Meetings with Remarkable Men.
As far back as my memory allows, I have been obsessed with a few things that, in retrospect, may not be typical childhood concerns.
God, love, death, sex, art and magic have been my lifelong interests.
I pondered these concepts and came to the following conclusions:
God is a state of mind, not a proper noun.
Love is a verb.
Death is just another journey.
Sex is a profound healing experience and incomparable union of souls.
Art is everything and everywhere with the right view.
Magic is the Life Force.
Not long ago I embraced the Buddhist 5 precepts of
Not killing, not lying, not stealing, no intoxicants and no sexual misconduct.
Perhaps I’m a dreamer and impossible idealist, but I try to live every day with these things in mind.
Few people, including myself, embody these ideals, but I continue to search for remarkable people who do.
My privileged and sheltered life in White Lotus Land makes it difficult to meet unusual people, but I have been extremely fortunate to have met three who have been a great influence on me and examples of great human potential.
While every woman I have met is remarkable, I have only met three men who are. Most men are very average. They are interested in money, sports and getting laid. Period. My first love was an artist with a burning passion to create. I soon found out that he had no love for me and no regard for my art. Later, I fell in love with my husband because of his incredible talent in photography, and I was willing to support him in every way, but he soon gave it up for a more ordinary existence.
Luckily, I have met a few rare and extraordinary men.
The first was Constantine Darling. An African American man from new York, he came to little backwater Victoria to teach dance. Myself and a handful of people became his students. He taught with passion for a holistic lifestyle and spiritual experience. He practiced free love. He lived an uncompromising life and uplifted everyone in his world. I am not usually a follower, but his incredible integrity pulled me into his circle. I was very fortunate to spend a lot of time alone with him. He had the power to help me release my inner Goddess. He was the first man to give me an orgasm. He opened my world. My life was forever changed.
The second remarkable man I knew was Don Lacey. As the youngest captain in the Canadian army, he was incredibly intelligent. I met him just after he dropped out of society. He resigned from a very high position, gave his wife and child all his worldly possessions, and took up a life of an ascetic. His goal was to live an impeccable life of a saint, mystic and yogi. He introduced me to the teachings of Krishnamurti and Carlos Castenada. Although I refused to be intimate with him, we spent many hours together. This is already amazing since most men would have dropped me like a hot potato in the moment of rebuff. Don asked many difficult questions. I was forced to examine myself deeply. Because of his ferocious intent, he had sacrificed much to live his life with impeccability and integrity in spite of the consequences.
The last remarkable man I have been so fortunate to have met is Ricardo Scipio.
This man stands out amongst them all.
There are not many people willing to sacrifice everything for art. Not many people who will suffer abuse, detractors, creature comforts, defamation or anything important for their art. The men I mentioned never had to give much up to live a life of their own choosing. They never really suffered. Success was guaranteed by virtue of their gender and position. Ricardo Scipio is different. He gave me a glimpse of his sacrifices. I am sure that it’s the tip of the iceberg.
I first met him through social media. I had been getting requests for some photos and I’m no expert, so I contacted Ricardo for his services.
We spoke on the phone, and I was impressed by his melodious voice. He was erudite and thoughtful. This put me at ease, though I still suffered the memory of previous photographers who were just perverts posing as artists. I was fully prepared for this possibility.
The first time I laid eyes on him, I saw a tall, casually dressed man standing next to his van. He carried his gear in old athletic bags. Not the professional, I imagined. Once we settled in the room, Ricardo became a consummate artist. With great ease, he directed me to move in front of the camera. He didn’t say the usual bullshit stuff like “beautiful baby” and other dishonest platitudes. Instead, he gently and firmly directed me and stayed mindful of me as a person and not just an object to photograph. We laughed and sang, and I had a wonderful time. I don’t even care about the resulting photos and haven’t even asked! I immediately trusted his artistic process.
I became enthralled. I began to investigate Ricardo. I read his statements, listened to his interviews, and studied his photos. This guy sounded too good to be true.
After much contemplation about Ricardo’s Sex Goddess Project, and having firsthand experience, I realize the profound importance of this work. This is the next Sexual Revolution. With Ricardo’s focus on healthy attitudes, sex positive and body positive views, and the empowerment of women, he is a pioneer.
And like all pioneers, it is a hard road with sacrifices too numerous to imagine. My deepest wish is for Ricardo’s happiness, health, comfort, long life and prosperity so he can continue with his immense commitment. I hope all his supporters will help him along the way.
Since meeting Ricardo, I have been walking around in a daze, sometimes crying spontaneously from the divine inspiration. My wrong views have been destroyed, my priorities rearranged, my world upside down. I can’t thank him enough. I am inspired to create for the first time in years. My passion for life has awakened. It seems I’m not the only one who has been uplifted by this incredible man. So many of his supporters are sharing similar experiences. Ricardo truly is a magic man and deserves all the happiness, joy and love that he brings to others.
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Love deeply and forever,
Angel