J. David Osborne is the author of a sizeable collection of novels which range from dreamy prose set in a gulag, to gritty and comedic crime noir, and arriving in his latest novel Gods Fare No Better at a mystical cyberpunk epic dedicated to his favorite filmmaker, the infamous Takashi Miike.

We talk about three of Miike's films in particular (Ichi, Gozu, & Dead Or Alive), mastery of craft through total immersion, artists who are above critique, personal projections in art and critique, the absurdity of the political climate, and we talk about the process of making books, specifically Gods Fair... the fantastic cover art for which our own Kurt Huggins made.

David, and his colleagues at Broken River Books, all collaborate to promote one another's work outside of the holy see of major publishing companies and modern censorship in order to preserve their limitless, artistic freedom. All of their work is excellent and well worth checking out.

We touch on some difficult topics, and films, in this one so consider this a warning for sensitive people.

You can pick up a copy here, and we highly suggest you do.

David's Podcast with Kelby Losack

As always we at Soapbox accept donations to keep the show going and Rev Janglebones makes amulets and enchanted items, if that should interest you.

I think of Amaya Rourke as one of the most honest people in the world of alternative spirituality. Her latest work follows this same theme, born out of the pure need to navigate the neverending onslaught of information we are all bombarded with and help others cultivate their intuition in an age of prolific doubt, constant adrenal stimulation, endless contrary opinions, and the overarching and very much intentional hijacking of our ability to imagine, both as individuals and collectively.

We discuss Harriet Tubman’s unshakable trust in her visions which had life or death consequences in the underground railroad, our total dependence on the health of our dreaming to enable us to imagine better solutions, the powers of trust and conversely doubt, the dangers of outsourcing information in your practice, and much more.

We typically don’t make a point to promote anything at all on this show, but this current dare I say altruistic work is clearly much needed and I highly encourage everyone to read Amaya’s recent substack posts and, if you’re vibing, consider signing up for the course. The last day for enrollment is March 19th so don’t sleep on this if it rings bells for you.

Amaya's New Course Offering & More Information

Amaya's Substack

And as always,

Rev Makes Amulets

Kurt Makes Art

We accept donations for this podcast to keep it going

And we love you even if you don't donate, you just might not get as many shows <3

Dr. Robert Svoboda on Fire

Art: René Magritte. The Double Secret, 1927

Astrologer and fellow talisman maker Mat Dragonstone joins us to chat about this classic demented love story in the city of angels. We discuss the recently departed David Lynch and the ashes of L.A., as well as the timing of the two through an astrologer's eyes.

We get into the state of astrology in general, astrological ontologies, the balance between rigid structure and feeling the vibe, film as a vehicle for transcendental meditation. We talk shop about talisman creation and how divination tools, including astro charts, act as vessels for the intuition. Such a pleasure.

You can find all of Mat's work and available offerings below, along with a link to Rev's new talismanic oil.

Mat's website where you can book a reading session, browse handcrafted astro talismans, and read more about Mat's practice.

Mat's substack which Rev highly recommends you check out.

Mat's Instagram

Mat's Podcast

Rev's new Crown of Triumph oil

We are resurrected!

Cunning man and friend Robert Peter christens a new chapter in the Soapbox saga with a chat including tips for beginners and intermediates, the esoteric St. Benedict, winter solstice and the rebirth of the light, heretical Catholicism, hazards on the road to progression, the nuances of operational syncretism, and much more.

Robert has decided to join us as a regular co-host on episodes pertaining specifically to magic and practice, while Kurt and Rev will continue to bring you esoteric conversations about art and film. Now is a good time to Soapbox.

Here's an old post by the Rev on St, Benedict.

Painting of a candle by Ktagogoart

In our most meta episode to date, Chad Andro from the fantastic podcast Radical Elphame joins us to talk about people talking about a movie! The impossibly numerous ways people have discovered meaning within Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, as seen through the eyes of the magician, have brought Chad to a more holistic understanding of this phenomenon which we were delighted to explore together. This was such a fun conversation and Chad is a joy.

If you haven't already, check out Radical Elphame!

And don't forget to DONATE if you appreciate the show. (not you Mason, you good <3)

Cunning and handsome devil, writer, actor, director, and magic user Matt Cosper returns to discuss a total mind melt of a film. We talk about the movie and it's many wondrous tangible and esoteric properties (nearly) the entire time. It's a banger.

Please Donate <3

Florida man, prolific musician, burgeoning standup comic, and old friend of the Rev's from his scene kid band days(daze) Joe Seul joined us to discuss the Harmony Korine film, The Beach Bum.

Joe brings a fresh and almost, dare I say, pure sort of curiosity and sense of exploration to his myriad creative projects. From a tall, black, laser and smoke-spraying monolith at his live shows, to a Galapagos nature video shot on-location and featuring an original score, to an acoustic live show alone in the woods that was literally for the birds, a controversial dip into talk show host, and on to his next horizon: standup comedy.

We chat about this stuff and the state of things in general, reminisce about Florida, how scenes are not necessarily communities and vice-versa, the tendency to push big red buttons, and the elbow brushing with insanity that some gifted artists are prone to. Joe was also kind enough to donate the sick opening track (Selena Gomez [#4]) which you can find on his website below along with other wild stuff he's done.

Donate to Soapbox, freeloader!

DOOM MODEM

Dos Semanas En Galapagos - a wildlife film by Broken World Productions

YX984 - Glow in the Dark

Florida, Man - A Concert for Birds

1-800-FUNK-SAUCE.com SHOW

Our first guest sermon by the astutely observant and compassionate Marbl Queen illustrates something the Rev had been trying to put his finger on for a while now, except she did it with more grace than he could have. This felt like a message literally everyone needs to hear, especially lately. If this resonates with you consider reading more of Marbl's writing: Her substack is here.

If you have a message (sermon) you think would be a good fit for the show, or want to be a guest on the usual episodes, or have any questions for Kurt or Rev about anything in particular, send submissions to theonlyrealsoapboxpodcast @ gmail.com

Donate to the show to keep it going!