Okay, so this part is supposed to be where I tell you about myself...

I'm into music more than anything else, whether it's making it, listening to it, thinking about it or talking about it. Music is the one thing in the world that, without which, I think I would just shrivel up and cease to exist. I listen to about anything but my passion is metal! Melodic death, black metal, powermetal, Viking metal, thrash, speed, operatic/symphonic/epic metal...All things metal!

Some favorite bands in no particular order:

In Flames; Samael; Opeth; Blind Guardian; Nightwish; Angra; Arch Enemy; Dissection; Lacuna Coil; Emperor; Nile; Dark Tranquillity; At The Gates; Bal Sagoth; Savatage; Children of Bodom; The Haunted; Sonata Arctica; The Crown; Abandoned; Demons & Wizards; Iced Earth; Edge of Sanity; Soilwork; Jag Panzer; Hammerfall; Sinergy; Haggard; Cynic; Nocturnal Rites; Symphony X; Old Man's Child; Killswitch Engage; Entombed; Death; Angel Dust; Manowar; Rhapsody; Epica; Within Temptation; Theatre of Tragedy; Carcass; Gardenian; Gandalf; Chastisement; Borknagar; Naglfar; Enter My Silence; Internal Bleeding; Dimmu Borgir; Ceremonial Castings; Gift of Prophecy; Dragonforce; Cradle of Filth; Raventhrone; Sentenced; Virgin Steele; Kamelot; Einherjer; Leaves Eyes...

There are a lot more, and that's only the metal!
Here is an equally incomplete list of some of my non-metal favorites, again, in no particular order:

Heather Alexander/Alexander James Adams; The Mamas and Papas; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Peter, Paul & Mary; Kansas; Led Zeppelin; Black Sabbath; Pink Floyd; El Debarge; Madonna (her older stuff, anyway); Simon & Garfunkle; Mortis; Run DMC; Fat Boys; Doug E. Fresh; Shania Twain; Garth Brooks; Randy Travis; DVDA; Bangles, Karen Carpenter; John Denver; Savege Garden; Gaia Consort; Allison Crowe; Enya; Loreena McKennitt; The Real McKenzies; The Wicked Tinkers; The Dropkick Murphys; Whitesnake; Bon Jovi; White Lion; Ravi Shankar; Robbie Robertson; David & Steve Gordon; Ice Cube; Beastie Boys; Jonathan Coulton (I just discovered him and I am TOTALLY hooked!!)...

And a TON more that I can't think of offhand or that are individual songs rather than the artist in general. I dig country, classical, opera, oldies, folk, old skool rap, R&B, celtic, native, and .. well.. pretty much everything other than most "alternative", grunge, gangsta rap and modern pop.

There is more to my life than music... I guess ;)

I tend to be a bit of an introvert.
This isn't to say that I don't like people.. On the contrary, I love people, as long as it's in moderation. I can be very social and a total "people person" for a reasonable period of time, but then I need to go isolate in my cave for a while and get my solitude fix. A lot of people don't like that about me and feel I'm antisocial, but that's just the way I am, and those who are worth my time will accept that.

I am very open minded and respectful of almost any/all beliefs, but do not tolerate hate or bigotry in any form at all in my presence (with the occasional exception of semi-jokingly ripping on the English). Pretty much the only parts of any belief systems I have a problem with are the idea that everyone else is wrong and anything that harms others.

As for my own beliefs, they are many and varied.
I believe in living in accordance with nature, not trying to subvert or quash either the Earth/environment or my or others' natural tendencies in order to fit in with whatever the current societal standard is.
I believe that there are very few truly "bad" people in the world and that the majority of people (and other beings) that commit harmful acts are doing so because they don't know how to do otherwise. I am committed to doing all that I can to raise awareness and help as many as possible to learn to be beneficial members of the population. That said, I am not so naive as to believe that those who present a danger to others should be allowed free reign to cause harm just because they don't know any better.
I believe in taking personal responsibility for all my actions and feel that the world would be a better place if everyone else took responsibility for their own actions too.
My spiritual path is very eclectic, encompassing many elements from my Scottish/Norse, Irish and Cherokee heritage, as well as traditions, beliefs and practices from other North American tribes and various Eastern philosophies.

I am passionate about educating people in general about all manner of things, and especially subjects that are often misunderstood. I believe that the biggest key to combating the majority of the world's ills is education! I feel that most prejudice is a pretty direct result of ignorance and the spread of misinformation, whether it is about gender identity, sexual orientation, "alternative lifestyles", music, animals, breed specific legislation, addiction, mental illness, self harm, domestic violence, other cultures or anything else.

I love all animals and have been involved in animal rescue in one form or another for much of my teens and all of my adult life. I've worked with everything from mice and birds to wolves and snakes and all manner of creatures in between!
Our house has pretty much always been like a combination animal shelter and zoo, what with rescued and foster cats, dogs and assorted small wildlife critters. If you are interested in seeing our "zoo", click here.

I am active in local Sex Positive community and volunteer for several organizations. I present workshops on various subjects from effective communication, to consensual slavery, decorative scarification and more that shouldn't be mentioned on an all-ages website!

I am poly, kinky and bi and don't believe that love or affection are finite resources.
I find that the more I embrace sharing the love (and no, I am not just talking about sex here), the more I appreciate everyone in my life.
As for sex, while I'm not opposed to casual sex, I tend to require that there be some real form of spiritual, emotional and/or intellectual connection in addition to simple physical/chemical attraction in order to really be sexually attracted to someone.

Consent, honesty, mindfulness and integrity are words to live by in my world.

Things that I enjoy:
Photography (from both sides of the camera), riding (horses and bikes), camping, hottubbing, swimming & wandering around in the woods. I feel some of the finest pleasures in life are luxuriating in smoking good cigars, relaxing in a long, hot, scented bath, sensual touch, getting or giving a massage, erotic power exchange, partaking of and offering warm, red wine, drinking excellent, organic coffee and just sitting back and reveling in all that the universe has to offer.

I am a kajira, vocalist, writer of poetry, lyrics, erotica and commentary, a professional geek, minister, soap maker, herbalist, friend, lover and worshipper of life in all it's greatness.