Geomancy: Puella, the figure of gentleness, beauty and harmony

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Who is Puella?

Puella means “the young girl”. In medieval treatises it is a figure that symbolises a person or a quality then regarded as feminine: gentleness, grace, receptivity. These images must be read as contemporaries understood them, with the prejudices of their time. Today most practitioners speak rather of a quality (gentleness, aesthetics, welcome) than of a gender, and that quality can concern anyone.

Its drawing has one point on the first, third and fourth lines, and two points on the second. It mirrors Puer, “the boy”, of which it is the reversed version (head down). Here are its four lines:

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

Traditional meaning

In tradition, Puella evokes beauty, gentleness, harmony, seduction and peace. It is the figure of what happens without friction: a cordial understanding, an affectionate relationship, a taste for aesthetics, art and fine things. Its judgement is generally favourable, particularly for matters of the heart and of conviviality.

Authors also issue a warning: a gentle figure can be passive, too accommodating, little inclined to decide. Puella may thus suggest a wish to avoid conflict, or a beauty that is only skin-deep. As often, everything depends on the house and the question: in the house of work, it speaks of a pleasant setting more than of a result.

Traditional correspondences

Reference	Traditional attribution
Latin name	Puella (the Girl)
Element	Water
Planet	Venus (diurnal)
Sign	Libra
Nature	Stable
Total points	5 (odd: partial figure)

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 Puella by house (they vary between authors):

• House I: your way of entering into relations, your charm, your desire for harmony.
• House V: pleasures, creativity, budding loves.
• House VII: a couple's relationship or a gentle partnership, an understanding.
• House X: professions of aesthetics, welcome and relations.
• As Judge: Puella is an odd figure and cannot be the Judge; as a witness, it suggests a peaceful outcome.

Neighbouring figures and combinations

Puella shares Venus with Amissio: one welcomes, the other lets go. It is also the inverse of Rubeus (single and double points exchanged). Here are some neighbouring pairings:

With	Possible reading
Rubeus	Gentleness confronted with ardour, a passionate relationship
Coniunctio	A tender drawing together
Laetitia	A happy period, moments of shared joy
Amissio	A gentle separation, or an attachment one must let go
Puer	Two impulses mirroring each other: fervour and tenderness

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

A reflective exercise

Note three situations from your week in which you chose gentleness, and three in which you would have liked to say no. Draw Puella and ask yourself whether the harmony you seek is truly your own or the one that is expected of you. It is an exercise in listening to yourself, and it says nothing about the future of a relationship.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to geomancy.