Note: This is part 6 of an occasional ongoing "how to" series on BDSM.
Part 1 of the series, How to Tie a Rope Harness Part I, is here.
Part 2 of the series, How to Tie a Frog Tie, is here.
Part 3 of the series, How to Tie a Shinju, is here.
Part 4 of the series, How to Make a Custom Dildo out of Ice, is here.
Part 5 of the series, How to Make a Spikey Decorative Collar, is here.
As you can probably figure out, most of these tutorials are really, really not work-safe.
This particular tutorial is work-safe, at least photographically (the text is probably not very work-safe, though!). It describes the practice of figging, which is making a butt plug out of ginger for an interesting warm tingle sensation. It’s particularly good for disciplining those naughty subs for whom an old-fashioned paddling has become humdrum. I recently had an opportunity to explore this with one of my sweeties, to great effect. If it sounds like it’s up your alley, clicky the link!
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The theory and practice of "Figging" is a name for a practice involving the use of ginger root for stimulation. It’s a practice with historical roots; allegedly, this technique was developed during Victorian times as a way to discipline wayward women. In any event, it’s great fun for people who enjoy moderate to fairly intense sensation play, and it’s quite unlike anything else I’ve discovered. At its simplest, figging is the practice of peeling and carving a piece of ginger root into a butt plug and inserting it in the anus. The ginger oils gradually create a warming, then a mildly burning sensation, that becomes much more intense if the recipient squeezes down around the root. It’s surprisingly easy to do, and one of the nice things about it is that it can create moderately intense sensations without any risk of injuring or harming your partner. Figging is a fairly rare practice that seems to have declined in popularity recently, which I think is a shame because it’s so easy and the effects are so interesting. It’s a lot of fun, and I encourage people to experiment with it. So without further ado, here’s a simple tutorial that you can use as a how-to guide for figging. Starting out All you need to experiment with figging is a ginger root and a sharp kitchen knife. Look for a complete, intact ginger root, rather than one that’s been cut up beforehand; once cut, the ginger oil is exposed to air, and the potecy decreases significantly (unless you ferment the root, which I’ll describe below). The ginger root, for those who haven’t seen one, is a central oblong root a little smaller than a fist with several round, thick "fingers" extending from it. The root is covered with a tough skin. The goal is to carve out one of the fingers, peel it, and whittle it down into an appropriate size and shape to be used as a butt plug. A sharp kitchen knife makes very short work of the ginger root. You’ll want to cut out one of the "fingers" by carving into the heart of the root, so that the finished plug is long enough to use without getting lost. The pictures below show step by step how to carve out the root, and you can get a sense of how large the root is by comparing it to the knife:
Choose a finger and cut it from the root by slicing through the central part of the root. Peel the skin off the finger and carve it smooth and rounded, a bit larger around than your thumb (or thicker if your partner really likes anal play), as shown in the second photo. Round off the end of the root and remove all traces of the skin; the ginger oils won’t penetrate the skin of the root, so you’ll want to remove it completely. Near the base of the finger, carve a shallow groove as shown in the third picture. This acts to hold the root in place when you insert it. That’s really all there is to it. Once you have the root carved as shown in the third part of the picture, rinse it off under running water and you’re ready to begin.
Have your partner lie down face up or face down with legs open. Slowly work the ginger root into your partner anally until you reach the groove you carved. This groove will prevent the root from moving and hold it there. Don’t use lube on the root; you’ll find that it’ll be slippery enough to work fine without lube, and adding lube will prevent the ginger oil from doing its job. Then wait. The results don’t happen right away; they build up slowly over time. Your partner will begin to feel a sense of warmth, which will increase steadily until it starts to tingle, then over several minutes become more and more intense. Next steps When the ginger works its magic, you can do what the Victorians did and take this as your cue to turn your partner face-down for some good old-fashioned impact play. The victorians would use a crop at this point; if that’s your thing, you can find a guide to cropping here. Or, you can simply spank your partner with your hand, if you like. Figging works great with spanking, paddling, or cropping because if your partner tenses up and tightens in anticipation of the smack, the ginger root will create a very sharp burning, which won’t go away until your partner relaxes. But, of course, not tightening up means that the smack is more intense. Ah, decisions, decisions… The ginger will probably last about fifteen or twenty minutes, after which the burning sensation will fade very quickly. If your partner is female: You need not restrict yourself to using the ginger anally. You can also carve a piece of ginger into a dildo for use vaginally, where the effects are more directly sexual; some women say that ginger root creates very strong sexual arousal. To do this, start with the same basic idea as carving the butt plug from the ginger, but you need not carve the groove in the base of the finger. Leave enough of the central part of the root that you can grip the end and use it as a handle; and as before, take care not to touch your eyes after handling peeled ginger. Yet another way you can add some delicious excitement to the experience is by carving a small (about 1/2" long) wedge from the central part of the root, then scooping a concave depression in the top of the wedge as shown here:
Spread your partner’s labia open and place the wedge, narrow end forwrd, directly over her clitoris, so that the scooped depression snuggles down directly over her clit. As before, the sensation builds slowly, beginning as a sense of coolness and then growing steadily into a moderately strong tingle. For many women, this tingle is accompanied by strong sexual arousal and a strong desire to orgasm. When combined with vaginal or anal penetration, it’s quite intense and a great deal of fun. Depending on how your partner’s body is shaped, you may find that you can tuck the wedge in place so that it stays put without holding it. Tips for advanced figging Figging is a lot of fun, but for some people, the sensations aren’t really strong enough to have the desired effect. The potency of fresh, newly-cut ginger is moderately strong, but some folks like a little more sensation. You can get this sensation by fermenting the ginger before you use it. To do this, take a piece of ginger root and seal it in a plastic baggie or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then refrigerate it for three or four days. After it’s been sitting in the refrigerator for several days, remove it from the plastic wrap. If the skin of the ginger is discolored or has mold spots on it, don’t worry; that’s perfectly normal. Peel and carve the root as shown above. Ginger that’s been tightly wrapped in an airtight plastic bag and refrigerated for a few days will be much more potent, and the sensation will be significantly stronger. Experiment with aging it for varying lengths of time to find the point that’s most enjoyable! |
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*fans self*
I think I found the next thing to try.
*fans self*
I think I found the next thing to try.
Raar. That is all. 🙂
Raar. That is all. 🙂
I first heard about figging a few years ago at one of the Rutland, VT munches. Intriguing, for sure, though not sure if it’s quite my thing. I am curious, would using the ginger vaginally make the woman more likely to experience a UTI or other sort of pussy irritation?
Just a random thought….
🙂
Y’know, that’s a good question. My suspicion is that the answer is “no”–I don’t think the ginger oils would affect the normal flora of the vagina–but I’ve never tried vaginal figging with someone prone to UTIs or yeast infections or anything like that.
Anti-Viral/Anti-Bacterial
Good day.
I’m not sure if it is good or bad in this vaginal figging issue, but ginger does contain compounds with proven anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
So, it might help prevent infections, but I could also see it unbalancing the natural flora.
Coyote
Ginger vaginally works very well. Lots wetter and it makes a gal cum very intense and often.
Sir Andy
Depends…
So, as some commenters have noted, ginger has anti-microbial properties. This could mean that it might indeed throw the flora off, but I suspect that it wouldn’t do too much. I would most definitely worry about fermented ginger, though, as it often gets moldy. The original post says that this is nothing to worry about, but that is hardly universally true! Some molds can be toxic, and they can extend much deeper into the substrate than mere visual inspection would imply. I have read a fair amount of material about fermentation of food, both for preservation and for safety purposes, and I must say that moldy or otherwise fermented ginger is not a thing that I would ever recommend anyone put in their mouth or other orifices. There are indeed fermented ginger foodstuffs, but those are made in a controlled fashion, by people with experience; they are NOT made by tossing peeled ginger in the fridge for a few days. I’d recommend that the OP look into food safety and fermentation a bit.
I first heard about figging a few years ago at one of the Rutland, VT munches. Intriguing, for sure, though not sure if it’s quite my thing. I am curious, would using the ginger vaginally make the woman more likely to experience a UTI or other sort of pussy irritation?
Just a random thought….
🙂
You are a bad, bad person.
Good job! 🙂
You are a bad, bad person.
Good job! 🙂
This is extremely interesting – do you mind if I c&p it for my husband? I don’t think he’s on your list but I’d like to show him.
By all means, feel free! Or send him here; the entry isn’t friends-locked. 🙂
perfect! muchas gracias
All of his tutorials are also available on http://www.symtoys.com in the Sex Ideas And Scenarios section. These are, presumably, intended to be shared with people. And as‘s list isn’t usually friends-locked, your hubby doesn’t need to be on his list to read it either 🙂
This is extremely interesting – do you mind if I c&p it for my husband? I don’t think he’s on your list but I’d like to show him.
I absolutely love reading your livejournal, and look forward to things like this every time i log in! Thank you for all these wonderful ideas!
and btw, bought the njoy… my local women’s sex shop renamed the dildo “Sylvia” and were happy to sell it to me for $1 more than the online price (not including the shipping). LOVED it, was completely worth it, and the review you included about it helped me to enjoy it even more. I’ll be in Atlanta with KarenR during Christmas if you’re around that time so i could buy you drinks and pick your brain.
I will definitely be around over Christmas, and I’m always up for being drink-bought and brain-picked. When will you be in town?
starting 12/24 ending 12/30, i’ll have karen shoot you an evite to a party she’s having at her apt, or ask her if we call all have dinner one of those nights, when you’re available!
Talked to Karen last night, and I’m definitely planning to be there!
great! there were two parties, though, should i add you onto my RSVP for Saturday, December 29, 5:00PM (sisterhood party), should you get permission from other girls to be there?
Sounds good to me! I’ve talked to the folks in question, and they say go for it.
I absolutely love reading your livejournal, and look forward to things like this every time i log in! Thank you for all these wonderful ideas!
and btw, bought the njoy… my local women’s sex shop renamed the dildo “Sylvia” and were happy to sell it to me for $1 more than the online price (not including the shipping). LOVED it, was completely worth it, and the review you included about it helped me to enjoy it even more. I’ll be in Atlanta with KarenR during Christmas if you’re around that time so i could buy you drinks and pick your brain.
Oh, my… I think I’ll be sending this link to my husband and boyfriend…
At the same time? Brave girl! 🙂
Nah, I won’t be seeing the boyfriend until January sometime at the earliest.
Oh, my… I think I’ll be sending this link to my husband and boyfriend…
GLook for a complete, intact ginger root. . . .
I know, I know, I’m naive. Is glooking a sex term to which I have not yet been introduced? 😉
Ngar! I am truly a lousy typist. It’s been fixed. As everyone knows, “glocking” is an activity done with small imported 9mm firearms, but that’s a whole ‘nother subject…
Frank Zappa had a song (“Cy Borg” in Joe’s Garage) where a guy “plooks” a sex robot to death. “Plooking too hard! Too hard!!!” were its last words.
I’ve always wondered what the hell that was. Now I have “glook” to add to the list. Or is it just a phonetic corruption?
GLook for a complete, intact ginger root. . . .
I know, I know, I’m naive. Is glooking a sex term to which I have not yet been introduced? 😉
Ngar! I am truly a lousy typist. It’s been fixed. As everyone knows, “glocking” is an activity done with small imported 9mm firearms, but that’s a whole ‘nother subject…
By all means, feel free! Or send him here; the entry isn’t friends-locked. 🙂
I will definitely be around over Christmas, and I’m always up for being drink-bought and brain-picked. When will you be in town?
All of his tutorials are also available on http://www.symtoys.com in the Sex Ideas And Scenarios section. These are, presumably, intended to be shared with people. And as‘s list isn’t usually friends-locked, your hubby doesn’t need to be on his list to read it either 🙂
Y’know, that’s a good question. My suspicion is that the answer is “no”–I don’t think the ginger oils would affect the normal flora of the vagina–but I’ve never tried vaginal figging with someone prone to UTIs or yeast infections or anything like that.
Sweetie, you and your brain terrify me 😀
Yet you keep coming back! Obviously, I’m not scary enough!
Sweetie, you and your brain terrify me 😀
starting 12/24 ending 12/30, i’ll have karen shoot you an evite to a party she’s having at her apt, or ask her if we call all have dinner one of those nights, when you’re available!
Kitchen tip: Since every house should have a box of sterile vinyl or PVC gloves laying around, just slip a pair on before slicing things like ginger or peppers that have irritating oils 🙂
Switch to a fresh pair before inserting them & keep a box handy so you can pull fresh ones on & off as needed during play 🙂
Kitchen tip: Since every house should have a box of sterile vinyl or PVC gloves laying around, just slip a pair on before slicing things like ginger or peppers that have irritating oils 🙂
Switch to a fresh pair before inserting them & keep a box handy so you can pull fresh ones on & off as needed during play 🙂
perfect! muchas gracias
First off, I can’t wait to try this.
But I’m actually commenting for another reason. If you don’t have the time, I totally understand, but I was wondering if you could help me give some advice to a girl on one of my communities:
http://community.livejournal.com/bdsm/150552.html
I want to tell her that this jealousy is a problem and that perhaps she isn’t ready for a poly relationship, but jealousy happens all the time in monogamous relationships and i wouldn’t say “oh well maybe you’re not ready for monogamy” so it feels like I’m being biased. If you could take a look, that’d be great.
Well, I posted a reply, though I have no idea if it’ll be helpful or not.
First off, I can’t wait to try this.
But I’m actually commenting for another reason. If you don’t have the time, I totally understand, but I was wondering if you could help me give some advice to a girl on one of my communities:
http://community.livejournal.com/bdsm/150552.html
I want to tell her that this jealousy is a problem and that perhaps she isn’t ready for a poly relationship, but jealousy happens all the time in monogamous relationships and i wouldn’t say “oh well maybe you’re not ready for monogamy” so it feels like I’m being biased. If you could take a look, that’d be great.
Well, I posted a reply, though I have no idea if it’ll be helpful or not.
Talked to Karen last night, and I’m definitely planning to be there!
At the same time? Brave girl! 🙂
Yet you keep coming back! Obviously, I’m not scary enough!
great! there were two parties, though, should i add you onto my RSVP for Saturday, December 29, 5:00PM (sisterhood party), should you get permission from other girls to be there?
Nah, I won’t be seeing the boyfriend until January sometime at the earliest.
Frank Zappa had a song (“Cy Borg” in Joe’s Garage) where a guy “plooks” a sex robot to death. “Plooking too hard! Too hard!!!” were its last words.
I’ve always wondered what the hell that was. Now I have “glook” to add to the list. Or is it just a phonetic corruption?
I’ve heard rumors that ginger figging helps get good dressage action when participating in ponyplay.
Haven’t ever had a chance to try it, though. This guide is perfect, thank you.
I’ve heard rumors that ginger figging helps get good dressage action when participating in ponyplay.
Haven’t ever had a chance to try it, though. This guide is perfect, thank you.
Sounds good to me! I’ve talked to the folks in question, and they say go for it.
Anti-Viral/Anti-Bacterial
Good day.
I’m not sure if it is good or bad in this vaginal figging issue, but ginger does contain compounds with proven anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
So, it might help prevent infections, but I could also see it unbalancing the natural flora.
Coyote
Ginger vaginally works very well. Lots wetter and it makes a gal cum very intense and often.
Sir Andy
Quick question. The carved root can’t be reused, correct?
Nope. When it loses its potency, it quits having the desired effect; that usually seems to take about twenty or thirty minutes after it’s applied.
The part of the root you don’t use can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, and it’ll stay potent.
Quick question. The carved root can’t be reused, correct?
Nope. When it loses its potency, it quits having the desired effect; that usually seems to take about twenty or thirty minutes after it’s applied.
The part of the root you don’t use can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, and it’ll stay potent.
ginger figging
tried it ——awesome!
Re: ginger figging
After being figged last night (both vaginal and anal) AND again this a.m. I know for sure where the term “walking gingerly” has come from!
The gloves are a good idea, the oils also worked their “magic” on my nipples, once they had been roughed up a bit by a pumice stone
ginger figging
tried it ——awesome!
Re: ginger figging
After being figged last night (both vaginal and anal) AND again this a.m. I know for sure where the term “walking gingerly” has come from!
The gloves are a good idea, the oils also worked their “magic” on my nipples, once they had been roughed up a bit by a pumice stone
ginger figging
Great idea. I’m going to try this later this afternoon. Can ginger also be used on the male penis, I’m thinking on the cock head, to create the same effect? Or possibly internally, in the uretha with a cylindrical slice of ginger and inserting it?
Re: ginger figging
It can. Used urethrally, the sensations are VERY intense.
ginger figging
Great idea. I’m going to try this later this afternoon. Can ginger also be used on the male penis, I’m thinking on the cock head, to create the same effect? Or possibly internally, in the uretha with a cylindrical slice of ginger and inserting it?
Re: ginger figging
It can. Used urethrally, the sensations are VERY intense.
“We” as in people *other* than the new person, not as in all the people in the relationship. It’s just “we” because it’s plural, not because it’s done in collaboration with the new person.
“We” as in people *other* than the new person, not as in all the people in the relationship. It’s just “we” because it’s plural, not because it’s done in collaboration with the new person.
I want to try this on my sub. I have a personal rule not to inflict anything on my sub that I haven’t tried myself. So I tried ginger, and I found it very stimulating. To this end, I’m definitely going to use it in conjunction with other things like spanking and caning with her. I may have become a fan of figging!
I want to try this on my sub. I have a personal rule not to inflict anything on my sub that I haven’t tried myself. So I tried ginger, and I found it very stimulating. To this end, I’m definitely going to use it in conjunction with other things like spanking and caning with her. I may have become a fan of figging!
It’s not really necessary in my experience, as the ginger root is small and doesn’t go very deep.
Thank you, I’m trying this for the first time with my bottom and want to make sure I’m playing with him properly. I really appreciate all the information you have shared.
It’s not really necessary in my experience, as the ginger root is small and doesn’t go very deep.
Thank you, I’m trying this for the first time with my bottom and want to make sure I’m playing with him properly. I really appreciate all the information you have shared.
ginger too mild
I found that warming the root for 5 seconds before applying it to the clitoris really increased the sensation.
ginger too mild
I found that warming the root for 5 seconds before applying it to the clitoris really increased the sensation.
I too did not feel anything
I’m female and I’ve tried ginger both anally and vaginally. I like a fair amount of pain and didn’t really feel anything at all with ginger. Anally it felt just the tiniest bit warm for about 5 seconds, but not even tingly. Vaginally it didn’t even feel warm, perhaps because I was so wet that my juices blocked the ginger oil from reaching my inner tissue. The ginger sat there for almost an hour and I didn’t feel a thing.
What we use now is caynenne pepper mixed with canola oil and that I LOVE!!! Lovely, lovely heat, very pleasurable. And, if enough pepper is used, burning and painful. Just the way I like it. Never ginger for me again. Cayenne pepper is sooooo much better. 1 ml of pepper to 15 ml of oil for warmth. A thick paste (a few drops of oil for 0,5-1 tsp pepper) for burning sensations and pain.
I too did not feel anything
I’m female and I’ve tried ginger both anally and vaginally. I like a fair amount of pain and didn’t really feel anything at all with ginger. Anally it felt just the tiniest bit warm for about 5 seconds, but not even tingly. Vaginally it didn’t even feel warm, perhaps because I was so wet that my juices blocked the ginger oil from reaching my inner tissue. The ginger sat there for almost an hour and I didn’t feel a thing.
What we use now is caynenne pepper mixed with canola oil and that I LOVE!!! Lovely, lovely heat, very pleasurable. And, if enough pepper is used, burning and painful. Just the way I like it. Never ginger for me again. Cayenne pepper is sooooo much better. 1 ml of pepper to 15 ml of oil for warmth. A thick paste (a few drops of oil for 0,5-1 tsp pepper) for burning sensations and pain.
Depends…
So, as some commenters have noted, ginger has anti-microbial properties. This could mean that it might indeed throw the flora off, but I suspect that it wouldn’t do too much. I would most definitely worry about fermented ginger, though, as it often gets moldy. The original post says that this is nothing to worry about, but that is hardly universally true! Some molds can be toxic, and they can extend much deeper into the substrate than mere visual inspection would imply. I have read a fair amount of material about fermentation of food, both for preservation and for safety purposes, and I must say that moldy or otherwise fermented ginger is not a thing that I would ever recommend anyone put in their mouth or other orifices. There are indeed fermented ginger foodstuffs, but those are made in a controlled fashion, by people with experience; they are NOT made by tossing peeled ginger in the fridge for a few days. I’d recommend that the OP look into food safety and fermentation a bit.
Interesting
Discovered this site after googling an interesting passage from a new book. You’ll probably be getting a lot more hits soon, thanks to Grey.
Interesting
Discovered this site after googling an interesting passage from a new book. You’ll probably be getting a lot more hits soon, thanks to Grey.
Ever tried ginger and an ice dildo?
I haven’t! Sounds interesting, though.
Ever tried ginger and an ice dildo?
I haven’t! Sounds interesting, though.