But an odalisque should not have to go to work. She is preserved from that form of toil too. A husband should therefore make whatever arrangements he can so that his wife/odalisque does not have to go out to work, or if she does, then only part-time. An odalisque lives in leisure. She should not have to work in a factory or waiting tables. She is a precious gift, and should be preserved from the drudgery of wage-slavery.

*An odalisque is not a companion. She is a sex slave. That is her purpose. It is not her purpose to keep her Master company on lonely evenings. Only some husband/wife relationships can be "converted" to a suitable Master/slave relation on this basis. Couples who are close companions and who do everything together are not suitable. Instead, a Slavekeeper under Code d' Odalisque is an independent man, while his slave is "kept for sex" as a sexual captive. He may go out to work all day. She remains at home in captivity. This will only work if the woman is home-loving. Some married couples - especially those who have been married a long time - live quite independently of each other. If so, that situation can be adapted to a Master/odalisque arrangement. If a couple are secure with each other and don't fret for constant companionship, it can work. The woman must enjoy being alone. The man can't depend on his wife for his social life.

*Usually, an odalisque does not sleep with her Master; she has her own room and her own bed. Again, many long-term married couples sleep in separate rooms. If so, it can be easily adapted to an odalisque arrangement. An odalisque has her own quarters, her "odella". The Master has his "saray" - his play room. Married couples should therefore make some appropriate architectural alterations. An odella for her. A saray for him. This is instead of the "marriage bed" being the centre of the relationship. If a married couple are inseparable and can't stand sleeping apart from each other, then it is unlikely there is enough distance between them to make an odalisque arrangement work. The Master/odalisque relation involves a different type of intimacy.

*Usually, odalisque slave play will involve additional people. The husband/wife relation is closed. Officially, it is "to the exclusion of all others." An odalisque, though, is for sharing. Not necessarily, but usually. There are few men who need an odalisque's services all to themselves. If, however, a married couple are "progressive" and have a history of swinging and other sexual adventures together - if they are already into sharing and swinging etc - then it bodes well for the odalisque lifestyle. Only highly-sexed couples, uninhibited couples with healthy sexual appetites and a rich erotic life, should attempt the odalisque lifestyle. There are many cases of monogamous odalisque lifestyles, but usually the simple fact of adopting a Master/slave role suits more adventurous couples who want to extend their erotic life and take it to new levels.

*Usually, odalisque slavery is limited tenure. A woman only remains an odalisque for a set period. This is because the odalisque role is intense. Couples should consider this. Ordinary slavery can be a low-key affair and a permanent way of life. Sexual slavery is much more intense. An odalisque can, and should, be put to good use. She is devoted to a life of fucking. Fucking is all she does. Often. Hard. Fast. Intense. Extreme. That is what an odalisque is for. Marriage is (in theory) a lifelong arrangement. Odalisque slavery is not.

*Marriages yield children. You cannot possibly conduct a Master/odalisque relationship if you have children at home. It is only for the childless or for couples whose children have grown up and left home. In the latter case, it should be said that Code d' Odalisque is perfect for "empty nesters" as they are called - couples whose children have left home and who are now looking for the rewards of the next childless phase of their life. Otherwise, children and Code d' Ode do not mix. Odalisque slave play is inherently sexual and adults only.

Formal Steps (Repost)

I am a freewoman who wants to become an odalisque. What are the formal steps to becoming an odalisque? 

There are two formal steps. First a freewoman is discalced. This is a ritual in which she agrees to become an odalisque. She has her shoes removed and is then stripped. It is a ritual stripping. By this ritual stripping the freewoman becomes an odalisque. She confesses to cockworship and to serve “under the sword”. She makes her Vow of Devotion.

Then, she is purchased by a Slavekeeper. She is purchased and becomes the property of a Slaveowner.

Note that she is (a) discalced and (b) purchased. So there is a time when she is an odalisque but is not purchased. This is an “unbonded” slave. When she is purchased a slave is “bonded” to a Master/Keeper/Owner.

Usually, the purchase of the slave follows immediately from the discalcing, but not necessarily. A woman can become an odalisque and be “unbonded” until she finds a suitable Master. Becoming an odalisque (by being discalced) and being purchased by a Slaveowner are two different steps.

Odalisque lifestyle: an example

We'd like to relate the case of an early middle-aged professional couple from Maine who have corresponded with us for several months - let's call them Mr Henry and Miss Annette. They're a good illustration of how to conduct odalisque slavery in contemporary circumstances.

Married, and both with grown-up children from previous marriages, they had already developed their own slave play games when they discovered Code d' Odalisque. Miss Annette (a public relations consultant) describes herself as "totally over-sexed" and a "submissive" who likes light bondage and being used. She is not into pain and sadomasochism. She especially loves sucking cock, and always has since she was a young woman. She and Mr Henry had developed slave games where she is a prisoner who is kept for the sole purpose of sucking cock.

This scenario was easily extended through Code d' Odalisque. They found the Code on-line, read it and the accompanying literature, and both decided that - when they could - they'd like to use that framework to further develop their Master/slave relationship.  They started making plans to allow them to develop their game into more of a lifestyle. They took it slowly, discussed it and worked out ways to make it suit their needs.

This became a more practical possibility when he (working in finance) moved to a part-time position supplemented by investments and savings, and she restructured her consultancy so she could operate her business entirely from home. With their kids out of the way and their career's winding down, it was time for some fun.

They live in a large home, much too big for their needs. They made a few adjustments, creating a "saray" or playroom for the Master and an "odella" for the slave in the rear part of the house, the odella adjoining a spa and steam room and a large, enclosed, very private rose garden.

They were assisted in all of this by another couple, their best friends, Mr and Mrs Smith. The Smiths were not into Code d' Ode themselves - Mrs Smith is not submissive and not an odalisque - but the two couples had been swinging and clubbing together for several years, and the Smiths were happy to help their friends develop their odalisque fantasy.

They arranged a Discalcing Ritual for Miss Annette, who was purchased by Mr Henry, her Keeper, and she thereafter went in occlusion as a fellatrice. She works her PR consultancy from home on-line for a few hours a day but otherwise is her Master's sexual captive - his own, personal cocksucker. He enjoys her as he likes and shares her with Mr and Mrs Smith.

The twist in this is that Mr Henry is bisexual and enjoys sucking cock too, and he and Mr Smith enjoy M/M with Mr Henry's fellatrice an accompanying delight, assisted by Mrs Smith as well. In short, it's a foursome that all love sucking cock, a "fellatio foursome", if you will. Miss Annette, a dedicated slave, is the centre of this foursome. They are using Code d' Odalisque as the framework for their on-going enjoyment of these particular phallic pleasures.

They have been selective in their use of the Code, though. They use some of the slave positions, but not others. Their use of the code of etiquette is quite informal and relaxed, too. They have been using Code d' Ode as a lifestyle for six months and are still refining and adapting it, and plan to continue for at least another year.

This is a good illustration of what can be done. Here a sexually adventurous couple have reached a point in their life where they are able to devote time to some new adventures, using Code d' Odalisque as their inspiration and guide. Others will use it differently, according to their circumstances. As we have said many times before, it is a creative thing. We are very happy to hear of this case where a couple are using Code d' Ode creatively for the purposes of their sexual exploration.

Slave positions - 'Full Moon'

17.7. - Full Moon

An odalisque shall be trained to stand to the position called "Full Moon". The slave stands in the same position as "Decor" but with the arms raised above the head to form a gentle and graceful half-circle. This is the posture usually used for exhibition and inspection.  

One of the slave positions commonly used in Code d' Odalisque is the so-called 'Full Moon' position. It is a position often shown in Victorian and Edwardian erotica where it is used as a position for display and exhibition. It is called 'Full Moon' because it is as though the slave is holding a huge big moon above her head.

Note that the hands should not meet. The slave position is not the same as 'fifth position' in ballet where the hands are joined above the head:

A slave is not a ballet dancer. Rather, the arms are open - receptive - and the circle they shape is, as the Code says, gentle and graceful. Another way to think of it, and a good way to practice it, is to think of the slave holding a veil above her head, as in the picture below:

The Vanilla Slur

The BDSM sub-culture can be exceedingly narrow and insular. Sub-cultures tend to be like this because it is how they define themselves. In the case of BDSM, it tends to breed a culture of erotic snobs who sneer at outsiders and routinely dismiss them as merely "vanilla." Vanilla is the worst thing you can be. It means that you are not part of the scene.

Critics of Code d' Odalisque throw the vanilla slur around in a predictable way. As soon as they hear that Code d' Odalisque is non-sadomasochistic, the word 'Vanilla' lights up in their mind like a neon sign. This is because, for many people, the issue that determines whether you are vanilla or not is your attitude to power and pain. Since Code d' Ode is not about power and pain, it must therefore be "vanilla". It is on the basis of this reasoning that some critics and bloggers see fit to heap abuse upon Code and Coders and ridicule the whole thing as a vanilla role playing game with no relation to "real" BDSM.

These on-line tantrums by defenders of the non-vanilla are very tedious and we have answered such criticism many times in posts on this blog and elsewhere. 'Vanilla', of course, is in the eye of the beholder, but we vigorously contest the idea that an aversion to sadomasochism is what puts someone in that category. In fact, one way to see Code d' Odalisque is precisely as a method for the (non-vanilla) exploration of extremes of non-SM play. Odalisque slave play involves finding alternatives to SM as a means of exploring sexual extremes. This is implicit in the very idea of a 'slave'. If your tastes in sex are vanilla and ordinary (bland, mild, mediocre, pedestrian, average, common) then why would a man need a sex slave and why would a woman want to be one? Slavery, in itself, is an extreme state: an extreme state of obedience and submission. Slavery, in itself, is non-vanilla. And you only become involved in it in order to pursue sexual needs and sexual desires that go well beyond the ordinary. It is an arena for the extreme. You don't need an odalisque for ordinary sex.

But at the same time, the extremes explored in Code d' Ode are not those of violence, power and pain. There are other dimensions to explore. The fact is that there are plenty of over-sexed, kinky, debauched perverts who do not respond to either giving or receiving pain. If such people wander into the BDSM sub-culture they encounter small-minded purists who think of them as "vanilla" just because they are not into whips and leather and the whole dungeon aesthetic. Code d' Odalisque offers such people an alternative. Don't be misled by the polite and cultured vaneer: its purpose, its only purpose, is the pursuit of pleasures well beyond the borders of "vanilla".

Like what? you ask. A local Code d' Ode player of our acquaintance describes play as what he calls a "mind fuck." The extra dimension, he means, is the mind. There's the physical sex, of course, but the extension of play into extremes is essentially mental. Physical pleasure has natural limits in and of itself. If you fail to appreciate this then you are liable to become jaded and insensitive. Some people address this by adding pain into play: pain is their way around the limits of pleasure. The other way is the mind, the imagination.

But isn't that just role playing? you ask. Not at all. By "mind fuck" we mean such themes of obsession, monomania, addiction, Critics seem to think Code d' Odalisque is just a nude version of 'I Dream of Jeannie'. No - it explores a certain dimension of eroticism (namely phallicism) in depth. The play consists of taking the (willing) woman on a journey into the depths of phallic obsession. She is a cockslave. Her purpose is cockworship. Some people might like to play-act this role, but there are others who take it far more seriously and places they take this mode of slave-play is anything but "vanilla".

Consider it like this: you take a (willing) woman and keep her as a captive. You control her - without active violence - but with an array of other powerful techniques. You control her physically but you control her mentally as well. Building on her natural instincts, you cultivate in her an obsession for cock, an obsessive lust, an addiction, a monomania, like an induced craziness. This goes well beyond a role playing game.

As any psychologist will tell you, "mind fucking" like this can be as dangerous as physical harm and torture. This is why Code d' Odalisque has packaged this type of exploration of extremes in a web of rules and etiquette and why it includes numerous devices to ensure the welfare and well-being of the consenting woman. Odalisque slavery is not a walk in the park. As "games" go, it is a very serious one., or it can be. Where "mind fucking" is concerned, proceed with caution - as much caution as would be proper when stretching a (willing) slavewoman on the wrack. There are other ways beyond the border of pleasure than sadomasochism. Code d' Ode uses various techniques - which are basically psychological in nature ("brainwashing" techniques, if you like) - in order to explore the deeper dimensions of lust. It's not for the vanilla.