Post by Echtrai on Jan 28, 2015 1:18:48 GMT -6
Hi folks!
Those of you who know me probably know me as Echtrai, from echtrai.tumblr.com - but I also answer to Rai or Raiona.
I've also got a wordpress, but it's only updated sporadically when I've got something longform I feel isn't quite suited to tumblr's format.
I'm 22, I graduated last year with a BA in journalism. I work creating, editing and publishing web content about boring government things for a variety of businesses. My gender is Frustrated Growling Noises (Neutral or Non-Binary do just fine as descriptors) and my pronouns are they/them/theirs. I grew up in Montana in the U.S.A., but I recently moved to New Zealand to be with my husband's family. It's thrown me for a bit of a loop as I've had to repeat a few holidays to align with seasons rather than dates.
I am a Gaelic Polytheist and have been for just about two years. Before that, I spent the better part of a decade as a generic neo-pagan, smothered in an embarrassing amount of misinformation from my then-treasured collection of Llewellyn books and the guidance of the local coven. Prior to that, I remember very clearly one time out hiking in the mountains with my dad, as we paused on the ridge of a hill to take in the scenery, talking to him about religion. We were technically a Christian family, but he had always been uncomfortable with organized, church-centered aspects of the religion. Instead, when I asked about it, he gestured around him. "The mountains are my church," he said. "This is where I feel closest to God."
That comment touched me deeply because I felt it too, and my religious search since then had largely been in pursuit of rediscovering that feeling. Gaelic Polytheism surfaced for me at a time when I was very much in need. I believe it's what I've been searching for, and it's been a blessing in my life.
I am devoted to Lugh, and I will often capitalize His pronouns (as a matter of preference rather than any sort of requirement). I also frequently honor Flidais and Brighid, as well as a few other figures from Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. I don't do much in the way of magic beyond charms that are mostly prayers.
Outside of religion, my hobbies are mainly video games, drawing, browsing the internet and reading. Except those aren't actually outside of religion. I have set up shrine space in Minecraft, I've made offerings of my drawings, I blog about religion, and of course a lot of my reading is research in pursuit of understanding in my religion. It's all blended and blurry and only getting moreso as I try to bring GP practices into my daily life. That's my major project at the moment. I had a good, steady daily practice before we moved, but it's all been turned upside down. Here I'm closeted in more ways than one, and trying to find discreet outlets for expression is proving difficult.
This has gotten entirely too long so I'm going to leave it at that!
Those of you who know me probably know me as Echtrai, from echtrai.tumblr.com - but I also answer to Rai or Raiona.
I've also got a wordpress, but it's only updated sporadically when I've got something longform I feel isn't quite suited to tumblr's format.
I'm 22, I graduated last year with a BA in journalism. I work creating, editing and publishing web content about boring government things for a variety of businesses. My gender is Frustrated Growling Noises (Neutral or Non-Binary do just fine as descriptors) and my pronouns are they/them/theirs. I grew up in Montana in the U.S.A., but I recently moved to New Zealand to be with my husband's family. It's thrown me for a bit of a loop as I've had to repeat a few holidays to align with seasons rather than dates.
I am a Gaelic Polytheist and have been for just about two years. Before that, I spent the better part of a decade as a generic neo-pagan, smothered in an embarrassing amount of misinformation from my then-treasured collection of Llewellyn books and the guidance of the local coven. Prior to that, I remember very clearly one time out hiking in the mountains with my dad, as we paused on the ridge of a hill to take in the scenery, talking to him about religion. We were technically a Christian family, but he had always been uncomfortable with organized, church-centered aspects of the religion. Instead, when I asked about it, he gestured around him. "The mountains are my church," he said. "This is where I feel closest to God."
That comment touched me deeply because I felt it too, and my religious search since then had largely been in pursuit of rediscovering that feeling. Gaelic Polytheism surfaced for me at a time when I was very much in need. I believe it's what I've been searching for, and it's been a blessing in my life.
I am devoted to Lugh, and I will often capitalize His pronouns (as a matter of preference rather than any sort of requirement). I also frequently honor Flidais and Brighid, as well as a few other figures from Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. I don't do much in the way of magic beyond charms that are mostly prayers.
Outside of religion, my hobbies are mainly video games, drawing, browsing the internet and reading. Except those aren't actually outside of religion. I have set up shrine space in Minecraft, I've made offerings of my drawings, I blog about religion, and of course a lot of my reading is research in pursuit of understanding in my religion. It's all blended and blurry and only getting moreso as I try to bring GP practices into my daily life. That's my major project at the moment. I had a good, steady daily practice before we moved, but it's all been turned upside down. Here I'm closeted in more ways than one, and trying to find discreet outlets for expression is proving difficult.
This has gotten entirely too long so I'm going to leave it at that!
Happy to be here. This is a really neat thing you've put together. You know I'm notoriously unreliable so I can't guarantee how much I'll be participating, but it will be very cool to watch it grow. 
