DARK MOON IS NOW A JUNGLE!

 Yes, Dark Moon is now a Central? South? American jungle! Who knows, maybe it is Amazonian. I did not try to be accurate here, I was going for the "feel" of the jungle. And Neph's animator has been in quite a few jungles in RL, as a matter of fact. One thing about the South and Central American jungles is that the waterways are the roads! So feel free to walk in the blackwater river. As you wander about, note the lovely plumaria trees, and bird of paradise plants by Logan Bauer and fern trees by Elicio Ember. Wildlife abounds, and there are fun things to do on the river, just watch out for the anaconda beneath the swing!

Toucans are one of my favorite birds! I loved seeing them in Belize. I worry about them sometimes because if a toucan's beak breaks, it will starve to death~! Neph's animator had a toucan friend named Pete who used to like his neck scratched by her : )

 And not to worry! Although the delicate stone pavilion of the old Dark Moon have been replaced by rustic planks, there are still many private places to dance with your sweetie. The rainforest is known for it's old growth hardwood trees. Fortunately, in SL we don't have to raze the jungle to the ground to harvest these trees!

As a matter of fact, up in the northeast of the land, there is this lovely view spot to sit and enjoy some wine. On the table next to the wine, you will find a book with information on the deforestation that is going on in South America, and Central American rainforests too. There is also botanical information about the herbal medicinal plants we might be losing. (I have no idea how this lemur from Madagascar got here! But I do know Jon Haskell made him!)

 You may find ruins about. This particular stone structure seems to be an ancient cuddle stone left by some previous civilization that was here before the grid! I unearthed it terraforming, just as I did the Mayan Calender! Make sure you get the notecard in the entry cave so you can find what objects to click on, such as the Mayan Calender. You already know what to do with a cuddle spot : )

 Oh, and make sure you have the correct windlight setting! I specifically set the sim to a full moon in humidity.

 You might run across some monkeys. I had to plant this domestic banana tree to keep them fed though. (Yes, Jon Haskell again, and the Jaguar, and various water birds in the rivers.)

 The jaguars, by the way, are sacred to the Yoruban Orisha (god) Chango! Mostly they sleep, so don't worry.

 An important surprise awaits you at this waterfall, and I will talk about that in a bit. As you can see below, there are lots of edible plants in the jungle. The fern trees put out delicious tender fiddles that I grill up for guests daily. Well, I grill them but Elicio Ember of Cerridwen's Cauldron Creations created this particular species of fern tree through her hard work of breeding!

 Just a tiny bit off the theme, this is what awaits you in the meditation cave these days. Hephaistos Semyorka has made a life like copy of her RL Tibetan Healing Bowls! Not only that, but she has recorded the actual tones from them! Be sure to either lie down, or sit and enjoy this kind of healing on Dark Moon.

 

 The canopy of the rainforest above plenty of places to soak or just rest on the river.

 In the north, I have added what I like to call the Afro-Caribbean Mesoamerican Rainforest Roost. Say that five times fast! This little hut on a platform is a tribute to the African Diaspora religions that were brought to the Caribbean, South & Central America, and even North America, with the slave trade. The combination of the earth based religions of the Native Americans, the Spanish Catholicism, and the African tribal spirituality is a wondrous and beautiful thing. I have even arranged a healing ritual. Click on almost everything here!

 This is a veve to Erzulie. If you are from New Orleans or Haiti you might know who she is, if you don't know who she is, you might get an idea from the shape of her symbol, or you could just click on the floor.

More rainforest medicinal information, and more on Voodoo in the books here.

 Now this is La Sirena in Spanish speaking countries, and Yemeya in the Yoruban. Click on this statue made by Burke Benoir of the B&B Bontanica. She has created lots of the sacred objects of Voodoo that you find around the Rainforest Roost. You will also find Alrunia Ahn of Madragora's work here. Although she makes medieval objects, I find a lyrical connection. The ancient European religions were earth based too. Casting circles, using herbs, chanting, drumming, healing rituals that dissolve the mind/body duality are all features of pre-Christianity. We all have a lot in common. Importantly, we had better remember this before it is too late.

 Here I am making an offering to the Orisha (goddess) Oshun, the Yoruba equivalent of Erzulie. Again, be sure to click on these offerings for information and chants. But here is the most important thing below.

By the waterfall, there is a contemporary Mayan vase. Please, if you do nothing else at Dark Moon, watch the hour long documentary that is linked there. Everyone is talking about the Mayan Calender and the end of the world, but what are the Mayans saying about it? Find out! This is an incredible and wise answer.

Come see the rainforest! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dark%20Moon/106/243/23

Check out Madragora! http://slurl.com/secondlife/GMI%20Orlaith/201/92/23

Some of the special flowers by Logan Bauer at:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alternate%20Reality/142/140/55

For animals! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Extrem%20Island/174/50/26

And for your spiritual needs visit: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Night%20Whispers/241/214/3002

In case you need lovely fern trees: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cerridwens%20Cauldron/128/72/984

Mayan Calender found at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dynasty%20Land/204/206/1101

For various Mexican art try http://slurl.com/secondlife/Linda/138/207/26

DANTE'S INFERNO by Rebeca Bashly

Entrance to Hell

Through me the way to the infernal city: 

Thougt me the way to eternal sadness: 

Through me the way the way to the lost people

These are the opening words to Rebeca Bashly's Inferno, Dante's words. Bashly's build is a work of art that soars high above the Second Life grid, and high above most standards of art inworld! Yet be wary.This build is disturbing, very disturbing. The vision's of Dante's 14th century hell fly in the face of our time. I noted in particular the demonization of the ancient Greek creatures that later in the romantic period of art took on such noble character. Of course, Harpies, and The Furies have only been considered helpful in Dianic Pagan circles, certainly not the 9 Circles of Hell depicted by Dante.

Harpies Like the Gorgon Sisters

That vision of the world was fueled by the terrors of the plague and witchcraft, the ancient earth bases spiritual traditions persecuted, and their practitioners tortured and burned at the stake. But Dante is more concerned about your normal sinners: grafters, hypocrites, gluttons, and the like. At least the Pagans were merely condemned to Limbo (one of the more benign areas of Rebeca's build), because they were born too soon to have Jesus die for their sins. 

Lost Souls in Limbo

Gluttony

Virgil & I Survey Seers Being Punished

Hypocrites

The Greedy

One area that truly disturbed me was the River Styx. As a Dianic Pagan, I am ferried across these narcotic waters on a barge, led by the Dark Goddess Hecate, each Halloween. To many modern day Neo-Pagans, this is the highest holy day or Sabbat. It is a time of the ancestors, our New Year, the Blood Harvest. Consequently, the image of bloody waters where the condemned dead feed upon one another is horrific! This is my response, I felt the weight of history upon me, not as a Christian, but the history of women murdered as witches as the result of this kind of belief system. I felt the sacrilege of demonizing the Greek immortals. In fact, I find it interesting that Dante chose a Greek motif for hell; basically unbelievers punishing sinners? Of course Dante was inspired by Virgil. And of course, ultimately the bastardization of The Great Horned God being propagandized into Satan.

Cannibalistic River Styx

Of course you MUST see this build! Rebeca Bashly's work is amazing! It will disturb sinner and saint alike! Though what is important here is that Dante is memorialized. Those unfamiliar with the work, or that century, will get a real feel of the terror, and the darkness of the times. Those familiar with Dante's Inferno, will need no other explanation. So stop by this incredibly meticulous work of art for a tour led by Virgil, and teleport to each of the Circles of Hell. If nothing else, it will make you very happy to be living in the 21st century! But none of these pictures do justice to the sheer magnitude of Bashly's work. You just have to immerse yourself.

Meeting Mr. Big

Here is your link to the INFERNO! http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA6/96/162/625

QUINTESSENTIAL IGOR BALLYHOO

Now on display at UTSA Art Space is what I hear is Igor Ballyhoo's final build! Golly I hope not! But I must say it is SPECTACULAR!

 

Set to Beethoven's 7th, the installation is a dark, cyborg-esque aerial landscape. Floating islands create stairs up to various smaller works. Often they support rusty partial human figures that read like Bosch. In one floating island room two cynical rusty cupid figures guard an imprisoned time piece, or at least that is how it appears to me. Many of the figures appear mutilated and dangerous as they march time to the dramatic chromatic bass line of Beethoven's coda. It is a march to a dark future.

Now I usually do not like dark works, and I do not know that this installation was build with Beethoven's 7th in mind. The combination, however made me feel as if I was to accept some sort of futuristic doom joyfully.

The juxtaposition left my avatar dancing ballet dementedly amongst the floating islands. Also the tempered use of glow inspired Neph to dance in a small electric gazebo she found.

And although black, white, and red have been done to death, the blood dripping UP from the central chessboard platform was a reassuring reference to Alice in Wonderland, not to mention Steven King!

Remnants of Igor's Scissor Forest circle menacingly through the sky as if to say, "Remember me."  (see my "Art & About" for pics of the scissor forest!). Gee~ I hope he comes back!

Check it out at http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/108/118/3958