There are many religions within the Pagan religion. Much like there are all sorts of different Christian religions, each with its own traditions and rules, various Pagan religions also have their own individual traditions and rules.
Christopher Penczak, an award-winning author and a High Priest in the tradition of Witchcraft. He’s an ordained priest, an initiate of the Cabot Tradition of Witchcraft, and the founder of the Temple of Witchcraft tradition and organization.
Suite101 contributing writer John Culbertson conducted an interview with Mr. Penczak on August 27, 2009. This interview covered many topics, including Chris Penczak’s professional and religious life.
Christopher Penczak’s Professional Life
Q: What do you do for a living?
CP: "I am a professional minister who makes additional income through writing books on metaphysical topics. Basically, I make my living from teaching, writing, and private counsel work."
Q: Tell us about how you got into your line of work.
CP: "I didn't really intend to. I was working at a record label/recording studio and trying to make my own living as a musician and song writer. I had already been trained in Witchcraft and in my regular meditations, got a vision of the Goddess saying, 'Teach more.'
"I didn't want to, and as soon as I resisted, the meditation stopped and I was snapped back to waking consciousness. This happened several times. Finally I gave in, but only grudgingly. I told her that I was working a full time job, in a relationship, already running a once-a-month Moon circle. She would need to get me the time.
"I lost my job three days later, laid off due to budgeting. I knew the company was in bad shape, but we all thought at least three more people would be laid off before me. But it was me. Economy was good then, mid-nineties, and i couldn't get a job anywhere. I was thinking of moving to NYC or Los Angeles, but my partner Steve did not want to. He was willing, but it wasn't his first choice.
"I tried to temp for a while. I had seven temp jobs that didn't last more than a day before they permanently filled the position with someone other than me. The eighth job burned down to the ground before I could get there. I went back into meditation and asked the Goddess what job I should do, and she said, 'Now you can teach more.'
I stopped trying to temp after that and put up a flyer for meditation classes and got a full house. Things just took off. I spent my time writing a book while on unemployment, and by the time I was ready, I had three books done. One was just practice and never got published. The other two were City Magick and Spirit Allies.
Q: What lessons has your work life taught you?
CP: Many things, but most importantly, how to listen to my soul, to spirit, and to make my life's goal fulfilling my true will, with love and wisdom.
About Christopher Penczak’s Religion
Q: Can you tell us about your religious beliefs/spiritual beliefs? What is your religion?
CP: My religion is panentheistic, meaning the divine is found both in the transcendent and the material. We see nature as an expression of the divine, but not the only expression of the divine. I believe in a plurality of gods stemming from the same source, just as we have a plurality of people stemming from the same source. I believe in spirits, angels and faeries. I believe in magick as the ability to create change in your reality. I believe everything has a consciousness to it and can be communed with.
Q: What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life?
CP: "I'd say recently the most profound experience I had was a vision of the dark side of the Green Man, calling himself the Green Devil and explaining to me the nature of life and death in the world. It's hard to pick just one, as I have many profound experiences on this path, that help me awaken and evolve, but they might not be that profound for other people."
Q: Does your religion believe in the after-life? What will be like?
CP: "Much like the Tibetan Bardo, I think it depends on your consciousness upon death. I believe in a multiple soul cosmology, and that when you die, your physical soul, or middle soul breaks down and returns to the land. The lower soul connects to the pools of ancestral energy and wisdom and your higher soul resides in the "tree of the world" from a high view point. One might say heaven. Those who die in a state of alignment continue their consciousness with all three souls and become what we might call the Might Dead, Boddisattvas or Ascended Masters."
Q: How can one find out more information about you?
CP: My website is probably easiest – ChristopherPenczak.com
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