Geomancy
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Geomancy, a compound of Greek roots denoting "earth divination", was originally used to mean methods of
divination 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 should proceed by reading signs, ...
that interpret geographic features, markings on the ground, or the patterns formed by
soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
, rocks, or
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
. 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 . Geomancy was one of the forms of divination throughout Africa and Europe in premodern times, but was considered a forbidden practice by Christians in medieval Europe. Johannes Hartlieb (Munich, 1456) ''The Book of All Forbidden Arts''; quoted in In other regions and cultures, geomancy practices include ''Sikidy'' and '' Ifá'' (found in Africa),
I Ching The ''I Ching'' or ''Yijing'' ( ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. The ''I Ching'' was originally a divination manual in ...
and
Feng shui Feng shui ( or ), 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'' mean ...
(found in China), Kumalak (found in parts of
Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
), Vastu shastra (in India), Kahuna kuhikuhipu'uone (in Ancient Hawai'i).


Etymology and history

The word ''geomancy'', from
Late Greek Late Greek refers to writings in the Greek language in Late Antiquity and the Early Byzantine period; and in other words, from about the late 2nd century AD until about the late 7th century AD.See the definitions of "Late Greek" aDictionary.comanT ...
, translates literally to . In Latin it becomes . Earlier Greek renditions of this word borrowed the Arabic word () directly, rendering it as or . Other Arabic names for geomancy include , ,Skinner, Stephen (1980). ''Terrestrial Astrology: Divination by Geomancy''. London: Routeledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. and , (literally ). The origins of geomancy are Arabic and the original geomantic figures were created by "making lines of random numbers of dots in the sand". Geomancy was one of the forms of divination throughout Africa and Europe, particularly during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. However it was classified by Christians as one of the seven " forbidden arts", along with black magic, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and scapulimancy.


Forms


Arabic geomancy

The
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
tradition consists of sketching sixteen random lines of dots in
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
. 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 Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. The process involves a mathematical grid of disk-shaped seeds in sixteen figures arranged in rows which the sorcerer uses to divine the future. One traditional form of geomancy in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
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 China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, 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 Chinese divination practice of the
I Ching The ''I Ching'' or ''Yijing'' ( ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. The ''I Ching'' was originally a divination manual in ...
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 Feng shui ( or ), 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'' mean ...
'' as "geomancy" due to their observations of local shamans and
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...
manipulating the flow and direction of
energy Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
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 which literally translates to "science of architecture". These are texts found on the Indian subcontinent that describe principles of design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry.Acharya P.K. (1946)
An Encyclopedia of Hindu Architecture
Oxford University Press
Vastu Shastras incorporate traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs. 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.Stella Kramrisch (1976), The Hindu Temple Volume 1 & 2, Vastu Shastra are the textual part of ''Vastu Vidya'', the latter being the broader knowledge about architecture and design theories from ancient India. 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. Ancient Vastu Shastra principles include those for the design of ''Mandir'' (
Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...
s), and the principles for the design and layout of houses, towns, cities, gardens, roads, water works, shops and other public areas.GD Vasudev (2001), Vastu, Motilal Banarsidas, , pp 74–92Sherri Silverman (2007), Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature, Gibbs Smith, Utah,


Central Asian Kumalak

Kumalak is a type of geomancy practiced in
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, Tuva, and other parts of
Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...
. Kumalak makes use of a three by three grid, wherein a
shaman Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
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

(which like ''feng shui'' literally means ), is the
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n word for geomancy. As a method of divination it seeks to locate favorable sites for cities, residences and burial. This tradition was popularized in
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
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. 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.Peter H. Lee and Wm. Theodore de Bary eds, ''Sources of Korean Tradition Volume 1'', New York: Columbia University Press, 1997.


See also

* * * * *
Spiritual mapping Spiritual mapping refers to the belief among some Christians that specific Demons in Christianity, demons, known as Territorial spirit, territorial spirits, are associated with specific locations and can be conquered through strategic spiritual war ...
– Charismatic Christian process of discovering and mapping demonically controlled regions * *


References


External links


Medieval Geomancy, Elizabeth Bennet's web site

Collegium Geomanticum, John Michael Greer's web site







Astrogem Astrological Geomancy

A Potted History of Geomancy, article by Richard Creightmore
{{Authority control Divination History of astrology