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The Job Interview (Example Reading)

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Since I began reviewing my geomancy reading method I started nagging some friends for an opportunity to read for them. I am especially interested in seeing whether we can consider the houses in the shield to be adjacent across the shield (like, for instance, the First with the Ninth), as Peter of Abano seems to suggest in his handbook. This would open up the Geomantic Shield to a whole host of interactions.

A friend of mine was applying for a job, so he asked me if he would get it. This is the Shield I got:1

“Will I get the job?” Geomancy reading. App used: Simple Geomancy

The Querent is represented by the First House and the first figure, Tristitia. The Job is represented by the Tenth House and the tenth figure, Caput Draconis. Tristitia is not a great figure, indicating trouble and difficulties. The querent has been having trouble holding down a job or having contracts renewed, so it is fitting that he should be troubled by the situation. Caput is an encouraging figure, showing things beginning, but without contact between the two houses I wouldn’t predict him being hired.

Fortunately, contact is provided by Tristitia, which springs to the Eleventh House. The fact that Tristitia moves, and not Caput, indicates that the querent will need to put quite a bit of effort into the hiring process. Tristitia also springs to the Third House, and, according to Abano, this seems to count as being in contact with the Tenth House. I cannot make any definitive judgment on this issue. I will merely file it away for future consideration.

The Judge is Fortuna Maior, which is a very encouraging indication of success through effort. Possibly, I thought, the hiring process will stretch out and take longer than the querent thinks. The fact that Maior emerges from a very difficult set of Witnesses adds to the obstacles and the delay.

The outcome, thankfully, was positive. He got hired, but the pay was not as satisfying as he thought it would be (note Amissio as Left Witness) and the hiring process definitely lasted way longer than he thought it would.

MQS

  1. Someone asked me if I do my geomancy readings with the app I use to show the chart. I don’t. I always do my readings with pen and paper. The App is only for presentation. ↩︎
Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy

The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book IV Pt. 4

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Abano discusses the various meanings of Tristitia, Laetitia, Puer and Puella as they derive from other figures.

Laetitia

When from Populus and Laetitia, it means luck, gain, especially in large [or great] things.
When from Acquisitio and Puer it means gain, merriment, especially in changeable things.
When from Amissio and Albus it means luck, but with mediocre gain.
When from Major and Puella it means fixity, gain and good luck.

When from Minor and Rubeus it means mediocre gain or honor or good luck.
When from Via and Caput it means gain, honor, positive change.
When from Cauda and Conjunctio it means misfortune, evil, but incapable of doing all it wants.1
When from Tristitia and Carcer it means mifortune, difficulties and problems.

Tristitia

When from Populus and Tristitia it means misfortune, danger, evil.
When from Acquisitio and Rubeus it means fixity and misfortune, except in in things lascivous or feminine.
When from Major and Albus it means luck, gain and honor with firmness.2
When from Minor and Puer it means better3 luck in every question.

When from Caput and Conjunctio it means great fortune, gain and stability.
When from Via and Cauda it means mediocre luck, difficulties, problems.
When from Laetitia and Carcer it means a good deal of luck, but with more problems than positive things.4

Puella

When from Populus and Puella it means infirmity, lascivousness, luck, gain.
When from Acquisitio and Cauda it means mobility, mediocre luck.
When from Amissio and Tristitia it means good luck after much toiling and difficulties, gain in venereal5 things.

When from Via and Rubeus it means misfortune and anger, rumors, change, damage.
When from Albus and Carcer it means gain, good luck, firmness.
When from Conjunctio and Puer it means fortune in everything, luck.

Puer

When from Populus and Puer it means gain, good luck, change.
When from Acquisitio and Laetitia it means gain, honor, mirth, goodness in everything.
When from Amissio and Caput it means good luck, bood in easy things and in seeking pleasure.

When from Major and Cauda it means unfortunate change, damage.
When from Via and Albus it means useful variety,6 fortune, good change.
When from Carcer and Rubeus it means major misfortune in everything, loss.
When from Minor and Tristitia it means fortune, some kind of gain, strife.

THE END

MQS

Footnotes
  1. It is not clear wheter Abano means that the person won’t be able to do all he or she wants, or whether the evil signified by this combination is not all-pervasive. ↩︎
  2. In this case, it seems that Tristitia’s role is to solidify the good fortune signified by the two figures it comes from. ↩︎
  3. ‘migliore’ means ‘better’, but it’s unclear better than what. ↩︎
  4. These two meanings might be hard to harmonize, though maybe not impossible. ↩︎
  5. That is, in things ruled by Venus. ↩︎
  6. It is not always clear what Abano means when he talks about variety, firmness, changeable things, etc. ↩︎
Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy

The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book IV Pt. 3

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Abano discusses the various meanings of Albus, Rubeus, Conjunctio, Carcer depending on the figures they come from.

Albus

When from Populus and Albus it means love of women,1 good luck in everything, especially in feminine things.
When from Acquisitio and Caput it means excellent good luck, stability, love, gain.
When from Amissio and Laetitia it means changeability, variety, and its effect is strong.2

When from Major and Tristitia it means positive stability, mediocre luck.
When from Minor and Cauda it means change, variety, mediocre luck or gain.
When from Via and Puella it means good luck, change.

Rubeus

When from Populus and Rubeus it means danger, misfortune, loss of blood, tears.
When from Acquisitio and Tristitia it means misfortune, loss.
When from Cauda and Amissio it means weak fortune, problems in everything.
When from Minor and Laetitia it means variety, mutability, mediocre luck.
When from Via and Puella it means changeability, misfortune, loss.

When from Albus and Conjunctio it means well, positive things, honor, stability.3
When from Puer and Carcer it means mutability, misfortune, except in war.
When from Conjunctio and Albus it means positive things, succession, some difficulties, bad outcome.
When from Puella and Carcer it means stability and positive outcome

Conjunctio

When from Populus and Conjunctio it means good luck, gain, getting one’s wish.
When from Acquisitio and Major it means great good luck in everything.
When from Amissio and Minor it means bad luck, but good outcome in the end.4

When from Via and Carcer it means mediocre bad luck, but inclining more to bad than good.
When from Caput and Tristitia it means stability, fortitude, great troubles, honor, gain.
When from Cauda and Laetitia it means problems, mediocre honor.

Carcer

When from Populus and Carcer it means major troubles, long-lasting issues, delay in obtaining freedom (from prison).
When from Acquisitio and Minor it means good outcome, gain.5
When from Amissio and Major it means misfortune, loss.
When from Conjunctio and Via it means bad luck, tragedy in everything.

When from Caput and Cauda it means misfortune, trouble, loss, problems.
When from Albus and Puella it means luck, gain, honor, mediocre stability.6
When from Rubeus and Puer it means grave danger, misfortune, loss, fights.
When from Laetitia and Tristitia it means misfortune, prison, troubles, loss.

MQS

  1. We usually assign women to Puella (and Venus) but in many old texts Mercury (and therefore also its figure Albus) is often described as more female than male, possibly by simple virtue of not being masculine. ↩︎
  2. This sentence is actually rather obscure. ↩︎
  3. Why Rubeus should indicate these things is beyond my understanding. ↩︎
  4. Possibly because Minor alters the loss into a final gain. ↩︎
  5. While it is clear it derives from positive figures, it is unclear then what Carcer’s contribution to the meaning would be, except that maybe it crystallizes the good luck, making it last. ↩︎
  6. I do not understand how Carcer can indicate honor. ↩︎

Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy

The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book IV Pt. 2

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Abano discusses the various meanings of Via, Populus, Caput and Cauda when deriving from various figures.

Via

From Via and Populus, its meaning is weakened, but quickened.1
From Acquisitio and Amissio its efficacy is mediocre in every question.
From Major and Minor it means good luck, but it is still mediocre.
From Laetitia and Caput, it means good luck and success.

From Tristitia and Cauda it means misfortune in the question at hand, and it is very strong in its malice.
From Albus and Puer it is mediocre good luck.
From Rubeus and Puella it shows a mix of good and bad, but it brings about the thing quesited.
From Conjunctio and Carcer it means good luck, stability and firmness in all one asks about.

Populus

From Populus and Populus it means stability, getting one’s wish, copious amounts.
From Acquisitio and Acquisitio it means great good luck, great acquisition of what one wishes, usefulness.
From Amissio and Amissio it shows good luck, and being venereal and lascivious.
From Major and Major it means fortune, stability, great gain, honor.
From Minor and Minor it means mediocre good fortune.
From Via and Via it means weakness in the thing enquired about.
From Caput and Caput it means good luck, usefulness.
From Cauda and Cauda, it means great misfortune.

From Albus and Albus it means good effect, good outcome especially in watery things and womanly or white things.
From Rubeus and Ruveus it means excessive evil, war, loss of blood.
From Laetitia and Laetitia it means good luck, happiness, honor, easily getting what one wants.
From Tristitia and Tristitia it means great misfortune, long lengths of time, difficulties and problems, enmities.
From Conjunctio and Conjunctio it means good luck, getting one’s wish, good for marriage and partnerships.
From Carcer and Carcer it means great good luck in everything, melancholy and difficulties, anger, discord, infirmity, prison.
From Puella and Puella it means good luck and fortune, firmness, usefulness, getting one’s wish.
From Puer and Puer it means war, fighting, discord, good for merchandise, mediocre gain, good for marriage.2

Caput

From Populus and Caput it means great firmness, good outcome.
From Acquisitio and Albus it means great good luck, getting one’s wish.
From Amissio and Puer it means misfortune, loss, difficulties.
From Major and Rubeus great good luck, mediocre gain or honor, good fortune.
From Tristitia and Conjunctio it means good luck and gain, but with delay and difficulties.
From Cauda and Carcer it means misfortune and tragedy.

Cauda

From Populus and Cauda it means misfortune, long illness, difficulties, weakness in getting one’s wish.
From Acquisitio and Puella it means good fortune, firmness, usefulness in mobile things.3
From Amissio and Rubeus it means misfortune and grave danger.
From Major and Puer, it means misfortune under the guise of gain.

From Via and Tristitia it means misfortune in getting what one wishes, and long-lasting difficulties.
From Caput and Carcer it means mediocrity, good for virtue and honorable things, otherwise loss.
From Laetitia and Conjunctio it means mediocre fortune, but gain from merchandise.
From Albus and Minor, it means good luck and freedom from difficulties, but mediocre gain.4

MQS

Footnotes
  1. One of the reasons this Book IV is interesting is that it affords us a look into how old geomancers derived meanings from the interaction of figures. Unfortunately Abano’s process is not always clear. Furthermore, it is not clear whether Abano means what I have written (namely, Via’s meaning is weakened but quickened) or if he is saying that Via’s meaning is weakened more than any other figure. I have chosen my interpretation based on this logical argument: that Populus tends to accentuate the meaning of the figure it interacts with, and Via is weak and quick, so in interacting with Populus it would become weaker and quicker. ↩︎
  2. Generally speaking, it seems the effect of Populus is that of accentuating the meaning of the figures it comes from (‘lots of…’). However, some interpretations are not clear, for instance Carcer and Carcer meaning great good luck. Note also that Populus is the only figure that Abano explains in full, giving all possible combinations. ↩︎
  3. It seems here that the two positive figures rub off on the otherwise foreboding Cauda. ↩︎
  4. Again, the two positive figures it comes from seem to bring out the best in Cauda, according to Abano. ↩︎
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The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book IV Pt. 1

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Here Abano begins a discussion of how the genesis of each of the figures from other two figures can modify their meaning.

Since one is not only supposed to consider the springing of the figures from one place to the other, but also their origin and generation one from the other,1 an esposition of of the meanings of each of the figure depending on the figures it is born from is in order, without forgetting the inherent meaning of the figure, as well as that of the querent’s and quesited’s, and those figures in the angles, and those conjoined to them.

Acquisitio

From Populus and Acquisitio: recovering one’s losses or recovery from damage; gain, profitable journey.
From Amissio and Via: dishonorable journey, but useful, recovering something lost.
From Fortuna Major and Conjunctio: good luck, mediocre gain, and [it is positive for] the thing asked.
From Fortuna Minor and Carcer: love between husband and wife,2 and [it is good for] the thing asked.
From Puella and Cauda Draconis: gain, usefulness in things of merchandise, and gain from difficulties.

From Puer and Laetitia: gain from minerals, gain from merchandise.
From Tristitia and Rubeus: fortitude, stability in everything, good outcome, victory, loss of merchandise.
From Conjunctio and Fortuna Major: good luck, mediocre gain.
From Carcer and Fortuna Minor: usefulness; kings and lords, noble people.
From Albus and Caput Draconis: good luck in material things, loss of objects.

Amissio

From Populus and Amissio: loss, trouble, good luck for the ill and the imprisoned, good for traveling.
From Acquisitio and Via: damage, trouble, loss, the lost or stolen thing is not found, vain friends or servants.
From Carcer and Fortuna Major: trouble, problems, little gain.
From Caput Draconis and Puer: good luck in things connected with women; in other questions, gaining what one wants results in damage.
From Rubeus and Cauda Draconis: misfortune [or accident], injury, fear, fighting, trouble, damage, illness.

From Conjunctio and Fortuna Minor: loss of animals, lots of trouble, desperation for the thing lost.
From Albus and Laetitia: freedom from illness or prison, the absent party will come back, white clothes, mobile things, quick ending.
From Puella and Tristitia: poverty, vile things, trouble due to secrets, desperation, mirth, luck in debauched things.
From Fortuna Major and Carcer: recovering the lost or stolen thing.3

Fortuna Maior

From Populus and Fortuna Maior: luck in everything, getting what one wishes to get, but with delay.
From Carcer and Amissio: being very lucky and obtaining what one wants, but with difficulties.
From Albus and Tristitia: it means good news, messenger, usefulness, dignity, good salary [remuneration].
From Caput Draconis and Rubeus: great accident or misfortune, hanging, health problems, violent death.

From Amissio and Carcer: accident, problems, prison, good ending but with difficulties.
From Fortuna Minor and Via: fighting, good news, quick dispatch, honorable journeys.
From Acquisitio and Conjunctio: good fortune, prosperity, getting one’s wish.
From Puer and Cauda: good fortune, tranquillity after much trouble, getting one’s wish with much delay.
From Puella and Laetitia: mediocrity in everything, good things.

Fortuna Minor

From Populus and Fortuna Minor: its meaning has more virtue in good as in bad depending on the question.
From Acquisitio and Carcer: stability, certainty, mediocre fortune.
From Amissio and Conjunctio: good but mediocre fortune, especially in mobile things, less in stable things.
From Fortuna Major and Via: great virtue, great good fortune.

From Caput and Puella: good luck, especially in friendship and marriage.
From Albus and Cauda Draconi: mediocre good luck, especially in feminine things.
From Laetitia and Rubeus: very noble things, luck in mobile, outgoing things.
From Puer and Tristitia: mediocrity, but more bad and mutable than otherwise.

MQS

Footnotes
  1. This seems to imply that we must consider how the figures are generated on the shield. Whether this applies only to the Judge is not clear, though Abano seems to hint at the need to consider all figures, since he also considers those that cannot be Judge. ↩︎
  2. Admittedly, some of these explanations are hard to follow. I do not know, for instance, why this combination should indicate positive things between husband and wife. ↩︎
  3. Abano does not present all possible combinations. It is not clear whether he forgot or he thought it was enough to give some examples. Note also that some explanation almost seem contrary to reason. ↩︎
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The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book III Pt. 9

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Here Abano talks about the meanings of Caput Draconis and Cauda Draconis in the various houses.

Caput Draconis (The Dragon’s Head or North Moon Node)

Caput Draconis in the first house means good luck, noble people, wise people, leaders, captains, honor, dignity, a prelate.1
In the second it means good success, gaining wealth or dignity or money.
In the third it means noble brothers and sisters, lucky siblings, good through them, isolated gardens2, pleasures.

In the fourth it means good for the parents, inheritance, buildings, cities, citizens, noble people, good end to an issue.
In the fifth it means science, good children, gain and help through them.
In the sixth it means good servants, faithful servants, good officials, grave infirmity, melancholic infirmity,3 long fevers.

In the seventh it means honorable women, good marriage, good company, gain from noble people or from women and thanks to them.
In the eighth it means inheritance, goods gain from the dead, usefulness through women and noble people, gain through war and by violence against life, being beheaded.4
In the ninth it means honoring God, ecclesiastical dignity, religious people, noble people, good journeys, delay in coming back but with good results, a messenger with bad news, messenger bearing news of legal issues, ingeniousness in a noble science.

In the tenth it means the king, the emperor, the lord, a magistrate, dignity, honor, good regents and orators, noble people.
In the eleventh it means noble soldiers, captains, dignity, sublimation5, succeeding one’s lord, faithfulness, valor, good luck.
In the twelfth it means noble inheritance through the mother, honorable things for [or through] women, few enemies, weak enemies, certainty, fame.

In the thirteenth it means journeys, messengers, a king, lords, usefulness, gain, honor, dignity, friendship and good recoglientia.6
In the fourteenth it means coming back from a journey with dignity and mirth and gain, letters, positive answer, honors, dignity, usefulness.
In the fifteenth it means a good end to the question and strong hope.7

Cauda Draconis (The Dragon’s Tail or South Moon Node)

Cauda draconis in the first house means evil disposition of the querent or of the quesited, fear of death, being murdered.8
In the second it means wealth gain through illicit means, theft, violence.
In the third it means iniquity against siblings and relatives, remains, retaliations, killings on the streets.

In the fourth it means loss of inheritance, evil lands, evil people, betrayals, false rumors, destruction of a city or fortress.
In the fifth it means evil children or women, loss of children, danger during childbirth, loss of blood.
In the sixth it means evil servants, runaways, grave illness, bodily fluids, killing, desperation, damage.

In the seventh it means a harlot, vile marriage, evil company, unfaithfulness, betrayal, violence, enmity.
In the eighth it means fear of death for [or through] women, rumors, freedom from prison and from illness, loss through women, being killed, loss of blood and flobotomia.9
In the ninth it means being forced on a journey, loss, danger of death, toil, changing one’s religion, evil or false religious people, evil Christians,10 evil messengers, death during a journey.

In the tenth it means an evil lord, traitors of one’s country, iniquitous judges or orators, overthrowing tyrants, loss of dignity, destruction of one’s kingdom.
In the eleventh it means wrongful succession, betrayal, violence, rebellion, death of one’s lord.
In the twelfth it means hidden enemies of the kingdom, machinations, treason against one’s lord, assassinations both public and private, violence.

In the thirteenth it means betrayals during a journey, hate from noble people, the absent party doesn’t come back.
In the fourteenth it means toiling for gain and honor, bad luck, hatred from underlings and very evil enemies, overcoming one’s enemies,.
In the fifteenth it is the worst of all, eccept for doing evil things.11

MQS

Footnotes
  1. Possibly due to the Moon’s North Node connection with beginnings and with increase, as well as the connection of the term ‘head’ with leadership. ↩︎
  2. The text seems to say “giardini solati”, and I am not sure if it means isolated gardens or gardens in the sun or something else that escapes me. The connection with gardens is clear, as the Third House rules neighborhoods and therefore what’s around the house. ↩︎
  3. Illnessess were traditionally categorized based on the prevailing humor. ↩︎
  4. This is another excellent example of how to read the meaning of the figure into the meaning of the house. Caput Draconis is the head, and the Eighth House rules death, thus giving beheading (death by losing one’s head). Of course much depends on the question and the rest of the Shield. ↩︎
  5. This is not clear. ↩︎
  6. An archaic Italian word of whose meaning I am unaware. ↩︎
  7. Caput cannot be the Judge. ↩︎
  8. It is usually said that Cauda being in the First House is enough to break the figure. However, here Abano gives us coherent interpretations. Most of them are very dramatic, but it’s the principle that counts and needs to be assimilated. ↩︎
  9. A term belonging to the vocabulary of Medieval medicine. I do not know what it means. ↩︎
  10. Probably to be interpreted as evil believers in general, nowadays. ↩︎
  11. Cauda cannot be the Judge. ↩︎
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The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book III Pt. 8

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Abano talks about some of the meanings of Carcer and Conjunctio in the various houses.

Carcer

Carcer in the first means difficulties, preoccupations, melancholy, prison, deep thoughts, secret thoughts.
In the second it means delay in gain and increase, success through toil, but with difficulty.
In the third it means evil siblings, dishonest pleasures, dishonest and disgraceful neighbors, licentiousness with siblings.

In the fourth it means fortresses, cities, stable buildings, inheritance, abudance, hidden treasures, hidden things.
In the fifth it means miscarriage, dead children,1 danger through childbirth, evil children, lame children, or deranged or possessed, womanly pains.
In the sixth it means good, trustworthy servants, gain from animals, long sickness, danger and pain, crying.

In the seventh it means chaste women, stable marriage, good company,2 faithful people, stable peace, people who can keep secrets.
In the eighth it means death, interment, hiding treasures and goods from the dead, funeral or congregation of people caused by a death.
In the ninth it means religion, serving God, hidden things coming to light, long travel or pilgrimage, good monks, just people, faithful Christians.

In the tenth it means a stable kingdom, lordship, palaces, just judges and orators.
In the eleventh it means succession in a kingdom, oppressing enemies, gain with difficulty, hidden machinations, frauds, rumors.
In the twelfth it means dangerous hidden enemies, long imprisonment, death of the inmate.

In the thirteenth it means danger from childbirth, miscarriage, dangers for the mother, long illness, bad in everything.
In the fourteenth it means freedom from dangers and other issues, but after much trouble, leaving all problems behind.
In the fifteenth it means inner strength, delay in getting one’s wish.

Conjunctio

Conjunctio in the first house means an evil disposition, machinations, fraud, cheating, unstable life, a variety of colors.3
In the second it means merchandise, gain through one’s ingenuity, being active, promptness.
In the third it means ingenious brothers and sisters, good short journey and a speedy return, a messenger, false letters, having fun in company.

In the fourth it means good for the father, good inheritance, a beautiful building, ingenious actions, divisions among citizens, killings, rumors, betrayals among them [the citizens]4
In the fifth it means mirth through one’s children, giving birth, false women, a fun evening.5
In the sixth it means good but petty servants, fugitives, various illnesses but not grave, thieves in one’s family.

in the seventh it means iniquitous women, petty women, harlots, false company, thieves, scuffles and brawls, war, a sad marriage, various colors.
In the eighth it means a prisoner being hanged, for the ill man it means death, and likewise for the absent party, desperation, danger of death for women [or through women].
In the ninth it means intelligence, various interests, various journeys, various fatherlands, traveling to acquire knowledge or virtue.

In the tenth it means official documents, judges, litigations, kings, lords, various offices, dignity.
In the eleventh it means promises or oaths, dispatching soldiers or courtesans, instability, wrongful succession, wrong faith.
In the twelfth it means hidden enemies, betrayal, damage through evil animals, infamy, detractions, dishonor, but it is good to buy animals.

In the thirteenth it means good luck in the quesited thing, in marriage and in doing good.
In the fourteenth it means well for litigations and scriptures or writings, for promises and for lordships and congregations.
In the fifteenth it means happy ending and good luck depending on the question.6

MQS

Footnotes
  1. Elsewhere Carcer is given as positive for pregnancies. ↩︎
  2. Usually Carcer signifies solitude. Perhaps, though, if the question is about someone else’s goodness it may indicate a serious character. Needless to say, much depends on the configuration as a whole. ↩︎
  3. Conjunctio’s description is perhaps where Abano is at his most contradictory, possibly highlighting the inherently contradictory nature of this mercurial figure. Keep in mind that Mercury was seen not just as messenger but as patron of thieves. ↩︎
  4. Possibly here Mercury suggests the idea of partisanship. ↩︎
  5. The latin word ‘conjunctio’ can literally means the act of being joined to another in intercourse. ↩︎
  6. Often Conjunctio is taken to means a middling result. ↩︎
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The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book III Pt. 7

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Abano discusses some of the meanings of Populus and Via in the houses of the chart.

Populus

Populus in the first house means change,1 a mutable life, but a long one, and water, rivers, company, ships, mills, prairies, rain.
In the second it means gain of a lot of wealth, good merchandise, gain of money.
In the third it means gaiety with siblings, union with one’s neighbors, dangerous travel, gardens, watery places.

In the fourth it means the city, castles, buildings, union, congregation of people, inheritance, usefulness, abundance throughout the year.
In the fifth it means many children, succession, inheritance of a pregnant woman, unstable children.
In the sixth good family, many animals, usefulness through servants, deadly illness.

In the seventh it means good marriage, good partnership or company, usefulness, love of unstable women.
In the eighth it means tears, funerals,2 inheritance, usefulness from dead people, gain through women, fear of death.
In the ninth it means long travel with gain, rain, storm while at sea, shipwreck but ending well, peregrination with company.


In the tenth it means congregation of lords, exaltation of common people over the lords,3 rebellion, schism, diversion, suffocation of common people, grave person.
In the eleventh it means dignity, gifts from lords, usefulness from the mother.4
In the twelfth it means many occult enemies, damage from their coconspirators, unjust machinations, freedom from illness and by sea.

In the thirteenth it means good company, security, safety in travel, gain from friends, goodwill, gain from travel, good return of the absent party.
In the fourteenth it means gain from the mother5 and from relatives, inheritance, good fame.
In the fifteenth it means good things, but with delay.

Via

Via in the First House means a positive journey, whether long or short, poverty, a short life.
In the second it means little wealth, toil, loss of money and possessions.
In the third it means a short journey, gardens, pleasure, gain from the dead,6 few siblings.

In the fourth it means a small inheritance, little gain, desert places, lots of water, a year of dearth, being without a father or mother.
In the fifth it means few children, good relatives, succession for the mother.7
In the sixth it means servants fleeing, small animals, little gain from them, short but dangerous illness, bad servants.

In the seventh it means an unstable woman, corrupt, sad, unstable marriage, company of few but good people.
In the eighth it means liberation from infirmity and from prison, fleeing danger, return [of someone].
In the ninth it means a long journey soon, goods from the church, messengers, unstable and unfaithful religious people, a bad life.

In the tenth it means instability for the kingdom, lordship, dignity, unjust judges, infamy.
In the eleventh it means little hope, vain hope, unfaithful soldiers and curials.
In the twelfth it means few enemies, unfortunate journey, falling from a high place,8 danger of death, loss of inheritance due to the mother, freedom from prison.

In the thirteenth it means gain from travel, a secure street, little rain, good for selling.
In the fourteenth it means damaged goods, short journey, dispatching goods, the absent party is coming back soon.
In the fifteenth it means good change, a quick resolution.

MQS

Footnotes
  1. Usually, Populus is taken as a rather stable figure, while Via should indicate change. Here Abano considers them both rather changeable, possibly due to the association with the Moon. ↩︎
  2. A congregation due to death. ↩︎
  3. Because Populus means the common folk, and finding it in the Tenth House it can show that the common folk take over the place of honor. Once again, this shows very well how we ought to interpret the chart. ↩︎
  4. The mother is the Tenth House, her Second House shows gain from her. ↩︎
  5. Because the Fourteenth derives from the Eleventh and Twelfth and the Eleventh is, as discussed, gain from the mother. ↩︎
  6. I don’t understand why in this house Via should indicate gain from the dead. ↩︎
  7. This is unclear to me. ↩︎
  8. Possibly because the Twelfth House is cadent from the Tenth House, the highest place in the chart, and Via shows physical movement, thus “a movement that falls from a high place”. ↩︎
Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy

The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book III Pt. 6

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Here Abano examines some of the meanings of Puer and Puella in the various houses.

Puella

Puella in the first house means happy things, fleeing from adversity, singing, dancing, usefulness, younger siblings or dead siblings.1
In the second it means usefulness for women and for merchandise, good luck, clothes.
In the third house it means love between siblings and relatives, good friends, usefulness through them.

In the fourth it means fighting over inheritance, difficulty in whatever you wish to gain from your father or mother,2 hiding secrets, good profession.
In the fifth house it means good messenger and letters, gaiety with children, obtaining your wish.
In the sixth house it means lovesickness,3 good servants, harlots, fornication, lasciviousness.

In the seventh it means a marriage of love,4 lucky marriage, lascivious women, lack of stability.
In the eighth it means death of small children, arms and swords.5
In the ninth it means usefulness through travel, good change of place, gain through merchanidse, knowledge, good news.

In the tenth it means honor from lords, good servants, good things for powerful people, happiness, goodness in everything.
In the eleventh it means happiness from friends, good luck for sick people, gain, usefulness through injustice, good in everything.
In the twelfth it means being firm, scams, gain through animals, problems through servants and evil people and phony people.

In the thirteenth it means usefulness through travel and lords, happiness, good news, good messenger.
In the fourteenth it means freedom from danger, usefulness, happiness, gain through toil.
In the fifteenth it depends on the other figuers, depending on where they fall.6

Puer

Puer in the first house means happiness, hope of gain, having kids, obtaining your wish, money.7
In the second it means gain through merchandise, selling, abundance, obtaining the wish.
In the third it means discord among siblings and relatives, gain with difficulty and with company, difficulties, useless dream.

In the fourth it means controversy, fighting, discord, rumors about the father or mother due to inheritance, it brings to light the hidden, useful strategies.
In the fifth it means happiness, false messenger, fights, wealth from minors.
In the sixth it means fled servants, dishonest women, danger from giving birth, male child.

In the seventh it means illegal marriage, harlots, dirty words, useful company.
In the eighth it means death of an enemy or of a minor, inheritance, fraud, if with Rubeus8 it means wounds and loss of blood.
In the ninth it means long travel, reunion, false science and false people, false news.

In the tenth fight, bad judge, dishonor, one’s lord is too credulous, loss of dignity and wealth.
In the eleventh it means false soldiers, false friends, false churchmen, unfaithfulness, treason, contrarieties.
In the twelfth it means enemies, invasion, bad for journeying, subjects, the sick person is evil and a traitor.

In the thirteenth it means travel, impediments, murder, evil people, violence, eviction, loss of inheritance.
In the fourteenth it means evil company, false marriage, harlots, instability.
In the fifteenth it is always evil except in war.9

MQS

Footnotes
  1. This last correspondence escapes me. ↩︎
  2. Puella is usually presented as a positive, if weak, figure. Why it should cause strife over inheritance is not clear. In some Medieval books on Geomancy it seems as though Puer and Puella are often mixed together. ↩︎
  3. The connection of love, one of the meanings of Venus/Puella, with the sickness typical of the Sixth House, is rather smart here, and should be taken as example of how to derive meanings from the Figure-in-House combination. ↩︎
  4. That is, as opposed to a marriage of convenience or marriage for money, which were common back in the day. ↩︎
  5. This latter correspondence seems more plausible for Puer. ↩︎
  6. Puella cannot be the Judge. ↩︎
  7. Once again, this feels like a mix between Puer and Puella. ↩︎
  8. It is not clear where Rubeus should appear in order for Puer to be ‘with’ it. Perhaps in company. At any rate, it is an interesting comment as it reinforces the idea that the figures combine their meanings to give us a clearer picture of the situation. ↩︎
  9. Puer cannot be the Judge. ↩︎
Divination, Divination Master Post, Fortune-telling, Geomancy

The Geomancy of Peter of Abano – Book III Pt. 5

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Abano gives some examples of the meanings of Albus and Rubeus in the various houses.

Albus

Albus in the first house means obtaining the wish, success in white things,1 happiness, success in watery things, good news, letters.
In the second it means increase of wealth, riches, gain in merchandise, usefulness through partnership.
In the third it means obtaining what you wish, good for serving a lord or nobleman, good brothers and relatives.

In the fourth it means gain through the father, inheritance, gain through travel and water, rivers, watery places.
In the fifth it means good kids, good messenger, good news, good letters, honor, good life.
In the sixth it means serious, long sickness,2 tears, servants, animals.

In the seventh it means chaste women, honest woman, pregnant woman, gain through women.
In the eighth it means tears due to bereavement, rain, lots of water.
In the ninth it means gain through travel, problems due to rain (during travel), good news from afar, good messenger.

In the tenth it means good luck, good things from noblemen, or friends, good in any question.
In the eleventh it means good luck through friends and happiness in all you wish.
In the twelfth it means certainty in what you doubt in things of war or armed men, good for animals, bad for the prisoner, success after difficulty.

In the thirteenth it means good change of place, gain through congregation of lords.3
In the fourteenth it means help from friends, freedom from enemies, happiness in what you wish.
In the fifteenth it is good depending on the other figures.4

Rubeus

Rubeus in the first means problems, fear of death and blood, great fights, enmity, ingratitude, rumors, all kinds of problems.5
In the second it means theft, loss of gain, poverty, little gain through merchandise.
In the third it means sadness, loss of blood, enmity, discord among siblings and relatives, evil siblings, blood, traveling by night.

In the fourth it means loss of blood or sebum, loss of inheritance, a bad year, drought.
In the fifth it means evil children, useless study, evil science,6 violence, damange through animals, evil life, good luck in war.
In the sixth it means acute infirmity, fever, choler, problems through servants and animals, theft.

In the seventh it means war, fights, evil marriage, evil wife, perversion of the spouse, bad outcome, except in war, depending what side (of the chart) it favors by its presence.7
In the eighth it means loss of blood, fear of death, infamy after death.
In the ninth it means dangerous journey due to thieves, assassins, public violence, wounds, drunkenness, horrible things.

In the tenth it means tyranny,8 public violence due to one’s lords, evil judge.
In the eleventh it means enmity, discord, evil friends, foes, misfortune, problems, evil servants.9
In the twelfth it means toil, enemies, big misfortune, loss of what you wish, damage through merchandise, loss of wealth, bad for the prisoner.

In the thirteenth it means bad journey, loss through noblemen, hatred from higher ups, misfortune.
In the fourteenth it means useless toil, prison of the messenger, hatred of evil servants, theft, evil men, dangerous travel.
In the fifteenth it means good or evil depending on the figures in the other houses, it is only good in war for the victorious side.10

MQS

Footnotes

  1. This is because Albus, of course, means ‘white’. However, one is left wondering what these white things are, and if there are deeper implications based on the symbolic and alchemical meaning of the figure. ↩︎
  2. In many sources Albus in the Sixth House is considered a symbol of medicine. ↩︎
  3. The idea of lords or masters is given by the Tenth House. Albus, being a figure of Mercury, supplies the idea of connection. ↩︎
  4. Albus cannot be the Judge. See my footnote in Book III Part 4. ↩︎
  5. It is known that Geomancers often discouraged people from reading the chart if Rubeus was in the first house. Here Abano does not mention this rule, but rather interprets Rubeus in the First House as a normal figure. ↩︎
  6. The connection of the Fifth House with science is not clear. ↩︎
  7. As discussed previously, in things of war Abano suggests giving one half of the shield to one party and the other half to the opposing party. ↩︎
  8. In classical philosophy, tyranny was considered the greatest illness of politics, so it is fitting that it should be represented by the most sinister figure. ↩︎
  9. This probably refers to ‘sevants of the king’ as the Eleventh is the second from the Tenth. ↩︎
  10. Rubeus cannot be the Judge. ↩︎