Geomancy is an incredibly diverse divinatory practice with a wide array of techniques and approaches. While this has allowed it to flourish and evolve in exciting ways over the centuries, the immensity of the geomantic tradition can be nothing short of overwhelming for many beginners, as no one system is considered authoritative. Novice practitioners of traditional or modern astrological geomancy might therefore find the following questions useful when establishing the components of their practice.

  1. Which system of mobility do you use?
    If you are unfamiliar with the various systems of figure-mobility, see “On the Structure and Operations of the Geomantic Figures” (para. 3–8) by Sam Block.
  2. Which system of ruling elements do you use?
    If you are unfamiliar with the various systems of elemental rulers, see “On Elemental Assignments of the Geomantic Figures” and “Another System of Elemental Affinities for the Geomantic Figures” by Sam Block.
  3. Which system of directional attributions do you use?
    If you are unfamiliar with the various systems of geomantic directionality, see “Directions of the Geomantic Figures” by Sam Block.
  4. Which system of planetary attributions do you use?
    I have only ever come across one system of planetary attributions, whereby the Moon rules Populus and Via, Mercury rules Conjunctio and Albus, Venus rules Amissio and Puella, Sun rules Fortuna Major and Fortuna Minor, Mars rules Puer and Rubeus, Jupiter rules Acquisitio and Laetitia, Saturn rules Carcer and Tristitia, the Ascending Node rules Caput Draconis, and the Descending Node rules Cauda Draconis. However, there might be others that I am not aware of.
  5. Which system of zodiacal attributions do you use?
    If you are unfamiliar with the two main systems of zodiacal attributions, see “On Geomantic Figures, Zodiac Signs, and Lunar Mansions” by Sam Block.
  6. Do you choose the house of the quesited before or after you generate the chart?
    While you would think that choosing beforehand would make more sense, many beginners forget this detail and run into major issues as a result.
  7. Do you halt the reading when Rubeus or Cauda Draconis appears in the 1st house?
    If you are unfamiliar with the traditional rules for halting a reading, see “On Halted Geomancy Charts” by Sam Block.
  8. Do you use the traditional procedure, Agrippa’s procedure, or Stephen Skinner’s “esoteric” procedure for populating the House Chart from the Shield Chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with any of these procedures, see “On Making the House Chart from the Shield Chart” by Sam Block.
  9. Do you allow the zodiac sign of the figure in the 1st house to set the ascendant, or do you use John Michael Greer’s “12-letter alphabet” system, whereby each house is equated with a zodiac sign?
    This is an important astrological detail that can affect how the figures in the House Chart are interpreted. I have also heard of an approach whereby the ascendant is set by the zodiac sign rising at the time and place of the reading, but this is far less common than those mentioned above.
  10. Do you rotate the chart for third-party queries?
    While some practitioners rotate the chart for third-party queries, others do not when the querent is not directly involved in the matter (see “Querant in Geomancy” by Nick Farrell).
  11. Do you consider aspects when interpreting a chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with geomantic aspects, see “On Aspects in Geomantic Interpretation” by Sam Block.
  12. Do you consider the figures’ essential dignities and debilities when interpreting a chart?
    Knowing whether a figure is strengthened or weakened in certain houses can be very important when interpreting a chart.
  13. Do you consider geomantic companies when interpreting a chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with geomantic companies, see “Thoughts on Geomantic Company” and “More Thoughts on Shield Chart Company” by Sam Block.
  14. Do you consider the Index and Part of Fortune when interpreting a chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with the Idex and PoF, see “On the Geomantic Parts of Fortune and Spirit” by Sam Block.
  15. Do you consider modes of perfection when interpreting a chart?
    For an overview of the modes of perfection rule and their function, see “De Geomanteia: Affirmation and Fortunateness (be careful what you wish for)” and “More about Geomantic Perfection” by Sam Block.
  16. Do you consider the Court (Judge and Witnesses) when interpreting a chart? 
    For an overview of the Judge, see “Cattan’s Geomancy Court” by Nick Farrell, “More on Cattan’s geomancy courts” by Nick Farrell, and “On the Judges of the Court of Geomancy” by Sam Block.
  17. If modes of perfection are intended to answer binary “yes/no” questions, and the role of the Judge is to also communicate the basic answer to the query, what do you do when one conflicts with the other (e.g. the House Chart perfects, answering “yes”, but the Judge clearly answers “no”)?
    This may be the single biggest issue that I see beginners and intermediate practitioners struggle with. However, author Patrick Dunn offers a practical solution that allows both the Judge and mode of perfection to communicate different facets of the answer when he states: “Perfection answers yes/no in the literal sense, and the judge answers yes/no in the emotional/affective/pragmatic sense” (March 8, 2023).
  18. If you do not consider modes of perfection when interpreting charts cast for “yes/no” questions but do consider the significators and the Court, what do you do when the significator of the quesited conflicts with the Judge?
    Similarly to the previous question, I have also seen this circumstance cause problems for beginners and intermediate practitioners.
  19. Do you consider the Four Triplicities when interpreting a chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with this interpretive technique, see “On the Geomantic Triads” by Sam Block.
  20. Do you consider the Viae Punctorum when interpreting a chart?
    If you are unfamiliar with this interpretive technique, see “De Geomanteia: Via Puncti (follow the yellow brick road)” by Sam Block.
  21. What is the difference in roles between the Right Witness and the significator of the querent in the 1st house?
    Give it some thought.
  22. What is the difference in roles between the Left Witness and the significator of the quesited?
    Give it some thought.
  23. What are the differences in roles between the Judge, the Reconciler, and the figure in the 4th house, which, among other things, represents the end of any matter?
    Give it some thought.

While some practitioners attempt to wring every ounce of information out of a chart by loading up on techniques, others prefer to carefully limit the contents of their divinatory toolbox, which can help to keep readings manageable without sacrificing the depth of their analysis. In either case, once you have identified the techniques you would like to incorporate into your practice, the real challenge will be to synthesize those methods into a cohesive interpretive framework.