What does geomancy mean?
Geomancy is a form of divination based on interpreting signs taken from the earth. Historically, practitioners cast or drew points on the ground and then connected them to create geometric figures, whose meanings were consulted to predict events or interpret influences. The practice developed through medieval and Renaissance writers who drew on Greek and Latin traditions of divination. Today, geomancy is encountered chiefly in historical scholarship, fiction, and modern occult or esoteric contexts. The word may sound like “geometry” or “geography,” but it refers specifically to a divinatory method rather than the measurement of the earth. Although sometimes presented as a simple system of signs, historical geomancy was often tied to elaborate theories of astral and terrestrial correspondences.
nounGeomancy is a form of divination in which signs are interpreted from the earth, traditionally by casting or drawing points and lines and reading the patterns they form.
- The practice of divination by interpreting patterns or signs derived from the earth, especially points and lines cast or drawn on the ground.
"The scholar studied the ancient practice of geomancy and its use in medieval divination."
"A medieval manuscript explains how geomancy could be used to interpret the influence of the stars and planets."
"The novel combines geomancy with other occult traditions in a ritual intended to predict the outcome of a battle."
The standard plural is geomancies, although it is rarely needed because the word is usually used in the singular.
"The manuscript discusses several systems of geomancy used in different historical traditions."
Geomancy once claimed to reveal the future by turning the ground itself into a map of signs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does geomancy come from?
English geomancy comes from Latin geomancia, from Greek geōmanteía, a compound of gê, meaning “earth,” and manteía, meaning “divination” or “prophecy.” The word entered English in the early 17th century, during a period of renewed interest in astrology, divination, and ancient learning. Its Greek components also underlie related English words such as geography, geometry, and geology.
Related word forms
How geomancy is actually used
Geomancy is mainly used in historical, religious, and occult contexts. In modern English it is more common in writing about medieval divination or contemporary esoteric practices than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with geomancy
Geomancy is the art or practice of divination, while a geomancer is a person who practises it.