"Peredur saw a chess-board in the hall, and the chess-men were playing against each other, by themselves. Now the side that he supported lost the game, while the other side set up shout, as though they had been living men."
___ Peredur, from "The Mabinogion" (trans CM)
In Celtic tradition, gaming boards represent the land itself, and the pieces represent people who fight over rulership of the land. Games of this kind teach players to defend their territory and to hazard their own pieces in defense of the king. In an age that expects us to be open, pleasant, and friendly, we could perhaps learn some salutary lessons from the 'wood-cunning' of the gaming board and rediscover how to better protect the territory of our soul. We do not want to live our lives on the defensive or on the attack, but by being always open and welcoming to everyone we meet, unaware of the need to protect our own very necessary boundaries, we expose ourselves to the danger that our soul will be encroached upon by people whose smiles hide manipulative or malign intentions, people interested (perhaps unconsciously) in coercing us to render our services without any reciprocation whatever.
Those who live as if the world and its contents were set there for their personal convenience have no notion of boundaries, and they will steadily encroach upon the territory of others unless they are checked or challenged.
"Meditate upon where your personal boundaries are and set up checks and challenges to those who attempt to come across them without your express permission. Where are you encroaching upon the territory of others?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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