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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-

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