Under a Virtual Moon: Shamanic Drum Journeying

Location: In a cave on Clear Bear Ridge, Gaia Rising
When I found the journey cave, I was surprised, frightened and thrilled. I had heard about hokey Shamanic drumming but had never tried it. So, I plonked my avatar down on the blanket and started up the drumming. A lot of my fears disappeared even though I didn't understand the purpose of the drumming. Years later I found a book with CD of drumming, followed the book's instructions, and had my first Shamanic journey. And then I found a local first-life Shaman who offers monthly journeys. It wasn't anywhere near as scary as I thought.

The most scenic (and peaceful) way to arrive at the cave is to take a canoe from the dock across from the library and head around to the right. Once you get to the cave, you'll have to fly up or right click and "sit" on the blanket, as the water is a few meters below the lip. You can also try walking into the cave from the Native American ritual area on the other side, but to do that you'll have to walk through black-prim-total-darkness.

The blanket offers journeys from 10 minutes to unlimited. I suggest you do a little research on how to journey before using the blanket. On the other hand, you might enjoy the journey more by simply going with the flow.

In Other News
There's a tiny rash of Machinima videos being recorded in the pagan community. Anam Turas and others were included in a recently published video about Beltane. The same video group recorded the United Healer's of Second Life healing meditation this past Saturday. I'll let you know when the video comes out.

There was a Totem Animal celebration dance last week, which happened on very short notice. If you're interested in keeping up with the Totem Animal events, contact Shambala Kimono. Apparently she doesn't have a schedule yet.

Under a Virtual Moon: Spring Break

Pink!

Location: Second Life
I missed the Saturday morning circle with the United Healers, the Sunday morning discussion with Anam Turas and the Tuesday evening healing. I had a few first life commitments that got in the way. A really good excuse, yes?

It was, anyway, a quiet pagan week in SL. No Rising Moon meetings nor any Esbats, major or minor. I had hoped to focus on the pagan music concerts held Wednesday mornings at the Blue Moon Tavern on Gaia Rising but no one was there. The Wednesday evening United Healers "All Things Spiritual" discussion also did not happen. So, I went for a motorcycle ride with my buddy Nick.

Below is a shot of us on NIck's sim-wide sky track with motorcycle rezzer. My first choice was the pink cycle (above). After a few laps, Nick insisted that I ride a "real" bike. I have no idea of the model name but it has a serious chrome attitude.

Which doesn't matter, because I suck at driving no matter what the vehicle. I can't even make a flying carpet fly right. Nick made two laps around the track in the time it took me to make one. When I finally got up to speed on the chrome attitude, I plowed through the only loophole in the barrier and drove off into space.

The chrome attitude.

Under a Virtual Moon: Healing Energy Circle

The double healing circle at Clear Bear Ridge

Location: Clear Bear Ridge, Gaia Rising, Second Life
I've mentioned tangentially the weekly healing circle on Gaia Rising. Today I am going to take the time and space to focus on the Tuesday evening ritual.

The circle is led by Enchantress Sao, who was the primary reason I joined the Anam Turas group, why I stay in the group, and continue to visit Gaia Rising.

Enchantress is an open, welcoming, accepting spirit who recreated the earth she loves across four sims. While other flashier locations have dropped off my list, I continue to visit those sims. And I've learned much about compassion while observing E as she welcomes all and sundry avatars.

During ritual, simply by varying her intonation she makes the healing ritual other worldly, lifting it to a metaphysical plane. It is the subtext in her voice that makes ordinary words magical. I have experienced her speech as dramatic or emotional, but she can also speak softly and create the same effect. She's my example of an accomplished pagan priestess.

The healing ritual is generic pagan, a montage of practices. The quarter elements, spirits, sun, moon, and ancestors are called. Then the name of each person needing healing is read along with a customized healing request. Participants respond in voice or chat. Afterwards, the elementals and gods that were called are released.

Dress is informal. You're invited to dance, sing, drum, chant and play an instrument. Or you can sit quietly on a cushion and observe. The next circle is tonight at 7 PM SLT. All are welcome.

Deadeye Foggarty and Enchantress Sao on Imbolc at the Main Ritual Circle

Under a Virtual Moon: Mooning Around

New Moon Wishes Ritual - Jan 6th

Location: Main Ritual Circle, Gaia Rising, Second Life
Between the time of the second and third posting in this series, Iggy suggested a weekly update on Paganism (or Neo-paganism) and I agreed. Seemed easy enough. I participated in-world regularly. So, this would just be a matter of jotting down a few notes. Then the traditional Christian holiday hit with snows, a virus, and a visit from my daughter (which was a redeeming action). And, then, I don't know. Sometimes I just don't log in.

January 6th I participated in New Moon Wishing with the Rising Moon group. Aoife Lorefield, who led the ritual, talked about the new year and the dominant astrological influences. Aoife is particulary good at welcoming late comers and dealing with technological glitches. The ritual went well.

Now that the moon is waning, I'm beginning to see the results of that wishing. Yin wishing is a lot like praying constructed through ritual. I tend to forget most of my wishes, if I'm lucky. One always seems to stand out and haunt me all month. This time is was my healing wish. And I seem to have been favorably answered.

January 5th I participated in a, uh, line energy healing with The United Healers of Second Life. It was tacked on to the end of a discussion, led by Andre Farstrider, about raising energy. About eight avatars lined up and we projected energy to the AV in front of us, imagining our hands on their shoulders. The person at the front of the line got the benefit of all the energy. After a few minutes that person went to the end of the line and so on. When it was my turn, I immediately felt the crush and like I was about to burst. Discovered I was resisting and allowed the flow instead. I didn't stay at the front of the line very long.

Unlike me, the pagan groups got right back to it after the holiday, so the schedule is full, starting with Guided Healing Meditation tomorrow at 7 AM (SL) and then Imbolc on Gaia Rising at 11 AM. There's a second Imbolc ritual on Sunday at 6 PM. The Sunday Anam Turas pagan chat on Gaia Rising meets at 10 am.

There's lots more happening I'm not reporting here. Hopefully I'll get back into my SL routine soon. The potential to participate in three Imbolc rituals tomorrow (one in-world, two off-world) should help.

The seasonally decorated altar.

I wore my formal robes to enforce my commitment. The sun set during the ritual. The atmosphere effects were quite lovely.

Under a Virtual Moon: Healing and the Light of the Moon

Dancing in my Moon Temple.

Location: Second Life

Things settled down in the Anam Turas group, with regular Sunday morning Open Pagan Discussions, Tuesday night healing ritual, and Friday evening Tarot discussions. In fact, it got a touch boring making my weekly rounds. Then, due to scheduling conflicts, the Tarot discussion stopped. The Tuesday healing ritual got a little spotty. I thought the group was pretty much over.

Before I could give up completely, Aoife Lorefield started an astrology discussion. This wasn’t generic what’s-your-sign stuff. There was deep planetary tracking interpreted by Aoife’s penetrating insights. Before each new moon we learned about  that month's particular astrological focus for “Yin Intentions”, or wishes. She created the Rising Moon group for moon location updates. New moon rituals were held.

I’ve had varied results with the New Moon Wishes. Usually about half of my wishes come true. One month I got all of my wishes! On the down side, for six months I’ve been waking up when the full moon is directly overhead. Its an inconvenient yet nice-to-have energetic connection. Hopefully I’ll get a notion about how to use that energy. 

United Healers of Second Life

About the time Aoife started her group, ConnieJean Maven came along with a Reiki Meditation Healing Ritual and spun off another group, United Healers of Second Life.The Anam Turas healing circle involved dancing and heavy emoting. ConnieJean’s ritual involved quiet, seated meditation on pads laid out in an energy grid. I found the contrast instructive and learned to recognize energy whether active or passive. 

The first time I took part in the meditative healing circle I was filled with calming energy for days afterwards. The second time, the first life people whose names I placed in the healing circle were healed and energized. As a bonus, the good energy I had sent out came back to me. And that keeps on happening. There was also a chakra healing meditation focusing on the throat chakra. The next day I was talking my head off. 

The Anam Turas Tuesday night healing circles have returned. Although the scheduling has been a bit bumpy over the holidays, the Rising Moon meetings and United Healers circles are still happening. All of the groups are open groups. You should be able to find them with in-world search. Join up and try the energy. You could have a better New Year.

Under a Virtual Moon: Becoming a Pagan Groupie

A Lammas ritual on Gaia Rising.

Location: Gaia Rising

As a shy and hesitant neo-pagan solitary, finding and practicing with others was a little scary. It was much easier to find a group in Second Life where an avatar could stand in for the real me. Although the partying pagans of Artemis Tavern were friendly, I craved quiet and reverence. I found that in the Anam Turas group. 

On their sim, Gaia Rising, I found a sacred grove area. Seeing an altar with nicely detailed tools laid ready for use was much better than the line drawings or descriptions I had found in books. While the tools were decorative and unscripted, the ritual area had a magical cauldron to incinerate notecard wishes, a clickable ball that closed the circle with white particles, and stone bowls on pillars (which fired up colored particles on a click) at each of the four directions. 

I practiced there and in the circle dance areas, the singing chakra meditation bowl gazebo, and at a grove dedicated to the Green Man. Paddling along in a canoe, I discovered a shamanic journeying blanket. Seeing all these ritual areas laid out in a matter-of-fact way and being able to try them dispelled my fears.  

I remember quietly sitting in my first Anam Turas ritual hoping no one would ask me to do anything and yet wishing I could. There I was in quasi-fairy blue-skinned winged avatar with a monk, a dragon, a few robed human AVs with pentagrams, a humanized otter and an AV covered in a violent shade of violet. I felt right at home. And I did finally get the courage to call a quarter for a subsequent ritual. 

Those SL experiences gave me the confidence to participate in first life groups such as: the Earth Centered Spirituality workshop and group in my UU church, a local urban pagan church and a local rural pagan church. Eventually getting the courage to become immersed by participating in a pagan festival and retreat.

Gaia Rising is still a welcoming place for exploring paganism. Their one sim has expanded to four. Each Sunday there’s an informal discussion of all things pagan. Avatars from around the globe chat, in voice and in text, about their lives and direct experiences with natural energy. Perhaps I’ll see you there. 

Weekly informal pagan discussion on Gaia Rising.

Under a Virtual Moon: As in Second Life, So in the First

After "Belief-O-Matic" revealed my best religious fit as Neo-Pagan, I was eager to find out more. Coincidentally, I signed up for Second Life. Since Neo-Pagan was much like Pagan, searching on that term quickly brought me to the partying pagans of Artemis Tavern. When the tavern DJ, who also happened to be a landlord, heard that I was looking for a quiet plot to build a grove, he prepared a vacant parcel for me.  

Elaine Mumfuzz, noob neo-pagan.

I added a bunch of free and reasonably priced prim trees, building my grove with a clearing in the center. There I placed a meditation pad, a freebie magical goddess fountain and a field of particle flowers. After a few weeks of dancing the ubiquitous "dream dance" in my sacred grove, I felt more grounded and peaceful in first life and more tuned in to the ebb and flow of energy. 

Borrowing from rituals in world and resources off world, I created simple rituals to manifest intentions in both worlds. Sometimes I performed a ritual in SL and repeated it in first life and other times vice versa. The energy barriers between SL and first life dissolved. To explore those changing energies, I transformed the plot variously into a standing stone circle, a fire altar with candles, a simple prim cave, and covered it with sculpty water. My first life practice areas did not correspond exactly but that didn’t seem to matter as long as I worked similarly with the energy in both realms.

I moved on to terraforming, having found a water parcel in a quiet residential neighborhood. I transformed the parcel from a grove with a tree house, to beach property, to goddess meditation temple, and then to underwater nature center. In first life, my practice became increasingly complex as I began working with the cycles of the moon. In SL, I built a moon altar at 1400 m, leaving the ground area for public display.

I can tell you it is possible to do too much. I remember one new moon when I performed two in-world rituals and two off-world rituals within 24 hours. Instead of multiplying the energy into a frenzy of manifestation, I was becalmed. The energy stopped and nothing happened – fortunately. Since then I’m a little more careful, experimenting gently to balance in-world and off-world practices. 

So, I have learned whether in SL or first life, it is the same. What matters most is intention and infusion, whether in electrons and pixels or earth and moonlight.