We live like in Matrix.
'Basically, what if we already lived in a virtual environment? Or more pop culture wise, 'what if we lived in the Matrix?'
That's a paradigm that fits rather nicely with the mechanics of Mage, and has the benefit of allowing the VAs to 'Hack Reality' in the same way other Mages do.
And it would have the interesting side effect of giving the VAs common ground with the more gnostic-leaning Hermetics and Choristers'.
As this blog's author, Professional Computer Programmer & a (Certified, but still early in training) Hacker sees:
Using Computers to Work the Magick.
The Reality's Parts can be modelled, defined/described, and interacted with using the Code and Modelling Tools as Unified Modelling Language (UML) or Shael-Mellor's. Different models for different purposes, different granularities & detail levels as well.
Beings' Mind(s), Spiritual Energies, and Physical Bodies can be modelled, and connected/linked (using the Correspondence Magick) with real beings.
Same with Phenomena, except that - by Buddhist Definition - Beings have Mind, and Phenomena do not.
Then states of such objects can be altered, and new objects can be 'injected' into certain contexts, that are parts of the Reality. Objects can also be 'erased', perhaps by the 'Cosmic Garbage Collector'.
Sympathetic Magick.
So this is basically a sympathetic magic, but instead of manipulating a physical voodoo doll to affect someone similarly a Virtual Adept can manipulate a computer model, code and/or data of them.
How Models in VA's computer can look like?
While theoretically many things are possible, the software models are not 3D models, these are flat 2D diagrams.
Why?
Because creating such is less time consuming, and 2D models are usually easier to look at and understand.
Many aspects of software can be modeled, but most often used are:
- class diagrams,
- object diagrams
'As above so below'.
(The Hermetic Maxim where influencing higher reality changes lower one and vice versa).
There's a Model (or Code) and Data in the Virtual Adept's computer, linked to Virtual Plane's Code and Data using the Correspondence Magick.
(like in the 'Matrix' Film, the Code and Data that exists in the 'Virtual Plane' defines the Reality that beings experience).
Then, Virtual Adept can change the Code or Model and/or Data in his or her computer, in an Act of Magick to change the Reality.
The Data can include graphics/images, sound samples, 3D models and animations, textures, vector graphics files, text files, etc.
Reality's Weak Points.
Like in the Cybersecurity field, where certain applications can contain certain Vulnerabilities that Hackers can take advantage of (exploit them), Reality has 'Weak Points', parts that are susceptible to Magickal changes (easier to change).
I think that Reality Hackers (a Faction in Virtual Adepts Tradition) create 'Reality Models', using many approaches to modelling the whole reality and/or it's parts. Then, using Computer Sciences as tools, models are analyzed and 'weak points' can be found. Sometimes even a small change makes the big difference, and/or make other changes possible and/or easier to execute.
I think that even the 'more mundane' Computer Hackers/Programmers/related can significiantly change the Reality, just by doing their work. It seems that reality is vulnerable to changes created by software services available in the internet (like Google, or ChatGPT - these things have changed the World).
Connecting Virtual Adept's Computer to the 'Virtual Plane' using the Correspondence Magick.
How a Virtual Adept's computer can be linked to the higher 'Virtual Plane'?
A Virtual Adept can - for example - use one of the Hermetic Reality Symbols, and put it on their computer's desktop screen, while praying/wishing/casting for linking their computer to the 'Virtual Plane' as they do it.
One of the Hermetic Reality Symbols is called: 'the philosopher's seal'.
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-=- Philosopher's Seal. -=- |
-=- Blog author's desktop screen. -=- -=- On the desktop there's wallpaper and widgets. -=- (That way, even when wallpaper changes, the widget with Philosopher's Seal's image still stays). |
Philosopher's Seal as a Symbol of Reality.
Quoting the ChatGPT:
'Can Philosopher's Seal be seen as a symbol of Reality?'.
The philosopher’s seal can indeed be interpreted as a symbol of reality, depending on how you define both 'seal' and 'reality'.
(...)
In alchemical and hermetic symbolism, the Philosopher’s Seal (sometimes called the Seal of the Philosophers or Sigillum Philosophorum) is a diagram representing the unity of the elements and the completion of the Great Work (Magnum Opus).
It often incorporates:
- The circle (unity, wholeness, spirit),
- The square (matter, physical reality),
- The triangle (mind, fire, trinity),
- And sometimes the cross or dot at the center (divine spark or consciousness).
In this sense, it’s a cosmogram - a symbolic map of the total structure of existence.
(...)
In symbolic terms, it’s a diagram of reality itself, expressing the unity between material and spiritual realms.
(...)
The Philosopher’s Seal doesn’t just represent the world — it is a symbolic condensation of the world’s structure as seen by consciousness.
(...)
The philosopher’s seal can be seen as a symbol of reality, because it encodes:
- The totality of existence (spirit + matter + mind),
- Their dynamic unity and interdependence,
- The consciousness that recognizes and participates in that unity.
What is 'State?'
State.
In object-oriented programming (OOP), the state of an object is the combination of its current data values. It represents the object's condition or characteristics at a specific point in time and can be affected by its behaviors (methods).
For a 'Car' object, for example, its state might include attributes like:
- Color,
- Speed,
- FuelLevel.
Methods/Behaviors that can affect state changes might include:
- Accelerate,
- Refuel.
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What is 'Context?'
Context.
Speaking abstractly and precisely, context is 'external state', is combined state of what surrounds the object, what is within certain distance from the considered object (we include objects' identities as a part of combined state here).
... and distance can be measured in many ways - not only in meters in straight line on map. It can be, for example, number of bus stops on the way to target. Or average time to reach 'Point B' from 'Point A'. Or number of nodes passed in graph, with weighted or unweighted edges.
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For more, feel free to click: 'Object State & Context' on Project Wraithstar blog.
