Geomancy: Amissio, the figure of loss, letting go and departure

← Back to Guide to geomancy

Amissio, “the loss”: what slips through one's fingers, what one spends or leaves behind. A figure that looks difficult, linked to Venus and Taurus.

Key points

Figure	Amissio (the Loss)
Points per line	1 / 2 / 1 / 2 (from head to feet)
Element	Fire
Planet and sign	Venus (nocturnal), Taurus
Nature	Mobile
Keywords	Loss, expense, departure, letting go, desire

Who is Amissio?

Amissio means “the loss”, “the disappearance”. Its form alternates one point, two points, one point, two points: a back-and-forth that recalls what slips away. It is often compared to an open hand, turned downward, from which nothing remains. It is the inverse of Acquisitio, the hand that receives.

In Arabic usage the figure has names that refer to the idea of “what goes out” or of “loss”; as with the other figures, the lists vary. The Latin translators of the 12th century fixed the name Amissio. Here are its lines:

Line	Points
Fire (the head)	• (one)
Air (the neck)	• • (two)
Water (the body)	• (one)
Earth (the feet)	• • (two)

Traditional meaning

In tradition, Amissio evokes loss, expenditure, abandonment, departure and separation: money going out, a mislaid object, a relationship that loosens. Early manuals judge it unfavourable for anything one wishes to keep or accumulate.

But several authors note a useful nuance: Amissio is favourable when one wishes to lose something, for example to shed a habit, a cumbersome object or a burden. It is then a figure of lightening. And since it is linked to Venus, it is sometimes associated with desire, with what attracts but escapes. It is for each person to decide whether a loss is endured or chosen: this is what the figure invites one to question.

It does not say that a loss will occur, and nothing allows it to be used to decide an investment or an expense.

Traditional correspondences

Reference	Traditional attribution
Latin name	Amissio (the Loss)
Element	Fire
Planet	Venus (nocturnal)
Sign	Taurus
Nature	Mobile
Total points	6 (even: impartial figure, which can become the Judge)

The attributions (planet, sign, element) follow the most widespread planetary list today; earlier authors, including Gerard of Cremona, give others, and no full agreement exists on the signs.

In a chart: houses and roles

A few classic readings of Amissio by house (they vary between authors):

House II (resources): spending, leakage of money, a wish to unburden oneself; to be taken as an observation, not as a forecast.
House V: costly pleasures, an adventure that fades, a desire that wears out.
House VII: a partner who drifts away, an association that comes undone.
House VIII: renunciation, the end of a cycle, inheritance or sharing.
As Judge: the answer invites one to let go of what cannot be held, and to choose what one loses.

Neighbouring figures and combinations

Amissio and Puella are the two figures of Venus: welcoming gentleness for one, detachment for the other. Here are some neighbouring pairings:

With	Possible reading
Acquisitio	Gain offsets loss: an exchange
Via	A departure that costs: what one leaves behind along the way
Puella	A gentle separation, a break without fuss
Laetitia	A loss that relieves, a weight that one sets down
Tristitia	A felt loss, a period of symbolic mourning

These are avenues of reading, not rules: meaning arises from the question asked and the house concerned.

A reflective exercise

List three things you would like to lighten: an object, a habit, a commitment. Draw Amissio and ask yourself which of them you could let go of this very week, and what that would free up. If the subject touches on a real bereavement, speak with those close to you or with a professional: this figure does not replace support.