From: Tyagi@HouseOfKaos.Abyss.com Subject: Enochian Chess (1) Date: Wed, 8 Dec 93 10:07:04 PST PART FOUR THE CONCOURSE OF THE FORCES ENOCHIAN OR ROSICRUCIAN CHESS From The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie (c) 1971 by Llewellyn Publications This is one of the sub-divisions of the Angelic system of Tablets about which, sad to say, very little can be said. No one in the Order, or my Temple, seemed to know anything about it. Whether this same condition applies to other Temples is hard to say, though, from conversation with certain of the Adepti of those Temples, I gather the same conditions there prevailed. Nothing that was of practical value, as throwing any light on the nature and function of the game, was thrown on the subject by any of the Order members within the sphere of my acquaintance. It is probable that the knowledge of this system died with the early members. All that I ever heard were fulsome praises of its remarkable divinatory capacity, together with quite a few amusing comments by those who mani- festly knew nothing about it, though no precise indication was conveyed as to its procedure. On two of three occasions I have asked Adepti of the rank of 7=4 to play a game with me using my chess pieces and boards, though each politely backed out of the invitation. Also the unmounted state of the Order chess-pieces was a clear indication that they had never and could never have been employed--like other aspects of the Order teaching. And the actual documents on the subject that were shown to me were vague and obviously incomplete, giving no indication as to the true nature of this matter. No doubt it was intended, by those who wrote the papers and devised the system, that the Adepti should apply his own in- genuity to the bare-bones provided of the game, and formulate from that skeleton outline, as from the Enochian Tablets themselves, a complete system of initiation, and a profound magical philosophy. It is not there- fore my intention to say very much about Rosicrucian chess, although it can be stated that the perspicacious student will divine ideas of great import and discover a depth of magical significance hidden under the cloak of an apparently trivial game. However, the student who has mastered the foregoing sections of the Book of the Concourse of the Forces will no doubt be able to divine the re- lationship existing between the profundities of the Enochian Tablets and this chess-game. It will have been necessary as a preliminary step to have become perfectly familiar with the attributions of the Squares, so that any pyramid can be built up instantaneously in the imagination too. By this, I mean, that while playing a chess-game, the movement of a piece from one square to another should provide much material for thought, for the squares on the boards, as on the Tablets, may be formulated as Pyra- mids. Some experience, also in employing the Pyramids for skrying in the Spirit-Vision will be required before any real appreciation of Enochian chess can be acquired. In this game, the pieces are Egyptian god-forms, and the boards are cer- tain adaptations of the Enochian Tablets. The Tablet of Union, however, is not used. Tablets are reproduced as Chess-boards minus the Great Cen- tral Cross, the Sephirotic Cross, and the Kerubic Squares over the Calvary Cross in each Lesser Angle. This leaves only the Servient squares in each of the Four Lesser Angles--sixteen in number, which gives us sixty-four squares per board--the number of squares in the ordinary chess-board. One of the papers written by Greatly Honoured Frater N.O.M., gives a short history of Chess as it was derived from the Indian Chaturanga, the Persian Shatranji, and the Arabic Chess. But since it contains very litle that is of any practical import, I have thought better not to include it. A few words now as to the nature of the Boards. The Boards consist of the purely elemental part of each Tablet. There is nothing in the symbolic structure of the Board to suggest the operation of the Spirit in any of its aspects through the Elements. This operation of the Spirit and its potencies, however, is indicated not by the squares, but by the pieces and their movements over the board. To be of any real magical value, the board should be a sort of Talisman or Flashing Tablet. That is, it should be fully painted, showing all the triangles of the Pyramids as brightly and as flashingly as possible. The little flat squares shown at the summit of the Pyramid, indicating the throne of the god-form, are not necessary on these boards. The triangles are completely formed, and the resulting pyramidal shape is not truncated. The four Angles of each Tablet will thus stand out quite brightly, since the elemental colour of the quarter will show its nature, even though the triangles of yellow, blue, black and red will jostle each other by cheek and jowl. When fully painted, the board is most impressive as a flashing Tablet. The student may know he has done his work properly when there appear white flashings at the angles of the squares. This is important, for the object of a flashing Tablet is to attract an appropriate type of force. And if these chess-boards are made as Flashing Tablets, they will automatically attract force and their utilisation will become the more significant. In brief, each square is, as it were, the name and symbolic address of a different Angelic force. The flashing squares will attract the commencement of the operation of that type of Angelic power, and the movement of the Chess God-forms over the squares may produce even bright- er flashes and indicate the operation of the divine forces therein. With these hints the student is left to work this out for himself. There will be, in short, four different Boards. Each is representative of one of the Four Quadrangles or Watch-towers of the Elements, and the Angelic Names on the latter will be implied on the Boards even although no letters or Names are painted on them. The use of any of the four Boards will depend upon the particular purposes, and the attributions of Elements as in the diverse schemes of Divination will determine which of the four boards must be used at any given time. In Tarot, the Element of Air, the Sword suit, indicates Sickness and Sorrow and unhappiness gen- erally. Hence, in Enochian chess, for divining for some such question as touches upon trouble or unhappiness the Air Board would be employed. The Fire Board will represent the Tarot suit of Wands, implying swiftness, energy, activity. The Water Board indicates the Tarot suit of Cups of pleasure, happiness, merry-making, and marriage. The Earth Board will refer to all material plane matters of money, work, employment, occupa- tion, and so forth. The Four Boards of the Rosicrucuian game, although different, neverthe- less agree in certain particulars. In each board it is convenient to speak of the arrangement of the Lesser Angles as an Upper and Lower Rank--Air and Water forming the Upper Rank, and Earth and Fire the Lower. It is evident that the columns of the one Rank are continuous with those of the other; and in this continuity a certain regular rule is observable. Every column of eight squares commencing in the Upper Rank is continued below by a column of the opposite Element. Thus the Fiery columns below invariably stand on the Watery columns; the Watery on the Fiery; the Airy on the Earthy; and the Earthy on the Airy. A different arrangement of the horizontal Files or Ranks of Squares is observable, and there is a difference in the Upper and Lower Tablets. In the Upper Tablets the Kerubic Rank of squares is continuous with the Elemental Rank; and the Cardinal is continuous with the Common sign Rank, whereas in the lower Tablets of Earth and Fire the various Ranks--Keru- bic, Cardinal, etc., are continuous right across the board. The pieces employed are, as previously remarked, Egyptian God-forms. A full set of chess-pieces numbers twenty men and sixteen pawns. (Note the possible relationship of the thirty-six pieces to the thirty-six decante cards of the Tarot.) The game is played by four players, representing the Four Lesser Angles of the Board, thus giving each player one set of five pieces and four pawns. The five pieces represent the operation of the Spirit and Four Elemental Rulers--the Five points of the Pentagram, the five letters of YHShVH, and the Tarot Ace and Court Cards. The pawns are their servants or vice-gerents. Strictly to be in order, each of the twenty principle pieces represents a different God-form, thus: FIRE SET AIR SET King Kneph King Socharis Knight Ra Knight Seb Queen Sati-Ashtoreth Queen Knousou Pekht Bishop Toum Bishop Shu Zoan Castle Anouke Castle Tharpeshist WATER SET EARTH SET King Ptah King Osiris Knight Sebek Knight Horus Queen Thouerist Queen Isis Bishop Hapimon Bishop Aroueris Castle Shooeu-tha-ist Castle Nephthys However, this tends to confusion, creating in practice far too complex a game. It will be found that four sets of the same five god-forms will suffice. There are only five major god-forms, the others being variations or different aspects of those types. These are: Osiris, bearing crook, scourge, Phoenix wand. he is represented as sitting on a throne, silent unmoving. He is the King and represents Spirit, the operation of the Great Cross in the Tablets. He corre- sponds to the Ace in Tarot, the root-force of any element. Horus, a God with Hawk's head, double mitre, and standing upright, as though to stride forward. He is the Knight of Enochian Chess and represents the operation of the ten-squared Sephirotic Cross in the Fire Angle of any Tablet or Board, and corresponds to the King in the Tarot, the figure astride a horse. Isis, an enthroned Goddess with a Throne symbol mounted on the vulture head-dress. In Rosicrucian Chess, Isis is the Queen, and represents the operation of the Sephirotic Cross in the Water Angle of any Tablet. She corresponds to the Tarot Queen who is shown seated on a throne. Aroueris, a human shaped God, with a double mitre. He is Bishop in Enochian chess, and his form is that of a standing figure, to indicate his swift action. He represents the operation of the Sephirotic Cross in the Airy Angle of any Tablet, and represents the Prince or Knight of the Tarot--the figure driving a chariot. Nephthys, a Goddess with an Altar or Crescent symbol above the vulture head-dress. She is the Castle or Rook of the Chess game. This piece is always represented as somewhat larger than the others, and is enclosed within a rectangle frame, within which she is enthroned. Her office is the representation of the operation of the Sephirotic Cross in the Earth Angle of any Tablet, and repre- sents the Princess or Knave of the Tarot--the Amazon figure who stands alone. These are the five principle forms used for each of the four angles of the Board. Some differences should be made in the tone of the colouring of the front or face of the piece to indicate its angle on the board. Coloured bands may suffice for this purpose. Moreover the back of the piece--for it is customary to use flat pieces, not round as in ordinary chess--should be painted in the appropriate colour of the element it represents so as to avoid confusion in the recognition of its power. Thus the back of the King, as Osiris form, should be painted white to represent Spirit, and this rule applies to all four Kings in the four Angles. The Knight, Horus, should be coloured red. The Queen, Isis, should be be blue; the Bishop, Aroueris, yellow, and the Castle, Nephythys, should be black and set in a large frame. Each piece should be cut about three inches high. For practical use, these pieces should be mounted on square wooden bases, and those bases painted in different colours. It will be by the bases that their place on the board may be recognised. For example, there are four sets of Chess pieces to be set out in the four corners of the board. Each piece is more or less like its corresponding piece in some on of the other corners. The pieces placed in the Air quarter of the board, there- fore, will be mounted on yellow bases. Those in the Water Angle will have blue bases. The pieces in the Earth Angle will have black bases, and those in the Fire quarter will have red bases. Thus, as in the Four Angelic Tablets, there results a minute sub-division of the sub-elements of the Tablet. There will be an Osiris piece, a King with a white back, on a yellow base, indicating that he is a King, belonging to the Air Angle. He represnts the sub-element of Spirit of Air, the most spiritual and subtle phase of that element, the Tarot Ace of Swords. A King with a blue base indicating his place in the Watery Angle. A Queen, an Isis figure with a blue back, set on a red base, shows that she is the Queen of the Fire Angle, representing the Watery Aspect of the Fire sub-element of any Tablet, the Queen of Wands. A Bishop, yellow backed, mounted on a black base, shows that he belongs to the Earth Angle, as against a Bishop with a yellow base whose place is in the Air Angle and who, therefore, corresponds to the Prince of Swords in the Tarot pack. And so forth for the rest. With but one or two slight exceptions, the pieces move exactly as do the corresponding pieces in Chess. The Queen here does not have the full liberty of the board as she does normally, nor is she the most powerful piece on the board. Here she can only move to every third square. This she can make in any direction, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally-- but only three squares at a time. She can leap over intervening squares, and take pieces on the third square from whereever she stands. The other exception is that no Castling is permitted. The Pawns in this Enochian chess represnt the God-forms of the four sons of Horus, the Canopic Gods. Their attributions are: Fire. Kabexnuv, mummy-shaped, awk-headed, the Knight's pawn. Water. Tmoumathph, mummy-shaped, dog's head, Queen's pawn. Air. Ahephi, mummy-shaped, ape-headed, the Bishop's pawn. Earth. Ameshet, mummy-shaped, human-headed, the Castle's pawn. The same rule for colouring the other pieces applies to the pawns. Their backs should be painted in the colour of the piece they serve. Thus the back of the Knight's pawn will be painted the colour of the Knight, red. The base will be coloured according to the Lesser Angle in which it is placed. So that in each of the Four Angles you will have four pawns on bases in the colour of its sub-element. The Airy Angle, for example, will have four pawns mounted on yellow bases. Those pawns will have four different coloured backs to indicate the piece, and therefore the element, which they represent and serve. The pawn moves only one square at a time, and not two for the first move as in modern chess. The rule of en passant does not apply here, although the regular method of taking with pawn, via the diagonal, either to right or left, holds equally well. It will be noted that the King has no pawns. Since he is Osiris, the other four pieces and their pawns are his persoanl servants and vice- gerents. His place on the board is always on the corner of the Lesser Angle, where the corresponding Letters of the Tetragrammaton would be placed on the Angelic Tablets. On the four corners of the board as a whole, therefore, will be found the Four Kings. Identical in every way, they yet differ in the colour of their bases, the colour of the Angle which they rule. Some variation might be made as to the posture of the God. For instance, the Fire King could be cut as a standing figure, the Water King sitting, and so forth. Let it be noted that on the corner squares, two pieces will always be found. The King and the piece corre- sponding to the Letter of the Angle will occupy the same square. A piece or pawn threatening, that is giving check, to the corner square also checks the King as well as whatever other piece happens to be upon that square. In setting up the pieces for play, the rule of Tetragrammaton on the Kerubic Square of the Tablets, has application. That is, the order in which the letters of the Name YHVH are placed on the uppermost squares of the Servient Squares of any Lesser Angle, as reflected from the Kerubic Squares above, also govern the placing of the pieces. The Bishop will be placed on the Vau Square, the Queen on the Heh Square, the Castle on the Heh final Square, etc. The student who has thoroughly assimilated the principles involved in the attributions of the Enochian Tablets will find all this perfectly straightforward, and experience no difficulty herein. With regard to this injunction to set out the pieces on the board follow- ing the prime player's setting, whose chessmen are arranged according to the order of Kerubs, note that the remaining three sets of pieces are arranged, on any board, exactly in that order regardless of the order of Kerubs in their Angle. That is to say, if the prime player chooses an Earth of Water setting, his pieces will be set out: King and Castle on the corner square, then follow the Knight, Queen, and Bishop. The other three sets of Air, Water and Fire pieces on that board, are set out precisely in that order, either horizontally or vertically as the case may be. It thus follows that there may result sixteen possible arrangements of pieces. That is, since there are four Kerubic ranks on each board, and there are four seperate boards, the chess-pieces may be arranged on the board in sixteen different settings. The reason for any particular setting--if divination is the motive for play--must depend on the prime player's synthetic grasp of the Order teaching. Let him remember that there are sixteen figures of Geomancy, each with a special and specific divinatory value. It should be remembered that these Geomantic figures are each under the influence of a Zodiacal genius and a planterary ruler. Not only so, but each is attributed to a Hebrew letter, therefore a corresponding Tarot Trump, with its allocation to a sign and a constella- tion in the heavens with all the hierarchical ideas that the latter implies. Thus the playing of this game resumes the whole philosophy of Magic. The prime player must be guided in his selection of boards not only by choice of element as previously described, but by any one of these six- teen root significations of Geomancy. For each one of these sixteen figures may be applied to the sixteen Lesser Angles of the Enochian Tablets and chess-boards. So that each angle comes under the operation of a Geomantic ruler and genius, and under the dominion of that portion of the starry heavens corresponding to its Tarot trump. The method of attri- buting the figures to the Angles is identical with the process described for the squares of both columns and ranks in the Lesser Angles. Thus the Airy Lesser Angle of the Air Chess-board would be Mutable (Airy) Air, referred to the Zodiacal sign Gemini, and hence to the Geomantic figure of Albus, which is a mercurial figure under the presidency of Taphthar- tharath. The Watery Angle of the Air Tablet would be Kerubic or Fixed (Watery) Air, which is the Sign Aquarius, and the Geomantic figure of Tristitia, attributed to Saturn, and the ruler over it is Zazel. The Earthy Angles of the Air Tablet, is elemental Air, referred to the Geomantic figure of Fortuna Minor, also a solar or Leo figure, ruled by Sorath. The fiery Angle is Cardinal Air, the Zodiacal Sign of Libra, and Puella would be the Geomantic figure, with a Venusian nature, ruled by Kedemel. The same principle is involved in allocating the Geomantic figures to the other Tablets and angles. The magical and divinatory value of the Geo- mantic figures must therefore decide the choice of Chess-boards and Lesser Angle settings. The yellow and red men are so placed that they advance to the attack of the black and the blue respectively by the columns; while the latter advance by the ranks. That is, the Actives are shown as a vertical force, while the passives are shown operating horizontally, shewing the Cross of Life, corresponding to the forces of the Court Cards and the Zodiacal Trumps in the Tarot. The central squares of the board contain the 16 signs that are allotted to each Lesser Angle. And it is only from these 16 squares that the pieces--except the Rook and the King--develop their full influence or defensive force. The Watery and Airy Boards are counterparts of each other, so far as the arrangement of the signs, etc., of the squares are concerned. And the same is true as regards the Earth and Fire Boards. Every Board has its uppermost and lowermost ranks of the passive or female element; and its two central ranks are of the active or male element. The most striking difference between the Air and Water, and the Earth and Fire Boards is in the fact that in the former the ranks are broken, whereas in the latter they are not only continuous across each board, but they are continuous right across both boards when in situ. To this is due the greater balance and eveness seen in the play of the pieces in the lower boards. -oOo- SETTING OF THE ENOCHIAN CHESS-MEN FOLLOWING THE AIR ANGLE OF THE FIRE TABLET (The arrows indicate direction of play) AIR ANGLE WATER ANGLE <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | | | KING | | | | | | | KING | \/ | |CASTLE |KNIGHT | QUEEN | | | PAWN | | \/ |BISHOP | | | | | | |BISHOP | \/ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ | PAWN | PAWN | PAWN | PAWN | | | PAWN |CASTLE | \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ | | | | | | | PAWN |KNIGHT | \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| \/ | | | | | | | | | \/ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | PAWN | QUEEN | | | | | | | | | | |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |QUEEN | PAWN | | | | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ |KNIGHT | PAWN | | | | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ |CASTLE | PAWN | | | PAWN | PAWN | PAWN | PAWN | /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------| /\ | | | | | | | | | /\ | BISHOP| | | | | | |BISHOP | /\ | | PAWN | | | QUEEN | KNIGHT|CASTLE | | | KING | | | | | | | KING | ----------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EARTH ANGLE FIRE ANGLE OFFICIAL RITUAL The correct application of the action of the moveable images (representing the motion of The Ruling Angels over the Servient Squares) is called The Playe or Raying of the Chequers of the Tablets. By G. H. FRATER D.D.C.F. Of the Chess King and the Tarot Ace The move of this piece is one square every way, and answereth to to the action of the Spirit. Wherever it goeth, it commenceth and initiateth a fresh current, whence it is represented by the motion of only one square in any direction and there staying for this purpose before moving onward. So that his action is not hurried, but represents a balanced movement. Yet in his beginning of action is he at first a mute force, as though throned upon the water; as in the end of his action he is a life manifested and throned upon the earth. And herein is a mystery of the Lord Aeshoori (Osiris) when enthroned between Isis and Nephthys, thus representing the beginning and end of the action of Him in whom end and beginning are not, but rather concealment and then manifestation. Herein is a great mystery of life, for His Thrones are not in the two active elements, seeing that these latter are his horse and chariot of transition in the passage from concealment into manifestation. This piece, then, is the symboliser of the action of the potencies of the crosses on the Servient Squares. Of the Chess Knight, the Tarot King The move of this piece is three squares cornerwise every way (as in ordinary chess) and representeth the leaping action of the flickering flame. Wherefore also he is not stopped in his course by a piece or an intervening square, even as Fire seizing on a matter speedily rendereth it transparent. This piece representeth the action of Fire as the Revealer of the Strength of the Spirit, even as Hoor is the avenger of Aeshoori. It is a force potent and terrible, the King in the elemental operations. Thus it openeth the locked doors of matter and showeth forth the treasure hidden therein. Therefore hath all life its beginnings in a Fire Celestial. And the number of squares covered by the move of the Knight in the midst of the Board (reckoning from the Square on which he standeth, but not including it) is 16 squares, of which 8 are checked, and 8 are passed over. Of the Chess Queen, The Tarot Queen The move of this piece is unto every third square from her (reckoning the square whereon she standeth as the first) as well cornerwise, as well perpendicular, as horizontal. Thus again covering 16 squares out of a square of 25 squares, of which 8 are threatened, and eight are passed over. But she threateneth not a piece upon the intervening square of her move. And her movement is as that of the waves of the sea, and (like the Knight) she is not hindered in her motion by a piece on an intervening square. This piece representeth the undulating action of water and of the sea, and she is ascribed unto the Great Goddess Isis, who is Cherisher of Life. Of Chess Bishop or Fool, the Tarot Prince The move is this piece is any number of squares cornerwise (that is only the diagonal) in any direction even unto the limits of the Tablet. He representeth the keen and swift wind, and he is ascribed unto the God Aroueris. He is stopped by a material barrier. He representeth the swift vehicle of the Spirit. Of Chess Castle of Rook, the Tarot Princess or Knave The move of this piece representeth the ponderous and formidable force of the earth and its motion is any number of squares in a square direction, perpendicular or horizontal (but not cornerwise) even unto the limits of the board. It is ascribed unto Nephthys the Goddess. It representeth the completed action of the Spirit in matter. Therefore is its movement square, and also stopped by intervening pieces, yet powerful from the length and breadth of its range. The Pawns The four pawns represent certain forces formed by each con- junction of the Spirit with each of the four elements severally, and they are severally ascribed unto Ameshet, Ahephi, Tmoumathph, and Kabexnuv, who stand before the face of Aeshoori. And their movement is but one square forward, perpendicular, and they threaten one square forward diagonal on each side, thus formulating the symbol of the Triangle, for they each represent a mixture of three elements under the presidency of the Spirit. Therefore, each is, as it were the servant of the God or Goddess, before whom he standeth. Yet, they be all, in a manner, alike in their action, although their Lords be different. Each is the servant of the God or Goddess whose element is expressed in his symbol, without its contrary. In each set of three elements, taken together, two must be contrary. Wherefore, for example, Ameshet, who represents Water, Fire, and Earth, is the servant of Nepythys, whose element Earth is expressed in his attribution without the contrary of Air. Ahephi, who represents Air, Fire, and Water, is the servant of Aroueris, whose attribution is Air. Tmoumathph, who represents Water, Air, and Earth, is the Servant of Isis, whose attribution is Water. Kabexnuv, who represents Fire, Air, and Earth, is the servant of Horus, whose attribution is Fire. One of the rules concerning the Pawns in actual play is that should one reach the 8th square of its column, it may be exchanged for the piece of which it is vice-gerent. That is, as in ordinary chess, a pawn which reaches the eighth square may be exchanged for any piece the player desires--but in Enochian chess the exchange is limited by the elemental attributions of the pieces. So that were an Ahephi pawn the servant of Aroueris, to survive the battle of the entire game and win through to the top of the board, it could be exchanged for a Bishop, even though the Bishop were untaken and still on the board. And so with the others. The opening of chess play is known under the technical title of "Awakening the Abodes." As already stated the game is set for four players, each of whom works the pieces at each of the four angles, playing in rotation. Should the game be used for the purposes of divination, the first player would be the querent, the one asking the question, or the person representing the matter about which information is required. The first player chooses which angle of the board he will play from, bearing in mind the divinatory qualities of the elements as set forth in the documents on Geomancy and Tarot. The major difference between Enochian Chess and the modern game is that in the former, when using it for divinatory purposes, the moves are decided by the throwing of a dice. Depending upon the number disclosed by the dice, so must a certain piece be moved, for the numbers are attributed to pieces. The actual details of the move--that is whether to right or left, backward or forward, to take an opponent or to press forward--are quite obviously left to the personal ingenium and divining mind of the player. The dice only determines specifically that such and such a piece shall be played. The Prime Mover, or the owner of the Ptah piece, plays first, and his first move is to be decided by the throw of a dice to indicate which piece or pawn he must first play. Each player follows in rotation, deosil, that is round the board with the sun from the prime player. First the prime player moves, and if his setting is Air, the follow the Water pieces, the Fire pieces, the Earth pieces, and then back again to the Air who is the prime mover. The actual attributions of the numbers on the dice to the Enochian chess-pieces are as follows: If the player throws: 1. He moves a King or any Pawn. 2. He moves a Knight. 3. He moves a Bishop. 4. He moves a Queen. 5. He moves a Castle. 6. He moves a Pawn. At the first move of the game, if the dice cast throws up 1, it clearly cannot apply to the King, for this piece cannot move at all until the pawns have been cleared before him. In that event, a pawn would require to be moved. The reason for the attribution of the numbers on the dice above shown to the chess-pieces are fairly simple. The explanation must be sought in the numbers and powers of the squares on the Sephirotic crosses. On the ten-squared cross, Kether, the Crown, is the first square, which is a fairly sound attribution to the King, who is Osiris, Spirit--the Number 1. Number 2 on the Cross is Chokmah, the Yod of Tetragrammaton, Abba, and therefore the Knight is appropriate. 3 is Binah, to which is referred in the Enochian attributions, the High Priestess card of the Tarot. The mitre of the High Priestess determines the selection of the Bishop. 4 is Chesed, to which is attributed the Tarot trump The Empress, who is the chess Queen. And 5 is the Castle, referred to Geburah, and the Tarot card The Tower struck by lightning. The remaining number 6 refers to the movement of any pawn, one square. It is not always necessary to use four players. Two individuals may play, each operating two lesser angles and two sets of pieces. Fire and Air would be pitted against Water and Earth. If this is done, then the two sets of elemental pieces of any player must be regarded as a single unit in practice. That is to say if the first player whose pieces are the allies of Fire and Air, checks the Earth King, the second player must not continue the movements of the Water pieces, which are his allies, until he has moved the Earth King out of check by any of the usual technical forms of chess. The reader who understands and appreciates ordinary chess manouevring will appreciate what is expected of him in the course of play. When the so-called "stale-mate" occurs, which is when a player has no piece or pawn that he can move without incurring check, that is the King not being in check but so placed that he could not move without getting in to check, the result is that the player whose King is affected loses his turn until his state of "stale-mate" is removed. For the purposes of Divination, an additional piece was employed. This was called the Ptah. Any book dealing with the Egyptian God-forms will describe the form in question. A small figure of this should be made, and on the board it will represent the question or matter of divination. The mode of employing it is simple. It has no power at all, and is not actually used in the play. It is only used by the first player to be set on any square in the Lesser Angle from which he begins his play. Any square, that is, except the one on which the King first stands. The King must reach, in the course of the game, this square on which the Ptah is set and remain there for one round of the game undisturbed--that is without moving therefrom--and unchecked. A knowledge of the nature of the Pyramids with their elemental composition, and some knowledge of the Angelic forces represented by those squares and Pyramids, will decide the player as to what square shall be selected for the placing of the Ptah. If the divinatory question concerns the fiery Lesser Angle of the Element of Earth, a question involving Capricornus and the figure Carcer ruled by Zazel, then the Ptah probably should be placed upon a square of the Angle which is the nature of Cardinal Earth, as representing the Yod type of Earth, or on Elemental Fire, that is the Heh (final) type of Fire. The ingenium of the interested student will guide his judgement herein. NOTES CONCERNING THE BOARDS AND THE PLAY GENERALLY Every Lesser Angle throughout the Tablets has a diagonal line of four squares starting from its prime square; which are allotted respectively to Aries, Gemini, Scorpio and Earth. From these four squares the Bishops can move one square into a square of Libra, Sagittarius, Taurus or Water, these completing the series of squares in that Lesser Angle in which a Bishop can move. Let us call this the Aries System of diagonal squares. This diagonal is crossed by another which in the Airy and Watery boards is composed of Cancer, Leo, Virgo and Air Squares, having as subsidiaries, squares of Aquarius, Pisces, Capricorn and Fire. In the Earthy and Fiery board the second series of four form the diagonal, and the first the subsidiaries. Let us call this the Cancer series. If we now examine the Boards we shall see that the Aries system of any Lesser Angle is joined diagonally to the Aries system of the other three Lesser Angles; and that the Cancer is also similarly joined to every other Cancer system. So that we have two systems of squares; viz: the Aries and the Cancer; of the whole, each containing four squares allotted to every sign it contains. This resembles the black and white systems of squares of the ordinary board; and it is as if we allotted the White to Aries, and the Black to Cancer. When beginning a game see to which system the Ptah square belongs. Because if it be a sqaure of the Aries system the attack of the opposing Queens is insignificant, while that of the Bishops is strong. In such a case the number of pieces is 6; 2 Bishops, 2 Knights and 2 Rooks. That is, in these matters the Airy attack is strong, and the Watery weak. If the Ptah be on a square of the Cancer System, one opposing Queen directly attacks this Square, but the Bishops do not. In this case the number of attacking pieces is 5; one Queen, 2 Knights and 2 Rooks. That is, in these matters the Airy attack is insignificant, while the Watery is strong. If an opposing Queen can attack the Ptah, the defence should note well which Queen it is and should remember that this fact greatly enhances her power. He should thereupon not hesitate to exchange what might otherwise be considered a more powerful piece for her. She should certainly be exchanged for a Bishop, and probably also for a Knight. The YHVH order of the pieces corresponds with their respective offensive and defensive Powers. Yod Knight The most offensive piece. Heh Queen More offensive than defensive. Vau Bishop More defensive than offensive. Heh (final) Rook Most defensive. That is in a general sense. Because, according to the circumstances of the actual play, every piece is able to assume both roles of attacking or defending. Note that, as in ordinary chess, opposing Kings may not occupy contiguous squares. There must always be one square between them. This, however, does not apply to the Kings who are allies. That is, if Fire and Air are allies, then the Kings of these elements may approach each other and occupy contigious squares. Naturally they do not check each another. When a King has once been moved from the corner square which he occupied with another piece at the beginning of the game neither he nor that piece can be moved back again to that square unless it be vacant. If the Prime Player's King is checked and he cannot move it, his game is arrested and his pieces cannot move until the pieces of his ally can release the King. That is to say that his pieces remain `in situ' but having during that time of check no power of action and can neither attack not threaten; they only block the squares occupied. If the allied King can be check-mated, his partner continues to play and to seek to release him. When both Kings are checkmated, the game is at an end, and the partners checkmated have lost the game. The game is also lost by the first player, when though neither he or his ally is checkmated, the enemies hold such a position that the Prime Player cannot possibly attain the Ptah square. The Knights or Fiery forces of the Elements meet and clash violently in all parts, and are strong in attack against every thing and everywhere. Their moves, like Fire, pass unarrested through the other elements in irregular courses like the lambent flame, leaping both diagonally and square-wise at every move. They contain the potential forces of the other pieces. Their force is similar to the Tarot King, and to Chokmah. They are the Abba forces, and with the Queens represent the Briatic forces of the scheme. The Queens or Watery forces of the Elements never clash with one another, but ever undulate onwards, each in its own course unaffected by opposing or crossing waves. But the Watery forces only move in their respective pre-ordained courses; they cannot leave their limits and enter upon the domain of others. Water, like Fire, is unarrested and undulating, and like Air and Earth it can act diagonally or square-wise, containing the potential force of Air and Earth. They are the Queen of the Tarot, and Binah. They are the Aimah, and are of Briah. The Bishops are subtle and sharp, Airy in quality, moving rapidly, but easily arrested in their course. They clash not with opposing Bishops, and the friendly Airs support each other in attack and defence. Where the active Airs whirl the passives cannot come. They are the forces of the Princes, and of Yetzirah, the Son. The Rooks are the heavy resisiting powers of the Princess, the Earth by nature, mighty indeed in action when preseded by the action of the other three. That is when in any matter the forces of Fire, Water, and Air have been absorbed and equilibrated, i.e. removed from the board, the mighty powers of the castles come into play. But woe to him who too early calls these ponderous forces forth. The Rooks moves through columns as through ranks. She is able, therefore, to reach every square on the board, and is very powerful. But her movement is very ponderous, and it is a piece that is not moved many times in a game unless the forces of the other Elements have been absorbed in its working out. While the Aleph, Mem, and Shin, forces are in full operation the Rook is easily attacked and with difficulty defended, unless she remain quiet, and act as a firm basis of support and defence to the side. If she, however, make the mistake of entering early into action she is nearly sure to fall a prey to the more subtle forces whose proper sphere is attacked. If the more subtle forces do not bring about a solution of the question, and the matter has to be fought out to the bitter end, that is, if the Yetziratic and Braitic forces are absorbed and balanced in the matter, then do the ponderous forces of Assiah, the Princess, engage in powerful combat. -oOo-