From: nv91-asa@eufrat.nada.kth.se (Anders Sandberg)
Newsgroups: alt.magick
Subject: Computer Ritual
Date: 14 Dec 1994 10:54:44 GMT

A computer ritual, suitable to do before undertaking a complex 
programming task, debugging or connecting to Internet. Instead of 
a dagger, a calculator can be used, and a computer or terminal 
could be used as an altar if desired.


Draw the CompSci Cross:

Stand before the altar. Point above the head and intone: "To Thee:". 
Visualise a shining light above you, sending down a perfect line of 
light into you.

Point to the floor and intone: "The Data". The line continues down, 
and develops regular markings.

Point to the right and intone: "The Code". A shining line extends to 
the right.

Point to the left and intone: "The Communications". The line extends 
to the left, and develops regular markings.

Cross the hands and intone: "For Ever. Amen". A line appears 
perpendicular to the others. Together they form a coordinate 
system with you in origin, dividing space into a faint green grid. 


Drawing of the Diagrams:

Go to the east and draw a horizontal digram (a line) from left to 
right and intone: "von Neumann". Draw a shining line straight south 
and then west, forming a corner (aligned with the co-ordinate 
system).

Go to the south and draw a vertical digram upwards and intone: 
"Turing". Continue the line west and north.

Go to the west and draw a vertical digram downwards and intone: 
"Ada Lovelace". Continue the line north and east.

Go to the north and draw a horizontal digram from right to left and 
intone: "Babbage". Continue the line east and south, so that it forms 
an unbroken square around the temple. Visualise how it projects 
two copies, one on the floor and one in the air, so that the space 
enclosed is a perfect cube. Two other squares, perpendicular to the 
first appear and interlock to form a strong cube with each face 
divided into four squares, alternating black and white (total 24 
squares, which correspond to the 24 permutations of Tetragrammaton)


The Invocation of the 2^2 Archangels:

Stand in origin, with your arms extended.

In the East, visualise Raphael standing, holding a LISP expression 
and surrounded by dancing code. Say: "Before me: Raphael!"

In the West, visualise Gabriel standing, holding a string of ones and 
zeros and surrounded by flowing data and graphics. Say: "Behind 
me Gabriel!".

In the South, visualise Michael standing, holding a debugger 
window and surrounded by multicoloured messages. Say: "To my 
right Michael!".

In the North, visualise Uriel standing, holding a binary tree and 
surrounded by arrays. Say "To my left Uriel!".

Intone: "Around me flames the ones and zeros, and in the column 
shines the byte!" Visualise how the lines flare up, and you stand 
inside a pillar of eight bits quickly counting up from 0 to 255. 

Repeat the CompSci cross. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg			 	  	     Towards Ascension!
nv91-asa@hemul.nada.kth.se   http://www.nada.kth.se/~nv91-asa/main.html
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