The Esoteric Interpretation of Chess...

Is chess a masonic game? The modern form of chess came about in Europe in the 15th century, as a modified version of an older Indian game. The first masonic lodges came about at least by the late 1600s but they were obviously part of a much older esoteric tradition. I don't wish to debate about these groups but hopefully to focus on the game of chess itself, and its possible allegorical meaning to the initiate, whether intended or not (but I believe it was). The fact that the game came about just a few hundred years before masonic lodges and having read a lot of masonic literature I'm sure the tradition was around at the time. Also coming from India with their ancient esoteric tradition and belief in duality, I think there is a strong connection here, which I will attempt to explain...
First, and most obviously, the board is a checkerboard. The floor of a masonic lodge is a checkerboard also, supposedly symbolizing the path of positives and negatives or good and evil we must endure in our lives and enjoy with the help of divinity.
Taking this metaphor to a chess game, the pieces are like people who obey the will of divinity (the player) and with his/her help will succeed. Alternatively the pieces could be the profane who operate under the will of the adepts who operate on a higher plane. The higher plane must control the lower.
It also correlates IMO to the (for lack of a better word) inattentive today who focus on the pieces and not the players...
In chess games, the best players focus somewhat on the other player instead of just the pieces. But at the end of the day, all the pieces go back in the same box, whether king or pawn or bishop. But the player, *usually* , remains alive.
In conclusion I'm sure someone else could elaborate on this much more than I can but I had been thinking about this playing recently and wanted to put it out there to hopefully generate some conversation. What do you think?

reply to post by time91


Masonic references to chess aside, I think one could conclude that certain games are a metaphor for good vs. evil. Perhaps certain games are a human attempt to put divine metaphors and symbols into a microcosm and make such concepts easier to comprehend. But on the other hand certain games could simply put mundane concepts into a microcosm such as power, control, resources, strategic thinking, etc. What comes to mind when I think of chess, and this may just be modern programming, is a movie (or movies) I saw long ago (maybe it was the tale of Jason and the Argonauts?) where opposing gods manipulate the heroes and protagonists around a board like chess pieces (though i doubt the Greek gods invented chess). Because of that mental image I can't help but feel like a Greek god when I'm moving playing chess though I am not sure if that was the original intention of the game. I think you are on the right track though, if chess did come from India as your research has discovered, then the Indian pantheon of gods scheming and controlling humans for greater power would distill well into a metaphor for chess.

reply to post by SuspiciousPeon


Sorry to link my own thread, but... The Good vs. Evil Paradigm
Interesting thoughts on the game being heroes controlled by gods... Still applies except it is not just heroes but everyone from leadership to heroes to pawns...The divisions within planes are irrelevant compared to the division between planes...

Originally posted by time91
reply to post by SuspiciousPeon

 

Sorry to link my own thread, but... The Good vs. Evil Paradigm
Interesting thoughts on the game being heroes controlled by gods... Still applies except it is not just heroes but everyone from leadership to heroes to pawns...The divisions within planes are irrelevant compared to the division between planes...

Your thread was a very interesting read and I wanted to expand on the point of that thread a bit more since it seems to have an application to this thread.

posted by time91
The Good vs. Evil Paradigm
...
My point being, LOGIC>emotion, Truth>sensationalism. Free yourself from the BS on every side. Take emotion and conditioning out of the equation, do your own research.
...

The quote above makes me recall an art history class I took in college years ago where we discussed a fatalistic point of view versus a rational point of view [in reference to art]. Reference to art aside, I think I you have a really good point. Fatalism would be accepting the will of the gods and shrugging your shoulders so to speak and accepting what you are given - even if it be a deadly move into a Queen's path.

I think I understand what you are saying about divisions between the planes and not within the planes. We aren't looking at the differences between the pieces but instead are focusing on the players.

Now, the game itself was perhaps conceived on dualism. Two players, an army at their disposal, and a board combined in a metaphor for opposing forces. Referring to your linked thread and the OPs thread I can draw some parallels. Was the game initially conceived as a metaphor for a fatalistic view? The player, a metaphorical god, whipping a leader's emotions into narrow viewpoint that they are "good" and that the opponent's views are "evil?" Perhaps the game is an to teach us notions of black and white, good and evil, our movement to a higher power? A very interesting fit to the esoteric dualism point of view.

Sadly, I know very little of the Free Masons of the 1600s and will speculate a comparison. I think they would take a rational and not a fatalistic approach to their world view. If they where comparable to today's free thinking Free Masons I would not be surprised by learning that the birth of their organization was during the Renaissance era - the (re)birth of rational thinking. These are some interesting things to research and discuss. We do see Free Masons assimilating symbols from esoteric religions into their own organization. Could chess be another adoption? Maybe they are symbolically stripping the fatalistic elements from the game by adopting its symbolism and saying "THINK! LOGIC is greater than emotion, truth is greater than sensationalism" to put it into the words of time91. A rational organization adopting fatalistic symbols is a powerful statement of transformation. The game is changed to adepts (not gods), or enlightened persons, who are making decisions for the "good" of their cause. The forces or masses, so to speak, need these rational and enlightened thinkers to guide them. Perhaps the idea of the adoption of the game's symbolism is presumptuous but they could see it as a powerful symbol of themselves moving "off the board" (the plane) of black and white to a plane where things are more "grey" (pulling a reference to "grey" from your good vs. evil thread there). On the "higher" plane your opponent is not necessarily good or evil, they are just a strategic opponent making good or bad force movement decisions (thus the move to rational thought).

But as a note, there is still the dualism symbol whether the players are "good" "evil" or "grey." I still keep hitting the notion that chess an iconic image of two forces facing off in opposition. So I'm having trouble fitting Masons into a vision of opposing forces because I am not sure who/what the symbolic "opponent" can be against them (ignorance?). It gives me hilarious thoughts of Jedi Free Mason. So I believe I am possibly stretching things grossly in ignorant speculation. A intro to Mason symbols and thinking would be interesting to learn and shed some light on my speculation. Either way, I wanted to post some thoughts as I am interested in reading more! Thanks for the reply.

reply to post by SuspiciousPeon


I always say to myself if this thread makes one person think then it was worth the effort. I can say that this thread was a success.
In reading my other threads be careful, my views have changed somewhat regarding any of the society's with secrets, secret societies, hermetic orders, etc. I tended to cast them in a darker light than they probably deserved. Having read a lot on these occult orders and mystery schools recently I can say that masonry is, as far as I know, by and large a good institution. Their basic beliefs are closer to mine than almost any other belief system or school of thought (deist, libertarian, brotherhood of man under the guidance of divinity, etc). Although there is definitely some occult evil in the world there is also much good, and even the groups I would deem neutral at best usually believe they are doing the right thing, even if they are rationalizing a destructive act in a means to an end philosophy.
The enemy of Freemasonry is perhaps ignorance, although I'm certain ignorance is the enemy of everyone here. As to your question yes freemasonry came about in lodges in the 1600s during the renaissance, although it was definitely from a much older tradition. The first 4 publicly known lodges were brought under the leadership of the first Grand Lodge in 1717 (This is all from memory so I might be slightly off). How old the tradition is is debated hotly among masons and non-masons alike. It has its roots in much older philosophies and wisdom, even from as far back as Hermes Trismegustus in Egypt who was deified as a god in many cultures, most notably Greek and Roman. Here are the teachings from back then, still being proven today. Actually here are the two most thought provoking short books I've found in the last year or so: The Kybalion (teachings of three initiates) About Hermes and his teachings mainly...
Occult Anatomy of Man
These two are related, reading the first one will help in understanding the second. The second author wrote many famous books if you really want to pursue the subject.
Feel free to ask any questions I'll help however I can.

The masonic checkered floor does refer to the duality of Light and Darkness in life. I have always been fascinated by both that floor and chess and look forward to the responses in this thread.

I don't wish to debate about these groups but hopefully to focus on the game of chess itself, and its possible allegorical meaning to the initiate, whether intended or not (but I believe it was)

Well, it might have been part of their training to see duality from a different more objective, removed view. One obvious observation is the balance between both sides black and white, each are equally equipped and neither side will statistically win overall despite there being many battles won from differing players, overall all the war between light & dark chess pieces is always a tie.
Perhaps it could have been used for more nefarious purposes to get an initiated to see that evil is not inherently "bad" per se and that good is not necessarily "good". But that they are just two sides of the same coin. By playing as the dark they might see the white pieces as the 'bad' enemy and come to familiarize with the dark side as simply being an opposite to the white or something along those lines. I'm not sure.... many see masons as malevolent and im just throwing it out there that perhaps recruiting innocent people to negative schemes would require a terminology and symbolism to transition them from the mainstream notion that dark or negative is bad and wrong and must not be chosen.....to the view that they are simply opposites and that there is not right and wrong in choice of side.

Maybe this game is so popular worldwide because we know deep within us all that duality is the fabric of our reality and the game speaks to us on a whole other level.

Maybe it could help transcending duality. We sit above the chessboard looking down at it, the perspective of a God. We see the big picture, but yet could imagine ourselves in the shoes of a lowly pawn fighting off the enemy then imagine ourselves in the shoes of the enemy being fought and also as the directing forces of light and darkness on either side. We could sit above and say, what is the point? Why do we play? Got any other games?
Sages often say that complete boredom and tired dis-interest is a necessary pre-requisite to release from and transcend duality. Perhaps such a game aids us in seeing how folly duality is? Since we fell into duality (symbolized by eating fruit of tree of knowledge of good and evil and getting kicked out of Eden for instance) we have been knowingly or unknowing striving to return to divinity and perhaps such games do helping release us from our binding to samsara or the awakening from the maya(dream illusion of duality).

Originally posted by time91
Is chess a masonic game?

I hope not; I'm terrible at it. If chess is the test for entry to the OMG ALL POWERFUL SATANIST HIGH LEVEL degrees that everyone knows exist even though they can't say who or what they are, then I'll have to stick with bein' a lowly ol' Master Mason.

The modern form of chess came about in Europe in the 15th century, as a modified version of an older Indian game. The first masonic lodges came about at least by the late 1600s but they were obviously part of a much older esoteric tradition.

Operative Masonry is much older than that. The speed at which it became fully speculative is debatable; suffice it to say that Freemasons were around to witness the birth of chess.

I don't wish to debate about these groups but hopefully to focus on the game of chess itself, and its possible allegorical meaning to the initiate, whether intended or not (but I believe it was). The fact that the game came about just a few hundred years before masonic lodges and having read a lot of masonic literature I'm sure the tradition was around at the time.

I think if something as culturally huge as chess had Masonic ties, they would have survived into the present day.

First, and most obviously, the board is a checkerboard. The floor of a masonic lodge is a checkerboard also, supposedly symbolizing the path of positives and negatives or good and evil we must endure in our lives and enjoy with the help of divinity.

The only issue is that another set of players is also black. It's hardly a lesson for the black player.

Taking this metaphor to a chess game, the pieces are like people who obey the will of divinity (the player) and with his/her help will succeed. Alternatively the pieces could be the profane who operate under the will of the adepts who operate on a higher plane. The higher plane must control the lower.

This idea occurs nowhere in Freemasonry.

But at the end of the day, all the pieces go back in the same box, whether king or pawn or bishop.

This is the only idea that has a Masonic corollary.

reply to post by OnTheLevel213


It seems like you started off thinking I was going to say freemasonry is satanic and went from there...?

I think there is nothing preventing the controller of the black pieces from understanding the symbolism as well, its part of duality.

The higher plane controlling the lower? I'm pretty sure that's part of Hermeticism, and has been expanded upon and defined by other groups as time went on. Not sure exactly if its taught in masonic lodges but Freemasons have written about it in the past, although they could have learned it somewhere else...

Going back in the same box is the only corollary? What about the board itself at least? Come on now...

Originally posted by time91
Going back in the same box is the only corollary? What about the board itself at least? Come on now...

It is close but to be truly Masonic it must also have an indented tessel and blazing star which combined with the checkered floor complete the symbolism of that portion of the Entered Apprentice lecture and are a representation of the floor which supposedly occupied King Solomon's Temple.

Originally posted by time91
reply to post by OnTheLevel213

 

It seems like you started off thinking I was going to say freemasonry is satanic and went from there...?

Not at all. I'd rather you be right, actually.

I think there is nothing preventing the controller of the black pieces from understanding the symbolism as well, its part of duality.

Masonry doesn't involve duality the way I think you're perceiving it. Yes, good and evil are concerned, but it's a much more conventional morality than is commonly thought.

The higher plane controlling the lower? I'm pretty sure that's part of Hermeticism, and has been expanded upon and defined by other groups as time went on. Not sure exactly if its taught in masonic lodges but Freemasons have written about it in the past, although they could have learned it somewhere else...

Yes, but this kind of person-over-person "control" you seemed to find in Masonry isn't there.

reply to post by time91


I had some time today to do some independent reading about the masonic initiate's introduction to the indented tessel floor and the shining star and now I think I better comprehend what you are seeking in this post. Though you clearly state what the symbolism of the floor is in your OP I wonder why I didn't notice this originally?

The floor of a masonic lodge is a checkerboard also, supposedly symbolizing the path of positives and negatives or good and evil we must endure in our lives and enjoy with the help of divinity.

That is a boiled down description of the initiate's introduction that I found in my independent readings. The symbolism of TWO higher powers competing by moving pieces through a plane of good and bad events doesn't seem to fit the masonic symbolism. The board symbolism of light and dark, good and evil, may share some metaphor with the tessel floor. However, from what I have independently read of mason initiation today, I can't fit the shining star or higher plane of masonic symbolism into the player level. I think the dueling players/gods better fits the esoteric Indian religion(s). So alas I don't think that chess is a masonic game per se but they really like the tessel pattern.

And to make a long story short, after reading the all the replies, I think I am just rehashing what AugustusMasonicus says:

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus
It is close but to be truly Masonic it must also have an indented tessel and blazing star which combined with the checkered floor complete the symbolism of that portion of the Entered Apprentice lecture and are a representation of the floor which supposedly occupied King Solomon's Temple.

Originally posted by OnTheLevel213

Masonry doesn't involve duality the way I think you're perceiving it. Yes, good and evil are concerned, but it's a much more conventional morality than is commonly thought.

I am aware. But Hermes polarity, left and right hand paths from ancient India, the Gnostic's concept of duality, and the Abrahamic concept of god and the devil all are different was of looking at the same thing or approaching it. Freemason's from what I read are heavily influenced by these traditions but most of all Christianity.

Yes, but this kind of person-over-person "control" you seemed to find in Masonry isn't there.

I wasn't necessarily referring to person over person...Although freemasonry seems to advocate helping each other and supporting each others ideas if they are equal or near equal to others ideas who are non-masons...At least in the royal arch degree, although it makes sense since it is a fraternity.

My main point was that the higher planes not degrees but planes control the lower. Whether its the astral, spiritual, or however you describe it. I saw a man who could learn bits about the future in his dreams, and he said "dreams create the future".
Others have alluded to this and many have learned in certain lucid states they can actually effect future events in small but significant ways. Also the idea of retro-causality means that the future can effect the past. Although it is still considered a theory I believe it has been proven by experiments where humans react before light hits their eyes, with no warning.
It leads me to believe that the in these lower planes time is like a current but events are like objects being dropped and their ripples do travel slightly against the current but most are forced out by the current. On a higher plane the current is less defined and circumventable.
Sorry for the off topic points but it would have been questioned until I wrote it out.

reply to post by SuspiciousPeon

You're correct, but its not just the initiations that have all of the information. I did title this the esoteric interpretation but when talking about esoteric traditions you cannot avoid freemasonry and it made sense when I considered the origins of the game. Obviously the board is not an exact replica of the floor but I thought the symbolism was there.

reply to post by polarwarrior


You may be right when speaking about other philosophies ancient and present. Gnostic's views were very similar and Hermes expressed ideas of polarity and rhythm but he wasn't necessarily referring to moral codes or whether taking one side was wrong it was more of an observation of how things operate. Freemasons' draw their main tradition from Egypt because it is so important in human development (thought and understanding primarily) and other reasons like the pyramids were centers of initiation into the Egyptian priesthood guarded by the sphinx. Later the pyramid became the symbol for the hermetic schools, secret doctrine, etc. The second and probably more important tradition comes from Solomon's temple and the legends surrounding it.

“The initiates accepted the pyramid form as the ideal symbol of both the secret doctrine and those institutions established for its dissemination” -Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages

*Freemasons get much of their early initiations/symbols from stories passed down over the years about the building of Solomon's Temple by groups of masons led by Hiram Abiff, where there is enmity between both Hiram and Solomon due to their status and Hiram and the lower level masons who wanted the password to the higher degrees. Back when operative masonry was the only kind (supposedly) passwords meant guaranteed jobs and greater freedom than other masons had. These three men attacked Hiram 3 times and demanded the password but he refused and was killed (lots of differing views in my reading on whether the attack was allegorical and if so the meaning behind it). After Hiram died the password was actually changed because the remaining masons no longer believed it was safe. According to one book I read the master mason today receives this replacement word (although it may have changed more over the years, I'm unsure). The royal arch mason receives the original password.*

*According to my reading of Manly P. Hall and many countless others, any clarification/correction from masons or others would not be unwelcome.

Originally posted by time91
reply to post by polarwarrior

 

Freemasons' draw their main tradition from Egypt because it is so important in human development (thought and understanding primarily) and other reasons like the pyramids were centers of initiation into the Egyptian priesthood guarded by the sphinx. Later the pyramid became the symbol for the hermetic schools, secret doctrine, etc. The second and probably more important tradition comes from Solomon's temple and the legends surrounding it.

Which is the A story and which is the B story is a matter of some debate.

Freemasons get much of their early initiations/symbols from stories passed down over the years about the building of Solomon's Temple by groups of masons led by Hiram Abiff, where there is enmity between both Hiram and Solomon due to their status

Actually, Hiram Abiff and Solomon are indicated as friends and colleagues in the blue lodge ritual (though they never actually interact).

and Hiram and three lower level masons who wanted the password to the higher degrees.

With that correction, this is true.

Back when operative masonry was the only kind (supposedly) passwords meant guaranteed jobs and greater freedom than other masons had. These three men attacked Hiram 3 times and demanded the password but he refused and was killed (lots of differing views in my reading on whether the attack was allegorical and if so the meaning behind it).

While I'll admit to never reading Hall, the debate on allegory normally concerns Hiram Abiff being exhumed versus resurrected, not his murder.

After Hiram died the password was actually changed because the remaining masons no longer believed it was safe.

Sort of. In the tradition as spoken of in the ritual, the Masonic three Grand Masters (Hiram Abiff, Hiram King of Tyre, and King Solomon) each had to be present to confer the Master's Word. With Hiram dead, the word was lost, and a new one was substituted.

According to one book I read the master mason today receives this replacement word (although it may have changed more over the years, I'm unsure). The royal arch mason receives the original password.

You'll understand if my obligations mean I can't speak to this.

Originally posted by OnTheLevel213

Actually, Hiram Abiff and Solomon are indicated as friends and colleagues in the blue lodge ritual (though they never actually interact).

I read a book about the full legends of what happened around the building of Solomon's Temple that claimed there was a rivalry between the two, although they were certainly working together still.

While I'll admit to never reading Hall, the debate on allegory normally concerns Hiram Abiff being exhumed versus resurrected, not his murder.

Hall says nearly everything is an allegory or has a dual meaning intended. Some of it is convincing and I believe to have some truth to it.

Sort of. In the tradition as spoken of in the ritual, the Masonic three Grand Masters (Hiram Abiff, Hiram King of Tyre, and King Solomon) each had to be present to confer the Master's Word. With Hiram dead, the word was lost, and a new one was substituted.

Ah yes, its all coming back now...

You'll understand if my obligations mean I can't speak to this.

Yes, but now the door is open for speculation .

Originally posted by time91
I read a book about the full legends of what happened around the building of Solomon's Temple that claimed there was a rivalry between the two, although they were certainly working together still.

The blue lodge ritual is not uniform everywhere, and each of the appendant bodies made their own; it's very possible that your source and I drew from two different rituals.

Hall says nearly everything is an allegory or has a dual meaning intended. Some of it is convincing and I believe to have some truth to it.

Hall's in the lower half of my Masonic to-read top ten. No idea when I can comment on this.

Yes, but now the door is open for speculation

.

Such is the burden. I can say that you're correct in thematic terms.

Originally posted by time91
Hall says nearly everything is an allegory or has a dual meaning intended. Some of it is convincing and I believe to have some truth to it.

Just bear in mind that nearly everything Hall wrote regarding Masonry was authored decades before he became a member.

Originally posted by AugustusMasonicus

Originally posted by time91
Going back in the same box is the only corollary? What about the board itself at least? Come on now...

It is close but to be truly Masonic it must also have an indented tessel and blazing star which combined with the checkered floor complete the symbolism of that portion of the Entered Apprentice lecture and are a representation of the floor which supposedly occupied King Solomon's Temple.

edit on 4-4-2011 by AugustusMasonicus because: Networkdude has no beer.

I am visualizing a beautiful chessboard, exactly how you describe it. The pieces could be made to fit the allegories, the architecture could be made to fit, I think you are onto a brilliant idea. I would buy one!!

ETA: Imagine learning your catechisms over a game of chess. Imagine all the pieces and working tools and symbolism coming to light as you progress through all 3 degrees! I think this could be beautiful, and educational at the same time!!

reply to post by getreadyalready


I would want one two as I play fairly often.

You could have 'King' Solomon. The two pillars as Rooks and the Pawns could be Entered Apprentices (just like in real life, muhaha). When I got one of my pieces to the last file I could ask for, instead of a Queen, a higher-level Mason.