In European geomancy, Cauda and Caput Draconis have been an enigma. Traditionally associated with the nodes of the moon, they are seen as representing a beginning (Caput) or and Ending (Cauda). Cauda was a bad figure while Caput was good.
This simple attribution made a mess of some readings were beginnings and endings were not an issue. In my book Stars and Stones I tried to fix the problem by going into the details of the astrology of the nodes based on Christopher Catan’s attributions to their position. This went some way to making them readable.
Then I found part of a 13th century Arabic text on Geomancy Principles of Sand Science by Muhammad al-Zanati which seems to make a lot of sense. Al-Zanati placed each of the mother figures in geomancy in a house in the same order as the European names, but gave different meanings to Cauda and Caput making them less like the lunar nodes. While “Caput” was still positive and “Cauda” was negative their names were nothing to do with then nodes. Al-Zanati called Cauda the “funeral dirge” and “outward threshold” and Caput “the circle of Joy” or “inward threshold.”
The meanings which come from this are:
Outward threshold
Externalisation, extroversion, the outside world, action, the development of the body’s faculties, active and intensive life, illusion, fraud, and deception.
They all collectively represent the proactive and potentially illusionary elements of dealing with the material world. The idea of funeral dirge means that this is placing emphasis on the ephemeral parts of material life.
Inward threshold
Internalisation, introversion, the inside world, mysticism, meditation, developing the soul, philosophical development. These words all collectively refer to a superior spiritual life which moves away from matter. The idea of a circle of joy means placing emphasis on the transcendent parts of spiritual life.
When these two figures are added together, they become “carcer.” Which Al-Zanati called “closed circle” or link. He gave it a slightly different meaning. While he kept the idea of prison, he included possession, magic, egotism, isolation, pregnancy, enclose, preserve, protect and attach. Carcer then is what joins the opposing forces of spiritual and material life.
Astrology
If these figures do not represent the moon nodes (which they do not seem to) then we must find another astrological slot to fit them in. The geomancy figures are distributed evenly with two for each of the seven planets. What ever is suggested is going to throw off this symmetry. Nor can we attribute any of these figures to the outer planets because the Arabs had not been discovered them (it is possible that Uranus was known about but no one slotted this into astrology).
In fact what we have is a black and white pillar (if we add carcer we have a hexagram in the middle, which would be familiar to those who follow the Golden Dawn). The black pillar would represent fire (which Cattan always attributes the bad figures) and the white pillar would be water.
Upon seeing this concept it would have been logical for European geomancers to add the moon’s nodes as they represent a big polarity in an astrological chart. However, there are other candidates for these “pillars.”
The first is Active and Receptive polarity. This duality categorizes the zodiac signs into two groups based on their energy direction:
Active Signs
These signs are more focused on action, thoughts, and external interactions:
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Receptive Signs
These signs are more focused on emotions, sensory experiences, and internal reflections:
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
This duality is similar to the concept of yin and yang, where active signs are seen as more outwardly driven and initiating, while receptive signs are more inwardly focused and responsive. These fit nicely into the inner and outer threshold meanings of the geomantic figures.
Diurnal and Nocturnal
Another duality is the Diurnal and Nocturnal (or Diurnal and Nocturnal Sect). This concept is rooted in Hellenistic astrology and distinguishes between the qualities and influences of planets and signs based on whether they are associated with the daytime or nighttime.
Diurnal (Day) Sect
Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn are the primary diurnal planets.
Signs: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius are considered diurnal signs.
Traits: Associated with action, visibility, reason, and external pursuits. The diurnal sect generally emphasizes conscious, active, and extroverted qualities.
These are pretty much the words which are used to describe Cauda Draconis.
Nocturnal (Night) Sect
Moon, Venus, and Mars are the primary nocturnal planets.
Signs: Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces are considered nocturnal signs.
Traits: Associated with reflection, emotion, intuition, and internal pursuits. The nocturnal sect emphasises unconscious, passive, and introverted qualities.
These are pretty much the words which are used to describe Caput Draconis.
Importance in Astrology and Geomancy
Planetary Strength: Planets are considered stronger and more effective when they are in their appropriate sect. For example, Jupiter and the Sun are more beneficial during the day, while the Moon and Venus are more beneficial at night. This ends up doing what the later medieval astrologers said about Cauda and Caput. That Cauda was good with bad and bad with good and Caput was Good with Good and bad with bad.
These figures then in company with others say “this will effect this figure turning it into a day or night version of itself” making it good or bad.
The medieval meanings of beginning and end could still have legs. After all spiritual is progressive and initiating while materiality is always going to lead to death. But meditation will pull out some more meanings on the these figures rather than just ending and beginning.
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