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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Tuesday, 27 April 1920
6.30 a.m. Opus[1] V, 31-666-31 [Leah Hirsig], p.v.n.[2] Opus excellent for morning work, but too much Will. Object: Glory to the Most High Gods! Elixir, fine but not very strong.
What is the general symbol for the year's sojourn in Cefalu? [I Ching Hexagram] Lingam of Sun. 'Union of Men'. Read chapter; these are strikingly appropriate symbols.
Suppose there were a game played upon a board of 49 squares, the object being to capture the 'Citadel' in the middle square. There might be 7 pieces of diverse powers, or rather 7 on each side. There might be seven pawns of long reach, which should obstruct, by checking a piece. All pieces are obstructed from the Citadel if their Marshall is checked. The game is won by the player concentrating his 7 pieces on the Citadel. There is no taking except by soldiers, and no physical obstruction. If the Marshall is cut off from communication with his pieces, the game is lost to his side. The difficulty in this game seems to be in determining the nature of a threat.
I really think it would be easier to use the family chess board, and have it necessary to attack all from central squares, or to arrange that the goal changes from one of these to the other under stress.
The Marshall can move to any unoccupied square of the board at will, but only attacks like a queen, in straight lines. He can't move at all if checked. The General moves in straight lines, with a range of three squares. The Colonel with a range of two, in any direction straight or like a knight. The Captain with a range of one. The Lieutenant can only move one square at a time but his attacking force counts for two. The Soldier can move two squares in any direction, including the knight but attacks only when next door. The Citadel cannot be occupied. (There is another game with Naval units including aeroplanes and submarines.) The Marshall is only checked if attacked doubly.
A long walk up the valley with Leah this morning.
Is it a good plan to develop the scheme for exploiting Cefalu as a tourist resort etc? Hexagram XXVI, Earth of Lingam. Restraint and accumulation. This is very good indeed, provided one is firm, correct, unselfish and prudent.
Is Tiphareth going to play up to it squarely? [I Ching Hexagram] XI. Should be an emphatic 'Yes'. (P.S. This came right.)
1—[Crowley performs a magical sexual operation.] 2—[Per vas nefandum. By the unmentionable vessel, i.e. anal intercourse.]
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