Episode 179: The Final Frontier, with Lionel Snell

Weird Studies

Phil Ford and J. F. Martel

Society & Culture, Arts, Philosophy

4.8 • 688 Ratings

🗓️ 6 November 2024

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

One of the great rewards of "weirding" the world is learning that boredom may be a kind of ethical transgression—the world is simply too strange to allow for it, and if you're bored, you're at least partly to blame. Few have put this notion to the test as rigorously as Lionel Snell, whose work as a magician celebrates the wonders of everyday events, from a walk in the park to a moment of car trouble. Unlike the pursuit of the extraordinary that often defines occult practice, Snell's approach reminds us of the magic in the mundane. In this episode, Snell, also known as Ramsey Dukes, shares the insights he's gained over his decades-long career as one of the leading figures in contemporary magical theory and practice. For an exclusive Vimeo link to Aaron Poole's film Dada mentioned in the intro, go to Instagram and send @aaronsghost the direct message "movie link please". REFERENCES Ramsey Dukes, Thundersqueak Weird Studies, Episode 141 on “SSOTBME Weird Studies, Episode 24 with Lionel Snell John Crowley, Little, Big Arthur Machen, “A Fragment of Life” David Foster Wallace, The Pale King Max Picard, The Flight from God Lionel Snell, My Years of Magical Thinking Robert Anton Wilson, Prometheus Rising Henry Bergson, Matter and Memory Russell’s Paradox Special Guest: Lionel Snell [Ramsey Dukes]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Spectrevision Radio
0:02.0	Welcome to Weird Studies, an arts and philosophy podcast with hosts Phil Ford and J.F. Martel.
0:20.0	For more episodes, or to support the podcast,
0:23.3	go to weirdst. This is J.F. Martel.
0:52.8	Lionel Snell, better known in some parts of the
0:56.8	Weirdro Sphere by his erstwhile Nonde, Nonde Plum, Ramsey Dukes, is the author of such classics
1:02.7	of occult philosophy as, Thundersquique, my years of magical thinking, Uncle Ramsey's
1:08.9	Little Book of Demons, and blast your way to Megabucks with
1:12.2	my secret sex power formula. We discussed his book Sasatbamy, short four sex secrets of the
1:18.4	black magicians exposed in episode 141. And Lionel himself made his maiden appearance on the show
1:25.4	all the way back in episode 24, where we explored his
1:29.2	essay The Charlatan and the Magus. Today, the author, philosopher, and magician returns
1:35.7	to weird studies for a rollicking conversation on a range of topics, including magical practice,
1:41.2	the challenges and affordances of living in a reality tunnel, and the enchantments
1:45.3	of boredom. Forget outer space or the Mariana trench, boredom for Snell is the final frontier
1:51.8	of our age. If you can't survive boredom, he once told his math students at Eaton, you are
1:57.9	finished. Unlike many of the occult luminaries of his generation, who sought magic in the pursuit
2:04.4	of ecstasy, adventure, the endless chase after novelty, Snell made a decision in the late
2:10.6	sevenies to go down, as he says, seeking the marvelous in the mundane, the universe in
2:16.2	a grain of sand, the rainforest in a grain of sand, the rainforest,
2:18.3	in a blade of grass, piercing the pavement.
2:21.7	Snell stands at the top echelon of the patron saints of weird studies, and it was a pleasure
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -142 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Phil Ford and J. F. Martel, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Phil Ford and J. F. Martel and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.