Sex and the Single Avatar in Second Life XVII - Exploring Nudity in Second Life

Nudity quickly becomes unremarkable when generally practiced.

Martha Nussbaum

           While I’ve blogged a few times recently about nudist sims in Second Life (SL), I haven’t talked about nudity per se inworld for a while so I thought given how it’s summer now where I reside in Real Life (RL) that this would be a good time to do so.  (Significant Other’s eyes roll.  I’d like to note who teased me into going nude inworld in the first place.) 

  

          I just want to share a few observations about nudity in SL with my three loyal readers and whoever else would like to read them, the “naked” truth if you will!  (Significant Other cringes.)

          I still wander around nude inworld.  

          “Why?” you may ask.  

          First off, many places that I visit inworld for my stories require nudity. (Why I visit such places will be the subject of another story!)  

          Next, I freely admit that I’m too lazy to keep changing clothes in SL.  (L’il Sis has cast a critical eye on my sartorial choices inworld.  (She is one of many who has only seen me clothed!) Significant Other makes similar comments in RL.  Once again, I think these two are comparing notes about me when I’m not around.)  

          Finally, running around nude is something that I would never do in RL and SL gives me the chance to try this without embarrassing myself.  (Significant Other merely sighs.)

          Another question I get a lot is, “Are you a nudist?"

          No, I’m not. 

          Although, I have many friends inworld who insist that I am.  (I have noted that these are folks who would never be nude either inworld or anywhere else.)  

          I happen to be in undress at certain times inworld because it’s appropriate for and necessary for my writing and exploring.  Contrary to popular belief, I’m not always nude.  (I

really wish that L’il Sis would stop reminding me constantly to make sure that I’m dressed when I visit First UCC!  Sheesh, I used to be an altar boy back in the day.  I know something about the decorums!)  

          While nudist sims tend to come and go, I find that nudity itself is alive and well inworld. 

          There tend to be two major categories of nudists in SL.

          The first are like naturists in RL who are nude for the sake of nudity and abhor the sexual connotations that many associate with wandering around nude in public with members of both sexes.  (While I understand and respect their beliefs, I’m still trying to figure out why they act so surprised when others, generally clothed, make this obviously erroneous assumption.)  

          The second group of nudists throw caution to the wind and happily indulge in sex inworld whenever they get the chance and couldn’t care less what others think.  (Caroline Resident will be very happy that I wrote this.)  

          (There’s also a third, smaller group of people who go about semi-nude inworld and generally hang out in clothing optional sims with nudists.  I’m still trying to understand them.)  

          Both groups have their own sims but do often mix together.  (Although, when this does occur, I find it does make me think about the juxtaposition of voyeurism and

exhibitionism inworld.)  

          Many like me only practice nudity inworld and would never dream of doing this in RL.  (I get the look from Significant Other.) They’re only exploring and testing their limits.  

          Some do practice nudity in RL and come inworld for new experiences or possibly when it gets too cold where they live.  (Interestingly, I’ve met some who only practice nudity in the privacy of their own homes.)  

          Have you ever practiced nudity inworld? Once? Frequently?

          Do you just do it inworld or do you practice nudity in RL?  (Your shower doesn’t count.) 

          Please share your experiences with us and I’ll try to write a follow-up piece on this topic!

          One last point, you won’t find pictures of nudists with this story.  I’m still not that kind of blog!

      

    The pictures included are from SL nudist sims past and present.  

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives.  

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

          Open roads and kind fires!  

Ruminations on Second Life

Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.

Victoria Holt

          

          As is my wont (Hey, it’s my blog after all!) every once in a while I stop in between projects and ruminate about what I’ve seen and learnt in Second Life (SL) as I’ve wandered about.  And, at the risk of becoming overly self-centered, there’s a lot to think about.  Especially around the question of whether or not the promise of SL has been fulfilled. 

          I always come back to the diversity of SL.  The many different types of residents inworld, what they do, and how they do it never ceases to amaze me. I freely admit to first coming onto the grid expecting it be populated by an overly technical group of geeks building whatever they took a fancy to.  Yes, there is certainly that group inworld but there are many others too. 

          The social aspects of SL took me by surprise.  People had come inworld, overcome the hurdles (more about these later), and staked out communities on this virtual frontier.  Many of these were drawn by the social aspects of SL.  Others by the creative opportunities. 

          People come together to socialize but also for other personal reasons such helping one another.  People go to concerts, create new art forms which can only exist inworld, and are reinventing the literary salon.  Don’t let me forget that old cultural standard, the magazine. 

          With communities and socialization comes bad behavior and, unfortunately, SL has it.  Glorf Bulmer and Lindal Kidd have recently blogged about some of the behaviors they have encountered recently. I regret this type of conduct inworld as much as I do in RL but I do find this a reassurance of the vibrancy of life inworld.  (Glorf will kill me for writing this.) 

          Another interesting observation I’ve made is how these communities can either parallel Real Life (RL) interests and communities or be completely stand alone in SL.  The BDSM communities come to mind for the former and vampires for the latter.  (If there are any RL vampire communities co-locating in and I’ve missed you, I apologize and want to meet you.) And, these are only a couple of examples. 

          Other things I’ve noticed in SL are that there is a lot to see and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of it all.  (Although with sims shutting down I do worry this may not be as much of a problem longer term. Sorry, bad joke.)

          I have noticed that things change fast inworld.  Some of the groups whom I first met when I began blogging I’m now told are no longer as cohesive as they once were.  Good friends have quietly winked out never to be heard from again.  Some of the more poignant blogs I’ve read have been about friends lamenting the disappearance of those whom they’ve been close to and have never come back.  A real sense of loss can be felt by the survivors and I may run the risk of sounding trite here but the not knowing what happened really bothers them. 

          Of course, there’s the more traditional break up of a relationship where both parties are inworld and don’t want to know where the other is.  The anonymity of SL relationships plays an important role here.  Myself, I always take at face value how a resident presents herself or himself.  One could drive oneself nuts trying to figure out who is really behind an avatar really is.  I’ve always been suspicious that many avatars whom I meet inworld are fronts for nineteen year old unemployed community college drop-outs who live in their parents’ basements in suburbs of Detroit.  Yet, I’m always told by my inworld friends to remember that there is a real person with real feelings behind that avatar. 

          Finally, while I find a lot of repetitive “me too-ism” inworld in some creators’ work there is still much original work.  The recent addition of mesh technology in SL has fueled a creative revolution in my humble opinion. 

          All of this has got me thinking about the promise of SL versus the reality especially when measured against Facebook (FB). In RL, when I mention SL these days, many are surprised that I’m still here.  Most had avatars or still do, they just haven’t returned in years. 

          When I inquire as to why they haven’t returned, the infamous hurdles are raised.  They say that getting set up was a hassle and when they finally got an avatar going they couldn’t find a lot to do.  I remember one RL colleague at work, whom I convinced to join me in an effort to explore SL’s potential for RL meetings, was just sitting at a bus stop somewhere inworld when I found him. He didn’t know what to do and couldn’t find anything to do.  Those who hung around a little longer complain of poor system performance and frequent crashes. 

          FB, on the other hand, seems to have fewer barriers to entry and I’ve met too many people in RL who have told me that they’re grandparents even use it.  FB permits a few tasks to be done but does them well.  Their simple games and the ease with which developers can create applications only helps.  FB’s business friendly approach seems to have helped people make some serious RL money.  (Unlike their recent IPO!)

          Are there alternatives to SL?  There are other virtual worlds but I’m not sure how successful they’ve been.  Based on a recent post in Wagner James Au’s blog, New World Notes, until the recent technologies, smart phone and tablet mobility being the most notable, are absorbed, not a lot may be happening in virtual worlds for a while.  (Although an even more recent post on his blog gives hope for the future.)

          So where do we go from here?  I’m not sure.  SL has a niche, although admittedly, it’s getting smaller.  Social media like FB and Twitter have large followings but will they last?  Everyone remember the AOL and Yahoo portals?  Anyone still really using them?  I don’t expect any new virtual world competitors to arise until the technology shakes out. 

          SL can continue to hold on for a while. Although, if paying customers continue to decline and the platform’s performance issues get worse then things could spiral out of control.  Remember the SL architecture is almost ten years old and most, if not all, of its creators are long gone. 

          I’ll continue my travels across the grid and bring my stories back to my readers for as long as there is a grid. One thing I’m certain of is that as long as the grid is still there, I won’t be lacking for things to write about! 

As always, I’m grateful to all for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

     If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

Photo No. 1 Nowaki, My Inworld Neighborhood

Photo No. 2 Flashman’s, A Good Place to Hang Out Inworld 

Photo No. 3 Manchu Picchu, A Good Place to Visit Inworld

Photo No. 4 Inworld Waterfront Scene at Night 

Photo No. 5 Phaze Demesnes – Flying Crane Tour – an Incredible Way to See Inworld

Photo No. 6 Ankh-Morpork Suburbs in Winter – RL Literary Fantasy Meets SL

Anniversaries

Do not cease to drink beer, to eat, to intoxicate thyself, to make love, and to celebrate the good days.

Egyptian Proverb

        

          During my travels across Second Life (SL), as I’ve written a few times, I’ve been struck by the communities which have grown up inworld and have developed lives of their own.  Many times these complement the Real Life (RL) lives of their members. Other times they exist apart.  Either way they are vibrant and diverse groups of people celebrating some facets of their lives together.

          Today, I will write about celebrations inworld.  In particular the anniversary celebrations of two communities that I’ve become close to over the past year and to whose members I find myself returning to from time to time. (You’ll have to ask them yourself how they feel about me dropping in.) 

          The two sims are 1920’s Berlin and Book Island, places I’ve visited several times and written about previously.  Their members were gracious in making themselves available for interviews with me and guiding me to other locations inworld for other stories.  (Or, maybe they just wanted to get me out of town?)

          1920’s Berlin recently celebrated their third anniversary and Book Island their fifth anniversary.  Each had a full program of events celebrating their successes and partying to enjoy their company.  I was invited to both.  I attended both (although in one case, due to the vicissitudes of RL, I arrived in the middle of the night and had to celebrate all by my lonesome). 

          The community behind 1920’s Berlin is led by Frau Jo Yardley and is dedicated to role playing the city of Berlin as it was during the Weimar Republic. The spirit and physical look and feel of the sim is exceptional as I’ve written before and I encourage people to visit. 

          But 1920’s Berlin is not just a static sim which gathers virtual dust and bots mechanically greet visitors.  Anyone who got caught up in the recent recreation of the May Day riots would probably agree.  Likewise anyone dropping by the monthly naturists’ social in the public baths would probably have a similar opinion.   And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Eldorado Club on Saturday nights. 

          The third anniversary celebrations did not disappoint.  Parties, bands, parades, a treasure hunt, a car rally through the streets of Berlin, and museum exhibits were but a few of the events scheduled.  Even the strict period dress rules were relaxed for a period of time.  Don’t let me forget to mention the new zeppelin which flew overhead?  (Now, some may ask how, with all this going on, did I manage to miss all of it and wind up as a one man parade? Well, let’s just say it’s complicated.) In a word, these folks know how to throw a party.

          Book Island had similar celebrations for their fifth anniversary (without the road rally and zeppelin though).  Actually, probably a bit more sedate given the nature of this sim.  Selina Greene established Book Island as sanctuary for writers in SL.  I visited with her and her friends and came away thinking that SL could be the new salon for the twenty-first century. 

          Group events, dances, music, speeches, and poetry readings were the stables of this anniversary.  As with 1920’s Berlin, the community came out to participate and enjoy themselves.

          One dance I attended had Brendan Shoreland providing the live musical entertainment and there was also a period costume party for the guests.  (I didn’t win.)  The festivities were not disappointing.  Here, I can say from personal experience that everyone had a great time. 

          I came away from both these celebrations impressed by the organizational skills to produce these events which went over several days in each case and their content.  These were not just cookie cutter images of each other.  Each was different and had its own theme.  Each responded to its community in its own way.  What they had in common was that everyone had a wonderful time. 

          As I started this post by talking about the communities inworld and how they are developing, I’d like to end by taking about each one’s traditions and shared memories and how they are remembered and handed down.  Are we really any different from our ancestors who sat around fires in the night thousands of years ago and shared stories from our common past with those who continue on after us?  Think about it.

I would like to thank Frau Jo Yardley and Selina Greene for their kind invitations to join them and their friends in their celebrations.  I also wish them and their communities continued success and many more anniversaries! 

As always, I’m grateful to all for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

     If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

Photo No. 1 Frau Jo Yardley  

Photo No. 2 1920’s Berlin Third Anniversary Poster

Photo No. 3 Selina Greene

Photo No. 4 Brendan Shoreland Playing

Photo No. 5 Book Island Refreshments

Photo No. 6 Book Island Fireworks  

Photo No. 7 Book Island Fifth Anniversary Poster

A Visit with a Tarot Card Reader

 

I think there is too much focus on the cards and what they are supposedly trying to tell us, and not enough on the reader as an individual and how they read. It is our job to decipher. And it is difficult, if it wasn't then there would be no need for us because everyone would read their own cards.

Sinduction

          Recently, I came across a topic a little different from what I’ve been writing about lately.  (If you read my recent blog about how I write, you’ll understand how I can switch from nudism/naturism and BDSM to a totally unrelated subject.  You have to admit my coverage is diverse!)

          Now that I’ve built the suspense, let me introduce this week’s topic.  I write about a Tarot card reader in Second Life (SL).  Recently, I had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Ivy Paderborn who is a Tarot card reader in both SL and Real Life (RL).  We agreed to meet and arranged an interview. 

          At the scheduled time, we meet in Ivy’s offices where she does her appointments.  I begin by asking Ivy how she came to be a reader.  She replies that she had always had visions and premonitions while growing up. Her mother taught her how to use the Tarot cards when she was a teenager. She has been doing them for many years now.  Ivy explains that doing readings is really no different in SL than it is in RL. Although of course people want to know about SL things too, like relationships. 

          My next question has to do with whether the ability to read Tarot is an innate ability or can it be developed?  Ivy thinks it can be developed. While it helps if there is natural aptitude to being open to messages from the universe, Ivy thinks that anyone can be taught how to read the cards if they are interested in doing it.

          I then ask about how she actually does a reading.  Ivy responds that for her, it mostly entails making a connection with the universal divine, and then channeling that energy into the cards as she pulls them. She thinks about the person's question, seeks a sincere answer, and then reads what comes up.  Once the cards are pulled, the understanding is based on the meaning of the individual cards and their significance in a combination.  Ivy says that sometimes she will pull a card and know its meaning, and can clearly see how it applies to the question.  Other times if a card seems like it is not a fit, she then has to look deeper and share any other messages that she sees or hear sin the process, in hopes that the information will help the querant.

          The mentioning of the universal divine makes me think this is key and I inquire about this. 

          Ivy affirms that to her that, yes, it is. She believes that this would be an essential element for any reader.  I ask if it can be defined or described?  Ivy says that for some people, they would call it God or Spirit.  Others just call it Universal energy.  Ivy is not religious, so she chooses a non-religious term for it.

We’ve been talking mostly about querants.   I ask if when she does a reading is a querant necessary or could she do a reading to forecast the future and what it could bring?  Ivy says that she can do either. What she tells her clients is that the more specific they can be with her in what they want to know, the more specific her answers can be, as she can interpret the cards more adeptly to their needs.  But she do general readings as well as very specific ones.   It all depends on what the person wishes to know.

          I have to ask how can she measure the success or accuracy of her readings?  Ivy receives a lot of feedback from her clients that is positive. She says, based on what she hears back, that her readings are generally successful in providing accurate information.  But there have been times where she has been wrong as well. No reader is ever right 100% of the time she tells me. Ivy smiles and says that, thankfully, the number of times she has been told about an error in her readings is very few.

          I move onto how does an actual reading work?  Ivy pulls the cards in RL and reads them to the querant.  When someone comes to Ivy for a reading, she asks them to tell her their question or the situation that they want to know about.  Ivy then takes a moment to take several deep breaths to center herself and asks that they do the same.  She draws the cards from her own deck in RL and lays them out for the answer, and then tells the person what she is seeing, what each card means, and her overall interpretation of the answer as it pertains to their question.

Ivy typically does a straight timeline card layout.  A spread of five to six cards, from left to right, or a yes/no spread of seven cards.  This is a matter of personal preference for Ivy.  She finds that format works well for her in answering the questions that she receives.  Occasionally she will do other spreads, such as the classic Celtic Cross, which is the one that most people think of, the one with the big T spread in the middle.

Moving on to time and fees, Ivy says that most readings last about half an hour.  Her fee is $500L for each fifteen minutes. The fee is based on time used, not per question, so if someone wants to pay for fifteen minutes, they can ask as many varied questions as they like during that time.

I ask Ivy if she has many customers and how many are regulars?  She says that on average, she does at least a few readings per week, and most are regulars. She does get new people from time to time, either from her classified ads, or as referrals.

           When I inquire about whether Ivy considers herself a full time reader, she surprises me by saying no. Neither in SL nor RL.   In SL, Ivy has many other interests and feels she would miss out on a lot if she read full time.  Her other interests inworld include going to live music events, exploring new and strange sims (no shortage there), participating in hunts, and Ivy also does medieval/fantasy role play.  In a word, Ivy’s a very busy woman inworld. 

          Then I turn to asking about Ivy’s customers.  How many of her customers are believers or are they just experimenting?  Ivy believes she has made believers of the ones who were just experimenting when they first came to her. She takes it as a real compliment, to have people come back to her again and again, because they trust her answers.  Ivy adds there are plenty who come just to try it, and find it's not really for them, and that's fine with her too. It takes all kinds she adds. 

I ask Ivy who are her typical customers.  She says that's a tough question since SL provides such a wide variety of self-expression, she’s had all kinds of avatars walk through her door.  But, she says as far as what the average person wants to know, it is generally related to love, job, or money.  Which is pretty much as it is in RL.  Ivy rejoins with since SL is really just an extension of who we are in RL that seems natural to her.

Does the SL medium change the experience for Ivy, I ask.  She replies not anymore.  At first, it was a little strange for her she admits. But having been doing it for several years now it seems very natural to her. 

Are the querants any different between SL and RL I probe.  Ivy had before only done in-person readings, where the other person shuffles the cards while they think of their question. Now she just connects to the person by talking to them electronically.  So for Ivy, it’s not really different.  She supposes visual appearance is the only major difference.  (How many furries go for readings in RL?) 

I ask if there are any challenges for Tarot reading inworld?  Ivy Paderborn replies that it is the same for SL as RL.  At first, it was a challenge for her to connect to the person she was reading for, but as she previously mentioned, Ivy is now used to doing in-person readings from RL to SL.  But with practice in tuning into the other person's energy while talking with them, it became a lot easier for her.  Now it just comes naturally to her.

We move onto if there are there any dangers or risks associated with Tarot readings? Ivy only cautions that people should feel that they got a good reading before taking any action on it. Sadly, Ivy says not everyone who reads is genuine. If someone gets bad advice about something really important, and then takes action based on that advice, it can be a mistake.

So reputation is important I ask.  Ivy replies that usually a reading will either feel like it "clicked" or it didn't, just like when people meet. If a querant feels that connection, then it is likely to be a good reading.

Coming to the end of my questions, I ask how is business?  Does it pay the bills inworld? Ivy replies that she has several businesses, reading Tarot is only one. But yes, she does pretty well.   Thankfully, she laughs and says she considers herself lucky to be able to support her shoe habit! 

We come to the conclusion of our interview, I thank Ivy and take my leave.  I keep an open mind about paranormal activities, card reading, and other psychic phenomena.  In meeting with Ivy, I met someone who has a passion for what she does and has been doing it for a while.  Ivy portrays for me, yet again, how people have migrated practices and beliefs from RL to SL.  Time will tell how the transition goes. 

I would like to thank Ivy Paderborn for her time and openness with me. 

As always, I’m grateful to all for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

     If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

Photo No. 1   Ivy Paderborn

Photo No. 2   Ivy Paderborn with Tarot Deck