This page serves as an outline of the meaning of Puella – the Geomantic Figure. This page is partly a summary of my thoughts and feelings about a particular figure, but it’s also a collection of notes and references. I will update this page over time with more information – a one-stop shop! I hope that it serves other students of Geomancy.

To view one of the other figures, click here to go an article on the 16 figures of Geomancy:

The Geomantic Figure of The Girl…

This is the geomancy figure of Puella

Overview of the Meaning of Puella

The Latin name of this figure is Puella, which translates to ‘girl’. This complements the figure Puer, translating to ‘boy’. In Western Geomancy it is a symbol representing feminine energy, harmony, beauty, and receptivity. It is considered good or favourable in most situations, especially those involving matters of women, friendship, love, or beauty. However, it is frequently seen as a ‘fickle’ figure, lacking the depth of some figures and the staying power of others. Puella is astrologically associated with Venus and the zodiac sign Libra, giving it connotations of peace, diplomacy, grace, and charm. Venus also rules Amissio, and it’s clear that whilst Puella received the positive side of Venus, Amissio received the negative aspects. Puella’s Venus is more about the attributes of Venus herself, whilst Amissio is more about what someone possesses or doesn’t possess.

In Arabic this figure is known as Naqi (نقى). This word translates to ‘pure’, clean, unadulterated, pristine, or innocent. It is therefore quite different from the Western, instead of being about femininity it refers to something free from impurities, flaws, or corruption; such as pure water, clear air, or even a person’s soul. Interestingly, when looking up Naqi, the word (with a slightly different pronunciation) can also refer to bone marrow.

With this figure, I like to imagine someone (usually a female) who is eager to keep harmony amongst her guests – paying them compliments and attention, but steering away from any topic that might create disharmony. Usually, it is the difficult conversations (and those that ‘break a few eggs’) which bring to the surface our core values and beliefs – defining who we are as people. If we avoid the difficult in order to stay amicable and ‘not rock the boat’, then we fail to discover the deeper qualities that make each other unique. Our hostess therefore, by ensuring that only pleasantries are passed between her guests, maintains harmony but creates a rather boring evening with the guests yawning the evening away.

The Gender Binary in Geomancy

Okay, I think it’s important to address the Gender Elephant in the room… how do we feel about Puella/Puer representing traditional binary gender roles in Western Geomancy? Especially when it’s clear that partly this has been added by the West and not something in the Arabic practice?

So firstly, the Arabic practices aren’t squeaky clean either. There’s a lot of references to ‘bearded’ and ‘unbearded’ men – yet very little direct references to females. There are also some traditional practices that attribute male/female roles to each pair of geomantic figures. Interestingly, I have seen in a couple of sources the reference to figures which represent hermaphodites and those of neither gender – but they are rare.

In Western Occultism we have to grapple with our feelings towards gender binary at some point – whether it’s the polarity that we see in Ceremonial and Hermetic magical practices, or the God/Goddess of Wiccan and Witchcraft traditions. It’s always worth stopping and thinking what we think and feel about these when they occur.

In my opinion the male/female polarity in Western magic, represented by Puella and Puer in geomancy, symbolise the balance of complementary energies rather than fixed gender roles. The masculine represents active, initiating qualities, while the feminine reflects receptive, nurturing traits. Whilst these traditional correspondences are almost gag worthy, these traits (and thus figures) are present in everyone – independent of biological sexes or gender expression. We each have Puella and Puer traits within us, and at times Geomancy will tell us to ‘be more Puer’ whether we are male or not.

This polarity highlights how opposites work together in nature and the self, offering an opportunity for us to examine our existence in reference to two discrete categories. For example, ‘am I confident, or am I shy?’ or ‘do I aim to please others, or do I assert myself?’. The issue is always when we take these qualities or attributes and we ascribe them to gender or sex. In Geomancy that fault is already inherent in the system – they are literally called ‘boy’ and ‘girl’, and as such we subconsciously associate certain attributes to female and others to male. As a reader, it’s our job to move with the times. Whether you want to rename these figures more inline with their Arabic names, or whether you just want to be really careful that you’re not resorting to stereotypes when you read them in a chart, it’s important to stop here and think about this.

For me, I keep the traditional names of Puer and Puella, but I’m careful in a reading not to assume that it’s about a person who is male or female. I start with the qualities and energy of the figure, and see how it is expressing itself in the chart. Enough said on the matter!

Puella is favourable for:

• • Beauty

  • Love and friendship

  • Anything where short-term positive outcomes are required (just not lasting!)

  • Any situation where cool, calm logic will prevail.

  • Questions about appeasing people or creating harmony

Puella  is unfavourable for:

• • Long term or lasting positive outcomes

  • Anything where deep change is required.

Reflections on Geomantic Figure of Puella

Looking at the ‘patterns’ which can be created by the points in the figure of Puella, we can see:

• • A handheld mirror or looking glass – the traditional symbol of the planet and Goddess Venus

  • A woman with large breasts – Representing the traditional gender binary ‘female’.

Puella has three active elements – only lacking the element of Air. The combination of Fire, Water and Earth is an odd one, as these three elements do not share any common quality amongst them. For instance, whilst fire and water are mobile, earth is immobile. Or, where earth and water are blunt, fire is sharp. Equally, Water and Earth share the cold quality though fire does not, and fire and earth share the dry quality, yet water does not. This makes it feel like a figure which is continually having to balance various elements to keep the harmony – working hard to appease each one.

Puella teaches us to seek harmony in our lives, and the beauty that comes from balance and peace. When Puella appears in the chart it can invite us to ncouraging to approach situations with grace and poise, and that sometimes focusing on momentary happiness can triumph over worrying about what happens tomorrow.

Elemental Ruler:

Planetary Ruler:

Zodiac Ruler:

Given to the sign Cancer