Mystic Valraven is the High Priestess of Valraven Temple. She is an expert and educator in BDSM, Sex Majik, and Paganism.
Nicholas Tanek sits down and has a video interview with her.
Mystic Valraven Bio
I have studied paganism since I was 15, when I became an emancipated minor. I have an associate’s degree in psychology from San Jacinto, Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Masters degree in business management from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate in Religious studies from the University of Alabama. I founded Valraven Temple in 1988. We taught sacred sexuality and sex magic as well as all other aspects of paganism. I created a Year and a day course for beginners of paganism, which offers a wide variety of disciplines to later gain a more in-depth knowledge. I have been fortunate to study with some wonderful people like Donald Michael Kraig, Tracy Elise, and Liam Cyfrin.
As time passed, I realized getting pagans to gather for events was akin to nailing Jell-O to a tree. The temple became more of an online community and I ventured in to the BDSM community. My first time in subspace was remarkable in that I was able to see deep within myself and the sexual aspect of subspace after the BDSM act made me realize that sex magic and BDSM were a true comingling of lifestyles.
Southwest Leather Conference and their Dance of Souls was a pivotal moment in my life, when I first experienced a hook pull and met Fakir Mustafar at a class he presented on body modification. Spirituality and body modification have been tied together throughout history. Ancient tribes were tattooing, scarring, and piercings themselves as part of their spirituality for thousands of years. In Japan, for example, the tradition of tattooing is specifically called Irezumi. Irezumi has roots in ancient Japanese culture dating back to around 300 BCE. Irezumi mostly commonly takes the form of full-body tattooing of animals and plants. The tattoos are almost entirely spiritual in nature and relate to characteristics which the person wishes to possess or personify.
There is also a feeling of spiritual connection and release relating to these more extreme forms of body modification that is also found in BDSM. Many people feel more in touch with themselves and nature, as well as peaceful and in harmony when they are undergoing a body modification or a deep painful BDSM scene, if not afterward as well. Many mystics have stated that spiritual bliss is one of the most pleasurable experiences in life and scientists and psychologists have said that pleasure and pain are just opposite sides of the same coin.
Since beginning this journey, I have founded a Leather Family. This is a group of people who see, as I do, the spiritual side of BDSM. Our dungeon is our sacred space and our bodies are in fact temples of the Gods and Goddesses that we worship. We hold spiritual rituals, drumming, sacred dance as well as holding sacred space within our dungeon.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mystic.valraven
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MysticValraven
Fetlife: https://fetlife.com/users/1691534
