Questionnaire response 27


1. Name (optional): Peter Varley

 

2. Age: 46

 

3. Nationality: British

 

4. Gender: male

 

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

 

Don't understand the question. What's a path?

 

6. How is your path expressed in practice?

 

Don't understand the question. What's a path?

 

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

 

Don't understand the question.

 

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

 

Don't understand the question. What's a path?

 

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

 

The Goddess Minerva exists.

I'm fairly sure that the Goddess Benzaiten exists too.

I wouldn't describe either as "otherworld" - they exist (and intervene) in this world.

 

10. How do you see your relationship with them?

 

Analogous to the Roman client/patron system.

 

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

 

Don't understand the question. What's a path?

 

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

 

Is this a trick question? They come in that order.

 

13. How do you see time?

 

As the scalar component of a quaternion description of space-time (space is the vector component).

 

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

 

With careful thought, as recommended by my Patron Deity.

 

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

 

Irrelevant.

 

16. How do you feel about other religions?

 

Other people are entitled to their wrong beliefs. (Some are more wrong than others; surprisingly many are only a little bit wrong.)

 

17. How do you feel about science?

 

Strongly approve of the scientific method; not always happy about the actions of some of its practitioners.

What has this to do with religion? Science is the study of repeatable phenomena. The Gods are unique. Science does not study the Gods; nor should it.

 

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

 

Ambivalence. I think the practices of strict reconstructionists rather ludicrous. Nevertheless, I'm glad they do it.

 

For more information, see Peter Varley's website.