CollegiumArtium

Domina Galeria Mira

Alabama, United States

collegium artium

I have had an interest in Roman culture and history since I bought a Latin textbook at a used bookstore when I was a child. I am also a Roman art historian and have studied the cultus Deorum independently for the past 10 years, becoming a practicing Cultora in 2005-06 although I had always leaned towards the Roman pantheon since I became a practicing pagan in 1997.

I have studied ancient Mediterranean medicine, primarily Roman, Egyptian, and Greek. I can read Latin better than I can write or speak it, but is a product of how my brain handles new languages. I can read a little Greek, mostly what is found on Byzantine icons. I can also read/write/speak French although I have lost much of my fluency due to disuse. I am a member of other Roman Reconstructionist groups (including Nova Roma in the past, until the politics became too much for me), where my primary interests have always been the Cultus Deorum and the Classical arts (details below). In my family, through my mother's line, there have always been those born with special gifts. My great-great grandmother practiced divination, and I inherited her book collection along with her gift of sight. I have been practicing scrying and augury since I was a young child and have been working to refine my talent since I was a teenager.

I graduated with honors from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a BA in Art (Graphic Design/Painting) and Art History. I paint using oils primarily, am a digital artist/graphic designer, web designer/developer, photographer, Wiki editor, amateur astronomer, artists' model, sculptor, writer of both prose stories and poetry, National Weather Service (NWS) trained Service Storm Spotter, and retired EMT with 13 years experience. As an EMT I was a member of the Huntsville-Madison County Rescue Squad (Rescue Squad), a 501c(3) organization, where I served two terms on the Board of Directors. As a member of the Rescue Squad, I became an Extrication Specialist; I was highly trained and experienced in vehicle extrication using various tools to quickly and safely remove patients from vehicles they were trapped in after an accident. I had to quit working as a full-time graphic designer and volunteer EMT when I had my first major Multiple Sclerosis attack in 2005.

I am able to continue to serve my very tornado-prone community as a NWS Storm Spotter. During the April 27, 2011 Superoutbreak, I spent the entire 12+ hour event spotting and relaying storm reports from a local grocery store where the manager was delighted to have a trained Storm Spotter in the store. A manager of some level was near me the entire time, and wanted me to tell him/her when to get everyone to the storm shelter in the store. I had to do so several times that day, including when a small tornado hit the store directly. I believe Iupiter protected me that day because I was standing outside looking for the radar-indicated tornado/funnel cloud (which was obscured by rain) when the tornado hit but I didn't even get a scratch despite blowing debris. I have several other medical issues, including Crohn's disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis (a form of rheumatic arthritis of the spine) so there will be times when I won't be as active as I would like to be due to illness and/or hospitalization (although the local hospitals all have wireless internet for patient access). I don't have a problem talking to others my illnesses with others since I like to educate people about hidden illnesses, that is to say major illnesses where the person looks perfectly healthy.