Juana Manuel observes the Day of the Dead by celebrating the living

I asked Juana Manuel why she celebrates the living in her virtual life on her Day of the Dead altar, and she explained it this way:

"On my Real Life altar, I only have dead people. My reasoning for putting living people on the Second Life® altar is sort of convoluted. Two of the people on the altar had life threatening medical issues and almost died this past year. The rest are people with significance for me. One is an image of a place that "died" and is no longer the same build: Nexus Prime. I think that our avatars are manifestations of our souls and that in Second Life, we are disembodied souls... ghosts, actually."


Photo courtesy of al-zahra

Juana used Nebulosus Severine's sugar skulls to adorn the altar. The skulls are scripted so that you can name them via hover text.

"The other is that am into the Tarot, and in the symbolism of Tarot, death is more like change, or a passage, or a transformation. I feel like I have been changed profoundly and transformed by Second Life and the people I have met here. Some of the people represented (on the altar) are going through major transformations -- like the death of relationships, etc."

Teleport directly from here.

See also: Real Life inspires: Commune with the people you miss

Dekka Raymaker's puzzler: Skullduggery

Skullduggery or Skulduggery: 1. A devious device or trick. 2. Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior.

It is not a simple matter to reach the point where you are standing in front of this installation in Second Life®, but if you are in the mood for a bit of mystery and deductive reasoning, you are in for a wee bit of a challenge and a treat.

First, teleport from here. You will find yourself in the middle of a field, but if you look behind you, you will see a brown brick building a few meters away. Head towards the front door.

But wait! You need to punch in a code to gain access. Hmmm. I wonder if there is a hint or two (or three) nearby?

Once inside, and at the end of the long hall, there is an apothecary table and shelves containing all matter of turn of the century as well as contemporary pharmaceutical supplies, mixing and writing tools and clocks and... a voodoo doll? Skulls?

Somewhere in this room is a clue that will help you, as its creator Dekka Raymaker, suggested to me, "get it."

"It is there. Obvious when you know," said Dekka, as I fumbled around touching everything and looking everywhere.

"The inspiration of the piece started with a photograph by Philippe Halsman after a drawing by Dalí of a human skull consisting of seven naked women's bodies. Other references include psychological fear, horror, selling one's soul (selling out) and a little bit of subtle recession phobia," added Dekka. Hmmm. I wonder if Dekka's financial advisor had a bad year?

His advice for how to view this:
: Midnight is preferrable for the first look
: Turn off streaming music and video
: The entrance is code activated, 3 numbers
: Some objects can be interacted with, drawers open & touch sound
: Some things are not obviously on view; with a little cam action they can be seen
: I hope you 'get it'

Real Life inspires: Commune with the people you miss - Day of the Dead

We all miss someone who has died. When I've lost someone who is dear to me, I create an altar for them at my home in Real Life. On the altar, I place many things that I know that they loved, such as their favorite foods, candies, and wine or beer and even cigarettes, books that they enjoyed, a piece of jewelry that they wore, and so on. I add photographs, seasonal flowers - though marigolds are the most appropriate because it is said that they make it easier for the soul to find its way to the altar because of their scent - and candles.

I erect the altar somewhere I spend a lot of time, and over the course of a few days, I get to feeling like I've had a good visit with my lost loved one. For me, it is a healing experience.

Skeletons and skulls abound in Second Life, and I'll be blogging about two very notable skeletons soon, but I often wonder why I have never seen an NPIRL altar of any kind. This would certainly be a good time of year for it.

Late October is when Mexicans are busy preparing altars in their homes, businesses, schools and even their government offices to commemorate the Day of the Dead, a celebration of sorts that actually takes place over the course of two days: November 1 and 2. Many Mexicans believe that it is possible during these 48 hours to commune with the souls of their dead, and they approach the opportunity with a festive air, and even wish each other a Happy Day of the Dead.


Nicho de la virgen decorated for El Dia de los Muertos by peppergrasss

Bakeries and candy makers produce industrial quantities of candied skulls made out of sugar, and candle makers sell out on long-burning glass-encased votives.


Sugary by A30 Tsitika


Dia de los Muertos by groovehouse

Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) would have likely had a field day in Second Life®, for he was the Mexican political cartoonist, engraver and illustrator who popularized images of skulls and skeletons having a frolicking good time.

On November 1 and 2, Mexicans gather at the cemeteries with flowers, candles and food and actually celebrate their dead. In some communities, such as many of the small villages in Oaxaca and Morelos, there is a procession and a great deal of singing and even dancing. The smell of burning incense envelopes the gravesites and you can hear the people speaking with their dead and catching them up on everything that has happened over the course of the year.


Oaxaca - Dia de los muertos celebrations by Pimousse Pix

In Real Life, the altars can be large or small, simple or incredibly elaborate, taking many hours to assemble.

I would welcome the opportunity to visit any and all kinds of altars in Second Life, but would of course be especially interested in altars that would Not be Possible in Real Life. If you know of one, please do give us a heads up, would you?


Altar by DelScorchoSauce


Dia de los Muertos altar by Slack-a-gogo