Geomancy

GEOMANCY

Geomancy, or divination by the earth, is an ancient form of divination that has its roots in Africa and the Middle East where it was called "'ilm al-raml," or the science of the sand. Originally, the creation of geomantic figures entailed marking the ground with a stick in order to generate a random number of marks upon the earth. The marks where then counted in order to generate one of sixteen possible figures each of which have their own divinatory meanings.

Geomancy became one of the most popular forms of divination in Europe during the Middle Ages (second only to Astrology) where various methods of generating the geomantic symbols were developed. One of the most popular methods called for drawing a random number of points, or dots, on a piece of paper. In keeping with Arabic tradition, the points are often drawn from right to left. In this manner, a series of geomantic figures are created and arranged on either a tableau (which is akin to an astrological chart) or a shield chart and are then interpreted.

Anatomy of a Geomantic Figure

Each of the geomancy figures consist of four rows of dots. Each row consists of either one or two dots. The four rows, from top to bottom, are called the head, neck, body, and feet respectively. Each row also correspond to the four elements. The top row is associated with fire, the second with air, the third with water and the last one with earth.

A single dot indicates the element is active, or present, while two dots indicate that the element is passive or absent. Hence the figure above, called Major Fortune, is lacking fire and air but water and earth is present.

Stable Vs. Mobile

Each geomantic figure is said to be either stable or mobile. Stable, or entering, figures reepresent conditions that are believed to be lasting or fixed. Mobile, or exiting, figures are thought to represents conditions which are more fluid and changeable. The stable figures are: populus, carcer, fortuna major, acquisitio, tristitia, puella, albus, and caput draconis. The mobile figures are: via, conjunctio, fortuna minor, amissio, laetitia, puer, rubeus, and cauda draconis.

The Symbols & their Meanings

Via

Planet: Moon Quality: Mobile

Sign: Cancer Element: Water

Symbol- A Road or pathway.

Meaning- The Way. The road ahead. The open road. Freedom. Adventure. A journey which may be physical or metaphorical. Activation. Forward Motion. Effort. Drive. Ambition. Dynamic Change. Favorable for journeys and voyages of all kinds.

In Magic Via favors anything to do with movement and change such as opening the way, removing obstacles, and safe travel, or changing careers

Cauda Draconis

Planet: S. Node Quality: Mobile

Sign: Sagittarius Element: Fire

Symbol- Footprints leading away from a door.

Meaning. Tail of the Dragon. An exit, escape, or way out. Endings. A downward spiral. A person or situation that you need to walk away from for your own safety and security. Purging. Danger. Evil.

In Magic Cauda Draconis is favorable for bring about any kind of endings or cutting ties with negativity.

Puer

Planet: Mars Quality: Mobile

Sign: Aries Element: Fire

Symbol- A sword; male genitals.

Meaning- Boy. Action without thought. Rashness. Combativeness. Reckless Behavior. Aggression. Cockiness. Great energy that needs to be harnessed or reigned in. Passion. Thoughtlessness. Favorable for love or war but unfavorable for anything else.

In Magic Puer favors any type of physical activity such as sports, sex, or engaging an enemy in the physical realm (a physical fight).

Fortuna Minor

Planet: Sun Quality: Mobile

Sign: Leo Element: Air

Symbol- A flagpole on top of a mountain.

Meaning- Minor Fortune. Minor luck. Small windfall. Swiftness. Assistance from others. Protection from misfortune and harm. Abuse of power. You may have to work hard and will need to the help of others but success will be yours.

In Magic Fortuna Major favors any and all activity that must be accomplish quickly. It is used to materialize an idea or concept

Puella

Planet: Venus Quality: Stable

Sign: Libra Element: Air

Symbol- A mirror, female breasts.

Meaning- Girl. Harmony. Purity. Cleanliness. External appearances. Superficiality. Indecisiveness and fickleness. Healing. Nurturing. Passivity. Empathy.

In Magic Puella favors anything emotional such as softening the heart of an enemy or forming an emotional bond with a lover. It may also be used to surround you with an air of charisma or charm.

Amissio

Planet: Venus Quality: Mobile

Sign: Taurus Element: Earth

Symbol- Upside down bag, it's contents spilled out.

Meaning- Loss. Loss of money, love, or good health. Things lost or taken away. Illness. Theft. Financial problems. Negative outcome. Destitution. Loneliness. Homelessness. Unfavorable for any type of gain, but favorable where you wish to lose something.

In Magic Amissio is used for ridding yourself of a person, place or thing; as well as for forming relationships, especially romantic ones (to "lose" your loneliness, or single status.)

Carcer

Planet: Saturn Quality: Stable

Sign: Capricorn Element: Earth

Symbol- An enclosure

Meaning- Prison. Isolation. Confinement, limitations and restrictions. Delays and reversals of fortune. Good for contracts and mortgages. Servitude and the need to accept a situation as it is. Mostly unfavorable unless the issue is about stability or security. Trapped in a situation.

In Magic Carcer favors activities that require solitude such as meditation, spiritual practices, and self reflection; delaying the inevitable; nurturing patience; and any efforts to establish permanence. It may also be used to trap negative or evil spirits; or to contact the dead.

Laetitia

Planet: Jupiter Quality: Mobile

Sign: Pisces Element: Water

Symbol- A Rainbow.

Meaning- Joy, Laughter, Happiness. Good luck. Delight. Beauty. Good Health. Happiness. Harmony and peace of mind. Prosperity. Favorable for almost anything. Upward movement. Improvement in your situation.

In Magic Laetitia favors any activity that does not require secrecy. It brings joy and happiness to any situation.

Caput Draconis

Planet: N. Node Quality: Stable

Sign: Virgo Element: Earth

Symbol- Footprints approaching a door.

Meaning- Head of the Dragon. Beginnings. A place of entry. New starts, birth and innocence. Alertness and shrewdness. Profit. A new cycle or adventure. Blessing at the outset. Cleansing and renewal.

In Magic Caput Draconis favors creating a new beginning. It may also be used to curry favor of those in high places such as judges, your boss, etc...

Conjunctio

Planet: Mercury Quality: Mobile

Sign: Virgo Element: Earth

Symbol- A Crossroads

Meaning- Union. Interaction. Love. Friendship. Sexual Attraction. Contracts. Agreements. Partnerships. Combination of forces for good or bad. Reunion. The return of missing or lost objects. Choices. The Crossroads.

In Magic Conjunctio favors making any type of connection such as communication with another person, relationships as well as finding lost objects.

Acquistio

Planet: Jupiter Quality: Stable

Sign: Aquarius Element: Fire

Symbol- An open bag.

Meaning- Gain. Prosperity. Promotion. Benefit. Gains from business or extension of existing property. Worldly success. Difficulties behind you. A goal is within your reach. End of love. Lack of compassion for the lesser fortunate.

In Magic Acquisitio favors any activity in which you wish to gain something of value such as money, or a good paying job.

Rubeus

Planet: Mars Quality: Stable

Sign: Scorpio Element: Water

Symbol- An upside down cup.

Meaning- Red. Passion. Vice. Temper. Sex and Sexuality. A Warning. Need for Retreat. Negativity and upheaval. Gut Instincts. Mischief. Lust. The Thrill of it all.

In Magic Ruebus favors any activity that depends on deceiving others or hidden knowledge. It may be used to incite wars, drive lovers apart, or curse one's enemies.

Fortuna Major

Planet: Sun Quality: Stable

Sign: Leo Element: Fire

Symbol- A river flowing through a valley.

Meaning- Major Fortune. Power. Success. Good luck. Great Fortune. Celebration. Property and Possessions. Honor and respect. Making the most of the opportunities given.

In Magic Fortuna Major favors any and all activity except that which must be accomplished quickly. Use Fortuna Major for the success of long term goals.

Albus

Planet: Mercury Quality: Stable

Sign: Gemini Element: Air

Symbol- An upright cup.

Meaning- White. Peace. Illumination. Wisdom. Traditions. The Elders. Ancestors. Guides. Moderation. Spiritual Growth and Harmony. Patience and thoughtfulness. Weak but favorable. Slow down and think before you act.

In Magic Albus favors any activity centered around one’s mind or their spirit such as reading comprehension, effective communication, and accessing ancestral knowledge, or divination.

Tristitia

Planet: Saturn Quality: Stable

Sign: Aquarius Element: Air

Symbol- A stake driven into the ground.

Meaning- Sadness. Sudden and unexpected disappointment. Depression. Humiliation. Loneliness. Bad turn of events. Loss and destruction of something that has been carefully built up. Illness. Pain Suffering. Unfavorable unless the issue concerns stability or secrets.

In Magic Tristitia favors any type of earth magic, working with dirts, talismans, herbs; keeping secrets, and deep spiritual pursuits. It may be used to break down spells and curses.

Populus

Planet: Moon Quality: Stable

Sign: Cancer Element: Water

Symbol- A crowd of people.

Meaning- People. Crowd. Group. Family. Friends. Group involvement. Usually indicates that the outcome of a matter depends on others. Messages. News. Group mind. Going with the flow.

In Magic Populus favors anything that requires the approval or cooperation of others such as asking seeking favors from authority figures.

Casting the Points: Three Methods Explained

A geomantic tableau is made up of 15 symbols. The are the 4 mothers, 4 daughters, 4 nieces, 2 witnesses, and the judge. This will be explained in detail later. The generation of the tableau begins with the formation of the four mothers and the remaining geomantic figures are generated from the four mothers. There are a number of methods to generate the four mothers and I will describe three such methods below.

Method One: The Art of Little Dots

This method requires a pen and a piece of paper. Start by thinking of your question or issue and then, without concentrating on the mechanics of what you are doing, mark a series of dots on the paper from right to left. Since you are generating the four mothers, or symbols, and each symbol consists of four lines each you will need to repeat this process for a total of sixteen times.

The sixteen lines are then grouped in fours. The first four lines represent the first mother; the second group, the second mother, and so forth. The points in each line are then counted up. If the sum of the points is an odd number, this is represented by a single pip; whereas an even number is represented by two pips.

For example

For this example, I have closed by eyes and held the shift key and the asterisk key down simultaneously releasing the keys at random.

*************
****************
**************
****************
**********
****
**********
*********************
********
*************
***************
*****
*********
****************
*********************
********

Next, I have divided the sixteen lines into groups of four and counted them up. Odd numbers generate one point and even number generate two points thus forming the four mothers.

************* = 13 *
**************** = 16 * *
************** = 14 * *
**************** = 16 * * Laetitia

********** = 10 * *
**** = 04 * *
********** = 10 * *
********************* = 21 * * Populus

******** = 08 * *
************* = 13 *
*************** = 15 *
***** = 05 * * Conjunctio

********* = 09 *
**************** = 16 * *
********************* = 22 * *
******** = 08 * * Laetitia

Method Two: Casting Lots

Aside from the previous method, there are many methods for generating the mothers which are not overly complicated. For instance you can roll a die four times to generate one geomantic figure. If the dice lands on an odd number it is represented by a single dot; if an even number, use two dots. In a similar fashion, you can flip and coin with the understanding that heads is represented by one dot and tails by two. You would have to flip the coin four times to generate one geomantic symbol.

Finally, a deck of cards may be used to generate a geomantic figure. This is done by drawing four cards for each symbol you want to create. An odd card (including jack and kings) are represented by one dot; even numbers (and queens) are represented by two dots.

Method Three: Geomancy Sticks

Also known as Druid Sticks, Rune Sticks, or Geomancy Sticks are four small flat sticks which have been decorated in some way (paint, wood burning, etc..) with two pips on one side and one pip on the opposite side which are used to generate geomantic symbols. There are three ways to use them to generate your symbols. They are:

One at a time, balance a stick on its end by your finger. Thinking of your question, lift your finger and allow the stick to randomly fall left or right. Repeat this for a total of four times. When you are finished, you will have generated one figure.
Place the four sticks in your passive, or receiving hand, and place your dominant hand over them. Shake the sticks in your hands and allow them to shift randomly. When you are done, lift your dominant hand and then flip your passive hand on a flat surface allowing the sticks to form a geomantic figure.
Place this sticks in a small jar and shake them up while thinking of your question. When you are ready cast the sticks out of the jar in the same manner you would use a dice cup to cast dice.

The Shield Chart

The shield chart is akin to an astrological chart and is used to interpret the geomantic figures. It is generated from the first four mothers.

For example, let us use the four mothers generated in the previous example above. They are

1) Laetitia
2) Rubeus
3) Populus
4) Laetitia

The Mothers:

The Daughters

The next four figures (5-8), called the Daughters, are formed by takiing the lines used in the Mothers. Moving from right to left, he first daughter (5) is formed by taking the first line from the first, second, third, and fourth mothers in order and using them to be the first daughter’s first, second, third and fourth lines respectively. The same process is used to for the second daughter using the second line from the mothers and so forth and so on.

The Nieces

After the mothers and daughters, the four nieces are formed by adding those pairs of figures that rest above the houses of the respective niece. The top line of 7 and 8 are added and become the top line for 12. Odd numbers generate one pip, even number generate two pips. And so forth and so on for lines 2, 3, and 4. The same process is used on 6/5 pairs, 4/3, pairs, and 2/1 pairs to generate the symbols for 11, 10, and 9.

The Two Witnesses

Using the same process, the two witnesses are form from the 12 /11 and 10/09 pairs.

The Judge

The Judge (15) is formed by adding the lines in pairs 14 and 13.

Interpreting the Shield Chart

Once you have generated the shield chart, you can now being the process of interpretation. This begins with an emphasis on the left witness (14), the right witness (13) and the Judge (15) Again, continuing the Arabic tradition of reading from right to left, you begin with the Right Witness. The Right Witness represents the questioner. The geomantic symbol here will often represent their motivation, perspective, and / or those events that have transpired up until the present.

Next you will regard the Left Witness. It represents the question itself and will give you an indication regarding the near future surrounding the questions put forth up until the here and now. Finally, the Judge is considered. It represents the final outcome concerning the question or issue asked.

If you wish to know more about long-term developments or issues arising out of the question you can generate one more geomantic symbol in the same manner as before by combining the Judge and the First Mother. This symbols or position is called the Reconciler or alternately. the Sentence.

For example:

Terrestrial Astrology

The Mothers, Daughters, and Nieces are not only useful for generating the Witnesses and the Judge but they can also be read in a manner similar to astrology.

That is, these twelve symbols can be transferred to a geomantic horoscope. A Geomantic Horoscope is similar to a Natal Horoscope -- a circle divided into 12 equal portions. However, whereas in Western Astrology the horoscope is round, in Eastern Astrology the horoscope is square.

Each portion of the horoscope represent a different area of life. They are:

Outer image, ego, identity.
Money, material matters, and personal possessions.
Communication, siblings, short journeys.
Early childhood, family, home and security.
Love, children, creativity, romance, hobbies.
Routine, health, pets, and service to others.
Marriage, agreements, partnerships.
Death, inheritance, taxes, the occult.
Travel, long journeys, philosophy, and education.
Career, ambition, profession.
Goals, friends, hopes, clubs, and organizations.
Karma, sacrifices, solitude, or lesson you must learn.

The Geomantic Horoscope

The Shield Chart translates to the Geomantic Horoscope in the following manner.

The First Mother (1) corresponds to the first house.
The Second Mother (2) corresponds to the second house.
The Third Mother (3) corresponds to the third house.
The Fourth Mother (4) corresponds to the fourth house.
The First Daughter (5) corresponds to the fifth house.
The Second Daughter (6) corresponds to the sixth house.
The Third Daughter (7) corresponds to the seventh house.
The Fourth Daughter (8) corresponds to the eighth house.
The First Niece (9) corresponds to the ninth house.
The Second Niece (10) corresponds to the tenth house.
The Third Niece (11) corresponds to the eleventh house.
The Fourth Niece (12) corresponds to the 12th house.

Using the example of the completed Shield Chart above, your Geomantic Horoscope would look like the below image once all the symbols have been transferred.

You would then read each figure in relation to the house, or area of life, that it occupies. For instance, in the above example we have Puer in the 11th house. The 11th house rules friends, groups, and associations. Puer represent rashness, action without thought, and is a mobile figure. When taken together, this might mean that you have become involved with a friend or group that is reckless, are hanging out with a "bad" crowd, and need to slow down and think about whether you want to continue such an association. On the plus side, Puer is favorable for love and romance, so it is quite possible that you may begin seeing the potential for a friendship to blossom into a romance, or you might meet a lover through a friend. Perhaps a new person joins your group of friends and you take an interest in one another.