Geomantic Characters.
The 16 Geomantic Figures are the primary Symbols used in the art of Divinatory Geomancy. Each Geomantic Figure represents a certain state of the World or the Mind, and can be interpreted in various ways based upon the query put forth and the method used to generate the figures. When Geomancy was introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages, the figures acquired Astrological meanings and new forms of interpretation. The figures bear superficial resemblance to the Ba Gua, the eight Trigrams used in the I Ching, a Chinese classic text.
Each of the figures is composed of four lines, each line containing either one or two points. Each line represents one of the four Classical Elements: from top to bottom, the lines represent Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. When a line has a single point, the element is said to be Active; otherwise, with two points, the element is Passive. Because there are four lines, and since each line can be either active or passive, there are 24, or 16, different figures. The different combinations of elements yields different representations or Manifestations of the figure’s Energy. Each figure can be said to have a ruling Element, whereby that Element’s Energy and Manifestations correlates most closely to the figure itself. In the Middle Ages, when Geomancy was introduced to Europe where Astrology was the foremost Occult Science, the Geomantic Figures obtained Astrological correspondences to the Zodiac and to the Planets. Based on their Zodiacal correspondences, astrologers assigned new elemental rulerships based on the element of their Zodiacal ruler.
The Zodiacal rulerships followed from the Diurnal or Nocturnal Planetary rulership: Nocturnal figures are assigned Earth and Water signs, while Diurnal figures are assigned Fire and Air signs. Once the Zodiacal rulerships were agreed upon, all the following correspondences followed upon the Geomantic Figures, including what part of the body they each ruled over, different countries, planetary hours, body and character types, and so on.