Tag Archives: Puella

Robert Fludd’s Geomancy – Book II Pt. 5

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Fludd discusses the meanings of Puer, Puella, Fortuna Major and Fortuna Minor.

Puer

in the First House, hope, marriage, the cheerful manner of a child, who loves nothing but to sing and spend time with music and the company of women.1
In the Second House, profits in commerce, good fortune, good profit, company of women, reception of debts.
In the Third House, joy on account of brothers and neighbors, charming and cheerful neighbors, a good journey, a good dream, and delightful news.

In the Fourth House, fights, no acquisition of the desired object, refusal of the thing that one desires, water.
In the Fifth House, joy, good children, news and letters, good news, pleasures, love, delights with women, musical instruments.
In the Sixth House, good servants, foolish women, children born from fornication, good animals, and long or prolonged illnesses.

In the Seventh House, evil and foolish women,2 fornication and bad company, marriage of children.
In the Eighth House, death and disease.
In the Ninth House, a journey by land, false belief, lewdness of the church.3

In the Tenth House, litigations over women, or for servants, or children in judgment or before a judge, (being in) the service of some master.4
In the Eleventh House, joy, luck, good love, love of women and men due to lewdness.5
In the Twelfth House, victory, a bad man, dangers, prisons, the failure of that which is equired about, good animals, strong and bad enemies.

In the Thirteenth House, joy and profits come from great people, letters, news, life, joy and travels.
In the Fourteenth House, danger but later a good end, drinking well, eating well, news and love.
In the Fifteenth House, temperance, profit in all things, and the completion of goods.6
In the Sixteenth House, all good.7

Note, when this figure is in the first house, it signifies a young man, handsome, and of good looks, with a fine beard, luxurious, fond of instruments and music, monks, hypocrites, and scholars.

Puella

In the First House, happiness of friends, food, having children, lewd and licentious words, lying, full of superfluous speech.8
In the Second House, profit, a tendency to extravagance.
In the Third House, love of relatives, good company, good relatives, much talk, weariness on the journey, and sometimes robbers.

In the Fourth House, profits in works of love, from father and mother,9 from inheritances, small fruits, talk, lewdness and dishonesty in the house.
In the Fifth house, happy children, news, letters, delights, superfluous words about lewdness, love of women, liars, and cowards.
In the Sixth House, evil women, disease of slaves, profit from animals, slaves (who are) full of boastful and lustful speech, diseases, that is, ulcers, swellings, bruises and the like.

In the Seventh House, marriage, profitable partners, women’s joys, many talkative and lustful women, harlots and dishonest women who touch others without merit.
In the Eighth House, the death of parents or sisters, inheritance from the dead, many words, the death of slaves in a foreign country.
In the Ninth House, profits on the way, sagacity, a man who loves joy and cheerfulness more than prayers and divine worship, dreams, news without much merit, good understanding in one’s teaching, singing, disturbance for the church.

In the Tenth House, happiness and profits on the way of one’s lord,10 good master and duties, but much talking done before.
In the Eleventh House, good friends, profit from slaves and beasts and good fortune, much talk, lust and fornication.
In the Twelfth House, talkativeness, profits from beasts and servants, enemies full of quarrels, beasts quite good.

In the Thirteenth House, profitable journey, profits from some lords.
In the Fourteenth House, good luck, profit from danger.
Note, when this figure is found in the First House, it denotes a man having a small body, and a short neck, a large head, teeth badly arranged, a fine intellect.

Fortuna Major

In the First House, thoughts of kings, treasures, old men, a man of good life, good fortune in all matters of profit and honor of the seeker, steadfastness, good hope.
In the Second House, wealth, profit, and especially from animals, a rich man, good luck, acquisition, joy, sense of gain.
In the Third House, good journey, but a little delayed, a good brother, good and rich relatives, a good dream, good news, joy, profit.

In the Fourth House, a good estate, the acquisition of the inheritance of great lords, treasures hidden in the earth, a good house, great advantage in all things stable,11 a good end, a good father and mother.
In the Fifth House, good children, good news, good letters, good love with wife, security of heart,12 change and honours.
In the Sixth House, long illness and pain, good animals, good servants, faithful and stable.

In the Seventh House, a good marriage, a good and chaste and prudent woman, great wealth, conquering one’s enemies, both in legal proceedings and in battles, strong and stable enemies,13 good in commerce, receiving one’s desire in other countries, the gathering of men and women.
In the Eighth House, rich enemies, riches from the dead, profits in a foreign country; where it is noted that this figure is good, but the house is terrible.
In the Ninth House, good journeys, though slow, good dreams.

In the Tenth House, good judgment, good decision in the place where the figure is duplicated, peaceful kings and kingdoms; a peaceful and firm state of the lords, the acquisition of one’s desire, reward and lasting honor from the lords.
In the Eleventh House, good fortune, noble and faithful friends, profits in trade, good hope of riches from the king and prince, joy and happiness.
In the Twelfth House horses, good and useful animals, a long and dangerous imprisonment, a dangerous disease, long debts, long tribulations, strong enemies14, evil for journeying.

In the Thirteenth House, a good journey and good fortune, acquisition from the king, absence, happiness in riches and joy.
In the Fourteenth House, deliverance from diseases, escape from prison and debts, good luck, sudden riches for the absent, good company, good friends and security in hope.
In the Fifteenth House, a good judgment, a good end, a good outcome for joys, and if it comes from good Witnesses, it will give the petitioner security in all good things, and the good is witnessed in the place (in the chart) where the figure is found.

Note, when Major is in the First House, it means an old man, a merchant of precious cloths, affable, of average stature, well dressed, good hair.

Fortuna Minor

in the First House, goodness, a good journey to princes and lords, a rich and fortunate man, also a king,15 a prince, a leader, a man of great authority, knowledge, good animals, a good and humble wife.
In the Second House, the acquisition of a house by a master or a great man, and indeed without effort.
In the Third House, good brothers, and wealth and profit from them, good neighbors, good knowledge and good faith, good travels, especially by sea, a good woman.

In the Fourth House, treasures of kings or magnates, good journeys to parents, noble inheritance, and acquisition of inheritance.
In the Fifth House, good children, good news, a good journey towards children, joy and comfort, useful journeys,16 pleasures and delights of nobles.
In the Sixth House, the insults of kings and princes and their injuries from other lords,17 as well as victory from them, fear of losing their dominion or kingdom, proud servants.

In the Seventh House, a good woman, beautiful and rich, but it will be doubtful that she will be destroyed by foolish love, murder committed by a great man, denotes to one’s son a noble marriage and good travels.18
In the Eighth House, the death of kings, or the fear of kings, so that he who has become a problem may fear them, and if Rubeus is found in the Seventh House, death due to loss of blood, it is not good to go out of the country or to travel, for imprisonment or violent death are to be feared.
In the Ninth House, a good journey, a good relationship with kings or superiors to obtain favor, a faithful man, of good faith and God-fearing.

In the Tenth House, a good king and a ruler with good virtues, victory, good for migration by sea and making journeys, the acquisition of property from a prince or king, acquisition thanks to the love of judges, profit and honor.
In the Eleventh House, good hope, good friends, good fortune, good company, good fortune in beasts and servants.19
In the Twelfth House, good animals, coming out of prison, poverty for the petitioner due to that, where the figure is duplicated, and especially in the Tenth House, it denotes the loss of the kingdom to the king, either due to himself or his children.

In the Thirteenth House, profits on the way, and receiving one’s wish from some lord.
In the Fourteenth House, a long life, good fortune, and profits in the business one hopes for.
In the Fifteenth House, a good result in all good things, a good end, good company, honor and glory.

Note, Minor in the First House signifies a king or queen, a handsome and brave man, clothed in scarlet, who likes to travel often, covered with gold.

MQS

Footnotes
  1. Puer and Puella are the two most confusing figures in traditional texts. Here we find mixed together attributions that, in contemporary geomancy, have been attributed to one or the other. ↩︎
  2. Fludd seems to attribute Puer to women, and since the Seventh House is the house of enemies, it causes the women to be evil. ↩︎
  3. Here seems to emerge the typical sexual theme that some today attribute to Puer. ↩︎
  4. Possibly meaning being subservient to another. ↩︎
  5. Possibly indicating homosexuality. ↩︎
  6. Puer cannot be the judge. ↩︎
  7. This is possibly the only time that Fludd discusses the Reconciler (also knwn as Judge of the Judge) ↩︎
  8. Similar traits are assigned by others to Puer. However, let us also not forget that in those times, sometimes women were considered deceitful by default. ↩︎
  9. Note that typically the Fourth House is assigned to the father and the Tenth to the mother. However, when considering one’s parents in general, they are both Fourth House matter, since the Fourth is the house of the family and the home. ↩︎
  10. “In via de Domino”. I don’t understand what this means. ↩︎
  11. Major is considered one of the most stable figures. ↩︎
  12. The heart is often assigned to the Fifth House, and Major gives steadfastness. ↩︎
  13. In this interpretation, the power of Fortuna Major is in favor of the enemy, ruled by the Seventh House. ↩︎
  14. In the Twelfth House, Major causes prison sentences to be steadfast, that is, long. ↩︎
  15. Fludd seems to attribute worldly honors more th Minor than to Major. ↩︎
  16. I don’t understand the connection to journeys. ↩︎
  17. possibly due to the negative effect of the house. ↩︎
  18. Much of what is said here is hard to understand logically. ↩︎
  19. The connection with animals and servants is odd. ↩︎

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. ↩︎

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. ↩︎

Puella / Girl (Geomancy Figures)

Name of the Figure: Puella (The Girl)
Element: Water
Planet: Venus (direct)
Sign: Libra (Sometimes given as Aries)
Quality: Entering
Fortune: Good (with neutral undertones)

Puella is the counterpart to Puer, the boy, and the opposite figure of Rubeus (if you push Puella through Via you get Rubeus, not Puer). It is a figure of Venus direct. Just as Venus is the lesser fortune in astrology, Puella is a positive figure, but not very strong. Its testimony is easily overruled by other consideration. Its figure has two points in the Air line. This fact has been interpreted variously in modern literature. From a visual standpoint, this is said to represent a mirror or a woman’s breasts.

Illustration of the geomantic figure Puella, girl

Puella represents a girl’s or woman’s influence in the querent’s life. In this sense, the figure is neutral, and its meaning must be clarified by the rest of the chart. It also represents things we traditionally associated with women. This ranges from objects typically used by women (mirrors, lipsticks, gowns, etc.) to a feminine attitude and feminine interests.

Obviously, given its association with Venus and with womanhood, Puella has to do with love, harmony, balance, in all their applications. For instance, Puella tends to bring affection, love, togetherness. It is a good figure for interpersonal relationship, as it shows tactfulness, although it can signify someone who is easily influenced. It also has a connection with the arts, just like Venus. Everything that is pleasing to the eye falls under its jurisdiction.

Another idea connected with Puella is that of innocence. This can be played with if it is relevant to the question. Finally, Puella can represent an inability to assert oneself. If found in an unfavorable position, it can point to laziness and wastful behavior.

Common Keywords: A girl or a woman, female things (gowns, stockings, lipsticks, etc.) beauty, art, creativity, gentleness, harmony, girlish, unstable, submissive, (re)conciliation, love, feelings, easily swayed or overwhelmed, broadly positive outcome but with instability

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

HousePossible Meanings
FirstHarmonious, girlish, pleasing, conciliatory, well-meaning, prissy
Secondfinery, nice things, good for money
Thirdsisters, good siblings and neighbors, good news, true rumors
Fourthharmony in the family, homemaking, gardening
Fifthsinging, dancing, arts, beauty, fun, love, kisses, a baby girl
Sixthrest, good servants, lovesickness, female pets
Seventhmarriage, wife, harmony with other people or with partner
Eighthdowry, gain through others
Ninthholiday, vacation, respite, fun, learning an art
Tenthpleasure from one’s occupation, good relationship with people above
Eleventhfemale friends, realization of hopes, help
Twelfthfemale animals, wastefulness, lack of effort, an evil woman
Thirteenthgoodwill, acceptance, loving nature, a woman from the past, a woman’s help
Fourteenthlack of harmony, there will be harmony in the future, a future woman, a woman’s opposition, indecision
FifteenthPuella cannot be Judge
Possible meanings of Puella in the various Geomantic Houses. Note that this is not meant to be exhaustive, and it only serves to jog your interpretive muscles

MQS