In “The Golden Tooth,” the protagonist, Marquis Sandstorm, embarks on a dark and mystical journey. What inspired you to explore the themes of alchemy, the occult, and the pursuit of immortality in this narrative?
If I am allowed to start from the end, Sandstorm begins by seeking his own death, not his immortality. However, due to some subconscious desire, at some point of the narrative the life perpetuation of his deceased loved ones is put on the table. It is nothing else than the magical animation of memories via totems or fetishes, and sympathetic magic.
It was not the pursuit of immortality that inspired the story, but the pursuit of suicide and how we can get free from this and be healed so we can accept mortality and actually live our lives humbly and intensely.
The alchemy is the alchemy of suffering, softening the hardened rock into something that may be filled with the life and light at its core.
I don't think we can really elaborate, in our full capacity (which includes the imagination), on something generally as unknown as death without delving into the occult or, at least, art. The occult offers the right grammar to make the necessary questions and hear the better questions that will answer our lesser questions.
When I was young, I had suicidal tendencies, this world seemed like the wrong stop and I thought of getting out. I was also mourning the death of my beloved. These two themes are in this story, which is a story that, as dark as it may look, means to help everyone suffering from similar torments.
The story introduces a diverse cast of supernatural beings, from elemental spirits to Vaoro, the enigmatic entity guiding Marquis. How did you go about developing these characters, and what symbolism or significance do they hold within the context of the narrative?
We should keep in mind that Vaoro is also an elemental spirit, a sprite of a royal nature. In other words, this is an elemental on whom the consciousness of other elementals depends; he has a kingdom.
I developed these characters from knowing them through methods of Hermeticism and Rosicrucianism. They have simply been given expression in a context of fantasy and fiction.
In this narrative Vaoro symbolizes the force of nature, the atavistic and wild power at our center, the same power that moves Sandstorm’s attention away from his superstitions and from identifications with his experiences that were twisted, fragmenting his psyche.
Meg, the Iridescent, for instance, was invented from origin, and has a background story that will yet be written. She was a human being at once and she is born as one again in the tale. But this is a detail that might escape the less attentive reader. Here, in this story, to Sandstorm, she is the archetype of the infant. Not Sandstorm's suicidal and decayed daughter that had him forget what it was to nurture his own inner child, but the wildling and instinctive nature of an infant. A path of renewal.
Rituals and occult practices play a central role in the story. Can you elaborate on your research process for incorporating authentic and evocative details into the magical elements of the narrative?
The story drinks from the goetic tradition and from Hermetics. But it also drinks heavily from traditional Witchcraft. I am known as a practitioner and writer of high magic(k). I am not known as a witch or a cunning one. Yet a witch I also have been. This was my opportunity to write about the tradition.
Marquis Sandstorm undergoes significant transformations both physically and spiritually throughout the story. How did you approach portraying his character arc and the psychological nuances of his descent into the occult?
After developing the basic characteristics or mold of a character, especially if it is going to be the main character, you have also to be clear on the character’s skills and lack of them, strengths and weaknesses, hobbies, habits, health, along with personality, moral, self control, motivation, discouragement, intellectual level, confidence, philosophy and phobias. This is the spine that will allow the character to move and adapt differently to different situations. Nevertheless, the spine not only allows for mobility as it limits mobility, and we must still give it the restrictions that support structure. This implies having a keen awareness of the character’s childhood, important past events and accomplishments, worst moments and failures, secrets, best and worst memories.
What is more, how does this character align with the story, what is the character’s role, short and long term goals, what is his involvement and conflict with the world we have built for him? If you also bear in mind a clear idea of the character’s first appearance in the narrative and the character’s most defining moment, then his or her relation with other characters, it is only a matter of writing freely and all will fit in by the flow of nature.
“The Golden Tooth” explores profound themes such as life, death, and the supernatural. What messages or reflections do you hope readers take away from the intricate and mysterious world you’ve created in this story?
We can give birth to ourselves. But this power must be earned by the pains of birth giving.
The Gem of Silence
The narrative in “Gem of Silence” is incredibly rich and layered, blending mysticism, nature, and existential exploration. Can you share the inspirations behind the story and how your own experiences and beliefs influenced the creation of such a complex and immersive world?
The principle is the same in all tales present in Duende. I am writing about beings that I have met through occult means and giving them the fantastic so they can blend in with human references and life flows. In this story, I am simultaneously elaborating and disclosing the mystery of the human soul. However, this is a story told by the so-called little people, or faery people. We have forgotten our human soul in dead and encrypted dogma, we need the wonder of the elements and the elementals to get it back.
The main character is inspired by my own gnome substance, form and body, that I inhabit when traveling with my mind to the kingdom under the earth.
The gem in the story possesses consciousness and plays a role in connecting the protagonist to various dimensions. What prompted you to use a precious gem as a symbolic element, and how did you develop its character throughout the narrative?
The gem of silence has consciousness and awareness, but no personality, no character per se. Simply put, this black gem is the purely spiritual element, and the human soul that keeps hiding from our gnome protagonist but that is his, beyond personality or condition.
The themes of silence, nature, and the universe are prominent throughout the story. Can you elaborate on the significance of these themes and why you chose them to convey the deeper meaning of the characters’ experiences and the world they inhabit?
The universe is space, nature is how it operates in time (in other words, nature is time). A true awareness that any of this is really happening takes place in inner silence. Without it, space becomes entropy, and nature turns into confusion. The characters keep touching the universe and its nature through silence so the reader can as well, so the reader can realign with the cosmos and come back to wonderment.
The characters, especially Carmus, exhibit a profound connection to the natural world and its mysteries. How did you approach character development in a narrative that goes beyond conventional reality, and what messages or insights do you hope readers derive from these characters’ journeys?
Carmus has an interesting mix in her. In terms of skills, she is based on the entity that taught me how to move and grow in the Kingdom Under the Earth. But her personality is based on the earth traits of my wife (modeling in the cover). Thus, it was easy to understand how Carmus would react in different circumstances. I think there is no such thing as conventional reality, at least to me: reality is a prism of multiple angles reflecting multiple angles of other prisms. There is purpose, then reality adapts. Carmus is firm in her purpose. So is the protagonist, nameless until the end, until the gem of silence speaks.
The painter, druid and poet William Blake had the message right, for at once “no bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings,” and “if the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.”
“Gem of Silence” delves into existential questions, the play of life and death, the essence of being. What message or takeaway would you like readers to carry with them after experiencing this narrative, and how do you see the exploration of such profound themes contributing to the broader literary landscape?
Be absolutely humble and absolutely firm: this is the path of wonderment I keep getting back to. The literary landscape grows on it and declines far from it.
Iomik and the Emerald Woman
Can you share the inspiration behind “Iomik and the Emerald Woman”? What sparked the idea for this particular story, and how did it evolve during the writing process?
Iomik is a character, and quite a fascinating one, that advises the protagonist in the Gem of Silence, setting him and Carmus on their journey. He deserved his own book at Iomik and the Emerald Woman, just as Vaoro is a character in Iomik and the Emerald Woman that got his own “The Golden Tooth” fiction. The old Rosicrucians had this idea of the elementals as being slaves to be colonized and christianized, with no soul of their own and no capacity to transcend if not through human intervention. Iomik means to demystify it. This is a gnome, that through the means of a gnome is able to reach everywhere a human magus can reach. This is the spark. It evolved through images of Norse folklore and goetic demonology, culminating in a prophecy that I extracted through a state of trance.
The characters in your book, particularly Iomik and the Emerald Woman, are quite unique. What inspired the creation of these characters, and do they draw from any real-life influences or experiences?
Yes they do. Except for Iomik. Iomik, I built, and I built him as a magician builds an elemental or an alchemist builds an homuncle. It is one of my finest works. Then I transported him to the stories.
The League of Thieves, except for Iomik, is inspired by Earth sprites with which I engaged from the Practice of Magical Evocation by Franz Bardon. The entities met on the “sewers” of the Emerald Woman are inspired by demons of the Ars Goetia, with which I worked as well. And, finally, the Emerald Woman is based on a Venusian intelligence.
The narrative in your book involves mystical elements and fantastical realms. How did you go about world-building for “Iomik and the Emerald Woman”? Were there specific mythologies, cultures, or personal experiences that influenced the creation of these imaginative settings?
Yes. As mentioned elsewhere, this book drinks heavily from Norse imaginary and medieval grimoire traditions. But it also kind of translates the theories of Paracelsus and many Rosicrucian dogmas related to the topic of elementals or nature spirits. The flesh of this skeleton, the way it all operates as a living thing, is based on personal experiences of mental wandering and astral projection.
“Iomik and the Emerald Woman” delves into adventure, magic, and possibly more. Can you discuss what you wanted to explore in the story and how it resonated with you personally?
Interesting choice of words. Magic is no mathematics, it requires the element of adventure, a personal stepping into mystery. This story moves around the Emerald Woman, and the Emerald Woman is an emerald, a gem, similar to the gem in the Gem of Silence but of a different order.
This probably escapes the average reader, but the Gem of Silence expresses the secret of infinite space, while the Emerald Woman expresses the secret of endless time or eternity. I must confess I am not really trying to portray personal themes here, but universal ones.
As an author, what challenges and joys did you encounter while writing “Iomik and the Emerald Woman”? Is there a particular scene or moment in the book that you found especially rewarding or challenging to write?
One joy was tasting that fruit that is the food of all foods and grows deep inside the Emerald Woman, in the forest of souls where the trees erotically transform base matter into metals. Oh yes, I tasted it. How else could I write about it? A challenge was the prophecy. Written in trance, although triggered by the book, it seems alien to it. But I guess that is the fate of prophecies, to be alien to the context and world in which they are born.
Father Moon and the Desert of Di Yu
“Father Moon and the Desert of Di Yu” is a mystical and fantastical narrative. What inspired you to write this story, and how did the initial concept develop into the tale it became?
That is a good question, especially because what inspired me to write this story was another story that I didn’t yet get to write. I created the world-building, characters and structure for a series following the protagonist of the Gem of Silence this time in the platonic Moonzone. As always, I did field research. Suddenly, I found Paimon, from Ars Goetia, all white and riding hir white camel over mobile silver oceanic dunes. Upon attempting to capture the demon’s connection with the moon sphere, I came up with the metaphor that is this story.
Father Moon (Monpai), is vividly portrayed. Can you share insights into his creation? Does he draw from any cultural or mythological influences, or is he entirely a product of your imagination?
Monpai means My Father. And if you twist the word around, you get Paimon. Paimon is a transformation of the Greek God Pan (god of the wild, shepherds and flocks), if we can be so bold as to say it. What I am stating is that Monpai draws intensely from Paimon, flute player whose knowledge includes the Earth, its waters, and the winds. In terms of my creations, there is something else inspired by Monpai, my music album Le Musqueé du Pape Femme, by my pen name Babalith (https://babalith.bandcamp.com/album/le-musque-du-pape-femme).
The setting, including the desert of Di Yu, is important in your narrative. How did you approach world-building? Were there real-world locations or mythologies that influenced the creation of this fantastical desert realm?
Di Yu means Earth Prison. It is Chinese. It refers to something between hell and purgatory. The journey through the desert in this particular tale is the journey from life to death or the path of shedding mortality away.
The story is about immortality, freedom, mystical elements and mortal desires. Can you elaborate on what you wanted to convey in “Father Moon and the Desert of Di Yu”? Personal beliefs or philosophical perspectives?
To be immortal is to be freed from mortal desires, and yet mysticism requires death if it is to have any effect. The perspectives are philosophical. The stone in which Monpai is finally imprisoned portrays the so-called secret of the cube and why it is the cosmological foundation of the human psyche. But this is a mystery of the contemplative first, and only secondly a mystery of reason.
The narrative structure, particularly the use of a first-person perspective through a character’s magical diary, adds to the storytelling. What inspired this narrative choice, and how did it contribute to the tone and atmosphere of the book?
The reader will have to tell me how it contributed to the overall tone and atmosphere of the book. That is a question for the writer to ask. As a reader myself, I like first-person narratives. I grew up reading Bernard Cornwell, which is a master at this. It always helped me transport myself into the character, experiencing and living the story, instead of sitting outside and looking in like a voyeur.