Mind Caviar: The Literate Slut by Cassandra Snow

"The capacity for passion is both cruel and divine."
--George Sand (1804-1876)

Mind Caviar, Vol. I Summer Issue, 2000

Reviews and Sexual Philosophy
by Cassandra Snow

Recently, I’ve found myself thinking quite a bit about the way in which many of us tend to pigeonhole our sexuality – especially within the context of a long-term relationship. Hopefully we possess enough self-awareness to be able to figure out whether we most enjoy sharing our intimate selves with men, women or enjoy the best of both worlds. But, I’m not referring to orientation here. I’m talking about kinks.

And, just as one might dine on Mexican five nights a week for months, who is to say that a craving for Mediterranean cuisine somewhere along the line might not overshadow the desire for a chimichanga or chicken flautas? So it is with what we crave sexually. Certainly, we all want to avoid ruts, but it’s more than just seeking variety. Circumstances within each facet of our lives are bound to have an impact on the way we relate intimately. The associations and psychology interwoven within our experiences in large part dictate our needs.

Such was the inspiration behind Viscera, edited by Cara Bruce. Within the introduction, she explains:

“When I came up with the idea for Viscera I was feeling numb –
attempting to shut out pain. I daydreamed about throwing myself through
windows and being cut with glass just to feel something. I also fucked
like a banshee. I had sex more frequently, rougher and harder than I
ever had in my life. All in the hopes of feeling something. I figured if
neither the fear of death nor the pleasure in sex could make me feel
again I didn’t know what could.”

Surprisingly enough, for Cara, laughter was ultimately what she needed to break out of the spiral. Although searching for laughter was not her first instinct, Cara discovered what she ultimately needed because she acted on her impulses and did what felt right at the time. Our needs and desires may occasionally surprise us, but if we open ourselves to honest self-discovery, our potential for fulfillment is virtually limitless.

Following are a couple of the books I’ve encountered recently that served to open my eyes and really set the juices flowing.

The Sharp Edge of Love:
The Passions of Submissive Women
by Galen
Galenrealm USA, 2000

Now You Can Buy The Book! At Mind Caviar

Although many a book has possessed the ability to enchant, titillate or arouse, few have enraptured me as did Galen’s The Sharp Edge of Love: The Passions of Submissive Women.

Upon encountering the title, I virtually discounted the possibility that the book could have any impact upon me whatsoever; yet, from the time I opened to the first page, I found myself dripping, gushing with astoundingly sweet abundance. Within his erotic literary work, Galen provides a step-by-step progression of the development of four of his most memorable cyber D/s relationships, via a revisiting of email correspondence, and the transformations that took place in real-time contact.

Intrigued – and very turned on – by the dynamics within the relationships recounted, I became literally obsessed. Unable to keep my hands off the book – or out of various modes of entry – I couldn’t help but admit the draw I found within the exchanges between Galen and his submissives.

Indeed, immediately upon delving into The Sharp Edge of Love, I began exploring my own desires in a new light. Somehow the thought of a good flogging brought out in me the most intense need for punishment, far beyond any longing I ever dreamed I could experience.

Perhaps the constant hum of my vibrator clued him in to the effect Galen’s book was having upon me, for my wish was soon granted. After ten years of good, yet not necessarily the most inspired sex, my “Master” took the reigns and gave his “nasty little slut” a night to remember as he most forcefully put me in my place.

Whether or not I’ll be able to give up my own crop for good, only time will tell. Yet, for now – thanks to Galen’s inspiration – I’m taking pride in the collar around my neck and am more than willing to accept my punishments as I continually beg for more. For, if truth be told, I’ve always considered myself stunning in black – with accents of blue.

Viscera: An Anthology of Bizarre Erotica
Edited by Cara Bruce
Venus or Vixen Press, 2000

Now you can Buy The Book! at Mind Caviar.

You just have to adore a woman who seeks to compile an anthology weaving together the erotic and the morbid – especially when it’s done with the intelligence and style manifested by vixen Cara Bruce.

I must admit that I was a bit trepidatious in approaching the anthology– I’m more than a little squeamish at times. But, to my astonishment and utter delight, the stories that appealed most to me were what some may consider the most gruesome. Not nearly as dark as I would have imagined, the stories vary from depraved to spiritual, from witty to utterly beautiful.

Indeed, the beauty of many of the pieces resounds deeply, and the religious imagery brings forth a great deal of insight into the inextricable link between spirituality and eroticism, while overall shedding light upon the complexities innate within the realms of sex and death. One of the most insightful and entertaining collections published this year, Viscera illuminates the many faces of the sensual and leaves the reader craving much, much more.

Until next time… May your explorations take you deep within personally uncharted territory and offer an enlightening glimpse of your deepest and most honest desires.

Your obedient little sex slave (for now),
Cassandra

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