It is not always necessary to have the majesty of Salisbury plain stretched out for your back garden to enjoy the pleasures of Geomancy.

The Garden
The humble back garden is a suitable arena to display the mechanics of the universe.

It is only a case of finding where the sun will rise on the equinox, equal day and equal night and the marking that event in your garden. To begin to observe the wonders of the cosmos.

On the day of the equinox,21 march and 21 September the sun rises at exactly due east all over the world when viewed from a flat horizon like sea level.

This was very important in ancient times as it gave navigators the ability to discern true east and as the sun would set true west. Vital knowledge in the days of celestial navigation.

Once we have established where the first rays of the equinox sun hit your garden then we can begin to mark the suns progression through its different cycles.

Of course if you do not have a sweeping view to an eastern horizon at sea level , then do not be alarmed, as I said for the back garden we only need to work with when the firsts rays of the sun as they hit the ground somewhere.

I say this to make the reader understand that even if the sun is quite high in the sky at the time when its first rays hit your grass then this is sufficient.

The important point is that it is the day of the equinox.

As well as using the first rays of the sun we can also take a measurement at Midday to give us a sun dial effect or analama effect.

We can also mark where the final rays of the sun leave your garden on the day of the equinox.

There are various different techniques we can use to mark the first and last rays of the sun.

It is good to be working at least in a pair. One observer from the reference point and one mover of the shadow casting pole. .

This is a very early form of surveying.

In fact if you have a view to the horizon at sea level and you mark the line that the shadow makes from the base of the pole across the ground on the sunrise of the equinox, then you have a shadow casting a base line of due east-west.

This is how it was done in the good old days.

1)To begin ii is necessary to find a point of observation on that you will use as a reference point

2) then observe the sun as its first beams hit your garden.

The shadow between night and day is called the terminator line and it is the line that we have to watch for if we cannot see the horizon.

If you can see the horizon then simply place a pole or some other instrument in the ground to mark the position of the sunrise as viewed from your chosen reference point.

If there is a big wall to your eastern horizon or a tower block , then simply adjust until you find a suitable spot to observe the first rays of the sun and mark them with a pole of some sort. Bamboo is quite good.

3) once you can ascertain where the first rays of the equinox sun hit your Garden then it is possible to experiment and find what effect is most suitable to use and what will be of greatest advantage.

This means A) do we use the shad cast B) the first rays of the sun c) or both.

Flat or Apartment.

If you do not have access to a garden or an outdoor space then do not despair.

It is just a case of observing where the first rays of the equinox sun enter your flat or apartment , then again follow the same guide lines to mark with either shadow or the arrival of the sun.

Some additions can also be noted to high light the effect.

I will mention these from personal experience.

Worst case scenario. The flat I used to live in was in a basement with no natural sunlight entered at all any time of the year.

We solved this problem with the use of Mirrors and Coloured pieces of plastic.

It easier and fun with two people to work out the reflections of the sunlight, and the following template can be used.

As the sun comes up, place a mirror with the intention of reflecting the sunlight on to something external that receives sunlight.

For example a wall, plant pot anything that will not be disturbed over the course of a year. This light is then reflected through a portal or window to the deepest recesses of the unilluminated flat.

At the point where the reflected sunlight enters the apartment, place coloured pieces of plastic or glass. This colours the light upon entry into the apartment.

In my personal case we were transferring the light deep within the void of the kitchen, that had never been exposed to sunlight ever. The effect was beautiful. It was as if the Cave was being illuminated with the suns rays on that very special of days , The Equinox.

The effect will only last a few minutes , until the sun repeats its movement, six month’s later , and then again the darkness recesses of you flat can be illuminated with a glorious mix of coloured light.

The light is filtered with colour to give a stain glass window effect of coloured sunlight passing through the air.

The smoke from Incense sticks can enhance the effect and make the beam of light look simply enchanting. The placing of a special picture on the wall where the sunlight moves across it can also be tantalising.

The coloured light then acts as a marker on your wall for the whole time that the sun is reflecting off the mirror.

Experiment with this and send in any results or Techniques you may find.