Living at the intersection of occultism, fiction and philosophy, I travel the planes at a moderately quick pace. I read, I do magic, I cook for hubby. Confused by the number of things I talk about? Good, confusion is a nice thing ;)
(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)
The Six of Pentacles from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) tarot deck
Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)
The time period is the second decanate of Taurus, under the rulership of Mercury, from April 30 to May 10. Meanings: Well-Dignified: practicality and determination; discretion and diplomacy; gain by letters, writing, travel, speaking, teaching, commissions and through advertising, study, books and all things ruled b Mercury. Ill-Dignified: Loss through the same things. Keyword: Prosperity. (From the Oracle of Tarot course)
A. E. Waite
A person in the guise of a merchant weighs money in a pair of scales and distributes it to the needy and distressed. It is a testimony to his own success in life, as well as to his goodness of heart. Divinatory Meanings: Presents, gifts, gratification another account says attention, vigilance now is the accepted time, present prosperity, etc. Reversed: Desire, cupidity, envy, jealousy, illusion. (From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)
The Six of Pentacles from the Rider Waite Smith Deck
Aleister Crowley
The Six of Disks is called Success; the ruler is the Moon. This is a card of settling down; it is very heavy, wholly lacking in imagination, yet somewhat dreamy. Change is soon coming upon it; the weight of earth will ultimately drag the current down to a mere eventuation of material things. Yet the Moon, being in Taurus, the sign of her exaltation, the best of the Lunar qualities are inherent. Moreover, being a Six, the solar Energy has fertilized her, creating a balanced system for the time being. The card is worthy of the name Success. Remember only that all success is temporary; how brief a halt upon the Path of Labour.
[…]
The Number Six, Tiphareth, as before, represents the full harmonious establishment of the Energy of the Element. The Moon in Taurus rules the card; and this, while increasing the approach to perfection (for the Moon is exalted in Taurus and therefore in her highest form) marks that the condition is transient.
The disks are arranged in the form of the Hexagram, which is shown in skeleton. In the centre blushes and glows the light rose-madder of dawn, and without are three concentric circles, golden yellow, salmon-pink, and amber. These colours show Tiphareth fully realized on Earth; it reaffirms in form what was mathematically set forth in describing the Ace.
The planets are arranged in accordance with their usual attribution; but they are only shown as disks irradiated by the Sun in their centre. This Sun is idolized as the Rose and Cross; the Rose has forty-nine petals, the interplay of the Seven with the Seven. (From The Book of Thoth)
The Six of Disks from the Thoth Tarot deck
Golden Dawn’s Book T
A WHITE Radiant Angelic Hand holding a rose branch with white roses and buds, each of which touches a Pentacle. Pentacles are arranged in two columns of three each:
* * * * * * Above and below are the symbols Taurus and Moon of the Decan. Success and gain in material undertakings. Power, influence, rank, nobility, rule over the people. Fortunate, successful, liberal and just. If ill dignified, may be purse-proud, insolent from excess, or prodigal.
Tiphareth of HB:H (Success in material things, prosperity in business). Herein rule the Angels HB:NMMYH and HB:YYLAL.
Etteilla
The present Upright. This card, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Present, Presently, Now, Immediately, At the instant, At this time, Today, Attending, Witnessing, Contemporary. – Attentive, Careful, Vigilant. Reversed. Desire, Vow, Ardor, Haste, Passion, Searches, Cupidity, Want, Jealousy, Illusion.
Some weeks ago I got asked why I only present readings I did for myself or others, and don’t do interactive readings which may be useful to more people. The question was asked in good faith and in good faith I answered. But I thought it made for a nice article. As usual, I will be brash and abrasive, because I’m not an easy person, but I mean no disrespect to any particular individual.
Horoscopes. In reality, horoscopes are more the invention of journalists than of astrologers: astrologers just unwittingly lent themselves to the farce. Horoscopes are predicated on the fundamental misunderstanding that the place the Sun occupies at birth automatically has something to say about us. This is a relatively modern invention in the long history of astrology, and anyone who thinks about it seriously for even five minutes must conclude that, in order to say anything at all about one twelfth of the world population purely based on their month of birth, one needs to water down everything one says to the point that nothing is said at all except playing into the belief that everyone is adorably quirky (oh those Aries boys who ram through everything, oh those Gemini girls always being nutty). That some astrologers, realizing this, feel the need to add Moon signs, Rising signs etc. into the equation does not improve matters at all: a fundamentally silly idea multiplied by itself remains silly.
Taroscopes. Taroscopes are an even more modern invention. They substitute or complement the reading of a sun sign chart with a broad card reading (usually tarot, hence the name). They started popping up on social media some ten years ago as a way of feeding the sludgeflow of nonsense that is required to keep the algorithm satisfied. I am pretty sure they started out as a silly game, then some saw that it was good for business. I am even aware of established readers who haughtily denounced taroscopes for the travesty of divination that they are, only to bend the knee once it was clear the current flowed in one direction only.
Interactive Readings. Interactive readings are the height of silliness, and the perfect exemplification of the words ‘internetslop‘. Choose between Deck One and Deck Two and listen to why he doesn’t deserve you because you are such a special, intuitive an free-minded queen. Choose between the butterfly and the butter knife and listen to why all the narcissists in your life hate you for being such an authentic empath (somehow those buying into this nonsense are always surrounded by narcissists, yet they are never narcissists themselves). That’s the essence of interactive readings as a further development from taroscopes.
The reality is that divination is already hard as it is, being an imprecise and complex art due to the amount of factors to be considered and the fallibility of humans in considering them. Trying to extend it to a whole swath of people who randomly happen to bump into your video or post is beyond ludicrous.
In attempting to justify this to themselves, some readers are eternally caught between two stances: “if you bump into it, it is meant for you” and “if it doesn’t resonate it’s not the right message”, logic being the first thing to fly out the window once someone decides to be a brave and empowered little witch. Of course you’ll always find someone who responds to an interactive saying “I chose the butterfly. That’s exactly it, that’s me to a T”. And those are the unlucky ones, because they get roped into a world of self-delusion and meaningless hype: the universe seems to be constantly cooking up something big for you, according to interactive readers, so you better stick around for the next video!
So yeah, that’s why I stick to traditional readings.
Those who read my Sibilla and Playing Cards sections are probably familiar with the cross spread I use with those decks. Turns out, the same spread can be used with the Bolognese tarot.
This querent is the same I read for here and had a crush on a colleague. The cross spread I present here is a prequel to that spread.
A general cross spread
The cross spread may be used to look at a person’s life in general or to answer general questions (“tell me about my career”). In this case it was general. I’ll keep it short:
Above the head position (what the querent would like or is thinking about): King of Cups, Juggler/Magician, Ace of Cups. This screams “pucture perfect family” with a husband (King), children (Juggler) and a hearth (Ace of Cups)
Under her feet (what she doesn’t want or what she has trouble with): Love, Ace of Wands and Eight of Wands. Love and Ace of Wands together represent a relationship, and the Eight of Wands is a road or path, so it could indicate a love life. Note that this position could indicate that she doesn’t want a relationship, but considering what the cards on her head are saying, it is more plausible that she wants a relationship but has trouble obtaining it.
To her left (past or present): Star, King of Coins, Death. This position talks about work. After checking with her, I discovered she had lost her job in the months prior to the reading and had found a new one.
To her right (near future): Page of Swords, Fool, Seven of Cups. This speaks generically about confusing messages concerning the home.
Center (in her heart): Angel/Judgement, Devil and King of Wands. Well, Angel and Devil together represent, traditionally, great satisfaction, connected to a man. This seems to be the cards’ polite way of saying she’s turned on by him.
To the side (for her): Ace of Swords, Knight of Coins, Ace of Coins. Speedy positive news about money. Probably connected to the near future position, but we didn’t look further into it.
And the reason we didn’t look further into it is that the most important cards (those comprising the central column, i.e., above, heart and below) are all connected with love. This is how the spread about the colleague was born. Note, however, that this spread, when done in general, can give us brief messages about the most disparate fields of life, and it is up to us then to expand on them by either adding cards or doing other spreads.
Fludd explains some of the meanings of Caput Draconis, Cauda Draconis, Albus and Rubeus.
Caput Draconis
In the First House, good and sweet fortune, a man wise, eloquent and prudent, and who keeps his affairs secret, and has firm and stable thoughts in all things. This figure is very good.1 In the Second House, profit and gain in commerce, wealth, good fortune, and secret acquisition of all things. In the Third House, good relatives, good neighbors, good faith, slowing down the journey for something good.2
In the Fourth House, profit and the acquisition of inheritance, a good house, a good estate, a discreet father, a good end, peace in one’s work.3 In the Fifth House, love of children, good children, joy, secret letters, pregnant women, being honestly satisfied with the love of a woman, good love. In the Sixth House, a long illness, profitability in all things, secret and discreet servants, good and useful animals, a long secret illness.
In the Seventh House, a good marriage, a good and chaste woman, good company, subtle and strong enemies, good change (or removal), good profits in trade, bad for going away.4 In the Eighth House, death or illness,5 gain of money, love and recovery of lost property, secret death, receipt of money from death, security from fear. In the Ninth House, journeys and return of him who is abroad, letters, good faith, slowness of a journey, good faith, a holy man of the church, knowledge in all arts, good for the church, honor.
In the Tenth House, good judgment, much wealth, a wise king, great honor of dominion and office, much riches, conciliation through the grace of the judge,6 and a discreet judgment.
In the Eleventh House, good luck, happiness, good and faithful friends, good hope, good profit. In the Twelfth House, poverty, long imprisonment, good animals, good letters.7
In the Thirteenth House, the return of one who is abroad, one’s superior’s profits, good news from the absentee, a profitable and good change. In the Fourteenth House, good fortune, good hope, long life, and profit in everything. Note, when this figure is in the first house, it denotes a prince or judge of good counsel, having fair hair, who is proud
Cauda Draconis
In the First House,8 bad for acquisition, poverty, bad journey, harassment and anger, no acquisition of the desired thing, a bad and angry person. In the Second House, loss of all good and misfortune in all matters. In the Third House, anguish of a relative and little gain, a bad brother, bad relatives and neighbors, a bad journey, a bad dream, evil in all.
In the Fourth House, a bad house, bad inheritance, and a decrease in profit.
In the Fifth House, loss due to evil (deeds) by bad children, through fruits,9 by enemies, bad tidings, bad letters, bad children, sadness of heart, vexation and anger, doubt lest the child perish in the womb, no loves or kisses, but quarrels and strife with one’s woman, and all evil according to the house. In the Sixth House, death or illness, illness of animals, bad luck, serious illness and distress, bad servants, evil to receive dowries from women,10 injuries.
In the Seventh House, an evil woman, a thief, robbery, an evil companion, a quarrelsome woman, a lustful woman, robbers, all evil for (buying or selling) merchandise, or for all matters of travel and news, nothing but the discovery of evil in the place where one intends to go and do business. In the Eighth House, death, loss of goods, property and inheritance, loss in a foreign country, fear, despair, loss from death, surrender, loss from the enemy of the petitioner, anger and confusion. In the Ninth House, leaving of a high place of dominion, a bad journey and tears (if it is multiplied in the figure, it is a bad sign of treachery, whippings and wounds on the way), a bad dream, evil for the church and for the people of the church, useless skills and knowledge; teaching will bring no good or profit.
In the Tenth House, coming out of a good place and dominion,11 which someone will lose, it is also a sign that someone has been conquered, and expelled from his lands and benefits; it threatens much evil according to the nature of the house. In the Eleventh House, the discovery of hope,12 believing enemies to be friends, friends who are lascivious, evil, traitors and liars, bad luck, loss in merchandise, a sign that the thing (sought) will be lost, the return of the absent (won’t happen), or that it will be repelled by a stronger hand,13 bad hope and being met with hatred. In the Twelfth House, escape and flight due to debts, death of a sick person, release from prison, loss of animals, an enemy, terror, a wounded horse; rebellious and ferocious enemies, traitors and deceivers.
In the Thirteenth House, bad for recovering lost things, a change of path, the dangerous anger of the querent,14 disputes and bad luck. In the Fourteenth House, enemies instead of friends, loss in merchandise, a bad end for what is claimed, bad in all. Note, when this figure is found in the first house, it denotes loss and a man of average stature, a round face, a long nose, a large mouth, large teeth, a bald head, and a large beard.
Albus
In the First House, the attainment of the desired thing, happiness, good letters, a prudent man, rich, receiver of all goods, but (this figure) will delay journeys for some positive thing, white and useful things In the Second House, money and profit in merchandise, riches in silver, reception of promised things, multiplication in all things. In the Third House, getting one’s desire, good brothers, good relatives, good parents, good neighbors and benefactors, good faith, good news, business a little delayed.
In the Fourth House, gaining a lot from the father and mother, a good house, a good estate, a good position for the father, a good and happy end. In the Fifth House, good children, good letters, joy, good white fish, hugs and kisses from one’s lady or beloved. In the Sixth House, serious disease, profit from beasts and servants, comfort and good fortune in white beasts.
In the Seventh House, a good and peaceful woman, a good company, profits in trade, peace from enemies, useful marriage.15 In the Eighth House, mortality and a diseased state, security from fear, profit in a foreign country, lost wealth, good change and a good journey. In the Ninth House, profit on the journey, faithfulness but some delay in the journey, good skills, a well-educated man, a wise man of an ecclesiastical order, a faithful man.
In the Tenth House, joy, health, good fortune, good to the king and the kingdom; if it is found in the Twelfth or Eighth house, it denotes the enemies of the king,16 a good judgment from the judge, the obtaining of what is desired from the superior, and good service. In the Eleventh House, good luck, good friends, profits in trade, hope, peace, love. In the Twelfth House, profitable beasts, good debtors, slow to come out of prison, weak enemies who ask for peace.
In the Thirteenth House, profits on the road and from some lord. In the Fourteenth House, profit from friends and escape from enemies. Note that this figure, found in the First House, represents a white man, 17well-bearded and often engaged in white things, and he stays near the water.
Rubeus
In the First House, blood, fights, wars, an angry man, full of rage, danger from fire and blood on the journey and elsewhere, enemies and bad change.18
In the Second House, poverty, loss of money through violence, harmful things. In the Third House, wrath, bad faith, good siblings or good friends angered towards their fathers and parents and neighbors.19
In the Fourth House, blood, dryness and heat in the air, few seeds, loss of parents, loss of inheritance and patrimony and of all firm things, burning of houses, invasions and conquests of castles, shedding of blood, evil in everything, evil end. In the Fifth House, bad children, bad life, bad letters, bad news, wild and choleric children. In the Sixth House, diseases from red choler20 or blood, such as abscesses, ulcers, heat of the blood, evil beasts, bites from rabid dogs, injuries, dejection, armed men.
In the Seventh House, quarrels, wars, bad marriage, false company, a bad woman, hot-tempered and quarrelsome, aggressive with insulting words, robbers, murderers, quarrels with public enemies, deceptions and the like. In the Eighth House, bloodshed, fear, loss of inheritance, loss by force, bad death by arms or by the sword, death in a foreign nation, loss of enemies, fear of death, loss to him who goes away, all evil for the absent party, hindrance of all gain to those making the journey, who will not find anything profitable in the place where they (plan to go). In the Ninth House, falsity, a bad journey, robbers on the road, corruption on the road, a man of bad faith, little knowledge in his art or teaching, violence in the church, departure from favors and lies.
In the Tenth House, evilaction of the lord, false justice, wrath and anger of the lord, evil for the kingdom, evil for profit, departure from office by violence, refusal of dominion, bad sentence by the judge, execution. In the Eleventh House, rigor and litigation, refusal by the master, bad luck, bad officials, bad children, bad hope, bad in dealing with friends and in having ownership. In the Twelfth House, enemies, debts, evil thoughts, loss, death in prison, evil beasts, a vicious condition, damage by beasts, fierce and passionate enemies, evil and hellish prisons, diseases, imprisonment or death of those imprisoned, the rigor of justice.
In the Thirteenth house, loss from the superior, bad journey and change, loss for the absent party, short life for the one who hides himself from his enemies. In the Fourteenth House, loss and anger, poverty, bad luck, accumulation of evil, reception of nothing , evil for all business; and this should be for the house of the geomantic shield, when it is generated by evil figures, or is associated with them.21 Note, when this preceding figure is in the First House, it signifies a red man, and of clever speech, longing for battles, and delighting or rejoicing in the shedding of blood, and whose work is connected with fire.
MQS
Footnotes
The connection with stability comes from Caput’s entering or incoming quality. The connection with secrecy, which Fludd uses a lot, is unclear to me. ↩︎
Because Caput implies arriving rather than going away. ↩︎
It is unclear to me why Caput would indicate death. However, in very old texts, both lunar nodes are associated with evil things and sometimes with death. ↩︎
I don’t understand this. Possibly it implies conciliation thanks to the judge’s intermediation. ↩︎
I don’t understand the connection with letters. ↩︎
Fludd doesn’t seem to share here the idea that finding Cauda in the First House warrants the destruction of the figure ↩︎
Probably fruits from the earth, signified by the Fourth House. ↩︎
Dowries are usually signified by the Eighth House, which is the second from the Seventh. Here, Fludd gives it to the Sixth which is the second from the Fifth, which rules love affairs. It doesn’t make much sense. ↩︎
The same description is used for the Ninth House, but it applies more to the Tenth, which is the high place of the chart. ↩︎
“spei inventionem”. It probably means making up a hope, which is therefore illusory. ↩︎
I don’t understand the reference to the Eighth House, but the Twelfth is quite obvious. Note that Albus is given to Mercury, which is always somewhat morally dubious. ↩︎
White man doesn’t mean ‘white’ in the current ethnic or cultural sense. ↩︎
As with Cauda, Fludd doesn’t seem to think Rubeus in the First House invalidates the figure. ↩︎
This is very odd. Rubeus in the Third should indicate wrathful siblings or neighbors. ↩︎
One of the humors of traditional Western medicine. ↩︎
This sentence is a bit obscure, but it possibly means that a figure stemming from evil figures is worse than when it comes from good ones. ↩︎
The way we do things, the way we say things, matters. The same apologetic arguments we find in Blaise Pascal’s most feverish and haunting pages would be enough to bring a doubter to conversion, yet when coming out of the lips of a cheap street preacher holding a sign, they are often received with distrust, when not with disgust.
The way we do and say things matters in occultism as well. The old texts of magical tradition, and even some old accounts of rituals and supernatural occurrences, are full of the frenzy-stillness dichotomy: some things seem to happen in a state of ecstasy, others in a state of torpor.
My path, both as diviner and as occultist, has been informed by the pursuit of stillness more than by that of frenzy. All the teachers I’ve had the honor to learn from have always required of me to reach a state of calm rather than one of heightened overexcitement.
In divination, there is always a moment of randomness required in order to break the barrier between what the personality thinks it knows and what is actually the case. Arranging the cards (or geomantic points, or whatever) consciously in the order we wish they would come out may teach us something about ourselves, but very little about the reality of a situation. Randomness ensures that our self-consciousness doesn’t interfere with the processof allignment between oracle and reality.
Whether through a frenzy or through calmness, randomness introduces itself into the process by bypassing the limits of our personality’s structure, with its limits and its biases. The choice between the “inspired” moment of frenzy and the “deadened” moment of calm rests on a partially different view of the relationship between individual and whole, between ourselves and the divine.
Ecstasy, which is the process of leaving oneself behind, occurs in both cases, but it occurs differently. By achieving a drunken confusion one simply rams through the walls of one’s personality, achieving contact with what is outside of it. By stilling oneself, one reaches the point within one’s core where individual and divine coincide.
Obviously, once each option is brought to an extreme, it bleads into its opposite. Pure frenzy becomes absence of limits and therefore absence of what is limited, and its movement resolves itself in calm. Pure calm is delivered from all difference from change, so it coincides with pure frenzy.
This is not the first time I do a reading for someone who has a crush on a colleague. The girl in question asked me if a love story could start with him
A love reading using the Bolognese Tarot (Thirteen Card Spread)
This is one of those spreads that let themselves be interpreted in more than one direction: not just horizontally but vertically as well. The First two things that caught my eye were the first line, with the King of Wands (him) trapped between the Tower (prison) and the Seven of Coins (tears); and the vertical line on the right, with the Ace of Wands and the Ace of Cups together, indicating a family, but the two cards are hemmed in by the tears and the Moon (again, negativity).
So this isan unhappy man we are talking about. In the following line, the Angel card, which would provide happiness and solutions or at least peace, is blocked by the Hermit. Note that the Ace of Wands, which can indicate attraction, is also affected by the blockage, so while he may be somewhat attracted by the querent, he is not gonna act out on it.
The following line was a bit harder to decipher, but I saw it as him having a daughter and being especially attached to her: note the Page of Cups, the girl, of the house (Ace of Cups) brings him jollity or happiness (Ten of Cups). It later turned out he has more than one child but he is more attached to the girl. It is possibly one of the things that keep him in the marriage.
In the end, there is probably going to be no relationship with the man: the relationship card (te Ace of Swords) is negatively affected by the Moon, and the querent will only have a business relationship (Star) with him.
One thing I need to emphasize is that the querent knew the dude is married, but didn’t tell me, not because she wanted to try me, but because in her mind she thought it was somehow “obvious”. It is always interesting to see how querents take our ability to see things for granted (only to be sorely disappointed when we make the most minor mistake).
(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)
The Six of Swords from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) tarot deck
Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)
The Six of Swords corresponds to the second decanate of Aquarius under the rulership of Mercury, January 30 to February 8. Well-Dignified: success after a period of trouble or anxiety; difficulties overcome; change of scene, possibly a journey by water; something mysterious effects a change o f circumstances for the better; success earned by the Querent’s laborious efforts. Ill-Dignified: sudden changes; circumstances dominate the Querent; he is in danger of being over-confident or conceited; too much effort expended for small results. Keyword: Patience (From the Oracle of Tarot course)
A.E. Waite
A ferryman carrying passengers in his punt to the further shore. The course is smooth, and seeing that the freight is light, it may be noted that the work is not beyond his strength. Divinatory Meanings: journey by water, route, way, envoy, commissionary, expedient. Reversed: Declaration, confession, publicity; one account says that it is a proposal of love. (From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)
The Six of Swords from the Rider Waite Smith tarot
Aleister Crowley
The Six of Swords is called Science. Its ruler is Mercury, so that the element of success turns away from the idea of division and quarrel; it is intelligence which has won to the goal.
[…]
Tiphareth shows the full establishment and balance of the idea of the suit. This is particularly the case with this card, as the intellect itself is also referred to the number Six. Mercury, in Aquarius, represents the celestial Energy influencing the Kerub of the Man, thus showing intelligence and humanity.
But there is much more than this in the symbol. The perfect balance of all mental and moral faculties, hardly won, and almost impossible to hold in an ever-changing world, declares the idea of Science in its fullest interpretation.
The hilts of the Swords, which are very ornamental, are in the form of the hexagram. Their points touch the outer petals of a red rose upon a golden cross of six squares, thus showing the Rosy Cross as the central secret of scientific truth. (From The Book of Thoth)
The Six of Swords from the Thoth Tarot deck
Golden Dawn’s Book T
TWO hands, as before, each holding two swords which cross in the centre. Rose re-established thereon. Mercury and Aquarius above and below, supported on the points of two short daggers or swords.
Success after anxiety and trouble; self-esteem, beauty, conceit, but sometimes modesty therewith; dominance, patience, labour, etc.
Tiphareth of HB:V (Labour, work, journey by water). Ruled by the Great Angels HB:RHa’aAL and HB:YYVHL.
Etteilla
Road Upright. This card, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Road, Avenue, Walk, Course, Passage, Path, Way. – Path, Tract, Gait, Origin, Conduct, Means, Manner, Way, Expedient, Run, Career, Walk, Pattern to be followed, Track, Footprint, Sending, Commissary [= Deliveryman]. Reversed. Declaration, Declaratory act, Development, Explanation, Interpretation. – Charter, Constitution, Diploma, Manifest law, Ordinance. – Publication, Proclamation, Ostensibility, Manifesto, Publicity, Authenticity, Notoriety. – Denunciation, Census. – Enumeration. – Knowledge, Discovery, Unveiling, Vision, Revelation, Apparition, Appearance, Admission, Confession, Protest, Approval, Authorization.
After getting our little Ciuffy, we were on the lookout for another ‘tiel. I kept browsing through the ads for a young, tame male, but I kept seeing either clear scams or birds with other issues. I did a geomancy reading, asking if I would soon find one that fit the bill of what we were looking for:
Geomancy reading: will we find a young tame male? App used: simple geomancy
I am signified by the ruler of the Ascendant, Fortuna Minor. Small animals are a Sixth House matter. Technically, if this was a horary chart, I would have to turn the chart (will I get someone else’s bird? Sixth from the Seventh, i.e., the radical Twelfth). However, I have found that Geomancy is less prescious about this kind of stuff. Let’s see how the chart speaks and let us follow it instead of trying to impose ideas on it.
The Sixth House is occupied by Puer: a male! That bodes well. The Judge, however, is Populus, which doesn’t say much. Worse still, Populus comes from two Rubeus. Still, we also find that Fortuna Major connects the Ascendant ruler with the Sixth House, since it is found both in the Seventh and the Twelfth house. A positive figure connecting two positive figures is a positive sign (Puer is more neutral, but still good in context).
Fortuna Minor, furthermore, usually indicates shorter timespans, and it moves to an angle (the Tenth house), which is also a generally positive sign as far as time is concerned.
The reading was done a couple of weeks ago, and we found Zazu yesterday.
Zazu, also known as Pollo
I am still unsure about that Geomantic Court, with two Rubeus and Populus as judge. It is sometimes said that Populus has little to say, but I don’t believe that. One possible interpretation is that, since Rubeus has the quality of being excessive, the Populus resulting from two Rubeus might show too many birds (a crowd of too many), which is why the person I got it from wanted to get rid of him (or rather, his wife wanted to get rid of him). The court could also simply be warning about potential scams or questionable deals (and I had to sift through a fair share of those).
Be it as it may, I am not too worried about the Court, since the Judge of the Judge (Judge + First House) gives Fortuna Minor, a positive sign for the long run. I’ll update the post if something comes up.
Fludd explains some of the meanings of Acquisitio, Amissio, Laetitia and Tristitia in the various houses.
Of the Nature and Meaning of the Sixteen Figures in Each of the Houses of the Shield
Acquisitio
In the First house, riches, prudence, profit, good end (or aim)1 luck, receiving what one wishes, but this figure is not good for selling;2 but it is truthful. In the Second house, wealth, gain, profit, good luck in commerce, reception of something promised, recovery of lost property, increase of all good things. In the Third house, good luck from relatives, good relatives, siblings, neighbors, good journey, good sense (or feeling).3
In the Fourth house, good inheritance, good and useful house, in which one will acquire riches, rich father, positive solution to all things connected with inheritance. In the Fifth house, gain from one’s children,4 good children, good letters, good clothes, happiness in the heart, delighting in women, the fruits of the inheritance.5 In the Sixth house, long illness,6 which however will be cured, good animals, good servants.
In the Seventh house, a chaste and submissive woman,7 good company, good dealings, peace, reconciliation with enemies, whether it be in litigation or in war. In the Eighth house, redress, natural death, gain in foreign land, freedom from fear of death, the enemy is happy and rich.8 In the Ninth house, gain from death, path or travel, fear of God, positive journey, benefit, good dreams, good sense in all actions, piety and religious devotion, good in things of church.
In the Tenth house, profit from (or for) the master or king, peaceful and happy masters, obtaining one’s wish, good sentence from the judge. In the Eleventh house, good luck, good friends, gain from commerce, immediate reception of gain. In the Twelfth house, poverty or incarceration due to debts, profit for (or from) servants and beasts,9 long prison sentence, good in case of illness and in being paid back a debt.
In the Thirteenth house, loss and change in profits,10 good journey, acquisition in everything, receipt, implementation of the wish of the absent person.11 In the Fourteenth house, gain in everything one wishes, long life, luck, usefulness, goodness. In the Fifteenth house, good in everything, recovery of lost things, delay in one’s journey.
Note that this figure in the first house shows a man who is handsome, with yellow or beautiful hair, mediocre build, a red face, a merchant.12
Amissio
In the First house, a bold, unstable man, full of crime and deception, receiving nothing. in the Second house loss of merchandise and goods, no profit, loss of all goods from robbers. In the Third house enmity between relatives, parents, brothers, neighbors full of deception, fear on the way.
In the Fourth house falsity and loss of inheritance and patrimony, bad end of the city or house.13 In the fifth house loss of fruits of the inheritance,14 bad and unstable children, bad letters,15 no pleasure in the love of unserious women. In the Sixth house escape from disease, loss of animals, flight of slaves, likewise injury and perversity.
In the Seventh house an evil woman, a quarrel with one’s master16 or partner, an unstable and lustful woman, loss of merchandise, fugitive robbers, inimical partners, changeable and deceitful, bad change (or removal).17 In the Eighth house loss from death, loss of sense, no profit in the place where one goes, poor enemies, loss a woman’s dowry. In the Ninth house a long journey without pleasure, no knowledge, some evil for the querent from the Church.
In the Tenth house evil lords, loss of honour, dominion or office, unstable lords, troubles of kingdoms, obstacles to honour. In the Eleventh house loss of friends, loss of merchandise, false hope, changeable and useless friends. In the Twelfth house loss of animals, escape from debts, bad change, escape from prison, friends full of falsehood, changeable and derisive.
In the Thirteenth house loss and change in authority or government, bad luck. In the Fourteenth house loss of friends, much toil in every matter.18 In the Fifteenth house a reception of nothing, a bad conclusion.
note, when this figure Loss is found in the first house, it signifies a pale man, a liar, a predator, a thief.
Laetitia
In the First house judges, wise men, a good and upright life, fullness of joy and exaltation, joy to the querent in all things. In the Second house a multitude of honors, a life full of fidelity and joy. In the Third house good fortune through one’s brothers, no fear of God,19 good love of brothers, neighbors, parents, much joy in everything.
In the Fourth house profit from inheritances and from all things on earth,20 a happy end, happiness through real estate, happiness of parents, peaceful inheritance. In the Fifth house profitable children, long life, happiness in all things, happy and delightful letters and news, happiness from women and all good things. In the Sixth house servants, animals cured from disease, joyful and cheerful servants.
In the Seventh house a good marriage, profitable partners or profit from partners, victory due to a cheerful and chaste woman, cheerful company, peace and harmony, good change (or removal). In the Eighth house profits inherited from the dead, escape from fear, profit and profits in the place where one removes to. In the Ninth house, journeys, fear of God, knowledge, faithfulness, cheerfulness, a holy man,21 business of the church, good news, fine arts, devotion and love of the church.
In the Tenth house exaltation to great honors, bishops and prelates, help from the lords, a happy and cheerful office, beautiful temples, a good judge, a just and good opinion, a warm place.22 In the Eleventh house good fortune from associates, profitable animals,23 joyous love, good hope from a good man, cheerful and good friends, a prudent man and of good knowledge, profit in trade. In the Twelfth house profitable beasts and slaves, coming out of prison, deliverance from debt, and from all tribulation, peace and reconciliation with enemies.
In the Thirteenth house, profit from a journey, from the king, from the lord, positive change. In the Fourteenth house good hope of fulfilling one’s will, happy hope, the fulfillment of one’s wishes, joy and exaltation.
When this figure is found in the first house, it signifies a bishop, a prelate of the church, religious and ecclesiastical, a long beard, some evil existing in the finger,24 remaining in high places.
Tristitia
In the First house, sad thoughts, debts, poverty, hidden loss, obligations, prison, roadblocks, bad change, unbelieving and without hope.25 In the Second house fortune and commerce,26 avarice, loss of property, an unfortunate usurer, dishonor. In the Third house bitterness with relatives, silent hatred with neighbors and relatives, a secret obstacle on the way.27
In the Fourth house loss of inheritance and in battles, loss of house, trouble, bad house, bad luck, poverty of parents, loss. In the Fifth house bad and poor children, false letters, sadness and anguish of heart, secrets in love of sad women, poor food and clothes. In the Sixth house evil servants, fear of captivity and poverty, timid and useless animals, long illness or death, poverty, rejection without injury and confusion.28
In the Seventh house a bad woman, a victorious man,29 a thief in the night, poor condition, loss, bad change (or removal), a sad woman. In the Eighth house being poor from the death of another, loss in a foreign nation, damage from the absent person.30
In the Ninth house the road is unprofitable, hindrances in the journey and loss, a man without wisdom and knowledge, a crude understanding, the downfall of the church and benefits.
In the Tenth house, loss and degradation of men, the exaltation of the wicked,31 loss of duties, sad lords, fear of kings and kingdoms, wrong judgment of judges, a fall from honor. In the Eleventh house, contemptuous friends, bad luck which will last for a long time, but still with hope, a poor friend, no failure in business.32 In the Twelfth house, debts, enemies, loss, long imprisonment or death in prison, a timid and poor enemy, trouble, fear of obligations and debts, long or incurable illness.33
In the Thirteenth house evil on the road and sadness. In the Fourteenth house, bad luck, small journeys, anxiety and trouble, despair and irreparable evil.
When this figure is found in the first house, it signifies a dark man,34 having torn clothes, and who deals in dark, foul, and vile things.
MQS
Footnotes
It is unclear to me whether he means a good end to the matter at hand or a positive aim in mind. ↩︎
Because it implies receiving rather than giving away. ↩︎
This sentence is not clear to me, nor why Acquisitio would imply loss. ↩︎
“Implementum desiderii absentis.” This is obscure to me. ↩︎
Fludd attributes, like many others, physical descriptions to the figures when they are in the First House. This is typical of traditional astrology, where the first house represents the querent. Note that these descriptions are rather limiting and conform to old stereotypes. Plus, they imply that the same querent would always be represented by the same figure whenever they come to the geomancer for a consultation, which is highly unlikely. They are still useful on occasion, but one must “mix discretion with art”. ↩︎
In addition to one’s home, the Fourth house indicates the city. ↩︎
Again because the Fifth is the second from the Fourth. However, the Fourth house also rules orchards and lands, so the Fifth can indicate literal fruits from the lands. ↩︎
There is some confusion in traditional astrology on which house rules letters. Some say the Third house, some the Fifth, some the Ninth. As far as I can rationalize this matter, the Third house represents communication and private correspondence; the Fifth house represents messengers because it is the second from the Fourth, the Fourth house being the city, and the second house from any house indicates that thing’s representatives (for instance, my Second house would indicate my lawyer, who represents me in a court of law.) ↩︎
It’s unclear why the Seventh would indicate the master. ↩︎
The Seventh house represents “there”, while the Firsth house is “here”. ↩︎
The Thirteenth and Fourteenth houses, i.e., the Witnesses, generally receive their signification (as we have seen in Abano’s case) from the two houses they derive from on the Shield: the Right Witness from the Ninth and Tenth, the Left Witness from the Eleventh and Twelfth. ↩︎
It is unclear whether this is positive or negative, as fear of God was considered the beginning of wisdom. As for why it is attributed to the Third house instead of the Ninth, in some very old Astrological texts the Third House is the house of the Goddess, and in Christian times it possibly came to represent how one’s faith affected one’s everyday life. ↩︎
The Fourth house, the Imum Coeli, is the earth. ↩︎
All these positive religious connotations stem from Acquisitio’s attribution to Jupiter. ↩︎
The Tenth house, the M.C., represents the sky and therefore the weather. ↩︎
The reference to absent people is due to how common it was to ask astrologers or geomancers about people who had simply gone away or vanished. This is understandable, considering astrology was probably the only tracking device available at the time. ↩︎
Because the Tenth House is the highest place in the chart and Tristitia indicates downward movement and lowly things or people, it can show the elevation of someone unworthy or the downfall of someone who is in a high place. ↩︎
This last part is unclear to me. Possibly because the failure announced by Tristitia is mitigated by the positivity of the house. ↩︎
Typically we assign illness to the Sixth house. However, there are old handbooks that assign illness (especially serious illness) to the Twelfth house. Some distinguish between the Illness (Sixth House) and the confinement that derives from it (Twelfth House). ↩︎
In another article, I discussed the technique called translation of light, which occurs when a planet collects the influence of one significator and translates it to the other.
There is another technique which is, in many ways, the opposite of translation, but has the same effect. This is called collection of light. It happens when a slower-moving planet has been in contact with a faster one, thus receiving its influence, and then another planet also comes into contact with the slow planet. Contact can happen by conjunction or by (usually) positive aspect, that is, sextile or trine, or at least with reception. As with translation, collection usually implies the presence of third parties or external circumstances bringing things together.
Whereas translation can only be effected by a fast planet, and therefore the Moon (or sometimes Mercury) is the most likely culprit, collection of light can only be caused by a slow planet, and therefore Saturn or Jupiter are the most likely intermediaries here.
Example: Is The Book Arriving At All?
My Bolognese Tarot teacher, who is now a good friend, has recently written a follow-up to her book on the 50-card method, and she wanted to send me a dedicated copy. She posted the parcel before Christmas 2024, but by January 6 it hadn’t arrived and I was worried it might have been lost or forgotten in some dispatchment center. So I asked the heavens.
Is the gift arriving at all? App used: Aquarius2Go
I am signified by Mercury, ruler of the ascendant. My teacher sent me the book in her quality of personal friend (it wasn’t part of a course or anything), so she is signified by the Eleventh House ruler, the Moon. The Moon also represents the flow of the action (keep that in mind for later). Her gift for me is her second house, that is, the second house from the Eleventh, i.e., the radical Twelfth, ruled by the Sun. My stuff is signified by Venus, ruler of my second house.
So, ideally, we would want the Sun to be reached by Mercury. How do we get them together? Well, we don’t, clearly, or at least not for a while and not before the Sun has left Capricorn. That’s a problem.
However, we note that the Sun has just sextiled Saturn, having been received by it as well. What is Saturn? Well, it rules the Fifth and Sixth Houses, so the closest thing I can think of is the courier/delivery service (Sixth, house of servants).
What happens to Saturn next? It is sextiled by the Moon. The Moon is the ruler of the Eleventh, my teacher/friend, but it doesn’t make sense (she sent the book, she’s not gonna receive it). However, in most horary charts, the Moon also signifies the flow of the action. So the flow of the action moves favorably (sextile) with the courier (Saturn): the book hasn’t been lost. What happens next is that my significator (Mercury) and the significator of my stuff (Venus) almost simultaneously meet Saturn: Mercury by sextile with reception by sign, Venus by conjunction with reception by exaltation. Even if we chose to disqualify the Venus conjunction because Venus squares Jupiter first, Mercury makes no other aspect before the Saturn sextile.
Thankfully, the book arrived yesterday (I’m gonna review it in the near future). Note that timing in this chart seems to fail: the chart was made on January 8, the parcel arrived on January 15. If we take the Moon sextile it is two degrees away (two days, two weeks), if we take the Mercury sextile it is 15/16something degrees away (again, 16 days). The only aspect that seems to come closer is the Venus conjunction with around 10 degrees (10 days, though it took 7). It is probable that the chart was simply responding to my core question: yes, it will arrive, and took timing for granted. It could also be that I’ve misread the chart and got lucky. If you have an idea, drop a line!
Either way, we’ve finally answered the age-old question: Why is Saturn so fat and slow? The better to collect your light!
