The Logic of Geomantic Houses

[sdi]

In The Art and Practice of Geomancy, Greer writes that the houses follow a subtle but definite logic; true though this is, I've spent a lot of time trying to puzzle out what, exactly, that logic is.

Here is my best guess so far:

1. Me
2. Closely held things (possessions, money, self-esteem, close advisors, secrets you keep from everyone else, etc.)
3. Nearby things (the local environment, neighbors, communication, common knowledge, etc.)
4. Things beneath (things relating to the earth (agriculture, real estate, etc.), one's roots, the past, etc.)
5. Nearby benefits (pleasures, made things, etc.)
6. Nearby limitations (the body, diseases, hired help, etc.)
7. You (partners, opponents, "the other party", etc.)
8. Things let go of (death, wills, legacies, magic, etc.)
9. Distant things (faraway places, dreams, specialized knowledge, religion, etc.)
10. Things above (things related to the sky (weather, astrological forces, etc.), authority, gods, one's ambitions, the future, etc.)
11. Distant benefits (friends, benefactors, hopes and wishes, etc.)
12. Distant limitations (societal hindrances, things hidden from you, the unknown, fears, etc.)

Obviously, the opposite houses have complementary meanings. But there's also relationships to the four triplicities of the shield chart here (I+II=IX, III+IV=X, V+VI=XI, VII+VIII=XII). I am still grappling with these for the moment.

Comments

[tunesmyth]

Have you fleshed it out any more at this point?

One thing I love about this setup is that there is a natural feeling division between 6-7, moving from ME stuff to YOU stuff exactly where the house chart horizon is crossed; but there is also a natural feeling division at 8-9, between near things and far things, exactly where the shield chart runs out of daughters and shifts to nieces.

[sdi]

I refined the list a little bit—not really enough to be worth posting an update, though—but then, a month ago, you mentioned some thoughts on how to interpret the triplicities which seems pregnant with possibility, but with all the craziness of the last month, I haven't had enough time to re-evaluate.