The 16-section grid depicted in the first image below can be lengthened or widened to encompass any geographical area on a map, be it a continent, country, region, city, etc. Were we to assign a geomantic figure to each section of the grid, it could potentially be employed to locate lost objects, missing persons, or hidden/concealed structures. After acquiring a general location via a single-figure or full chart reading, the process could then be repeated any number of times to pinpoint the precise location of the target.

Without the use of a computer or other technological conventions, the grid could simply be hand-drawn on the map using a ruler or improvised straightedge, superimposed on the geographical area of interest. Care should be taken to align the borders of the grid with the northern, southern, eastern, and western-most boundaries of the selected area. The accuracy of the topographical map being used should also be taken into consideration.

The effectiveness of this system might be improved if utilized collaboratively, whereby multiple readers attempt to identify the location of the same target. If the same figure happens to appear as the answer in half or more than half of the readers’ charts, it could be a strong indicator that this figure represents the correct location, thus accounting for the possibility that an individual reader could be having an “off day”.

When casting a Shield Chart independently of the House Chart, the 3rd Neice may be the most appropriate figure to read as the answer,1 as it is central within the 3rd Triplicity representing the “places and surroundings of the querent, including the people and activities involved there”.2 When casting a House Chart, the significator of the quesited can be read as the figure indicating the location. When casting a Novenary Chart, the location can be indicated by the Return (F6).

Any thoughts or suggestions that practitioners may have to offer are kindly welcomed and appreciated.

Note
  1. The Judge within the Sheild Chart can only be an even-number figure (i.e. Populus, Via, Conjunctio, Carcer, Populus, Fortuna Major, Fortuna Minor, Acquisitio, and Amissio) and thus could never comminicate half of the grid.
  2. Polyphanes. March 21, 2015. “On the Geomantic Triads.” The Digital Ambler (blog).

Last Updated: 6-28-2022

Featured image by Jr Korpa on Unsplash