RFC
I was working on an idea that ahs been bouncing around in my head. I was hoping for some comments on it. Once I get a little more substance to it, I'll post it on my IndraNet site.
Cyberturgy is a magickal heuristic based upon computing concepts. Rather than being magick using computers, it is a system that utilizes computer metaphors. Here are some disorganized ideas. Responses are appreciated.
Purpose: The purpose of Cyberturgy is to provide a useful magickal framework that 1) is engaging to both the conscious and subconscious of the computer-oriented mind, and 2) takes advantage of concepts and metaphors in computing.
Principles:
Abstraction - Just like most computer science has little to do with the 1s and 0s that the computer actually works with, cyberturgy does not, on the whole, deal with the lowest levels of how the psyche processes energy and meaning. Rather, we use various layers of abstraction. By using abstraction, we can define the scope of what constructs we use. Lower level constructs do not have to be complete in that they contain all possibilities, but rather they need to be complete in terms of providing a full set of primitives that higher levels of abstraction can use to build more complex and functional systems.
Modularity and compartmentalization - The various aspects Cyberturgy as a practice are viewed as modular. That is, they are techniques/processes/concepts that are more or less self-contained. They accept results and produce results and how they work internally is usually not important to the rest of the system. This allows Cyberturgy to use concepts and practices from various traditions and paradigms that might conflict in a holistic sense. By limiting scope and providing explicit interfaces, different paradigms can be used in situations where they are particularly useful. If these practices are internally self-consistant, respect a limited scope (or can be made to) and provide consistant interface points (essentially APIs), then they can be strung together loosely in order to produce desired results.
Key Concepts:
Magick is partially semantic and symbolic - Unlike a computer, which just processes data, the pysche processes various enegeries. These energies have multiple facets, such as raw energy. However this energy also has and transmits meaning. Magick (that is, working with these energies) involves the the processing of meaning, usually through symbolism and archetype. Cyberturgical techniques should address input from that perspective.
Psyche as Magickal runtime - Cyberturgy views the pysche as a magickal/spiritual runtime environment, that is, an environment where magickal algorithms actually occur, using the facilities provided by the person as spiritual hardware. In this respect, magickal working is an abstraction of the actual underlying processes, which the psyche interprets subconsciously and performs 'behind the scenes' as it were. Most of what we would call performing a ritual or casting a spell is actually the design and upload process. After the working has been loaded into the psyche, then the runtime performs the actions.
Spellware Engineering - Cyberturgy uses concepts from software engineering in the development and execution of magickal workings. These elements include:
Requirements/Intent analysis - understanding the purpose and requirements of a particular working. This also includes an analysis of whether what sort of magickal working is appropriate (if any).
specification - This process defines the scope and nature of the process, including what Chaos Magick calls a definite Statement of Intent.
architecture design - The architecture design process is the first step of taking intent and implementing it. This revolves around the design of the environment and components of the working. This process included the decisions of what components to use and making certain that the components inferface properly and that the components maintain their scope.
implementation and debugging cycle - this step involves the actual creation of details to implement the intent and the architecture. This can include the creation of artifacts, the creation and enactment of rites and rituals, the casting of spells, etc. The second phase of this step requires that the results of the implementation are examined and compared to the intent (through analysis of results primarly, though various forms of divination can be used to examine the more esoteric angles of the process). This feeds back into imlementation as the process is refined and re-constructed based off of this data. Note that this means that simply performing a rite is insuffiecient - the cycle requires debugging and re-implementation until a resolution of some sort is reached.
documentation - The process above should include documentation, so that the process can be used again, either as a roadmap for similar processes in the future or as data for future development
maintanence and development - Continuing processes require regular maintenance, as do things like talismans, magickal tools, etc. Additionally, processes should be looked at for development - can the functionality of the process be improved? Does the concept need more research?
Cyberturgy is a magickal heuristic based upon computing concepts. Rather than being magick using computers, it is a system that utilizes computer metaphors. Here are some disorganized ideas. Responses are appreciated.
Purpose: The purpose of Cyberturgy is to provide a useful magickal framework that 1) is engaging to both the conscious and subconscious of the computer-oriented mind, and 2) takes advantage of concepts and metaphors in computing.
Principles:
Abstraction - Just like most computer science has little to do with the 1s and 0s that the computer actually works with, cyberturgy does not, on the whole, deal with the lowest levels of how the psyche processes energy and meaning. Rather, we use various layers of abstraction. By using abstraction, we can define the scope of what constructs we use. Lower level constructs do not have to be complete in that they contain all possibilities, but rather they need to be complete in terms of providing a full set of primitives that higher levels of abstraction can use to build more complex and functional systems.
Modularity and compartmentalization - The various aspects Cyberturgy as a practice are viewed as modular. That is, they are techniques/processes/concepts that are more or less self-contained. They accept results and produce results and how they work internally is usually not important to the rest of the system. This allows Cyberturgy to use concepts and practices from various traditions and paradigms that might conflict in a holistic sense. By limiting scope and providing explicit interfaces, different paradigms can be used in situations where they are particularly useful. If these practices are internally self-consistant, respect a limited scope (or can be made to) and provide consistant interface points (essentially APIs), then they can be strung together loosely in order to produce desired results.
Key Concepts:
Magick is partially semantic and symbolic - Unlike a computer, which just processes data, the pysche processes various enegeries. These energies have multiple facets, such as raw energy. However this energy also has and transmits meaning. Magick (that is, working with these energies) involves the the processing of meaning, usually through symbolism and archetype. Cyberturgical techniques should address input from that perspective.
Psyche as Magickal runtime - Cyberturgy views the pysche as a magickal/spiritual runtime environment, that is, an environment where magickal algorithms actually occur, using the facilities provided by the person as spiritual hardware. In this respect, magickal working is an abstraction of the actual underlying processes, which the psyche interprets subconsciously and performs 'behind the scenes' as it were. Most of what we would call performing a ritual or casting a spell is actually the design and upload process. After the working has been loaded into the psyche, then the runtime performs the actions.
Spellware Engineering - Cyberturgy uses concepts from software engineering in the development and execution of magickal workings. These elements include: