D e c e m b e r
2 0 2 1
winter village gingerbr
read house cookie hunt
Contents 112.
THE WAYFAR
Join the Wayfarer as he expl a winter wonderland, Snowdr
28.
THROUGH THE LENS
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Hayden, Mauro, Taylor, Trouble and Velvet show their winter.
PROUST SPOTLIGHT Showcasing the talented blogger, Ryanna Dragon.
132.
PRIDE AT HO
Pride at Home returns f special XMas Edit
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THE KITCHEN CORNER Kess Smith shares a holiday favorite dessert, yule log.
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98.
ARTIST HIGHLIGHT Showcasing the man, the myth and the legend, Sam Super-Villin.
142. VOICES FROM THE GR
Asked the same question, what residents have to
RER
46.
Ara Dethly
WRITER
160.
ACROSS THE GRID Wicca introduces the darker side of Christmas.
OME
170. THE ART PERSPECTIVE
for a tion.
Featuring a review of two of Whiskey Monday’s installations.
, see o say.
Nodnol Jameson
COVER PHOTOGRAPHER
lores rops.
RID
COVER STORY
180.
SL FICTION Imogen Atheria shares a day in the life of her roleplay..
Cajsa Lilliehook
ECLIPSE Magazine is dedicated to not only offering an aesthetically pleasing publication, but to also be considered a platform that offers rich and relevant content. Each month, we showcase residents and groups that have taken the concept of “your world, your imagination” to such great heights that they have impacted the culture and lifestyle of the Second Life community. ECLIPSE December 2021 | Page 11
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the contributo
TROUBLE DETHLY
CAJSA LILLIEHOOK
PUBLISHER
COPY EDITOR
TAYLOR W
CONTENT M
HAYDEN DETHLY
JUNE FALLON
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
ASSISTANT EDITOR
ors
WASSEP
MANAGER
PREVIOUS ISSUES
WRITERS Cajsa Lilliehook Daffodil Crimson Gidge Uriza Novaleigh Freng Taylor Wassep Wicca Merlin
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ara Dethly Hayden Dethly Mauro Rosenfeld Sylvia Olivier Taylor Wassep Wendz Tempest Wicca Merlin
STYLISTS Hayden Dethly Mauro Rosenfeld Sylvia Olivier Taylor Wassep Vivien De’Lancoure Wicca Merlin
Welcome to the December 2021 issue of ECLIPSE Magazine! I know I said it last time, but it is worth mentioning again. It feels so incredibly fantastic that I do not publish every month. It feels even better that I do not fully commit to set publishing dates either. I remember how disappointed I would be when I invariably could not publish “on time,” and with a monthly magazine it was just one continuous cycle of work. Anyway, this is my holiday issue, but I have been fairly busy with other things in both SL and RL. I feel like I have said it, but I can never say it enough. I am so incredibly grateful for Ara’s constant support, and all my ideas would just stay ideas if it were not for Taylor and June. One of the things I am most proud of is my “A Thousand Words” collaborative photography project. The in-world exhibition is no longer up; however, I did create a photobook to commemorate the endeavor. Currently, I do have the Winter Village with Solstice events up. There are some free goodies up. Additionally, there are 28 uniquely decorated gingerbread houses and each house comes with a custom made cookie (made by Ella of Elm). Be sure to collect them while you can! I also made a cookie recipe book with corresponding RL recipes for each cookie we are giving away. Regarding this issue, I feature the incredibly talented Nodnol Jameson, the creative force behind KraftWork. I am not entirely certain how I met Nodnol; however, she is one of the kindest people I know and always supported the random projects I decide to do. I am absolutely thrilled to share her story this month. We have a total of eleven pieces this month. A few are holiday themed features, as well as our usual fare. I hope everyone has had a fantastic holiday season so far, and I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
from the publisher
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through the lens
s
Each issue, ECLIPSE Magazine invites the many talented photographers from Second Life to collaborate. With this piece, they style, create and share a glimpse through their lens. For this edition, Hayden Dethly, Mauro Rosenfeld, Taylor Wassep, Trouble Dethly and Velvet Bunny showcase their take on their favorite winter activities.
Photographer: Mauro Rosenfeld
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Photographer: Mauro Rosenfeld Page 32 | ECLIPSE December 2021
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Photographer: Velvet Bunny Page 34 | ECLIPSE December 2021
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Photographer: Hayden Dethly Page 36 | ECLIPSE December 2021
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Photographer: Taylor Wassep
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Photographer: Taylor Wassep ECLIPSE December 2021 | Page 41
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Infinite Kraft
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARA DETHLY & wendz tempest. writt
en by cajsa lilliehook.
Craft is as old as humanity and has evolved over time. From shaping tools in stone to shaping mesh, craft keeps evolving and refining itself. Once crafters wove reeds together to make functional baskets, dying a few to make beautiful patterns. Later, artisans melted metals to make bowls and other useful and ornamental objects. Now, people manipulate pixels and vectors and mesh to create three-dimensional objects in twodimensional space. It’s all craft and perhaps it, more than language, is what made us human. Nodnol Jameson is a practitioner of the newest iteration of craft, mesh modeling. She honors the skills she acquired, along with the band Kraftwerk, with her store’s name Kraftwork. The name was her partner’s idea, because Nodnol is such a fan of the band. Nodnol came to Second Life in 2007 after reading a newspaper article that made it sound appealing to her. “The article mentioned how you have such great freedom to build or be anything you want here,” she explained. Like many new residents, she went to music clubs where she met her first friends, some of whom are still on her friends list and with whom she still chats.
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In 2016, after closing a business deal she looked for a new occupation where she could work from home. She felt like she was missing most of her daughter’s growing up and wanted to spend more time and be closer to her. The first thing she made was a chair based on Marfa, TX, where the classic movie “Giant” was filmed. “My favorite item to make was the Edgewater Skybox and furniture as it was created based on a Seattle’s Pearl Jam’s hotel room which I have stayed at with someone I love very much. It brings back good memories. My best selling item, so far, was the Fancy Decor + KraftWork Modular Kitchen. Jake is a dear friend and I love to work with him.” Building Kraftwork has been a labor of love as well as a way to work at home. Wisely, she has a staff that help free her to do more building and creating. Her “super” brand manager is Melly Lecker. Nodnol explains why she is not just a brand manager, but a “super” brand manager. “I call Melly a super manager because she works in different areas. She is my source of inspiration for releases, she handles all social media, she is on top of blogger management, we can discuss prices, store organization, events and she is a friend, one I rely on for most of my Second Life activities, opinions, and advice.” In addition, Nodnol has two group chat moderators, Alisa and Doc, who are there to help customers with whatever they need. She has a big group of bloggers who make sure Kraftwork items are presented well. She adds, “I have my friends and partner who are not an official “team” but are an important part of my guidance.”
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She loves her in-world group and customers whom she describes as eclectic, loyal and very kind people.. She says the group is relatively quiet, but filled with great people and there are often fun and interesting chats. “We are able to always laugh about something or say nice things when a topic starts. I am grateful for them. And yes, they are my community, they are loyal and they contribute to my work when they make a compliment, a request or a criticism.” So how does Nodnol go about the craft of Kraftwork? She often uses real life references as inspiration. “I wish I was a better genuine designer, I used to be forced to exercise it back in Architecture University but it is something I rarely have time to do now (although some KW designs are 100% mine.” She saves things she likes and people sent her ideas and suggestions. She creates mood boards with photos and colors and opens her software to model them everyday. “The hardest part to create is to understand what SL market needs and expects from your brand. The most fun part is to be able to come up with a set that tells a story and watch people enjoying the roleplay, commenting, talking about it, it’s the best thing I can ask for.” According to The Special Theory of Relativity, time is relative. The rate at which it passes depends on your frame of reference. Now scientifically, that frame of reference applies to whether the observer is moving or not, but we all know that it also applies to how much we are enjoying what we are doing. “If I have something I am creating that I love so much, it can be something big, but I won’t stop until I am finished so that may take less time than something I am dreading and is small. An average medium release will require three to four days.”
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Nodnol usually saves the photos and references in a folder when she starts the modeling process. She often uses the photos as a guild inside the software, meshing over them. She may add other items she has saved or look for more inspiration. “Once the base model is done, it is time for the details: either a sculpted part on Zbrush or a fabric on Marvelous Designer. Next up is the texture process, everything comes to life when we add them. After the model/texture is finished, I upload to Second Life, add necessary scripts, organize my folders, take my photos and pack for sale.” There are no plans for a big store makeover, but who knows when inspiration might take over. Right now she is too busy that she focuses on her weekly sales. “I try to give back something everytime I can.” Having been creating for five years, she did not go through the prim to sculpty to mesh evolution. She has no nostalgia for those simpler days. A dreamer, she lives for the future and leaves the past to the past. For her, Second Life has already got it right. “When Second Life became my full time job, everything changed for me. I am and have always been a workaholic and Second Life is just the dream job I have asked all my life. I may miss a few people and conversations. I like everything about the present! I wouldn’t change a thing. I love creating and being super busy. I would love to see Second Life to keep doing what they have been doing. This platform is a great success, it was able to keep a stable community and economy for over a generation! You shouldn’t revamp something that is alive and working for 18 years. They will always need to be up-to-date with tech changes, but the essence of it as a virtual world is just right.”
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While she mostly focuses on work, she confesses to relaxing by watching cheesy romantic movies and reading mysteries and British history books. She has built her life around her family. “As long as I have my loved ones safe and healthy and close to me, I am happy as well. My life values are not for Second Life, they are for everything: kindness and respect. Everything else is a consequence. I am not able to separate Second Life from Real life, just as you can’t separate your current job from yours.” She describes herself as an introvert. “As much as people may think I am talkative and open, in reality, I am super quiet and I enjoy my time alone. I am not in any sports but I have gym classes everyday. I see myself as a busy working ant in a sea of billions of other working ants.” It is true people often confuse shyness with introversion, but there are reams of articles about chatty introverts. Introverts get recharged by solitude, it’s that simple and complex. Asked about her relationship with Second Life, she replied, “Second Life for me is everything. I wouldn’t be able to live without it, it’s an addiction, a place of love, a place of friends, of learning and of deceptions of course.” She has made many friends and lost a few. SL has challenged her emotionally and professionally. She thinks it has been a great learning experience for her. She has gained friends, some from her first month in-world, and she has brought real life friends into SL.
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Second Life, like life, is always changing. For her, though, the change has been profound. “My Second Life has changed from water to wine. I would spend my days searching for places and shopping. God knows how many thousands of dollars are invested in this inventory! Shopping was always my biggest joy. Now I only work. I barely have time to chat or to go somewhere for fun. I do sometimes but it’s rare. And I still love this place the same way.” Nodnol concluded her interview with some wise advice, too wise to be paraphrased by any interlocutor. “Pursue your dreams. And use Second Life for it if you can. This world is infinite with possibilities, use it in your favor. Be kind to people, make friends, find your love, start your business, visit different places, learn about different cultures, learn a new language. Anything is possible here.”
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The Kitchen corn
photography by k
If there is one thing that brings people together, it is food. The Second Life culture is as rich as its residents, and “The Kitchen Corner” celebrates and showcases the talents of content creators that will appeal to all “foodies.” Collaborating with different residents ECLIPSE Magazine presents an innovative approach on all things food related with fantastic imagery and an equally tried and true accompanying recipe. Kess and Archer Smith share their top secret Yule Log recipe.
ner
kess smith.
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Yule Log 4 large eggs 100 g caster sugar 65 g self-raising flour 40 g cocoa powder
450 ml double cream 4 tbsp. apricot jam icing sugar for dusting 275 g dark chocolate
Instructions 1) Preheat the oven to 200ºC / gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 33 × 23 centimetre Swiss roll tin, and line with non-stick paper or baking parchment, pushing it into the corners. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and carefully cut and fold together, using a metal spoon, until all the cocoa and flour are incorporated into the egg mixture. 2) Pour into the lined tin and spread evenly out into the corners. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for eight to 10 minutes until pale golden 3) Place a piece of baking parchment bigger than the Swiss roll on the work surface. Invert the cake onto the paper and remove the bottom lining piece of paper. Trim the edges of the cake with a sharp knife and make a score mark 2.5 centimetre in along the longer edge. Roll up (from the longer edge) using the paper, rolling with the paper inside. Set aside to cool. FOR THE ICING: Melt the chocolate and 300ml of the cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until completely melted. Put into the fridge to cool and firm up (this icing needs to be very thick for piping). Whip the remaining cream. Uncurl the cold Swiss roll and remove the paper. Spread a third of the icing over the surface, then spread the whipped cream on top, and re-roll tightly. Cut a quarter of the cake off from one end on the diagonal. Transfer the large piece of cake to a serving plate and angle the cut end to the side of the large cake to make a branch. Cover the surface of the cake with the melted apricot jam. Put the remaining chocolate icing into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe long thick lines along the cake, covering the cake completely so it looks like the bark of a tree. Cover each end with icing or, if you wish to see the cream, leave uniced.
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the proust spotli
photography by ryann
The Proust Spotlight is our monthly feature where we highlight one of the many creative residents of Second Life®. Utilizing the Proust Questionnaire, whose namesake comes from the late 19th century French writer, we will offer a glimpse into what makes them tick. The blogger we feature this month is the talented Ryanna Dragon. She shares,”Above all I consider myself a storyteller - it has been that way ever since I was child. Secondlife allows me to bring my storytelling across in the pictures that I create. Though my main form here is a female, I can often be found as a Tween, or even a Male - and this is aside from the multitude of personas. I enjoy tacking many things in SL and dragging my partner, Kulaan, along for the ride with me.”
ght
na Dragon.
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What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Openness - if one can call that a virtue - and I’ll tell you why. In my opinion, people in today’s society make a big fuss about being able to trust someone, opening up to someone, they met an interesting person and within the first hour you’re suppose to have told them your life story because you’re “being open” with that person. People are so willing to pour all of themselves out all the time, but they do so without thinking of the consequences. You cannot be open with everyone and you can’t tell everyone your secrets. I believe that people have the wrong idea about what “being open” with a person really means. Is it sharing all your passwords with your significant other, or letting them look through your phone? Or is being open really about being honest about how you feel in regards to various matters? Also, are you really being honest or are simply looking to have something to say to fill up space? Some people may read this responds and assume that my answer comes from a jaded personality, but it doesn’t. People will say, “I’m tired of opening up to people only to get hurt,” and I’m sorry they got hurt, I truly am. We need to evaluate how much of ourselves we pour into others and if the person we are pouring into is worthy of what we have to give. An overrated virtue? Openness. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Seriously? This would have to be the word that I tend to use on multiple occasions. It’s very versatile! Depending on how a person says it can determine what it means. In my opinion it is a very universal word. What do you consider your greatest achievement? I do not think I have reached my “greatest” yet, nobody has because we are still alive. While we yet live we still have a chance to do something with our lives that will transcend beyond our time. It is true, that, throughout our lives we impact people in ways we may not know - it may even be possible that I have changed someone for the better and they’ve gone off to do amazing things. Good for them. May we all be so fortunate as to impact someone in that way. However, while I may have done great things in my lift, nothing has been the greatest.
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What do you most value in your friends? I make no attempt to hide the fact that I’m not a very social person. I’m the last person anyone would expect to see going from one event to another in a single day (though it has happened), and my friends know this. I appreciate the fact that they don’t mind my quiet times, or the fact that a great part of my time is spent being a platform dweller. What I really appreciate about them is the fact that they accept me. As a blogger, photographer, and role-player, I have my looks and can be any age, race, species, and they don’t mind. How would you like to die? I would like to die by living. Morbid or not, it is true. Each day that passes, every hour, minute, and second, we are dying a little bit more. This is why we can never return to the person we use to be because that person is dead. I want to live a life - not simply have a life - and by living I will continually learn new things and have new experiences. The me that I once was who may have been afraid of heights will die as the new me climbs mountains. Or I will die from being afraid to make the first move while the new me makes courageous advances. How would I like to die? I’d like to die by forever learning and growing; living life to its fullest. What is your most marked characteristic? I’m always hearing that I’m an easy person to talk to, which I find very strange. Whether it is in SL or in RL people will randomly talk to me and say whatever it is that is on their mind, and I listen. I actively listen. Apparently having someone actively listen to you, and show interest in what you’re saying, is rare these days. If I ask someone how they are doing, or how’s their day, I honestly want to know. I’ll listen - even if I have no idea what the person is talking about - and ask questions. The most important thing anyone can do for someone else is listen to them. If people say I’m a good listener it is because I honestly care about what they have to say.
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ARTIST HIGHLIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHy by sAM SUPER-VILLIN. written by tayl
lor wassep.
Music has this uncanny ability to help guide and heal people through times of triumph; as well as times of sorrow. Music is in everything we do, say, and talk about on a near daily basis. Some could be making coffee and a beat just pops into their head. Next thing they know, they are performing that song in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Or maybe you bonded over music with your father like Sam Super-Villin (DropYourKnickers Resident). A Dope Award nominated British Rapper this year, Sam has spent the last handful of years honing his musical presence on Second Life and it has only grown larger and crazier by the day. Inspired by so many influential artists currently, Sam broke this down for me to understand their influences better. Lyrically, J.Cole IS his idol; from his metaphorical petiry and word play to just the elegant flow of his words. Though Sam says he could never write like Mr. Cole, I have my suspicions that Sam would most definitely achieve those kinds of aspirations. Musically though, if you were to listen to some of Sam’s discography. You would hear twangs of Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber with some hints of Drake and Young MA. So, let’s dive in a little farther and learn more about this saucey British Rapper.
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Having found Second Life mainly due to playing other virtual simulation games like The Sims™. Sam found himself in a whole new world of exploration during his teen years and playing on the grid nevertheless. Much like many of us who first start exploring Second Life, he found himself with a full time gig as a Stripper at a few clubs, finding relationships - both romantic and friendly. Through having this new source to explore who Sam is, he had the courage to finally come out as a Transgender Man.
“I always felt like a boy growing up and my [real life] family [was] extremely traditional and I could never express myself, Second Life gave me that platform.” -Sam Super-Villin After coming out sadly, trends and reactions that some people face was now directed at Sam. For those who never needed to come out, having this purely raw moment in our lives can be so difficult to explain. You are faced with both positive and negative experiences from friends and family. It’s everyone’s wish that coming out shouldn’t have to be this hard. Yet for so many, it is. But its pushing on that saves us from those doubt and anxious moments. For Sam, this moment was filled with music and just exuding creativity in a multitude of different forms.
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Like stated earlier in the article, Sam and his father bonded over music. Funny enough, Sam’s Great Uncle made Paul Mcartney’s first guitar - so that passion for all this musical is in his blood. Growing up, Sam was in a band with two other boys. They would play school talent shows and other events like that, giving him his first taste at performing for an audience. When it comes to Second Life, finding his way was a bit more difficult then one might think. Just starting out on the grid, he wanted to set himself apart from other musicians. Ricky Bobby and Embree, two of his friends, worked together to create parody songs that were made by Second Life. So for example, one of Sam’s first singles was titled ‘TP Me.’ Getting hype for parody songs like this would need something special to get the spark going. So, Sam would go to stores that allowed voice and perform outside the front entrance. To me, it sounds similar to how musicals would play along city streets or in subway platforms. That’s the kind of motivation and drive people need to make their passions and dreams realized. Taking chances and risks for the sake of your art. Those risks definitely paid off for Sam as people went crazy for his music.
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“I would play my music with a little guitar attached and hand out flyers to the show. It was so difficult to get people to attend something they hadn’t really experienced before, and get them to believe in it too. We managed to get quite a few people there and everyone went wild for it, we knew we could do more!” -Sam Super-Villin People loved what Sam was doing; so much so that he even started to get groupies who followed him during his ‘My SLife Tour.’ Merchandise was sold for people to show their support for Sam and his musical endeavors. For him, he had to at least feel like a superstar when all this was happening full of unbridled appreciation and love for music he was playing for the audience. Throughout his career, Sam performed several dozen times on the grid. Two personally meaningful performances were from this past Summer’s Pride events, He wrote a song called ‘SL Pride’ about his coming out and how young LGBTQIA+ people who might be struggling are never alone. Having the opportunity to create a piece of music that meant so much to him and to the community just solidified for him that what he was doing was correct. Moments like that just stay with people, and I have no doubt that Sam will cherish those performances whenever he takes his first few steps on stage. Having an impact like Sam has had is very rare here in Second Life. He really is a sweetheart with a heart of gold and wit that just won’t quit. It was an absolute pleasure getting to know him, his story and just who the person behind the avatar is. If you are interested in booking Sam for any event, I would highly recommend directly messaging him or contacting Daisy Gatz in-world.
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THE wayfarer...
“The Wayfarer” is a monthly feature showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. Typically, the Wayfarer would describe his arrival on this new land; however, he helped create this winter wonderland. Snowdrops returns for its second year, bigger and better than before. We welcome you to explore this family friendly, photogenic, winter region in Second Life. With a variety of cold weather activities like a snowboarding, tobogganing, ice skating, teegle horses, mini golf and much more, there is something for everyone. Be sure to pick up your Christmas tree at the farm, take Santa’s train to a cafe for a cup of warm cocoa and other treats and find all the hidden nooks and hang out spots. Along the winter village, there are also free holiday gifts from Dahlia, KraftWork, Pitaya, Thor, Zerkalo, Elm, Moss&Mink and Atelier Burgundy. Immerse yourself in Snowdrops.
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PRIDE AT HOME: XMAS ED
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAYLOR WASSEP. written by tayl
DITION
lor wassep.
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Winter festivities always drive people out in droves as they try to take in as much holiday spirit as possible during the season. Regardless of what holidays people celebrate or do not celebrate, each of us takes pride or solace in having some kind of tradition we spend with our families; whether biological or chosen. As joyous as this time of year can be for so many, it also can bring a lot of pain for those not as fortunate. Having a safe place to go during this time of year can be hard for some. I think that is why Tink Hax and Coral Lacey decided to try something new when it comes to this time of year. The Pride at Home sim will be transformed into a Winter Wonderland for the month of December. For those who may not know the name Tinker Hax, she is a prolific brand representative who has had the pleasure of working for many brands and stores you may patronize in Second Life™. Since creating a Gender Neutral event back in the day, Tink had continuously strived to bring inclusion into the Second Life scene. Behind the scenes, Tink worked and employed all her connections and hard work, she was able to open Anthem with the help of The Men’s Dept owner, Mikel Monk. Through it all, the ebb and flow of ideas and concepts; Tink has never stopped working towards
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her goal of inclusion. With the timing of the pandemic that started in 2020, Tink had the brilliant idea to create Pride at Home to still give the LGBTIQA+ community a Pride event for June - while we were all in lockdown all across the world. With Jack Frost nipping at our noses, Pride at Home is going to reprise for the month of December. Pride At Home Xmas will be a scaled-down version of the Summer event that they implemented the last few years. They have a handful of events planned and an expo area with a wintery splash of different stores with free gifts. Not to mention, they are bringing back the 99L Mainstore Shop & Hop with a Pride-related winter/festive theme to them. This new event is sure to brighten anyone’s days with love and acceptance.
“We just encourage people to come have fun, and embrace it. We had such a positive turn out on the sim and throughout June, that waiting until next June seemed so far away, so it is also a nice break in the middle.” -Tinker Hax
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This also gives the people associated with Pride at Home another round of exposure since what they do each and every day is so inspirational. This also gives more chances to expand people’s impressions and ideas of what designers are out there. It seems like each day, another store opens that someone hasn’t had the chance to explore yet. These hop-and-shop events help bring in the holiday cheer while incorporating Pride and what Pride means to us in the LGBTQIA+ community. Remembering what Pride stands for has changed over the years for so many people. That is a part of what Pride is at its core. Itallows those who may not “fit” into society’s binary viewpoint and give a voice to the voiceless. It gives a safe space for those who may not always feel safe all the time. Pride and in Second Life, Pride at Home, gives those places for people in both the real world and online. So, come December, if you or someone you know wants to spend minutes, hours, days of
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Voices from the g
Voices From the Grid is a monthly survey of opinions and ideas of Second Life® residents on the salient issues of the day. For this issue, ECLIPSE Magazine we asked residents to share “What are you most proud of doing this year?”
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Photograph provided by Kitty.
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itty [Kitty O’Toole] has been a regular in Second Life since her incarnation in December 2006. It took less than a few hours for her to realise that she’d found her spiritual home here amongst the pixels and polygons and erstwhile perverts with extra-large prim phalluses who make up the Metaverse. She loved it even more when she realised that you could buy, as Howard Carter once famously uttered, ‘Wonderful things…’
kitty
To answer the question, let me describe my journey through 2021. This year has probably been the hardest of my life (so far!) and has seen me retreat in-world often to find solace and comfort when it has felt like reality is crashing all around me. My elderly parents had to be moved into care, whilst I, an only child, had to deal with the ramifications of that, all the time whilst working very demanding shifts and trying to keep tight hold on what sanity I have left. It’s been a steep learning curve, and an incredibly difficult time, but I’ve learned a very valuable life-lesson in that true happiness is not found in material objects, but in memories and experiences, both good and bad. Ensuring the safety of my parents whilst emptying their home of forty plus years and deciding what to keep was not as hard as I’d imagined it to be, in the end a few trinkets and photos are all that remain of the home I grew up in. In February as Covid ravaged the world, my Mother had a heart attack, and during her subsequent hospitalisation caught Covid. She was moved to a hospital in a city far from home, where I wasn’t allowed to see her and was told it was unlikely that she would survive. But survive she did, and she is now happily settled and looked after with love. I see her as often as I can. Sadly, in September, my Dad suffered a stroke, and died shortly after. It was one of the hardest periods I’ve ever endured; and I’m still grieving for him. He used to join me in Second Life when Seven Seas fishing was all the rage, and our metaverse helped us to create some wonderful memories together that I will always cherish. [Cont’d]
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Photograph provided by Gidge.
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gidge
idge [Gidge Uriza] is in the category of an Oldbie, so old on the Grid she has forgotten how old she is. She started in 2007 or thereabouts. She is a blogger at It’s Only Fashion which founded by Cajsa Lilliehook. Her focus lately has been on the grid adventures I’m having and living there as an active citizen. She has written for some other blogs over time, but It’s Only Fashion is her first love for fashion blogging. Lately she’s been obsessed with pixel food. What I am most proud of this year is hard to pinpoint. This was a hard year I think for a lot of folks. I wrestled with a lot of unexpected health issues in real life, including congestive heart failure that threatened to not just sideline me, but straight up kill me. I guess in a lot of ways I’m proud that I’ve managed to plod onward and keep going in both lives. Living with heart failure is a challenge but I’m getting a pacemaker installed soon so allegedly I’m going to feel much better soon.
I’m really proud of the fact that after a lot of intermittent time on the grid I feel like I’ve found my place there again as well. I have grown into a happy little world with me and my KittyCats - maybe I’m a crazy cat lady? But it affords me a space, a Virginia Woolf like “Room of One’s Own” etc and I can do anything there with no regard for anyone else which is something that real life doesn’t allow. I’ve got a great house on the beach in Bellisseria and I am old enough in the community on the grid that I feel impervious to the drama and chaos that enveloped so many of us in the early days as we all struggled to figure out who we were here. I feel really proud that all of that is behind me and my grid life is calm and a place of peace.
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Photograph provided by Gogo.
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G
ogo [Gorgeous Aurelia] is a prolific Second Life blogger, known for honest reviews and stylish tips on her blog, JuicyBomb. You can find Gogo at JuicyBomb or follow her on Flickr.
I recently celebrated my 15th rez day, which is a huge milestone in Second Life! Linden Lab forgot to send me my virtual cake. Although I’m known for my fashion blog, JuicyBomb, my interest in Second Life goes beyond fashion. I’m currently working on launching my new project, Aurelias, with my friend Sparkle (Sparkely Sugar), and it is the most exciting project I have worked on in my whole time in Second Life. The Aurelias region is a collaboration between friends with a dream of creating an experience where visitors can experience the joys and delight of yesteryear. Our goal is to create places for residents of Second Life to explore, take photos, and experience seasonal changes. We will launch at the end of December. Follow our progress online at aurelias.co. We hope to see everyone there once we launch!
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Photograph provided by Maxwell.
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maxwell
axwell [Maxwell Graf] joined SL in 2006, creating a virtual meeting space to use with the engineering department of the company he was doing product design and rapid prototyping for. He began Rustica within weeks, realizing that he could accomplish more of what he wanted to do as a creator in SL; rather than simply using it as a conduit he wanted it to become the medium. Max has taken part in over a dozen virtual worlds during roughly 30,000 hours of his life over 15 years, though Rustica continues to be the flagship effort for Max and the way to continue being a part of the SL community. He has been creating all of his life, working before the digital revolution as both a pen and ink illustrator and in a sculpture studio, rising from a kiln assistant to a porcelain sculptor. When I first began creating in SL and became a store owner, I began to realize that the social and economic elements could coexist in ways which would be impossible to explore in a brick and mortar retail operation or the fanciest of art galleries. I could exist as a creator within that space in ways that let me become connected not just to my customers but to everyone I came in contact with. I saw how most of the stores operated in SL and I wanted to take that further, specifically by being present in my store, to be not only available or visible as existing in that retail space but bringing an aspect of my human into my store, into my work – even literally building new items on the ground floor of my store so I could interact with people as they came in. I would be creating and doing sales and customer service at the same time, while also gradually building up a friends list of the most amazing and interesting people I had ever seen in one place. I got to talk to so many, got help from so many and gave help too, where I could, about what I knew. Most of my competitors are friends of mine. I could be myself and not offend people or have my business not only stay open but thrive. Simply being accessible made the difference I was looking for in how I could exist as an artist inside that space. It was like living inside my canvas – but there were people walking around in it while I was walking around inside their canvas as well. It was this amazing amalgamation of social elements combined with a live creative process that utilized a dozen different mediums all at once. I am still hooked. [Cont’d]
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Photograph provided by Sparkle.
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parkle as she’s known to friends started Second Life under her first avatar, Sparkle Skye. Well known for her one of a kind wedding gowns, she successfully managed this brand for over a decade. These days, you’ll find her creating under Sparkely Sugar and beautifying the grid with her custom landscaping, one region at a time.
sparkle
I’m an artist in my first life and a lot of that passion pours into my Second Life as well. When I first joined Second Life, I was instantaneously drawn to creating. At the time, I was a college student pursuing a degree in Fine Arts, so in my spare time, I created my Sparkle Skye weddings brand. After I closed that brand down, I focused my passion on my other loves… painting, and creating spaces for friends. This passion has now become a growing business with clients that keeps me busy! I am currently working on a few projects. One of my most exciting projects is a collaboration with my friend Gorgeous Aurelia on Aurelias. Our focus with Aurelias is to create a region, with a focus on the magical moments of times past, with a hint of magic, and a whimsical feeling of nostalgia. A warm cup of cocoa, while you’re snuggled up in your favorite snuggly sweater is the feeling we are trying to evoke. I am also working on creating mesh, one of my goals is to be able to create decor and landscape assets to use on Aurelias, as well my other landscaping projects. I truly love to create environments that will transport you to a magical moment in space and time, to be able to evoke feelings and emotions. I also work with the team at Gooseberry Estates, a wonderful collaborative team of creators, who are extremely supportive. We have some exciting projects happening for the new year. I love Second Life, it is a platform that offers so many opportunities to explore, create and learn. It is truly a place where you can build what you imagine, a place where you can meet people from all over the world with such diverse backgrounds. I hope to contribute to its growth and weave a bit of my magic, into the magical tapestry that is Second Life Aurelias will be launching at the end of December, do stop by and share a cup of cocoa with us. You can follow my progress at SparkleSkye.com and Aurelias.co
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Photograph provided by Halfwraith Caerndow.
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HALFWRAITH CAERNDOW
H
alfwraith Caerndow is a Librarian and an SL fantasy picture taker on Flickr who came into SL in a graduate school class and stayed. She finds Second Life a quirky and fascinating place, likes to over-decorate and use up all the prims, loves SL sales, rarely wears shoes and is addicted to purchasing wings. Her best friend in SL is an annoying Robot. This has been a difficult year for me as my father died of cancer in late summer. That event has really dominated my year and my emotions. He was a wonderful person - a thinker and socialist, the best father and such a supportive human being. He helped me so much through my life, as a common sense advisor, through unconditional love (yes it really exists), and just by being so darn helpful - I could always count on him. I know how lucky I was and how rare it is to have such a father, I’ll basically miss him forever. Much of the year was spent being with him as much as I could, and because of the pandemic we had to do hospice care at home. It is hard to think what I am most proud of other than that - being there with my family as we spent time with him, even when he was not very aware of his surroundings at the end. It brought me closer to my mother, my sisters and brothers. It also brought me closer to my son who showed such incredible maturity for his age in how he dealt with my Dad as he declined in health. We were all there when he passed on at his home. I was holding his hand, which I think is both very painful and an incredible privilege. I am proud of my closeness to both him and my wonderful family and my son at this hard time. We weren’t perfect, there was some family drama, but in the end we pulled together. We helped my father transition out of this world in a place of love.
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[Kitty Cont’d] If anything, this year has cemented just how important Second Life is to me? It served as a very real escape when I have needed it, and I count my in-world friends to be among the most important people in my life. After endless hospital visits and stressful days barely holding it all together, just logging in and finding somewhere beautiful to explore, be it a virtual garden or an urban cityscape helped to soothe my very troubled soul. During this tumultuous year.
and realising the depth of my own resilience against the backdrop of such a personally trying time.
{Maxwell Con’td]
Fifteen years later, I am most proud in 2021 that I am, for whatever reason, so cared for and embraced by the amazing community here, to the point that those amazing human Kittywitchin, my blog that I have kept since beings came together AGAIN and through 2007, fell by the wayside. Life has just been amazing acts of kindness and love helped too busy for me to keep a blog..but I miss my partner (Lyyric, whom I met in SL in 2006) it, and my hope for 2022 is to get back into and I overcome a personal disaster and turn blogging with gusto. Currently in-world I it into the most amazing reality of owning a find simple pleasures, such as designing a real home of our own. That somehow people bedroom or simply placing virtual items, from across the globe reached out and lifted really does relax me and I’ve so enjoyed us higher than we could have reached on creating my virtual home. It is of course filled our own, that they care that much…makes with cats, but other creatures that I could me think that maybe I did something right never own in real life have found their place all these years. I am eternally humbled and with me too. I delight in them, and in my grateful when I think of SL and the people space. in it. It is a huge part of my life. SL saved me as an artist and then as a human. That’s not But back to the question at hand; what am virtual. I most proud of this year? Surviving and enduring, physically, mentally and virtually;
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across the grid
photography by wicca merlin. written by wicca merlin & DAFFODI
Second Life is vast, where in every part of the grid pieces and themes of fiction can be found. Wicca Merlin curates “Across the Grid” introducing ECLIPSE Magazine readers to fashion and places less known. For this piece, Wicca delves into the world of the darker side of Christmas with fashion and places to visit. She styles with Vivien De’Lancoure.
L CRIMSON.
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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings would be hung by the chimney with care in the hopes that Santa Claus would soon be there. However, the next thing to ask would be, were you good or bad upto this eve? If you misbehaved, then it might be that you will have a visit from Krampus instead, teehee. For Krampus one of Saint Nicholas’ counterparts, a beastly, hairy goat demon adorning hishorns and sharp, pointy teeth, would deliver not presents of joy and Yuletide cheer, but terror, birch branches and coal this time of year. Just know that when you start to hear the clattering cow bells warning you when he comes near, it could be Krampus and his fiendish ways. So beware girls and boys of this creature of Alpine folklore, you never know when there could be one knocking on your door. Or perhaps the Pumpkin King will come flying in with his skeletal grin. His Halloween delights and clever scares, he will deliver to those who played evil dares. A jack-in-a-box with a spring so tight that lunges out to give you a fright to a little toy duck with teeth that bite and bats that fly from your Christmas Tree at night. Take heed now girls and boys for Christmas time and all its joys, can quickly disappear to nought if the fiends deem you worthy of their evil plots. So now, behave, be kind, spread the joy and cheer, for Christmas only comes once a year. With hugs from us, please be safe and have a lovely Happy New Year.
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Scarlett Bay
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the art perspect
PHOTOGRAPHY BY gidge uriza. written by gi
Each piece, ECLIPSE Magazine discovers, reviews and highlights the work of some of the most creative and talented artists on the grid, offering a fresh perspective in the vibrant and vast world of the arts. For this month’s feature, Gidge Uriza visits Whiskey Monday’s two features at The GBTH Project: In Other Wor(L)ds and My Tweets as Pictures.
tive
idge uriza.
I sometimes hesitate to feature personal friends but there are times that the talent of one’s friends simply cannot be overlooked forever. A dear friend in both worlds, Whiskey Monday has two features in the 2D gallery at The GBTH Project and each is a dip into the art that words inspire, and words themselves as art. In the first exhibit - In Other Wor(L)ds, Whiskey shares pages from her personal journals and the artwork they inspired. Her journals are snippets of thought, quotes she’s heard and quotes she’s said, simply page after page of stream of consciousness where her brain is sorting through its joy and its trauma. Sometimes as writers we simply must get the words out, if only to see if we need to do anything more with them after that. To view the journal pages that inspired the art while at the exhibit you simply click and hold and the journal pages appear the art. For Whiskey, sometimes the words inspire art and we are graced with those images. What we do with them next is of course up to us. Her works often speak to isolation, alienation, and the absurdity of life.
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She shares notes of sorrow, of grief and idle musing the way one might simply pass the potatoes at a family dinner. You’ve been invited in, and you are welcome to a helping of words that may startle or move you. They give you more to consider than just the image they inspired. You’re drawn into an intensely personal moment where she shares the darkness, the pain and the meandering of her mind and then you can draw your own conclusions about how the image she chooses to portray plays out in the context of the words on the page. Which words led her to that image? How deeply does the image connect with the pain of the words you read? It’s up to you. Whiskey isn’t telling. The second part of the installation “My Tweets as Pictures” is a precursor to the current exhibit. In the second exhibit she’s taken her tweets from the past and had created images in the context of the tweet. They’re vibrant, funny, and give you pause as some are poignant just when you’ve had a giggle at the previous work. From 2012 to 2014 she created these pieces and describes it as the true early version of In Other Wor(L)ds. They are as fresh and funny today as they were back then. You can see in these images the foundations of her current works.
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The images are far more varied in the “My Tweets as Pictures” exhibit in terms of form, color and composition. Each one exists on it’s own without a strong visual connection to the others other than the fact that they emanate from short tweets from a single author. Each one then is its own story, rather than a piece connected by a thread to others. I highly recommend this exhibit to stop and consider the power of words to influence images, and vice versa. It’s a beautiful tribute to the power of words and the value of letting them out to stand witness to our pain, our love and our existence. The GBTH Project is an SL-based experimental arts space consisting of 8+ dedicated gallery spaces. To GBTH (Grab By The Horns) is to take courageous initiative in guiding the boundlessness of artistry, making the conceptual tangible. Here they facilitate artists and makers alike to actualize installation, photographic, sculptural, and community-based works.
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SL FICTION
PHOTOGRAPHY BY imogen atheria. written by imoge
Second Life is rich in role-play opportunities, and ECLIPSE Magazine showcases this with their SL Fiction piece. Dedicated to telling each character’s story by taking the concept of “a day in the life,” we invite our readers to SL Fiction. For this article, Imogen Atheria shares what a day in her life is like.
en atheria.
They say there’s such a thing as a “home away from home”, and Evergarden came to Jasper County. Timid to try and invade thei best four-legged friend Moon have every intention o
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Imogen never quite figured out what that meant until ir space, she hangs out on the outskirts, but her and her of becoming more involved, however slowly.
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Crystalline Moonbeam, otherwise just simply called “Moon”, cam But perhaps that was exactly what she’d needed. A quiet life. A fa understand that chasing a thrill isn’t the only
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me into her life and now nothing could separate them. amily. And a good, loving creature in her life to make her y thing that could make her feel alive.
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She’d never shot a gun before in her life. But when a threat ca member with... who knows... a gang member?... Imogen had been her home for a couple of weeks. Though safe now, she still keeps best defense sh Page 186 | ECLIPSE December 2021
ame to her via the involvement of a now-former family n told to purchase a gun, and a guard was placed outside s the gun around as a reminder that sometimes she is the he has. ECLIPSE December 2021 | Page 187
Where the pavement meets the dirt road, you’ll find the gorgeo frigid North Carolina air bites at any exposed bit of skin, b
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ous Lake Oleryben state park, now covered in snow. The but the walk is a beautiful one, if you can handle it!
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Being a Teaching Assistant, Imogen had never expected to tak University, she had to step in and pilot the Creative Writing cours art of creating visions with words kept her going - and now
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ke on her own class, but this semester at Vandermore se program. A small handful of students dedicated to the w she’s graduating early to become a full Professor!
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