Tag Archives: moon’s node

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. ↩︎

Cauda Draconis / Dragon’s Tail (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Cauda Draconis (Dragon’s Tail); sometimes called Outward Threshold
Element: Fire
Planet: None, Moon’s South Node (some say also the malefics, Mars and Saturn)
Sign: Sagittarius
Quality: Exiting
Fortune: Bad

Cauda Draconis is the less lovable sibling of Caput Draconis. Like its counterpart, Cauda is not traditionally associated with any planet, although some classics say it belongs to the malefics of astrology, namely Mars and Saturn. However, in itself, Cauda is connected with the Moon’s South Node. Technically every planet has nodes, that is, points where they cross the Sun’s ecliptic. However, in traditional astrology, only the Moon’s nodes are considered, as the Moon’s connection with the journey of life is said to begin with the North and end with the South Node. Visually, the symbol of Cauda is said to show a series of steps leading away from a threshold, symbolizing the sense of ending.

Illustration of the geomantic figure Cauda Draconis, Dragon’s Tail

And ending is indeed one of the main meanings of Cauda. Ending is not necessarily bad. When you want to get rid of an illness, or really anything, Cauda can be positive, if not easy. It also shows quick, sharp change, so it can bring stagnant situations to an end.

Still, Cauda is mostly unwelcome in most readings. It can indicate the end of a relationship (or that a relationship won’t start). It can show unemployment and loss of money. It can announce difficult interpersonal relationships all around.

Due to its connection with the bad side of life, Cauda is one of the figures that, traditionally, prompted geomancers to break their figure and abandon divination if it shows up in the first house. Don’t do it. Just because Cauda is in the first house doesn’t mean your querent is a psychopath. Cauda is a challenging figure. It can simply mean the person is going through challenging times, that their life is changing dramatically and they have lost the plot.

Common Keywords: Ending, Loss, Abandonment, Evil, Quarrel, Evil intentions, Disruption, Letting go

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

HousePossible Meanings
FirstDangerous person, Person in danger, Person who is going through hell, Person who is ending something
SecondLoss of money or items
ThirdQuarrels among neighbors or siblings, Bad news, False rumors
FourthEnd of lineage, Death of father, Eviction, Loss of home
FifthDanger though excess, Loss of pregnancy, Questionable pastimes
SixthEnd of sickness (but if the chart is bad, it could end with death), stay way from your servants
SeventhDivorce, Quarrel, Theft, Untrustworthy individuals, Fraud
EighthDeath, Danger, Loss of money
NinthEvil religion or way, Inability to learn, Atheism, Materialism, Loss of faith
TenthBeing fired, Loss of employment, Revolution, Coup d’etat, Death of mother
EleventhEnd of a friendship, Fights, Quarrels, End of hope
TwelfthEscape, Freedom, Death of large animals
ThirteenthThere was upheaval, ending, disaster, the querent is capable of letting go
FourteenthThere will be upheaval, ending, disaster, the querent is unable to let go
FifteenthCauda cannot be Judge
Possible meanings of Cauda Draconis in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS

Caput Draconis / Dragon’s Head (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Caput Draconis (Dragon’s Head), sometimes called Inner Threshold
Element: Earth
Planet: None; North Node (some say also the benefics, Venus and Juputer)
Sign: Virgo
Quality: Entering
Fortune: Good

Caput Draconis, like its counterpart Cauda, is a special figure in the geomantic family. These are the only two that are not canonically assigned to any traditional planet. Instead, they are given to the nodes of the Moon, i.e. the points where the Moon intersects the Sun’s ecliptic. These were held in exceptionally high regard in traditional astrology, at least from Arab astrology moving forward (but apparently also in Hellenistic astrology, though their function there is debated.) Caput Draconis, the North Node, is usually said to be expansive and broadly positive, or at least augmenting. The symbol of the geomantic figure is usually likened to a series of steps leading toward a threshold.

Illustration for the geomantic figure Caput Draconis, the Dragon’s Head

Some say that Caput is associated with the two benefics of traditional astrology, Venus and Jupiter. More specifically, though, Caput is not automatically a good figure. It often represents an onrush of new energy, indicating everything new or everything that starts afresh.

More generally, it is associated with everything that develops, grows, becomes more stable and certain. This, of course, is a double-edged sword, as not everything that is stable is good for us. Often, Caput shows the impossibility to get rid of something, even if it is bad for us. It shows long illnesses, for instance.

Often, however, Caput is in fact a positive figure. It represents things coming to us, and as most questions get a positive answer when something comes to us, Caput is mostly a welcome figure.

Common Keywords: Arrival of new situations, beginning, fresh air, new enterprises, dynamic energy, development, deepening, stabilizing, long-lasting

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

HousePossible Meanings
FirstPositive, taking initiative, going, doing, starting something, good luck
SecondIncome, new income stream
ThirdNews, important information, help from siblings
FourthBuying real estate, help from the father
FifthFun, pregnancy, conception
SixthLong illness, good servants
SeventhNew relationship, lasting bond
EighthBeing shielded from danger, gain from other people
NinthConversion, signing up for a course, good at learning, spiritual evolution
TenthNew job, lasting stability in one’s career
EleventhNew friends, realization of hopes
TwelfthLong prison sentence, safety from occult enemies
ThirteenthQuerent has initiative, something has already started
FourteenthQuerent lacks initiative or needs to exert it more, there will be a new beginning
FifteenthCaput cannot be Judge
Possible meanings of Caput Draconis in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS