Ask the earth
Mark 16 lines of dots without counting. The oracle turns them into figures, works its way down to a Judge, and gives you a clear answer with the story behind it.
Tradition says to mark the dots by hand while you hold the question in mind. In a hurry? Let the sand fall for you: the same question gives the same chart all day.
Each line counts only as odd (one dot) or even (two dots). Four lines make one figure.
How geomancy works
- Ask and mark the sand. Hold your question in mind and make 16 lines of dots without counting, the way diviners once marked lines in desert sand.
- Odd or even. Each line becomes one dot (odd) or two dots (even). Every four lines make a figure, so the 16 lines give four roots, called the Mothers.
- The figures multiply. Read sideways, the Mothers make four Daughters. Pairs are added together into Nieces, then two Witnesses, then the Judge.
- The Judge answers. The Judge gives the verdict, the Right Witness tells how you got here and the Left Witness where it is heading.
Geomancy, known in Arabic as the science of the sand (ilm al-raml), was practiced by the 800s, spread across North and West Africa and Madagascar, where Ifa and sikidy are close relatives, and reached Europe in the 1100s, where it was one of the most popular oracles of the Middle Ages.
Try another oracle
See all oracles →Geomancy is a traditional symbolic practice for reflection, not a prediction you have to accept. Use it to think a question through, and get professional advice for medical, legal or financial decisions.