Mother of Dragons, The Unburnt, Breaker of Chains

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There is no surprise that I am 100% obsessed with Game of Thrones.  We totally nerd out over it.  But more recently than ever GOT has been giving me major Girl Power vibes! I am loving seeing the power shift into the hands of the feminine divine!

I, like many other nerds out there, totally love the character of Deanery’s. Her story-line, of starting in a place of submission and rising to a place of pure power is one that inspires me. So there is no surprise that when Sara reached out to me, with her new long blonde hair, and desire to shoot outside that I instantly thought of her to portray my inspired version of Daenerys Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, called Daenerys Stormborn, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons.

I reached out to my darling friend Katie Burns and asked her if she knew how to do a “Khaleesi braid” and she knew exactly what I wanted and was on board to help me bring this vision to life.

Sara and I chose to do the shoot nude, because there is a symbolism in leaving the garments behind, every-time in the show that Kahleesi reclaims her power she is born again of fire and is shown nude in her vulnerability…but in that vulnerability is pure, unadulterated strength.

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Here is what Sara had to say about her shoot:

“When I think of Daenerys Targaryen, I think about female empowerment and freedom of expression. This character is a woman who through the ordeals and trials and tribulations of life grew from a meek and self-conscious little girl into a fiercely respected leader. Her story parallels a lot of my own, so when Lindsay asked me to do a Khaleesi-inspired shoot, I jumped at the opportunity. You see, I am a woman who lives on the fringes of society. I run the world’s oldest (and many say finest!) BDSM training chateau.When it comes down to it, it is my job to give people permission to exercise their rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is ironic that for many of these people assuming a role of voluntary submission is the very act that helps them exercise their freedom. Basically the way I see it is that there are 350 million individual pursuits of happiness in this country alone, and who am I to say which ones of those are right or wrong (unless they are non-consensually harming someone’s well being or way of life)?  In fact, many people, including myself, have found empowerment through handing the reins over to someone else. Simply the act of reaching out to get what you want and to be fulfilled in the ways that you desire can be incredibly empowering. I felt many parallels to what I do and taking direction from Lindsay during our shoot. She is the expert with the camera, and I do as she says because I trust that the results will be great (which they always are!).

 It takes great strength to make yourself vulnerable and share that as a gift. This is not about the loss of control, it is about the choice to relinquish control and the resulting freedom that comes from that choice. The bottom line: there is power in submission. There is power in dominance. There is power in all of us as long as we decide to pursue these expressions of self that make us feel good, and do so with ideal intention and love.

These were the themes that were swirling around in my head as Lindsay and I shot together.

The path that I have taken from a meek young woman to a strong leader who shows others their potential. The path of a sexually liberated woman who exercises that freedom every day by empowering others to explore their own desires. The path of a dreamer who crossed paths with a brilliant artist and decided to take some photos to celebrate the freedom of expression that we have both found and continue to provide for others. Here’s to Lindsay. Here’s to the other trail guides; the women who have traveled these paths and now lead others toward their own empowerment and enlightenment. The world needs more of you, and I am proud to be part of your ranks.”

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