Numeric Squares

Numeric Squares (sme ba)

• The nine numeric squares (Tib. sme ba dgu, Ch. jiu gong), along with the animal signs, trigrams, planets and constellations, are one of the basic devices through which the elemental relationships may be calculated in elemental divination. They comprise White One, Black Two, Blue Three, Green Four, Yellow Five, White Six, Red Seven, White Eight and Red Nine. In terms of the five elements, the three white numeric squares symbolise iron, Black Two and Blue Three symbolise water, Green Four symbolises wood, Yellow Five symbolises earth, while Red Seven and Red Nine symbolise fire. Then, in terms of the corresponding natal year-signs, White Eight, Black Two and Yellow Five govern the tiger, monkey, pig, and snake year-signs; Red Seven, Green Four and White One govern the mouse, horse, bird, and hare year-signs; while Red Nine, White Six and Blue Three govern the ox, sheep, dog, and dragon year-signs. Other primary attributes are tabulated in Part II, pp. 000-000.
• Nine distinct charts are constructed, based on different permutations of these nine numeric squares, and these are utilised in order to calculate the current numeric square (babs sme) and the natal numeric square (skye sme), on which see their separate entries. Furthermore, within each year of the cycle, each of the four elemental aspects (vitality, body, destiny and luck) is associated with its own distinctive numeric square, and the sexagenary cycle may actually be extended to one of 180 years (sme phreng gsum) when this information is taken into account .
• In natal horoscope, the natal numeric square of the subject's mother and the natal numeric square indicative of the subject's own luck (rang klung skyes pa'i sme ba) are important calculations, as are the numeric square divination affecting three generations of a single family (sme ba gsum bsdebs), and the technique in which numeric squares are superimposed on the grid of the subject's body (sme ba'i sa tshad rtsi ba,). Then, in marriage divinations, the wedding day is determined by calculating the nuptial numeric squares of the bride and groom (sme ba'i lam rtsis), particularly in combination with the bridal spirits ('dom sbrags). In divinations concerning obstacle years, there are twenty-eight categories of obstacle years determined on the basis of the numeric squares and there is also a technique for examining minor obstacles contingent on the numeric squares ([[see Part VI, pp. 000-000). When divinations are carried out concerning ill-health, the presence of certain diseases and demonic influences may be recognised on the basis of the numeric squares (sme ba'i nad gdon ngos bzung), and when the divinations of death are applied, the numeric squares may indicate retributions associated with a death, as well as the direction in which a corpse should be disposed. GD (from the Glossary to Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings)