Chinese Numerology: The Lo Shu Square

Lo Shu SquareThe exact origin of where numerology began is a mystery and although we can’t pinpoint an actual date of birth for this system, there are estimated dates of when it could have possibly began. The Chinese have often been referred to as being the first people to have ever used numbers as a source of significance in daily lives.

It was in the Yellow River region of China roughly 4000 years ago that the Chinese are believed to have begun using numbers for more than simple calculations. Patterns were noticed and these patterns where utilized to determine a person’s fate, their temperaments and other significances. The Chinese numerology system revolves around a unique grid that is often called the Lo Shu Square.

The founder of this grid is known as Wu of Hsai who was the very first mythical emperor of China. Although there is no evidence of how the grid came to be, there is an old folk tale that states that Wu found a tortoise with a square on its back. The square was a 3 x 3 grid which was soon to become the Lo Shu grid.

The Lo Shu Square is remarkable because the numerological significance of each square is impressive. The traditional grid consists of rows and columns that always add up to the number 15. This is a known as being an extremely sacred number in China along with the number 5. The number 15 is the exact amount of days between a new moon and a full moon which once again shows the co-relation between numerology and astrology.

Since the first grid came to be there have been three major variations of the system and all three systems are still used to this day; the Ki system, the traditional system and the western system. Although there is not much information about the Western system, it was made popular in the 1930’s and mainly in Australia.

The Western system still exists to this day and it is known for being among the most accurate of all the systems. To make it even more popular, it is among the easiest numerology systems to learn which makes it the first choice of many numerology students. The other two numerological systems are becoming obsolete because of their complexity and less accurate results.

The basic Lo Shu grid contains 9 squares within it and each row or column has 3 squares, thus making the grid one big square. Normally, these squares are numbered from 1 to 9 and depending on your date of birth, the numbers will vary in placement. The general way to calculate the significance of a person’s temperament is by using the year of birth along with the day and month.

Placement of the numbers within the Lo Shu grid is crucial. By placing the numbers in a specific area of the grid, the reader is capable of determining several weakness and strong points of an individual. It is surprising to see just how accurate a simple grid can be.