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Greer: Art and Practice of Geomancy
Apr. 18th, 2021 12:51 pmOn the dreamwidth Geomancy forum called CONJUNCTIO, someone suggested I spell out some of the errors in the rules of judgment in some of Greer's books. I did. And this is what I said. I thought it might be of interest in helping people how to think about certain questions.
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I use "Magister," "Master," and kindred words (Maestro, Maitre, etc., if I am using another language), in the old sense of "teacher."
>> As you are probably aware, the vast majority of the members here come from one of John Michael Greer's online communities.
No, I was not aware of that fact. Thank you for mentioning it.
>> two geomancy books
Yes, they are good books to get a basic grounding in the Figures, modes of perfection, basic vocabulary. I probably would not enter a discussion with someone who had not read them (say, for example, a Golden Dawn initiate whose knowledge of geomancy was limited to what the Golden Dawn taught of geomancy).
>> briefly outlining the errors in the rules of judgment
That would take a very long time. Flipping through at random, here are a few from ART AND PRACTICE:
BUSINESS LOSE MONEY?: p. 104. This is given as a HOUSE 2 question, but it is a HOUSE 11 question. The QUERENT is HOUSE 1. His BUSINESS is HOUSE 10. PROFITS/LOSS FROM THE BUSINESS are turned 2d from the 10th, or HOUSE 11.
GOOD TIME TO BORROW MONEY?: p. 104. Presumably, the hypothetical Querent wants to know whether he can get a loan. That is a HOUSE 8 matter. Equally true of a question like, "Can I get Mrs. X to invest in my new company?" Mrs. X is HOUSE 7 (presuming that she is just a person you know, and not your mother or your friend), and her money, which you want, is HOUSE 8.
LETTER FROM GRANDMOTHER?: p. 105. Messages and letters are not in HOUSE 5, but are typically a HOUSE 3 matter. The issue became confused because HOUSE 5 governs AMBASSADORS or EMISSARIES sent from one kingdom to another, bearing official messages. Whether you will get a letter from a grandmother depends on whether it is a maternal or paternal grandmother. Querent: HOUSE 1. HIS MOTHER: HOUSE 10. HIS MOTHER's MOTHER: 10th from the 10th, or HOUSE 7. A LETTER FROM THE MOTHER's MOTHER: 3rd from the 7th, or HOUSE 9. Therefore, judge perfection between HOUSE 1 and HOUSE 9. Long experience has proven, too, that perfection between HOUSE 1 and HOUSE 7 will suffice. If a letter from the paternal grandmother (she would be HOUSE 1), judge her letter from HOUSE 3.
p. 107: HOGS FETCH A GOOD PRICE? Given incorrectly as a HOUSE 6 matter. If the breed of hog is larger than a goat, the breed is HOUSE 12. Profit therefrom will be 2d from the 12th, or HOUSE 1. If the breed of hog is smaller than a goat, the breed is HOUSE 6, and the profit therefrom is HOUSE 7. Likewise re: cattle on p. 111. The Cattle are HOUSE 12. The profit therefrom is HOUSE 1.
p. 108: WILL MY COMPANY's BID ON THE PROJECT BE ACCEPTED? This is not a HOUSE 7 matter. You are HOUSE 1. Competitors are HOUSE 7. The job (technically an honor, of sorts), is HOUSE 10. Judge accordingly.
p. 109: IS THE HOUSE HAUNTED? It depends on whose house. It also depends on whether the Querent knows or does not know the spirit involved. "Is the house across the street haunted?" Judge from HOUSE 3, its figure, company, jumpings. "Is my mother's spirit still in my house?" Judge from HOUSE 10 (mother), its figures, company, and jumpings. HOUSE 10 jumping to HOUSE 1 or HOUSE 4 would give an affirmative answer, unless there were some prohibiting affliction (for instance, a single FORTUNA MAJOR in the chart, in HOUSE 4, opposing HOUSE 10).
p. 109: NEIGHBOR's MISSING DAUGHTER: Your neighbor is HOUSE 3. Her daughter is HOUSE 7. Judge accordingly. LOST OBJECT CHARTS and MISSING PERSONS CHARTS can be a bit wonky. There is a hierarchy of significators to go through. For this missing daughter question, I would start with HOUSE 7. If that proved unfruitful, I would look at any VIA in the chart. Via is the "natural ruler" of missing persons (or rather, animate beings). Amissio, however, is the "natural ruler" of missing objects (i.e., inanimate things).
p. 110: BUILDING PERMITS: Permits, licenses, visas, and other grants of legal rights from governmental or municipal authorities are not HOUSE 10. The Querent is HOUSE 1. The authority is HOUSE 10. The grant from the authority is HOUSE 11. Can you get the permit? Judge from HOUSES 1 and 11.
LUCK IN GAMBLING: pp. 157-158. Gambling and betting is about getting the OTHER PERSON'S MONEY, which is a HOUSE 8 matter. The OTHER PERSON is HOUSE 7, and the OTHER PERSON'S MONEY is HOUSE 8.
MAGICAL WORKINGS: pp. 163-164: A SPELL or other ACT OF MAGIC that the Querent is contemplating is HIS CREATION. He gives birth to it, like any other creative or artistic work, such as a painting or a novel. The spell, etc., itself is therefore governed by HOUSE 5. Other factors in judgment would obviously be HOUSE 1, and then whatever HOUSE governs the object of the spell. Job? HOUSE 10. Immigration Visa? HOUSE 11. Increased investment yield? HOUSE 2. A big caveat here is that the Querent often asks a convoluted question, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of a sense of curiosity and experimentation. "Will my spell be successful in getting me XYZ job?" should probably be simplified to "Will I get XYZ job?"
CROPS: pp. 164-165. HOUSE 4 is the Land. CROPS, HARVESTS, etc. as fruits or produce or profit from the LAND (HOUSE 4), are governed by HOUSE 5 (turned house 2d from 4th). HOUSES 10 (weather) and 4 (soil) should be consulted, of course, but they are not determinative because different crops like different conditions. Do you want a good crop of Rose Hips? A frost in HOUSE 10 will be excellent, as will somewhat poor soil. Nonetheless, the figure in HOUSE 5 will still largely be determinative. You can have crop-suitable Figures in HOUSES 4 and 10, but if you have a Figure ruled by any of the barren zodiac signs, the crop is in trouble. HOUSE 5 is not mentioned anywhere here in the section. But, by comparison, HOUSE 5 is given to crops on pp. 105-106. Differentiating between annual and perennial crops is being too precious.
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I use "Magister," "Master," and kindred words (Maestro, Maitre, etc., if I am using another language), in the old sense of "teacher."
>> As you are probably aware, the vast majority of the members here come from one of John Michael Greer's online communities.
No, I was not aware of that fact. Thank you for mentioning it.
>> two geomancy books
Yes, they are good books to get a basic grounding in the Figures, modes of perfection, basic vocabulary. I probably would not enter a discussion with someone who had not read them (say, for example, a Golden Dawn initiate whose knowledge of geomancy was limited to what the Golden Dawn taught of geomancy).
>> briefly outlining the errors in the rules of judgment
That would take a very long time. Flipping through at random, here are a few from ART AND PRACTICE:
BUSINESS LOSE MONEY?: p. 104. This is given as a HOUSE 2 question, but it is a HOUSE 11 question. The QUERENT is HOUSE 1. His BUSINESS is HOUSE 10. PROFITS/LOSS FROM THE BUSINESS are turned 2d from the 10th, or HOUSE 11.
GOOD TIME TO BORROW MONEY?: p. 104. Presumably, the hypothetical Querent wants to know whether he can get a loan. That is a HOUSE 8 matter. Equally true of a question like, "Can I get Mrs. X to invest in my new company?" Mrs. X is HOUSE 7 (presuming that she is just a person you know, and not your mother or your friend), and her money, which you want, is HOUSE 8.
LETTER FROM GRANDMOTHER?: p. 105. Messages and letters are not in HOUSE 5, but are typically a HOUSE 3 matter. The issue became confused because HOUSE 5 governs AMBASSADORS or EMISSARIES sent from one kingdom to another, bearing official messages. Whether you will get a letter from a grandmother depends on whether it is a maternal or paternal grandmother. Querent: HOUSE 1. HIS MOTHER: HOUSE 10. HIS MOTHER's MOTHER: 10th from the 10th, or HOUSE 7. A LETTER FROM THE MOTHER's MOTHER: 3rd from the 7th, or HOUSE 9. Therefore, judge perfection between HOUSE 1 and HOUSE 9. Long experience has proven, too, that perfection between HOUSE 1 and HOUSE 7 will suffice. If a letter from the paternal grandmother (she would be HOUSE 1), judge her letter from HOUSE 3.
p. 107: HOGS FETCH A GOOD PRICE? Given incorrectly as a HOUSE 6 matter. If the breed of hog is larger than a goat, the breed is HOUSE 12. Profit therefrom will be 2d from the 12th, or HOUSE 1. If the breed of hog is smaller than a goat, the breed is HOUSE 6, and the profit therefrom is HOUSE 7. Likewise re: cattle on p. 111. The Cattle are HOUSE 12. The profit therefrom is HOUSE 1.
p. 108: WILL MY COMPANY's BID ON THE PROJECT BE ACCEPTED? This is not a HOUSE 7 matter. You are HOUSE 1. Competitors are HOUSE 7. The job (technically an honor, of sorts), is HOUSE 10. Judge accordingly.
p. 109: IS THE HOUSE HAUNTED? It depends on whose house. It also depends on whether the Querent knows or does not know the spirit involved. "Is the house across the street haunted?" Judge from HOUSE 3, its figure, company, jumpings. "Is my mother's spirit still in my house?" Judge from HOUSE 10 (mother), its figures, company, and jumpings. HOUSE 10 jumping to HOUSE 1 or HOUSE 4 would give an affirmative answer, unless there were some prohibiting affliction (for instance, a single FORTUNA MAJOR in the chart, in HOUSE 4, opposing HOUSE 10).
p. 109: NEIGHBOR's MISSING DAUGHTER: Your neighbor is HOUSE 3. Her daughter is HOUSE 7. Judge accordingly. LOST OBJECT CHARTS and MISSING PERSONS CHARTS can be a bit wonky. There is a hierarchy of significators to go through. For this missing daughter question, I would start with HOUSE 7. If that proved unfruitful, I would look at any VIA in the chart. Via is the "natural ruler" of missing persons (or rather, animate beings). Amissio, however, is the "natural ruler" of missing objects (i.e., inanimate things).
p. 110: BUILDING PERMITS: Permits, licenses, visas, and other grants of legal rights from governmental or municipal authorities are not HOUSE 10. The Querent is HOUSE 1. The authority is HOUSE 10. The grant from the authority is HOUSE 11. Can you get the permit? Judge from HOUSES 1 and 11.
LUCK IN GAMBLING: pp. 157-158. Gambling and betting is about getting the OTHER PERSON'S MONEY, which is a HOUSE 8 matter. The OTHER PERSON is HOUSE 7, and the OTHER PERSON'S MONEY is HOUSE 8.
MAGICAL WORKINGS: pp. 163-164: A SPELL or other ACT OF MAGIC that the Querent is contemplating is HIS CREATION. He gives birth to it, like any other creative or artistic work, such as a painting or a novel. The spell, etc., itself is therefore governed by HOUSE 5. Other factors in judgment would obviously be HOUSE 1, and then whatever HOUSE governs the object of the spell. Job? HOUSE 10. Immigration Visa? HOUSE 11. Increased investment yield? HOUSE 2. A big caveat here is that the Querent often asks a convoluted question, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of a sense of curiosity and experimentation. "Will my spell be successful in getting me XYZ job?" should probably be simplified to "Will I get XYZ job?"
CROPS: pp. 164-165. HOUSE 4 is the Land. CROPS, HARVESTS, etc. as fruits or produce or profit from the LAND (HOUSE 4), are governed by HOUSE 5 (turned house 2d from 4th). HOUSES 10 (weather) and 4 (soil) should be consulted, of course, but they are not determinative because different crops like different conditions. Do you want a good crop of Rose Hips? A frost in HOUSE 10 will be excellent, as will somewhat poor soil. Nonetheless, the figure in HOUSE 5 will still largely be determinative. You can have crop-suitable Figures in HOUSES 4 and 10, but if you have a Figure ruled by any of the barren zodiac signs, the crop is in trouble. HOUSE 5 is not mentioned anywhere here in the section. But, by comparison, HOUSE 5 is given to crops on pp. 105-106. Differentiating between annual and perennial crops is being too precious.
