Compiled by David C. Jones (djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu)

Copyright, 1996, David Clark Jones.  Please see the table of
contents for the location of the full listing of the copyright
notice.

1.49) Geomantic Spread (#V, C9, AX) (Blackburn)

[ Editors note:  This is a layout/system designed by Mr. Blackburn. 
The explination listed below was taken from a newsgroup posting. 
Minor omissions not important to explanation have been made for
spatial purposes; other alterations include a few minor spelling
and grammatical corrections.  However, in all fundamental respects,
this is his discription of the layout.  There are few places which,
to me, seem either ambiguous or confusing.  I may try to contact
the author to help clear these up, but otherwise just fill in any
gaps you find as you see fit.  Also, due to the complexity of the
explination, the standard format for layout entries has been
removed for this layout. -- DJ ]


The first thing you must realize is that this is not a simple
"spread" of tarot cards, but a multi-disiplinary approach to
divination.  It should also be understood that this can be a rather
involved system to work with.

GEOMANCY
Geomancy (earth magic) is a type of divination which the diviner
strikes the ground repeatedly with a stick (thus making holes)
while channeling the "spirits of the earth."  The number of holes
is countered and recorded as even or odd.  This is done sixteen
times to get the full reading.  I have studied, but not actually
practice this technique.  The even and odd numbers are then used as
the basis of of a pseudo-astrological reading.  What I did was come
up with a system of making the reading using tarot cards (any type
that can be numbered will do).

MY USE OF "GEOMANCY"
Instead of using a stick to poke holes in the ground, I developed
a system of using cards.  The diviner shuffles and cuts the deck,
and then begins to deal out the cards FACE DOWN, in to sixteen
piles.  The diviner focuses meditatively and place as many cards in
each pile as feels right, and then move on to the next pile.  (This
eliminate the problem of seeing the holes being made.)  The cards
are then fliped and counted to get sixteen numbers as so (see
example below).  These are then read into eight columns of dots,
into sets of one for odd or two for even:

(read from RIGHT TO LEFT or BOTTOM TO TOP)
        
3    7    13   12   <-IV
4    23   2    17   <-III
1    15   7    18   <-II
5    10   3    9    <-I
^    ^    ^    ^
VIII VII  VI   V    

To get dots such as:

 I
___
 *
 *
* * 
 *

which is the figure for Puer ("boy").

All eight sets should be on one row.  Each two sets (first+second,
third+fourth, fifth+sixth, and seventh+eighth) are combined to get
to four more signs, numbered IX through XII.  They are combined by
adding the dots in each row to determine even and odd dot fo the
new figure, as so:

II       I       IX
___  +  ___  =  ___
 *       *      * *
* *      *       *
 *      * *      *
* *     * *     * *

After this, the four new figures are combined (IX+X and XI+XII) to
get two more figures, which are then combined to get the final
figure which sums up the whole reading.

WHAT YOU DO WITH THE FIGURES
Each figure has it's own name and meaning.  There are books on
geomancy if you are interested in an indepth discussion of each
signs interpretation.  Here is a table of there meanings, given
with the number of dots from the top down being listed (from left
to right) as ones and twos:

1111 Via: way, journey; water, LUNA, leo
2222 Populous: People, Congregation; water, LUNA, capricorn
2112 Conjuctio: conjuction, assembling; air, MERCURY, virgo
1221 Carcer: bound, prison; earth, SATURN, pices
2211 Fortuna Major: greater good fortune; earth, SOL, aquarius
1122 Fortuna Minor: lesser good fortune; fire, SOL, taurus
2121 Aquistio: aquistion, obtaining; air, JUPITER, taurus
1212 Amissio: Loss; fire, VENUS, libra
1222 Laetitia: joy, laughing; air, JUPITER, taurus
2221 Tristitia: sorrow, damned; earth, SATURN, scorpio
1211 Puella: girl, beautiful; water, VENUS, libra
1121 Puer: boy, yellow, beardless; fire, MARS, aries
2212 Albus: white, pure, fair; water, MERCURY, cancer
2122 Rubeus: red, reddish; fire, MARS, gimini
2111 Caput Draconis:dragon head, beginning;earth, NORTH NODE, virgo
1112 Cauda Draconis:dragon tail, end; fire, SOUTH NODE, Sagitarius

In traditional geomancy, the first twelve figures are placed in the
twelve astrological houses (some ignore duplicates of the same
planet, others do not).  Varius methods are used to determine which
astrological sign is in the first house with the other signs
following in their natural order.  I, however, use a different
method.  I apply the geomantic figures in the context of an
astrological tarot reading.

TAROT GEOMANCY
Now that you now how to do the geomantic portion of the reading, I
will go back over my method.  First I deal out twelve cards in a
circle (I usually angle them so that the bottom is toward the
center of the circle, most do not and it doesn't mater as long as
you can read them and tell if they are reversed or not).  This is
the astrological spread.  I then take the rest of the deck and deal
them into sixteen piles, as expained above.  These cards are taken
for their numerical value only (page=11, knight=12, queen=13,
king=14, numbered cards and major arcana = number written on them). 
The the geomantic figures are read in the context of the tarot
cards, and both are read in the context of the houses.  (For
explinations of astrological houses, see section 3.1)

I have found this technique very useful for long term questions
that deal with the final outcome of event or issues over mounths or
years.  It is not worth it for short term divination and of limited
usefulness in terms of hows and why question or for determining
courses of event leading up to the conclusion.  It is very
involved, but for issues appropriate to it, very accurate and
detailed - well worth the effort.