Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"The best way that I can put is that, you know, we're talking about we've started it for so long. We've been studying it for probably a year now. And the best way I could say is that if you look at chaos magic as a video game, pretty much all we've done here with this episode, we beat the tutorial." — Marcus Parks
"The foundation of chaos magic comes from an English artist named Austin Spare. He was the first occultist in modern times to completely reject the use of paraphernalia, overly complicated rituals, and secret societies in order to make shit happen." — Ben Kessel
"Chaos magic is the first postmodern magical system, which means that it pretty much has the attitude of fuck everything that came before or doing our own thing. And furthermore, fuck you too. I'm doing my own things." — Ben Kessel
This episode of Last Podcast on the Left explores the complex and often misunderstood realm of Chaos Magic. The hosts, Ben Kessel, Marcus Parks, and Henry Zebrowski, frame the discussion by likening their current understanding to having "beaten the tutorial" of a complex video game, emphasizing the vastness and depth of the subject. They trace the origins of Chaos Magic back to Austin Spare, an artist who pioneered the concept of magical sigils and advocated for a more accessible, less ritualistic approach to magic. The discussion highlights how Spare rejected elaborate ceremonies and secret societies in favor of practical application and individual will.
The conversation then moves to the formal founders of Chaos Magic, Peter J. Carroll and Ray Sherwin, and their publication of Liber Null. The hosts acknowledge the dense and often incomprehensible nature of early texts on the subject, including Spare's The Book of Pleasure, suggesting that understanding Chaos Magic requires a willingness to engage with poetic and potentially abstract concepts. A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the core tenets of Chaos Magic, including the rejection of dogma, the emphasis on personal experience over external authority, and the principle of "deconditioning" from societal and personal belief structures. The idea is presented that practitioners are encouraged to adopt temporary belief systems as tools, to experiment, and to critically analyze the results of their practices.
Finally, the hosts discuss the DIY, adaptable, and often counter-cultural spirit of Chaos Magic, drawing parallels to the punk rock movement. They reiterate that the practice is about personal empowerment, altering one's perception of reality, and ultimately, about "doing you." The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of altered states of consciousness and the journey of self-discovery inherent in the practice, with the hosts acknowledging that the path of Chaos Magic often leads to unexpected outcomes different from initial intentions.