On the 12 Houses of Geomancy (and Astrology)

“The houses represent the places on Earth where

the energies of the cosmos are anchored into the

physical world of everyday life.”

(Demetra George, 2022)

Covering week 5 of the online course ‘Introduction to Geomancy’ (at the College of Psychic Studies here), and we’re talking about the 12 Houses of Geomancy… unceremoniously stolen from Astrology, like a younger sister stealing a dress from their elder sibling.

My Astrological knowledge is pretty standard. I’ve never specialised in Astrology, though I’m mathematically and theoretically capable to draw up a natal chart manually (without assistance from a computer). I understand the zodiac, the houses, the planets and their various aspects. Though Astrology is a VAST ‘science’ (ilm), and as I have not dedicated a huge chunk of my life in mastering it there are nuances that escape me. My knowledge is heavily limited to Early Modern Period style Astrology, as well as the astrological concepts in magical texts or grimoires which circulated Europe. So it is to my detriment that my geomantic knowledge has now surpassed my knowledge of modern Astrology.

When I started studying Geomancy, one of the things I was extremely thankful to my past-self for was attending a lecture in an occult bookshop on renaissance Horary Astrology. Whilst my 19 or 20 year old self was fascinated with the idea of using Astrology to divine answers, I remember it being quite late and almost nodding off during the more detailed parts. Yet, a lot of it seemed to sink in – and because of that lecture, quite a lot of the astrological techniques and theory in Geomancy felt quite second nature. (and no, sadly I cannot remember the gent’s name who provided the lecture… I hesitate to admit it was quite a few years ago!).

My experience of the Astrological concepts in Geomancy may have been very different had I studied modern natal Astrology and techniques. This is something I hadn’t thought of until I was blessed with a couple of geomancy students who have a professional background in Astrology. I have had a few questions about some of the associations of the 12 houses of Geomancy, especially when compared to Modern Astrology vs Horary Astrology. In order to answer them, I’ve had to cross-reference several books, online texts and even some Vedic Astrology forums. It’s been a fascinating process, and I hadn’t fully realised the slight differences – or some of the assumptions that are made when teaching the 12 Houses of Geomancy to Astrology students or professionals.

As such, here’s a BIG LONG article on the 12 Houses of Geomancy. I’m going to include what they are, how they’re structured, what they cover in brief, and anything I can spot as a slight difference with modern astrology. I will be using my trusty Parkers’ Astrology as a reference for ‘modern’ theory.

I will be writing an article on each house, their associations and what the various Geomancy texts say about them soon… but for now, this is an overview.

What is the House System of Astrology and Geomancy?

The Twelve Houses of Geomancy is an adopted practice from astrology. In astrology, the space encircling the earth is divided into twelve sections. These sections are referred to as ‘Houses’, though they used to be called topos, a Greek word meaning ‘place’.

You may have heard about the 12 signs of the zodiac (and associate them with your ‘star sign’, and the daily or weekly astrology column in a newspaper). Whilst the zodiac is a 12-part division of the sky along the ecliptic (represented by a star constellation within that portion), the 12 Houses are a 12-part division of the space around the Earth.

As such the 12 Houses are terrestrial (earthly, or earth-bound) locations, and not locations of the sky. I’ve heard the Houses referred to as “The heavens brought to Earth”, which I think is a beautiful phrase. The Houses represent twelve ‘sections’ or topics of a person’s life. For example, there are houses which represent one’s relationships, parents, finances, and even a person’s dog or cat! They are concerned with our earthly life – from Birth to Death.

When did the Twelve Houses of Astrology Become Part of Geomancy?

A very difficult question to answer. The astrological houses could reach back quite early in Geomancy’s history. Whilst it’s tempting to say that the twelve houses are a later add-on, like much of the astrological ideas in European Geomancy, the little I’ve seen implies that Geomancy already had these house associations in the Arabic Tradition.

We can see names for the 12 Geomantic Houses inscribed on the Geomancy Machine in the British Museum which correlate pretty accurately to the twelve house names of astrology. This little device was made around 1241AD, so quite early in the history of Geomancy (if we assume a 900-1000CE starting date).

We certainly see the 12 houses as part of very early Western/European Geomancy, so there’s a likelihood that they find their origins in earlier Arabic Geomancy. Especially as Arabic Occultism centred around Astrology, Dream Interpretation, Geomancy and Lettrism.

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How do the 12 Houses of Astrology work in Geomancy?

The 12 Astrological Houses are applied in Geomancy very simply. Whilst in Astrology you have various different methods of working out the twelve houses (including Equal House System, Regiomontanus, placidus, porphyry etc.) in Geomancy it’s a very simple affair.

Usually, the 12 Houses are assigned to the first 12 figures of a shield chart, in order. So the 1^st House is the 1^st Mother, the 2^nd House is the 2^nd Mother.. etc. So the 12 Houses map to the Mothers, Daughters and Nieces like so:

Why did I say usually? Well, because there’s always someone that has to be different! Though I’ll come back to this later on…

What are the Twelve Houses of Geomancy (and Astrology!)

The twelve Houses of Geomancy are traditionally given a Latin name. As the Houses are a 12-part subsection of our everyday and mundane lives, this Latin name ‘summarises’ what the house is about and with what kind of thing it’s associated with.

In the above chart, I’ve also supplied what the 12 houses are named on the ‘Geomancy Machine’ in the British Museum. In some ways, these are more descriptive than the Latin names and provide a good understanding of what each ‘House’ covers.

What do the Twelve Houses of Geomancy Mean?

Here is a brief summary of what each of the 12 houses of Geomancy mean within a reading. I will note where it may differ from Modern Astrology (using my trusty copy of Parkers’ Astrology), though I’m intending this as a brief overview. As time goes on, I will link each of these sections to a full page on each of the houses.

I. Vita – The House of Life and Soul

The first house represents the Querent, or the person for whom the chart is cast. It can also represent the personality or qualities of the querent, as well as their disposition.

In Modern Astrology, the first house also covers the health and well-being of the individual, though in Geomancy (and, I suspect, horary astrology) this is mostly the place of the Sixth House. However, I can see how one may read ‘constitution’ in the 1^st House in Geomancy – as in one’s tendency towards illness and diseases.

II. Lucrum – The House of Property and Wages

The second house governs finances and moveable property. It can be referred to when looking at missing, lost or stolen belongings. Questions referring to profits or losses also belong in this house.

Feelings, emotional security and one’s attitude towards a partner is also added to this list by Modern Astrology. Parkers’ mentions the link between Money and Love via Venus (the ruler of this house in Astrology).

III. Fratres – The House of Brothers and Sisters

This house belongs to siblings (brothers and sisters), neighbours, immediate surroundings and short journeys. It can be used to answer questions around advice, news and rumours – as it is the ‘House of Communication’ in Astrology (Gemini/Mercury). John Michael Greer refers to the third house as governing education from preschool through to high school.

Parkers’ Astrology also has early education as part of the third House, and adds speech (due to the House relating to communication).

IV. Genitor – The House of Fathers and Mothers

The fourth house is all about land, agriculture, buildings and towns. As it is about buildings and the home, it can be used for questions around moving or relocation. In most sources, the 4^th house represents the ‘Father’ with the 10^th referred to as the ‘Mother’, though in some other places this association is switched.

The fourth house is an ‘angular house’ and is the one that points ‘down’ into the Earth. As such, the 4^th house can represent things that are underground, unknown places or objects, and anything ‘old’.

Parkers’ Astrology associates the fourth house with the mother, also linking an especially pronounced 4^th house as the subject being concerned with the past. What isn’t in Modern Astrology is any link between the 4^th house and lands to inherit, which is included in some Geomancy sources. Here, I’d hesitate to differentiate this with the 8^th house. Whilst the 4^th House is what there is to inherit (the property and estates owned by one’s parents, or father) the 8^th House is what we do inherit.

V. Nati – The House of Offspring and Children

Nati governs questions to do with children and offspring, but also fertility and pregnancy. Similarly, questions around crops also belong to this house.

This is also the house of Sex and Pleasure (but Love is in the 7^th house, so this is sex as pleasure and recreation only!). Pleasurable things, such as parties, entertainment, food, drink, fine clothes all belong here.

With Modern Astrology, the fifth house is the ‘house of creativity’ – with self expression through the arts or practical skills (such as cooking). Parkers’ also adds that this is the ‘domain of lovers’, where the first inklings of an affair are seen. So you can see that this house can differ quite a bit with modern astrology, and it feels a lot more PG Rated than the 5^th house in Geomancy.

VI. Valetudo – The House of Illness and Disease

Traditionally the House of Health, and can detail illnesses, diseases and injuries. However, it also represents the querent’s employees and ‘servants’, as well as any professional service (electricians, doctors, lawyers and even sex workers). It is also the house for domestic animals (not including rideable service animals such as donkeys, horses, mules etc.).

John Michael Greer also associates this house with practitioners of the Occult or Magic, other than the querent.

Whilst Geomancy concerns the 6^th house with illness and disease, in modern astrology it seems more associated with health, diet and exercise. Parkers’ differentiates this house with the 1^st by saying that the 1^st house is ‘more physical’. It is also the house of routine; whether work routine, home or family routines. So it can be seen as the house of self-discipline and organisation.

Parkers’ does include references to ‘old astrological books’ that include servants amongst the 6^th house, but quickly adds that it now governs the attitudes to the people we summon to help us – such as service people (decorator, plumber etc.).

VII. Uxor – The House of Maturation and Sexual Matters

This is the House of the Partner – love, marriage, partnership, husbands/wives, all of it belongs here. Though it can also be the House for business partners in business questions, or even rivals and enemies. It is the ‘person opposite you’ in Astrology, and thus can represent those with which agreements or treaties are made with, or those that you are in conflict or competition against.

A thief can be represented by House 7 in questions of stolen property, but this house can also represents someone you’re hunting or searching for; such as missing persons.

For modern astrology, this too is the house of relationships. This includes emotional ones, yes, but also colleagues and one-to-one relationships. Parkers’ highlights this house as the ‘House of Commitment’, and states that it reflects the needs of an individual in the arena of relationships.

VIII. Mors – The House of Slaughter and Death

The Eighth House is the House of Death, the Dead and the Occult. Historically, a traditional question for a Geomancer was ‘how long will I live for?’, whilst this question would be unethical to answer nowadays it is a question that is assigned to the 8^th house. As the British Museum’s Geomancy machine terms it, it is the House of Slaughter so this house has also been used to identify murders.

As this is the house of the dead, it is also the house of ghosts, spirits and things beyond death. And along similar supernatural lines, this is also the house of the Occult. So magic performed by the querent, or on their behalf, can be found here in the 8^th.

As the finances of the ‘other’ (2^nd house from the 7^th house), it can also be linked to loans or debts.

Parkers’ Astrology uses the keywords “sex, inheritance, investment” for the eighth house. So everything agrees to the idea of inheritances and endowments (A.K.A money owned by the other person). For the 8^th House modern astrology use death in the literal sense, but also in the metaphorical sense. We see this house linked to self-searching and attitudes towards death, but also the concept of death as change or transformation. Parkers’ states “new beginnings that occur when the individual has come to terms with the deep-rooted psychological problems after periods of psychotherapy, or, even more poignantly, self-analysis”… probably something we wouldn’t see in a Early Modern period grimoire on Geomancy!

The big difference here is the inclusion of sex in the 8^th house. Calling the 8^th “The House of the Life Force”, linking the house to sexual instincts, urges and impulses.

IX. Itineris – The House of Movement and Changes

Itineris means Journeys, and this house rules long journeys of every kind – physical, spiritual, or even metaphorical. Any travel by means of sea, air or space belongs here in the 9^th house.

This is also the house for higher and adult education, universities, arts, religion, spirituality and dreams. Occult philosophy, theory and divination belong here whilst Occult practice belongs to the 8^th House.

In modern astrology the ninth house is about further education, and extending one’s mind and communication. Thus it is the house of philosophical outlooks, spiritual questions and searching. Long distance travel is also spoken about, as well as publishing and literature. How modern astrology seems to differ on the surface is that the ninth house rules hopes and ideals, and thus ‘Dreams’… but this is a very different feel to the ‘dreams’ listed in geomantic books. In Geomancy, the concept of dreams seems tied up with the spiritual, the divine and Oneiromancy. Not in the ‘our hopes and dreams’ kind of way.

The ninth house for modern astrologers also speaks about moral codes and the conscious.

X. Regnum – The House of Power and Glory

The 10^th house is someone’s position and reputation in society – their ‘power and glory’. It is also the House of Career, and represents their career, job, and ambitions. True to it’s Latin name, meaning kings, it is also the house of people of authority. It can also be the house of politics.

As House IV was Father, House X is Mother. Some astrologers flip this around, or assign the 4^th house to the primary care giver and the 10^th to the secondary.

As this house points upwards (or is the top-most house) it also represents the sky, and thus the weather.

For modern astrologers, this is the House of Aspiration and Wordly Progress. Very similar to how the house is described in geomantic texts, though with an additional psychological interpretation of how the individual copes with responsibility and power.

XI. Benefacta – The House of Hope and Expectations

This is the house of community, friends, associates and promises. It’s name ‘Good Fortune’ also tell us that it’s the source of hopes and wishes, but also sources of help that are available – our ‘Good Fairies’.

John Michael Greer also mentions that it can represent any question that the querent isn’t willing to tell the geomancer too.

The modern astrological interpretation of the eleventh house is very similar to what I’ve already disclosed. However, additional comments around good causes (charity), and whether good actions are altruistic or self-centred are included. Yet, we can see how these can emerge from the earlier ideas of the 11^th house.

XII. Carcer – The House of Enemies and Jealousies

Twelve house is a dark house that represents things that are restricting or limiting the querent. It is a house which represents what the querent cannot see, including secrets, unknown enemies, and malicious magic against the querent. This house can also represent debts owed by the querent, and imprisonment.

Service animals which are ridden also belong here, as it’s a house of Saturn – so Horses, Mules, Donkeys, Camels… etc.

Parkers’ Astrology calls this house ‘The House of Seclusion and Escapism’, and links it heavily with the ‘nature of the unconscious’ and the ‘root of psychological problems’. In some ways, I find this house the most different between what I understand of the early Geomancy manuals and the modern astrological interpretation. Once again, I assume this is due to the focus on natal astrology rather than horary – there’s no need to see ‘hidden enemies’ in the birth chart of a child. Here it makes sense to talk about psychological problems that will lead the child to block or hinder themselves.

Understanding the Layout of the 12 Houses

The meanings of the houses are not randomly assigned, but demonstrate an organised beauty when viewed in an astrological chart. As Geomancers tend to use the old skool square-form Horary chart, let us use this to picture it:

The Houses numbered 1, 4, 7 and 10 are called the ‘Angular’ houses. These houses look like the cardinal points of the chart and exert a strong influence in it. The angular houses could be seen as the ‘four winds’, or the four directions. If you look at the meanings of these houses, you recognise that each of them are attributed to a major person in a person’s life. House 1 represents the querent, opposite them is their partner (traditionally can be seen as their Spouse). Above and below we have the Father (IV) and Mother (X) opposite each other. As you can see, the fourth house is pointing downwards and thus can refer to the earth beneath us or what we’re standing on, whilst the tenth house is pointing upwards and can refer to the sky above us, the weather and the ‘heights’ to which we can attain (ambition).

Now, the second house represents the querent’s finances. But what happens if we are interested in the spouse’s finances? Horary Astrology, and thus geomancy, does something interesting here. So if finances is in the Querent’s second house, then the spouse’s finances are in their second house too. As the spouse is the 7^th house and the second house from them would be the 8^th house, the finances of a spouse are the 8^th house. So the 8^th house can be considered money or finances of the ‘other’ person.

You will now see why certain correspondences exist in the houses. For example, in the 8^th house where it mentions money loaned (money we give to the other) or money owed (debts we have to another). Clever, eh?

There are other patterns to be aware of in the house chart, though I think this deserves a whole article on it. So stay tuned!

Other Systems of Allotting the Houses with the Geomancy Chart

The oldest tradition of assigning the first 12 Geomantic figures of a chart with the 12 Astrological houses always do it in the most simple format – 1^st Mother is the 1^st House, 1^st Daughter is the 4^th House etc.

But, there are other systems. Other systems which came later in the living tradition of Geomancy. For example, Agrippa in his ‘On Geomancy’ in the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy (sometimes assumed to be spurious, though I believe it’s genuinely held as Agrippa’s work now) has another method.

Of course, he lists the standard and simple format, but then he states that he will provide “the True Figure of Geomancy, according to the right constitution of Astrological reason” and proceeds to give a completely different version.

Here, the four mothers are given to the four angular houses (houses 1, 4, 7, & 10), and the four daughters to the succedent houses (2, 5, 8, & 11). Now, it would make sense for the four nieces to be used for the last four houses (the Cadent houses). But nope! Agrippa instead instructs us to use Geomantic Addition [LINK] to generate these figures. Adding together:

• House I (first mother) + House V (fourth daughter) = House IX

• House II (second mother) + House X (first daughter) = House VI

• House VII (third mother) + House XI (second daughter) = House III

• House IV (fourth mother) + House VIII (third daughter) = House XII

This produces the cadent houses by their elemental “triplicity”….

To Be Continued…

[That’s just a note to say that I’ve really run out of time writing this, so I shall return later to finish this!]