1. Name (optional): Nuhyn

2. Age: 52

3. Nationality: German but have lived in Canada for the past 40 years

4. Gender: female

5. How would you explain your path to someone else with no knowledge of it?

I'm a Gardnerian and Alexandrian initiate of British Traditional Wica.

I normally tell folks that I follow a traditional, earth-based spirituality, which is based on beliefs of ancient times; honouring a sacred polarity - as masculine and feminine - this is what we refer to as Deity as our Goddess and God. And that we try to achieve a balance in all that we do and believe.

6. How is your path expressed in practice?

I strive to live in harmony with the rhythems of the Earth Mother; I celebrate the 8 Sabbats and the Esbats; follow the 'Greenway'; and try to live each day according to the fullest, but yet, in a meaningful manner. I also follow the Wiccan Reade: Do What Thou Wilst, 'an It Harm None.

7. How do you know if your practice is successful?

I know that my practice is successful because the Gods have relayed that information to me. I feel good about my spiritual practice and with myself. It has given me great joy in this life. I guess, it is just really an inner sense of knowing that what I do is right.

I have taught others, who are now teaching others, and we are all very successful and happy with our lives. The Gods have brought a fulfullment into our lives that wouldn't have been there otherwise.

8. Why have you chosen the particular path you are following?

Because it felt 'correct' to me; the right one for me. I have tried other paths, both Wiccan and mundane, and these all proved not to be as fulfilling to me, as the Traditional path which I've chosen to follow. Also, with the Traditional path, one can also gain so much from the knowledge from others who have tread that path before them - this is not possible for many other paths, especially eclectic ones.

9. What is your experience of otherworld beings? Could you give some examples.

I channel. In fact, both I and my husband do. At times we recieve messages: images or words or concepts, which may have some bearing on future events.... and at times, especially when my husband is channeling, a multi-presence can be seen coming over his face: this is difficult to describe in words..... its like a series of different personalities who choose to portray themselves on his face, a tpye of 'overlay', while he is allowing them to use his voice. I can actually see the changes in this face - and some of these beings are not human.

In my own channelings, I feel a presence that is not of this world, or dimension. It settles completely over me like a hugh bell.... It is like something takes control of me - however, not in a negative way, not in a manner in which I couldn't take control over my own body back at anytime - but yet, I fully know that it is not of this earth.

10. How do you see your relationship with them?

I see my role and that of Gods as in a partnership: reliant and dependent on one another, with each becoming stronger through the experience. I believe that They require us, as much as we, require Them. Through this 'partnership' each partner is made stronger and more complete.

11. How does your path relate to other areas of your life?

All parts of my life are related to my path: from how to dispose of the morning take-out cup of tea, to the dreams I have each night. I have chosen to leave the corporate sector and that whole urban lifestyle for the quiet of rural countryside and a metaphysical/art business based out of my home. A couple of years ago I was in a motor vechile accident - a major accident on the busiest freeway in Canada. It is my faith in my path and my Gods that has seen me through the past few years..... my faith that they would provide for me and my husband, that we wouldn't loose the lifestyle to which we had become so accustomed nor our newly purchased house, all without having a stable, steady income to rely on. And we haven't!

12. How do you see the relationship of life and death?

I see death as a certainty to life. All that lives must eventually die and return to the Gods. I also think that there are certain lessons we have chosen to learn on this Earth-Walk, and once we've learned these, we pass on to the next plane of existence. Do I fear Death? No.... it is a natural progression of life..... however, that is not to say that I don't fear pain.... I most certainly do. So a painless Death would be the ideal way to pass on.

13. How do you see time?

Linear and circular and in different dimensions, all at once! I believe that someway, we will have time-travel, that will allow us to visit the past, and perhaps the future too..... although I'm not to sure if forward time travel is a possibility.... perhaps only backward is possible..... how can we visit something which hasn't happened yet, from our own perspective?

14. How do you handle ideas of good and evil?

Is there really any true good or evil? Or are there only societal norms which tell us what is good or bad? And the impact that organized religion has on these social norms.

One person's view of something good may be another's perspective on evil. I think it really has to come down to specific issues or concepts and my own ethics as to how I would handle or respond to a given situation.

15. How do you view different spaces and objects in your practice or experience?

We have a room set aside in our home: a Temple Room. This room has been purified and is considered sacred. We do not show this room casually to folks who come into our home - rather is it very special to us and only those who are long time, Trad-pagan friends or members of our coven actually know of its existence. This room measures about 18 feet by 18 feet; its walls and ceiling are painted a deep dark blue - almost black, but not quite. Over the years, we've also developed some rules for this room: Before entering, one must remove all footwear - "Bare Feet on Holy Ground"; and one must be respectful of each other and of the Gods, while in the room. About twenty stone masks of the faces of various Greek and Roman Gods line three of the four walls; these were hung very close to the ceiling - above the bookcase and placed on a slight angle - as though they are all looking down on the room - and on us. These masks truly bestow a feeling of reverence to all who enter this room, regardless of day or evening.

Our Quarter Candles remain in place in the Temple Room, as these are on chest-high, metal floor stands, which are just too heavy to move about. We also have a whole mess of floor cushions, in one corner, which are dedicated to this room and its purpose and do not leave the room, under any circumstances. These are primarily used for creature comforts in meditations....we're all getting older! On the floor, on top of the wall-to-wall carpet, is another moveable carpet in a dark green, on which a

large 9 foot circle with a pentagram has been drawn in black paint with 2 inch wide line. The window is curtained in dark navy blue lined drapes - effectively allowing the room to become very dark for day use, but also allowing the moon to flood the room at night, with the draperies pulled open. All of the walls are lined with bookcases which hold our esoteric library.

We leave our main Altar up - but not fully 'dressed': we have lids for all bowls, as in Water, Salt and Censer - after each use, these are emptied, cleaned and then returned to the Altar and 'closed down' (so to say); we removed all knives and Wands into their respective holders or sheaths and put these away in a special drawer; clean and place the Chalice upside down on the Cakes' Paten on our side Altar table. Remove any fresh flowers and other fresh decorations which would deteriorate. We do leave the Altar Cloths on and the Bell (a standing 'gong' type) and the God & Goddess statues, which actually reside on a 'god shelf' above the main Altar. The candle holders also remain on the Altar - usually without their candles.

We have a complete set of Altar Tools - for use only in ritual in the Temple Room - made from pewter or silver, with the exception of the knives, sword and some of the wands. Some of these tools where either made by myself, or purchased with their specific use in mind. These tools only leave the Temple Room to be cleaned. We also have another set of Tools which we use for travelling to and fro - for classes, outdoor rituals, etc. These tools are all manufactured from materials found in the earth - ceramic, metal, wood, etc... and for the most part are not very breakable. These all reside in a large basket, along with

suitable Altar Cloths.

I also make most of our candles that we use in ritual, adding suitable ingredients and colour to the wax mixture. At Imbolc, we replace all candles, while also make a new 'Source Candle' from the left-over Quarter Candles by cutting this wax from these candles into small squares and pressing these into a round mould; then adding a new wick in the middle, and pouring fresh white, soya/beeswax over these pieces. We feel that by using the remains of the Quarter Candles in this way, we also give more 'uummmphfff' to new workings in the coming year, while also infusing the Source/Spirit Candle with some of the energies we raised in the previous year. This also provides some continuity for us and makes for a unique custom to pass down our line.

In summary, I would say that when we enter our Temple Room, we are already partly to the place we need to go to for worship and also to work our magic: Between the Worlds and Outside of Time. We feel strongly that the whole experience of having a Temple Room, which is solely dedicated to this purpose, helps phenomenally in "getting all members to the right page at the same time"! And I, as HPS, also feel that it help us all enter our Astral Temple with greater easy and more individual power; and (- perhaps this is just wishful thinking on my part -) but I feel that the Temple Room also gives our 'group mind' a home - a place to rest.

16. How do you feel about other religions?

I have no difficulties with other religions. There are many paths to the Source. However, if the people representing these religions try to impact on my own spiritual values, I do not hold back with my own views and quite willingly debate to ad nauseam! And I do not 'turn the other cheek!'

17. How do you feel about science?

I'm fine with the theory of science. Some great discoveries have been made in our lifetime. However, I would like to see more of an ethical approach that honours the Earth and doesn't mess with creation!

18. How do you feel modern Paganisms relate to ancient paganisms?

There is a relation.... but the question would be as to how deep it is. Many neolithic and palaeolithic goddess figurines have been found in various parts of the world.... so that tells us that ancient man revered the sacred feminine. How or why this was done, we really don't know. However, being that these figurines where found in so many places, leads us to believe that the worship of ancient Goddess was rather wide spread and across many cultures and lands.

Today's paganism is a natural response to an outcry by many who feel the repression of the past millennia by organized, male dominated religions which sought to focus on the masculine over that of the feminine. Ancient Goddess worship provides a platform on which to base some of the concepts in this struggle of repression, where a more equal balance is being sought.

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