Name of the Figure: Populus (The People); sometimes called Double Way
Element: Water
Planet: Moon (waxing)
Sign: Capricorn
Quality: Common
Fortune: Mixed

Populus is the opposite of Via, the other figure of the Moon. Its properties are in many ways diametrically opposite. Where Via forces a radical transformation of every figure it comes into contact with, flipping it into its opposite, Populus passively accepts every figure as it is, like a mirror or a bunch of clay waiting to be shaped. This latter comparison is very apt, as in Medieval (Aristotelian) philosophy, the Moon was seen as receptacle and a symbol of matter, which was capable of receiving all forms, just as the Moon receives her light from the Sun, but was ultimately beyond complete formation.

The Medievals, who were fond of finding similitudes and parallels everywhere, also saw the common folk as matter and the Emperor or King as the form-giver, just like they saw the female as matter and the male as form, so they must have felt a great thrill in finding all these correspondences at play in Populus, which also represents people (just like in astrology the Moon rules common people). If Via represents the Moon’s changeable nature, Populus is her passivity.

Populus is formed of the highest number of points of any Geomancy figure, eight, in contrast to Via, which had the least with four. This brings to light another common meaning of Populus: that of indicating “lots” of something, for good or ill.

Some old Geomancers considered Populus extremely bad, some saying that if Populus was the Judge, the chart wasn’t valid. I find this to be nonsense. We already have a limited number of possible charts to play with, and if we exclude those ending in Populus we eliminate a whole bunch more. Plus, in my experience, Populus is a neutral figure, augmenting the good and bad of other figures.

Common Keywords: passivity, receptivity, stability, a situation that may have various influences at play but in the end won’t change much, many people, groups of all kinds, crowd, togetherness, lots of anything that may make sense in the context, large, big, numerous

Populus in the Geomantic Houses (these are only examples. Use context to guide your interpretation)

House	Possible Meanings
First	A long and/or mediocre life, a mutable life subject to many influences, lots of water, phlegmatic temperament, companionable
Second	Lots of money, great wealth, many objects
Third	Many siblings or cousins, neighbors, small trip by water or near a body of water
Fourth	Cities, castles, buildings, abundance, fertile terrain
Fifth	Great harvest, many children, gathering of artists (like an exposition), A fun gathering
Sixth	Many servants or small animals, dangerous illness
Seventh	Many acquaintances, Good marriage, Pliable but unstable partner, Many public enemies
Eighth	Tears, A funeral, Lots of money from the partner
Ninth	Long travel especially by water, pilgrimage with other people, a class or learning group, a spiritual gathering
Tenth	A gathering of important people (like a cabinet meeting), elevation of regular people, Rebellion of the common folk
Eleventh	Lots of money from the government, Lots of friends
Twelfth	Many occult enemies, evil machinations, groups of prisoners
Thirteenth	Public favor, stable past, good company
Fourteenth	The public is against, many obstacles or lots of opposition, stable future
Fifteenth	Some delay, stability in the end, good if coming from good figures, bad if from bad ones

MQS