The
16 geomantic figures are the primary symbols used in divinatory
geomancy. Each geomantic figure represents a certain state of the world or the mind, and can be interpreted in various ways based upon the query put forth and the method used to generate the figures. When geomancy was introduced to Europe in the
Middle Ages, the figures acquired
astrological meanings and new forms of interpretation. The figures bear superficial resemblance to the
ba gua, the eight trigrams used in the
I Ching, a
Chinese classic text.