Robert Fludd’s Geomancy – Book II Pt. 8

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Fludd describes the meaning of the Judge, based on the figures (Witnesses) it comes from.

Of the Witnesses, that is, the thirteenth and fourtheenth figures of a Geomantic Shield, out of which the Judge or fifteenth figure comes; as the whole judgement of the figure consists in these figures.1

Populus as Judge means, when derived from:2
Minor and Minor: Congregation of armies, kings, princes or powerful lords, or great congregation of women.
Major and Major: the property of a king or a great lord or knight, and also a person operating in the law or justice, men of science, a congregation of great women.
Tristitia and Tristitia: congregation of melancholic people, things that are dark, black and heavy, property of the dead, sadness of heart.
Laetitia and Laetitia: congregation of prelates or (people of the) church, of men of great prosperity, knowledge or sainthood, who have joy in the world; men of great perfection.

Acquisitio and Acquisitio: gain of people who love reason, completion of a transaction, a truthful and honorable judgment.
Amissio and Amissio: change of place and house, a place in a strange land
Cauda and Cauda: multitude or congregation of evil men, thieves, assassins, interruption of journey.
Caput and Caput: It signifies the correction3 and gathering of a secret council, hidden matters, prayers and religious gatherings in one place, marriage, the joining of members.

Puer and Puer: congregation of infants or small men or women for love, congregation due to lust; feasts for the solace and joy of men and women, instruments of song and music, a gathering of slaves, for weddings and the like
Puella and Puella: slaves, a multitude of vain, lustful speeches, the guilt of men, women and prostitutes, treason in the family, dishonesty, lying men and women, drunkards in luxury, fornicators, sodomites.
Rubeus and Rubeus: blood spilled and in battle, if it comes from bad figures, if from good ones that shedding of blood is taken for the better4
Albus and Albus: white things, written books, silver letters, profit and the agreement of multitudes.

Via and Via: canals, rain, multitude of poor people, the way and journey of small animals, a light, unstable and insignificant thing
Conjunctio and Conjunctio: a thing of different colors, writing, weddings, ointments, or fatty things, complaints, death, graves, falsehood and changeable words
Carcer and Carcer: a gathering of ships, pregnant women, prisons, deep ditches, words over graves, dark and hidden things

Via as Judge means, when it comes from:
Populus and Via: marriages, accidents, but good for journeys, sudden journeys, rains, waters, joy and consolation, bad for the promise of lords, and of firm and stable things, bad marriages, ambassadors and sudden messengers
Amissio and Acquisitio: to go and return often and especially in trade without profit or loss, and it is a light judgment, and denotes peace in all things, but it is bad for changing place.
Cauda and Tristitia: poverty, loss, bad for journeys and for the acquisition of the desired thing, good for him who must come from his country, a great outcome in trade, small ways to profit; good winds at sea, bad for receiving debts
Major and Minor: good for the return of the absent, finding of the lost man, good for large beasts, dangerous for marriage, freedom from prison, a sign of confusion and loss for those making a journey.

Albus and Puella: journeys by land, good for the return of the absent, ambassadors.
Caput and Laetitia: dignities, honors, stable journey, sudden and good fortune before judges, fulfillment of promises of kings and lords, fulfillment of one’s desire
Conjunctio and Carcer: good marriage, good fortune, good company, bad for journey and change, prison after freedom, illness after health, sadness after triumph5
Acquisitio and Amissio: a good journey, expenses, profit in trade, good company, good marriage, good honors.

Carcer and Conjunctio: herbs, plants, opposition against enemies, but the request will come according to the wish of the querent.
Via and Populus: journeys, marriages to be made, good for obtaining the promise of a king or lord
Tristitia and Cauda: a good exit from misery and poverty, a sudden path to honor, the firmness of a thing experienced, good for one who hopes for something, but nevertheless the desired thing will come slowly, melancholy and anger
Minor and Major: a good journey and marriage, the destruction of the royal court,6 good for ascending to honor, height, a thing that will be the loss of another [person]

Puella and Albus: good for starting any thing, a change from better to better, and especially in the thing sought, and it will be better for a woman than for any other,7 acquisition, but a delay in the journey
Laetitia and Caput: beasts, an obstacle to the journey, good for the power of a king, or judge, or wise man, a secret thing, good for enemies, after victory tribulation and opposition
Rubeus and Puer: good fortifications, good dignities, consolation, security, victory and a gathering of beasts.

Carcer as judge signifies, coming from:
Conjunctio and Via: Good marriages, security, good fortune, anxiety of labor, but a good end, pain of the sick, danger of death, good for acquisition.
Caput and Cauda: fear in everything, for it is a corrupt and dangerous sign for all things, and in no way useful, denoting disputes, anxieties, dangers, and interruptions of every good intention.
Acquisitio and Minor: discussion, long and lasting labor, but the end will be good
Minor and Acquisitio: books, letters, great buildings, such as castles, and regalia, false solidarity, consolation, and treasures, a great gathering of men.
Carcer and Populus: all feminine things, labors, business, contrary to making marriages, imprisonment and disease.

Acquisitio and Minor: marriages of girls and great labors in these, married women, but in the end a good outcome and security of all things.
Puella and Rubeus: good for society, ditches and ovens in the land, acquisition on the way, but delays the absent.
Laetitia and Tristitia: pain and sadness, difficulty in women’s affairs and in receiving servants, contrary to marriage, a sign of small people, bad for infants and generation, imprisonment, delay of the absent, and adversity on the journey
Via and Conjunctio: good for the traveler, a good road, good for marriage, for illnesses, for the imprisoned, and, if only the querent is joined to the thing requested, it will be useful in trade.

Cauda and Caput: good fortune in all things, joy and happiness, sudden completion of the request.
Populus and Carcer: books, letters, the color green, danger in earthly things, for example, in mines, prisoners and fields, land.
Major and Amissio: profitable and secure acquisition, good marriage and security among them.
Rubeus and Puella: marriage of children or young people, people from whom profit comes, long journey, earthly things, good for change and movement

Amissio and Major: gluttony, good marriage and acquisition in every good thing, but marriage is with great difficulty and work; this figure is unfavorable to those imprisoned and denotes that a lost thing will be easily found.
Tristitia and Laetitia: great work on the journey, and hard work in marriage and society, prevents the acquisition of a thing and brings harm to the imprisoned
Albus and Puer: a thing against the will of the querent, a dispute, disturbance on the way but a good end

Amissio as judge signifies, when coming from:
Amissio and Populus: a loss that will never be repaired, contrary to society and marriage, but good for imprisonment and diseases, bloodshed.
Caput and Puella: femininity, recovery of lost things
Via and Acquisitio: he who is outside the country will be returning, great expenses in merchandise, fugitive slaves, who will nevertheless return.
Carcer and Major: mines and caves, the color red, much diversity, loss and injuries for women, a loss for travelers, good for land near the house.

Cauda and Rubeus: much evil, a bad man, little talk, anxiety about one’s master, complaints and lawsuits, or wounds and bloodshed, it is also contrary to imprisonment and disease.
Minor and Conjunctio: security caused by the hand of the king or judge, damages from small beasts, which will nevertheless be recovered in some way.
Tristitia and Albus: white clothes, health in illness, return of the absent, good for the road, good recovery of lost property, loss of goods.
Tristitia and Puer: Loss, treason, fear, a vile person representing the law, robbers who change colors8

Populus and Amissio: a vile person, loss and later benefit, good for marriage
Acquisitio and Via: road, expenses on merchandise and all things without profit, and runaway slaves.
Major and Carcer: the acquisition of land, good for a journey, good for marriage and useful in merchandise, and partnership between a man and a woman
Puella and Caput: good fortune in all things, anticipation of loss and good fortune, benefit and lightness, it will come suddenly when it should come

Rubeus and Cauda: fear, sadness, anguish and all that a man should fear, lest he incur some disgrace through a woman and his goods, but still a good end.
Conjunctio and Minor: security, honor and glory, recovery of a lost thing, good profit and gain, good fortune and fulfillment of desire
Albus and Laetitia: great profit, victory, strength and fulfillment of will, health to the sick, good for the departed, letters, news
Puer and Tristitia: old age, poverty, impediment of affairs, poor men, bad brothers, the end will nevertheless be good, sometimes it is also a sign of peace

Acquisitio as judge signifies, coming from:
Amissio and Via: loss and defect of the thing to be acquired, which however will later be changed into gain, return of the absent to gain and safety, obstacle on the journey, gain.
Via and Amissio: safety of making a journey and gain, good fortune, riches and reception of letters and messages.
Carcer and Minor: fame and honor of a great man, good for a petitioner to a king or lord, increase of all profit and reception of debts.
Acquisitio and Populus: profit and gain, good for journey and travelers, good for weddings and merchandise, peace, joy, has its judgment over family and beasts.9

Major and Conjunctio: fulfillment of promise, helps reception of merchandise, denotes good company, profit, acquisition, joy.
Minor and Carcer: in man, firmness, healthy love, faithfulness to promises, acquisition of land, and is a sign of a powerful man, and good firmness in marriage.
Puella and Laetitia: acquisition in merchandise, profit in wheat and beasts, loss to those who are in remote places, but the end will be good.
Puer and Cauda: recovery of a lost thing, obtaining a promise, profit and gain, earthly and mineral things, silver and riches, but it seriously affects the seeker, for it is a sign of labor, pain and fear or terror, but the end always comes to salvation.

Caput and Albus: honor and security, having goods, victory over enemies, and profit and joy in every matter.
Tristitia and Rubeus: many firm things, pregnant women, liberation and labor of the sick from hot10 diseases, or blood, or enchantment, good for merchandise, but it is a very unfortunate figure for those in prison.
Populus and Acquisitio: good for merchandise, a good end, and is a sign of salvation, good for beasts and useful in every matter
Conjunctio and Major: stability of things, but much labor in acquisition, good for those making a journey and recovery of debts.

Acquisitio and Puella: good profit and especially in trade, acquisition in all things, and safety and peace, good for imprisonments and for the acquisition of honor and exaltation from the king.
Cauda and Puer:it is bad to have a promise, for it prolongs things promised, and yet fulfills them in the end, and is a sign of slowness and fear, but all things have a good end
Caput and Albus: great joy and power in trade, good for victory, honor and glory, acquisition, joy, exaltation of what is sought.
Rubeus and Tristitia: obstruction of secrets, secret things, great or difficult thoughts, also hard things and things of great moment or weighty things and sometimes a good outcome or end of things, sometimes signifies liberality and is a good figure for a pregnant woman and her fruit.

Minor as judge signifies, coming from:
Via and Major: acquisition by the hand of a king or some other powerful, wise and great man, and this figure is useful and good for acquisition
Minor and Populus: sudden acquisition, good conversation among nobles, black beasts, profit and gain in the teaching or profession of the querent, a beautiful, good and honest woman.
Amissio and Conjunctio: a wise man, as a judge, official, or lord, bad at keeping a promise, bad for infants and prisoners, in sodalities there is corruption, loss, conjunction with a woman.
Carcer and Acquisitio: acquisition by a king or cardinal, fulfillment of hope and desire, good accident of fortune, good for marriage

Puer and Caput: acquisition and profit, but the querent should defend himself and avoid vile men, such as slaves, and such as change their colors.
Puella and Tristitia: the destruction of one’s king, who has great power over nations, a promise that will not be kept, bad letters and false ones
Laetitia and Rubeus: the thing sought is real, fear in the querent, who nevertheless will be safe and free, and will acquire honor, and great profit
Albus and Cauda: profit, and honor from a king or a notable man, who has gold, silver and an abundance of other metals and books and clothing

Major and Via: journeys to kings or lords, great men, goodness and peace, and joy, and great beasts
Populus and Minor: trade and much profit, a gathering of great men, great things, a good woman, but it is not good for the king, and signifies something opposite to him, a gathering of armed men.
Conjunctio and Amissio: a ruler or person showing signs of generosity, happiness, fortune, goodness for making marriages, journeys, keeping a promise, good hope for the imprisoned
Laetitia and the Puella: division among princes, kings and nobles, happiness and good fortune for marriages, company on a journey, keeping a promise, a gift for the imprisoned, letters and victory over the infidels

Acquisitio and Carcer: acquisition of animals by the hand of the king or judge, judgment and completion of the matter in question, good for the release of the imprisoned, good for society and marriage, burial of the sick.
Caput and Puella: bad conversation between kings, people of bad condition, good for the acquisition of wealth, people of the lowest condition, good and virtuous.
Rubeus and Laetitia: acquisition of the thing sought after despair, fear and sadness, good end of the matter. The figure is suitable for security, and a good outcome or end.
Cauda and Albus: exaltation, acquisition of victory over enemies and is a sign of joy, consolation, and good profit from the hand of the king

Major as judge signifies, coming from:
Populus and Major: messengers and ambassadors of good things, good for the return of the absent and the reward and profit of animals, fortune in marriage
Via and Minor: messengers carrying letters or couriers, the return of the absent, power, victory, honor and glory, the fulfillment of a promise
Albus and Tristitia: the return of the absent, green cloths, some obstacles in secret matters, but a good end
Caput and Rubeus: red heat, a virgin woman, the familiarity of pregnant women, the recovery of a lost thing and after despair the fulfillment of a promise after the due time.
Carcer and Amissio: horses and women’s things, good except for the one who is the querent, for for him it is not good unless he inquires about his question,11 it denies the return of the absent outside the country.

Cauda and Puella: justice and truth, return of the absent, good for marriage and company, profit through horses.
Amissio and Carcer: beasts, return of the absent, recovery of a lost and desperate thing, it hinders [the querent’s] intention, yet it is a good and secure thing
Acquisitio and Conjunctio: conjunction of the thing sought, acquisition and profitable return of the absent, health to the sick, delay of all things, but a good end
Minor and Via: arrival of letters with labor, the petitioner will quickly obtain his petition
Major and Populus: journey, small animals, pestilence, firmness, location near water, delay of marriage, and it is a happy sign denoting indeed labors, but so that all things may reach salvation.

Tristitia and Albus: return of the absent, good fortune, profit in beasts and feminine matters
Rubeus and Caput: a menstruating and red woman [sic], joy and goodness in absence; for it promises all that it asks for, yet hinders the seeker in his person, and also signifies that goods and clothes will be sold
Puella and Cauda: firmness of journey, restoration of good, good for marriage, but delay through evil speech
Conjunctio and Acquisitio: gain and profit for the seeker, and for the thing sought, return of the absent, good for a pregnant woman, delay, but a good end, health for the sick, receipt of reward for work, foreign affairs.
Laetitia and Puer: love, joy good for one absent from home, profit, etc.

Conjunctio as judge signifies, coming from:
Populus and Conjunctio: love of food and hunger, lawsuit and fear, loss of treasures, good for marriage.
Carcer and Via: journey, much goodness and safety, letters, multitude of people, and security and friendship of women, and good deliberation over pregnant women.
Conjunctio and Via: marriage, good for tournaments, and for journeys, and good for many things
Major and Acquisitio: acquisition of beasts and profits, gain, firmness in many things, recovery of a lost thing, and fulfillment of a promise after despair
Carcer and Tristitia: fear in every thing, destruction with one’s friends, is a sign of receiving gold, silver and similar things.

Puella and Puer: gathering and marriage, friendship, loss, except in animals.
Via and Carcer: a long journey, the conjunction of women’s affairs, treasures, horses, good for a pregnant woman, and for gathering
Acquisitio and Major: a journey for women’s affairs, a sign of treasures, the gathering of good horses, joy for pregnant women, a long journey, and sometimes delay and pain
Amissio and Minor: presumption, security, victory, virtue, dominion and honor from the hand of the king, peace, good for marriage

Puer and Puella: hope and love between brothers and sisters, good for illness and for receiving gold, silver and other such things
Tristitia and Caput: completion of news, a beautiful woman, good for the return of the absent, but with obstacles and fear, which will nevertheless have a good end

Cauda and Laetitia: fortune, a happy and great man, victory, utility and grace, virtue, promise and sometimes poverty
Major and Acquisitio: marriage, joy, good fortune in every matter, return of the absent
Albus and Rubeus: return of the absent and profitable, different colors, profit, good for every ambiguous matter, or about which someone has doubts
Laetitia and Cauda: a great man, good fortune and love but heartache, so that it hurts the one who is healthy

MQS

Footnotes
  1. This is a rather standard section for Geomantic handbooks of the time. Keep in mind that it contains some mistakes in its geomantic calculations, though it is unclear whether this is on purpose or casual. ↩︎
  2. Generally, in Fludd’s view, Populus represents congregations or it strengthens the meaning of the figures it comes from. ↩︎
  3. This is unclear to me ↩︎
  4. as in bloodletting ↩︎
  5. Probably because Carcer is the second Witness, the one representing (sometimes) the future ↩︎
  6. unclear ↩︎
  7. This is probably due do Albus, as it was considered more feminine than Puella ↩︎
  8. Probably meaning that they don’t present as robbers at the beginning ↩︎
  9. Unclear, possibly meaning the figure rules these things. ↩︎
  10. This refers to traditional medicine, where diseases were categorized in a different way than today ↩︎
  11. As I translated it, this sentence is almost comical, as it amounts to “it is good unless it is bad, which is when it isn’t good.” Still I wouldn’t be able to translate it otherwise. ↩︎

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