The Geomantic figure of Via in the First Astrological House

I have added a breakdown of Via in the first astrological house, as a follow up on my original post on Via, in order to show what can be done with Geomancy, if you are willing to work with it through an astrological lens. As a framer for this, I have to thank Nick Farrell, who 30 years ago, first sent me a copy of Christopher Cattan’s work, translated from the French By Francis Sparry, written in the 16^th century. This was one of the primary books Mather’s drew his geomantic inspiration from. While Cattan’s analogical astrological associations are not all identical to that of the Golden Dawn, Via is one that is.

When the geomantic figure Via arises in the First House, the symbolic field becomes one of profound initiation, for this is the house of selfhood, appearance, and the beginning of all manifestation. In astrology, the First House is the eastern horizon of the nativity, the point where spirit first meets matter, where the inner being projects itself outward into form. It is the threshold through which individuality emerges into the visible world. Semiologically, the First House operates as the signifier of identity-in-action: not the static ego but the living process of becoming. When Via, the figure of the Way, occupies this house, its lunar and mutable nature infuses the self with the symbolism of passage, transformation, and fluid rebirth. It is the Moon rising upon the horizon of consciousness, illuminating the path of incarnation itself. The native or querent is thus seen as being in a state of emergence, in motion along a spiritual or personal road whose direction is not yet fixed but whose movement is undeniable.

In this position, Via becomes a living emblem of the journey of the self. The First House, being angular and initiatory, magnifies the kinetic quality of Via; what is normally symbolic of transition becomes here the core of identity. The figure’s four single points, descending from top to bottom, represent the continuous flow of vitality into the incarnate personality. In Golden Dawn terms, this may be likened to the descent of lunar power from Yesod into Malkuth, the subtle body taking form through the etheric field. The self defined by Via in the First House is rarely static; it is mutable, responsive, and guided more by intuition than reason. The semiotic connotation is of an individual who is the road itself, whose life becomes the medium through which experience travels. Such a person or moment in time expresses movement, change, and passage as essential components of identity.

Astrologically, the First House governs the body, the mask of personality, and the immediacy of self-expression. When Via enters this domain, its lunar influence softens the boundaries of ego, producing a reflective, sensitive disposition. The self here is a mirror, not rigidly defined but capable of adapting to shifting environments. The symbolic language of Via turns the notion of “I am” into “I am becoming.” The Moon’s rulership of Via imbues the house with the rhythms of waxing and waning; personality becomes cyclical, with moods, desires, and ambitions ebbing and flowing like tides. This position often marks a phase of initiation or transition in the querent’s life, the start of a journey toward self-understanding, one that may involve shedding old identities in favour of more fluid expressions of being.

The semiotic structure of Via transforms the First House from a fixed point of reference into a pathway of self-realization. The figure’s single dots form a vertical channel, a symbolic spinal column through which the currents of spirit and matter exchange. In this reading, Via acts as a sign of embodiment in process: the soul descending into form, or the consciousness awakening within its physical vehicle. This is the alchemical phase of Solve et Coagula at its moment of condensation. The First House becomes the crucible in which the identity is distilled, not as a static product but as a living transformation. One might say that the individual represented by Via in this house carries the memory of motion, the awareness that being alive is a continual act of travel through inner and outer worlds.

From a Golden Dawn perspective, Via here aligns with the Yesodic Grade of Theoricus, wherein the student learns to balance emotion and intellect while traversing the path between subconscious impulse and conscious direction. The First House magnifies this initiatory symbolism: the querent stands at a portal, not yet knowing what form the self will take but compelled forward nonetheless. This reflects the larger Hermetic axiom that the self is a road rather than a destination. Semiologically, Via acts as a performative sign in this context, it does not simply describe identity; it enacts it. The native embodies the figure’s motion, their life unfolding as an ongoing geomantic sentence written by experience itself.

Psychologically, Via in the First House can mark a phase of heightened self-awareness emerging through change. The Moon’s influence evokes introspection and sensitivity, often accompanied by a sense of vulnerability or impermanence. Yet this is not weakness but adaptability: the lunar principle grants the ability to flow with shifting circumstances. The signified content here is transformation through motion; the self must remain mobile to remain authentic. This is the archetype of the pilgrim-soul, the individual who finds identity not by anchoring but by traversing. Semiotic resonance extends to the mythic image of the traveller guided by lunar light, uncertain of the destination but compelled by an inner tide that knows the way.

When Cancer, the Moon’s home, overlays the First House, the symbolism deepens further. The self becomes a vessel for emotional intelligence, intuition, and receptivity to unseen influences. The Moon here acts as the mediator between inner and outer worlds, just as Via bridges spiritual and material realities. The semiotic parallel is striking: the Moon reflects the Sun’s light just as the individual reflects the divine image through the unfolding of life’s journey. The Cancerian overlay turns the path of Via into a womb of renewal, selfhood constantly gestating new forms, new phases, new reflections.

In a practical divinatory sense, Via in the First House signals beginnings. It suggests that the querent stands at the outset of a significant passage, one whose outcome depends on maintaining flow rather than forcing direction. The way forward is revealed through movement itself. Any attempt to fix the identity or cling to a rigid self-image risks stagnation. The symbol advises trust in the process, to follow the road rather than demand its end. The lunar principle assures that the path, though shifting, will always cycle toward illumination, as the dark moon waxes inevitably to fullness.

The visual shaping process of Via enhances this interpretation. Its vertical descent aligns perfectly with the horizon of the First House, symbolizing the soul’s entry into form. The figure may be seen as the glyph of incarnation: spirit condensing through successive planes until it manifests as the embodied self. Semiologically, this renders Via a generative sign, a mark that produces being. The First House becomes not merely the container of personality but the active process through which identity is continually generated. The self is born anew with each movement, each change, each cycle of reflection.

Hermetically, this placement echoes the formula of Lux in Tenebris, light emerging through shadow. The First House, ruled naturally by Aries, here receives the Moon’s gentler currents, tempering the fire of assertion with the water of adaptability. The self thus learns to express power through reflection, not confrontation. The inner way of Via becomes the outer personality: calm, introspective, quietly determined. This individual does not stride forward in straight lines but moves in curves, adjusting course according to the subtle tides of intuition. The very act of self-projection becomes a magical art, the shaping of the visible self as a reflection of the invisible road within.

In esoteric practice, Via in the First House may also mark a phase of initiatory rebirth. The querent or magician stands at the threshold of a new beginning, where past cycles have dissolved and new identity has yet to crystallize. Rituals performed under this influence would emphasize purification, new undertakings, or the assumption of new magical personas. Semiologically, it marks the liminal zone between what has been and what is becoming, the moment of threshold consciousness, where form has not yet defined itself but potential is alive in every direction.

Ultimately, Via in the First House reveals the human being as a path rather than a point. It transforms the very idea of selfhood from noun to verb, from static being to flowing becoming. The signifier is motion; the signified, transformation through existence. The First House, as the ascendant of life’s chart, becomes the gate through which this motion enters manifestation. The semiotic grammar of this placement declares that the self’s true essence lies not in identity but in direction. Just as the Moon waxes and wanes, revealing and concealing, so too does the individual under Via’s influence continually recreate the meaning of “I.” The conclusion is both mystical and psychological: the road and the traveller are one. The journey of Via in the First House is the unfolding of the soul’s light through the shifting mirrors of experience, the eternal act of becoming that defines all existence.

As a comparative study, when Via moves from the First House to the Tenth, the semiotic field shifts from inner emergence to outer manifestation. The Tenth House, known as the Midheaven, represents destiny, public life, vocation, and the visible summit of personal evolution. It is where the self, once born on the horizon of the First House, now stands before the world to express its completed form. Semiologically, the Tenth is the culmination of ascent, the apex of the chart, where private motion becomes public meaning. When Via occupies this high domain, its symbolism of the path remains, but its orientation reverses: the current flows upward rather than downward. What was once the road of inner becoming now becomes the pilgrimage of purpose in the outer world. The lunar fluidity of Via translates here into adaptability of career and calling, a path that bends, evolves, and reforms according to inner tides rather than rigid ambition. The individual’s public role becomes a reflection of the soul’s continual movement, suggesting a vocation that changes form but never loses direction.

In the Tenth House, Via no longer concerns identity formation but manifestation through motion. It implies a destiny defined by process rather than permanence, where success arises not from fixed goals but from the courage to remain in transit. The Moon’s light here is reflected in the social realm, lending intuition, receptivity, and emotional intelligence to leadership or creative expression. Semiologically, the figure’s four single points become steps of ascent, symbolic milestones in the evolution of vocation. Each dot marks a phase of realization, yet the road continues beyond the visible horizon, implying that worldly achievements are but temporary markers on a greater spiritual journey. In contrast to the First House’s internal genesis, Via in the Tenth teaches the mystery of the outward road: that true accomplishment lies not in reaching an end, but in keeping the light of motion alive as one moves ever onward through the luminous cycles of becoming.