A symbol of the Divine, a good luck charm, a cosmogram of the world order, a template for fengshui —through the ages, the luoshu, or magic squre of order three, has fascinated people of many different cultures.

In this riveting account of cultural detective work, renowned mathematics educator, Frank J. Swetz relates how he uncovered the previously hidden history of the luoshu, from its Chinese origins, shrouded in legend, through its eventual association with Chinese fortunetelling, Daoism, and fengshui, to its incorporation into Islamic astrology and alchemy and its migration into Kabbalistic lore and other occult traditions of the West.