“Home of Desperate Magic,” the first chapter of Yin Q.’s memoir, appears on the pages of Apogee Journal Issue 08. In it, Q. begins her journey into the wounds of childhood and inherited trauma; wounds she will later seek to heal and reclaim through the ritual work of BDSM. Here she speaks with Apogee editor, Cecca Ochoa, about the radical potential of consensual pain, empowering submission, and compassionate dominance. Cecca Ochoa: “Home of Desperate Magic” is an excerpt from your memoir-in-progress, Mercy. What is your memoir about? Yin Q: Pain, magic, and reclamation. “Home of Desperate Magic” introduces the idea of using pain as a way to “break the spell.” In this case a family dealing with abuse and loss. CO: So, how exactly does physical pain heal emotional and/ or psychological pain? YQ: Just as our bodies gain muscle memory through movement–-acquiring skills and agility––our bodies also harbor emotional memory. Acupuncture and massage therapy are respected practices of tapping into the body, sometimes to fix physical ailments, but also to release energy or Chi blockage. Rituals that incorporate physical tension or pressure can tap into the psychophysical story that the body has formed. That story can be retold, reshaped, and... Read More