5 ms·

What does this have to do with technology or "hackers" ? Real wizards code in Lisp.

by h1karu 12y ago

dang 12y ago
Please re-read the site guidelines. Hacker News is about interesting things. Not everyone will find this story interesting, but that's true of any story. The post certainly isn't off-topic.
- h1karu 12y ago
  How is posting this article any different than handing out a thinly disguised pamphlet for a religious organization ? If someone were posting material here about how some people in California are into "accepting jesus as their personal savior" I would find it every bit as boring and off-topic
  - dang 12y ago
    This is a historical sketch. Pretty sure the author isn't trying to convert followers for John Dee, Alastair Crowley, or L. Ron Hubbard. (The Hubbard-Parsons-Crowley link is fascinating, btw. Who knew?) It's pretty rare that someone would be interested in all 30 items on the front page, so if complaining about personal boredom were the thing to do, it would quickly dwarf everything else on the site. Therefore it's not the thing to do.
    - h1karu 12y ago
      shrug. That parsons-hubbard connection was trotted out not too long ago here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7641580 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7641580 I'm not trying to hate on it, post whatever you find interesting, just saying to me it reads more like a phamplet for a particular 'society' or religion, see the last paragraph.
    - tptacek 12y ago
      If that's interesting to you, check out _Going Clear_, by Lawrence Wright, who also wrote _The Looming Tower_, which is also an excellent book.
  - kefka 12y ago
    Occultism is based around personal experiences and beliefs. I know of no occultist or pagan that actively recruits in the way like Christians and Moslems do. In a way, I don't want you to be an occultist. You be the way you are, and I'll be mine. Now, I don't mind talking about various occult facets. It is a very interesting area of study, wether you believe or not. And some phenomenon, like the Icelandic guy who can stay warm no matter what does seem remarkably similar to the Tibetan art of tumo.
TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
Real wizards code in Reality.
- h1karu 12y ago
  "Do what you will, this world's a fiction and is made up of contradiction." William Blake
kefka 12y ago
The history of Queen Elizabeth's court astrologer, John Dee is a very interesting chap. He was well versed in Western Astrology, as well as the joint creator of a symbolic magic called Enochian Magic. He was also considered as Elizabeth's spy. For what there is in the occult, I really am surprised that more technologically minded people don't dabble. Things like Chaos Magic and the like are well suited for applying scientific method to the esoteric.
- h1karu 12y ago
  I suppose what I mean is that I don't think it's fair that fundamentalist christians don't get to post on HN about how they have a savior who performs miracles but yet it's relatively socially acceptable to have posts about "Magic" which is a reference to the same type of thing as miracles but yet it's considered "esoteric" instead of "religious" and is therefor socially acceptable. I mean lets not forget that with the discussion of Dee and Kelly we ARE talking about the scrying of the same Archangels from the old testament, so in some way it is related to the abrahamic religions. That's why I don't see why it gets a special category instead of being labeled 'religious'
  - kefka 12y ago
    I see you are somewhat versed in Enochian workings. I'm a bit surprised, but the tech community has knowledge extending every direction. Yes, Enochian Magic was created by John Dee in reference to the apochryphal book of Enoch. It entails in working with both positive and negative angels under YHVH (Judeao/Christian/Moslem deity). That's one of the reasons why I mentioned chaos magic. It is devoid of any deity worship, and is more that of being a sorcerer.Golden Dawn also used Enochian magic, albeit only the second book. And they also involved themselves with YHVH, Egyptian deities and Celtic deities. For no deity workings, perhaps Tantra or Chaos would apply.
    - h1karu 12y ago
      I suppose if the original post had been about chaos magic alone I wouldn't have chimed in to refer to it as religious speech. I would even suggest that there are more and more scientific authors showing up who are helping to bridge the gap between "chaos magic" concepts and hard science (see Rupert Sheldrake, Bruce Lipton, Michael Talbot, and others) "I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness." – Max Planck. 1931.

What does this have to do with technology or "hackers" ? Real wizards code in Lisp.

by h1karu 12y ago

What does this have to do with technology or "hackers" ? Real wizards code in Lisp.

dang 12y ago

Please re-read the site guidelines. Hacker News is about interesting things. Not everyone will find this story interesting, but that's true of any story. The post certainly isn't off-topic.

h1karu 12y ago
How is posting this article any different than handing out a thinly disguised pamphlet for a religious organization ? If someone were posting material here about how some people in California are into "accepting jesus as their personal savior" I would find it every bit as boring and off-topic
- dang 12y ago
  This is a historical sketch. Pretty sure the author isn't trying to convert followers for John Dee, Alastair Crowley, or L. Ron Hubbard. (The Hubbard-Parsons-Crowley link is fascinating, btw. Who knew?) It's pretty rare that someone would be interested in all 30 items on the front page, so if complaining about personal boredom were the thing to do, it would quickly dwarf everything else on the site. Therefore it's not the thing to do.
  - h1karu 12y ago
    shrug. That parsons-hubbard connection was trotted out not too long ago here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7641580 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7641580 I'm not trying to hate on it, post whatever you find interesting, just saying to me it reads more like a phamplet for a particular 'society' or religion, see the last paragraph.
  - tptacek 12y ago
    If that's interesting to you, check out _Going Clear_, by Lawrence Wright, who also wrote _The Looming Tower_, which is also an excellent book.
- kefka 12y ago
  Occultism is based around personal experiences and beliefs. I know of no occultist or pagan that actively recruits in the way like Christians and Moslems do. In a way, I don't want you to be an occultist. You be the way you are, and I'll be mine. Now, I don't mind talking about various occult facets. It is a very interesting area of study, wether you believe or not. And some phenomenon, like the Icelandic guy who can stay warm no matter what does seem remarkably similar to the Tibetan art of tumo.

TheOtherHobbes 12y ago

Real wizards code in Reality.

h1karu 12y ago
"Do what you will, this world's a fiction and is made up of contradiction." William Blake

kefka 12y ago

The history of Queen Elizabeth's court astrologer, John Dee is a very interesting chap. He was well versed in Western Astrology, as well as the joint creator of a symbolic magic called Enochian Magic. He was also considered as Elizabeth's spy. For what there is in the occult, I really am surprised that more technologically minded people don't dabble. Things like Chaos Magic and the like are well suited for applying scientific method to the esoteric.

h1karu 12y ago
I suppose what I mean is that I don't think it's fair that fundamentalist christians don't get to post on HN about how they have a savior who performs miracles but yet it's relatively socially acceptable to have posts about "Magic" which is a reference to the same type of thing as miracles but yet it's considered "esoteric" instead of "religious" and is therefor socially acceptable. I mean lets not forget that with the discussion of Dee and Kelly we ARE talking about the scrying of the same Archangels from the old testament, so in some way it is related to the abrahamic religions. That's why I don't see why it gets a special category instead of being labeled 'religious'
- kefka 12y ago
  I see you are somewhat versed in Enochian workings. I'm a bit surprised, but the tech community has knowledge extending every direction. Yes, Enochian Magic was created by John Dee in reference to the apochryphal book of Enoch. It entails in working with both positive and negative angels under YHVH (Judeao/Christian/Moslem deity). That's one of the reasons why I mentioned chaos magic. It is devoid of any deity worship, and is more that of being a sorcerer.Golden Dawn also used Enochian magic, albeit only the second book. And they also involved themselves with YHVH, Egyptian deities and Celtic deities. For no deity workings, perhaps Tantra or Chaos would apply.
  - h1karu 12y ago
    I suppose if the original post had been about chaos magic alone I wouldn't have chimed in to refer to it as religious speech. I would even suggest that there are more and more scientific authors showing up who are helping to bridge the gap between "chaos magic" concepts and hard science (see Rupert Sheldrake, Bruce Lipton, Michael Talbot, and others) "I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness." – Max Planck. 1931.