Lionel Snell
Encyclopedia
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
and philosophy
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
s. They brought him to Cambridge
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)
External links
Ramsey Dukes is the current and best-known pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
of Lionel Snell, a contemporary magician, publisher and author on magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He has also written under the pen names Lemuel Johnston, The Hon. Hugo L'Estrange, Adamai Philotunus, Per Anum Ad Astra and Angerford & Lea.
In his youth, Snell enjoyed a series of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s. They brought him to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, where his writings on Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare
Austin Osman Spare was an English artist who developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilization based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self...
and magical theory brought him into contact with the young chaos magic
Chaos magic
Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods.-General principles:...
movement in the 1970s. He had been interested in the occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
before, but this comparatively rigorous and modern style of it, largely shaped by fellow scientist Peter J. Carroll, drew his special attention.
His first well-known writings were a series of articles in the magazine Aquarian Arrow written under the pen name of the Honourable Hugo L'Estrange, a pastiche of the Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Wheatley
Dennis Yates Wheatley was an English author. His prolific output of stylish thrillers and occult novels made him one of the world's best-selling authors from the 1930s through the 1960s.-Early life:...
style of fictional aristocratic Satanism made famous by Hammer horror movies.
Since 1972 he has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th century magick
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
and humor. The ones most often referred to are SSOTBME - An Essay on Magic (1974) and Thundersqueak (1978). Dukes writes:
In SSOTBME I suggested that the surest way to map out human culture was by using a compass with four directions: Art, Science, Religion and Magic. I suggested that to ignore or deny Magic was a bit like denying the existence of a hole in the road - it simply increased the chance of falling into it.
Words Made Flesh (1987) is written from a more philosophical point of view and notable for its original outline of the "information model" theory of magic that our universe could be a virtual reality—as later explored in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
. It is an example of the author's ongoing studies in the relationship between magic and rationalism
Rationalism
In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms, it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive"...
.
Snell has made the claim that in 1977 he performed a ritual called the Abramelin operation. He is an initiate of both Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis
Ordo Templi Orientis is an international fraternal and religious organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century...
and the Illuminates of Thanateros
Illuminates of Thanateros
The Illuminates of Thanateros is an international magical organization founded in 1978, focusing on practical group work in chaos magic. This fraternal magical society has been an important influence on some forms of modern occultism.- Name :...
.
In more recent years Snell has become part of the faculty of Arcanorium College.
Partial bibliography
Works include:- SSOTMBE: An Essay on Magic, Its Foundations, Development and Place in Modern Life
- 1st edition: Mouse That Spins, 1975. ISBN 0-904311-01-5
- Hardcover: Turner, 1979. ISBN 0-904311-09-0
- SSOTBME Revised: An Essay on Magic. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-08-2
- Thundersqueak (under the pseudonym of Liz Angerford and Ambrose Lea). Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-12-0 (3rd rev. ed., 2003)
- Words Made Flesh, Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-11-2 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST Your Way to Megabuck$ with my SECRET Sex-Power Formula. Mouse That Spins. ISBN 0-904311-13-9 (2nd rev. ed., 2003)
- BLAST... has been published in German as Zaster-Blaster, Zapp Dir den Weg zum GiGaGeld mit meiner GEHEIMEN SEX-KRAFT-FORMEL.
- The Good, the Bad & the Funny, with Adamai Philotunus. Mouse That Spins, 2002. ISBN 0-904311-10-4
- What I Did in My Holidays: Essays on Black Magic, Satanism, Devil Worship and Other Niceties. Mandrake of OxfordMandrake of OxfordMandrake of Oxford is a specialist independent publisher based in Oxford, England primarily known for the publication of "hands-on" books for occult practitioners...
, 1999. ISBN 1-869928-52-0 - Uncle Ramsey's Little Book of Demons: The Positive Advantages of the Personification of Life's Problems. Aeon Books, 2005. ISBN 1-904658-09-1
- Dukes is one of 23 contributing authors to Liber Malorum, edited by Sean Scullion, 2007. ISBN 978-0-9557984-0-5.
- '32 Not One Tower, But Two' appears in XVI, Scarlet Imprint, 2010. No ISBN issued by publisher http://www.scarletimprint.com/xvi.htm
- How to See Fairies: Discover Your Psychic Powers in Six Weeks. Aeon Books, 2010. ISBN 1-904658-37-7. (Based on 2008 Arcanorium College course "Experimental Clairvoyance for the Non-Psychic".)