Mansions of the Moon and Geomancy meanings

Sam Block has written an interesting article about the roots of the Geomantic symbols being connected to the mansions of the moon and comes up with some compelling evidence.

For those who do not know about the mansions of the moon, they are the journey that the moon takes through the zodiac. At various points the moon’s energy is influenced by the stars and reflected to the earth.  If Sam is correct, and he seems to be, then those forces are expressed on earth as the geomantic symbols.

Take Acquisitio which is attributed to Jupiter in Aries. It is connected to the mansion of the moon called Alnath (The Butting).

Alnath was good for medicine, beginning a journey, purchasing livestock, creating discord and imprisonment  Not good for marriage, partnerships, or the foundation of a meaningful friendship or alliance as one individual usually tries to overpower the other.  It was also good for Curses, black magic, crimes of violence, overcoming depression and a lack of motivation, finishing projects, protection from violence and travel. He is the root to break up couples and set friends and allies against each other.

Looking at the list above we can see when Acquisitio is a good or bad figure.   It would be good for businesses, health, and transport where things need to grow. However, in relationships it suggests a power imbalance with one person having more control than another (this might explain why admissio is a better relationship figure).

This mansion is dual in nature alternating between extreme violence and murder and positive defence. Its power is hard to balance once invoked. When the Moon is in this mansion there will be much energy but be prone to outbursts of aggression. They will however be protective of people with whom they are attached. Alnath can show those under his protection when it is good to strike and when it is important to defend. His soul follows the way of the warrior. According to Ptolemy the stars which make up Alnath are Sheratan, which merges the powers of the two malefic Mars and Saturn; it causes bodily injuries, defeat, destruction by fire, war and earthquakes and Mesarthim is the opposite order of Saturn and Mars which means the power of Mars is constrained and protective by a more powerful malefic.

The Geomantic figure which is created as a result of the influence of these stars is the same as Jupiter in Aries.  Jupiter in Aries means expanding and making your own luck. It has the power to control the direction of our lives, we can open opportunities, solutions, relationships, and fortune that we were blind to before. Jupiter wants us to expand and embrace our potential as individuals, but it can be a bit aggressive.

What Sam didn’t say, and I am beginning to believe, is that Geomantic figures appear to rule more than one lunar mansion and some rule three.  Via, Populus, Rubeus rule three mansions.

There could be two reasons for this. Geomancy is lunar.  Via represents the new moon, Populus the Full Moon and Rubeus represents the reddening which is what happens during a lunar eclipse. All three have a significant effect. Sam left gaps in his chart because he could not prove what should have filled them. Based on what we see with other Geomancy signs I think it is a good bet that they are simply repeated.  Here is my version… it is worthwhile pointing out that I am still experimenting with this.