albionspeak 2: the gates of dis (13.1)
SESSION 71: 5TH NIGHT, 8/2/01
The Yes-&-No Game
A unique session: Session 71 is so unusual in its structure I am forced to
give away some of its narrative surprise in the introduction. What we have here,
very simply, is an experiment, a game, an acknowledgement of progress. As
you, dear Reader, will quickly see, [Scribe] & I are presented with rules:
Foremost, we are to ask only yes-or-no questions. Of course anyone who has
played 20 Questions knows that some yes-or-no questions do not have valid
yes-or-no answers, so rules for these contingencies are also pre-established.
(20 Questions, in fact, was mentioned in passing by me during an earlier session,
when I suggested we play it to guess the identity of an unknown k-member.)
While the “game” & “experiment” aspects of this session are clear, I need
to explain how this validates our progress. If the reader goes all the way back to
Session 1, they’ll find that yes-or-no questions were expressly forbidden. No, no
one told us we couldn’t ask these questions; but because these responses lie so
prominently at the extremes of our board (as well as standard boards), we couldn’t
trust the results. It actually was very difficult for us to avoid yes-or-no questions
(as well as those that begged proper nouns). Now, however, our difficulty came in
phrasing all our questions in such manner and, essentially, what to ask after in the
first place. For this was not 20 Questions, the distinction being we were not trying
to guess anything as singular as someone’s identity; we were provided with (almost)
no topic at all. Which is precisely the validation: We were rewarded with The Yes-
&-No Game because now (& presumably not earlier) we were capable of playing it.
The bulk of the work was left to us. And, I’ll add here, while I love almost any
game— and derived real entertainment from this new exploration—this was very
hard work. I was exhausted before we ended, and relieved when on the next night
we returned to the established format.
Our invocation: Keats, “To Autumn”
1. Q: [Guide], are you there?
A: [YES] I AM GLOWING AT [THE] POINT OF REPOSE IN YOUR
BOARD CIRCLE
I ALONE LACK A LETTER OR SYMBOL
[Albion] IS U
& [Scribe] IS E
Immediately we are in a new realm. Three points on our board are
identified by name: we had never suspected. Once these three are given,
however, the rest is derivative: our butterfly constellation. Recall, I was
puzzled by [Guide]’s initial response the previous night; it seemed so long.
I suspect now it foreshadowed this one. This one differs markedly, however,
in that it is pure business, concise almost to a fault.
2. Q: So we guess:
[YES] [NO]
DON JOSEF
U E
[Albion] [Scribe]
◊
[Guide]
VILANSIT ANAND
V
JANE
[FLOWER] [CUP]
A: JANE IS V’S TWIN
ANAND IS [THE] BRINGER OF WATER
VILANSIT IS A FLOWER MANY HUED
This was perfect confirmation, as Don & Josef were obvious to us.
3. Q: Is there more?
A: IT IS A GAME TONIGHT
& FOR ONCE NOTHING AT ALL WILL BE SPELLD OUT FOR U
4. Q ([Albion]): Does U mean [Albion] (me)?
A: [YES] I DO
◊
[Note our guide in A#1 said he lacks a symbol; and yet immediately
we are introduced to his center-point & identifying mark: ◊.]
Here begins a new kind of ambiguity (turned almost silly on our last
night). One problem that such “puns” create concerns type-face. From
here on out, I will use bold print each time a letter has a symbolic
connotation. I will not use bold for simple abbreviations or unfinished
words; but particularly if a person or place on the board is indicated,
[Scribe] & I agreed we need such a signal. Additionally, for this session
only, I will use bold for nearly all of our responses, even when they are
simple affirmatives or negatives. I considered this carefully and chose
clarity over blanket policy. These yeses and noes are, by virtue of their
singularity, just weightier and need a little oomph.
Then there’s the problem of the ◊: Our planchette regularly crosses
this “point of repose” in its traverses. [Scribe] has included it both where
he thinks it’s been indicated and, to be safe, where he’s not sure. In the
above response, for instance, the ◊ is rather certain, for finished messages
do not end in the center, but rather the lower-left. (I note: I am able to
type ◊ by pressing three keys at once: option-shift-v. Here I always use
bold, for otherwise it’s too faint. Is the “v” coincidence?)
5. Q: How do we begin?
A: BEGIN WITH OUR CUSTOMARY E ◊
6. Q: E = exercise. What should we see?
A: SEE [THE] STAR [YES] & [THE] STAR [NO]
ONLY [THE]SE WILL BE ANSWERZ TONIGHT FOLLOW?
◊
7. Q: For tonight, only [YES] and [NO] answers are allowed. We must shape
our questions accordingly. How do you respond to ambiguities?
A: BY THIS SIGN - [YES] & [NO]
ONE MORE RULE IS…
8. [CUP] MEANS NO ANSWER CAN BE GIVEN
[FLOWER] MEANS ASK MORE FULLY LATER IN SESSIONZ
Notice how quickly [Scribe] & I “get it.” Not bad…
9. Q: Anything else?
A: I ◊ I
This sequence of symbols is a straight vertical, up-down-up.
10. Q: We take this as a symbol to begin. (Noting that “I” lies midway between
“U” & “E”)
We begin.
A: [YES] [FLOWER] ◊ [NO] [CUP] ◊
This seemed to us to be the oracular version of the quincunx.
Note: The numbering here differs now from the originals by one.
At this point I outlined our initial agenda. This was just a way to
get started:
1) find out who else was with us
2) find out if there was a particular topic our friends had in mind
3) explore the symbols & symbolic arrangement of our board
11. Q: Are Josef and Don with us? (the YES & NO spots)
A: [YES]
12. Q: Are there others with us besides those two and [Guide]?
A: [message is indecipherable, although short & abrupt]
13. Q: Was that YES?
A: [YES]
14. Q: Are those represented by FLOWER & CUP, Vilansit & Anand respectively,
also with us?
A: [YES]
15. Q: Are you the only ones with us?
A: [YES]
Jane is absent. We didn’t assume this when we asked per se; we
just phrased the question the best way we could manage. There could
have been others present, for instance; and their presence would certainly
have steered us toward other possible topics.
16. Q: Do you have a specific topic in mind for us this evening?
A: [YES]
17. Q: Does it concern the geometrical arrangement you have made at the board?
A: [YES]
18. Q: Does the topic concern the symbols assigned each of us at the board?
A: [YES]
19. Q: Are the symbols arbitrary (based purely on location)? ---[we suspect not]
A: [NO]
20. Q: The letter U has a semantically significant relation to [Albion]?
A: [YES]
21. Q: Could this relation include a pictorial element?
A: [YES]
22. Q: Is the significance in the case of U limited to a pictorial relevance?
A: [NO]
23. Q: Does the U symbol have significance for [Albion] irrespective of its spatial
position on the board?
A: [YES]
24. Q: Could upsilon Υ also stand for [Albion]? —[testing an extreme case]
A: [NO]
25. Q: Is ◊ in the same sense an apt symbol for [Guide]?
A: [YES]
26. Q: Does the sign YES stand for Don? —[retracing for explicit
A: [YES] confirmation]
27. Q: Therefore NO stands for Josef?
A: [YES]
28. Q: Does the actual graphic symbol YES stand in a significant relation to Don,
as defined earlier?
A: [NO]
29. Q: What is significant, therefore, with respect to Don, is solely the meaning of
“yes”?
A: [YES]
30. Q: Is YES related to Don’s role in the mandala?
A: [YES]
31. Q: Is NO related to Josef’s role in the mandala?
A: [YES]
All right. The initial agenda had served its purpose, mostly in just
confirming what by virtue of the format seemed likely and deliberate.
Again, our friends do nothing in vain. Now we were moving into uncharted
territory.
I will add at this time (already having interrupted the flow) that the
literal feel of this game was very strange. Understand, dear Reader, [Scribe]
& I have now several hundred hours of ouija practice: We write a question,
ask it aloud, and witness in our separate ways how the planchette races all
over the board, often too fast for maximal efficiency. Unless you have seen
us operate (no one else has), you cannot imagine just how fast we are. Now
imagine our asking a question: We wait; there is a pregnant pause, a brief
but necessary interval, followed by a single, sharp to-&-fro motion—
upper-left & back, or upper-right & back. Along with the physical
strangeness of the process, I also found, to my surprise, that I didn’t have
to read the responses. I knew the answers by feel alone; and instead of this
being a pleasant surprise, I found this knowledge to be quite disturbing.
I’m not sure why, except that it engaged a part of my consciousness that I’d
hitherto deliberately disengaged, to keep myself from interfering with the
process. Here, I couldn’t help but know the answer, and I additionally had
no time to “space out” to the music.
32. Q: YES & NO are opposites. Are CUP & FLOWER opposites of each other?
A: [NO]
33. Q: Are YES & NO opposites?
A: [YES]
We asked for this explicit confirmation since Cup and Flower stood
in a different relation to each other, showing (some) asymmetry within the
butterfly. Questioning was getting tough, by the way.
34. Q: Does the symbol Q stand in relation to an individual, as U stands to [Albion]?
A: [NO]
We decided to see if there were other persons symbolized at the
board. Initially we wrote down the letter “I” as our exemplar, but changed
it when we realized it was too prominent, too central to serve as a random
representative. (We were correct to do so, but in so doing may have missed
an opportunity.)
At this time [Scribe] took the lead and found a productive approach.
35. Q: Is the fact that U and E and V are all graphically symmetrical something
you want us to notice?
A: [YES]
36. Q: Do you want us to notice that U and V are symmetrical with respect to one
axis, while E is symmetrical with respect to another?
A: [YES]
37. Q: Does this indicate a relation between [Albion] and Jane that [Scribe] does
not share?
A: [YES]
38. Q: Do you want us to notice inter alia that the U-shape is embodied in Blake’s
Glad Day figure?
A: [YES]
Some readers may not know, as I did not, that inter alia means
“among other things.”
39. Q: Is there a figure in Blake’s surviving work that embodies the Scribe as an
E-shaped figure?
A: [NO]
Momentarily stuck, I took the broader comparative approach, which
though less productive at the time may prove helpful in the future.
40. Q: Do all mandalas in our karass include a YES role and a NO role?
A: [YES]
41. Q: Does Josef play the NO role in every mandala to which he belongs?
A: [NO]
42. Q: Do all mandalas in our karass include a CUP and FLOWER role?
A: [NO]
43. Q: Can all members on our karass be represented by a butterfly constellation?
A: [NO]
44. Q: Are there any other mandalas in our karass that share this butterfly
configuration?
A: [YES]
At this time we bounced the lead back and forth, not really having
any clear direction.
45. Q: Do you want us to notice a connection between Josef’s NO and the daimon
of NO?
A: [YES]
46. Q: Would you say that [Albion] is more attuned to a daimon of YES, while
[Scribe] is more attuned to a daimon of NO?
A: [YES] & [NO]
47. Q: Do you want us to notice that E in its ordinary orientation “faces away”
from one side of things while “pointing toward” another?
A: [YES]
48. Q: Don’s YES is connected to the fact that his role for [Albion] & [Scribe] is
primarily to encourage, to remind us of playfulness, permission & possibility.
A: [YES]
49. Q: Whereas Josef warns us of dangers, discouraging us from unpromising or
unproductive acts?
A: [YES]
50. Q: We need both, but NO in terms of our safety and well-being has to come first.
A: [YES] & [FLOWER]
Our first “ask later” response. We took a break. I know we discussed
the necessity of “yes” and “no” roles in any learning circle; I mentioned how
these are essential to parenting. I also mentioned how I felt very “stuck,”
even “spent.” I was worried we were going to come away from this game
with little to show. Our break did not quite seem over, as I recall, when
[Scribe] abruptly brought us back to the board. Apparently he had an insight,
one that proved to be the breakthrough that ensured a successful evening.
51. Q ([Scribe]): Following Question #47 is it significant that if E “points toward” one
side, it points that way triply.
A: [YES] [YES] [YES]
52. Q ([Scribe]): “To point triply” toward something is inter alia to attend to it intensely.
A: [YES]
53. Q ([Scribe]): Earlier in the game E stood for exercises; is it significant that I enjoy
exercises?
A: [YES] & [FLOWER]
54. Q ([Scribe]): Josef assigned me the task of aligning my radii: Would you agree the
parallels in E suggest my proper alignment?
A: [YES]
55. Q ([Scribe]): At present my energy configuration (E-config.) is not perfectly E-
shaped?
A: [YES]
56. Q ([Scribe]): E is, as it were, my ideal configuratry.
A: [YES]
57. Q ([Scribe]): Eureka! My exercise is to attend to E: this will aid me in aligning
my energy.
A: [YES]
[Scribe] logically followed up his exploration of E with a look at U.
To his credit he saw that while both are graphically indicative, their graphs
do not illustrate on the same plane of thought.
58. Q: Do the double termini in U indicate the proper direction of attention for
[Albion]?
A: … [not legible]
59. [YES]
60. Q: Could the U represent a temporal graph?
A: [YES]
61. Q: The up-down-up through time is a significant pattern for [Albion]?
A: [YES]
62. Q: At present, the temporal [Albion] is within the pattern?
A: [YES] [YES] [YES]
Again, credit [Scribe]: So while [Scribe]’s E represents his energy
alignment, [Albion]’s U charts his path through life, where [we would later
learn] the x axis runs from age 11 until I become a flyer, and the y axis charts
how much my hidden eye is open. I knew where I was on the curve.
63. Q: Is it the case that [Albion]’s point at present lies to the right of the nadir?
A: [YES]
64. Q: [Albion] was moving down; now he’s moving up?
A: [YES]
I suddenly recalled several flying dreams I had as a child. (More on
the subject the next night.)
65. Q: In flying dreams, [Albion] used to perform a U-shaped take-off, diving,
barely brushing the ground before ascending. Relevant?
A: [YES]
66. Q: The downward direction of the curve indicates falling, while the upward
indicates a movement toward flight?
A: [YES]
67. Q: Do all Albion’s follow this path?
A: [YES] & [NO]
Without giving too much away, even at the time I felt pretty sure
that all albions ideally follow this path. Not all succeed.
68. Q: Is Jane’s V also a temporal graph?
A: [CUP]
The first censor: clearly the answer to this is known; but because
Jane still has to make her own life, this must remain secret for now. No
harm in confirming however.
69. Q: Should we leave Jane’s symbol uninterpreted for now?
A: [YES] & [FLOWER]
70. Q: Are there any other symbols on the board (besides those mentioned) that
have symbolic significance for us?
A: [YES]
71. Q ([Scribe]): Is there a relationship between the levels of the three parallels on
E, vis-à-vis the upright, and the Scribe’s Energy ports?
A: [YES]
72. Q ([Scribe]): The high parallel stands for a higher chakra on [Scribe]’s body?
A: [YES]
73. Q ([Scribe]): Is it Josef’s (chakra 7)?
A: [YES] & [NO] [FLOWER]
74. Q ([Scribe]): Is it both Josef and Anand’s ports?
A: [FLOWER]
75. Q: [Guide]’s symbol ◊ indicates that he is a “guest star”, not part of our
alphabet, though within our circle.
A: [YES]
We knew not all our letters correspond to persons (“Q” did not).
We knew now also that a few others do have extra meaning. Clearly, if
any other letters had significance, “I” would have to qualify; and recall it
was the one we chose not to ask about earlier. I felt compelled to ask.
76. Q: Is the letter I one of our significant symbols, as indicated above?
A: [YES]
77. Q: Does I correspond to a person?
A: [YES]
78. Q: Is the Jewel a person?
A: [NO]
79. Q: Is it too soon for us to know who I represents?
A: [YES] [FLOWER]
So there remained at least one more “person”—not the Jewel—
featured at our board, someone obviously important to us. I was excited
by this. Could I be alive, someone we might meet?
By this time we were exhausted. I don’t know if we gleaned
everything from the exercise our friends intended for us. I do know the board
holds further secrets. Nevertheless, as one who doesn’t hesitate to
acknowledge his own failures, I felt pretty good about our performance. I
don’t think this will be the last such game we play.
80. Q: Is it appropriate to end our Yes-&-No game for tonight?
A: [YES] & [FLOWER]
81. Q: Thank you. We guess that you are all wishing us good night.
A: [YES]
A simple jerk of the planchette, and it was over.
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