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Questionnaire response 35

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 7 months ago

Thank you very much for participating in the Pagan theologies and cosmologies project. Here is a copy of your responses.

 

1. Name (optional): Andrea Andalis

 

2. Age: 19

 

3. Nationality: Filipino

 

4. Gender: female

 

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

 

I'm an Eclectic Wiccan. I believe in the Wiccan Rede: "As ye harm none, do what ye will." It just means that I can do anything I want as long as what I do doesn't harm anyone, anything, and myself physically, socially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I believe that everything I do is my own responsibility. I do not believe in "I had no choice." Everything we do affects everything and everyone around us and because of karma, it will go back to us. With karma, I don't mean that if you kill someone, then you will be killed. Being an Eclectic, I take and adopt any practice that works well for me from any of he other Wiccan traditions. Some Wiccans practice Witchcraft, I'm one of the few who seldom practice it. I'm more in Meditations and Yoga, and spiritual upliftments. But I really love Divination - Runes the most! I'm trying to study other Religions like Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, etc and I try to also adopt any practice they do into my own. I'm trying to combine different paths, traditions, and religions into my own so I can truly find my very own path. But even if I combine other religions into being an Eclectic Wiccan, the biggest part in me will still be Eclectic Wiccan because the foundation of my whole belief is based on the principles and teachings of Wicca, The Wiccan Rede. It's just the practice and some other smaller beliefs that I adopt and combine like the beliefs of Confucianism in afterlife and reincarnation. All in all, I'm still an Eclectic Wiccan no matter what happens.

 

6. How is your path expressed in practice?

 

Like I mentioned above, I seldom practice Witchcraft. What I do most are Meditation, Yoga, Visualization, Energy Workings, Divination, Chakra Workings, Dream Interpreting, Aura Reading, and other Spiritual Upliftment. I'm more into using my will power to affect change. Maybe it has to do with my personality, I don't really like to work with manual labor. What I really love to do is challenge and work my mind. I'm more of a thinker than a doer. It also shows in my course, Software Development. My mind is always stressed out so I looked for some way I can heal and relieve my stressed and agitated mind without having to break a sweat. Then I learned meditation... I stick to it ever since.

 

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

 

I know that my practice is successful when I feel relieved, refreshed, and rejuvenated after a session. With these spiritual upliftments, healings, and mind works, you'll instantly know if it worked or not or if it's successful or not because you'll feel the effects right away, if not instantaneous, maybe after a few hours or days or so depending on what kind you did and what for. What's great with these practices is that it not only heals, relieves, and uplifts your spirituality, but it's also great for physically, mentally, and emotionally.

 

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

 

The belief in personal responsibility and "As ye harm none, do what ye will" really stuck to my mind and the more I learn things about my path, the more I get interested and drawn to it. I'm a very simple girl who believes that whatever I do affects everyone and everything and that no matter how great or terrible the things I do, I am THE ONLY ONE responsible for it, no one else. The things I do are my own decision. Though there may be some factors I consider when making a decision, it is still my own will and choice to consider those factors. I'm very firm in my decisions and I'm take responsibility for all of it. I try not to blame anyone, anything, or any situation and circumstance that was present when I made that decision. This personality and belief of mine perfectly or almost perfectly fits with the Wiccan Rede and that's why I'm very much strongly drawn to being an Eclectic Wiccan. I feel most comfortable with being an Eclectic Wiccan.

 

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

 

I believe in a lot of Deities and most are from the Greek and Roman Mythology, and from the Ancient Egyptian Myths. I'm trying to learn other Deities from different traditions, paths, and religions too. We experience the Goddesses and Gods everyday. We see them in anything that's good. The Earth itself is alive and powerful and we are slowly killing it. Mother Earth is slowly dying and we're doing nothing. About the other entities and the spiritual world, I'm still in my learning stage and I haven't got to that part yet. I'm still very young and have much to learn. I'm very driven and passionate about learning whatever I can in regards to my spirituality. I love to learn and experience different things. Like I said, I'm still very young and have lots of learnings and experiences ahead of me.. I'm looking forward to it. :-D

 

10. How do you see your relationship with them?

 

I cannot say that I have a very close relationship with the Gods and Goddesses I believe in. I seldom call on them and ask for help though, I thank them a lot. But, I can say that Nature and Mother Earth is the most important of all the otherbeings to me and I'm very respectful and caring for it. She has given me everything, from food to shelter to clothes to luxuries in life and I'm very thankful for all of those. I just try to live my everyday life one day at a time.

 

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

 

My spirituality is the center of my life. In everything I do, I incorporate my path with it. In every decision I make, I incorporate my path with it. Simply put, everything about me is based on my path and beliefs.

 

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

 

Living right now, for me, is just one stage in our journey to fulfillment. I believe that when we die, we have the decision to reincarnate and live again or just stay at the spiritual world for a while watching Earth and the living. I believe that we'll never stop reincarnating and living and living until we fulfill our journey through learning and learning through our experiences here on earth when we are living. It's really hard for me to explain because I myself am still trying to clear this out for myself. Simply put, life and death for me is just like waking up and sleeping because of reincarnation.

 

13. How do you see time?

 

Time is very important for my mundane world. But for my spirituality, there is no time. Time (literal time like 10:00pm) does not exist in my spiritual world. Though, right timing is important. When I feel that it is not yet time for my spirit to learn something, I stop and look for other things to learn. When I feel that I can't push myself to understand something, I know it's not the right time so I will wait until I'm more mature. But besides that, it's not that important. Time is only important for me in the mundane world - when I study, work, eat, sleep, etc.

 

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

 

I don't really believe in good and evil. What I believe in is right and wrong. Choices and consequences. Moral ethics. We are all different people with different beliefs and therefore, we all have different views and degrees of what is right and wrong. There are some things that are right for me but wrong for you. There are some things that I think is wrong but to you, it's okay or it's right. Good and evil is like a standard of right and wrong and I believe it does not exist. For example, everything that does not hurt anyone or anything is good and anything that hurts is evil. What about those Christians who believe that hurting themselves and following Christ's pain and suffering is a way of showing their love for Jesus or God? We cannot say they are evil but it is standard that anything you do that hurts is evil? What now? That's why I disagree with the thought of good and evil. There is only right and wrong. For them, that is right but for me, that is wrong because I believe in the Wiccan Rede and they are harming themselves. Moral ethics is personal and should not be forced on anyone.

 

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

 

Any space becomes sacred when you purify them and vanish the negative energy in that space. These spaces then becomes more sacred than just an ordinary space. Objects become sacred when you also purify and consecrate them and vanish their negative energy. Like with space, this object then becomes more sacred than just an ordinary object. Natural material that you took without harming anyone or anything are a lot better to use in making Magickal objects and tools. Like when making a wand, it's better to just look for a branch that has already fallen from a tree than getting it or cutting it directly from a tree. I treat my magickal tools and sacred object just like you would in any of your personal things. I care for them, I clean them, and I keep them in a safe place. The only difference is that for my magickal tools, no one can touch the but me and I have a different way of cleaning them. I consecrate and bless them with salt water. As for my non-magickal tolls and belongings, I just clean them like I normally would. And I'm not very strict on who touches it and use it.

 

16. How do you feel about other religions?

 

I don't mind other religions but I respect them. In fact, I'm trying to learn them so I can see and find different beliefs and practices that I can add and combine with mine. I respect other beliefs and religions. We are all unique and we all have different beliefs and principles in life.

 

17. How do you feel about science?

 

Science is also important for me because science is a fact and it took a lot of people studying for many, many years to come up with something that they have to prove to the world. I admire scientists and researchers. In fact, this is also one of the factors I try to combine and incorporate in my belief. Don't you think unifying science and religion would be a great thing? Well, I think so because there would be no more arguments and debates on which should be followed and believed and no more arguments on which is correct and which is not. I really like, most especially (and I'm also learning about it), the String Theory. It's the unification of all mathematical formulas that governs the small and the large here in our universe. It's very elegant and very possible. It's also fun to learn and is very interesting.

 

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

 

I say we are all the same. The only difference is the mundane time we are living in. They lived in a more simple and less complicated time. We are now living in a more complicated and less accepting time. They were more in touch with the deities because there were no distractions and everything then was natural and pure. Now, you have buildings which block powers from the sun and moon, cars that are noisy and blocks you from meditating solemnly. I think that's why monks are isolated in mountains and temple...because they have less distractions there and they can focus more on their spirituality. Like a friend of mine said, we should all get an island and all move there so we can focus more on our spirituality! It's a really nice and tempting thought! LOL!

 

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Would you be willing to participate in a longer interview? yes

 

Are you happy for a summary of this research to appear online? yes

Are you happy for your actual questionnaire responses to appear online? yes

If yes, do you want your name next to your responses? yes

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