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Numerology

Modern numbers and the Gua.

One is tempted to assign the Gua numbers based on their modern binary computing notation. Doing so from bottom to top as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd exponent of 2 (bottom line =2^0, middle =2^1, top =2^2) where unbroken =1 and broken =0 yields a conventional 3-bit unsigned octal integer ranging from 0 to 7. This forms the familiar zip-zag effect of the Sigil of Saturn and the Ho Tu but it would be hard to guess from this why the Lo Shu lucky numbers are so arranged.

Up Gua    Lo Shu  Ho Tu  Down Gua    Lo Shu  Ho Tu    Xing

 7 Qien =  1 = 9 --------|  7 Qien =  1 = 9 --------| Metal
 6 Xun  = -2 = 2 ----|      6 Dui  = -4 = 4 --------| Metal
 5 Li   = -3 = 3 ------|    5 Li   = -3 = 3 ------|   Fire
 4 Gen  =  4 = 6 --|        4 Zhen =  2 = 8 ------|   Wood
 3 Dui  = -4 = 4 --------|  3 Xun  = -2 = 2 ----|     Wood
 2 Kan  =  3 = 7 ----|      2 Kan  =  3 = 7 ----|     Water
 1 Zhen =  2 = 8 ------|    1 Gen  =  4 = 6 --|       Earth
 0 Kun  = -1 = 1 --|        0 Kun  = -1 = 1 --|       Earth

Although interesting and not uncommon to see the octal digits, it is easy to approach the Gua as if it were not written in modern notation and without benefit of zero. The trigrams are visual graphs, like musical notation, and form an indivisible byte. It seems clear both from the Lo Shu and the Early Heaven arrangement of the Ba Gua as well as the general importance attached to the number 5 that this number or it's multiples were used as the origin of a number line for plotting counting numbers, if needed, along the yin/yang waveform. The visual representation of the Gua provide an easy to follow rising and falling of light or dark lines against a solid field. For the extreme values of Heaven and Earth, Father and Mother, all light or all dark lines are shown with no single line rising or falling. For Yin (negative) numbers, we count backwards from our origin which is offset by the extreme value. I believe this is the "backward counting" to which the text of the I Ching refers in it's commentary on the formation of the Ba Gua. The limit, the extreme value, greater even than mama yin or papa yang, or Tai Ji is built right in. From the I Ching, we are aware of the deep relationship with Time and Change and so the concept of the Yin/Yang along with Age to form the old yin/old yang and three degrees of young yin/young yang should be carefully studied. These are the familial relationships represented by positions of the lines as expressed in the Ba Gua. 5 at the center is Now Moment, younger than the youngest past yet older than the eldest future, it is the Dao to the Tai Ji.

Thus Saturn the last and slowest moving of the classical planets was given the Lo Shu Magic Square because of their mutual association with Time, Change and Limit. Lo Shu is the smallest "non-trivial" Magic Square at 3x3 and the only such square possible that is not simply a rotation or reflection of the Lo Shu.

Bottom to Top as Age (bottom line =older, middle =middle, top =youngest) where unbroken =yang and broken =yin and all bits unbroken =father and no bits broken =mother yields an unconventional representation of a sort of signed octal integer ranging from -4 to 4 but excluding 0. Here we see the order in which the Lo Shu numbers were assigned. When the arrangement changes to Later Heaven, the Gua adopt the lucky number of the early gua at their new position.

           U D Gua    Lo Shu  Family    Ho Tu      Xing

 +-------- 0 0 Kun  = -1 = 1 |  Yin   | --|        Earth
 | +------ 6 3 Xun  = -2 = 2 | Eldest | ----|      Wood
 | | +---- 5 5 Li   = -3 = 3 |   to   | ------|    Fire
 | | | +-- 3 6 Dui  = -4 = 4 |Youngest| --------|  Metal
 7 7 7 7                   5
 | | | +-- 4 1 Gen  =  4 = 6 | Yang   | --|        Earth
 | | +---- 2 2 Kan  =  3 = 7 |Youngest| ----|      Water
 | +------ 1 4 Zhen =  2 = 8 |   to   | ------|    Wood
 +-------- 7 7 Qien =  1 = 9 | Eldest | --------|  Metal

             Center = ±5 = 10                      Earth

Thus the Yin and the Yang of each age add to 10. The octal number 7777 is significant, it represents the limit, two hexagrams. It is the 10,000 things, it is that which is more than we care to count. This is possibly similar to R. Buckminster Fuller's Wave Pulsation of Indigs in SYNERGETICS Numerology 1223.00