I first learned about the divination art of geomancy through one of my many YouTube video binge sessions – and it immediately captured my interest. So much so, that I bought a geomancy book immediately after watching it.
“To the diviners of earlier times, the entire world was a dance of meaning that could be read by the perceptive eye and interpreted by the attentive mind. When birds flew past from a particular direction, when the stars and planets assumed certain arrangements, or when the change patterns of geomantic divination gave rise to a specific set of figures and their interactions, some part of the great dance of the cosmos was brought clearer into view.”
Growing up, I was rarely allowed to buy books of my own. The idea being, buying books is a waste of money, as most people usually only read them once. As a result, I was primarily encouraged to borrow books from the library instead, and the few books I did have were either perfectly curated, or gifted by others.
So now as an adult, while there are many books that intrigue me, I am slow to purchase them. Each book I consider must truly be worth my time and money, fit within my curated collection, and be one I would likely read more than once.
I should probably also mention that this YouTube binge session was happing while I was working out. And I don’t stop my workouts for anything.
So, when I say geomancy captured my interest enough to have me stop my workout and purchase a book on it, this is serious stuff we’re talking about here.
Geomancy = Earth Divination
If you like being connected to the earth, geomancy may be an divination form perfect for you as well. Why? Because geomancy is considered “earth divination.” We, of course, have pen and paper easily accessible today. But geomancy first started by taking sticks and making dots (sometimes lines as well) at random in the soil, or in the sand depending on where you lived.
“The old geomancers had no time for the modern notion that the world of nature is simply a passive collection of objects waiting for us to push our interpretations on them. From the geomancer’s perspective, nature is an active, creative presence.”
These dots and lines are then calculated into the first set of the 16 geomantic figures. I am somewhat simplifying this, as there are several rounds of calculations to create the set of geomantic figures. However, once the geomantic figures are created they are then used to divine your future.
Now, there is a bit more to it than that as well, of course. Depending on the reading you are doing, there are different “spreads” or charts you can use. One common chart, is the shield chart. Another is using the houses in astrology. We can get into more of that in a later post if you’re interested.
Or, you can read the first book I bought on the subject that gave me the foundation for everything I know on the subject. It is still one of my favorite books today, and definitely something I have referenced more than once since – for geomancy, but also for the other magickal teachings in the book which we’ll get to in a bit. It will give you a comprehensive guide for doing geomancy for yourself, others, and much more!
Geomancy and Horary Astrology
If you are interested in astrology but don’t have the time or interest to go into all of its details and layers of complexity, geomancy is a great alternative and a great method for you to engage with astrology but in a simpler, and earth-connected way. You can do horary readings using geomancy pretty easily, for example.
Horary readings are where you cast a horoscope or astrology chart to answer a question. So instead of drawing up a natal chart for a person, you are creating one for the question, using the time and place the question is being asked, in place of a birth date and time.
Geomancy can be used for horary readings as well. You cast a your geomantic figures, and then use the astrology chart to place the geomantic figures in the appropriate houses. From there, the reading will answer the question asked by the querent – just as you would in an astrology horary reading.
Geomancy and Earth Magick
What makes geomancy so beautiful is its connection to the earth, the cosmos, and our lives through the patterns around us.
“You won’t find a word about raising power in Renaissance magical texts, however, because Renaissance occultists relied on the currents of power that exist around us at every moment.”
For example, geomancers generally don’t cast readings when the weather is stormy. When there is a storm, that is a pattern on earth, from the divine, indicating that the energy is in a highly fluctuating or rough place. A reading you do at this time and place will be equally as all over the place, or turbulent.
Noticing the ebb and flow of life, like the weather - or the appearance of certain animals - or the sounds of nature that day, allowed people to connect with the energies of the earth. This is something many of us are looking for. And if we take on the magickal mentality of geomancy, it can be done even in our concrete jungles, whether we are noticing the signs around us and the interactions we are involved in, or casting our own charts with pen and paper, or dice, or playing cards.
“The anima mundi, the consciousness of the world, and the spiritus mundi, the life force of the world, form the inner dimensions of that reality, and everything that exists in the corpus mundi takes shape in these other, deeper dimensions first. Geomantic divination works, according to these teachings, because it catches the shapes of coming events in the animal mundi and spiritus mundi before they manifest in the corpus mundi.”
Skilled geomancers would read the flows of the cosmos, through divining the flows of the earth, and sensing how those patterns would shape events in their or others’ lives. They would then use meditation and magick to envision new patterns, and shape those energies to bring about more desired outcomes or balance.
Geomancers would also cast geomancy charts prior to doing magick rituals to make sure the energy was working in their favor, and not against them. If the geomancy reading indicated the energy of the earth was in a flow that aligned with their magickal intentions, they would proceed with the spell. If the flow was not in alignment with their magickal intentions, they would not cast the spell at the time. Geomancy was an important aspect of a geomancer’s magickal practice.
There is a lot of magick to geomancy, and many options for us to continue this practice in our lives today. One blog post on such a deep subject could never do it justice. So if this is of interest, I highly recommend you get The Art and Practice of Geomancy: Divination, Magic, and Earth Wisdom of the Renaissance by John Michael Greer. This book has so many gems. It will be one you reference time and time again, and is definitely deserving of its space on your bookshelf.