Before you play with a Violet Wand there are a couple of things you should know about the wand. This is not to scare you but so you can make an informed decision and select the level of risk you are comfortable with.

Many people don’t realize that inside the Violet Wand there is a direct connection from the wall outlet’s Neutral blade to the coil connected to the output. During normal operation, this is perfectly safe. The problem occurs when the outlet is wired incorrectly. You wouldn’t want to connect yourself to the Hot lead of the outlet.

The first thing you should check before plugging a wand in is the outlet’s wiring. This can be done with a small $4 device called a circuit checker. You plug it in and three lights indicate if the outlet is wired correctly. If not, it will indicate the problem. The most dangerous situation is an outlet that has its wiring reversed. The Hot and Neutral are reversed. Many electric devices require a specific polarity as indicated by the larger blade on the plug so it can only be plugged in one way.

The second dangerous situation is a missing ground. If a short occurs the ground gives the electricity a path to the ground hopefully directing the current away from you. Never use an outlet that is wired incorrectly or has a bad ground.

Once you have determined the outlet is correct, you should plug in a GFCI. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. This device monitors the current passing through the Hot wire and the Neutral wire. If there is a difference, the electricity is going somewhere it shouldn’t, like through a person. The GFCI trips protecting you from dangerous current.

A Violet wand may occasionally trip the GFCI when no problem exists. This is normal as the Violet Wand creates a lot of noise and spikes in the line that can trip the GFCI. This noise and spikes can also damage sensitive electronic devices so don’t plug the wand into an outlet anywhere near a stereo, computer or other electronics.

If you check the outlet and use a GCFI you are playing safer than without them but there is one more thing you can do to increase safety just a little it more. You should never connect yourself or anyone else directly to the output side of the Violet Wand without using a spark-gapped device.

A Spark Gap is simply a small gap in the conductive material that forces the current to jump over the gap. If you stick a metal rod in the output end of the wand and grab it and the wand fails sending dangerous current to that rod, you could be injured. If you have the GFCI it should trip protecting you. What if it fails? The spark gap will give you a second point of safety to protect you.

The same rod made with a nylon or plastic gap so the electricity has to jump a few millimeters to reach you is spark-gapped. The dangerous current from the wall outlet cannot jump the gap while the electricity we like to play with can. The gap will prevent you from getting shocked by dangerous current even if it reaches the output of the Violet Wand. Glass electrodes don’t need a spark gap because the dangerous current cannot pass through the glass or gas inside the electrode.

Safety should be the top concern in any BDSM play. Introducing electricity has its own dangers but a little planning and smart use of inexpensive safety devices can eliminate almost all of the dangers.

If you have any questions or want to share information, please feel free to post. If you have a comment on an article posted on the WandWorkshop blog site, please post your response to the blog, then you can post in the message boards if you want to discuss the subject further.

Enjoy!

I have a small 2-foot long fluorescent tube that is encased in a plexiglass tube making it very tough. My female subject kneels on a padded bench. I place the tube between her legs with the metal prongs of the tube against her skin just above her vagina. I have her hold the other end of the tube at the end but not touching the metal prongs on that end. Using Direct Play techniques, I place a ‘Y’ or ‘U’ shaped glass electrode in the wand. I then place the ‘Y’ or ‘U’ around the tube so it will slide up and down the tube like riding on a track. By moving the energized electrode up and down the tube, I can adjust the intensity of the sensation. I often just move it up and down creating a pulsing sensation.

The sensation is described as an intense, but pleasurable intermittent arcing. I can often bring her to orgasm with this technique. Because she is holding the end of the tube, she can position it as desired.

The second technique is a variation I call Riding the Tube. In the kneeling position, I place the tube under her so her vagina is in contact with the glass part of the tube. My partner wears cotton panties and it works great. Then, I can run the glass ‘Y’ up and down the exposed part of the tube or arc directly to the prongs on the end of the tube. The sensation is described as a vibrator made of electricity. It results in multiple orgasms and caps off a nice violet wand scene.

A couple of safety items. The fluorescent tube I have is encased in plexiglass. Don’t try this with a bare tube as your partner can crush it by placing weight on the tube. You can get the plexiglass protectors at a home improvement store but I prefer the tubes that have the built in plexiglass tube. Also, by allowing your partner to hold the tube, they can control when to remove or move it to prevent burns or undesired pain.

Play safe out there!

Either way, what elements should a proper Violet Wand demo contain? This depends on how detailed and advanced the demo is intended to be. That said, the three elements all Violet Wand demos should contain are History, Safety and the three basic techniques.

History
The history of the wand doesn’t have to be long or detailed. Just a brief description of where the Violet Wand came from and how it became part of our BDSM kits. A bit about the construction of the Violet Wand might lead into the next section.

Safety
The most important thing to consider about any device used should be safety. While few things are 100% safe, we can minimize the dangers with just a few simple precautions.

First is Medical safety. Are you and your partner good candidates for electrical play? Not if either of you have a history of heart problems, nerve issues or an implanted electrical device such as a pace-maker, insulin pump or cochlear hearing implant. The Violet Wand can destroy electronic devices so do not use them near electronic implants or your cell phone. Be careful playing with diabetics and persons with other medical issues that may be negatively affected by the Violet Wand. Diabetics tend to mark and scar easily and take longer to heal. A person with a skin ailment may react badly to the application of electricity or electrical arcs.

Second is Wand safety. Make sure your wand is in good shape and does not have a cracked casing or worn wiring. You should always check the outlet you will be plugging the wand into. A mis-wired or ungrounded socket can be a serious electrocution hazard. A simple $10 outlet tester can show you if your outlet is wired correctly.

You should always use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) with a Violet Wand. This device will cut the power in the event dangerous current reaches a person or a serious fault occurs within the wand. A GFCI may be part of an outlet, as found in bathrooms and kitchens or around water, or you can get a small portable device for under $20 at home improvement stores. This ‘extra’ bit of safety can prevent injury or death in the case all other safety methods fail.

Third, you should never connect yourself, or your partner, directly to the output of the wand without including a spark gap. A spark gap is a small gap in the wire, rod, or bar that is placed between the end of the wand and the usable portion of an electrode or tool. Glass electrodes actually are a spark gap, with only the gas inside to conduct the electricity. Solid rods placed into the end of the wand should have a small gap filled with plastic, glass or some other non-conductive material. This gap is too big for the dangerous line current coming from the wall to jump. In the event of a malfunction, the dangerous current cannot reach the usable end of the tool or electrode because of the gap. The high-voltage, high-frequency electricity that we like to play with can easily jump the spark gap.

Third, play safety involves what not to do with a properly functioning wand. Never use a Wand near or in water or other liquids. Never expose the eyes or eardrums to electrical arcs. Both can receive permanent damage from exposure to the wand’s output. Don’t use a wand in an explosive atmosphere or around flammable chemicals or substances. This includes hairspray and other hair products your partner may have in their hair. Don’t ground yourself or your partner during play. Contacting a pipe, wire or conductive surface that provides a path to the ground can result in more intense and dangerous conditions. Concrete is full of water and rebar and will conduct nicely so don’t stand barefoot on a concrete floor.

Using these three safety rules, you eliminate almost all the dangers of Violet Wand play.

Basic Techniques
The three basic wand techniques are Direct, Indirect and Reverse. All wand play uses one of these three, including advanced techniques I will address in a future article.

Direct
Direct refers to play involving electrodes and tools inserted directly into the end of the Violet Wand. Glass Electrodes generally only work in Direct Play as the maximum amount of electricity is available to cause the electrode to glow and transmit it’s effect to you or your partner.

Indirect
Indirect is the result of connecting yourself to the output of the wand using a body probe or contact pad. These should include a spark gap for safety. The result is, your entire body becomes electrified so you can use your fingertips and other hand-held tools to send electricity to your partner. You do not feel anything except where you touch your partner or conductive objects around you. If you drag your fingertips over your partner, both of you will feel the electricity jump between you. If you have a good grip on a conductive object, like a spoon, you can cause arcs to your partner and you will not feel anything.

Reverse
Reverse play is exactly like Indirect except your partner is directly connected to the Violet Wand. This setup gives you more flexibility to move around and offers the opportunity for multiple people to ‘play’ with the person connected to the wand. They will not feel any effect while connected to the wand until someone or something conductive touches them.

Advanced
Advanced techniques are all a variation of the three techniques above. Advanced techniques include the use of the Violet Wand to brand, with needles, with Fireplay, etc…

I will discuss the advanced techniques in a future article but encourage anyone considering trying them to find an experienced person to train them. When you introduce fire, needles and permanent skin markings, it is too dangerous to experiment with unless you have an experienced person to keep you safe.

If you are in the Southeast United States and want someone to perform a Violet Wand demo for you or your group, let me know. I can connect you with experienced users if I am not available or in your local area.

Started in 1997, Eclectic Electric, one of the original modern Violet Wand Vendors has announced it will be going out of business. If you have been waiting for a good time to purchase a kit, this might be the time as they are offering closeout discounts. Just look for the code on the site and enter it at checkout.

Back in 2007, Eclectric Electric was the victim of an internal dispute and it’s reputation was tarnished. Recently, things have been back to normal but as a result of the dispute, it must liquidate its inventory.

Eclectic Electric is the only company producing the DOM insertable electrode. This is a medical grade glass electrode that comes in one of four colors. They also produce a line of other custom electrodes and an impressive set of full Violet Wand kits.

If you miss out on this discount opportunity, other vendors are still operating including Dr. Clockwork and Huse.

Whether you like to experiment with high-voltage electronic devices or “play” with electricity, we hope this will become a great place to expand your knowledge, or share your experience with others.

We accept articles from experienced Violet Wand users or questions from anyone.

We are working on a Spam issue with the message boards but hope to have it cleared up soon.