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Who says you have to be submissive?

Women who are high dominance tend to attract lots of submissive men. What is a woman to do if she is strong and possibly even dominant in some sense, but she is drawn to men who are even more dominant than she is, and not to submissive men? Try to suppress her strength? Try to become more submissive? Try to act submissive even when she doesn't feel it? What do you think?

The sexuality of ‘non-sexual’ dominance

When people ask whether you want to be “dominated” what is your answer? I never quite know whether the answer is yes or no. It depends! What does the questioner have in mind? People often think that because sexual dominance and service-orientated submission leave them cold, there is nothing sexual about their desire for their man to take charge. This piece explains what is really going on in such cases.

Authority in a Taken In Hand relationship

Authority is the right or power to enforce rules or give orders. Many Taken In Hand readers use consensual authority to enhance their relationship.

The alpha male and masculine power

Being a phlegmatic sort of person, it is not often that the mere presence of another person has the power to do any more than make me recoil from the olfactory shock caused by their halitosis or their overpowering aftershave. But very occasionally (about once a decade) I have found myself intensely affected by the mere presence of a man – so intensely affected that it has taken every ounce of self-control to appear unmoved. Why?

Taken In Hand saved our marriage from doom

Baltazar (husband of CondusedofHomeCounties) talks about how they moved to a Taken In Hand relationship and how he discovered that taking his wife in hand helped stop rows getting out of hand, and may just have saved their marriage.

Equality isn't all it's cracked up to be

A reader has written to ask what we have to say on the issue of so-called ‘equality’ and the criticism that Taken In Hand relationships can't possibly be healthy because they are not equal. Hit the read article link for an answer.

When rape is a gift

It is just about acceptable to speak of ravishing a woman, but the idea of taking a woman, or ‘raping’ her, is taboo and emotive. How could it possibly feel to a woman like a gift? And yet, many woman want this. You do not have to hit the read article link. Please don't do so if you might be upset. Only read this piece if this is not a difficult issue for you.

My deep dark secret

Like many Taken In Hand readers, Tasha has always felt different, and she had always feared that someone would discover her secret and react badly. Hit the read article link to find out what happened when she revealed her deep dark secret to her husband.

Why is real punishment spanking erotic?

Many Taken In Hand folk do not use physical discipline or punishment in their relationship. But for those who do, this series of articles explains some otherwise puzzling facts and paradoxes.

Do you think he doesn't have it in him?

When Melanie decided to take the plunge and surrender control to her husband, she was surprised by his reaction.

What kind of site is this? D/s? TPE? CP? DD? ABCD?

I avoid labels, but for those who might be interested, here is my current thinking about the labels sometimes attached to this site.

The paradox of the strong and submissive woman

Max Maximovich on his fabulous relationship with M, and his thoughts on the paradox he has mentioned here.

I don't want to be a servant or slave

Taken In Hand is not about turning a woman into a servant or slave.

She wants to be taken in hand against her will?!

The casual observer might think that Taken In Hand readers are saying that they want to be taken or taken in hand against their will, but what is really going on here? An investigation of the psychology of consensual non-consent.

Is there consent?

When a man takes or takes a woman in hand and she seems to be resisting and complaining, is there consent? It depends.

How I turned the fantasy into reality

After the demise of Stephen's marriage, he was determined that his next relationship would be different. He knew that he needed to be the head of the household. Having found a woman who wanted that, he then set about turning the fantasy into reality. His major concern at first was how and when to use discipline. It is one thing to fantasize about giving a disciplinary spanking, it is another matter to actually give one, especially to the woman you love. But his new wife wanted him to be firm, and not just as a game.

Do you have a commanding presence?

Do you command respect and obedience without even trying? Do you have natural authority, or would you have trouble controlling even a worm? If you don't have a commanding presence but wish you did, hit the read article link.

I want... to be possessed

Scarlet has a red-hot message for her husband. I hope he's sitting down when he reads it: when Scarlet says she wants to be possessed, she really means it!

The difference between dominant and controlling

No one wants a controlling partner, but many want a dominant one. What is the difference?

I want it all, and I want it now!

The other day, I heard the Queen song, I want it all, and have not been able to get it out of my head since. Sometimes I am so aware of how much there is to feel and do and experience before it's game over, that it is difficult to be patient. I want it all, and I want it now! If this sounds like you, you won't want to miss this article!

Who needs forbidden fruit when you have this?!

Why is it that most conventional people find themselves settling for stale, lifeless relationships with unsatisfying sex, whereas people writing on Taken In Hand often mention that their desire for one another is greater than ever even after many years?

Being taken in hand is hot!

If you feel no sexual arousal at all during serious disciplinary spankings, how can it possibly be erotic? And if it is, doesn't that mean that it is all just a kinky game, and not real? Hit the read article link for my answers to these thorny questions.

Obedience

Right from the beginning of their relationship, Stephen's wife wanted him to wear the trousers. She was not interested in a relationship based on so-called equality. She expects to be obedient. To her, obedience is not only a matter of respect for me and our relationship, it adds an erotic charge to daily life. Yes, obedience is sexy. It is romantic. It creates passion!

The dual failures of men

Although rarely explicit, a woman will frequently give implicit permission to a man to do whatever is necessary to keep the relationship together. She then expects him to act on her permission... If the man fails to act in a timely fashion, whatever love the woman has for him will, in time, crumble into a loathing for which there is no human cure.

The Taming of the Shrew

If you like Taken In Hand and you don't know this play, you are in for a treat if you read this article. (Fear not! No knowledge of archaic language assumed!) If you too love this play, you will want to know which is the best production available on DVD/video, and which ones to avoid.

Dominant to the last

A beautiful and poignant tale of passionate love and dominance to the last, by the wonderful Kathy.

Quiet authority

Sassy on what it means for a man to have quiet authority.

Tradition, feminism, Victoria and Albert

The phrase taken in hand comes from the expressed sentiment that there are times in a woman's life when a man needs to take her in hand and straighten her out.

What you need to know about Taken In Hand

What is Taken In Hand about? A return to times past in which many women had no choice? Or stepping into a future free from prescriptions and proscriptions about the sort of relationships deemed acceptable? If you are in any doubt, hit the read article link now!