23

September 23 is the date on which Freemasons observe the Autumnal Equinox, marked as the date on the screen-right pillar on their Royal Arch tracing boards, and the Vernal Equinox marked off on the screen-left pillar, with the keystone joining them at the top of the arch (or sometimes shown removed to let in the rays of the Hyperuranian Sun). It’s also the date that the ladder of seven steps leads to, according to The Secret Societies of All Ages & Countries—Volume 2, by Charles William Heckethorn. But there’s much more, for September 23 is also the date on which Freemasons observe the martyrdom of Hiram. The Masonic ritual revealing the mysteries of Hiram involves half-genuflection to his body, lying dead in a shallow grave.
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 William Burroughs first told Robert Anton Wilson about the “23 Enigma”. Wilson and Kerry Thornley incorporated it into their ideas and created the related concept of the Discordian Law of Fives (2+3=5). ---
The "23 Enigma" is a phenomenon that has been associated with the writers William Burroughs and Robert Anton Wilson, as well as with the Discordian movement and the concept of the Discordian Law of Fives. According to the "23 Enigma," the number 23 is somehow special or significant, and it appears with unusual frequency in various contexts.
The origins of the "23 Enigma" are unclear, but it is often attributed to Burroughs, who is said to have mentioned it to Wilson. Wilson and Kerry Thornley, another writer and associate of Burroughs, are credited with incorporating the "23 Enigma" into their ideas and with creating the related concept of the Discordian Law of Fives, which states that "all things happen in fives, or are divisible by or are multiples of five, or are somehow directly or indirectly appropriate to 5." The Discordian Law of Fives is often seen as a tongue-in-cheek joke or a humorous way of looking at the world, and it is not taken seriously by most people.
Category:Numbers