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It's obvious enough how the Astartes and the rest of the Imperium prays to the Emperor - their methods are fairly understandable. That is, they get down on their knees, place their sword on the ground and pray if they're astartes perhaps. Or they say to praise the emperor left and right, going to massive 'churches'/ceremonies, etc etc. Standard (if fanatical) methods and the like. The Dawn of War series alone pointed out a number of such ways that were viable to worship the emperor.

However, how does the Machine Cult even go about their worship? We know that they are highly fanatical as well, second only to the Ecclesiarchy no doubt, yet we (or at least I) have no idea how they go about this. Do they ever even physically stop to revere their god? Or do they just pour oil onto machines, recite an incantation, and bing bang boom you're good for the week just from doing a thing in the course of their work?

I think there's a huge amount of fascinating possibilities when it comes this question of how the Mechanicus might go about their various forms of worship. How is this organized? Do they never gather to do so? What are the methods involved? And perhaps most interestingly...how does their binary cant or digital slant towards communication and their views of their world effect these practices?

We/They do the following.

-Recite prayers while administering maintence to the Omnissiah's engines.
-Utilize sanctified materials to build shrines in His worship.
-Operate the Forge Worlds, where every building and manufactoum is a mere rivet in the temple that is the Forge World.

The greatest thing that can possibly be done to honor the Omnissiah is good use and high maintenance of one of His holy machines. Use signifies faith.

Observances are also made at fixed times, usually involving pausing what you're doing, making the sign of the cog, and giving praise. I can't remember where, but I'm fairly sure they turn to face the largest forge available in lieu of turning to face Mars directly.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the alliance between Mars and the Imperium is meant to parallel the limited alliance between Rome and the Ottomans in medieval times.

Discovering new or lost technology is also a sacred, perhaps the most sacred, thing you can do. Finding an STC is a big deal for them.

That's because Mechanicus Questors are literally Knights of the Holy Grail.

In addition to the above

The repair, maintenence, polish and cleaning of machines is a religious act. Sometimes an act of worship is giving a large intracate machine an overhall, even when it's still working fine.

But if they only worship him through their work that they must do to fulfill their agreement to the Imperium anyway, that wouldn't be too compelling would it? Almost like half of them could just get away with 'saying' they worship the Machine God & Omnissiah without ever actually doing so or 'feeling' it. Much as they could feel anything. Regardless, their means of worship must go deeper then *just* doing their usual work, even if that is the majority of what they do.

Verviedi wrote:We/They do the following.

-Recite prayers while administering maintence to the Omnissiah's engines.
-Utilize sanctified materials to build shrines in His worship.
-Operate the Forge Worlds, where every building and manufactoum is a mere rivet in the temple that is the Forge World.

The greatest thing that can possibly be done to honor the Omnissiah is good use and high maintenance of one of His holy machines. Use signifies faith.

Honored Magos, thank you for chiming in (by tolling the great bell once).

The second note you posted is very interesting. So these shrines, which I'm sure are glorious in their own rights, must be centers of worship in a way. That begs the question - what do you think they do when they go to pay homage to the Machine God at one of these shrines?

Furyou Miko wrote:Observances are also made at fixed times, usually involving pausing what you're doing, making the sign of the cog, and giving praise. I can't remember where, but I'm fairly sure they turn to face the largest forge available in lieu of turning to face Mars directly.

Now *this* paints an awesome picture. All of them calculate at once a trajectory to real Mars within +/- 0.01% and then turn in that direction, or just face the direction that a nearby member who actually did said calculation turned to. Can you imagine legions of mechanicus every day just turning to face another *planet* all at once, stopping everything on the Forgeworld in a given area for a minute as they potentially recite some binary cant and/or verse together simultaneously across the world (or time zone within it? Lol) after a minute of utter silence? CREEPY. And yet UTTERLY perfect for them. (Though of course I'm sure not all Forgeworlds would do this - but that's a beautiful idea/example.)

You also got me quite curious...how does one make the sign of the cog? O.o

You interlace your knuckles like this.

 Netsurfer733 wrote:
But if they only worship him through their work that they must do to fulfill their agreement to the Imperium anyway, that wouldn't be too compelling would it?

Let us supposed you are going to use your drill to do whatever. Do you recite the whole instruction manual while waving a bunch of incense? Would that help you with what you are doing?

 Netsurfer733 wrote:
Regardless, their means of worship must go deeper then *just* doing their usual work, even if that is the majority of what they do.

That is like saying “But monks means of worships must go deeper than *just* doing their usual work”. Their usual work, at least the way they see it, is worship. Worship is their work.
But if that helps you, consider how inefficient their chanting and stuff is. All the extraneous stuff that some outsider from the guard would consider useless and that she would like the priest not to do so that he could produce more tanks, faster. You can consider that the worship. But keep in mind some of it is actually a bastardized, mis-remembered, but necessary step of what make the tanks work. That is why, for them, there is no real disconnect between their job and their worship.

The shrines double as maintenance panels where one may observe the operational status of the Machine. In addition, they serve as locations where binaric prayer may be recited.

They also contain bells, incense releasers and chimes that soothe workers so that their thoughts are not clouded by exertion or doubt.

In addition, the incense used by the Priesthood allows those exposed to it to focus more and work longer using sanctified stimulants.

Lots of incense, candles, and a customer support guy on mars.
I imagine a tech priest opening his book and saying "and yeah the machine god did unplug and then replug the device and all was well"

 Grey Templar wrote:
You interlace your knuckles like this.

I always thought the thumbs would be horizontal, crossing over the index fingers, but yes, pretty much.

If I remember correctly from Ciaphas Cain the cogwheel is a circular movement with your hands.

I remember writing in which Earth Caste technicians joke about protecting their listening devices against mumbling and burning incense....

Well crewing and running maintenance on a Imperator-class Titan will be like giving your god a bath.

Hybrid Son Of Oxayotl wrote:

 Netsurfer733 wrote:
But if they only worship him through their work that they must do to fulfill their agreement to the Imperium anyway, that wouldn't be too compelling would it?

Let us supposed you are going to use your drill to do whatever. Do you recite the whole instruction manual while waving a bunch of incense? Would that help you with what you are doing?

 Netsurfer733 wrote:
Regardless, their means of worship must go deeper then *just* doing their usual work, even if that is the majority of what they do.

That is like saying “But monks means of worships must go deeper than *just* doing their usual work”. Their usual work, at least the way they see it, is worship. Worship is their work.
But if that helps you, consider how inefficient their chanting and stuff is. All the extraneous stuff that some outsider from the guard would consider useless and that she would like the priest not to do so that he could produce more tanks, faster. You can consider that the worship. But keep in mind some of it is actually a bastardized, mis-remembered, but necessary step of what make the tanks work. That is why, for them, there is no real disconnect between their job and their worship.

Those are pretty good points, you're right. I shouldn't discount the praying as they work thing too much (and I do love their style as they do it, btw). I didn't mean to come across as believing that the notion of them just praying as they work as dumb or anything, apologies if I did. I was just expressing my guess as to the likelihood of that being the case. (Btw, Monks do have large ceremonies where they are all just present to worship for a while every day or something to that end, don't they?)

Verviedi wrote:The shrines double as maintenance panels where one may observe the operational status of the Machine. In addition, they serve as locations where binaric prayer may be recited.

They also contain bells, incense releasers and chimes that soothe workers so that their thoughts are not clouded by exertion or doubt.

In addition, the incense used by the Priesthood allows those exposed to it to focus more and work longer using sanctified stimulants.

Okay this is just bloody interesting. For one, binaric 'prayer' - we know they pay homage to the Omnissiah of course, but they probably have a huge variety of things that different sects say or what not. I would love to know more of the sort of things they recite. (For some reason I only remember it as binaric 'cant'. Something about hearing it in terms of binaric 'prayer' sparks some new ideas. Hah. Sparks.)

So these shrines also release stuff that not only provides a nice aroma for them or what not, but genuinely operates to actually infuse the workers with things to help stabilize them and any erroneous behavior? These things are probably very widespread then. I love that idea.

By incense used by the Priesthood, you mean the Priesthood of Mars and not the Ecclesiarchy right? (Just double checking)

Btw - where have you done your reading on the Mechanicus, Verviedi (and all)?

chazz huggins wrote:Lots of incense, candles, and a customer support guy on mars.
I imagine a tech priest opening his book and saying "and yeah the machine god did unplug and then replug the device and all was well"

Lmao - if new members of the Mechanicus ever formed a comedy club...(hey, it can happen). I also love the idea of them making a call to a customer support rep to help with a servitor or something.

Furyou Miko wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
You interlace your knuckles like this.

I always thought the thumbs would be horizontal, crossing over the index fingers, but yes, pretty much.

Beaviz81 wrote:If I remember correctly from Ciaphas Cain the cogwheel is a circular movement with your hands.

Yeah I'm actually not...really seeing the whole cog thing with that image. I get that it represents 'grooves' very well, like that which would be at the edge of the cog. But is it also supposed to represent the entire thing (in all its circular-ness), literally?

EmpNortonII wrote:I remember writing in which Earth Caste technicians joke about protecting their listening devices against mumbling and burning incense....

So the Tau are Mechanicus-o-phobes?

VulkanKiller wrote:Well crewing and running maintenance on a Imperator-class Titan will be like giving your god a bath.

Come to think of it, it probably is an incredible honor for any of them to work on a Titan isn't it?

Sources-
Lexicanum.
Titanicus.
Priests of Mars.
Lords of Mars.
Mechanicum.
Codex: Skitarii.
Other random books that cover some AdMech stuff.
Other Background threads.

The thing you have to realise about the Mechanicum is that the vast majority of their original Scripture is made up of instruction and maintenance manuals, converted into an oral tradition to ensure their survival through the Age of Strife. Things like chiming a bell and lighting candles were included as mnemonics to keep the timing of the ritual - for example;

"If the router is having connectivity problems, switch it off for thirty seconds, then reboot it."

Becomes;

"Test the connection three times, then depress the rune of activation.
Light three candles and one incense stick, for this will be the count.
Depress the rune of activation, and praise the Omnissiah!"

VulkanKiller wrote:Well crewing and running maintenance on a Imperator-class Titan will be like giving your god a bath.

Netsurfer733 wrote:Come to think of it, it probably is an incredible honor for any of them to work on a Titan isn't it?

They believe the Imperator-class Titan is their god given metal flesh so yeah it's probably only a general fabricator assigned thing doe.