Living Without Sin

Song of the Moment: Love Will Save The Day feat. Miss Modest by JD73

A stunning portrait crossed my feed yesterday that inspired me to write tonight. This is an example of the alchemy of the Self, digitally. I logged on, had the most amazing photography cross my feed and as I allowed myself to be absorbed into its artistry... symbols, ideas and inspiration began to emerge. 

I contacted Giselle, who is a model in-world and had the portrait done to reflect overcoming a difficult time in her life. She said to me as I inquired about it: “I had this photo made because even when my life was turned upside down I never missed my mark and push(ed) forward in spite of.” It was captured brilliantly as it is the feeling engendered in me when I saw it.

"The Foot Archer" used with permission
Giselle Chauveau Moore (http://gisellechauveau.wordpress.com/)

I reached out to Giselle because the symbolism of the piece is exceptional. I explained to her that few know that literally the word “sin” is an archery term that means "missing the mark.” I continued, that the term as originally used in a Christian context means we that we have not understood what our focus should be placed upon. Forgiveness is about accepting that you have gone in the wrong direction and are choosing another path. 

Additionally, the "Passion" of Christ is also symbolized in some other forms of spirituality as a man hanged upside down. It is a releasing of the ego to allow something more Divine to take the lead. It symbolically means "the destruction of self brings life to humanity"

My inspiration was further guided tonight by a discussion with my in-world son, who came to me faced with being challenged in RL about his faith and lifestyle. He began questioning himself and as with most of us, questions of morality, guilt and shame were present. He usually comes to me at times like these and I am always happy to be a non-judgemental witness to his growth. I listened and responded:

“I can't tell you how to live your faith. It is a journey you walk alone. You have to come to your own understanding and become "a law unto yourself.” There are many interpretations of the bible. If you go to the Bible Gateway website, there are no less than 15 versions of it. You must also consider there are MANY MANY other religions and even more, "non-religions" all based upon faith. Morality resides within you, because even you will interpret whatever you read or hear in your own way based upon where you are in your life. Religion should be a guide, however, if YOU believe something in your life is "wrong" and feel shame, then you MUST examine it and then make a decision about it. No one can live your life but you. Noone will be accountable for YOUR decisions but YOU! Often people want to guide you to their way of living because you are making them uncomfortable within THEIR own faith, but you have no control over that.”

I then asked that he pray about it, decide and release it.

I would invite you to do the same as you move forward in your life. Empathy is guided not by religion, but our own inner compass as we experience and understand our lives and purpose. Happiness is God’s promise, but can only be evaluated by each of us in our own unique life experiences.

Allow yourself to hit the target… follow your bliss and live the life you have dreamed of.

Peace, Love and many Blessings 

xoxo

Acu

www.facebook.com/acuminousone

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Valentine's Day Full Snow Moon ღ

February 14, 2014 ღ
Goddesses Isis (Auset) and Selena step forward this Full Moon and occurs in the 
astrological sign of Leo. 


Goddess Selena is a Greek moon goddess, she assists souls with emotional healing and nurturing ourselves. Isis/Auset is an Egyptian moon goddess who assists with past lives, magic and healing. She says of this moon “Now is the time to seek out who you are; to reconnect with the soul within and to love, nurture and cherish that soul. To willingly release the past pains and let go of your identity attachments to them. This moon supports you as do I and Selena in finding who you are and how comfortable really you are within yourself. By loving and nurturing yourself, honoring yourself and nurturing the goddess aspect of yourself, which you all have, men included, you feel contentment, happiness and peace. Utilize this moon’s healing energy as the final clearances that your soul (higher self) and your guides are wishing you to tackle at this time are released. Powerful healing can occur for you with this full moon’s energy and it is a privilege to assist you with this.” - Fiona Murray

"By living a symbolic life, we can shape our destiny with the archetypes as our guides.   When we live in the belief system or story of patriarchy, we are living an unconscious life--one that has been laid out for us from birth.   We are shaped by our culture and so we respond to life from old habits and beliefs that might not serve our best interests.   The only meaning we find in life is the one dictated by patriarchy.   At the moment, patriarchy would say our life's purpose is to be workers and consumers.   

When we decide to consciously live in the new Aquarian story of equality and freedom, we can use the archetypal energies to create new ways of being in the world.   By living a symbolic life, we can find a deeper meaning in everything we do.   Old rules no longer apply.   We find the gift of free will and we make choices. " -Cathy Lynn Pagano

The Leo Full Moon occurs on February 14, 2014 at 3:53pm PST/ 6:53pm EST/ 11:53pm GMT. 

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2012, Digital Alchemy, The End and Beginning

As I begun 2012 I had no idea the level of loss and heartbreak I would experience. Within the first 6 months I had attended 2 funerals, spent hours navigating the care of a dying relative and suffered an unexpected and deeply painful loss and betrayal in my virtual life. I had heard a lot about the Mayan predictions for the “end of the world” but only later did I fully realize it was not the end of the physical world, but of the world as I knew it. By the end of the summer I had lost my Father-In-Law and my children’s bereavement around the loss of their Grandfather was a more difficult than the experience of my own grief. Alchemy is a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or impressive way. The purifying flames transmute our life, allowing it to grow into something richly more precious and valuable. Experiencing losses like these are when most of us turn to faith, or belief or hope in something greater than ourselves to bring us through the intensely painful emotions that pervade our existence.

I began to explore the spiritual side of myself more deeply. It was a time when I questioned everything that I believed, and challenged my higher power to remove my doubts by setting my heart free. Many of my friends, online and offline were experiencing some pretty significant losses in health, relationships, and family as well. Each of us has lived to endure these heart-breaking experiences in profoundly spiritual ways. Perhaps this was “the End” of the 2012 prophecies.

By the end of the Fall 2012, I’d lost a very good online friend as well as trust in a supportive group I discovered did not serve my life purpose. Despite my lamenting (and at times overt denouncing of) the presence of any God or metaphysical support in my life, I continued to receive gentle guidance as I escaped into my online worlds. Facebook and Second Life became my refuge and I constantly awaited signs or messages via the people I had connected with there. There were times when my prayers were answered with a meme, or random post by a friend; a conversation on a podcast or in SL local chat. At other times it was a randomly received link, YouTube video or blog post. The best were those times when I would log onto Second Life or Facebook and received a message from a friend with a question about their own lives, the answer to which became guidance for my own. It was as if “the web” provided the means to connect with a network of people, symbols and potentials, I had not yet experienced in my life …at a time when I desperately needed answers… and hope!

Experiencing these amazing synchronicities as I moved into 2013 were difficult to deny, but I did just that feeling no sense of relief from what I believed were more burdens than I was deserving of. I started the year raw and in pain. As the seasons progressed I was online less as my tangible world was subjected to new experiences of betrayal, abuse and narcissism that forced a reevaluation of the way I viewed my life, my relationships and my Self. There was tremendous emotional pressure to become something else, although I had no idea “what’?

There were times when the pain became so difficult I wanted desperately to climb out of the valley onto familiar ground. I wanted to try to recreate the past, knowing in my heart that things would never be the same. No matter how badly I wanted to relive the memories of happier times, the reality is that once the experience was shattered, the pieces no longer fit together the way they had before…which created more pain.

In October I suffered one of two of the most devastating losses of my lifetime. My Grandfather, who has been a mentor, guide and loving male role model for my entire life, died unexpectedly after 3 days in the hospital for an abdominal aneurism. This was a turning point. I had struggled with lots of questions over the course of my lifetime, the most prominent in my early 30s when I began to seek answers about my true life purpose. The preceding 18 months, however, had provided experiences that caused me to question life itself… Love, Being Loved, Loss, Trust, Betrayal, Forgiving, being Forgiven…

Losing my grandfather caused every question to collapse into one… what makes me happy? It brought new meaning to my life and the way I view each experience. I am learning to ask this question constantly “does this contribute to my happiness?” and my answer now serves as a guide. It has not been as easy as it sounds as you might find if you have not yet put into practice this very simple moment-to-moment inquiry. Learning to answer truthfully, authentically has meant doing things I previously would have never considered and refusing to do things I once jumped into willingly. Each “yes” or “no” seems to be gently guiding me toward a life I never thought possible and although I have not yet arrived, it is the journey I am focused on now. I still hurt as I explore old and new loss, but the recovery time is much quicker each time. I learned tonight that an estranged half brother died last June. I mourn for him, but accept the loss because I understand that it will only make me stronger as I allow myself to experience my grief.

My recovery is ongoing, and I am still learning… but I am also evolving into someone I’d never foreseen. I am learning to love more authentically, to trust more liberally and to forgive those who have wronged me. I am learning that some relationships are brought into our lives to teach us how to let go, so that we are able to expand and make way for something greater as we seek purpose.

I am looking forward to all that 2014 will offer me, and release fear of the unknown opening the way to fully allowing my creative self to invent the life I have prayed for… to manifest dominion over the life promised to me when I entered this lifetime.

…and for that I am filled with gratitude Gratitude, GRATITUDE.

Ashe’.Selah <3

Acu

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The Matrix, Philosophy and manifesting destiny ;)

Song of the Moment:

Jose Carretas feat. Dani - Take Your Time

I have been feeling inspired lately to return to Second Life to assist others in experiencing the awakening I have felt having explored the feelings, sensations, relationships, successes and failures of my virtual life. It has truly been a Second Coming... and one of deep conscious exploration and awareness. 

I now understand things that I could only grasp in concept 7 years ago when I logged onto the grid for the first time. I think sometimes that if I shared how perfectly synchronistic this journey has been, I would sound either ridiculously optimistic or insane. Each new insight was provided via the artistic creations of residents, writings of virtual bloggers, music selected by “artists of the turntable” or the pixel to personal relationships I’ve developed, learned from and let go of… or continue to enjoy.

The impetus was the creation of the SL/RL Relationships Discussion group which I started out of confusion about what was happening to me while playing this “game” and needing desperately to connect with others who could understand what I was going through. I have missed sharing those experiences and realized it has been one grand "Thought Experiment" as I have challenged my own subjective experience of reality using the magic and wizardry of the digital world.

Stay tuned for information on the format and schedule for opportunities to explore your own thoughts and experiment in a way, I believe will allow you to manifest your deepest desires, if you allow it.

In the interim, I want to share a video I was guided to as I finalize my decision to move forward with this project…

"The Matrix" is my MOST favorite movie of all time! If you are a Second Life resident and have never seen it, you owe it to yourself to grab some popcorn and watch!  For those of you who have seen it, this documentary focuses on the symbolic, metaphysical and philosophical insights from the trilogy and opens the way for some great questions to ponder ... If you haven't begun to ask already...

View the 60 minute video “Philosophy and the Matrix” here

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On Wearing The White Hat

Its been a hectic few weeks for me and I've endured many challenges and transitions. Today I was finally able to catch up on one of my favorite shows and as I reflected on the development of one of the most amazing characters ever created for television, I realized how much I would like to emulate her. I hold no judgements around her romantic life and find it to be a very passionate and entertaining aspect of the plot. I love the power the love in her heart has over those who are closest to her. It is her "Gladiator" sense, and "white hat" ethics that I adore and applaud most about her.

I sat down with my journal and decided to capture those aspects of her that I most endeavor to mirror as I move forward wearing my own "white hat" in a way that allows those attributes to pervade both my personal and professional lives. Here is what I have decided:

Olivia Pope is a woman who trusts her gut, makes the highest choice, uplifts others and inspires change. She is a woman of vision and purpose. She is a gladiator.

Here is what is needed to be a true “White Hat” Gladiator:

1) Have a clear plan and sense of purpose: Understand your gift and how it can be best used in this world to help others.
2) Be decisive: Willing to take the next best step and to change course (rather than avoid the choice initially) if things are not moving in a direction aligned with your “plan and purpose”
3) Willing to take risks
4) Transparent and authentic in every situation: Respectful of others, but assertive in stating your "truth"
5) Self accountable and willing to take responsibility for your actions
6) Driven and focused in executing a plan: Setting realistic objectives to achieve each goal and following through
7) Passionate, but prudent relative to matters of the heart: Purpose first, pleasure second
8) Humility: willingness to accept the insights and perspectives of others to gain a full picture
9) Receptivity to change when the shifts support  your “plan and purpose”
10) Acceptance that wearing the white hat will not always win popular opinion and willingness to stay true to your own convictions in fulfilling your life purpose.

The question now becomes whether I am willing to do whatever it takes to have the life that I want? That includes sacrificing any and everything/one that interferes with that plan.

Are you? <3

Acu 

xoxo

For more on the "Scandal" series, check here

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…and they all fall down: Ego Collapse

This has been a ridiculously stressful few weeks. The demands of my first life have really gotten me down and I've been feeling some-kinda-way about not meeting some personal and professional goals I set for myself. Yesterday was a beast. I was running from 5:30AM until 12:30 AM trying to "make it all happen" then later in the night, as I lay awake in bed, I had a total break down...

Ego is more than the cliche' of "being selfish" many define it as. It is the FALSE self/person we believe we are. I think that SLers can understand this better than some non-SL folks because of the virtual lives we live. The grid is tremendously "egoic" as most residents live there because they can create themselves in the form of their greatest fantasy and "play" among others AS that image. We know its not real though as a quick glance away from the screen, in your wallet or in the mirror will verify for you. 

Our ego is like that for us in our first lives. Its all the things people have told you (and you have told yourself) you ARE including the things you don't LIKE being. A mother, girlfriend, side-boo, sister, student, professional … yada yah.. We ARE much more than those labels of course, but its hard to convince our ego otherwise. It says you HAVE to do this or MUST be in control of the situation or you CAN'T do that, because the ego fears what might happen if you let go of those identities. We fear being invisible. We fear that we won't matter or that we are not worthy of the love we desire. We fear being "nothing." So our ego wants to hold onto the labels because then we know where we "fit" in the world. Ego wants to "protect" us from discovering who we REALLY are… inside… you know, whatever it is that keeps us breathing, and our blood circulating. That part of us that feels the emotion, very intense emotions…

Ego Collapse

…like last night when I allowed myself to sink into some unresolved dark feelings because I simply didn't have the energy to fight them anymore. In that space of non-resistance…that space of no more fighting in my head over what I did or didn't do; should or shouldn't do, I found peace. I released it and said "whatever happens happens" something I don't normally accept even though I say I do. Its a struggle for a true control freak to relinquish trust to something unknown, but that's exactly what faith is. There is peace in accepting that even if I lose ALL of the labels, roles, relationships, responsibilities, material possessions... what is inside of me would still exist, it is undefinable, but tremendously present, loving and healing. If I allow myself to focus on THAT rather than who other people think I am, want from me or expect,  I am free to BE who I TRULY am.

So I'm grateful for the challenges I've been experiencing recently. It has been difficult, but you know what? Today...all is well! The stars could not shine if there were no darkness.

Its nice to see clearly where the light is coming from ;)

Namaste'

Acu

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acuminousone

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