Geomancy

Last updated
Geomancy tool Ghoreh 001.JPG
Geomancy tool
Geomantic instrument, Egypt or Syria, 1241-42 CE, by Muhammad ibn Khutlukh al Mawsuli. When the dials were turned, random designs of dots would appear, which were then interpreted. British Museum. Geomantic instrument Egypt or Syria 1241 1242 CE Muhammad ibn Khutlukh al Mawsuli.jpg
Geomantic instrument, Egypt or Syria, 1241–42 CE, by Muhammad ibn Khutlukh al Mawsuli. When the dials were turned, random designs of dots would appear, which were then interpreted. British Museum.

Geomancy translates literally to "earth divination," and the term was originally used to mean methods of divination that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by soil, rocks, or sand. [1] Its definition has expanded over time (along with the recognized definition of the suffix -mancy), to include any spiritual, metaphysical, or pseudoscientific practice that is related to the Earth. In recent times the term has been applied to a wide range of other occult and fringe activities, including Earth mysteries and the introduction of ley lines and Bau-Biologie.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Geomancy was one of the most popular forms of divination throughout Africa and Europe in premodern times, [2] but was considered a forbidden practice in Renaissance Europe. [2] In other regions and cultures, geomancy practices include Sikidy and Ifá (found in Africa), I Ching and Feng shui (found in China), Kumalak (found in parts of Central Asia), Vastu shastra (in India), Kahuna kuhikuhipu'uone (in Ancient Hawai'i).

Etymology and history

The sixteen geomantic figures. Geomantic figures.svg
The sixteen geomantic figures.

The word geomancy, from Late Greek *γεωμαντεία*geōmanteía, translates literally to 'earth divination'. In Latin it becomes geomantia. [3] Earlier Greek renditions of this word borrowed the Arabic word raml ('sand') directly, rendering it as rhamplion or rabolion. Other Arabic names for geomancy include khatt al-raml, darb al-raml, [4] : 14–15  and 'ilm al-raml, (literally 'the science of the sand'). [3] The origins of geomancy are Arabic and the original geomantic figures were created by "making lines of random numbers of dots in the sand". [3]

Geomancy was one of the most popular forms of divination throughout Africa and Europe, particularly during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and was practiced by people from all social classes. [2] However in Renaissance magic was classified as one of the seven "forbidden arts", along with black magic, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and scapulimancy. [2]

Forms

Arabic geomancy

The Arabic tradition consists of sketching sixteen random lines of dots in sand. This same process survived virtually unchanged through its introduction to Europe in the medieval era, and survives to this day in various Arabic countries.

African geomancy

Like Arabic geomancy, Sikidy and other forms of African divination follow techniques that have remained virtually unchanged. As an example, Sikidy is the most important method of divination for the Malagasy peoples of Madagascar. The process involves a mathematical grid of disk-shaped seeds in sixteen figures arranged in rows which the sorcerer uses to divine the future. [5]

One traditional form of geomancy In Africa consists of throwing handfuls of dirt in the air and observing how the dirt falls. It can also involve a mouse as the agent of the earth spirit. Ifá, one of the oldest forms of geomancy, originated in West Africa, and uses the same sixteen geomantic figures as in Arabic and Western geomancy with different meanings and names; the process is shortened to using only two figures.

Chinese geomancy

In China, the diviner may enter a trance and make markings on the ground that are interpreted by an associate (often a young or illiterate boy). Similar forms of geomancy include scrying involving the patterns seen in rocks or soil.

I Ching

The eight trigrams used in I Ching. Family Ba Gua.gif
The eight trigrams used in I Ching.

The Chinese divination practice of the I Ching has several striking similarities to geomancy. It includes a series of binary trigrams (as opposed to tetragrams used in geomancy) that are generated at random, the resulting figures of which are taken in combination. However, the figures are not added or reorganized as in geomancy, but are instead taken to form a single hexagram. While there are 23, or eight, trigrams, there are 26, or 64, hexagrams. This yields a smaller set of resulting charts than geomancy.

Feng shui

In the 19th century, Christian missionaries in China translated feng shui as "geomancy" due to their observations of local shamans and priests manipulating the flow and direction of energy based on aesthetics, location, and position of objects and buildings. Although it stems from a distinct tradition, the term geomancy now commonly includes feng shui. Similarly, the introduction of a similar Indian system of aesthetics and positioning to harmonize the local energies, vastu shastra , has come under the name "geomancy".

Indian Vastu shastra

Vastu shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture [6] which literally translates to "science of architecture." [7] These are texts found on the Indian subcontinent that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry. [8] [9] Vastu Shastras incorporate traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs. [10] The designs are intended to integrate architecture with nature, the relative functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns (yantra), symmetry, and directional alignments. [11] [12]

Vastu Shastra are the textual part of Vastu Vidya, the latter being the broader knowledge about architecture and design theories from ancient India. [13] Vastu Vidya knowledge is a collection of ideas and concepts, with or without the support of layout diagrams. These ideas and concepts do not follow rigid rules but rather are models for the organization of space and form within a building or collection of buildings, based on their functions in relation to each other, their usage and to the overall fabric of the Vastu. [13] Ancient Vastu Shastra principles include those for the design of Mandir (Hindu temples), [14] and the principles for the design and layout of houses, towns, cities, gardens, roads, water works, shops and other public areas. [9] [15] [16]

Central Asian Kumalak

Kumalak is a type of geomancy practiced in Kazakhstan, Tuva, and other parts of Central Asia. Kumalak makes use of a three by three grid, wherein a shaman will ritually place up to 41 beads. These shamans use kumalak more to connect with their ancestors and spiritual guides than to obtain information through divination. Further, shamans who use kumalak must be initiated and taught how to perform the rituals of kumalak correctly. According to them, kumalak is an ancient system of knowledge reaching back to the roots of their civilization.

Korean geomancy

P'ungsu (which like feng shui literally means 'wind water'), is the Korean word for geomancy. [17] As a method of divination it seeks to locate favorable sites for cities, residences and burial. [17]

This tradition was popularized in Korea in the ninth century by the Buddhist monk Toson (Doseon), who studied and adapted the ideas and practices of the different Chinese Daoist schools of Feng-shui to the Korean landscape situation and cultural traditions. [18]

In Korea, geomancy takes the form of interpreting the topography of the land to determine future events and or the strength of a dynasty or particular family. Therefore, not only were location and land forms important, but the topography could shift causing disfavor and the need to relocate. The idea is still accepted in many South East Asian societies today, although with reduced force. [19]

In fantasy literature

In some fantasy literature, especially that which deals with the four classic Greek elements (air, water, fire, earth), geomancy refers to magic that controls earth (and sometimes metal and crystals). [ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divination</span> Attempt to gain insight into a question or situation

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a querent should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens, or through alleged contact or interaction with supernatural agencies such as spirits, gods, god-like-beings or the "will of the universe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred geometry</span> Symbolic and sacred meanings ascibed to certain geometric shapes

Sacred geometry ascribes symbolic and sacred meanings to certain geometric shapes and certain geometric proportions. It is associated with the belief of a divine creator of the universal geometer. The geometry used in the design and construction of religious structures such as churches, temples, mosques, religious monuments, altars, and tabernacles has sometimes been considered sacred. The concept applies also to sacred spaces such as temenoi, sacred groves, village greens, pagodas and holy wells, Mandala Gardens and the creation of religious and spiritual art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feng shui</span> Chinese traditional practice

Feng shui, sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is a traditional form of geomancy that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, "wind-water". From ancient times, landscapes and bodies of water were thought to direct the flow of the universal Qi – "cosmic current" or energy – through places and structures. More broadly, feng shui includes astronomical, astrological, architectural, cosmological, geographical, and topographical dimensions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binary code</span> Encoding for data, using 0s and 1s

A binary code represents text, computer processor instructions, or any other data using a two-symbol system. The two-symbol system used is often "0" and "1" from the binary number system. The binary code assigns a pattern of binary digits, also known as bits, to each character, instruction, etc. For example, a binary string of eight bits can represent any of 256 possible values and can, therefore, represent a wide variety of different items.

<i>Vastu shastra</i> Architecture and design-related texts of India

Originating in ancient India, Vastu Shastra is a traditional Hindu system of architecture based on ancient texts that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry. The designs aim to integrate architecture with nature, the relative functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilising geometric patterns (yantra), symmetry, and directional alignments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luoshu Square</span> Ancient Chinese diagram

The Luoshu (pinyin), Lo Shu (Wade-Giles), or Nine Halls Diagram is an ancient Chinese diagram and named for the Luo River near Luoyang, Henan. The Luoshu appears in myths concerning the invention of writing by Cangjie and other culture heroes. It is a unique normal magic square of order three. It is usually paired with the River Map or Hetu—named in reference to the Yellow River—and used with the River Map in various contexts involving Chinese geomancy, numerology, philosophy, and early natural science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geomantic figures</span> Symbols used in divinatory geomancy

The 16 geomantic figures are primary symbols utilized in geomancy, an ancient divinatory practice. Each figure consists of four lines representing the classical elements and can be interpreted through various methods and questions. Originating from Middle Eastern traditions, geomancy was introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, where it acquired astrological meanings and new interpretive layers. These figures exhibit a superficial resemblance to the ba gua, the eight trigrams in the I Ching, a Chinese classic text.

<i>Bagua</i> Eight trigrams used in Taoist cosmology

The bagua (Chinese: 八卦; pinyin: bāguà; lit. 'eight trigrams') is a set of symbols from China intended to illustrate the nature of reality as being composed of mutually opposing forces reinforcing one another. Bagua is a group of trigrams—composed of three lines, each either "broken" or "unbroken", which represent yin and yang, respectively. Each line having two possible states allows for a total of 23 = 8 trigrams, whose early enumeration and characterization in China has had an effect on the history of Chinese philosophy and cosmology.

<i>Shilpa Shastras</i> Ancient umbrella term for numerous Hindu texts

Shilpa Shastras literally means the Science of Shilpa. It is an ancient umbrella term for numerous Hindu texts that describe arts, crafts, and their design rules, principles and standards. In the context of Hindu temple architecture and sculpture, Shilpa Shastras were manuals for sculpture and Hindu iconography, prescribing among other things, the proportions of a sculptured figure, composition, principles, meaning, as well as rules of architecture.

Locational astrology is any of various types of astrology that factor in specific locations of the Earth. The different types also carry a range of astrological techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luopan</span>

The luopan or geomantic compass is a Chinese magnetic compass, also known as a feng shui compass. It is used by a feng shui practitioner to determine the precise direction of a structure, place or item. Luo Pan contains a lot of information and formulas regarding its functions. The needle points towards the south magnetic pole.

The Tajul muluk is a commonly used name for a system of geomancy, comprising metaphysical and geomantic principles considered when siting or designing buildings to improve and maintain well-being in Maritime Southeast Asia. It was traditionally practiced by shamans and architects from Indonesia and Malaysia. The term actually alludes to a book entitled Tajul muluk which covered a number of other topics including herbal medicine, astrology and dream interpretation along with geomancy. While all these subjects may be categorised under the term ilmu tajul, it usually refers to the otherwise unnamed set of rites and rules for constructing buildings in Acehnese and Malay culture.

Kumalak is a form of geomancy, or divination, which originates in Central Asia. This fortune telling method involves 41 beans, stones, or sheep dung sorted into piles, and has been used for hundreds of years in the region of present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Siberia by Turkic peoples such as the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tatars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jawahar Kala Kendra</span> Building in Jaipur, India

The Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK) is a multi-arts center located in the city of Jaipur, India. It was built by the Government of Rajasthan to preserve Rajasthani arts and crafts. The center has eight blocks housing museums, an amphitheater, a closed auditorium, a library, art display rooms, a cafeteria, a small hostel, and an art studio. It also houses two permanent art galleries and three others, and it hosts its yearly theatre festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Skinner (author)</span> Australian author, editor, publisher and lecturer

Stephen Skinner is an Australian author, editor, publisher and lecturer. He is known for authoring books on magic, feng shui, sacred geometry and alchemy. He has published more than 46 books in more than 20 languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artes prohibitae</span> Types of magic

The seven artes prohibitae, or artes magicae, are arts prohibited by canon law as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 1456. They were divided into seven types reflecting that of the artes liberales and artes mechanicae.

Dragon veins or dragon's lines/tracks are a concept in Feng Shui. It refers to channels of energy flowing through mountain ranges. They are underground channels of Qi. According to some traditional religions, it is forbidden to destroy them, as this may cause negative consequences or disturbances. It has developed a metaphorical meaning of any critical infrastructure in the modern day such as the Qinghai–Tibet railway.

Arabic geomancy is a type of geomantic divination which involves interpreting a series of figures formed by a randomized process that involves recursion, followed by analyzing them, often augmented with astrological interpretations. Geomancy was also thought by figures such as Richard II to be a greater discipline that included philosophy, science, and alchemic elements.

<i>Sikidy</i> Malagasy algebraic divination by seeds

Sikidy is a form of algebraic geomancy practiced by Malagasy peoples in Madagascar. It involves algorithmic operations performed on random data generated from tree seeds, which are ritually arranged in a tableau called a toetry and divinely interpreted after being mathematically operated on. Columns of seeds, designated "slaves" or "princes" belonging to respective "lands" for each, interact symbolically to express vintana ('fate') in the interpretation of the diviner. The diviner also prescribes solutions to problems and ways to avoid fated misfortune, often involving a sacrifice.

References

  1. ↑ “Geomancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geomancy . Accessed 26 Jan. 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Johannes Hartlieb (Munich, 1456) The Book of All Forbidden Arts; quoted in Láng, p. 124.
  3. 1 2 3 "Medieval Geomancy. Geomancy Step-by-Step". princeton.edu. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  4. ↑ Skinner, Stephen (1980). Terrestrial Astrology: Divination by Geomancy. London: Routeledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.
  5. ↑ Sikidy article and instructions in Occult World
  6. ↑ Quack, Johannes (2012). Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India. Oxford University Press. p. 119. ISBN   9780199812608 . Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  7. ↑ Narlikar, Jayant V. (2009). "Astronomy, pseudoscience and rational thinking". In Percy, John; Pasachoff, Jay (eds.). Teaching and Learning Astronomy: Effective Strategies for Educators Worldwide. Cambridge University Press. p. 165.
  8. ↑ "GOLDEN PRINCIPLES OF VASTU SHASTRA Vastukarta". vastukarta.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-05-08.
  9. 1 2 Acharya P.K. (1946), An Encyclopedia of Hindu Architecture, Oxford University Press
  10. ↑ Kumar, Vijaya (2002). Vastushastra. New Dawn/Sterling. p. 5. ISBN   978-81-207-2199-9.
  11. ↑ Stella Kramrisch (1976), The Hindu Temple Volume 1 & 2, ISBN   81-208-0223-3
  12. ↑ Vibhuti Sachdev, Giles Tillotson (2004). Building Jaipur: The Making of an Indian City . pp.  155–160. ISBN   978-1861891372.
  13. 1 2 Vibhuti Sachdev, Giles Tillotson (2004). Building Jaipur: The Making of an Indian City . p.  147. ISBN   978-1861891372.
  14. ↑ George Michell (1988), The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms, University of Chicago Press, ISBN   978-0226532301, pp 21–22
  15. ↑ GD Vasudev (2001), Vastu, Motilal Banarsidas, ISBN   81-208-1605-6, pp 74–92
  16. ↑ Sherri Silverman (2007), Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature, Gibbs Smith, Utah, ISBN   978-1423601326
  17. 1 2 "Korean Society Celebrations. Geomancy". Asian info.org. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Mason, David A. "Pungsu-jiri 풍수지리 Korea's System of Geomancy or Feng Shu". san-shin.net/. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Peter H. Lee and Wm. Theodore de Bary eds, Sources of Korean Tradition Volume 1, New York: Columbia University Press, 1997.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.