An Argument for Technomancy

Recently on a few online forums that I frequent, I’ve seen a lot of backlash against people who practice technopaganism, technomancy, and cybermancy. I found it interesting how people did not think the technological shared realms with the divine. I beg to differ, and here are a few reasons why.

Cyber Altars

The subject of online altars was broached and many thought the idea was “silly”, and that you could not worship virtually, using either computers or VR technology. It left me wondering about a period of time in my life where I could not practice my religious beliefs openly. Because of this, my only practice was through meditation and visualization, where I would use my creative mind to “act out” my rituals, manipulating the energies around me through thought. In this, my “virtual world”, I worshiped as any other person would, simply doing so without benefit of real world tools. It was very effective, and I practiced this way for a number of years.

I have difficulty seeing how this form of “virtual worship” is any different than the virtual environment of computers or VR. Creative visualization has been used for thousands of years by faiths across the planet. The use of a digital component in this instance simply provides a more concrete visual stimulus for a participant’s worship. It is no more or less concrete than the inner workings of the human mind – undoubtedly the most complex computer of all. Technological workings should not be discarded simply because they lack the fleshy bits of living things. They are tools as valid as any Athame or mass produced statuary you’ll find in your local occult shop.

Non-biodegradable Faith

Another point that was brought up is that computers, components, etc. are not “natural” or “divine”, and therefore not valid tools by which to worship. If one considers the inspiration of the Muses, the enhancement of human intellect, and the miracles of creation and evolution, then science and technology are most certainly of divine origin. The human mind brings us art, science, music. It brought us the Sphynx and the Pyramids, statues and buildings thousands of years old, built by technology and science that to this day we still don’t have a full understanding of. The growth of human technology expands at a phenomenal rate, much of it as if it had a life of its own. Without technology, we would still be relegated to the stone age.

Computers are just another step in technological evolution. Divinity is indeed in the eye of the beholder. While many will say that technology can’t be divine, because it is unnatural, man-made, and non-biodegradable, if you consider the astronomical leaps that humanity has made because of the advancements in computers, it isn’t difficult to see the divinity in the growth of technology. Some say humans created their gods. Humans also created computers. Would it be unheard of to link man-made divinity to their computerized cousins?

In the same manner as the human brain, which runs on energy, electricity, the firing of neurons in amazingly complex computation, the computer, as connected to the Internet, transmits signals worldwide, spreading information and energy across the globe. This could easily be seen as an energy to be harnessed, manipulated for magical or divine purpose. Why would this be any different from the lightning of the storm?

Tools

In conclusion, we must remember that like the Athame, Wand, and Pentacle, the computer is a tool like any other. If you have faith in the effectiveness of your tools, your tools will be effective for you. You don’t need Joe Pagan down the street to believe that you can do magic or worship the divine using your laptop, the one who really needs to believe in that is you. Keep in mind that paganism can be a very individualistic belief system, and that what works for you, might not be another’s cup of tea. That’s ok. Worship in ways that bring you closer to the divine, and let the universe sort the rest out.

Namaste.