I CHING - DIAGRAMS - MAGIC SQUARES - SPIRALS A double page spread from an 18th century blockbook version of the Book of Changes, or I Ching. The two diagrams on these pages represent the most ancient diagrams - the numerological and cosmological arrangement of the trigrams, or the energies represented by the trigrams, relate to the five elements of the Chinese system. The diagram to the right (the first of the two, in terms of the Chinese method of writing) is known as The River Plan, which is based on a spiral numerology, from 1 to 10, in which the odd numbers are represented by 0, and the even numbers by black dots. The two pairs of black fives (framing the central white five, which represents a potential power, born of self-generating energy) is to be conceived two 5 = 10, and therefore represent an even number, which limits this self-generated energy. In some diagrams, these pairs of five, are joined by two lines, which construct a square around the innermost 5. According to popular legend, The River Plan was brought from a river by a dragon-horse. The diagram to the left (the second of the two, in the Chinese sequence) is known as The Writing from the Shining Waters is based on a numerology from 1 to 9, and relates cosmically to direction in space (that is, in terms of location), and to time. The five points of space are marked in the corners and in the centre (The magical five represents Here and Now), while the Future is represented by the 9, the past by the 1. The numerology is identical to that expressed in the European Magic Square of Saturn, the lines of which add up to 15, in every direction.