obility, solidity and adaptability (i.e. fluidity).

Exploring the arrangement of the fundamental properties of course

brought the source of these associations, the trigrams of the I-Ching,
to mind. With translations:

Because this has to do with the created world, it is representative of

the Wheel of the Year and can be paired with the Yin-Yang Calendar-
Wheel given in the previous post, like this:

This shows the fundamental properties relative to the Sun, and the
four fixed-signs of the Zodiac, commonly associated to the even-
numbers and the spokes of the Wheel of Time (as are the corners of
the Lo Shu Square). While the Zodiac signs don’t necessarily align
with their traditional elemental association, I did find some interesting
correspondences between the rising of the fixed-star associated to
each sign and both the trigram and the phenomenon associated to
that square. For example, Aldebaran is the “Might of Taurus,” is called
the “fiery eye” and brings the heat. Like the environment “Lake,” the
sign is also strongly associated to reflection, harmony…and even
stagnation.

This reminds of the character-trait grid derived from the trigrams.

Heaven creates. Earth receives. The Mind needs arousing. The Heart
needs stilling.

Well, this is what I got out of my head last night. As the wheels are
still churning, I’m sure more is forthcoming.

Categories:Astrology & Astronomy, Esoteric Arts, Sciences & Symbol

Tongues, Frequencies & Vibrations, Gematria &
GeometryTags:air, compass, creation, Direction, Earth, ether, fire, Heaven, I
Ching, Lo Shu, Quadruplicities, Qualities, space, time, trigram, water, Zodiac

The Lo Shu Matrix

January 25, 2012Xia Neifion~Clark1 comment

In the last few months I’ve been researching legends surrounding the
last Emperor of China’s mythical period, the Great Emperor Yu. This
research is for another writing project I’ve undertaken, but there’s
something I want to share that I think will be of interest to readers
here…
Have you heard of the Lo Shu Square? I was pretty sure I hadn’t until
I saw it in its modern, simplified form. A 3×3 magic square composed
of the numbers 1 to 9, with 5 forever in the center, and the four even
numbers always in the corners. I have known it as the magic square
of the number 15, also called The Square of Saturn:

As soon as I understood what I was looking at, I knew it was so much

more than what I had give it credit for!

The Chinese word Lo is often generically translated as ‘river’, but in

this case specifically implies the river Lo. The word Shu means
‘scroll’. Legend says that the Great Emperor Yu walked along the
river Lo during a time of great flooding to analyze why the river god
was refusing the people’s sacrifices to stop the flood. However,
as Yu is most remembered for the engineering feats that gave China
control of their waters, his famous walk along the river Lo probably
had more to do with analysis and less to do with appeasing a river
god. At any rate, all stories congeal that it was the back of a turtle
shell that provided Yu with his answers. Presumably, what was drawn
would have been something like this image that first introduced me to
the Lo Shu Square:
Note that the black square-dots in the corners represent even
numbers. Because they are black and square-shaped they
represent Yin energy. As such, the four corners are called “the
numbers of the earth.” Just like earth has its four cardinal points. The
white circles represent odd numbers and Yang energy. They are
called, “the numbers of Heaven.” The whole thing together is also
called the Nine Hall Diagram. It is said to explain the relationships
between earth and Heaven. It is strongly connected to the nine
directions (8 compass points, plus the center), the nine “pure colors”
(3 primary, 4 secondary, plus black and white) and the nine
temperaments (correlated to the interactions of Hot and Cold). There
are plenty of modern sources which connect the diagram to the most
profound mysteries of time and space.
It seems that Emperor Yu devised a system from this diagram that
allowed the region to control their river. My guess is that it worked
with his irrigation c