Offline branding has recently become quite popular by those into extreme forms of body alteration.

     I wince at the thought that anyone would actually attempt to brand someone themselves, though, following John Norman's directions. The directions he gives in the books are perfectly acceptable... if one is branding a cow or a horse. That is undoubtedly where he got his information. When he began writing the Gor books back in the sixties, I am sure that there was little or no information available to him about the various idiosyncrasies of branding a human being.

     If someone actually heated up a metal brand until it was white hot and pressed it firmly into the human body for five to ten seconds, as he describes, the damn thing would burn a nasty smelly hole into the victim's flesh, leaving no discernable mark other than what appeared to be a cauterized bullet hole. Norman's directions do not come from experience; they come from reading about the practice of branding livestock. Human beings, however, do not have thick leather hides for skin, as do our bovine and equine friends.

     The actual process involves heating up a very thin (often paper thin) design or brand mark until it is very hot (that's VERY hot... not "red hot" and not "white hot") and then applying it to the surface of the skin for less than a second. Each time this is done, it is called "making a strike." If this is done properly, the mark will be visible. If this is not done properly the recipient will wind up with an ugly little mass of striated scar tissue.

     The usage of a single, one piece branding iron, as described in the Gor books, again, is only really viable when one is branding a piece of leather... i.e, a thick animal hide, such as is found on a cow or horse. Human skin is not nearly as tough and resilient. Therefore, a one piece brand, designed like a cookie cutter, is insufficient for creating a discernable marking in the human skin (unless the "mark" one is going for happens to be a blob of thick, whitish scar tissue). Those who practice the art of human branding construct their branding instruments in several sections, each section individually heated and applied in order, from the correct angle, to ensure that the desired design is obtained. An intricate design can involve several such "strikes," each to its own purpose, and each forming a separate part of the required design.

     The human body, when it suffers from a third degree burn (which is precisely what a branding is) will invariably attempt to heal itself. The care and post-branding attention required to ensure that the brand mark remains discernible on the wearer's flesh is rather demanding, and involves careful maintenance of the wound to prevent it from healing itself completely, so that the mark will remain visible in the wearer's skin.

     Just a note for do-it-yourself types: do not attempt this at home. The results will not be what you are expecting. Far better to have a professional perform the operation. And the process, when performed by a professional, tends to be fairly expensive.

     I have never heard of a botched home-branding attempt, but I am certain it has indeed happened.

     Is a girl who follows the Gorean philosophy able to call herself Gorean? Or is she just a girl, made slave at the feet of a Gorean Master?

     She is a girl, first and foremost, and can be made a slave in many ways. Just as a male can be made a slave in many ways, even if it's only to the dictates of convention. It is well to consider the fact that in the current climate of our thoroughly modern society, practically no one HAS TO accept the status of slavery, be it actual physical bonditude or the willing acceptance of one's natural place in the order of things. Indeed, much of our modern Earth society, in many parts of the world, is based upon the concept that no one can make anyone do anything they do not want to do. While I find such a concept to be false on several levels, it seems to me that the fact remains: If a person does not want to accept the Gorean philosophy into his or her life, that person does not HAVE TO do so. One can always just dismiss the whole thing as a lot of rubbish and remain the way one is.

     Therefore, before any rules of voluntary slavery designed to bring about a more fulfilling personal code of interaction are set in place, the fact remains: everyone who seeks to be "Gorean" must first stand up to the politically correct status quo and make a conscious leap to embrace the Gorean ethos. In that respect, no one can "make" someone Gorean unless they first choose to accept it for themselves, for whatever reason.

     It has been said over and over, that to be Gorean, one must have honor, individuality, and the strength to follow what You know to be right and just, but what is the criteria for a slave? A slave cannot have honor, according to most Gorean Men, so what takes its place?

     To be "Gorean" one does not necessarily have to possess "honor." It is wise, however, for any would-be Gorean to accept that it exists, to know that it is a value which Goreans hold rather highly, and to have at least a partial understanding of what it is and how it effects the mindset of Goreans in their dealings with others. Individuality is also a trait prized by Goreans, even in Gorean slaves. Who wants an unthinking robot as a slave? Individuality does not always translate into selfishness, or taking what one wants at another's expense. That depends upon the person.

     And the very strength to follow what you know is right and just should be the primary reason that a slave embraced her slavery in the first place, in a modern Earth society which does not require her to do so, and in fact, scoffs at her for making that choice. Slaves must be strong; indeed, the path of self-awareness is extremely difficult for a natural slave, as she might be often tempted to just chuck the whole mess and go back to her preprogrammed Earth value system.

     I have heard it said that slaves have a much different set of "rules" or "values." That they must be pleasing to Men, they must believe that it is natural and right to kneel before such Men, and they should always be honest, loyal and obedient. But do these things alone make a girl "Gorean"?

     Rules of conduct are as widespread and different as there are Masters to put them into effect, and they exist at every level of our society. If all that was required for a girl to be Gorean was to walk the right way, do the correct things or to serve in a particular manner, then what would be the difference between BDSM and being Gorean? Or between working at McDonald's and being Gorean?

     Most importantly, any would-be slave must believe in what she does. If she does not believe it is correct, and just likes to do it for fun or for a sexual thrill, then she isn't learning anything about herself. And self-discovery, and self-truth, are what the Gorean mindset is all about.

     The fact that someone understands what the Gorean philosophy is about, has applied it to his or her life in an active fashion, and does so for no other reason than they honestly believe that that philosophy is inherently correct, is what determines whether or not a person is "Gorean," at least according to my own definition of the term.

     "No, I would not try to reform man by pretending that my wishes for him were the wishes of Priest-Kings, even though this might be effective for a time, for the wishes that reform man, that make him what he is capable of becoming, and has not yet become, must be his own and not those of another. If man rises, he can do so only on his own two feet."