It is always a pleasure to review a book by John Michael Greer. This book stands alone on the occult bookshelf, my research during this review telling me that it is the only work that deals with one of the most popular and accessible methods of divination before the scientific revolution.
     During the European Renaissance and the slightly later English period, most people were aware of Geomancy, and there were hundreds of practitioners in every large city. There were also many books written that are no longer accessible today.
     Mr. Greer is well qualified to bring this ancient divination method to light. He is currently the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America and has written numerous works on hermetic and esoteric traditions and history, including an encyclopaedic work on secret societies.
     Geomancy is a fascinating and simple binary system. It uses sixteen abstract patterns formed by points that are called geomantic figures. From experience, it is tough to memorise the names of the figures all in one gulp.
     Many people associate Geomancy with the principles of placement in Chinese Feng Shui or Indian Vaastu, but this is a misuse of the original word. It is probably more like the Chinese I Ching with its hexagrams, or the African Yoruba Ifá system with its sixteen Ikin (palm nuts).
     The style of the book is simple in the historical and magical aspects. It speaks to the reader in plain language while explaining a highly complex system once one is past the surface layer.
     Mr. Greer uses anecdotes to introduce concepts and highlight important details. He begins in Part One with the nature and history of Geomancy as a divination system. It is thought that the system arose in North Africa, became popular throughout the Arab world and spread to Europe later. This section has explanations of the sixteen-geomantic figures and their correspondences with elements, zodiac signs, planets, houses, hours and so forth.
     Each figure is outlined with its correspondences, body type, character type, colour, and commentary with divinatory meaning.
     Mr. Greer examines the sort of questions that can be asked and in what form they should take. He also discusses the ethics and boundaries of Geomancy, warning against using it as a diagnostic tool or for psychological purposes. His admonishment is simple, “Don’t go there.”
     Part Two looks at the practical requirements and equipment needed for geomantic divination. The system is adaptable because the equipment required is simple. It can be a stick in sand, right up to wax and stylus or pen and paper.
     Even in the Middle Ages, some practitioners made elaborate machines that did the job. There seems no end to the equipment used, with dice, beans, cards, or popsicle sticks. Today internet users can access programs that take advantage of random number generators.
     Detailed instructions are given to prepare the practitioner for divination. This is where the keen reader will dive in. There are two main ways to prepare. The first is contemplative method and the second Theurgic (entering into contact with the spirit world).
     The all-important interpretation of the chart takes up much of this section. There are different types of readings considering past, present, future, and such things as Life readings, or those based on location or time. The system is as detailed as the practitioner wishes it to be.
       In Part Three Mr. Greer explains geomantic meditation and magic. This includes meditation, scrying (remote viewing using translucent or luminescent objects to obtain visions or for divination purposes), and the use of ritual magic. I found this section fascinating.
     Just as the I Ching can be used as a focus for meditation, so can the geomantic figures. There are a number of excellent meditation exercises here, and the instructions are very easy to follow.
     Scrying is like creative visualisation in some respects, as the practitioner needs to use active imagination and understand the idea of non-locality in consciousness. Mr. Greer emphasises that much practice is needed for this demanding exercise and a background in meditation helps.
     When explaining geomantic magic, the author differentiates between the receptive, or divination side of Geomancy where information is received, and the operant side where the practitioner actually makes things happen in the world. The operant side is practical magic.
     In this section is the rather powerful art of making Talismans or Gamahes. The two are often confused as Talisman has become a catchall word for any magical or ‘good-luck’ object. Mr. Greer reinforces the difference.
     There is an intriguing chart of commonly used geomantic sigils (a sigil is a complex combination of several symbols or geometric figures, each with a specific meaning or intent). He details the materials suitable for making these objects and outlines the most efficient for particular purposes.
     The last main section of the book is devoted to geomantic ritual magic, both contemplative and Theurgic. An appendix presents invocations for geomantic magic in the form of Orphic Hymns and many conjurations. A fulsome bibliography will direct the reader to areas of interest.
     This is complex information and not for the beginner unless there is dedication to learning present in the individual. You cannot learn Geomancy in a day and a night. The divination side is straightforward, but the deeper side clearly needs motivation, long-term focus and training.
     Mr. Greer has presented a full and detailed book on Geomancy, the like of which has probably not been seen since the Renaissance. The watered-down Geomancy rituals of the Golden Dawn pale by comparison.
     I recommend this book and system for those who really wish to immerse themselves in an age-old system that has worked for thousands of years.