Luoshu Square

the I Ching 易經) traditions, and is an important emblem in Feng Shui (風水)—the art of geomancy concerned with the placement of objects in relation to the flow of qi (氣), or "natural energy".

[citation needed] A Chinese legend concerning the pre-historic Emperor Yu (夏禹) tells of the Lo Shu, often in connection with the Yellow River Map (Hetu) and the eight trigrams.

A magical turtle emerged from the water with the curiously unnatural Lo Shu pattern on its shell: circular dots representing the integers one through nine are arranged in a three-by-three grid.

[2][3] Recent publications have provided support that the Lo Shu Magic Square was an important model for time and space.

Like the Yellow River Map, the Lo Shu square, in conjunction with the Bagua, is sometimes used as a mandalic representation important in Feng Shui geomancy.

The Lo Shu square on the back of a small turtle (in the center), surrounded by the signs of the Chinese zodiac and the Eight Trigrams , are all carried by a large turtle (that presumably stands for the Dragon horse that had earlier revealed the trigrams to Fu Xi ). [ citation needed ] This example drawn by an anonymous Tibetan artist.