Rubeus is the devil of traditional Geomancy, but that might be due to ancient fear of sexuality and what we now call the libido.
Elemental structure: Air new/awakening fire, water and earth elements full/waning
Element: Air
Mobile and Exiting
Judge: biased/impossible
Day or Night: Night
Mansions of the Moon
When a symbol covers more than one mansion it potentially covers all of them and the goal is to see them as a synthesis. The symbol might potentially bring them out. However, if (as in the case of Rubeus) there is some contradiction it means that the power can be both good or bad depending on the circumstances.
Rubeus covers three mansions of the moon 6 Athaya 7 Aldirah 8 Annathra
6th Mansion is form, wisdom, attraction, friendship, and love. It can show a new love or the intensification of an old one. However, as Christopher Warnock points out, it is a very dualistic mansion and can flip from attraction to repulsion quickly. This duality can be seen in the magical uses of this mansion, which involve bringing friends and lovers together and destroying cities and medicines.
7th Mansion is the mansion of God, invocation, gain, invocation, petitions, and requests. It is a powerful force of divine power which has the potential to give us what we want. However, there is a warning with this mansion that you should always approach things as you would the throne of God. Do not demand, but approach humbly. This mansion is good for business, travel and bringing people together. It can also be good for gaining influence with those in authority.
8th Mansion is the mansion of conquest, support, victory, alliances, contests, and sports events. It shows the power of the human mind over the animal nature and was used for strengthen friendships, ensure a prisoner stayed locked up, or to expel vermin.
Note on Mansions
The mansions are all good for friendships and lovers, and anything requiring physical energy and movement. The figure is full of divine power and can go to extremes if not positively expressed.
Astrological meaning
Mars in Gemini
Rubeus is like the Mars in Gemini. Mars rules drives and passions but in the sign of Gemini it becomes less focused. Mars in Gemini is mercurial and driven to think, learn, and communicate. Mars in Gemini is easily bored and requires change to keep energy levels up but they have a considerable amount of physical power.
Mars in Gemini expresses anger easily and by using words as a weapon. At their base level they swear and shout, but they can talk things through, and they love debating and an argument can be a turn on. In fact Mars and Gemini people are turned on through the mind and they need partners who are a little unusual and strange to keep them interested. They are adaptable, often thriving on change however they can be superficial and move on too quickly to the next shiny thing. It is good for writing and communication fields.
They like to play and can be childlike in their approach.
Word meaning
Rubeus means “red” or the “reddening” which is the reason it has become associated with Mars and Violence. As I have said here the reddening is the title given to the moon during a full lunar eclipse. In this case we are looking at a full moon eclipse in Gemini. Eclipses in traditional astrology were malefic and tended to bring out the dark side wherever they were. However, astrology is Arabic and the colour “red” has a slightly different cultural association. The primary symbolism of red are blood and red rose (Houghton, 2007) with the extended meaning of love and passion. Red on an Arabic flag meant a brave army, red cheeks were associated with shyness.
Combined meaning
Understanding the meaning of Rubeus has been crippled by its association with the astrological malefic Mars (in fact Agrippa even attributes it to Mars in Scorpio). This has led most in medieval times to see it as a dangerous, almost psychopathic force. When we look at the different meanings another pattern emerges, something which would be familiar to Freud and modern minds as the Libido – the human drive or motivation to engage in sexual behaviour and is fundamental instinct that is innate in humans. Later work Freud expanded the meaning of the term so that it came to represent more of a general life instinct, referring to instincts connected with self-preservation and survival, which still included sex but also added other motivators.
Carl Jung said in his “Concept of Libido” said this energy manifests itself in the life process and is perceived subjectively as striving and desire.”
Until the modern era, the Libido was a demon to most societies. Sex, lust, and desire while being accepted as part of the human condition were frowned upon. Ancient Greeks considered expression of sexual force as a form of insanity which was a threat to established society. Warfare was a terrible thing, but it was an effective expression of the physical prowess of idealised Libido (at least in men) personified as Aries. sporting events and physical fitness were the next best thing. Monothestic religions with their fears and taboos of sexuality are never going to accept Libido as anything other than malefic. Desire was considered a problem for Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied.
However, Rubeus as libido puts this force front and centre of human expression and starts to make sense of this symbol rather than make it so bad that we cannot even think about. It is our reason for living.
Rubeus is about the passionate drive which brings two people together. It might not be the secure love of married couple with a couple of kids, a house, and a mortgage that society wants. It is more the hot passion of a couple of teens in the first throws of their relationship. However, there is equally nothing wrong with it.
The astrological meaning (particularly alongside that of the third mansion) brings a lot of this into the realm of the mind. It is less the physical aspects of desire but how we think about it and what it leads to. It also shows how superficial our desires can be. In some respect, religion is correct, and we might lust over something one minute and forget it the next. That does not mean that we ONLY must focus on the eternal.
This is not to say that Rubeus does not have its bad side. Libido has problems when it is not expressed correctly. It can result in arguments, fights and violence (just as the traditional meanings suggest). It can result in relationships which are “just about sex and fighting” but it can also result in relationships where couples are sexually fulfilled with both sides happy. It can also bring out darker sides of the personality in areas such as power, sexual assault and rape. Conflicts and violence only tend to happen when libido, desire or change is thwarted and the energy looks for another outlet.
But it is important to realise that Rubeus does not always manifest as the bugbear in a reading and, like life, it is more often a positive force.
Rubeus Good and Bad
Good: Good in questions related to health, sex, desire, and action. It is good for first stages of love and romance. Good for sports, war, healing, and anything physical. Good for business where there is a need for energy and focus to bring a project to a successful conclusion, or a business restructuring. It is good for curses and magic where a person’s will is the primary concern. It can be good for children and playing.
Bad: Not good for divorce or reconciliation or situations were desire conflicts with another. It is not good where the status quo is desired to be maintained or a defensive strategy is considered the best course. It is also not good for spiritual questions where surrender of the lower self is required or any question where a sacrifice is going to be made. It is not good where long term energy is required as Rubeus suggests a promising short-term drive which might change over time.
Rubeus in the houses
First House
Historically if Rubeus appeared in the first house the chart had to be destroyed because the querant was violent and evil. I don’t tend to see it that way, however if Rubeus appears in the first house I see it as a sign that there is something wrong with the question or that there is going to be a duff reading. Rubeus in the first indicates that the querant or the reader is too involved, angry and passionate about the question to formulate a clear question or produce a good answer. This is particularly true of relationship readings. Some of this can be seen in the meanings of Rubeus in the first house. In some readings (such as questions of sports and health reading is possible).
Rubeus in the first house emphases the more powerful and extreme Mars aspects in the querent. Reactions to new situations are swift and they are being too active, energetic, dynamic, enterprising, and even forceful or aggressive. Yet they are not able to follow through. They might be rash inconsiderate, or overly assertive. They have considerable energy and power. If the question is about illness, they will have the energy and drive to fight it off. If it is about sports (or conflict) they will have plenty of power to do well. They exhibit some of the hallmark features of Aries that include a prominent forehead, and a slightly forward leaning gait.
Second House
Rubeus in the second house shows an intense desire for money and material wealth. With that level of focus it might be obtainable at least if the plan requires short term success, however, Mars is not particularly happy in this house and it tends to slow down gains. This warns you might be impatient or impulsive when it comes to spending. You can be quite possessive.
Third House
Rubeus in the third house shows someone who is quick-witted, speaks fluently and has an urge to express themselves. It can show aggressive physical activity or conflict in the immediate environment, dealings with immediate family or people around you involve aggressive physical activity. Ego driven conflict might exist but more often it is a war of words. Short journeys might be stressful. Messages will be received but they might seen as too aggressive and curt.
Fourth House
Rubeus in the fourth house can bring about conflict in the home but it can also indicate that person desires or wants something particular in their home and is determined to get it. It could also indicate a desire to move to a new house or make some changes. Now, most of these plans will still be in the talking stage and they might be controversial forced through. It can indicate a desire to protect your house and family. It might indicate a desire to rule or control your family life.
Fifth House
Rubeus in the fifth house is in its element. It shows passionate and intense sexuality. It shows plenty of activity in terms of sports and sports and games and should see some success in these. One should be careful about being too competitive.
It can show a desire for pleasure, and a tendency to impulsively pursue romance. It shows a playful and demonstrative side. Children may be especially active and boisterous. It can show affairs or relationships which entirely pleasure only orientated. If the question is about the long term stability of an affair, the answer may be no. Rubeus intensity levels are difficult to maintain. It is good for the start of a relationship and can be fun, but at present that is all it can be. Rubeus can show up when there is some conflict in a relationship normally over sexuality.
Sixth house
Rubeus in the sixth house shows a work-drive and energy dedicated to working for others. It is unlikely to last as the warning is that the person will soon get bored, but initially, there will be some enthusiasm and focus. There could be some impatience to achieve work success and a project might become identified with you personally. It suggests conflict with other team members if things do not go your way and frustration. If you are the manager you expect your workers to share your enthusiasm and put forth the same effort you expend but wants credit. Health may be a concern, but the person normally enough natural energy to shake off any illness. There are some warnings with this Rubeus has shown up as a warning of some serious illnesses and if the reading is trying to identify if an illness is something to worry about, the querant is advised to take it seriously.
Seventh house
Rubeus in the seventh house appears when the partnership his based-on love, passion and lust. This is often ideal in the short term but might need some other signals to show it has some stability. Given most seventh house romantic questions though are based on “does he love me?” Rubeus here says “yes, passionately” but if you ask “will this relationship result in marriage?” the answer might be more “he might desire that, but at the moment things are not stable enough.”
Rubeus sometimes appears in the seventh house when a person is being painfully transformative as part of the action of a “karmic” or magical relationship. Its appearance will appear odd because the person may not be either angry nor lustful at the querant, but will be helping them overcome some aspect of their life or their relationship. Sometimes this stage can be unpleasant and fortunately it is rare.
Non-romantic relationships are likely to be tense and fractious if someone is not getting their way and are unlikely to work out. Friends might fall out with each other until someone’s ego gives way. There is a need to cultivate the art of compromise, although this might prove difficult. Avoid a tendency to jump into altercations with others without first making a genuine effort to understand their point of view.
Eighth house
Rubeus is in its fall in the eighth house could indicate fears of betrayal. It can show that the libido is repressed and unable to express its true will. It will manifest either as bind range or as guilt, fear, or doom.
It suggests a desire to obtain other people’s money or even sharing the resources you have. You might find yourself obsessed with financial obligations, debts, taxes, loans, losses, money owed to others. It can show a crisis emerging from arguments, or mental illness and fears.
Rubeus brings the problem of death, as well as dealing with the affairs of deceased people to the querant in some way. It might not be a literal death, it might be just a subject of discussion or thought. But it will bring about change. Magically it shows that a ritual is effective at forcing something to happen but it might not be long lasting.
Ninth House
Rubeus’ placement in the 9th House points to a passionate interest in religion, philosophy and travel. It can show that there is a strong tendency to do well in school/university with this placement because one is very competitive about intellectual matters, enjoys reading and attending classes. There might be issues about studying boring subjects or things that do not interest the person. It could indicate intellectual debates which could be competitive or negative if they get out of hand.
There might be plenty of energy to travel a long distance and some degree of wanderlust. However, but there might be some difficulties if circumstances prevent movement. Traditionally this figure made travel dangerious.
Spiritually Rubeus is not good for spiritual goals as it indicates that a person cannot sacrifice their lower drives to obtain spiritual goals. However, if a person can surrender to the higher, there would be considerable support and power to make it happen through the power of the seventh mansion.
Tenth House
Rubeus provides energy for those who desire a good social position and care a lot about their career. It would be good for those interested in politics or military. There is a risk however that a desire for power might be too great and that they might be blindsided by power, they no longer care about being humane.
It can indicate an obsession with an image but lacking the depth or staying power. It could be the person who drives for starlet status but who fails to develop enough acting depth for later life.
Eleventh house
Rubeus in the eleventh house can show an interest in public, social change, and collective endeavours. It can show a passionate believe in a cause. However, because Rubeus is not good at operating outside one’s self, there might be issues with holding to group values. For example, a querant might fight their way to the top of a charity group knifing all who stand in their way.
In most readings though, Rubeus here means that a passion about other people and the ability to bring to bring them together to meet your cause.
12th House
Rubeus in the 12th house is not good. In an individual, it shows that a person’s libido is locked up or repressed and pushed into the background. Their repressed anger would have them in bad moods and feeling irritable without them even realizing it. Some of the dormant behavioural issues they have may become active when they become moody, making their self-assertion efforts useless.
It can show that a person has a strong desire to escape from the limits they are finding themselves in. But it the process of escape is likely to be explosive. It is positive for working in institutions that somehow restrict, like jails or mental wards. It is also good to buy a car (or a horse).
If the question is “have I been cursed” Rubeus suggests you might have been.
Right Witness
Rubeus as a right witness shows the person is active, energetic, dynamic, enterprising, pressing ahead, forceful, or aggressive. Yet they are not able to follow through. They might be rash inconsiderate, or overly assertive. They have considerable energy and power. They are deeply passionate and in love. It might indicate that in the past there has been some sweeping change or emotional rush.
Left Witness
It shows that the situation will be resolved by pressing ahead with the change. It might show that the quested is passionately and lustfully focused on the querant or is insistent on getting their way on their terms. It indicates that in the short-term things will be intense, although there is a risk that things will peter out.
Judge/ Sentence
Because the Judge must be even, a Rubeus judge is not possible which is probably just as well
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