[ENG][Part 2] Hetu and Luoshu

 CALee Acupuncture

🌿 [Part 2] Hetu and Luoshu — Cosmic Diagrams Flowing into the Human Body

– The Generative Flow of Hetu and the Formation of Organs
– The Balancing Principle of Luoshu and Its Diagnostic Framework
– Understanding Organ Mapping Through Diagrammatic Structure

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✍ Continuing the Series

As introduced in the Opening Post of This Series,
this article explores how the philosophical root shared by the I Ching and Oriental medicine—Yin and Yang—becomes embodied in two cosmic diagrams: Hetu (River Diagram) and Luoshu (Luo Writing).

These ancient visuals are not just symbolic.
They form the foundational blueprint for understanding the human body in Oriental medicine, particularly in how organs are formed, connected, and diagnosed.

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🌌 Hetu: The Flow of Creation, from Heaven to Organs

According to legend, the Hetu emerged from the back of a dragon-horse that appeared from the Yellow River.
It represents not only cosmology, but also the generative sequence of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

Each number-pair and direction is matched with an element and internal organ:

• 1, 6 → North → Water → Kidneys

• 2, 7 → South → Fire → Heart

• 3, 8 → East → Wood → Liver

• 4, 9 → West → Metal → Lungs

• 5, 10 → Center → Earth → Spleen

☯ These elements follow the generative (sheng) cycle:
Water → Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → (back to) Water

👉 Oriental medicine adopts this sequence to describe the physiological relationship among the organs.

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⚖ Luoshu: A Philosophy of Balance Guiding Diagnosis

The Luoshu is believed to have appeared on the back of a divine turtle from the Luo River.
It forms a magic square, where the numbers in each row, column, and diagonal add up to 15:

4 9 2  
3 5 7  
8 1 6

At its center sits 5, representing the Middle (Earth), a pivot of balance.
Luoshu illustrates the principle of harmony, or Zhongyong (the Doctrine of the Mean).

👉 In Oriental medicine, this concept becomes the basis for evaluating organ imbalances and making diagnostic decisions.

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🔗 Bridging the I Ching and Oriental Medicine Through Diagrams

Aspect	Hetu (River Diagram)	Luoshu (Luo Writing)
Origin	Back of a dragon-horse from Yellow River	Back of a divine turtle from Luo River
I Ching Significance	Cosmic generation, Five Element creation	Balance, symmetry, and harmony
Use in Oriental Medicine	Organ formation and interrelations	Diagnostic framework for internal balance
Philosophical Focus	Creation & transformation	Equilibrium & regulation

👉 Hetu = Theory of Generation → Organ Arrangement

👉 Luoshu = Theory of Balance → Diagnostic Matrix

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🧭 Mapping the Organs: Visualizing the Theory

         Water (Kidneys - North - 1,6)  
       ↙                    ↘  
Metal (Lungs - West - 4,9)    Wood (Liver - East - 3,8)  
       ↘                    ↙  
        Fire (Heart - South - 2,7)  
                ↓  
        Earth (Spleen - Center - 5,10)

This mapping illustrates:

• How the cosmic numerology and directions of Hetu and Luoshu translate into organ systems

• How the Five Elements generate and support one another, forming a dynamic physiological system

👉 In clinical practice, this framework is used to understand the pathological interaction between organs.

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🪷 In Closing

Hetu and Luoshu are more than ancient legends or mystical drawings.
They are visual expressions of how cosmic principles from the I Ching become living systems in the body through Oriental medicine.

• Hetu provides a map of creative interconnection

• Luoshu provides a matrix of harmonious balance

Together, they help form a model where heaven’s logic meets human physiology.

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🔮 Coming Up Next

In the next post, we’ll explore how seasonal and cosmic energies flow into the human body.
Through the theory of Five Movements and Six Qi (Wu Yun Liu Qi), we’ll examine how time, weather, and disease patterns interconnect.

📖 [Part 3] Five Movements and Six Qi — Celestial Forces Flowing into the Body
(Topics: Annual cycles of the Five Elements / Pathological effects of the Six Qi / Seasonal disease patterns)