Interview with Christopher Winters

1.) How did your life as an occultist begin?

I find this question terribly difficult to answer, and, when I’ve opened myself to the questions of the online communities, it’s one I’m often met with. How do we define what it means to be an occultist? As it is, all of us—mundane or otherwise, generally speaking—exist within an occult atmosphere. We are as it were immersed completely in an occult life—what differentiates the occultist from the ordinary individual is a conscious exploration of the hidden operations of the universe to which we are, in most cases, oblivious. Occult, of course, means hidden, and through our exploration of those cosmic operations, the occultist is akin to the scientist. Where the scientist seeks to uncover the underlying principles of divinity through examining dense matter and other such phenomena, the occultist uses known divine principles to bring virtues from the higher planes down to manifestation through dense matter. It has been my experience that the majority of my life has been one of some unique occult significance, but I cannot state I was a directed occultist until my late teens. Shouldering the problematic symptoms of clairvoyance (and being massively ignorant thereof), having a near death experience in a massive automobile accident, and falling victim to an individual that effectively shattered, with violent enthusiasm, my sense of self, I was driven to seek some coherence from the otherwise amorphous imbroglio that was my hypersensitive existence.

2.) You share some beautiful artwork in your Instagram feed—what inspires you creatively?

What doesn’t inspire me? Lately, I’m so emphatically moved by the various Greek Pantheon sculptures, those melodramatic figures that often adorn the facades of Venice. The artwork, too, of Aubrey Beardsley (he was a master draftsman and great friend of Oscar Wilde), as well as that of Egon Schiele and even contemporaries such as Audrey Niffenegger (while known as the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife, she’s a brilliant story book maker, featuring illustrations in a lost art technique called Aqua Tinting—see her work The Adventuress if you find yourself curious)—all of these affect me. Of course, the drawings usually feature various materials that I happen to be studying. Confining high concepts into a visual form seems to greatly assist in actuating the information, go beyond the limits of mere memorization to true conceptual realization.

3.) How do you fit your magickal practice into your everyday life?

Sacrifice; many things that we might ordinarily prioritize must be surrendered. Then again, not every path is so demanding; we, above all others, demand the most of ourselves. It is unfortunate then, for me, that I am a considerably cruel master. I don’t have much of a social life. I do have a practical occupation for the sake of keeping the lights on. Beyond this, nearly all of my time and effort goes toward Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, tarot contemplation, contemplative prayer, reading, writing, performing ritual, and illustrating. I also do my best to keep up appearances online, for I’m inundated by the amount of messages I receive; none of the messages are superficial—each demands attention, thought, and a sincere conversation. I think I’ve stated in a previous interview that I stick to the “15 a day” rule. That is, reading 15 pages a day; however, I average roughly 50 pages a day anymore. I can’t easily quantify that effort in terms of minutes or hours. It varies by the difficulty of the material. Yoga usually takes an hour of my day lately. Ritual takes roughly two hours depending on the work to be done. Illustration is extremely time-consuming. I’m exceedingly particular about each detail, and if you’ve seen my work, you’ll have noticed that each drawing contains many dots—each one, and I mean every single one, is placed specifically and purposefully. There are no superfluous details. To answer the question directly, I have no idea how I manage it all. One might be entertained to know that, while I have seemingly boundless dedication to my practice, I barely have the ability to manage a timely oil change.

4.) What advice do you have for beginners interested in the Great Work?

How do I even hope to begin to answer this question? We may assume that, by whatever means, the aspirant has arrived at the threshold of The Great Work with a healthy mind. If they are indeed of sound mind (and I’d highly recommend having a mental health evaluation before proceeding), I’d recommend reflection on the aims of pursuing such an art. The world of contemporary yoga is spiritually paralyzed by the abuse of its elegance for the purpose of losing weight—to insult such a brilliant spiritual practice by relegating it to such a mundane purpose is no different than participating in spiritual fasting for the sake of shedding pounds, etc. Oftentimes, the approach to the Great Work is the same—nearsighted, unanimated, woefully unimaginative, and often greedy. How often does one encounter the rewards promised by the Holy Guardian Angel of Abra Melin’s grimoire, riches of some measure, and several other wonders; it would seem the allegory of it all is lost on many minds or rather the truth of what they value (usually impermanent rubbish) eclipses the hidden treasure. Avoid those organizations that blatantly promise “wealth, women, power” and other such nonsense—they clearly do not represent the aims of the Frater/Sorer. If firm resolve is established, proceed with a steady pace; your efforts with eventuate observable progress in their own right. Validation from others is not needed, so there’s no need to flaunt cryptic information as trendy accessories. There’s also no race, no reward for devouring books rapaciously, and certainly nothing meritorious about advancing through grades with an absurdly large stride. Ask questions. Admit ignorance. Surrender yourself to the wonderful art of being fallible.

5.) You’ve now been featured in a few occult podcasts and, aside from being a writer with Fire and Lux, you’ve recently begun writing for Pagan Dawn Magazine. How do you feel about being more visible in the occult/magickal community? Is there an end goal you wish to achieve from being more public about your practice?

Ah, you’re referencing my recent podcast interview with Frater R.C. on his Occult Magick Podcast! That was such an enjoyable experience. We’ll likely do another episode soon. And, yes, I’ve been contributing to the Pagan Dawn Magazine (circulated out of Italy for half a century). They’ve asked me to write a bit about some magickal tools, and they’ve allotted me a generous amount of freedom with the subject matter. I am, while writing this, leafing through some research material I’ve gathered for my second article that will be printed soon. The first was printed in the 50th anniversary issue for Samhain, and it features some creative perspectives on the ritual cup—besides my own writing, be sure to give the entire issue a look. The Pagan Dawn team is fantastic and the magazines are filled with wonderful information.
Being more visible in the occult community (and I use that term generally—we are a very large, comprehensive community) has been life-altering. When I first started my Instagram profile, I had no idea there’d be such interest and support in my everyday routines. I’ve made so many important connections with practitioners across the world, sharing ideas and learning with each shared sentence. It is extremely humbling. I think it’s fair to sometimes leap to the conclusion that your mind might be a bit wonky after seeing a spirit manifest in some way or another—hearing about the similar experiences of others can really help you rally for your own peace of mind. It can be a very lonely affair, and being connected to others in that same realm of extraordinary perception is more grounding than most contrived insulators. Is it overwhelming to have so many conversations regarding the endless array of metaphysical topics? Of course, but the value therein is immeasurable.

An end goal? Not quite. It is my hope that my Instagram feed, my various featured content, whether visually or audibly, can act as a gateway; a gateway that allows others to enter and glimpse a life in which these practices are fruitful, achievable, and accessible and also a gateway through which I can connect to other uses and gain those same inspirations from them. I have discovered that there is some appreciation for my illustrative abilities, the content created therefrom, and a desire to acquire said content. Largely, this revelation has inspired me to express some of the more obfuscated fruits of my labor through visual manifestations, and has also gifted me with the confidence to share them. I’d ideally like to create works that are functional and also aesthetically pleasing to other practitioners, perhaps somehow elevating their work in similar ways to which they have, through their support, elevated my own.

6.) What can expect to see in the future from This_Occult_Life?

As far as things that I can guarantee go, there will soon be an online gallery from which prints (and originals) can be purchased. Those pieces that were created during the brief lifespan of the Patreon will be available as well as whatever else comes along. There is talk of illustrating a new line of spell work candle labels soon—for those with the ears to hear, keep listening.
Writing opportunities continue, both the residual contributions as well as some others that have yet to be cemented. There are a few ideas I have that I feel would be at home in a hardcover—books, I mean.

There are a few more podcast interviews lined up in the near future (contingent upon the availability of involved parties).
As have been all developments since beginning this online endeavor, every week brings a new surprise and a new progression.