technoPagan Experiment [Please help]

[ReverendAJS]

I am performing an experiment if furtherance of my religions theories, but I need some help, and this is, by far, the most helpful group I know. Plus lots of you know about Wicca and magic. I am trying to determine if an online ritual is as effective as a live ritual, my theory states that it will be. I am going to create a program that acts as a virtual altar with all of the traditional magical tools and such. However, I've never really studied Wicca or magic and I only know what I've read in passing here and on the internet. So what I'm asking for is an advisor, or more than one. I want to be as accurate as possible in the development of this software. So, any volunteers? You will, of course, get credit for your help. Also I need to find some non-copyrighted images of the tools of the trace, as it were. Thanks in advance for your help.

Reverend aJS

[Witchy Cowgirl]

This sounds very interesting.
Wish I could help but I'm afraid that I really have nothing to offer at this point.
Please, keep us posted as to how things are going.

[licorice whip]

i would love to help you, but even though i do have lots of book knowledge, im sure a more experienced pagan would be of better assistance to you.

do keep us posted though, it sounds like a fabulous idea!

[Flar's Freyja]

Hmm, I'm not sure that I would qualify either although I consider myself experienced. I'm short of time right now also. I wish you luck and hope that a few can come forward for you.

[Pan]

I can help! I'm a sucker for this stuff.. and I've a bit of artistic talent.. and hubby can create images on the comp for you which would be copyright to him. ;)

Just drop me an email ( usagi1st@hotmail.com ) and let me know!

[st0rm]

which language were u intending to write this in? is it going to be 2d or 3d? any inteaction possibilities?

anyways gl/hf

[ReverendAJS]

I'm writing it in Lingo, which is Macromedia Director's language. The finished product will be a stand-aolone Snockwave executable file. This version will be 2D, but future versions could easily be 3D if it ends up working and people are interested in it. It has been suggested to me that I could sell custom versions to people with thier own tools built right in to the interface. As of right now I'd like this version to have several different options of tool styles for people to choose from. This version will be free to everybody. As far as images are concerned, and Loki Panwit, I will email you about this also, but I'm looking for several different styles of each tool. If anybody is interested in creating some ritual tools, just email them my way, be sure you tell me who you are so I can give you credit, but don't put your name on the images themselves. The "stage" area is 800x600, so making the tools bigger would be okay, but too small is no good. I have no preverences as far as raster or vector. Okay, I guess that's everything. Any more questions?

Rev

[Mithrea]

Rev,

I will have very limited time until the middle of December. However, I would like to participate and help you in any way that I can.

Mithrea

[ReverendAJS]

Thank you all for your support. I'm not into the programming stage yet, I'm just setting down the simple user interface, with temporary graphics. So I guess my first question would be: What do you do to tools before you can use them in a ritual? I would have to adapt the process to technoPagan theory. I already have my own way of rasing energy which I will incorperate. Is casting a circle necessary? That's all for now.

Rev

[Mithrea]

To consecrate tools I have washed them with saltwater that has been blessed and charged in a magic circle. I have offered them to the Goddess or a specific Goddess for blessing. I have also left them in sunlight or moon light for three hours or nine hours. Occasionally, depending on the tool or purpose, I won't do anything. I think there are two separate things going on, purification and blessing. I do whatever feels right at every given moment for each specific tool. I also know that there are many people who do very elaborate rituals to cleanse and bless thier tools and there are people who do absolutely nothing.

[st0rm]

maybe i could open up photoshop and make some tools, a good idea is to make em in several sections (each section sjould be a predetermined sieze) and the user could "puzzle" them toghter and thus building his own tool...

like athame, that would be pommel, grip, guard, blade... hmmmm

[ReverendAJS]

Sounds awesome. Send me some stuff and we'll see how it works.

Rev

[st0rm]

hmmm... Ill have to find some time, but how large do u want em (pixels of course)?

a fixed sieze for very part is requierd (and that makes programming alot easier)

[Flar's Freyja]

:) I'm glad you guys hooked up! :)

If after a while it doesn't look like anyone else wants to help, it might be easier to talk in PM or e-mail land. I'd really like to be updated and see the final result.

[ReverendAJS]

I don't have any real idea yet of sizes, since I don't know what all the tools are that have to fit all at once. So, if you make them so that they're 600 pixels tall I can shrink them when the time comes. Is that a valid plan?

Rev

[st0rm]

yeah, its... which fileformat do u eant em in gif, jpg?

[st0rm]

and the perspective? above? 2/3?

[ReverendAJS]

Good question. For this simple version I was thinking a side view sort of. For example, an athame would have the point at the top, handle at the bottom, and the two guard thingee parts to each side.

Rev

[Witchy Cowgirl]

Originally posted by ReverendAJS
What do you do to tools before you can use them in a ritual? I already have my own way of rasing energy which I will incorperate. Is casting a circle necessary? That's all for now.


I can't help with the technical stuff but will be glad to give my opinion on your questions.:boing: (oh boy! I get to help!)

I cleanse the tools using various methods, depending on my mood or what the ritual is for. Mostly for cleansing I use sea salt, rain water, cedar shavings, moonlight or sunlight.

Raising energy? Usually through meditation, praying and sometimes chanting.

Is casting a circle necessary? Necessary for what....ritual, not always. For cleansing?....no, not necessary For raising energy....also not necessary.

[ReverendAJS]

Cool. Thank you.

[Mithrea]

Rev,

I think The Cyber Spellbook: Magick in the Virtual World by Sirona Knight and Patricia Telesco is a must read for your project.

Mithrea

[ReverendAJS]

Thank you, I will try to pick it up, but money is hard to come by right now. The name Patricia Telesco stikes me as very familiar. How do I know that name? I'm sure I've run across her in my research, but it seems more significant than that. Oh well, I'll figure it out.

Rev

[Raevyn]

Telesco is a popular Pagan author and has written several books you might've come across.

[Mithrea]

I was looking through the bibliography and found another book, by the same two authors that might help you as well. It is called The Wiccan Web. I picked it up at the bookstore today. I'll let you know if it's worth it ;)