Arrows of Individuality

Arrows of Individuality — also called Arrows of Strength and Weakness — are read from the same 3×3 birth-date grid used in the Lo Shu system. When the three numbers that form a straight line (a row, column or diagonal) are all present in your birth date, they create an "Arrow of Strength": a talent that comes to you almost effortlessly. When all three are absent, they create an "Arrow of Weakness": a developmental theme you will work on throughout life.

The best-known arrows run along the diagonals. A complete 1-5-9 line is the Arrow of Determination — willpower, persistence and the ability to finish what others abandon. A complete 3-5-7 line is the Arrow of Spirit — faith, intuition and a natural connection to the metaphysical. Missing lines carry their own names: an empty 3-5-7 is the Arrow of Scepticism, and an empty 2-5-8 is the Arrow of Hypersensitivity.

The value of the arrows is that they translate a birth date into a quick character sketch. A present arrow describes a resource you can lean on; a missing arrow describes the growth edge where conscious effort pays the highest dividends. Because the same lines can be full or empty across different birth dates, the arrows capture both innate gifts and the specific work of a lifetime.

How to calculate

Plot your full birth date on the 3×3 grid. Check all eight lines (three rows, three columns, two diagonals). Any line whose three numbers are all present is an Arrow of Strength; any line whose three numbers are all absent is an Arrow of Weakness. Lines that are partly filled are neutral.

See also

Related terms

All glossary terms