Needleplay 101 w/ Wintersong Tashlin at Hearth & Soul
This is a 101-level class on all things needles, blood, & how to prepare, play, & clean up safely. We’ll go over the basics of placing & removing needles & how you can integrate this kind of play into your own erotic world!
About the Class:
If you enter just about any dungeon at any major event, you will likely see people playing with needles. Needle play can be intimidating as hell if you are not familiar with it; there are all sorts of safety precautions that you need to take to do it safely; there’s blood and, of course, needles, which can be scary in their own right.
In this 101-style class, you’ll learn how to prepare, play, and clean up safely. We’ll go over the basics of placing and removing needles, and of course, we’ll talk about how you can integrate this kind of play into your own erotic world!
About the Presenter:
Wintersong Tashlin
Wintersong is a presenter, spirit worker, and photographer who has been teaching and running rituals for close to two decades. His classes cover a variety of erotic, spiritual and sexual topics, with specialties in playing with male-bodied people, needle play, polyamory, roleplaying, communication, and playing with unusual fetishes; as well as LGBT issues, trans/cis relationships, disability, and both erotic and non-erotic spiritual practices. Winter’s extensive presenting history includes kink/BDSM, LGBTQ, and pagan events, as well as appearances on the Vice Guide to Sex, The History Channel, UK5, and the Risk! Podcast. His photography work centers on the queer and kink communities, doing everything from kink events to weddings, private photoshoots, and personal art projects.
About Sensual Symphony Educational Series:
Sensual Symphony is a kink educational series created by Gwynny & Lady Vivus to help provide exciting & fun pleasure-positive education for the Oregon community! We are based out of Hearth & Soul in North Portland & meet every third Friday, 7-9 PM!
About the Venue:
Hearth & Soul is a queer-centric, pleasure-positive venue in North Portland; there is one stair to get into the house & a beautiful black cat on site. H&S overlooks the Willamette & has multiple zones within the home for different types of play, activities, & privacy levels for outdoor play! The venue has one stair to get into. We are a queer, gender non-conforming, & BIPOC & AAPI inclusive space.
About Your Events Hosts:
Jamie (aka Gwynny)
Jamie is the executive director of Sex Positive Portland; she has been hosting speed dating since 2019. She is polyamorous, queer, and kinky, with a love of shibari/rope bondage. She leads discussion groups and classes on relationships of all sizes, orientations, and dynamics. Her background is in communications, video production, and marketing; check out her YouTube channel & or social media @ExploringJamie
Lady Vivus
Lady Vivus (she/her) is a spiritually & culturally driven bootblack, Switchinatrix, & a leather cow. She's an out, proud, & fierce-as-fire transwoman. At a young age, she became a believer the first time she saw Arnold Schwarzenegger’s tight ass in leather pants while watching Terminator 2. Since then, Vivus has found a spiritual outlet through leather that's driven her love of bootblacking & leather care to new heights. While hailing from Detroit, Michigan, she has settled in Salem, Oregon, where she serves as the majordomo for her leather family, the Atomic Army.
In her previous 9-5, Vivus assisted in running one of the few behavior services agencies in the world dedicated to supporting folx displaying sexually maladaptive behaviors. During that time working in the field of social sexuality, she was grateful to be able to author sex & gender positive curriculum, as well as curriculum around healthy relationship development.
She hopes to inspire others to enjoy sexuality & dynamics from an authentic place, as well as helping folx their spiritual place with leather & be able to find healing within it as well. Her love of community, education, & sharing ideas with other sex-positive folx is insatiable. Vivus also serves as the lead organizer for the Salem Munch, as well as the Willamette Valley Shine On chapter. Vivus currently serves as a resident bootblack for the Portland Eagle & formerly 50 Shades of STFU & Jiffy Kink. View her upcoming events & workshops HERE!