geomancy

Asking the question

The initial question can relate to several categories, such as marriage, children, rulers, health, journeys, finances, and business. The one who asks the question, or the querent, usually wants to know what is causing something; for instance, what is the cause of a sudden illness, how will the illness turn out, and when will the illness end?

Casting the points and figures

Most geomancers follow the Arabic system of casting. They create 16 lines of dots on a piece of paper, marking them from right to left—the tradition in Arabic writing. There must be at least 12 dots per line, but the geomancer does not consciously keep track of the number of dots beyond that. (Arabic geomancers even developed mechanical devices that could be used to produce random numbers of dots.)

Once all 16 lines have been created, the geomancer divides them into four groups of four lines each. The groups of four lines are used to make the figures known as the four “mothers.” Lines with an even number of dots are represented with two dots; lines with an odd number of dots with one dot.

The geomancer uses the four mothers to create additional figures, which are known as the four “daughters,” four “nieces,” two “witnesses,” and one “judge.” The casting results in 15 figures total, although in some cases, a geomancer may add a type of “super judge,” or reconciler, resulting in 16 figures. The figures are then placed in specific spots in the tableau.

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Each of the possible 16 figures not only has a name but also several attributes and qualities related to such things as a particular planet; a zodiac sign; day or night; an element (earth, air, fire, or water); a measure of time (hour, day, week, month, or year); gender; humor (calm, optimistic, angry, or sad); and orientation (pointing down or up).

Geomancers in other countries employ a variety of other casting methods. For example, in Africa handfuls of dirt are tossed to cast patterns on the ground. In China, the 64 hexagrams of the Yijing are used to answer questions, obtain advice, or divine a course of action. Korean geomancers read the topography of the land to determine future events. Practices such as feng shui and sacred geometry have been erroneously labeled as geomancy. In general, these practices focus on increasing positive energy and neutralizing negative energy; they are not used for divination.

Interpreting the results

Once the casting is done, there are several methods of interpreting the completed tableau, ranging from strictly mechanical or mathematical to those influenced by medieval astrology. This makes interpretation highly complex.

Regardless of the method used, the meaning of the figures depends on where they are placed in the tableau and, as in astrology, their relationships to one another. For example, in the medieval astrology method, the tableau is laid out according to the 12 astrological houses, which have the following meanings based on the Latin terms.

The geomancer must decide which house governs a question. For instance, questions about wealth would be assigned to the second house, questions about one’s parents to the fourth house, and questions about the outcome of a criminal case to the twelfth house. Other astrological factors are then used to complete the interpretation.