Astrology and Chess

Author: Alison Price   –   Published: December 2024

Astrology and Chess

Correlations

When you learn astrology, it is often interesting to see which signs or planets are represented in other creative works such as books, movies or TV shows. Already I’m thinking Game of Thrones, Good Omens and Star Trek, but I do think there are other areas that can be considered as well. If you look around, you may see that the energies of the planets are represented by particular people, animals or objects which are not related to astrology at all.

Theories

Perhaps this is just me and my wandering mind trying to join the dots and bring everything back to astrology. This week I’m going to float some of my theories about how chess pieces are related to the energy of the planets.

Playing to Win

Strategy

Chess is a board game of strategy. It makes you think. There are two opposing teams usually colored black and white or red and white. We’ve all heard of the Red Queen and the Black Knight which are chess references.

There are six different types of individual chess piece and each one has its own moves – like Jagger. The chessboard is typically a black and white 8×8 grid containing sixty-four squares. As you settle down to start the game you face your opponent with the white corner square at your right hand.

The King

Capturing the king is the aim of the whole game, but the king is somewhat limited and can only move one square at a time. The king represents the crown which the other side is attempting to seize. The sovereign is the only piece which must be in play at all times. It is his standard, emblem and colors which, carried ahead by the foot soldiers, announce his army and presence on the battlefield. The planet that suggests the king is the Sun as the beating heart of the whole game.

The Queen

The queen is the most dominant piece in chess and perhaps you could even say she is the power behind the throne. She can cover three times as much ground as a bishop, knight or rook being here, there and everywhere. As the top female piece on the board, the matriarch if you will, the planet indicated by the queen has to be the Moon. They say the female of the species is more dangerous than the male and, when cornered, any mother will go into battle for her family. Contestants who only have their queen piece left on the board can still win the game against an adversary with a selection of other pieces, such is her clout.

The Two Bishops

The two bishops (one on black and one on white) move diagonally across the board. This oblique movement allows other pieces to breach their line if they are on the other color. Bishops stand closest to the king and queen on the board and so suggest the inferior planets Mercury and Venus. The Messenger of the Gods is the closest planet to the Sun. Feminine Venus, like a lady in waiting, flanks the Moon.

The Two Knights

Knights ride chargers and this chess piece is in the shape of a horse’s head so we immediately think of The Archer, Sagittarius, and therefore Jupiter. With an elegant “L” shaped move, the horsemen can leap over other pieces on the board. Knights typically travel and explore far and wide on crusades and quests similar to Jupiter.

The Two Rooks

The rooks are the backbone defense pieces. Also called castles, they move both horizontally and vertically without others crossing through their line. The rooks suggest Mars for warriors and battlements and Saturn for boundaries such as castle walls. Rooks, coupled with the king, have a classy strategic move called castleing where, if there are no pieces between the king and the rook and neither piece has been played yet, both can be moved two spaces sideways and cross over each other. Cool.

The Eight Pawns

The eight pawns are the rank and file of the chess army. Pawns can only move forward one space at a time unless it is their very first move when a two square move frontward is allowed. If a pawn manages to break through the oppositions defenses to reach the other side of the board, the competitor may choose to have one of their captured pieces replaced by that pawn as a reward for making it across the whole battleground.

Generally, the pawns run interference to the central action and are background noise to the main story. Here I have them symbolized through the outer planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto and also perhaps any other planet which is not well placed in the chart.

Rethinking

Chess Clubs

A million years ago when I was younger, I was a member of the Kelvin Power Station Chess Club in Johannesburg. I was a participant in this chess club for around three years. We would meet fortnightly to socialize and play chess. The guy who was running the show was very generous with his game tips and tricks and he helped everybody improve their technique.

Off With Her Head

One of the most challenging things he made us do was to start the game and play without the queen on the board. This made us work with the troops and thus develop the other pieces and their strategy more. We all became better chess players because of this queen-less strategy. By the same token, you can interpret a chart without the Sun displayed and become a better astrologer because of it.

This tactic will make you pay attention to the other planets and hone your skills at interpretation too. So instead of saying, “Oh, she’s a Leo and we all know what that means (wink, wink) and it’s…” you have to dig deeper and think, “Oh, I see, she’s got Mars in Pisces and Jupiter in Virgo so this suggests…”

Outro

Planets as Pieces

I’m not saying that my ideas on the planets as chess pieces will be the same as your opinions. Certainly, you will have your own view as well about which piece is represented by which planet and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

What I’m trying to express with this week’s newsletter is that when you start to learn astrology and you understand the archetypes of the planets, you can see them being expressed in other areas of life as well. If you start to look at the planets in this way, they can leap off the page and be part of life in general.

Food for thought.

Extend Yourself

Planets as Characters

Stretch yourself and your imagination.

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• Think back to one of your favorite books, movies or TV shows, see if you can relate all the planets to the characters within the show.

Extend Yourself Further

Sun-less

Stretch your astrology muscles with the Sun-less technique:

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• Cast the next birth chart you work on without displaying the Sun in the wheel.
• Interpret the chart.
• Reflect.

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Author Bio

Alison Price: Professional Astrologer

Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.

If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.

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