Lo Shu grid calculator by date of birth
Enter a date of birth to see its Lo Shu grid: every digit of the date placed in the 4-9-2 / 3-5-7 / 8-1-6 square, with the numbers that are present, repeated and missing, and which of the 8 planes (rows, columns and diagonals) are complete. You can also add the mulank and bhagyank, as many Indian numerologists do. It is a traditional pastime, shared here for interest, and a grid predicts nothing about a child.
What is the Lo Shu grid?
The Lo Shu square is a 3 × 3 arrangement of the numbers 1 to 9 in which every row, every column and both diagonals add up to 15. It comes from a Chinese legend of a turtle whose shell bore the pattern; the name means “scroll of the Luo River”. Numerologists use the square as a fixed frame: the layout never changes, and only the digits of a date of birth decide which cells are filled.
| 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 6 |
- Top row: 4 + 9 + 2 = 15
- Middle row: 3 + 5 + 7 = 15
- Bottom row: 8 + 1 + 6 = 15
- Left column: 4 + 3 + 8 = 15
- Middle column: 9 + 5 + 1 = 15
- Right column: 2 + 7 + 6 = 15
- Diagonal 4-5-6: 4 + 5 + 6 = 15
- Diagonal 2-5-8: 2 + 5 + 8 = 15
How to make a Lo Shu grid from a date of birth
- Write the date as day, month and year: DD MM YYYY.
- Put each digit in the cell of the same number, once for every time it appears. Zeros have no cell.
- Optionally, add the destiny number (bhagyank, every digit of the date added and reduced to one digit) and the birth number (mulank, the day reduced to one digit) once each. The mulank is usually skipped when the day is 1 to 9 or 10, 20 or 30, since the day’s own digit is already in the grid. This calculator leaves both out unless you choose that option.
- Read off the present, repeated and missing numbers, and which rows, columns and diagonals are full.
Worked example: 14 August 2021
The digits are 1 4 0 8 2 0 2 1. Leaving out the 2 zeros, the grid holds 1, 2, 4 and 8. Repeated: 1 (twice) and 2 (twice). Missing: 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9. No plane is complete.
With the mulank (5) and bhagyank (9) added, the grid also holds 5 and 9, the missing numbers become 3, 6 and 7, and these planes are complete: top row, middle column and diagonal 2-5-8.
| 4: once | 9: missing | 2: twice |
| 3: missing | 5: missing | 7: missing |
| 8: once | 1: twice | 6: missing |
| 4: once | 9: once | 2: twice |
| 3: missing | 5: once | 7: missing |
| 8: once | 1: twice | 6: missing |
The 8 planes and their traditional names
A plane is any straight line of three cells. The names below are the ones Indian Lo Shu books and websites most often use; other writers use different names (the two diagonals vary most, and some call them yogs rather than planes), and the meanings attached to them are tradition, not fact.
| Line | Numbers | Traditional name |
|---|---|---|
| Top row | 4-9-2 | Mental plane |
| Middle row | 3-5-7 | Emotional plane |
| Bottom row | 8-1-6 | Practical plane |
| Left column | 4-3-8 | Thought plane |
| Middle column | 9-5-1 | Will plane |
| Right column | 2-7-6 | Action plane |
| Diagonal 4-5-6 | 4-5-6 | Golden plane |
| Diagonal 2-5-8 | 2-5-8 | Silver plane |
The Lo Shu grid and baby names
The grid comes from the date of birth, so it is the same whatever name a child is given. Families who use numerology for names usually start from the same date’s birth number (mulank) and destiny number (bhagyank): work them out with the bhagyank and mulank calculator, see which name numbers are traditionally paired with a date in baby name by date of birth, and check a name’s own number with the name numerology calculator. For a number that changes every year rather than staying fixed, see the personal year calculator. The Feng Shui kua number also comes from the Lo Shu square; find it from a birth year with the kua number calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Lo Shu grid?
The Lo Shu grid is a 3 × 3 square holding the numbers 1 to 9 as 4-9-2 in the top row, 3-5-7 in the middle and 8-1-6 at the bottom. Every row, column and diagonal adds up to 15, which makes it a magic square. Its name means "scroll of the Luo River", after a Chinese legend of a turtle from that river whose shell bore the pattern; numerologists, including many in India, use it to lay out the digits of a date of birth.
How do I make a Lo Shu grid from my date of birth?
Write the date as day, month and year (DD MM YYYY) and put each digit in the cell of that number, once for every time it appears. Zeros have no cell, so they are left out. For 14 August 2021 the digits are 1 4 0 8 2 0 2 1, so the grid holds 1, 2, 4 and 8; the repeated numbers are 1 (twice) and 2 (twice).
Should the mulank and bhagyank be added to the grid?
Practices differ. The classic grid uses only the digits of the date, which is this calculator's default. Many Indian numerologists also add the destiny number (bhagyank, from the whole date) and the birth number (mulank, from the day), each once. The mulank is usually not added when the day is 1 to 9 or 10, 20 or 30, because the day's own digit is already in the grid; this calculator follows that rule. Choose the option above to see both versions.
What are the planes of the Lo Shu grid?
The planes are the 8 straight lines of three cells: 3 rows, 3 columns and 2 diagonals. Indian Lo Shu writing usually calls the rows the mental (4-9-2), emotional (3-5-7) and practical (8-1-6) planes, the columns the thought (4-3-8), will (9-5-1) and action (2-7-6) planes, and the diagonals the golden (4-5-6) and silver (2-5-8) planes, though names for the diagonals vary between writers. A plane counts as complete when all three of its numbers appear.
What do missing numbers in a Lo Shu grid mean?
A missing number is simply a number from 1 to 9 that does not occur in the date (or in the mulank and bhagyank, if you add them). Numerology traditions attach meanings to missing and repeated numbers, but there is no evidence behind them, and this calculator does not make predictions; it shows which numbers are present, repeated and missing.
Is the Lo Shu grid the same as a Pythagorean birth chart?
No. Both place the digits of a birth date in a 3 × 3 grid, but the Pythagorean chart puts the numbers in order (1-2-3 up the left column, 3-6-9 along the top) while the Lo Shu grid uses the fixed 4-9-2 / 3-5-7 / 8-1-6 magic square. Many plane names are shared, but they cover different numbers: the thought plane is 1-2-3 in the Pythagorean chart and 4-3-8 in the Lo Shu grid.
Can I use the Lo Shu grid to choose a baby name?
The grid comes from the date of birth, so a name does not change it. Families who follow numerology usually look at the birth and destiny numbers from the same date, then compare a name's number with them. The baby name by date of birth tool shows which name numbers are traditionally paired with a date.
Is the date I enter saved anywhere?
No. The grid is worked out in your browser and the site does not store the date or send it to analytics. If you open or copy the share link, the date is part of that link's address, so anyone you send it to will see it.