Lionel Snell
Lionel Snell is a contemporary English magician, publisher and author on magic and philosophy, who has published under the pen names Ramsey Dukes, Lemuel Johnston, Angerford and Lea, Adamai Philotunus, and Per Anum Ad Astra. His regular satirical column "The Satanist's Diary" was published in the magazine "Aquarian Arrow" during the 1980s and early 1990s under the pen name The Hon Hugo C StJ l'Estrange and included a multitude of other pen names as contributors. Career. In 1977, he performed a well-known, but notably laborious and rarely attempted ritual called the Abramelin operation. Since 1972 he  has written and published several books noted for their impact on late 20th-century magic and humor. "Words Made Flesh" (1987) was 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. Dukes has worked on the subject of magic with diverse associates including the Ordo Templi Orientis and Illuminates of Thanateros. Partial bibliography. Works include: Lionel Snell