J u n e
2 0 1 9
Contents
38.
Through the Lens
98.
At Home With...
132.
The Ministry of Magic
84.
Proust Spotlight
120.
The Final Winter
148.
The Art Perspective
The Dutchie Vintage Cafe Bar serves as the foundation of this month’s inspiration for Taylor, Tempest & Trouble.
Teaming up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, we shine the spotlight on the talented Minnie Fae Moonflower!
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Ben Lewis lends his extraordinary decor styling and captures each scene with his unique realism photography.
While Game of Thrones series finale has come and gone, this unique sales event experience is still open!
Mischief Managed has expanded adult roleplay with their newest addition: The Ministry of Magic.
Oema offers her review on the art exhibition “Cherry Box by Cherry Manga.
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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.
54.
Cover Story A Pride of People Cover Photographer Lessthen Zero
160.
Voices from the Grid
190.
Places to Go
206.
The Wayfarer
Writer Cajsa Lilliehook
Each issue ECLIPSE Magazine asks residents a question, see what they have to say.
ECLIPSE Magazine searches for the best group gifts with no join fee!
Join the Wayfarer on a journey exploring the sim, Atonement. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 11
executive team
Trouble dethly
cajsa lilliehook
Taylor Wassep
autumn rose
Publisher
Copy Editor
Creative Director
Creative Director
jessyca teardrop Assistant Editor
the c
writers
photographers
Cajsa Lilliehook Grayden Foxe Novaleigh Freng Oema Taylor Wassep Tiffany Parkin
Autumn Rose June Fallon Lessthen Zero Novaleigh Freng Taylor Wassep Tempest Rosca Wicca Merlin
stylists Autumn Rose June Fallon Taylor Wassep Tempest Rosca Wicca Merlin
guest stylist & photographer Ben Lewis
interested in advertising with eclipse? have an idea for a great story? looking to start a new career in second life? email trouble.dethlysl@gmail.com
contributors
My wrist is not fully healed, so this issue took a bit longer than anticipated to layout. I couldn’t work on it for more than an hour at a time. Thankfully, I’ve been able to pull the publication date to a far more reasonable time. In other news, I am actively looking for an Assistant Editor. The application is fairly short, but it is enough to tell me whether or not someone understands the purpose of ECLIPSE Magazine. Stripped to our most basic, we are storytellers. For this issue, in honor of Pride month, our cover feature tells the story of six people within the LGBTIQ+ community. They share their experience, how they found community and their hopes for the future. Our cover imagery this month showcases two of the people we interviewed, and there is some symbolism with the photo itself. There are three silhouettes in the back to represent those within the community who are unable to be open about who they are. Those who do not have the freedom to celebrate Pride. We have a total of 10 features this month. I am in process of sorting out how I want to plan the features, where some pieces will be bimonthly. I feel it keeps things fresh and exciting. On the topic of fresh and exciting, be sure to read up about The Final Winter. You have until the 16th of June at 5PM to visit. Like last issue, I am infinitely grateful to have Autumn by my side. She definitely is the reason why I’m able to publish when I say I will. Happy Readings!
letter from the publi
isher
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through the lens
styling & photography by taylor wassep, tempest rosca & troub
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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. The focal point is the Dutchie Vintage Cafe Bar with Taylor, Tempest & Trouble capturing its versatility through their lens.
ble dethly.
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Photographer: Taylor Wassep Featuring: Taylor Wassep
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Photographer: Tempest Rosca Featuring: Tempest Rosca, Grace Sixpence, Sol King, Dan Brodsky and Kane Broady Page 42 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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Photographer: Tempest Rosca Featuring: Tempest Rosca, Grace Sixpence, Sol King, Dan Brodsky and Kane Broady Page 44 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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Photographer: Trouble Dethly Featuring: Autumn Rose, Draxtor Despres & Trouble Dethly
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A PRIDE OF PEOPLE
photography by lessthen zero & tempest rosca. written by cajsa l
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lilliehook.
Collective nouns are one of the delights of the English language. For example, there’s a murder of crows, a shrewdness of apes, and a parliament of owls. So what would you call a community of Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Intersex, Queer, Question, Asexual, and Allies? A pride of course, a pride of LGBTIQA people. The acronym keeps growing as the goal of liberation becomes more inclusive. A liberation that began, as it always must, in rebellion. Pride may commemorate an American rebellion, but it has spread throughout the world. There are EuroPride and WorldPride and the largest Pride parade in the world was held in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Pride has also spread from our first to our Second Life. In Second Life, you can search for LGBT or Pride and find many groups. One of the largest is Second Pride which organizes annual Pride events in June. Another is Pride, the LGBT Community Gateway. And of course, there’s the smaller more specialized groups like LGBT Tokyo or Rainbow Tinies, all to join with a simple search. The Greek Gold Lesbian Resort has over 24,000 members. There are groups and places for every letter of the LGBTIQA family. To understand more of the who, why, and how of the gay community in Second Life, ECLIPSE interviewed six people, though of course, no small sampling will reflect more than a few threads in the open weave of the gay community in SL. Caiti Jezebel Baxton [Caitlin Mirabella] joined SL in May 2009. She identifies as genderfluid and is pansexual. She joined to stay in touch with her best friend as she moved frequently for work. He told her about SL and while her first visit was boring, “I thought all of SL was just one sandbox...I came back three months later and started exploring and have been here with intermittent breaks ever since.” For Page 56 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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her, the people and experiences keep her coming back. “I know I am not alone when I say that I have found great loves and losses in SL, and I am so happy to have experienced them. My circle of friends keeps me entertained and inspire my creativity daily.” Sparklebottom Lasertits [sparklybootie] is a lesbian (mostly) who has been in SL for two years. She had recently ended a longterm relationship and was not ready for dating, but still wanted companionship. She tried out a few virtual worlds and eventually found Second Life. “I didn’t expect to get as close to people as I have, but that is the beauty of Second Life.” It is the connections she has made to the people behind the avatars that bring her back. “Those connections influence almost everything I do in Second Life, from how I express myself creatively, to the way I explore this world, physically and otherwise.” Taylor Holloway [Taylor Wassep] is a gay man who’s been in SL for close to ten years. He joined SL after a surgery that put him on bed rest for a time. He was 18, downloaded the viewer and never looked back. For him, SL’s continuing attraction has changed over time. At first, it was the novelty that drew him. ”Having this virtual space that I barely understood was both exciting and scary at the same time. Growing up, I was always taught to never trust people online. But, I both adhered to the mentality; and at the same time, went against that mentality. So Second Life found itself in that perfect nook in how I viewed the Internet and communicating with strangers online.” However, it was SL’s service as a creative outlet that kept Taylor coming back. In fact, it influenced his first life, changing his education focus from Broadcasting to Journalism and Graphic Design. ”Two aspects that I wouldn’t have ever found without the help ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 59
and experiences in Second Life.” SL remains a creative outlet, allowing him to bring to life characters and scenarios. “Plus, I wouldn’t have made genuine friends from around the country and around the world!” Nuwanda [Yasyn Azemus]is fond of changing his display name, so he often goes by his original name Yasyn to keep things simple. He is approaching his tenth year in SL and is pansexual. His sister invited him into Second Life. She was drawn to the geisha life and traditional Japanese culture. Together they discovered an entire community built around their own fascination. His sister joined the Blue Lotus Okiya and he hung around and developed his own friendships. “Even though I was a guy, the people there made a space for me where I could still be involved in their community.” From his beginning as a boat tour guide, he became more and more involved, taking photos, managing their Flickr group, and even designing their sim. “I have now been a part of the Blue Lotus family for almost 10 years! They are the reason I keep coming back. They are family....In fact, they were a major part of my coming out process and played a pivotal role in helping me have that confidence to keep moving forward. I was facing a lot of rejection from family and friends in RL and some in SL as well, but the ladies of Blue Lotus Okiya were always there for me. It was a wonderful surprise to find such overwhelming love and acceptance in this place.” Through Blue Lotus Yasyn found close and lasting friendships and a creative outlet. “The creative aspect of SL is one thing, but if I had no close friendships here, I think I would have left a long time ago.” Michelangelo Villota has been in SL for over twelve years, starting in March 2007. A gay man, his curiosity about SL was piqued by television coverage. His first Page 60 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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foray was short-lived as he did not find people he liked to hang out with. He came back in August 2009 when he came upon Zeus Gay Club. He started there as a dancer, “It seems that I did a good job, so the owners promoted me as a Zeus Host.” He made a lot of friends and found a community, a family that made him happy. In December 2010 he took over ownership of Zeus, the oldest Gay club in SL. ドープ acolyte [xxyy0] is relatively new to Second Life, having joined just seven months ago. A pansexual, Second Life allows him to immerse himself in Japanese culture. “I have always been into Japanese culture... old and new. Anything from the ancient yokai scene to the modern anime scene. So... being able to surround myself with these things in Second Life gives me much pleasure and happiness. It’s an escape from reality, a place where I have total creative freedom without the limitations of real life.” Six people from the newest to the oldest, despite their disparate orientations and identities, all express similar needs that are met by Second Life, the need to be creative and the need for community. The creative element is almost hard-wired into SL. Your world. Your imagination. It’s all there from the splash screen, but the community-building is different. Most forms of social media are divisive vectors that atomize community, they polarize and divide. Second Life is different, it brings together and coheres. What is this strange magic? And where do they find community? For Yasyn, in addition to the geisha community, he finds fellow travelers among the Japanese cultural interest community and his sim building. “I’ve also built various places over the past couple years that have had some regular patrons. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 63
I have gained friendships and a sense of community through that as well. It always warms me to know that the lands I create can touch people’s feelings. That kind of feedback encourages me to stay in SL in addition to just my personal friends. It is also just my luck that the people I’ve met through this avenue are also very open people!” With his Zeus Club already a gathering place for the gay community, Michelangelo finds community there or as he puts it, “My Friends, my Club and my Family here in SL..... I like to chat, dance and hang out....” For ドープ, with just seven months in, he is still looking, although he is intrigued by Boystown and the many positive things he has heard about it. Caiti also found community at Boystown. “My original SL community will always be the Boystown gay community!! I found so many friends there and really learned so much more about myself and others. I learned about different aspects of the gay community from just sitting back and observing and asking questions, and really embraced my own role as the “princess among the queens.” For Taylor, his connection to community has changed over the years. At first, he connected to the men, the club owners where he danced. In time, that segued into the fashion scene, the modeling and blogging community. As his focus changed, so did his style. Today, his community is focused on the individuals he wants to spend time with. ”The tribe I found myself has spread itself among a few groups of people, but the people I chose to spend time with are the people I care for and love wholeheartedly. I wouldn’t be the weirdo I am today (haha) without their love and support.” Sparklebottom tells a similar story, going from meeting large groups of people Page 64 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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in clubs to the intimacy of one-on-one connections in photography. When she first joined she spent a lot of time at SMASH, a club that played the music she liked and where the people were warm and welcoming. “I was young (in Second Life Terms) and naive and it took me a while to realize that, while it’s not specifically an LGBTIQ club, they were very welcoming of ALL people, and thus, many of the people who went there identified in some way as LGBTIQ.” She became a DJ there and still does an occasional set. While she did not seek out an LGBTIQ community, she found one anyway. Since focusing more on photography, that close-knit feeling has loosened. “I have focused less on DJing and more on photography, so my sense of community is perhaps a bit thinner. I tend to meet people from Flickr, which I suppose is a community in itself, but that’s usually for one-on-one interactions. Still, a few times per week I visit some of my favorite music clubs, usually both for the music and the friends who go there.” Gay liberation has not extended to every corner of America, let alone the entire world. For some, SL is a place where people can experience a kind of freedom absent in their first life. For Caiti, that is a matter of geography, “In a way, I do. I live in a very small, very close-minded part of rural western Pennsylvania. Finding likeminded people in my area is hard to do because most of my peers are still in the closet in their day to day lives, afraid of persecution and being ostracized from their home communities. But I’m not ashamed or afraid to be out. I was outed by a couple of “friends” when I was fourteen, right when I was starting to come to terms with my queerness, and just decided to embrace it and not be ashamed.” She does feel freer to experiment in SL though that is more a matter of economics than local mores. “I am much freer to experiment with my genderfluidity here in SL than I ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 67
am in RL, partly because the things I would want(corsets to bind my breasts when I feel more masculine) are pretty expensive. In SL all I need to do is either attach a different body or add a body-mod to flatten my chest, and put on a shape that makes me look more androgynous.” Sparklebottom has not experienced homophobia in her first life as often as most people thanks to living in a Western, urban, and liberal community. She is also someone who prefers to express he affection in private. She also recognizes society is more accepting of lesbians than gay men. “Though I’ve never been overt about being gay, I’ve never hidden it either. I’ve been lucky to experience very few difficulties because of it. In Second Life I am much more overt with my affection and sexuality in general, but I think that has little (if any) to do with my gender preference...As much as I choose to be myself in Second Life, I get to choose how to represent myself in many ways, and the fantasy aspect very much appeals to me. For instance, I have worn a robot arm for my entire Second Life, for no other reason than because I think it looks cool. I hope it doesn’t surprise anyone that I don’t have a robot arm in real life!” However, she does think she feels freer to experiment in SL. “Though I am not as sexually free as some people may think, I am still much more free with my sexuality in Second Life than I am in real life. The virtual and fantasy aspects help me push some of those sexual desires much further than I am able to (or am comfortable with) in real life.” The way she feels limited in how heteronormative many of the details of SL can be, the poses, animations, and dances that do not imagine two women using them. “So little things like finding dances or furniture that has cuddles or sexual animations that work for me and my companion can sometimes be more Page 68 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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difficult. But that attitude matches real-life attitudes pretty evenly, so I wouldn’t say it’s specifically the community limiting my freedom.” Taylor was still closeted when he came to Second Life and was unsure of how to express himself. “In a weird sense of it all, I found the confidence to come out and be who I truly am in my real life as I have been in my Second Life.” Looking back, Taylor thinks he was too overtly sexual in the beginning. “I think that is one facet people tend to be scared to talk about. With regard to their first experiences in Second Life, be it something like stripping or dancing for tips. That was my life in the start, I danced at Ladies clubs for tips, and I never felt freer as in those moments.” As he formed connections and a community, that changed, “what changed for me was the people I met along the way. The tribe I come to know as my family, they helped me be the person I am today. With no judgment and no negativity.” Now, Taylor feels free to be his authentic self in both worlds. “Overall though, I wouldn’t say there is much of a difference between my expression both in Second Life and in my real life. Of course, there are instances where I do hone in my personality in both worlds, but I wouldn’t say one world is easier or freer to express who I am.” While he has made many friends and they continue to be very important, SL has become more of a utility for being creative than a gathering place. “As for my freedoms in Second Life...I have been allowed to express myself as loudly and intensely as I want too. If anything, I would love to see the real world as free as Second Life is. In terms of personal expression, of course.” Yasyn is more cautious and is just as cautious in SL as in his first life. In his experience, the anonymity of virtual ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 71
life allows for cruelty, not so much face to face but in their “Picks”, their blogs, and social media commentary. There is a lack of filter that first life does not have. “Sometimes I am listening to a conversation happening right in front of me and I already know I cannot feel safe with that person next to me...it does not keep me from wanting to express [myself]... If I never showed my true colors early on in SL, how would I have found the amazing friends I have now? It’s a risk we take, but I think it is a worthy risk. Coming out in SL might lose you some friends, but it also helps shine a light on those who really have your back.” Yasyn thinks being out in your profile is a handy filter that takes care of the awkwardness of coming out. “Sometimes a person with a similar identity might see your profile and think ‘Wow, they are like me. That’s my kind.’ Now whether or not that person decides to IM you is not really the focus here. What is important here is now that person feels less alone. That’s helpful and powerful...It is SL, right? We should feel unlimited!” Michelangelo lives in Germany where homophobia is less prevalent. For him, he can be as free in his first as his second life. For him, “the song; I am what I am; comes to my mind.” For ドープ, it is less sanguine. While he feels he has the freedom to express his pansexuality in both the real and virtual life, “I am proud of myself and not shy to hide it” he also feels his freedom limited, as he puts it, “everywhere and every time.” The question of what Linden Lab could do to support the LGBTIQA community is more difficult, particularly in regard to what can be done for sexual minorities in intolerant countries. People can create accounts with anonymous Protonmail accounts and SL does not require people to prove their identity. This gives some people room to enjoy a gay virtual life, Page 72 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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so long as they make sure they do not preserve their chat logs and leave logged out discreetly. Folks are uncertain what more can be done. Second Life has done well in reacting to international crises with generous fundraising. It has also served as a good vehicle for education about issues and for providing mutual support networks. There is no one way to achieve social change and for it to change at the cultural level, more than one kind of social change movement must happen from the obvious legislative organizing to change laws to the cultural education to sway attitudes to the politics of personal transformation. Second Life plays to its strengths on the last two. Caiti does see a role for activism. “I am an activist and a voice for the gay community, I pride myself on my networking skills and being able to connect people and organizations. I recently was brought on as the LGBTQ+ Liaison for FMD and can publically announce that FMD is making its first ever official statement that they are welcoming to all, that we welcome any and all from the gay community to join us, and we are partnering with Second Pride for our own Pride events at the end of June.” FMD is a popular adult club with tremendous influence in the broader SL community. Sparklebottom sees a role for Second Life to promote education. “Second Life is a safe haven for so many LGBTIQ people who can express themselves much more freely than they can in real life, and I think that should be protected...I think it can be achieved by providing resources for everyone to educate themselves, and open-mindedness from both sides of the issue. I feel that Second Life is still a wonderful place for people to freely express themselves, especially those from cultures who oppress those freedoms.” ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 75
However, as Caiti points out, even fundraising can be transformative and liberating. She points to Second Pride sponsoring Rainbow Railroad. The Rainbow Railroad is a road to freedom for sexual minorities in countries where they risk imprisonment or death. They provide assistance in leaving their country and connect people to agencies to help them with resettlement. Caiti sees a role for Linden Lab, “I think if LL could highlight and also support those kinds of organizations, make the general community aware of ways that they can help, it would go a long way.” Yasyn is more interested in the deep change of personal transformation, that almost cellular shift that comes from changing one’s mind because someone has been patient with them. He would like people to be less concerned about people knowing the latest terms of art and more concerned about embracing their GLBTIQA brother, sisters, and nongendered siblings from Thailand, Indonesia, and indigenous cultures. “Language is vast. Labels are just a part of it and while they do serve a purpose in helping us find one another and help explain things to others, they are not all of who we are. Let’s help support people in feeling right within themselves, discovering themselves and feeling loved and accepted. Hopefully in time, with the community’s support, they will feel what is right for them and more empowered than when they started.” Taylor thinks SL is a fairly safe place except for the occasional troll and though dismayed by the human rights retreat under the current American administration, he recognizes that many people in other countries face much more severe challenges. He sees room for education and building awareness. “So many great organizations in the real Page 76 | ECLIPSE June 2019
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world penetrate Second Life in regard to events that raise money for them. Events like Fantasy Faire for Relay for Life, One Billion Rising, a call to action based on the abuse women around the world deal with. Having events like this brings awareness to so many important causes. With June here, Pride Month starts and being able to express myself and talk about such important topics to me through this magazine is one step in the right direction. But we can always do more, and that always starts with taking the first steps towards a better world.” The theme of Second Life is our world, our imagination. Six residents imagine a world where everyone is free to be themselves and to have loving relationships with whom they want. They don’t want to be tolerated, they want to be accepted. As Taylor said, quoting Lin Manuel Miranda, “Love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.”
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The Good, The In L’Anclen Regime, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote “It is not always by going from bad to worse that a society falls into a revolution. It happens most often that a people, which has supported without complaint, as if they were not felt, the most oppressive laws, violently throws them off as soon as their weight is lightened.” While he wrote that in 1856, it was only in the post-World War II era that his point was formulated into the Theory of Rising Expectations that argues that revolutions happen when people begin to expect more. As the gap between expectations and reality grows, the potential for rebellion grows, too. It was this Revolution of Rising Expectations that ended colonial rule around the world. It brought down the Shah of Iran in the Seventies, Papa Doc in the Nineties, and will continue to spark revolution into the future. It was June 28, 1969, and America was on its third war in as many decades, wars for freedom, democracy, and against oppression, or so it was claimed. Yet at home, people of color, women, and sexual minorities were under the thumb of oppression. The Civil Rights Campaign made strides in winning the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Second-wave feminism was beginning to organize into a full-fledged movement with wins in Congress and the Supreme Court. African-Americans and women were demanding the rhetoric of justice and equality include them. When police raided Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Christopher Street known for its mostly black, poor clientele, many of them drag queens, that chasm between the rhetoric of equality and the reality of oppression sparked a rebellion that continues until today, exactly fifty years after the Stonewall Rebellion. A year later, the first gay liberation march was held in New York City. It was called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March for the location of Stonewall. More marches for gay liberation were held around the country, always in June, marking this seminal event. Over time, as the movement for gay liberation became more mainstream, they began to be called Gay Pride, noting the shift away from the revolutionary goals of liberation toward the more conservative goals of civil rights. The marches became parades, Pride spread around the world and so did acceptance of identity and orientation beyond the traditional heteronormative cisgender couple with 2.4 children. For this Fiftieth Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, ECLIPSE takes a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly in the world today.
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e Bad, The Ugly The Good: • The World Health Organization stopped classifying being transgender as a mental illness in 2018. • Marriage equality exists in 26 countries. • Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage. • India, Botswana, and Angola legalized homosexuality • More gay, lesbian, bi, and trans candidates ran for office and were elected. The Bad • The United States has chartered a new Commission on Unalienable Rights to take a “fresh look” at how the US centers human rights around the world. The people involved suggest it will end the U.S. defense of gay rights internationally. • The rise of authoritarian leaders around the world brought a retrenchment of gay rights in several countries. • More and more states are passing “Religious Freedom” bills that would more accurately be titled “Freedom to Discriminate.” • Sao Paolo may have been the home of the world’s largest gay Pride parade, but under its new president Boisonaro, gay rights are under threat. The Ugly • It remains a crime to be gay in 73 countries. Many of those countries have long had laws criminalizing consensual relations between men, but they have added new laws criminalizing bisexuality and lesbianism, too. • Chechnya opened the world’s first concentration camp for gays since Hitler. • Putin is pushing an anti-gay agenda in Russia and supporting anti-gay campaigns and politicians around the world. Sometimes it can be depressing to consider the state of the world, but fifty years ago, homosexuality was criminalized in most of the United States. How far we have come. Thanks to more and more gay people coming out to friends and family, people discovered that being gay was actually pretty ordinary and the culture moved quickly from tolerance to acceptance, because if you’re not accepting your cousins, nephews, neighbors, teachers, and all the other LGBTIQA connections we all have, you’re the odd one out.
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the proust spotli
photography by minnie fae mo
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. ECLIPSE Magazine has teamed up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, so each month the blogger we showcase on the Proust Spotlight is a group member. The group member we feature this month is the talented Minnie Fae Moonflower. She shares, “Hi I’m Minnie, I’m an avid roleplayer, harry potter fan, and Game of Thrones fan. When I’m not out roleplaying I am helping manage bloggers for Love, and The Crystal Heart Festival, and if I’m not doing those things I’m taking pictures and shopping. The time not spent on my computer is spent at work, home walking the dogs and playing pokemon go! “
ght
oonflower.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “I feel like that’s right.” What do you consider your greatest achievement? Probably holding my position as a supervisor at my job for my age, and overcoming the obstacles it took me to get where I am. What is your greatest regret? My greatest regret is something I often forget and have to relearn over time, is putting my faith and trust in people who don’t deserve it. Letting people in that don’t deserve to be put in my circle, and letting them take away from my good vibes. What is your motto? Peace, Love, And Tacos.. More or less go with the flow of things and enjoy life as much as you can while we’re here to enjoy it. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A dog that lives with a good family, and gets well taken care of, because who doesn’t want to sleep all day? What is your ideal of perfect happiness? My perfect ideal of happiness? Most likely living up next to the mountains somewhere with a large piece of land and rescuing animals that can’t find good homes taking them in and protecting them. Connect with Minnie on her Flickr and Facebook.
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at home with...
STYLING BY ben lewis. photography by
ECLIPSE Magazine explores the long underappreciated and overlooked world of home and garden design. The flourishing diversity and abundance of choice since the mesh revolution has led to a bold new world of creation. For this month’s feature, the talented Ben Lewis inspires and delights with his extraordinary decor styling and realism of his photography. See more of Ben’s work on Flickr.
ben lewis.
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Hacienda Outdoor Seating & Exterior House Milk Motion - Formentera House Artisan Fantasy - Santa Fe Patio 03 - Chair , Santa Fe Patio 10 Rug & Stony Hollow Floor Pots Apple Fall - West Village Candle Brass Thor - Mojave Cushion Duo Soy - Shitamachi Alley Garden Potted Plant Fancy Decor - Timber Table Elev8 - Seattle - Magazines Anhelo - Still Life Cactus
Hacienda Living Room Fancy Decor & Commoner Indio Sofa, Indio Rug, Indio Accent Chair, Indio Chandelier, Indio Coffee Table, Indio Magazine, Indio Candle, Indio Hourglass, Indio Cactus Planter, Indio Side Table, Indio Mug & Slater Candle Fancy Decor - Prescott Basket Artisan Fantasy - Hacienda Fireplace, Hacienda Fireplace Longhorns, Hacienda Hat Rack, Hacienda Portraits, Hacienda Fireplace Pot, Lodge Trophy Bison - Decor & Santa Fe Patio 05 - Potted Cactus Theory - 3D Faux Fur Hide, Artifact Childersburg Vase, Framed Navajo Rug & English Chest on Barley Twist Legs Mithral - Philodendron Pedatum, Hoya Kerrii Variegata & Monstera Adansonii Loft & Aria - Audun Cow Ottoman & Audun Print KraftWork - Marfa Bajio Skull MudHoney - Eva Lamp InsurreKtion - Ellen Living Deco Hive - Large Palm Plant
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Hacienda Dining Room KraftWork - Trancoso Table & Trancoso Chair Ariskea - Botanica Macrame Table Cloth & Primavera Plates & Green Apples The Loft & Aria - Alderan Candle White, Tennyson MCM Lamp, Audun Wall Decor & Audun Decorative Ladder Elev8 - Nobu Place Setting Theory - Ancient Polychrome Vase InsurreKtion - Ellen Living Plant & Ellen Living Vase Myrrine - Boho Rug Ionic - Wooden Console Soy - Superlong Potted Cactus A&B
Hacienda Bedroom Artisan Fantasy - Hacienda Bed, Hacienda Console, Hacienda Striped Rug, Hacienda End Table, Hacienda Coffee Table, Milltown Hat Boxes, Mission Pillows, Mission Tripod Candle Group, Asilah II Plates & Santa Fe Patio 09 - Hurricane Candle Hanging The Loft & Aria - Branwyn Potted Agaveium, Troubadour Candles & Audun Cactus Scarlet Creative - Foundry Hide Sofa & Foundry Antler Chair 220ml - Jon’s Pleasure Pack Cup & Jon’s Pleasure Pack Ashtray w/ Cigar Lode - Gladiolus Vase Fancy Decor & Commoner Indio Books Apple Fall - Whisky Decanter Hive - Rose Vase - Red & Large Palm Plant Bazar - Traveler Lamp Tartessos Arts - Challenge Chess Set Mithral - Vertical Wall Pipe Hanger Legacy Creations - Fleer Blue Rug
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the final winter
written by tayl
lor wassep.
It would be hard to find a show as beloved in modern times asGame of Thrones, written by George R. R. Martin. I tells a story from many different points of view from the people of Westeros and beyond. Such a fantasy translated wonderfully, for the most part, into a television adaptation. What makes this world Martin created so amazing? Would it be the colorful characters who carry on as an everyday person might? Could it be the cut-throat, no pun intended, nature of a sociopolitical struggle driven by duty and love. Or, could it be fantastical natural, in and of itself, that allows for adults to escape into this world of Giants, Dragons and White Walkers? No matter why you have fallen in love with the novels or the television show, one thing is for sure; we all knew who wanted to see on that Iron Throne. Maybe, having an emotional connection is what makes the fans of this story so passionate. So passionate that people have gotten a tattoo declaring their allegiance to a house. Had weddings inspired by some of the less “colorful” weddings; maybe staying away from reds or purple. Or, even going as far as to name their children after their favorite characters. Whatever the reason for the love, its been infectious. So much so that it caught the attention of someone who cannot stand the sight of bloodshed or gore. You’re right, I’m talking about Trouble Dethly. Trouble tends to enjoy the more romantic, humorous side of storytelling staying away from the more gruesome aspects you might find in a fantasy novel. But last year, his girlfriend, Autumn, mentioned that she is a fan of the show. Being the mischievous imp he is, (get it, imp…dropping all the references here), he pretended to know nothing of the show while secretly reading up on the past seasons and watching climactic moments of the television show. Page 122 | ECLIPSE June 2019
Photograph by Grace O’Malley Featuring Wasabi, Loki, RINKA&AMPRENTA, KOPFKINO & Elm
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Featuring Wasabi, Bauhaus Movem
Photograph by Amelia Featuring Disorderly
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Photograph by Adalynne Romano ment, BackBone, RINKA&AMPRENTA & K&S
Coming fresh off of his first one-off event, The World of Magic, Trouble and his partner Will Corrigan recognized one advantage of creating singular events is they can host more timely events that recognize what is happening in popular culture. It couldn’t have been more perfect with the end of Game of Thrones. Together, they wanted to create a sendoff to this wonderful show. They call it The Final Winter. As Trouble and Will have worked so well together in their last one-off event, they thought it make sense to create a production company, Basic Boyos Events.
“
We want to not only have incredible creators but to also make the event an unforgettable experience. It’s why we put so much detail into the build, why we have theater shows. We want that sense of community. Anything but basic. – Trouble Dethly
”
And like last time, the totally immersive build comes courtesy of Aryiana Novelli, of Noxturnal. For the rest of the decor, Will was t in charge. He had a vision from the beginning to have the event space be beyond the Wall. For those unfamiliar with that location, in Game of Thrones, anything Beyond the Wall was deserted, nobody went past this giant ice wall the separate the true North from the rest of Westeros. So, I guess we can say that the event lays behind that giant ice wall. Guess there never was a REAL army of the undead, pfft. Like in many of Trouble’s past events, this is not simply a shopping venue with a theme. No, there has to be fabulosity and fierceness, and what better way to display that creativity than through the performing arts. The theater program for this event is unique in that the production was written solely by Autumn Rose (Candygunpowder Resident). ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 125
“
… we would showcase event designers either as costuming for the actors/ actresses or as the backdrop for the show. I guess, it’s important to me because it ties in my past to my present – Trouble Dethly
”
This performance is an adaptation of a tragic love story of two star-crossed lovers, Rhaegar and Lyanna and is called “The Age of Dragons.” In addition to the theatrical performance and the event itself, there is a fun little Dragon Egg Hunt as well. Just head on over to The Final Winter and check the stalls of the participating creators.
Photograph by Autumn Rose Featuring Dahlia
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Photograph by Trouble Dethly Featuring Dahlia, The Forge, RINKA&AMPRENTA & K&S
All and all, anyone who has a love for this inventive and whimsical world of Game of Thrones, should take some time from their busy schedules to enjoy this event. Not to give too much away, but if you haven’t checked out the Basic Boyos Events Facebook page, you might not have seen a certain devoted dragon flying above the event space. What could it be looking for? It’s eggs, its family? Who knows, but just don’t say Dracarys too loudly, or else you might get a quite nasty surprise. Just for you readers, Trouble was able to give me some insight into The Basic Boyos next one-off event, FeverFete. Happening during the Dog Days of Summer, this Coachella-esque venue will serve as the hottest Summer destination on the grid. Taking inspiration from the aesthetics and culture of music festivals, it will offer an impressive array of musical genres; from K-Pop to Country, Indie Rock to Dance/Techno. All culminating with a two-day live music concert that, according to Trouble, will be “lit af.” The Final Winter opened May 30th, and will close 5PM on June 16, 2019. Valar Morghulis ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 127
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the ministry of mag
Written by tiffa
gic
any parkin.
Television and movies have this amazing way of creating their own cultures within our lives. The same can be said of print media such as comic books. We have seen this over the generations as Star Trek and ComiCon conventions developed and continue to grow in popularity. The rabid nature in which the Star Wars fan base has eagerly anticipated the arrival of the next installment in that story has even resulted in the “filler� segments of the story titled Rogue One and Solo in an effort to keep fans calm between new episodes. The Avengers movie series and its continued popularity is another example of how these storylines, particularly those which bring us a mysterious and mystical story highlighting the battle between good and evil, grab our attention and breed a following all their own. When J. K. Rowling began writing her first installment of the Harry Potter series, it was highly unlikely she ever imagined her story of a young wizard and his friends would grab the attention and love of so many. As she continued writing each installment in her series, the story grew in popularity. With each edition, fans of Harry Potter found themselves growing with Harry, Hermione and Ron. We found ourselves eagerly anticipating the next story that showed us how much they had grown and matured, while always keeping And Mischief Managed arrived in Second Life. their childish charm about them. Approximately eight years ago, a new resident Harry Potter, like Star Wars and Star by the name of Klepto was drawn into Second Trek, developed into a cult following Life by the promise of experiencing her own all its own. Children dreamed of being version of the Harry Potter story. Arriving at Harry or one of the other characters Hogwarts Your Story (the previous name of in the series. Adults dreamed of being Mischief Managed), Klepto assumed her own children again and experiencing their place in the Harry Potter lore. Much like Harry first day at Hogwarts. Bumper stickers grew in influence within the novels, she has also representing the Deathly Hallows grown within her own magical story and now appeared on vehicles. serves as the Roleplay Department (RPD) Admin, Page 134 | ECLIPSE June 2019
Wik her The for t them lega of th
With the ope Insp
kia Admin, and Mistress of Lore/Canon. Under guidance, Mischief Managed has grown. ere are now more adult role play options the SL community to experience, allowing m to be a part of the continuing Harry Potter acy without having to rise through the ranks he Hogwarts student body.
h the help of Marina Tiepolo, Klepto and rest of the Mischief Managed team recently ened the newly built Ministry of Magic. pired by the actual Ministry of Magic from
the Harry Potter series, the goal was to provide an addition which not only wowed those entering the building but also inspired them to expand their own vision of their own characters. Whether adult or student, the new Ministry of Magic will allow all role players a richer and more immersive experience without being so confined by the rules of living and working in a mystical boarding school. While Marina has been a resident of Second Life for nine years, it wasn’t the lore of the Deathly ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 135
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Hallows that drew her onto the grid. Despite this fact, it very well could be considered destiny that Marina decided to explore SL after seeing an advertisement for it on a random website. Just as Harry was destined to battle Lord Voldemort, she was destined to find her way to Mischief Managed. During her seven years of involvement with the group, she has overseen almost every department before finding herself as a Build Admin, constantly helping the group grow in popularity and influence. Along with her work on new builds, Marina helps to support the roleplay by sharing her wealth of knowledge with both admins and roleplayers as a means of keeping the RP rich and diverse. Regardless of who sits in what position within Mischief Managed, everyone feels the new build would never have been possible were it not for the efforts of the team. Klepto is quick to deflect all credit for the new Ministry of Magic to the Build Admins and their team. “The work they did is incredible. I did a few textures, but nothing of any real significance,” she says. Even Marina seems hesitant to accept a great deal of praise for the new build. While the Ministry may have been Marina’s vision, the reality of that vision is, according to her, largely a result of efforts of Corwin and Markus. Speaking about Corwin, Marina says, “The textures you see in the Ministry are his and he helped immensely trying to get the right feel for it.” And there is no less praise for the meshwork provided by Markus. “He’s helped immensely bringing my vision to reality,” she states. Like many ideas in life, building the Ministry of Magic didn’t happen overnight. The idea has been brewing in the minds of Klepto and Marina for some time. Like a powerful magic potion, it needed all of the proper ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 137
ingredients before it could be simmered just the right amount of time to reach its full potential. The recent expansion of the Skill HUD and donation of land for the actual build were the final ingredients needed for this spell to be cast and the results have been...magical. The new space will allow a greater diversity of role play for those looking to immerse themselves in the Harry Potter experience. Along with greater opportunities for those
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wishing to automatically take on more adult roles within the RP, there will now be a greater diversity of storylines available to all players. Without the slightly rigid rules imposed by a boarding school headmaster and environment, Klepto and Marina hope to see greater development of politically motivated themes and storylines developing that exemplify the ongoing battle between good and evil. And without the confines of operating within the school year at Hogwarts,
the addition of the new Ministry and Umbrea, the possibilities of plots and subplots are growing significantly. “We want players to have direct impacts on plots and such through their in character actions,� Klepto states. The addition of the Ministry of Magic should help them achieve this goal. In case you believe that Klepto and her team are taking time to relax and just see what happens, you would be sadly mistaken. Any
great success requires always looking well ahead for the next great opportunity for growth. While neither Klepto nor Marina will share much about their future plans, Marina did let it slip that there will be the addition of Brighton Bay at some point in the future. Their own take on the Harry Potter there, Brighton Bay will be a darker and shadier addition, expanding the roleplay possibilities even more. As people will have even greater opportunities to roleplay those practicing
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the dark arts, Marina believes, “it will be interesting to see that side of Mischief Managed and let people have some fun.” So how does one go about finding out more about Mischief Managed and where they may fit into the Harry Potter world? Klepto and her team have made it easy. Information about Mischief Managed and the role play possibilities can be found on the group’s website. Any additional questions can be directed to the Acceptance Letter Owls (ALO) team prior to applying. Just as the Harry Potter series grew to include new stories, locations, spells, and conflicts, so will Mischief Managed continue to grow and expand. The team is constantly working on new ideas, though they keep them well hidden just as Harry and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army did in The Order of the Phoenix. As they practice their spells behind closed doors, their magical maps and charms are keeping these secrets well hidden from us all and thus far, no one has been willing to break their vow of silence. Until they are ready to cast those future spells, we will need to enjoy and immerse ourselves in the latest addition to SL’s own Harry Potter experience. Now, if we can all just manage to avoid trial in the Ministry’s new courtroom. As the battle between good and evil rages on, who knows which side will be serving as your judge and jury?
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the art perspect written by oema. photograph
Oema curates the ECLIPSE Magazine art column. Each piece, she discovers, reviews and highlights the work of some of the most creative and talented artists on the grid. She offers a fresh perspective in the vibrant and vast world of the arts. For this month’s feature, Oema showcases the exhibition “Cherry Box,” by Cherry Manga.
tive y by oema.
Cherry Manga has been a wellknown and admired artist for years in the artistic community of Second Life. Her style is easily recognizable and her installations are well-attended She also makes her sophisticated artworks available free and full perm to visitors. I think Cherry’s past in OpenSim (FrancoGrid) is significant in understanding her choice. Few artists make their creations available to all free of charge, but those who give them away full perm are even fewer. Cherry is not possessive of her creations and does not try to earn money through them. Instead, she asks supporters to donate, according to her abilities, at the landing point of her exhibition called “Cherry Box.” Viewed from afar, Cherry Box is a cube that houses other hubs within which there are different artistic environments. The spaces are open; the choice of textures allows the visitor to see in perspective almost all the creative rooms.
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Unfortunately, at the time of my arrival, I noticed that the teleports that should lead to different locations did not work. For this reason, at the end of the article, I add the links to each of the rooms at CherryBox. For an optimal view of the installation, I recommend using the environment’s default settings. In Cherry Manga installations, the human form is mixed with cubes. The scaffolding is made light through her choice of textures, often lattice textures, which give life to an open and evocative environment. Manga loves the play of light, which provides movement and atmosphere to the objects on which they rest. Cherry Manga was the first artist I saw using Animesh in SL. In her installation, there are several moving statues. I, therefore, recommend visiting the installation using a viewer updated to the Animesh to observe details that would otherwise be lost.
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Three art rooms are in the location: “Red,” “No Escape From The Grid - Animesh Playground,” and “Freebies.” All three deserve to be visited, but I must say that “Red” is my favorite, because, in my opinion, it reaches a high level of originality, communication, and technique. Cherry’s style reminds me of futuristic photodynamics. The “heart” of futurism is centered on projecting forward to the “tomorrow,” to innovation, to technological progress, and to its continuous movement. Rhythm, light, and line are the primary characteristics of futurist photodynamic which, as a communicative technique, can also be expressed through 3D representations, and not only through photographs.
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Filippo Tommaso Marinetti published on February 20, 1909, in Le Figarò, a Parisian newspaper, the Manifesto of Futurist Photodynamism and defined all aspects of this movement. In another writing, Marinetti explained how the Futurist artist should be, affirming these principles: “Those who think and express themselves with originality, strength, vivacity, enthusiasm, clarity, simplicity, agility, and synthesis. Who hates ruins, museums, cemeteries, libraries, bodybuilding, professorialism, academicism, imitation of the past, purism, longevity, and meticulousness. Those who want to develop, reinvigorate and cheer up Italian art, freeing it from the limitations of the past, from traditionalism and academicism and encouraging all the bold creations of young people”. Reading these words and thinking about Cherry Manga’s exhibition, I think we can say that the artist is fully entitled to the futurist trend of photodynamic. I conclude by saying that Cherry makes wise use of lights and projections of light: this aspect is particularly visible in “Red,” where light and movement are fundamental aspects in the artistic achievements of this artist “outside the box.” Teleport to “Cherry Box,” and check out Cherry Manga’s Youtube channel.
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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 asked residents “Many people say Second Life has made them a more accepting and openminded person. Has that happened to you? Why do you think so many people claim to have been changed by Second Life?”
grid
Photograph provided by Sylvia Olivier.
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sylvia olivier
S
ylvia Olivier has been in Second Life for far too many years and is still addicted to gacha, standing on her platform, blogging, decorating and being around her friends. She is semi-retired from working in SL but wouldn’t turn down a good opportunity if it should arise. She also wouldn’t turn down new friends but be warned she is very shy at first and likes to leave random sweet potatoes in your home. Also, sometimes she wears a Richard Simmons mask. I’ve been in Second Life for over ten years and I would be foolish to say that it has not impacted the way I think and feel about myself. I’ve had moments here that have challenged me to think about my real life and how the things that I have felt in Second Life have changed the course of my views. The partners that I have had and a person that I loved have changed me too and have allowed me to be more open in my sexuality. Before being in Second Life, I may have only seen myself as a Lesbian before but being in Second Life has shown me that more than anything that I am Pansexual and that gender doesn’t matter when you have a true connection with your hearts. That is just one example that has impacted me the most and I’m sure it’s different for other people – I think that we all have a story to tell. If you keep an open mind here good things can happen. Even though some things have broken my heart I’m still glad that I have had the opportunity to feel what I did at the time and learn about myself. I’ve learned many important lessons over the years. People are changed by Second Life because you are allowed to explore yourself in a way that is freer and more open than in the real world. You also encounter people that maybe you wouldn’t have or give a chance to someone that you may not have. Second Life is beyond gender, race and physical appearance or ability and that is one of the things that still makes Second Life beautiful to me. It’s your world, it’s what you make it and if you allow yourself to be changed by it the change can be beautiful.
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Photograph by Auguste Finistair.
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auguste finistair
A
uguste Finistair celebrated her 10th rez day this year. She has pursued many endeavors in-world, but her current activities include running a shape store named kieli with her best friend, blogging on Flickr, and working as a freelance photographer.
I believe that SL has an undeniable propensity to connect people across multiple spectrums, forcing people to step outside the socially constructed boxes or boundaries we surround ourselves with in real life. Simply the act of going to a concert or a store can put people face-to-face with characters, avatars, and people they would otherwise never encounter or interact with in their daily lives. With this, we come into contact with more perspectives on beauty (as an old friend once told me: it is easy to be perfect in SL, but it’s difficult to be beautiful) and desire--perspectives and lifestyles we might never have thought of before. This results in grappling with ideas and identities that are foreign to us as individuals. It also allows people to more comfortably open up about parts of them that the real world would scoff at, ostracize, or even harm them for; in other words, SL users find some level of safety and security to explore themselves and others in the obscurity and anonymity of the platform. That last part is where I find myself sitting. I have worked for many years to improve my worldview and acceptance of others outside of what I find familiar. Although SL has opened my eyes to things I didn’t expect to see, it has, more often than anything else, taught me that people’s behavior cannot be solely predicted based on demographics. I had, and to some extent still have, a tendency to view people as a series or collection of demographics--a person built of social constructions and ideologies. In my experience, those real-world constructions don’t always transfer to SL, or if they do, it’s in a self-affirming way akin to a distillation process. They are able to project an identity that makes them feel more confident in who they are and engage in behaviors or relationships that they feel barred from outside of SL. To summarize: I have learned to be more open-minded as a result of SL, primarily regarding my proclivity for judging others based on a small set of perceived social boxes. Check out her Flickr and Marketplace.
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Photograph provided by Leanne Mordue.
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leanne mordue
L
eanne Mordue [leanne8976] has been in SL for a little over two years and has always had a passion for photography. She started taking photos in RL during her teenage years in art school, so when she came into SL it was only natural for her to pick up this passion in the virtual world as well. She has thrived on learning different techniques and ideas from other wonderful artists and found immense joy in creating soulful images all over the grid. Her images can be found on her Flickr To be honest, SL hasn’t made me more accepting or open-minded. It’s two personality traits about myself I’ve always been proud of. I was raised to keep an open mind and an open view of the world and the people around me. Why shouldn’t we? We are all unique in our own way. As long as we stay true and honest with those close to us, I see no reason to fear or need to have shame in having to hide our true self in SL. It is the one place where we can be who we truly are, without the restrictions or taboos we might have in RL. SL did provide me with a “safe haven” so to speak to explore my own personality, to get in touch with people all over the world. To experience different views, exchange opinions, discover new music or art or even things as simple as getting hugged on a rough day. It has allowed me to bloom even in RL. By taking the things I experienced in SL, the things that truly make me myself and employing them into my personality in RL has certainly made me stronger and able to handle things with a different mindset compared to the time before SL. I can not, ever, express enough gratitude to the people in SL I hold close to my heart, for the friendship I have received from them. For their guidance and humour. SL is my escape, and even though there have been rough patches (there will be many more I’m sure because that’s true in both lives), I wouldn’t have it any other way. Second Life is a place where we can fly free. It’s not this perfected Eden of happiness. We will all run into the wrong people now and again, or experience heartache and drama. At the end of the day though, we make it what we want it to be. Just stay true to yourself. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Nathalia Archer
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nathalia archer
N
athalia Archer [aliznathalia.raviprakash] joined SL in 2008 and ever since she’s been hooked on the otherworldliness which this impossible world has to offer. When she feels sporadically creative, in moments most inconvenient, she loves to take pictures to upload to her Flickr. Nathalia also owns a modest little store on MarketPlace called !Sagittaria. Humans are the best, the strangest and most wonderful. I now know there are so many of us that go about their days whilst not actually being able to voice their ideas. The ones who act blandly because they just might be afraid of what others might think. In Second Life they’re truly free to live their life however they please, if only for a few hours a day. That’s the reason why people in here are so wonderfully wrapped up in their imagination, be it all forms of art or even expressing themselves through their own avatars. I’ve met so many interesting, beautiful, eccentric, outrageous and wildly creative people here with all kinds of lifestyles and hobbies and it really opened my eyes to humans as a whole. It’s like a sneaky little peek into their of their inner world and fantasies, and I loved every minute of it. Check out her Flickr and Marketplace.
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Photograph provided by Gabriel De Roca-Dynasti.
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gabriel de roca-dynasti
G
abriel De Roca-Dynasti [Wassup Bruh] joined SL in 2008 but, although he is eleven years in, he had not taken a real interest in working in Second Life until two years ago. His main passions are landscaping, decor, and videography. He first created Clean Cut Landscaping in November 2017 after doing a few jobs for friends and receiving positive feedback. He enjoys creating different themes for every client and aims to work at getting better each time. His love for videography started over 10 years ago when he made music videos for The Sims. Once he became comfortable with camera controls in SL, there was no stopping him. In January 2019 he created his very own Clean Cut Productions. He records everything from music videos, to parties and weddings. He treats both jobs with equal amounts of passion, attention to detail and professionalism. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Tye and his family, the De Roca-Dynasti clan, either barbecuing or having movie nights. I wouldn’t say that it’s changed me in that way. I have always been an accepting and open-minded person but I can see how it might have changed others. Has it opened my eyes to a lot of things? Yes of course. There are things that I had never heard of and never experienced that I have only encountered in Second Life. There are people that I have come across that I would never have met if it wasn’t for SL. There are so many different people here from all walks of life. This is the easiest way to learn from one another. I feel that a person can become more accepting of others because we pretty much all have this in common. We are here in SL together. Whether you don’t like a group of people or not, you will meet them in SL and you don’t know this right away. You get to know a person for who they are. Relationships are formed, whether platonic or romantic, and you see that people are people just like you no matter where they come from or who they are. This is a good thing. Change is always good. Acceptance of people and keeping an open mind about life is how you grow as a person. That’s one of the many great things about Second Life. It connects us all. Check out Clean Cut Landscaping on Flickr and Facebook. Check out Clean Cut Productions on Youtube and Facebook.
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Photograph provided by Mira.
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M
mira
ira [myryaam] joined this wonderful world in late 2014. At the beginning, she was wandering around without any goal or notion in mind. After a year or so she slowly got involved in SL photography. At first, she took pictures just for her own pleasure but soon she made her gallery on Flickr and this hobby became serious. Now she wanders with purpose: to catch the perfect light, the perfect scene. Ohh, definitely yes! At first, when I was exploring SL I found lots of strange places, with lots of strange people in every kind of form. I was unable to understand them, why are the acting as a kitty or dragon..or a princess—points at her and giggles—or just changing their sex. But as I started to talk to them I had to realize, its not roleplay for them. They are real people, with real feelings, but they just can’t be themselves in our rejecting the real world. And talking with them, getting to know them better somehow opened my mind and I was not that girl anymore who raised an eyebrow when she saw a so-called “deviant” person. It’s easy. I don’t think it. I know it, just because it’s happened to me too. They can explore themselves here without fear of hurting them or someone else— of course, I think you should follow the main rule in both worlds: never be too serious! And If you spend a longer time with your hidden elves and you have time to observe yourself and the people around who think the same, it will change you. You know I always thought, if you know yourselves, if you accept yourselves, your world will be a better place. Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Sophie.
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S
ophie [thekladanner] joined SL on New Year´s Eve 2015, searching for a new way to follow up on her beloved hobby—roleplay, which led her through the years to her roleplay home on Nocturne. Out of necessity, she began to build animations as her roleplay needed some that could not be found on the Marketplace. Soon friends asked her to build animations for them as well and suggested she sell the ones she had made. Today she owns a little store called Thekla Danner Animations. About the same time, she started to take snapshots in-world and found great pleasure in this creative artwork. With time and practice, the raw shots that still can be seen on the first pages of her Flickr developed into more professional ones. In May 2019, Sophie won 2nd place at the Redeux Photo Contest and since then offers services as a freelancing SL photographer to other residents, She enjoys competing in photo contests and this month took first in the We Love Role Play contest. She sees this as a way to push her out of her creative comfort zone. Alongside all of that, she teaches Psychology and Photography classes at Queen Charlotte Private College in SL.
sophie
When I joined Second Life, it took me quite a while to realize how amazing a platform it actually is. The internationality of it was obvious and still, I did not realize it, as I mainly stuck amongst people that spoke my mother tongue, which is German. It took me almost three years to push out of this comfort zone and find the courage to engage in the English speaking community. What happened then was mind-blowing. I had tea parties – literally – with people from the United States, Greece, Australia, Canada, and Croatia at the very same table. It sounds funny at first but think about it. There are no borders. How else would you get to experience a handful of other cultures at once just like that? I got to meet with people who were struggling in real life for various reasons and had found SL to provide them with a frame that enabled them to overcome those constraints and helped them to grow. Also, I got the chance to get in touch with their thoughts and ideas, cultures and stories of people whom I never would have had the chance to talk to in real life, which is absolutely amazing. Some people I met discovered talents in this second world they would never have been in touch with in the first one and I am like them. Five years ago, if someone told me I would learn how to do mesh or create animations, let alone engage in digital art, I would have laughed at them. Second Life gives the opportunity and also the challenge to meet with people we never would have met otherwise. And it is a meeting of minds, as the world itself asks us to create “us”. In reality, Usually, we are one way and think about how we would like to be instead. Second Life works the other way around. You pretty much start with thinking about what you want to be and who you want to be. This way it provides people with a blank canvas to create a very authentic picture of their dreams and wishes, hopes and inner self. That´s not always pretty. The power of doing whatever you want and being whoever you want to be can lead to abuse. And I think a lot of us have experienced that at least once. Has Second Life made me a more accepting and open-minded person? I certainly hope it has, as I got to know people I had not much more than stereotypes about in my mind before, due to lack of knowing any of them personally. Does Second Life change people? I firmly believe it does. Asking someone to create themselves from scratch the way they want to be, touches something deep within and brings out some very real things about this person, one way or the other. So in a way, I believe that in Second Life, many of us learn a lot about ourselves and who we really are if there are no borders. And that is where the circle closes, really. Second Life is all about the absence of restrictions and what those possibilities do to people. A mind without restrictions can be a stunning thing, or terrifying. Personally, I am lucky enough to experience the stunning bit of it more often, by meeting with wonderful, interesting people from all over the world, some of them are amongst my dearest friends in all worlds, really. And I get to discover my own potential and what I can do if there are hardly any restrictions. Learning how I am dealing with the temptations that come with that is a very precious experience as well. Where I come from we have a saying: Give a man power and you will discover his real nature. Second Life gives us a lot of power and therefore works as a mirror in showing us a part of reality that the real world often hides or limits. From that point of view, maybe Second Life does not change us but takes away filters that real life forces on us. Check out her Flickr and her store in-world and on Marketplace. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 175
Photograph provided by Sorcha Tyles.
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sorcha tyles
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orcha Tyles got lost in the world of Second Life from the moment she arrived there in December 2006 with her first avi Audra Starbrook. After a year and a half she decided to cancel her account but regretted it later and created Sorcha Tyles. She wandered around SL, made a lot of friends, and fell in and out of love. Photography slowly became her obsession over the years and she started to show her work on Flickr. Then things started to speed up, she wanted to make a statement and show the work of people that didn’t get recognised on Flickr or were hugely underrated and started her Gallery, Artful Expressions in 2016. She also started her own business with her best friend Ninna Dazy (since 2009!) and rents out small skyboxes. I’m not really sure if it’s SL that has made me a more open-minded and accepting person, I do have an open mind already. But the thing that SL has taught me for sure is that there are so many sides to people and that somehow chatting on SL makes it very intimate and personal, more than it would talking to someone in RL. Being on SL, seeing people from different cultures surely has made me more open minded about different religions. I saw bad sides of it but also the good ones, for example: being Muslim is not about bombing, not about killing people. It’s about love and compassion, even when I do see the side of it that I don’t like and why I’m not a religious person myself. I think people on SL are maybe more open-minded because of meeting so many people with so many stories. Sometimes it’s easier to tell your dark secrets to a total stranger who has no idea who’s behind that lovely avatar you see. Your world in RL can be very isolated sometimes, people with illnesses who don’t go out much find a world of compassion and consideration on the other side of the PC or laptop. For me, I have found myself doing things on SL that I would never have done in RL . It’s less scary to try out new things on SL than in RL I think. But there’s the downside of course too, you can get hurt very easily on SL too. If we open up a little about ourselves, about what drives us, and what our weaknesses are, people will understand each other better and I think that’s what creates a more open mind. Check out her Flickr, Blog and Gallery.
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Photograph by Wicca Merlin.
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lolita paragorn
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olita Paragorn first came into Second Life in early 2010. She was heavily involved in the modeling industry, has walked numerous runway shows and appeared in many print publications. With the rising popularity of blogging, she utilized her fashion knowledge and honed her skill as a photographer. She blogs for many brands both fashion and decor like Lybra, Dahlia, Kaithleen’s, Arte, GoS and Tetra, and is currently the blogger manager for Tiffany Designs. Second life is a game in which we meet many people from all countries. It is a chat platform mainly. Once again we enjoy talking with people from all over the world, being able to meet and have a great time. This nevertheless requires a certain civility and respect, just as in real life, we are never safe from a fool. Behind each avatar, there is a person with a real life, husband, children, work, family, leisure, ... When I started Second Life, my first concern was the language, I’m French, but very quickly with the translator and the dictionary, immersion made me progress. In this game, we can make a very good life in society, and those who say virtual, personally I answer, that it is visually virtual, but that nevertheless the people behind their screen have feelings, emotions, and also, a life. The avatar is an empty box that asks only to house a spirit. SL it is true, lets go a lot of excesses, but on some point, is not it the reflection of our world? Does the fact that it is created by living people and by everyone does not show us some truths about people’s thoughts? Naturally sociable in my real life, I am on the game a person with a list of friends who are stagnating. I know who I can count on and vice versa. I am French, I have small anecdotes that could show the mediocrity of some people, I was faced with francophobia. This made me stronger, and especially more suspicious, about the game. We must not forget people with excessive egos, where narcissism is almost obsessive, moralizers, mythomaniacs, pushy, ...Change with Second Life, we grow up, this game can become a great lesson in life. We even become very psychologically astute .. we manage to detect the person behind the avatar ... Second Life does not change a real life, it is only a complement. Some can live in ways the game what they cannot in real life. I knew contacts affected by the disease, paralysis, unemployment. Momentarily, Second Life helps them feel better, as a person, and eventually regain a taste for Life. Others are making a living that will never have the opportunity in real life. They live it well and fully without leaving their life aside. SL is a virtual adventure that is rewarding, you just have to get away from the drama. Whatever the RP chooses, the players are free with a single obligation to respect the TOS of Linden Lab. Check out her Flickr and Blog. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 179
Photograph provided by Mel.
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M
el [Melissadelice Placebo] joined SL in 2010 out of simple curiosity. She explored a lot and found her own way through everything this amazing world has to offer. From breathtaking landscapes to live musical events to fascinating and magical unexpected encounters, great creativity and much more. She finally became addicted to her Second Life. Passionate about photography, she joined Flickr last April and since then she keeps feeding it, trying to improve herself, day after day, photo after photo. Without sounding pretentious, I think I was pretty open-minded when I joined Second Life. But my experience in-world has probably enhanced that part of me for different reasons.
mel
First of all, meeting people in SL means meeting people from all over the world, with various cultures, various languages, various ways of life, various ways of thinking. We have so much to learn from others and learning of our differences is a real treasure. Secondly, the natural tendency in real life is to form an opinion of people according to their appearance, while here, since we only have pixels, we need to connect to the minds of the people we are in contact with to get an idea of who they are which changes the level of any relationship, it is more demanding but also deeper and less superficial. Thirdly, there are all those “technical” things that are part of SL with which we all have to learn: when you are a newbie, many people are ready to help you, to guide you, surely many more than you would find in real life, and is that ever a lesson of tolerance! Then there are the lag, the crashes, the different times zones, and so on. SL is also a good school for patience… And finally, I think that many people claim to have been changed by Second Life because SL offered them to find their own space for freedom. You can be what you decide to be, so one will be a furry, one will roleplay as a superhero, one will become a famous DJ playing at many clubs, etc. SL is a good way to escape from a RL that might be difficult sometimes. It reminds me of a moving story that a friend of mine told me: one day he had met a girl in a club, he invited her to dance, they talked and danced together for hours. At the end of the night, the girl kept thanking him and she told him that she was crying in RL. He asked her why and she answered him she was born without legs in RL, so she had never been able to dance and she was never invited to dance either. From that day on, her life began to change: she had gained confidence in herself. That’s all the magic of SL... Check out her Flickr.
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Photograph provided by Electric Monday.
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ELECTRIC MONDAY
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lectric Monday, Elle or Ellie to her friends, first joined Second Life on February 18, 2007 after watching a piece on CBS Sunday Morning, but not as Ele. She didn’t even finish watching the entire episode before going to the computer to see how to teleport and fly! She spent three great years as her first avatar, running an in-world group to deliver landmarks of the day (long before the Destination Guide), being involved with a RL company to help other companies set up their inworld presence and help run the first Virtual World Business Expo. In 2010, because her RL was heavily tied to her first avatar and a new RL job was ramping up outside of SL, she retired the avatar who was always “on call”, and entered SL on an earlier created, but unused avatar, Electric Monday! Locating wonderful landmarks is still her great joy, but now, not a daily requirement, and usually just to take photos— which is one of her favorite hobbies, both SL and RL. When she’s not making new sounds for her environmental sounds shop, Bunyi or helping Liz Gealach with PR for Thistle Homes, you can usually find her playing games, hopping around to shopping events, wandering art galleries, or tinkering with scripts for her sounds. She is currently writing the backstory and creating the environment for a new immersive art sim, due out soon! This has happened to me. Fortunately, as we age, we become more accepting of others, because our experiences have broadened and the number of people we’ve met has increased, helping us encounter other points of view and opinions. When I joined SL, I had met many people in RL before, but in SL you get to encounter so many people from all over the world. It was the first time for me that the world became a smaller place…the unknown was not unknown anymore…You come to realize that any preconceived notions you may have of other cultures get shot out of the water as you start to learn more about them. I hope this is true for other residents of SL, because I think it’s one of the biggest benefits to our community – we are all the same—no matter where we are from. This was one of the best parts about joining SL in the late 2000s—people talked to each other – they explored the unknown together, and learned about each other, even if they weren’t from the same place. We may not have the same politics, same skin color, or even the same religions, but people, at their core, are the same – they want what is best for their families and loved ones, and they want to enjoy life, have a laugh, and learn something new. I truly fear that SL is becoming a place where more and more people are isolating themselves from new experiences. I have a small challenge for any readers who haven’t experienced their world opening up through meeting new people in SL and listening – truly listening to different opinions than their own… give it a try– for the day you stop learning is the day you stop growing. If you are like me, and you have experienced this, then you know exactly the same thing – the reason for this question, “Why do you think so many people claim to have been changed by Second Life?” has to be because of the amazing people we have met and the experiences we’ve had with others sharing and learning from one another. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 183
Photograph provided by ICHICA Noel.
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CHICA Noel has been a part of Second Life since 2007. She usually runs her own cafe called Naturalia a gathering place for Japanese conversation. She also likes to visit her friends’ shops, shopping, and taking photos to post on Flickr.
I think the world of Second Life allows us a lot of freedom with minimal moral guidelines and rules, coming together with people from different countries, of different genders, ages, and family backgrounds. People come together with common interests across these boundaries. It is not easy to create an event or happening bringing the world together in real life, but in Second Life it can be done. Meeting people through their screens, was it possible to open their hearts to one another? In fact, I also had such an experience. I met a friend when I started Second Life who was from another country I was unfamiliar with. At first, while talking I relied on a translator. I was slow in speaking, but she listened intently. At first, I selfishly thought it would be frustrating to talk to someone from abroad because the conversation would be slow. But when we understood each other, I was filled with joy and gratitude for the pleasure of meeting good people. I have spent a long time–eleven years–in Second Life. There were hardships, fun, and joyful things. I have not left because I have had such a wonderful experience myself. I have many new friends. I want to be able to up a world that is different from the real world, one that I am able to stimulate and empathize with in various ways. Check out her Flickr and Naturalia.
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Photograph provided by Dhyezl.
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D
hyezl arrived in SL five months ago. He spent a large part of his time discovering this world. Thirsty to learn, he tried his hand at building, scripting, before stopping on photography. He is currently attending Professor Teddy Bear’s series of courses in Caledon to learn the basics. At the same time, he likes to visit and marvels at the great diversity of SL. Dhyezl also enjoys meeting friends from all over the world, and discovering art, shows in his favorite club, Babylon Berlin. I’ve only been on SL for a very short time, about 4 months, so I don’t have a very big perspective on all this yet. Everything is still quite new to me, but this subject already speaks to me a lot. In my first life, I am a 28-year-old man, rather well integrated into society and, I like to think, quite tolerant. Yet I come from a rather catho-rigid background but luck, greatly helped by the education provided by my grandmother, wanted me to keep essentially the values of sharing and openness towards others. By nature, therefore, it doesn’t matter to me the origins, orientations or ideas of each person... But being from a fairly protected environment, that remained a lot of theory.
dhyezl
My avatar is still very young on SL, just over 5 months old. When we arrive in Second Life, after having passed the quick tutorials, we very quickly find ourselves on a welcome sim dedicated to newcomers. It was my home during the early days of my SL life, as well as that of many others. I found myself faced with all the diversity of SL concentrated in one place, and was charmed by this “Court of Miracles”. You could meet, in a jumble, bimbos with oversized breasts, a fire-eating dragon, a muscle man in his car, gothics or stuck, sophisticated avatars total mesh as well as new ones still in their original avatars. It had a little magical side, it was a little bit of SL’s inventiveness, at least I experienced it like that, and as I am very tolerant, everything was fine. But very quickly, I got tired of the sorcerer’s apprentices who were having fun throwing bright balls into the sim and the schoolboys who were obviously only looking for a little fresh flesh to rob, or to get into a booty call. So I went to exercise my tolerance elsewhere, in a small private apartment that I have been renting ever since. Tolerant yes, but with some limitations, though. Since then, SL has taught me a lot about this famous tolerance, and it has also sometimes been questioned a little. I like to travel, visit, inform myself, I am curious about everything, and it is not my new SL friends who will be able to say the opposite! There is such a diversity of people and behaviours in SL that I found myself wondering “why” when I saw some people acting. Why does he accept to see a tag “bitch of xxx” above his name? And this one, who is a man but has a female avatar, is it “he” or “she”? It is also not always easy to remain polite and friendly when someone else is visibly in a place for the sole purpose of polluting the room. At the other way, I learnt a lot about gor, femdom and such a lot of people’s passion : scripting, photos, wrestling, I visited exhibitions, met some people who lead sims and I even discover concerts, theater, dance show... More than helping me to become more tolerant, SL is therefore a way to question my tolerance, to really experience it and perhaps give it a more “concrete” framework, which may seem paradoxical since it is a virtual platform. Obviously, if I meet a transgender person now, I would know how to say “she” instead of “he”, and undoubtedly, to talk with so many people of such origin and character, these vampires, these partygoers, people from the USA or India, all this helps a lot to open their minds and to better understand the other. And I believe that this diversity and this concrete side are the essential points to explain how people can say they are more tolerant and open-minded since they are on SL. Check out his Flickr. ECLIPSE June 2019 | Page 187
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places to go
written by novaleigh freng. photography by taylor wassep & troub
Places to Go... is a bimonthly ECLIPSE Magazine column that explores different areas of Second Life to visit. For this month’s feature, we explore the grid and find the brands with the best group gifts. It gets better... and we made sure they were free to join! So gather a group of friends and start joining!
ble dethly.
Featuring: Nutmeg - Old Stool w/Cloth Decor Pumpkin Candle Spilled Farm Eggs
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We all love a good bargain, right? Of course, we do. As Second Life connoisseurs, many of us have perfected the art of the virtual bargain hunt. Whether you’re used to the Marketplace Mambo or you have Fifty Linden Fridays down to a carefully executed cross-grid mission, most of us have saving Lindens down to an art form. Well, get ready, bargain hunters, because this month, ECLIPSE has brought you a list of some of the most fabulous places on the grid where you can get free stuff! Groups in Second Life can serve many wonderful purposes. They help to connect like-minded players, but they also serve as information hubs for some of our favorite designers, and occasionally, as a source of free exclusive merchandise. Put those wallets away and prepare to be amazed. Nutmeg Category: Furniture, Home Decor Nutmeg is a fun furniture and home decor store that features lots of items for the detail-conscious decorator. Nutmeg products are well-crafted from the ground up, featuring excellent design and beautiful textures. Don’t believe me? Check them out for yourself. But while you’re there, make sure you join the group. Nutmeg’s group is free to join and gives you access to store updates and group gifts for nothing more than a group space. Teleport to Nutmeg
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Blueberry Category: Fashion
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Teleport to Gabri
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Featuring: Gabriel - Body Bag White Line Baseball Cap Zipup Hoodie - 09Flower Wrong - Group Gift W-1
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The Owl Category: Poses If home decor and clothing aren’t your thing in Second Life, stop by The Owl. This store features tons of fabulous poses that are sure to bring your photography game to the next level. Bento-friendly, fun, and sometimes a little steamy, The Owl offers a great selection of poses and props that everyone from the budding photographer to the seasoned professional can appreciate, and The Owl is another hidden Second Life gem - there’s no fee to join this group and get in on the action! Teleport to The Owl Cold Ash Category: Fashion - Men Listen up, gentlemen! We all know how hard it can be to find quality clothing for men that doesn’t make our wallets want to cry. If you’re looking for your next fashion obsession in Second Life, check out Cold Ash. The store features men’s fashion for some of Second Life’s most popular mesh bodies. The best part? It’s completely free to join the group and get your hands on some fabulous exclusive items and information on new releases from the store. Teleport to Cold Ash
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Featuring: Cold Ash - Mesh Leather Bracelet Montana Tee (Sage Green)
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Featuring: Dust Bunny - Berry Cake DIY Rose Tea Rabbit Ear Sponge Cake
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Dust Bunny Category: Furniture, Home Decor Dust Bunny is a onestop-shop for home and decor lovers in Second Life. The store also features buildings, gachas, and other fun treasures to help you live your most fabulous Second Life. Stop by the store and explore, play on their gacha machines, and plan your next Second Life home remodel...but make sure to take the advice at the landing point and stay updated! Joining Dust Bunny’s group won’t cost you anything more than a group space,and will give you access to news and events surrounding the store - including information on some fabulous group gifts! Teleport to Dust Bunny
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THE wayfarer...
photography by temp
“The Wayfarer” is a monthly feature showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. What is lost is not always forgotten, and what is forgotten is not always lost. These are the thoughts that trickle upon the Wayfarer’s mind as he begins his exploration of Atonement with its vast overgrown forest and homes long abandoned overtime. Stumbling upon hidden gems, his heart aches a moment in remembrance of a time when his journeys were not made alone — though his eyes blink back and away the weakness of nostalgia. Immerse yourself in Atonement.
est rosca.
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