Be Who You Are

Etching by Carl Larsson,
Image courtesy ArtToday.com

" 'The Gorean world, in many ways, is cruel,' I said, 'but its cruelties are unhypocritical and open. They are honest and comprehensible. They are not pernicious and insidious. It would not occur to a Gorean to deny a slave her collar. She would not be forced to thwart and frustrate her deepest biological dispositions and sentiments, her desire to be, fully, a male's female.' "
John Norman, Explorers of Gor, p. 373

"How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbor says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy."
Marcus Areilius Antonius, Meditations

Be Who You Are

arani wishes to preface this article by saying that what she says below are her own beliefs and opinions. she knows that these beliefs and opinions are not held by all, and she fully accepts that.

One of the basic tenets of Gorean philosophy is to be who you are. In other words, be true to yourself.......if you are a slave in your heart, don't try to act the Free Person. Admit you are a slave and allow yourself to soar.

Shortly after arani's Master blessed her with His collar, He set her a task. she was to tell Him where her slavery came from. He told her He did not expect an answer immediately, that it would take some time for her to search within herself to find the answer. He said it might take a lifetime of searching.

Well, arani has given much careful thought to this question, and has done a lot of meditation. she has discovered part of the truth, a little at a time. Master has told her the process is like peeling an onion. Every time she peels off a layer, another layer becomes visible and she must work to peel it off as well. And, in so learning about herself, arani hopes she has become a better slave.

The answer to this question--where does your slavery come from?--will be answered differently by each of us. The answer will be influenced by genetics, by our up-bringing, by our life experiences, by what we have learned from others, by many various things. We should not just blindly accept what some words on a printed page tell us. The answer comes from within.

Some of arani's critics have accused her of leading a slave to think of herself first, and to put the wishes of the Free last. That is far from the case. We are slaves; our main purpose in life is to be pleasing and to serve the Free. But in order for us to give of ourselves, whether it be only to kneel at His feet for a few minutes, or to surrender our total being and accept a collar, we must first know what we are giving. this one has seen too many girls hurt because they did not fully understand why they were doing what they were doing.

A quote from the Gor novels comes to mind here.

"...the slave girl is not simply someone with whom the man lives; she is very special to him; she is a treasured possession; he owns her, he wants to know her profoundly and deeply; the background, history, the mind, the intelligence, the appetites, the nature and disposition of his lovely article of property; this knowledge, of course, puts her more at his mercy, by making it possible to manipulate her feelings, exploit weaknesses, drop asides, etc., she in the helpless condition of slavery, it gives him more power over her."
John Norman, Tribesmen of Gor, p. 42

How can a slave offer herself fully to a Master if she does not know herself? How can she show him all that she is, and allow him to take possession of that, unless she can understand herself?

arani has been reading another book. In this book, the author says the following:

"Marriage is a sacred relationship. It is the second most important relationship in a woman's life. A woman doesn't necessarily have to be married to be happy, but there are few things that are as satisfying as the sweet nectar of eros love and sharing your life with a partner who values and respects you. However, the woman who does not love herself becomes so thirsty for love that she rushes into love half-dressed and ill prepared. She will always love too quickly, hold too tightly, and more often than not, lose too quickly the one that she has aspired to grasp. She holds on to his every word like a child holding sand on the beach; she squeezes him tightly, but she opens her hand only to discover that he has slipped through her fingers, and she doesn't even know why he left."
T. D. Jakes, The Lady, Her Lover, and Her Lord

Wait a minute, you say. We're not talking about marriage, we're talking about a collar! Well, in this one's humble opinion, putting on a collar is very much like puttiing on a wedding ring. It is a serious commitment between two people who care deeply about one another, and who want to cement their love with some visible and outward sign.

A slave does not have to be collared to be happy in her servitude. But a personal collar, given and taken in love, is a beautiful thing. Just imagine loving a person so totally and openly that you would give all of yourself to him...not only your body and your heart, but your very mind and soul. You willingly surrender every hope and aspiration you have ever had or are going to have. You also give up your fears and your weaknesses, knowing that they either do not matter to Him or that He will take them all away and replace them with something wonderful.

Too many girls come into Gor and quickly take a collar for the wrong reasons. She doesn't fully understand what pulls her here, what makes her wish to be controlled to such a depth. Then, when things don't turn out the way she thought they would, she finds herself hurt and confused. Wouldn't it be better to wait for a while, learn more about yourself and what makes you the way you are? Then, when the time is right, you can come out of your chrysalis like the beautiful butterfly you are and surrender yourself completely and totally to the Master of your dreams.

arani has not yet peeled off every layer of the onion, but she daily works on it and searches within herself to learn more. she fervently hopes that, the more she discovers, the more she can allow herself to give everything that she is to the One who holds the leash attached to the collar around her neck. she is grateful to Him for giving her this task, and prays that she may be pleasing in her search.

this one would likewise encourage her sisters and brothers in slavery to conduct their own search. Why are you here? Is it just for a little vicarious roll in the furs, a momentary feeling of sexual gratification? Or are you looking for Someone to give yourself completely to, to spend the rest of Your live endeavouring to please? The reason arani came to Gor no longer exists, and yet she stays. she has discovered things in herself that she never knew existed.

arani wishes her sisters and brothers continued joy in their slavery.

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