One of the things I have been puzzling over his been the use of the Moon’s Nodes in Geomancy. In modern Geomancy Cauda Draconis is seen as being an ending while Caput Draconis is seen as a beginning. Cauda is always seen as bad, while Caput is always positive.
In Ancient Astrology, which was the main influence on the Arabic developers of Geomancy, Cauda was seen more as a decrease while Caput was an increase. The nodes were said to either decrease or increase the power of any planets (or houses they sat in).
Many geomancers will claim that increase and decrease are expressed by Admissio and Aquistio but when we look at the original Arabic meanings of these Geomantic symbols (catch within and catch without) and their astrological symbols it is pretty clear that something else was intended. Perhaps Internal gain or funds or external gain or funds might be closer to the Arabic accounting terms rather than increase or decrease. It also fits the astrological meanings better too.
Getting back to the Nodes the duality of increase and decrease has some difficulty with the astrology. According to Cattan the astrological associations of the Cauda Mars and Saturn in Sagittarius – two ancient malefic planets in the benign Sagittarius. However, neither of these two planets misbehaves in Sagittarius and their malefic nature is blunted. Saturn in Sagittarius has the flaw of arrogance and insecurity, while Mars in Sagittarius can be a little argumentative, but we are looking at another force here. Sagittarius is expansive and therefore this combination is expanding the two malefic forces, but that does not give us any of the earlier or later node meanings – in fact however you slice it, Cauda cannot be decrease (or represent an end). So what we have here is an astrological symbol which means decrease and weakening, an astrological association which shows expansive force being decreased by the two malefics. It shows how this decrease happens. If the force is active or forceful Saturn decreases, it. If it is inertia it is bought to an end by Mars.
In readings this would mean that a situation being questioned will lose its power. If there is a block it will be destroyed by aggressive action, if there is conflict it will be dampened by depression or inertia.
A person who wants to know about a job interview seeing Cauda in the 10th house might have to prepare themselves for a job not being available, or that they are over qualified (as the job would be a lower power than them). A person who wants to know if a relationship will last will see Cauda in the 7th house as representing the relationship running out of steam. It may not end, but it will lose momentum. If a person is worried that their relationship has lost momentum and wants to know if they will get it back, Cauda could mean that it will get a shot of Mars energy and the “lost momentum” will decrease.
The opposite applies to Caput Draconis which means “increase.” Astrologically Caitlan ascribes them to the two benefices of Jupiter and Venus in Virgo. These planetary forces operate in the opposite way to those of the malefic so cause everything to expand and intensify. The importance here is not always that things are going to get better, just that they are going to be more intense or bigger. This may not always be a good thing
A person who wants to know about a job interview seeing Caput in the 10th house might indicate that the job is out of their league. A person who wants to know if a relationship will last will see Cauda in the 7th house as representing the relationship growing and becoming more important. If a person is worried that their relationship has lost momentum and wants to know if they will get it back, Cauda could mean that the “lost momentum” will increase.
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