1. Name (optional): Kenneth I Rees

2. Age: 58yrs

3. Nationality: British

4. Gender: male

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

I would ask them to attend my relevant college classes here in London where I

discuss wicca, druidry, the Celts, the rise of neo-paganism etc. such a context

brings the right degree of seriousness to the topic rather than e.g a pub moot

or a casual setting.

My main path is a reconstructed spirituality some 50 years old or so. It is

predominantly an earth based, nature religion but also encompasses planetary

aspects, in particular the sun and the moon, which are typically utilised

symbolically to represent aspects of deity. These aspects are drawn from the

mythologies of one's choice. My relationship to and expression of this

spirituality is both celebratory in the form of celebration of the north

European seasonal cycle and magical i.e. operating on an environment to

achieve and/or reinforce a desired effect. The path may be conducted solo or

with others. It has a mystery aspect, so when done in a group would usually

be stratified hierarchically up to 3 levels with an induction required for

each stage. Ritual is important and consists of either inhibitionary or

excitatory methods of working with energy (or, indeed, a mixture of the

two).

6. How is your path expressed in practice?

Celebration of the festivals, sometime facilitation of appropriate workshops,

occasional training of apprentices (one to one) very occasional setting up of

training circles, but most of all through my accredited college classes on Paganism and related

areas at various 'ac.uk' institutions, now in their 22nd year and ahead of any

comparable modules elswhere by at least 12 years.

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

By the feedback I get both from participants, students and subjective feeling

within myself. One's path(s) is, or should be, an educational mission. My

self-imposed brief since the 1970s has been to do my bit to encourage a

'thinking person's Paganism' in this country. I am still trying!

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

I didn't, IT chose me- in particular Wicca but also certain neo-pagan aspects

and of course, being half Welsh, the Celtic pull of the land. It is a pain - I

would much rather be a Buddhist for instance, but can't! Maybe in my next

lifetime:-) One's path can often feel like a burden as well as a release.

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

Experienced largely in terms of the 'numinous' except when I am in role

position e.g. the Drawing down of the Sun, then (I am told) my whole face

changes, my voice changes and I may start to 'shamanize' but this, largely,

comes through not via training for effects. I have been quoted on this at

length in Sue Greenwood's Magic, Witchcraft and the Otherworld for which text

I was the key informant. Unfortunately, I don't have my copy to hand to give you a

precise page reference.

10. How do you see your relationship with them?

With 'it' perhaps as the experience(s) are not typically of multiples or

distinct personas (unless that is a specific intent). thus the relationship is

one of union and one of expressing 'the magical personality', an embracing of

'the Other' in some way.

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

Please see too answer to question 6 in part. Any path is, or should be, an

additonal resource ever present but to fall back on as well both in social

structural terms and inwardly. Something that runs alongside one's mundane life

but can be tapped into when required - a travelling companion in effect who, for

much of the time is invisible, especially to others.

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

In nature life follows death and vice versa - it is a natural process.

Theoretically I like to see this as a model for our own life and death

process - in practice I am not sure. I hope that if I am lucky enough to die

of old age, then death will be a welcome relief from the pain and suffering

usually attendant on that condition. In general I have yet to accept the

reality of more than one lifetime, in my own case or that of other people's

but I have not researched this in depth. I believe we build up karma in life

for ourselves, for our family and for our children, but primarily only in

this life except in a non-re-birth generational sense. I feel, in any case,

we have all experienced what it is like to be dead already i.e. our

pre-birth experience, I mean even the pre-womb experience. I have never been

interested in religion from the point of view of what comforting doctrines

it might provide as to some sort of continuity after death (the whole corpus

of Swedenborg's thought for instance being geared towards this end). It is

how religion (and magic) enriches us in THIS life which is important to me,

otherwise, why bother?

13. How do you see time?

It is a pain and I am running out of it! The second most important

commodotity we have next to good health. I do see clock time, however, in the

context of timelessness, eternity and cyclical return which makes things a bit

more varied and less pessimistic.

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

With ease on a local front. On a global front it is more difficult. I take a

Buddhist view of 'the good' in theory at least. Evil is highly 'unskillful

behaviour'. The dark, in mythology for example, does not equate for me with

evil.

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

Very, very affected by differing spaces - genius locii if you will. Value of

building Sacred Space in some form very high on my agenda for group work but

not solo work. I never personally wear metal any time. I am comfortable with

both dressing up (e.g. robing) and dressing down (e.g. skyclad) as well as

working in everyday clothes. I like wands and chalices but not if they are

plastic-:) I am all for wood. I hope I have understood your question here

correctly.

16. How do you feel about other religions?

All religions have something to contribute (to me and others). I am a

comparativist but NOT an inter-faithist as I feel the latter can be vulnerable

to water-downed liberalism of any faith. As mentioned above I am really a pagan

by default, there is so much to admire in Buddhism, Christianity, Islam etc...

17. How do you feel about science?

I lean towards to the arts, social sciences and the humanities. Science

itself has made a wonderful contribution to civilisation. I would not be

without it, particularly in the medical field. I see and want no conflict

between science and spirituality.

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

I don't think there is much connection at all. There is no sharing of a

common cultural context, peoples' psychologies would almost certainly be

different. Life was nasty, brutish and short for the plebs. I wouldn't want to

be an ancient pagan, even worse than being a modern one :-)!