The Transcription Ritual

The ritual conversion pure Pattern Language into Pattern Language Script is not an act of rigid, empirical recording, and no two identical samples have been found. For the Keepers, the act of writing, or more accurately, drawing, the Pattern Language Script is less an act of fidelity than one of interpretation. Keepers treat the ritual as a kind of semi-conscious calligraphic dance, performed in response to ambient Pattern Language. The Keepers seem to value the process of composing, more than the final transcriptions themselves. The endless rolls of paper and the slabs of clay or lead may be preserved, often cherished as sacred objects, but once they have been written, they are never actually read. (although they are sometimes played, as a musical score for Synaptic Music)

The Ritual of Transcription can take place in almost any circumstances. The only requirement is that local-world images be minimized as much as possible, in order to create a totally neutral sensory space, allowing maximum receptivity to pure Pattern Language. Put simply, The Ritual takes place in an environment that approximates The Synapse itself as closely as possible.

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