Geomancy, ‘divination by earth’, arose in late antiquity, reached its classical form in medieval Arabic manuscripts, and spread through Europe under names like ‘the science of the lines’. Its ‘Shield Chart’ uses 16 figures, each made of four lines whose dots (single or paired) encode binary patterns. These figures correspond to elemental, psychological, and ethical archetypes.
Originally a tool for quick counsel, scribes would scratch dots in sand. The method was refined into paper-and-ink charts, and eventually wood-cut figures. Its power lies in the way that casting just four random ‘Mothers’, the remaining 12 chart positions derive mathematically, revealing hidden connections and guiding towards resolution.
The 16 Geomantic Figures
Below is a chart of all 16 figures (click any image to jump to its entry):
| Via | Populus | Fortuna Major | Fortuna Minor |
 |  |  |  |
| Coniunctio | Carcer | Tristitia | Laetitia |
 |  |  |  |
| Acquisitio | Amissio | Albus | Rubeus |
 |  |  |  |
| Puella | Puer | Caput Draconis | Cauda Draconis |
 |  |  |  |
(Each cell is a 4-line dot-pattern; you’ll see these same images in your readings.)
How to Use This Guide
- Browse the Chart
Familiarise yourself with the patterns and names. - Read the Detailed Entry
Each figure below includes:- Core Meaning (essence in one phrase)
- Layers (emotion, mind, spirit)
- Spiritual Lesson (what the soul must learn)
- Reflective Question (for journaling)
- Affirmation (focus phrase)
- Apply to Your Reading
1. Via (The Way)
Meaning:
Via is the river of life in motion. It speaks of change that cannot be halted: a current you must navigate, not resist. This figure is neither good nor bad; it simply is, reminding you that nothing stays fixed.
- Emotion: Restlessness, the need for movement or travel.
- Mind: Fluid thinking, adaptability, but also risk of confusion.
- Spirit: Surrender to the flow, trust in life’s invisible guide.
Spiritual Lesson:
Flexibility is survival; rigidity invites fracture.
Reflective Question:
Where am I resisting the river that wants to carry me forward?
Affirmation:
‘I flow with life’s unfolding.’
2. Populus (The Multitude)
Meaning:
Populus is the crowd, the host, and the reflective mirror of collective energies. Depending on your centre, it can bless or overwhelm.
- Emotion: Empathy overload or deep belonging.
- Mind: Ideas borrowed from others—innovation or plagiarism.
- Spirit: Community as sanctuary or prison.
Spiritual Lesson:
True individuality emerges in communion, not isolation.
Reflective Question:
How do I honour my uniqueness within the crowd?
Affirmation:
‘I shine within the multitude.’
3. Albus (Whiteness / Clarity)
Meaning:
Albus brings mental clarity, purification: the white light of insight. It can dissolve confusion, but also blind you with too much pure logic.
- Emotion: Calm detachment or icy indifference.
- Mind: Brilliant ideas or sterilised over-analysis.
- Spirit: The cleansing fire that melts old illusions.
Spiritual Lesson:
Wisdom without compassion is a frozen blade.
Reflective Question:
Where do I need clarity, and where do I need warmth?
Affirmation:
‘I see with clear and loving eyes.’
4. Coniunctio (Conjunction / Union)
Meaning:
Coniunctio is the meeting point of opposites: light/dark, conscious/unconscious. It heralds synthesis, partnerships, or inner alchemy.
- Emotion: Magnetic attraction or collision.
- Mind: Integration of ideas, creative fusion.
- Spirit: The union that births new heavens.
Spiritual Lesson:
True wholeness arises from embracing your shadows.
Reflective Question:
What polarities within me must be reconciled?
Affirmation:
‘I unite what was torn.’
5. Puella (The Young Woman / Grace)
Meaning:
Puella brings joy, grace, and the playful moment of innocence reclaimed. It invites laughter and the sweetness of lightness.
- Emotion: Delight, flirtation, creative play.
- Mind: Inspiration that arrives like a laughing child.
- Spirit: The blessing of simple beauty.
Spiritual Lesson:
In joy, we remember our divine nature.
Reflective Question:
Where can I invite more play into my life?
Affirmation:
‘I open to life’s sweet laughter.’
6. Amissio (Loss / Release)
Meaning:
Amissio signifies loss, detachment, or letting go. It may mourn what once was, but also clear space for what must come.
- Emotion: Grief or relief.
- Mind: Forgetting obsolete patterns, risking disorientation.
- Spirit: The ritual of release.
Spiritual Lesson:
Only by losing can we find our true gain.
Reflective Question:
What must I surrender to invite new life?
Affirmation:
‘I release what no longer serves.’
7. Fortuna Major (Great Fortune)
Meaning:
Fortuna Major is the boon of destiny: power, success, benevolent winds filling your sails.
- Emotion: Confidence, ambition, gratitude.
- Mind: Strategic vision, risk-taking.
- Spirit: Blessing of the cosmos.
Spiritual Lesson:
Luck favours the prepared heart.
Reflective Question:
How will I steward this gift wisely?
Affirmation:
‘I am the vessel of abundance.’
8. Fortuna Minor (Lesser Fortune)
Meaning:
Fortuna Minor offers small blessings, fleeting successes, or early signs of fortune: encouragement to keep going.
- Emotion: Hope tempered with caution.
- Mind: Short-lived victories, small advantages.
- Spirit: Seeds of greater favours.
Spiritual Lesson:
Small wins pave the path to great triumphs.
Reflective Question:
What modest blessing am I overlooking?
Affirmation:
‘I honour every gift, however small.’
9. Tristitia (Sadness / Gravity)
Meaning:
Tristitia is the weight of sorrow, the depth of introspection. It can be oppressive but also a crucible for true transformation.
- Emotion: Melancholy that demands acknowledgement.
- Mind: Serious reflection, potential depression.
- Spirit: The dark womb where new visions gestate.
Spiritual Lesson:
Pain is the teacher of compassion.
Reflective Question:
How can I honour my grief without being consumed?
Affirmation:
‘I embrace sorrow as a sacred teacher.’
10. Laetitia (Joy / Lightness)
Meaning:
Laetitia is the burst of joy after the rain, the moment of triumph and celebration. It’s the levity that lightens your soul.
- Emotion: Exuberance, relief, playful abandon.
- Mind: Creative breakthroughs, optimism.
- Spirit: The sun breaking through clouds.
Spiritual Lesson:
True joy honours both dark and light.
Reflective Question:
When did I last laugh with abandon?
Affirmation:
‘I bask in the light of joy.’
11. Caput Draconis (Dragon’s Head / New Beginnings)
Meaning:
Caput Draconis is the charged moment of inception, a breakthrough after darkness. It’s the spark that ignites.
- Emotion: Excitement, impulse, bold vision.
- Mind: Fresh ideas, daring leaps.
- Spirit: The threshold of the new cycle.
Spiritual Lesson:
Embrace beginnings with a courageous heart.
Reflective Question:
What new venture calls to my spirit?
Affirmation:
‘I step into the new with fire.’
12. Cauda Draconis (Dragon’s Tail / Endings)
Meaning:
Cauda Draconis marks the close of a cycle, the necessary end before rebirth. It can be abrupt or graceful.
- Emotion: Relief, regret, finality.
- Mind: Necessary termination, decisive cuts.
- Spirit: The dark passage into transformation.
Spiritual Lesson:
Endings prepare the ground for renewal.
Reflective Question:
What must I decisively close to be reborn?
Affirmation:
‘I honour endings as sacred rites.’
13. Puer (The Boy / Impulse)
Meaning:
Puer is raw energy, youthful impulse, and potential aggression. It demands action, but beware of tyranny.
- Emotion: Passion, impatience, restlessness.
- Mind: Quick decisions, daring gambits.
- Spirit: The warrior’s call to courage or folly.
Spiritual Lesson:
Impulse without wisdom becomes violence.
Reflective Question:
Where must I temper my fire with discernment?
Affirmation:
‘I act with both fire and reason.’
14. Rubeus (The Red One / Chaos)
Meaning:
Rubeus is the tumult of passion, jealousy, and raw instinct. Its fire can forge or burn you.
- Emotion: Rage, lust, obsession.
- Mind: Radical choice, reckless abandon.
- Spirit: The wild flame that must be mastered.
Spiritual Lesson:
Chaos is the forge of transformation.
Reflective Question:
What inner fire demands discipline?
Affirmation:
‘I harness my flame with respect.’
15. Acquisitio (Gain / Prosperity)
Meaning:
Acquisitio heralds success, acquisition, and material blessing. It is the harvest of effort and focus.
- Emotion: Satisfaction, pride, cautious celebration.
- Mind: Strategic planning, reward.
- Spirit: The fruit of sacred labour.
Spiritual Lesson:
Prosperity demands gratitude and generosity.
Reflective Question:
How will I share my gains?
Affirmation:
‘I receive abundance with open hands.’
16. Carcer (Prison / Restriction)
Meaning:
Carcer confines and restricts. It can feel like a trap or a needed boundary, depending on perspective.
- Emotion: Frustration, containment, safety in limits.
- Mind: Discipline or stagnation.
- Spirit: The necessary cocoon before a breakthrough.
Spiritual Lesson:
Boundaries both protect and challenge.
Reflective Question:
Which limits are my prison, and which are my sanctuary?
Affirmation:
‘I find freedom within sacred boundaries.’
By weaving together the chart’s positions and these deep meanings, you’ll unlock the full wisdom of geomancy: an oracle as old as history, yet as fresh as the soil beneath your feet.
