Ranshao shen is Chinese for "Combustion God", roughly translated to Japanese "moeru" - to burn, and "gami"- god. Combined you get Moegami .
My religious practice is Koshinto (a purist form of Shinto that focuses on pre-Shinto animism and ritual before the arrival of Confucianism and Buddhism), although I also dip into Konkokyo and Jinja Shinto as two semi-related practices as well as actively studying Shendao. I only identify as a Koshinto practitioner, however, and I mold my practice with the philosophical teachings of Taoism. My religious practice is one that is heavy in spirits, meaning I work with a large handful of random spirits as well as worshiping a handful of deities. I arrived to this decision willingly after a long outside atheistic viewpoint which simply did not work for me. As an aspect of my practice I partake in kamigakari (a type of willful possession), where I actively serve as a medium (takusen) and interpret messages through dreams (mukoku). My witchcraft practice is that of Southern Witchcraf, a more horse and farm specific version of Appalachian Granny Magic that incorporates Kitchen Witchcraft heavily into it. I also delve in Sea Witchcraft sometimes (since it is not an aspect of Southern Witchcraft), and I am self-creating a craft of my own that is based around the desert I have named Dune Craft. I typically do not craft spells anymore since my practice views spells as anytime I actively put my will into something I am doing. I do like to create intricate sigils and spell weaves. Since my witchcraft practice has nothing to do with my religious one, I view them as separate. I am a self-taught and raised medicinal herbalist of an ongoing 12 years now (attributing my original knowledge to my grandmother and then mother who pushed me heavy into it) where I use my past Nursing studies to aid me. I do a few different types of divination (Capnomancy, Cartomancy, Zoomancy), and I practice non-chemically induced altered states and trance.
I am a semi-active college student (choosing to skip a semester at a time so I am not in school 24/7) where I am dual majoring in Graphic Design (with a minor in Digital Media) and Psychology (with a minor in Religious Studies. I am two classed away from a Nursing Degree, but changed my mind after working in a hospital (decided I was actually interested in the Psychology aspect of things). I am currently unemployed since I create various artisan crafts (jewelry, art, prayer beads, etc) that I sell as income. I love to write on the side, having previously declared an English Major (till I decided I didn't want to teach), I run a non-profit dog rescue, and collect some odd things (stones, Painted Ponies, carousel horses, and antique tea cups). I have also picked up a few funny titles on the site from years of being in chat, and many people refer to me as the Goddess of Purloined Herbs (as well as Destruction, Baking, Cupcakes, Milkshakes, Unbridled Rage, Dogs, Fire, and Inappropriate Comments). The website listed above beside of my picture is a link to my Shinto blog, but I also have an Herbalism and Southern Witchcraft blog as well.
