Please describe briefly your Path:
I walk the Moonlit Path. Sometimes this is under a new moon, and I trip over every uneven stone or errant tree root; other times under a blazing disc of heavens-borne silver, by the light of which I rush onward like a speeding train. Usually somewhere in between, though.
Please describe briefly how you practice it:
To walk the Moonlit Path is not so much a practice to my understanding. It is a decision, to take the road less travelled by (and to thus make all the difference); it is a 'Way' in the eastern sense, not something you do but something you are or become, that in turn influences what you do, how you see, so forth.
When did you first commit to your Path?
I was first exposed to the idea of the Moonlit Path oh, some seven or eight years ago? It was as evanescent to me than as the tangible, corporeal world is to me today. I realized it was open to me, and then chose to walk it, a little over two years ago. Since then, I've been winding my way out of the briar patch I'd long before blundered into, though I haven't cleared the brush and made it to the sweeping fields of Elysia just yet.
How is your practice different now than it was then?
I would not so much call it 'different' as simply better. I've always been at home with 'primal' magic, ever since I played with the wind as a four-year-old; rituals, invocations, temples and sacred icons are well and good, and I understand their point, but I've never thought about magic. From war magic, to protection, to purification, to healing, I've always simply done, near as second-nature to me as breathing.
Is your practice different today than how you thought it would be back then?
To this I would have to say yes, very much so. Back in the early days, I always expected to end up some type of ritual-toting exorcist / holy crusader. These days, after having taken a little time to stew on it, I find I can summarize myself simply: I am a seeker.
Does your Path and core belief system differ now than how it was when you first started?
Absolutely. When I first awakened, in my post-nap grogginess I aspired to a spiritual pursuit almost entirely Christian; to be a 'warrior for god'. Thankfully I outgrew that silliness quickly enough. I drifted about for awhile, simply getting my bearings, until I finally had sharp enough hearing to listen to my first patron, and from there, I suppose now that I consider it, worked on perfecting my ability to speak with those of the upper realms. I gravitated towards the Norse pantheon primarily, and to this day still associate myself with them most readily, but today I call myself quite intentionally an 'equal-opportunity polytheist' - I'm happy to give due respect to, and speak with, deities from the Norse, Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Indian, Japanese, and anyone else's pantheons.
What is your heritage and how does this inform your Path?
My heritage, such as I consider it, is Scottish. If my spiritual proclivities are any indication, probably the kind of Scottish that had Viking influence, which may have lent me my inclination towards the Norse pantheon. But for that matter, it may well have nothing to do with it; I can't really say for sure. I've also found, as my exposure to the east via Japan grows, that I have come to find wisdom in Shinto and Buddhism, and I toy with the idea of sitting down for tea with Amaterasu.
What are your main influences for your Path?
My own curiosity, conscience, and the deities I speak to regularly, I suppose. And which way the wind is blowing at the time, metaphorically speaking.
Which do you do more: practice or research?
If by practice we mean ritual, formal spellwork, and so forth, then I definitely research more. I'm constantly in search of knowledge, looking for truths, questioning traditions and 'old ways'. My 'practice' these days, such as it is, is who I am and how I live.
Do you feel that one is more important than the other?
I would contend that they're irrevocably intertwined. Even when only treating 'practice' as formal ritual and spellwork, once needs to expand their knowledge and hone their technique in order to be any manner of a skilled practitioner. And on the other hand, a scholar for scholarship's sake does little save providing library assistants with job security.
What values and ethics are important on your Path and in your practice?
I hold that there are two cardinal values: justice, and freedom. One cannot exist without the other, and only when both are found can a person truly walk their best path. Until then, we forge on towards it.
What sort of cycles do you feel your practice goes through?
Every now and then, typically in a roughly annual cycle, I find myself looking back at who I was at that time the year before, and marvelling to myself that I managed to do anything right. I've been doing this for going on seven, eight years now? I hold it as evidence that I'm still growing wiser, and hope to continue to do so.
What is one of the greatest obstacles or struggles you have had to over come?
The single greatest obstacle I had to overcome? That was the petty little pissant pre-awakening socially-indoctrinated side of me, that tried its damnedest to tell me that I was going crazy, that the deities I spoke to in my mind were just voices in my head, that the idea magic was real was laughable, and that it was all pathetic running-from-the-truth bullshit that was going to come crumbling down around me.
I'm gonna let that sink in for a moment.
Everyone fights this battle, I think, to some degree or another. Unless you can preserve the starfire-bright brilliance that the youngest of children possess, before society (I'm looking at you, public school system) strips them of it and tells them they exist only to do what they're told, pay their taxes, and perpetuate this empty shell of a world we're currently stuck with. I wrestled with that nagging voice in the back of my mind, always piping up to say 'You're crazy! None of it is real!', for years. But slowly, if far more slowly than I would have preferred, those same 'voices in my head' chipped away at it. Telling me things I could never know myself. Answering questions before they were asked. Tapping someone on the shoulder next to me as I sat in class once! (I remember that moment perfectly; I think it may have been the tide turning.)
In the end, in a manner not entirely dissimilar to A Beautiful Mind, that voice went quiet. It's still there, even as I write these words, but it's silent now, sitting in the corner at the school dance, afraid to have dreamed. I hope someday to...I suppose redeem it? Because though it was planted in me to lash me down, it is still a part of me; and I can't really champion the ideals of justice and freedom if I'm willing to leave a piece of myself in chains.
How do you see yourself practicing in ten years?
Ideally, in a perfect world? I see myself as a bit of a wizard king, watching over a revived and renewed world where magic runs about in the streets like excited children, using my power to bring light to the dark places. Barring that, however, I shall continue to walk the Moonlit Path, polishing my ability, honing my wisdom, and biding my time.
How do you incorporate your practice into your life?
Much as my practice is my life, I suppose there are times when it's more actively utilized than others. I typically use it to regularly purify and protect where I live, to heal and protect myself and those I care for, as well as occasionally people I barely know, but see suffering. As well, ever since I really awakened, I can count the number of times I've legitimately gotten angry on one hand (twice). Some people may think me cold, but through awakening I've simply found my center.
Has walking your Path changed you as a person?
If pre-awakened me met me now, he would be in awe, and have no idea whatsoever that we were in any way related. I'm everything he dreamed to be but never truly believed in; just so, given that I was the source of those dreams back then. On that note, here's a fun fact: since the day I've awakened, I have not had (or remembered, for you sticklers) a single dream. I have had vision-like waking dreams (that lovely half-woken state where your mind forgets it's not supposed to see past the veil) three times, though.
Do you consider yourself to be a priest/ess? A witch? A shaman? How so?
Of these three, I would I suppose consider myself a bit of a shaman at times. Over the past three or so years I have added the ability to speak with some elements, in addition to deities. It's still nowhere near the kind of fluency I had as a child, when I could wrap myself in the wind like a blanket without a second thought, but it's something.
Which matters more: getting the vocabulary right or the actual practice of what we are trying to define?
Intent is paramount. Vocabulary can be nice, but in my experience you only really need to word yourself carefully when making contracts with demons. In regard to spellwork, the weave knows what you mean; you simply need to put it in words, as much for your own sake as for that of the magic.
One of the most profound things anyone ever said to you was:
"Yes."
Amazing how the implications, consequences, simple weight of such a small, common word can be nearly world-breaking.
A defining moment on your Path was:
I awoke in the middle of the night to find myself paralyzed and unable to breath, with a shadowy figure standing over me, draining me of my energy. I had only the strength to whisper a call for help, and with a complete and utter lack of any sort of hesitation or caution for her own well being whatsoever, my patron immediately came to my aid, faced down the dark figure, and drove it back through sheer force of will, quite likely saving my life. English, possibly all human language, lacks the words to describe how magnificent that moment was.
Have you ever taken a “leap of faith”?
Yes, and quite literally, at least in the astral sense. More than a few people are surprised I came out of it alive, myself somewhat included.
Please tell us something stupid, reckless or embarrassing you did once in your practice:
When I was about twenty, I - in my eminently superior wisdom - challenged the validity of a decree of an elder deity. I think I was more than a little lucky he was one of the good-natured ones.
What is the most frustrating thing about your Path?
The fact that I now have the power, and I think I have the wisdom, to help make the beginnings of a (modestly) utopian world, and yet the veil restrains so much of that power. My patience has, at times, been tested.
Have you ever been frightened?
Anyone who says otherwise is a fool, a liar, or both. It's not whether you've been frightened, it's of what. For me, probably the possibility of failing to protect those important to me, or worse, having my best intentions end up harming them.
Can you perform ritual without a script?
Can, and have, though whether it would go as well in the future is a different question. I suppose it would depend on for what reason, and who I were performing it with.
Have you ever performed spontaneous magick/spellcraft?
In my case, the question is rather have I ever not? At least in recent memory, all the spellwork I do is spontaneous and off-the-cuff.
What are you still exploring or experimenting with?
Now and then I still wonder whether a little ritual wouldn't be handy as a focusing measure. In raw magical terms, I find myself these days lacking sufficient skill in white magic, specifically healing, though I'm now chatting with a lovely goddess skilled in that regard.
What (or whom) are you the most committed to in your practice and on your Path?
My first patron and I are still together, though our relationship has changed to be a fair measure less stuffy. I am still, as I became when I realized them, committed to my highest ideals of justice, freedom, and bringing these things to as many as possible. As for myself, I always need more wisdom. All the power of the heavens is worth little if you don't understand the proper ways to utilize it.
Ritual tools are convenient (or for some, perhaps necessary) focusing agents for spellwork, and reminders of its pursuit.
Magickal tools are what current modern technology is embarrassingly trying to imitate.
The one thing I can’t do without is music. This and the other fine arts are one of the few things still close to how things were before.
Seeking personal power is to be judged based on the intentions behind it.
Politics and my Path are diametrically opposed. Politics lead to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to me opening a can of whoop-ass on deities behaving badly.
One thing you wish people would understand about your Path and/or practice is:
One thing? Well, okay. That the gods are not infallible, on-high beings of supreme power and wisdom. They're just 'those who went before'. They still make mistakes, and they still learn, just like we do; for that matter, some of us still teach them things sometimes, something I know from personally having done so.
Do you teach?
Formally? I teach Japanese. In a few years I may teach English. But will I ever teach magic? Perhaps, but probably only once I've assembled some peers who will tell me if/when I'm being a complete twit.
What do you feel is the role of clergy in modern Paganism and Heathenism?
That depends on what you mean by clergy. Clergy like bishops, priests and monks, as in the christian church? If they are to be had at all, then they are advisors. But elders and seniors in the arts? They can teach, and guide, but ought also remember that age is not necessarily proportional to wisdom.
When the Veil (or Hedge!) is thin, how does that feel to you?
I'm going to expound a little bit here. When I meditate - be it before I sleep, while on buses on the way to school, so forth - I have my eyes closed, and I don't so much see or hear the world as feel it, the energy currents of it rushing around me. I 'see' the radiance, the water-paint colors and bright sunshine that yearn to be known. And then I open my eyes, and I look around, and everything is gray. The colors are weak, washed-out. The sunlight strains toward its true radiance. It is by this, if nothing else, that I know that the world we live in now is only half of what it should be. When the veil thins, I see color, I hear melodious pitch, I smell warm fresh-baked bread on a bright blue-skied spring day.
The difference between these two worlds is, at times, heartbreaking.
What entities do you work with most? (ancestors, gods, fae etc)
I spend most of my time conversing with and working alongside deities, though I also chat with the elements (most specifically wind and water). Perhaps to my discredit, I've never met any dragons, though I hope they come out of hiding if I ever get started on the world I dream of.
What is your relationship with the Land?
I feel its sorrow, disappointment, at times narrowly-restrained rage. I hear the melancholy battlecries as Terra makes clear to humanity its hubris through her wrath, while at the same moment weeping for those lost to make her point. I feel the pain of roadside trees with their branches ingrown for the sake of city planners' aesthetic; carry with me, at the moment, the energy of three trees that were maliciously torn down because the people who 'owned the land' (there's some irony) thought it was a good idea at the time. I intend to plant them when I find a proper home, a place where they will be cared for, treasured and respected, if occasionally stung by a misplaced climbing foot.
The most important aspect / main purpose of ritual is:
The same as the most all magic: intent. Beyond that, it's all smoke and roleplay. If you're doing ritual just for the sake of 'playing at magic', you're in the wrong field. If you're using 'ritual' to get impressionable high school girls to take off their panties, then not only are you in the wrong field, but you have an appointment with my sword.
Now, if you're using ritual to enhance and focus magic to a greater purpose, to bring together a group in common cause and harmonize their powers into a greater whole than any of them would be apart? That's what I'm talking about.
What is the purpose of divination/dowsing (or whichever form of augury you use)?
Wisdom seeking, one way or another, as I see it. Either to have a question answered, or for the divination itself to tell you nothing, and by which say that you need to find out for yourself. I have a set of runes that love to chat with me and will gossip about all manner of things. I also have a Rider-Waite Tarot set, that flat out refuses to give me the time of day unless I ask it a question that's legitimately important; when I do, however, it tells me everything I need.
What was the most difficult book you ever read? (Either difficult to understand or hard to face what it said or both)
Miyamoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings. I, or perhaps the book itself, refused to read beyond each individual chapter until I was sure I had understood an important aspect of it.
It took me two years to finish.
What book do you recommend the most to others?
Again, the Five Rings. It is so much more than a book on swordsmanship; one need only listen to what it says. The wisdom that Musashi hit me over the head with through this book stays with me even at this very moment.
What is you favourite podcast (if any) and favourite blog (other than your own)?
I don't well attend particularly many podcasts or blogs (not even my own), but...my favorite podcast is probably the Penny Arcade / PvP Dungeons & Dragons podcast, specially presented by Wizards of the Coast™ (hilarity ensues). As for blogs, I don't read that many, but I found this whole bit via my sister's, so I'll plug that I suppose (http://tigerlilycottage.net).
If you could impart only one last piece of wisdom or knowledge, or share one experience with the world at large, what would it be?
Tennyson said it best:
"Though we are not now that which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, made weak by time and fate, but strong in will; to strive, to seek, to find - and not to yield."
Is there an additional question you would like to see here? What is it? (please also answer)
- Do you think it matters to be a practitioner of a recognized path (Wicca, Asatru, etc)?
This is a personal question to me, as I am not a follower of a 'recognized' path; I've always made my own, regardless of how crazy it could make me look to others. For that matter, this has influenced, however slightly, some of the answers I've given here.
To me, as a seeker, the answer has to be no. There is no 'one truth', save perhaps that in the end all paths lead to the same place. This is why I lend credence to all pantheons, denominations, and schools (though I do not turn a blind eye to the methods these may choose to employ). One needs to find 'the path' in the way that is true to them, no matter how storybook or ridiculous it may seem to another.
Please finish this meme with a picture, image or photograph of some sort:
