Declarations of Love | Cupid & Eros’ Mark

A declaration of love or Cupid’s & Eros’ Mark is a mark you give or receive in loving another, a claim. Some couples enjoy marking one another as “theirs”. Love doesn’t have to hurt unless you want it to, and you must always ask nicely.

The Roman God Cupid is mainly identified for his role on one day a year, Valentine’s Day. I tend to use his Greek counterpart, Eros, to describe declarations of love because his type of love fits Marriage’s Sexiest Secret better than his counterpart’s, and he has always been known as the more erotic and mischievous of the two. Eros, today, is generally known as a “type” of love and not a God. His love is new and in the fiery beginning stages that involve physical attraction, desire, and longing. 

Looking deeper into the Gods, Eros and Cupid, I find that interesting differences define each.

• Appearance: Eros is depicted in history as a handsome young man, embodying sexual power and profound artistry. Meanwhile, Cupid is commonly portrayed as an innocent winged child or cherub. Both Gods are shown carrying a bow and arrow.
• Symbolization: Eros represents a primal force associated with nature, driving human relationships, creation, and the pursuit of passion. Cupid symbolizes playful and innocent aspects of love and the celebration of romantic relationships.
• Origin and Parentage: Eros’ origins are more complex. Some accounts depict him as a primordial being on the earth since the beginning of time, while others make him the son of Aphrodite and Ares. In Roman mythology, Cupid is portrayed as the son of Venus and Mars. 

• Their Love: Eros’ love is a more intense, often capricious, lustful, and salacious, sometimes even a violent form of love and desire. The nature of his love could be considered mischievous and sometimes vindictive in his power to make people fall in love.  His love is often all about a person’s sexual attractiveness rather than about the person who is the focus of that love or the thing that is the focus of that love. Cupid’s love is often depicted as more benevolent and associated with the focus of romantic love between two people.

I have created three levels of these declarations of love based on the level of commitment, the level of Intimacy involved, and the strength of emotion felt in each act.

Entry Level

Entry Level Declarations are for beginner’s intimacy. The commitment level is low. Physically marking the skin with something that can be washed off immediately after the intimacy has ceased.

• Pen/Markers– Words of love and affirmation are always a great thing to write on the body. You can make it very sexy and intense as you BOTH would like.
• Lipstick Kisses– You can again use words with kisses. Try lots of colors.
• Foods– Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fixing your partner’s favorite dessert, rubbing it on their body, and eating it off. Make sure you keep any sugar off your “naughty bits”.
• Golden Shower– Do this in the shower. Please do your homework and make it a very passionate experience.
• False Tattoo- These words, letters, initials, or images mean something to you both.

Intermediate Level

The Intermediate Level is the level where you mark the body, leaving a real mark. These are a higher commitment level where the marks sometimes take a week or more to disappear.

• Hickey– It’s the result of what happens when your partner sucks, licks, and bites your skin. That pressure from the suction breaks little blood vessels. Those broken vessels release tiny spots of blood called petechiae. A collection of these blood spots forms a dark spot or bruise.
• Suction Toys/Tools – These are sex toys or tools that suction the skin. This can cause bruising and swelling of the skin and intimate areas. This is why I put these items at the intermediate level.
• Scratches– These can be inflicted by sharp nails or instruments/tools. They can be light or heavy.
• Bites- Sinking your teeth into flesh can cause marks that stay with a person for weeks. You can put them anywhere on the body. Start slowly and find out how your skin reacts to bites in different areas before getting kinky!

Advanced Level

The Advanced level is the level I have called the “Badges of Honor” level. These are the MOST intimate, not only physically but emotionally. The stakes are higher with Advanced Level, as they can take you up high, and then you can drop low. Do you like a little pain with your pleasure, even a lot of pain with your pleasure? All of these items you need to start small and work your way up to more potent tools and play.

• Impact implements- These are the tools of kink and BDSM. Just because you have a tool doesn’t mean you should wield it at its highest impact. Remember, the instrument just appearing gives you results without even using it. These items require the person to use them on themselves and pillows BEFORE using them on another person. This includes crops, belts, straps, floggers, whips, canes, and paddles. Light taps and work your way up over time!
• Spanking– I post spanking separately because using a “hand” to spank is one of the best implements to start with and can be expanded on in quite delicious ways. I am not talking about a few smacks on the bum. I am talking about an actual spanking scene that can leave you with “cupid’s or Eros’ marks”. Start simple and light, combine using other tools/toys with it, and take it where you both want to go!
• Rope– Imprinting the skin with bondage rope/shibari takes special training and schooling about how to tie the body, where to tie, how long you can tie someone, and the parts of the body. This bondage play is very intimate but takes a skilled hand. Lots of homework and appropriate tools are required. As with anything else, the more you learn, the better the play. It feels great to see imprints where the rope used to be on your body.
• Permanent Tattoo—This is a permanent mark. When I think of tattoos, I imagine myself as a 70-year-old. What will this look like on me then? Will I still be proud to wear it?
• Body Piercing/Needles– Many times, piercings are in intimate areas! Areas such as nipples, (vulva), labia, clitoris, and different regions of the penis. Use the questions I stated about tattoos above. Belly button piercing doesn’t sound so bad now, huh? Maybe put another hole in your ear instead? Needle play is another type between couples that requires time to learn and skilled hands. This will often involve blood, so make sure hygiene is number one, along with safety.

My First Badges of Honor

Declarations of love, which I also refer to as “Badges of Honor,” are marks on my body from BDSM play. These marks are NOT done out of anger, violence, or disappointment. They are done within Dominance and Submission Play and Scenes. These marks were made with the enjoyment and discovery of both a husband and a wife.

When I received my first “badges,” my thoughts were this……… I could only hope the marks, bruising and bites will be there tomorrow from where his fingerprints had dug into my flesh and where his hands had kissed my ass and his tools of torture cut into my skin. Of course, thinking to myself, I could then press on those badges and feel once more what I felt in those moments of utter sexual bliss. It made me think back at the Dominance he had shown me that I had craved for him to show me!

I named these marks “badges of honor” because I felt like the marks were a tale of battle, fear, and then conquering a war. For those who are not ready for war and would like instead a little declaration of love in war’s stead, these ideas are for you. Those of you who are looking for a battle to win, this is also for you. Either way, use Cupid and or Eros in your intimacy!