Spirituality is usually faith-based and born out of the idea that there is a supernatural and All-powerful bean or deans watching our every move. However, modern Numerology is a type of spirituality that bases human beings’ destiny and future on numbers.
Pythagorean Numerology has many different facets in which a human being’s destiny or future can be predicted by using their date of birth or creating master numbers distilled from the letters of their name. The most critical numbers for understanding one’s future are destiny, talent, Heart’s Desire, personality, maturity, and challenge numbers.
Spirituality and the forces that direct our lives have been sought after and worshiped since the beginning. Numerology allows people to predict the path of their lives using numbers, which can be a fun and different spiritual experience from ordinary religions. This article will give you the background, history, and details as a complete guide to modern Numerology.
Where did Numerology Originate From?
Suppose you have ever taken a high school Geometry class. In that case, you may have heard of the person who came up with the form of spirituality known as Numerology and not even known this other influence he has contributed to the world.
Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher from the city of Samos who is best known for his contribution to mathematics with the Pythagorean theorem, which states that any right triangle (a triangle with one angle at 90 degrees) has two legs and a hypotenuse. One angle will always be equal to ninety degrees. The other two angles of the triangle will add up to 90 degrees.
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Pythagoras of Samos contributed to Greek philosophical thought and education through mathematics, music theory, and astronomy. He even founded his school based on philosophy and religion in the town of Croton. The school was secretive and ran as a society with an inner circle of members known as the “mathematikoi.”
The Beginnings of Numerology
Numerology’s beginnings started with the secretive society that Pythagoras founded in Croton (now southern Italy), where his members of the Mathematikoi learned from Pythagoras himself and followed strict rules, such as:
- Reality is mathematical
- Philosophy can be used for the purification of the spirit
- The soul can rise to union with the divine
- Some symbols have mystical significance
- All brothers and sisters of the order should observe strict loyalty and secrecy
This inner group of Pythagoras’ secret society was forced to be vegetarians and could not hold worldly possessions. However, the outer circle of members lived away from the school and could own possessions. This outer circle of members was known as the Akousmatics.
The Details of Pythagoras’ Numerology School
Philosophy and mathematics had a strange and profound relationship in the school of Pythagoras, and little of his actual work is known or can be verified since the school was a commune with shared work, values, and beliefs.
From this school and the contributions of Pythagoras and his followers, the abstract of numbers was expanded to the point that they were trying to condense the universe and everything in it to a scale of numbers and nothing else.
To Pythagoras, numbers had personalities, which is an abstract idea to us, who now think of numbers as absolute. The student of Numerology by Pythagoras included ranking numbers, with a number like 10 being the best since it had symmetry, included the first four numbers(1,2,3,4) within it, and when counted out with dot marks, formed a perfect triangle.
How to Practice Numerology
Practicing Numerology means finding out more about your destiny by identifying and analyzing the numbers of your birth date and your name’s letters. The mystical study of numbers in Numerology is much like the study of planets in relation to your birthdate. Specific numbers are connected to themes that will come up in your life or characteristics of who you are as a person.
Practicing Numerology is usually done in companionship with astrology. By identifying and analyzing numbers that continually come up in your life, you can make predictions about future events, get a sense of your inner self, and even be given clues to life’s purpose.
In Numerology, any recurring digits in your life can be analyzed and used to identify patterns. However, the most popular form of Numerology is identifying and analyzing the numbers in your birth date and condensing your name into digits.
There are many different uses for numerology digits found from your birthdate or name, and the most popular is known as “destiny number,” “life’s path number,” and “heart’s desire number.”
How to Calculate Your Life Path Number
Known as the central concept in Numerology, your life path number is essential for determining your future using digits. Figuring out your life path number is incredibly easy, and you can use a simple formula. Essentially, you are just adding up the digits of your birthdate. You also need to condense two-digit numbers in your birthdate to a single digit unless they are the number 11 or 22.
The life path number is essential for several reasons in Numerology. Initially, you can learn about your personality, your strengths, what you may have difficulties with, who you are compatible with, and your innate skills or talents.
The steps for figuring out your life path number are easy, in addition to a few additional rules. The example below is based on a birthdate of December 21, 1990.
- Condense the month, day, and year into single-digit numbers.
- The month of December is 12 or 1+2=3
- The day 21 is 2+1=3
- The year is 1+9+9+0=19 then 1+9= 10 then 1+0=1
- The final Life path number is found by adding the three single-digit numbers produced from the month, day, and year: 3+3+1=7
In the above example, the life path number is 7. The possible life path numbers are the single-digit numbers 1 through 9, 11, or 22.
How to Calculate Your Destiny Number
Pythagorean Numerology also uses the letters in your name and the corresponding numbers to your birth name’s letters. The numbers must be single-digit unless they are 11 or 22 and are added up to create your destiny number.
The numbers used for calculating the destiny number are found by counting the letter’s position in the alphabet. For example, the letter J is 10 in the alphabet(1+0=1). A full destiny number example using the name John Smith shows the following:
- J=10(1+0=1)
- O=15(1+5=6)
- H=8
- N=14(1+4=5)
- S=19(1+9=10(1+0=1))
- M=13(1+3=4)
- I=9
- T=20(2+0=2)
- H=8
To calculate the Destiny Number, add up all numbers and then add the final number as though they are single digits until you come to the single-digit Destiny number, 11 or 22.
1+6+8+5+1+4+9+2+8=44(4+4)=8
In this example, John Smith has a destiny number of 8 according to the calculations of Pythagorean Numerology.
What is the Expression of Each Life Path/Destiny Number
The Life Path number will tell you about your personality and also give you exercises that you can do that will most benefit your personality. Each life path number is separate. Once you calculate yours, compare it to the chart below for the details of your personality, talents, skills, difficulties, and exercises.
One: The Innate Artist
A most creative person with skill and little self-esteem. Building yourself up with the opinion of others may be your downfall.
Talents and Skills
- Creative person
- Dedicated and careful; very persistent with activities and projects
- Visualization, dream boarding, and affirmations come naturally to you
Difficulties
- Dependent on the desires and opinions of others
- Chase after things that may not be important to you personally
- People pleaser who gets caught up in the desires and wishes of others
Exercises
- Finding and connecting with your values.
- Writing exercises that require you to list important things that matter to you that you would think highly of even if given no praise. Then connect life goals to these essential things.
- Any exercises that encourage solidarity toward goal acquisition
Two: The Trusted
Talents and Skills
- In touch with your emotions
- Honest and genuine person
- Understand and seek your desires easily
Difficulties
- Occasional hopeless feeling
- Give into criticism and problems easily
- Tend to look at the negative possibilities of most things causing increasingly paralyzing fear
Exercises
- Exercises for life number 2 include visualizations and other practices that encourage a positive mindset.
- Work on the voice from inside that tends to be critical by writing down some of the self-hating or defeating comments you may tell yourself. Now, reframe these statements into positive questions.
- Energy may also be a problem for you, so finding exercises that promote healthy energy increases, such as meditation, working out, and specific mantras, can help.
Three: The Romantic Stuff
Talents and Skills
- Very social and attractive to others
- Great at networking
- Strong romantic involvements
- A “people person”
- Optimistic and able to manifest your desires well most of the time
Difficulties
- Not great with commitment.
- Spread yourself too thin on too many desires
Exercises
- Any exercises that encourage mindfulness are great for life number 3 because you will be better able to apply yourself to a core of essential desires and not spread yourself too thin on completing distractions.
- Any meditation that requires you to focus on breathing for an extended period (usually ten to fifteen minutes)
Four: Powerful Motivator
Talents and Skills
- Strong-willed people who are incredibly straightforward
- High level of self-awareness
- Great planner
- Strong beliefs in yourself and the universe
Difficulties
- Not very spontaneous and will occasionally miss out on enriching and soul-cleansing activities.
- Less likely to become wealthy
Exercises
- Any exercises that help you to follow creativity in your mind can be good for life number 4.
- Visualizations should be done daily about wealth and willpower.
- Visualizations that occur with vivid sensory details will be the best to help encourage the spontaneity that will be required to become successful.
Five: The Fixer
Talents and Skills
- An open-minded individual with a creative approach to problems
- Very grounded and present at most times in life
- More aware of the present and less affected by the past; the focus is on a positive future.
Difficulties
- Give in to temptations and desires easily
- Short-lived pleasure can distract from long-lasting and meaningful sensations and change.
- Self-centered and can turn others off easily
Exercises
- Key exercises radiating positive energy outward will help keep life number 5 balanced.
- To practice humble sincerity, you can help others in random ways, such as covering the bridge toll for someone behind you or staying in touch with someone you know to be lonely.
- Experiences beyond the surface level and forcing you to give will help you cultivate a positive outlook on life and radiate this positivity.
Six: The Blind Truster
Be careful of people your intuition tells you not to trust, as you may be easily fooled by love or fortune. Your nature is giving and can be a fatal flaw.
Talents and Skills
- Empathetic and generous with your time and money
- Others will come to you and depend on you for goodness and health
- A nurturer
Difficulties
- Hard to find time for yourself and your desires
- Can be taken advantage of
Exercises
- Self-care exercises are essential for life number 6.
- Exercises are more for you to get in touch with what you need and hold onto these moments and cherish them as precious.
- These activities can be as easy as taking a long bath after a hard day, listing things that make you happy when you are alone, or finding time and energy to engage in your favorite hobbies.
- All of these exercises will help you to distinguish healthy boundaries
Seven: The Balanced One
Lack of motivation and work ethic can be problems if you let your natural, easy-going personality meet others who have fallen ill to addiction.
Talents and Skills
- Peace Loving and self-reflective individual
- Connecting with others while maintaining boundaries is easy for you
- Balanced and satisfying relationships are common
Difficulties
- Lack of appreciation
- Less likely to believe in a universe of connection
Exercises
- Any exercises that help you connect with your spirit will benefit you.
- Meditation, mindfulness practice, or even being in nature are all rewarding to understand the world without your analytical mind bogging you down.
Eight: The Born Leader
A natural-born leader who can think very highly of themselves. Watch out for that Achilles heel, and don’t be afraid to ask for help in things that scare you.
Talents and Skills
- Confident, fearless, focused, and thoughtful
- Always on time and very practical with your time and gift giving
- Very organized
Difficulties
- Material wealth is more important than spiritual wealth
- Less apt to believe or focus on your inner dreams
Exercises
- Exercises in creativity and dreaming can be beneficial for life path number 8
- Feeling and expressing your emotions is the key to growth for you
- Journaling is a great tool and exercise that can lead to identifying and understanding the emotions that you feel
Nine: The Determined Leader
A leader with a chip on their shoulder, number 9, is born with an innate spirit that others are attracted to. Relationships may take a back seat to your sense of pride and honor and upholding what you believe to be and right.
Talents and Skills
- Well-respected and honorable
- Interested in law and order and honesty
- Extremely charismatic and a leader
Difficulties
- Driven to focus on material wealth and status rather than emotions and personal connections
Exercises
- Any exercises that allow you to focus on knowing why you do the things you do for positive means are appropriate.
- For example, make positive word associations with things you value so you can visualize the positive nature of your hard work and effort.
- If the word association is money, write around the world all the positive things that money can give you, such as security, and new experiences with travel.
Eleven: The Wise Leader
Master number 11 is a world person who will seek out knowledge and answers even to the questions of others. Your insights and interest will always be well received and respected.
Talents and Skills
- Known as a master number
- Wisdom; a person who is very in touch with their spirituality
- Big dreams that can help others around you
Difficulties
- Flippant moods
- Hard to be satisfied or thankful
- Very intense emotions are common
Exercises
- Any exercises that help bring emotions in balance are good for life path 11.
- Meditation early in the day can put you in a calmer state of mind and make you feel less beholden to your powerful emotions.
Twenty-Two: The Elegant Leader
The final master number, 22, tends to be spiritually high-status people who have the tools to make their wildest dreams realities.
Talents and Skills
- Known as a master number, sometimes referred to as the most powerful life path number.
- Make great inner tools to help you achieve your dreams and make the world a better place for all.
Difficulties
- Controlling and self-centered, believing that you have all of the answers to life’s problems
- Not well received or liked by some people
- Self-deprecating or feelings of unworthiness
Exercises
- Communication exercises are the most beneficial for life path number 22.
I am listing difficult things for you to say and finding the time to practice them (like “I’m sorry”) or finding different, less charged ways of saying these things can aid your communication with others. - Getting in touch with yourself can help you manage emotions and communicate better.
How to Calculate Your Heart’s Desire Number
The Heart’s desire number, also known as the soul urge number, is central in modern Numerology. It is calculated by deriving single-digit numbers from the vowels of your birth name and then adding them up until they equal a single-digit number or 11 or 22.
The Heart’s desire or soul urge number can tell you much more about the direction your life may head in and what you are innately passionate about. The inner soul of your desires can become fully realized, and your motivations, cravings, urges, and even likes and dislikes can be revealed with the Heart’s desire number.
The numbers used for calculating the Heart’s desire number are found by counting the position of the vowel letters in your birth name. For example, the letter J is 10 in the alphabet (1+0=1). A full heart’s desire or soul urge number example using the name John Smith shows the following:
- J=Not a vowel
- O=15(1+5=6)
- H=Not a vowel
- N=Not a vowel
- S=Not a vowel
- M=Not a vowel
- I=9
- T=Not a vowel
- H=Not a vowel
To calculate the Heart’s Desire Number, add up all numbers from the vowel letter alphabetic position and then add the final number as though they are single digits until you reach a single-digit number, 11 or 22.
6+9=15(1+5)=6
In this example, John Smith has the Heart’s desired number of 6 according to the calculations of Pythagorean Numerology.
What is the Heart’s Desire/Soul Urge Number
This chart lists the nine Heart’s desire numbers with the positives and negatives of each number. The soul urge number can help one to realize their direction in life and who or what they are most compatible with.
Using the Heart’s desire or soul urge number in your daily life can help you to reflect on challenges that you may come up against. You can use this reading of your personality and the desires that are innate in you to make sound choices based on your talents.
Also, you can be better prepared for your relationships with people and how to work on yourself to cultivate and refine the negatives of your personality.
One: The Ugly Leader
Heart’s Desire 1 is determined and strong-headed. Ugliness at the core can get in the way of making lasting change.
Positives
- Very independent and determined in desires
- A qualified leader who
- Able to make hard decisions when others are afraid to act
- Above-average intelligence
- Inspiring and insightful to others
Negatives
- Self-righteous and headstrong
- Can come across as arrogant or overbearing
- Competition can bring out the ugliness in character
Two: The Distracted Partier
Heart’s Desire 2 is the peaceful harmony of any group and can get along with most anyone. You may seek others to join your cosmic party if you are this person.
Positives
- Focused on harmony with the world; a peaceful person
- Very sensitive with heightened senses and emotions
- Strong intuition
Negatives
- Limited self-trust
- Self-sabotaging
- Self-doubting
Three: The Traveling Artist
Heart’s Desire 3 is a creative artist who can’t stop traveling. If you have a traveling bone in your body or love hearing and telling stories, your soul is looking for an excellent ear to hear you out.
Positives
- Great with self-expression
- A very joyful and celebratory person
- Storyteller
- Very creative and would do well in performance as a career
Negatives
- You can get wrapped up in your ego
- Can speak for too long
- Your exuberance will turn some people off
- You can become disorganized when not focusing on what you are doing
Four: The Solid Rock
Heart’s Desire 4 is a stable individual looking for order in the future and finding those around them who can help provide structure and further the order innate to their well-being.
Positives
- Organization and stability are central to your well-being
- Systems and equations are the best ways that you can understand and live in the world
- It can be emotionally unbalanced
Negatives
- Sometimes you can get lost in work and not pay enough attention to yourself and your needs.
- Not great at showing compassion and love for others
Five: Looking For Trouble
A world at your fingertips can be tempting, and you will often take the road less traveled even if danger lurks.
Positives
- Travel and freedom are central to your feeling of joy
- You can be very driven when you get new ideas
- Good leadership skills
- Very passionate
Negatives
- Easily distracted
- Very impetuous and will tend to act without thinking or consulting others
- Not great at dealing with disappointment
- They can be put off by things they don’t like very easily
Six: Trusting Friend
People innately trust you, and for a good reason. Your sense of friendship and companionship are very strong, and these qualities guide much of your decision-making.
Positives
- Personal connections with the people you love are the most important thing in your life.
- A caretaker
- Willing to sacrifice for others
- Sought for advice
- True to their partners, not a cheater
Negatives
- Tend to not take care of your own needs in light of the needs of others
- Not trusted by others because of your judgment
Seven: The Wise Learner
Wisdom comes in many different forms throughout your life, and your incredible ability to find the meaning in things will bring you, friends and enemies.
Positives
- Education is one of your passions.
- Intelligence and conversation are strong for you
- Incredibly analytical
Negatives
- Your analytical mind can get in the way of your creative side
- You have trouble identifying and relieving your emotions
- Your tendency is to be withdrawn
Eight: Ambitious Ladder Climber
Don’t lose sight of those around you as you reach your goals, or you may not have the support you need later on down your road toward success.
Positives
- Achievement is your chief focus.
- You will be influential if you have your way and are incredibly driven toward your goals.
Negatives
- The drive towards success can blind you to what is essential for your health and soul.
- Not a great judge of other characters
Nine: World Changer
Reality is your thoughtful plaything, and being creative can bring you vast plans for success that you may have trouble completing if you do not lean on your friends and allies.
Positives
- Your focus on service to others makes you a great attribute to any team
- Idealistic and thoughtful
- Visualization is a strong attribute that helps you complete tasks that you focus on
- Very creative; artistry is your greatest outlet
Negatives
- Helping others can sometimes take away from yourself
- Difficult for you to balance things in your life and relationships
What is the Difference Between Numerology and Astrology?
Many people who are interested in Numerology get introduced to astrology and vice-versa. The strange thing is that each is a very different form of spirituality. The confusion comes when each of these practices in the spiritual is used together. Numerology and astrology are very different, and here is why:
Astrology is the study of stars and the position of constellations in the night sky in accordance with someone’s birthdate. These constellations and dates correspond with a prediction about who you are and what you will do. The time of year you are born will correspond with the central constellations in the night sky at the point of time in the year.
The birthdate also calculates Numerology, and your birth name is condensed into single digits and then compared to a chart. However, Numerology is all about the potential of someone and what could be both positive and negative attributes.
Both Numerology and astrology aim to look into the future destiny of people. However, astrology claims prediction, while Numerology is broader and about potential. The confusion between the two is because they both use numbers of birth dates to calculate the importance of a person’s worth, details of their character, and the destiny of their life.
Final Thoughts
In the world of spirituality, the belief in things can give you peace of mind and happiness. Numerology tends to take patterns and order to the extreme level and will have you finding meaning in many facets of your life.
When used alongside tarot, astrology, and other avenues of spirituality in the occult, Numerology is a practice that can be fun and entertaining as well as illuminating. Numbers and patterns are concrete and can be found throughout the natural world as well as in the lives and details of human beings.