October 2020

October 10, 2020 by Wicca Merlin

Wicca’s Originals @ Samhain // October 10th – November 2nd

The Artio Gloves by Wicca’s Originals are high macabre fashion. The fingers of the gloves themselves are tipped with long, curled nails, which may just as well be a part of the wearer, tearing through the material and telling all around that the creature they see is something not-quite-human. Creatures of the night, however, still care about style. Covering from fingertip to upper arm, the glove material is patterned in an unsettling way, hinting at dark veins or scaled, peeling flesh underneath, and yet still would be perfectly at come complementing a torn ballroom gown, or perhaps one’s funeral dress. Gloves and claws come in 10 colors each, which can be mixed and matched separately, and fit the Maitreya, Legacy, and Hourglass bodies.

Event Location: Samhain

The artful Alchemy of Wicca Merlin – VERSUS Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

August 7, 2019 by Wicca Merlin

I had the great honor of being the cover and the cover story of the actual VERSUS Magazine. I do work with VERSUS as a model, stylist and photographer since the very first issue, the more I felt honored and happy about being asked if I would like to be on the cover!

I remember very well, how speechless and overwhelmed I was when Shena told me, that she planned me, my photography/blogging and our store for her next cover story – I nearly was fainting!

I was sent some wonderful questions for the interview by Sita Writer, in my opinion one of the most talented writers I met in SL (actually I do have 2 favorites only *grins*). Anyways, I was super happy when I saw, that Sita did not only pull the usual mainstream questions and it really was fun to answer them. If you want to see the full article you can find it HERE or you can pull an inworld Magazine at the entrance hall of our Mainstore!

And as if that would not have been enough already… Shena surprised me again and left me speechless! When I turned in my pictures for the Mother Nature theme I was assigned this issue, Shena went totally crazy about one picture and wanted to take that as the cover for the magazine… MY picture as cover for a magazine!?! that never happened before, I never was allowed to do a picture for a magazine cover!?!

I really have to say thank you for a wonderful article, as well as such a great honor, to Shena, Sita and the VERSUS Magazine staff for that incredible opportunity and experience! VERSUS always felt like home and family to me and that, even made that bond tighter than ever before.

Why I am posting this today, away from that I am so proud and honored, is that I got asked so often in IMs about the style I was wearing for the cover and so I will put my style credits below this post.

THANK YOU VERSUS FAMILY!!!

VERSUS Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 https://issuu.com/versus.sl.magazine/docs/versus_magazine_spring_summer_2019

Clothing

Dress: Legal Insanity – “Camila Dress” (Maitreya)

Cloack: Astralia – “Danaus Spring cloak” (Maitreya, Gacha, Rare)

Accessories

Headpiece: Astralia – “Danaus Spring Crown (orange)” (Gacha, Common)

Flower (mouth): Astralia – “Danaus Spring Flower (orange)” (Gacha, Common)

Bracelets: Gemini – “Sis Bracelets” (Maitreya)

Rings: *elise* – “Diana” (Maitreya, Bento)

Hair & Makeup

Hair: [e] – “Juniper”

Makeup 1: Zibska – “Ventura Eyemakeup” (LeLutka Applier)

Makeup 2: Zibska – “Tamia Eyemakeup” (LeLutka Applier)

Lipstick: Zibska – “Flore” (LeLutka Applier)

Body & Tattoo

Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.3”

Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”

Lashes: alaskametro<3 – “Slay” (LeLutka Applier)

Poses & Props

Pose: Foxcity – “Long Grass” (VIP Gift 6-17, Bento)

Wand: Astralia – “Danaus Spring Scepter” (gGacha, Special Prize)

Model & Photographer

Wicca Merlin

Lost Paradise – What do you believe in?

September 2, 2018 by Wicca Merlin

I am not uberly religious, but some themes, which as well are shown in arts again and again, do catch my attention sometimes. I more believe in nature and the power of even that, instead of the church for example. Religion or the believe in god, spirits and ghosts are something very personal and we all have different experiences with that, so I would never ever try to convince anyone of my own opinions about that. I do believe in the thought, that energy never goes away completely (Conservation of Energy) and always gets transitioned into something else 😉

For me tings like the Wiccan cult – or some older forms of nature based believes – are way easier to believe in than god or even the church. There was a time, where I did believe in god and as well the church, but that did end with the death of my father when I was 7. He died because of stomach cancer and all I wanted to know – when I was 7 – was “Why?”. Why would that god, that I did believe in, allow that a disease would be able to take my father from me, when I still needed him so much. There was a group for kids at the church, which I was attending every week and after my father passed away I wanted answers. They had none besides the one the church always uses, if they can’t explain something – “The paths of God are inscrutable”. Tell that a 7 years old girl, which is kinda ripped apart – not really working out well. That was my first disruption I had with that. Later, when I did grow up and started to try to get to the bottom of everything I was told and what I learned, it became even worse… I questioned why god would let it happen, that in a war innocent babies get killed – after I they tried to convince me, that war is nothing god does, but the humans as all have their own ability to make decisions – babies who can’t even walk, talk, speak nor make any kind of deliberately decisions.

I read the bible – more than once, as I wanted answers and I wanted to understand – and the more I read, the more I again questioned so many things… for example, how can I believe in a god that breaks his own ten commandments in the bible? How can I believe in a god, that allows humans to murder in his name? I was taught god is good! I learned I never will get answers more than “God must have his plan” or like I said before “His ways are inscrutable”- which was not enough for me, as I always want to go to the bottom of things. Maybe that is the reason why I personally prefer science and nature over religion itself.

Like I stated at the beginning, for me it is way easier to believe in the power of nature. Nature is very rational and there are proves, that some things do happen as we see it everyday. There is stuff between heaven and earth, not all will notice – or not all will/want to understand. So everyone has the freedom to decide, what he or she wants to believe in Germany, which is something I highly value. I know it is not a matter of course everywhere in the world sadly.

What I had in mind for this pictures, was a modern version of Eve, paired with the believe in natural powers and the Wiccan doctrine – Something nature connected 🙂 (I still won’t believe, that the female should have been the only reason, that locked out the human species from paradise 😉 )

I LOVE the creativity of CURELESS [+] / CUREMORE, especially their gachas that contain those amazing, special and unusual/artistic torsos. This time it was the “Lost Paradise” gacha, which drew my attention. The gacha does not only contain wearable parts, but as well some cool creations for the scenery. The trees, which come with a HUD for the bones and the apples, the snakes in all colors and shapes and the apples on the ground are a perfect scenery. I wanted all kind of warm colors for the set and with the HUDs it was really easy to achieve 🙂 I added some other things to my look – you all know I really love mix and match. I had some amazing parts, which I could imagine would fit so well, like the hand branches from .Drastic. or the cool claws from E.A.Studio. Iam not a fan of ling empty legs – I stated that in past posts already – so I wanted something wrapped around my legs and certainly no high heels 😉 I wanted flat shoes… but I do not own many of those, as I rarely shop for flat shoes besides sneakers, heavy boots and those kind of style. So I was so happy, when I found the “Charro Flats” still sitting in my inventory. I know I got them at an event and then I never had the right look to use them – until today!

Again I was able to just play with stuff I got over the time and did not have to follow any deadlines. Sometimes I really do need that, as much as I enjoy blogging, sometimes I need my freedom. It is different, when you blog for a designer. where you have items you want to showcase in the focus in a very clear way, or if you just fool around with things. I really do enjoy both and I need both for my happiness 😉 It feels like 2 completely different challenges to me and I do enjoy both!

Outfit &Accessories

Torso: CUREMORE – “Lost Paradise / Eden Diorama” (Maitreya, Gacha, Rare)

Legs: Storybook – “Savage – Brown” (Maitreya)

Shoes: Eudora3D – “Charro Flats” (Maitreya)

Apple: CUREMORE – “Lost Paradise / Eve’s Apple” (Gacha, Rare)

Headpiece 1: CUREMORE – “Lost Paradise / Wreath (fire)” (Gacha)

Headpiece 2: La Biche – “Branch Horns (Toadstool)”

Choker: Moon Elixir – “Mushroom Thron Crown”

Hands & Rings: .Drastic. – “Walnut Hand Branches”(Maitreya, Bento)

Nails/Claws: E.A.Studio – “Obsess Claws” (Maitreya, Bento)