Geomancy (from Greek "geo" meaning earth and "manteia" meaning divination) encompasses multiple distinct divinatory traditions unified by their use of earth, land features, or earth-derived patterns. The term applies to at least three major systems: Arabic/European geomancy (sand divination), Chinese Feng Shui (spatial energy analysis), and various African earth divination practices. While sharing the name, these traditions developed independently with different philosophical foundations and techniques.
The diversity of geomantic practices reflects humanity's universal recognition of earth as sacred, powerful, and communicative—whether through patterns revealed in cast sand, energy flows through landscape, or messages from earth spirits. Each tradition developed sophisticated interpretive frameworks for reading earth's wisdom.
The term "geomancy" in Western contexts typically refers to the medieval Arabic/European system of casting dots and interpreting sixteen figures. However, the word has been broadly applied to diverse earth-divination practices worldwide, sometimes creating confusion. Chinese Feng Shui, while sometimes called "Chinese geomancy" in English, represents a distinct tradition with different aims (harmonizing human dwellings with cosmic forces) rather than answering specific questions like Arabic geomancy.
The geomantic system of sixteen figures appears to have originated in North Africa or the Middle East, possibly deriving from earlier African divination practices. By the 9th-10th centuries CE, Arabic scholars had systematized the practice into an elaborate divinatory science integrated with astrology, numerology, and Islamic cosmology.
The system entered medieval Europe through translations of Arabic texts, particularly during the 12th-13th centuries. European scholars embraced geomancy as a "legitimate" form of divination, ranking it alongside astrology. Unlike many magical practices condemned by the Church, geomancy maintained semi-respectability due to its mathematical nature and astrological associations, though it still faced periodic criticism.
Feng Shui (風水, literally "wind-water") developed in ancient China as a system for harmonizing buildings, graves, and cities with the natural environment and cosmic forces. Its origins trace to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) or earlier, evolving from shamanic practices, cosmology, and observation of natural patterns.
Unlike Arabic geomancy's focus on answering specific questions, Feng Shui aims to optimize the flow of qi (vital energy) through strategic placement and orientation, creating harmony between human structures and natural forces. This practice influenced architecture, urban planning, and burial customs throughout East Asia.
Various African cultures developed sophisticated earth divination systems, often involving casting objects (seeds, bones, shells) and interpreting their patterns on the ground. Systems like Ifa/Fa (Yoruba), sikidy (Madagascar), and others may have influenced the development of Arabic geomancy, though the exact relationships remain debated among scholars.
The foundation of this geomantic system consists of sixteen figures (called "mothers" when generated, "daughters" when derived), each composed of four rows of either one or two dots/marks. Each figure has a name (often derived from Arabic), elemental association, planetary rulership, and zodiacal correlation.
Contemporary practitioners often use alternative methods for generating randomness:
The sixteen figures generated in a reading are arranged in a specific pattern called the "geomantic shield" or "house chart," which assigns figures to astrological houses similar to an astrological chart. The positions determine what aspect of the question each figure addresses:
Feng Shui operates on fundamentally different principles than Arabic geomancy, focusing on the arrangement of space to harmonize with natural energy flows rather than divining answers to questions. The practice rests on several core concepts:
The fundamental life force flowing through all things. Feng Shui aims to cultivate beneficial qi flow while mitigating harmful or stagnant qi. Ideal sites allow qi to meander gently, accumulating in auspicious areas without rushing too quickly or becoming trapped.
Complementary forces requiring balance. Excessive yin (passive, dark, cold) or yang (active, bright, hot) creates disharmony. Feng Shui adjusts spatial characteristics to achieve dynamic equilibrium appropriate to a location's function.
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—phases that generate and control each other in productive and destructive cycles. Buildings, rooms, and furnishings embody elemental qualities that should be balanced and appropriately sequenced.
The oldest approach, emphasizing observation of landforms—mountains, water features, valleys, ridges. Practitioners assess how landscape shapes affect qi flow, identifying auspicious formations like the ideal "armchair" formation (protective mountains behind and to sides, water in front, open space ahead).
Key concepts:
Developed later, using the Luo Pan (geomantic compass) to determine precise orientations and their temporal-energetic qualities. This approach incorporates complex calculations based on compass directions, trigrams, stars, and time periods.
Key concepts:
The eight trigrams from the I Ching form the foundation of Feng Shui directional analysis:
| Trigram | Direction | Element | Life Area | Family Member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qián (☰) | Northwest | Metal | Helpful People, Travel | Father |
| Kūn (☷) | Southwest | Earth | Relationships, Partnership | Mother |
| Zhèn (☳) | East | Wood | Family, Health | Eldest Son |
| Xùn (☴) | Southeast | Wood | Wealth, Abundance | Eldest Daughter |
| Kǎn (☵) | North | Water | Career, Life Path | Middle Son |
| Lí (☲) | South | Fire | Fame, Recognition | Middle Daughter |
| Gèn (☶) | Northeast | Earth | Knowledge, Cultivation | Youngest Son |
| Duì (☱) | West | Metal | Children, Creativity | Youngest Daughter |
Feng Shui for the living—homes, businesses, cities. Considerations include:
Feng Shui for burial sites, believed to affect descendants' fortune. Traditional Chinese culture placed enormous importance on ancestral grave placement, consulting Feng Shui masters for optimal burial locations in auspicious landscapes.
Modern Feng Shui divides between traditional Chinese practitioners maintaining classical methods and contemporary Western adaptations. Western "New Age Feng Shui" often simplifies traditional complexity, sometimes adding concepts (like the Black Hat Sect method) not found in classical texts. Traditional practitioners emphasize rigorous training in classical texts, accurate compass work, and integration with Chinese cosmology.
Geomancy intersects with: