What's your magic number?
I was always hopeless at numbers. Maths and its grim branches – geometry, algebra and arithmetic – were definitely ‘out’ for me. My head teacher called it a ‘family failing’, because another sibling was similarly afflicted. In fact, everyone in our house was numerically challenged – even our parents.
But were we downhearted? Not a bit of it. The prevailing family attitude was: ‘Why bother with it, then? Let X equal 29y + 72x - 13z. Let it jolly well do what it wants. We don’t care.’ There were lots of other things we could competently and happily do, so we turned our backs en famille on numbers.
However, as time went by, the little pests appeared to develop some sort of revenge strategy, and kind of crept up on me. They gradually and rather spookily began to make sense. Recently, when Carol Vorderman, TV presenter and mathematical whiz, advised us not just to look at numbers, but to look for patterns in numbers, something clicked inside my head. Eureka!
I suppose I’d been unconsciously studying numbers in a roundabout way over the years. Not formal maths of course (that would have been too scarily direct), but through the rather unorthodox route of astrology. My interest in the subject sparked when I noticed how many people I knew uncannily resembled their zodiac signs. Astrology drew me like a magnet: it used logical patterns.
I began studying Sun signs, Moon signs, ascendants and birth charts. Never had drawing circles divided by six lined segments been so fascinating or satisfying as when working out charts. It was really just geometry, but now with purposeful meaning. Slowly it dawned on me that there was an order in the universe, and this order involved numbers. They were not so abstract, after all.
In astrology, planets are plotted on the 360-degree circle of birth charts, forming aspects that dovetail with numerology. And I discovered – oh joy – that numerology involves only nine numbers (1 to 9), much easier to calculate than astrological ones. Numbers with relevance to your own life can be added quickly and easily – like lucky numbers. Numerology was for me.
The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, born around 570 BC, was one of the earliest numerologists, and believed numbers were sacred because they existed independently of material form. More recently, scientific discoveries about light and magnetism popularised the 19th-century idea that numbers relate to energy patterns. Basic numerology requires you to learn about the ruling planets and qualities of the nine numbers:
1 vibrates to the Sun: initiating, creative, protective, benevolent
2 vibrates to the Moon: imaginative, parental, sensitive, dreamy
3 vibrates to Jupiter: idealistic, optimistic, intellectual, expansive
4 vibrates to Uranus: individualistic, original, inventive, tolerant
5 vibrates to Mercury: communicative, versatile, writer, speaker
6 vibrates to Venus: femininity, compassion, love, romance
7 vibrates to Neptune: spirituality, sensitivity, sympathy, mystery
8 vibrates to Saturn: wisdom, learning through experience, caution
9 vibrates to Mars: aggressive action, courage, conflict, originality
To apply numerology, think about the day you were born. This is your personality number, and also one of your lucky numbers (keep a note of this). If it is, say, the 5th, then you are a ‘five person’ and you’re ruled by Mercury. You must reduce double-digit numbers by adding them up. For example, for the 29th add 2+9 = 11, then 1+1 = 2, which is ruled by the Moon, giving you the Moon-like qualities described above.
Your age can also give useful information about which influences you will experience that particular year, what to expect, and how best to deal with them. For example, if you are 32, all you need to do is add 3+2 together = 5. Your strongest influence will be Mercury-ruled 5, and most communication-related things should go well in that year. Go with the flow and success ought to follow.
As secondary influences, you should then examine the Jupiter-ruled 3, which suggests optimistic intellectual expression, probably with a touch of idealism. Positioned slightly weaker still, Moon-ruled 2 provides lots of imaginative ideas, but cautions you to be sensitive to those around you, and not to get too carried away with yourself.
Hot tip: ensure you go for those health checks, particularly in ‘eight’ years – whether you’re 17 or 71. You will be relieved to know that our birthdays move in nine-year cycles. Therefore, if you’re turning 81 you require only nine candles on your cake, and the following year, even better: you’ll only need one. Numbers can be fun when they relate to our own lives – and are quite addictive, too.
But were we downhearted? Not a bit of it. The prevailing family attitude was: ‘Why bother with it, then? Let X equal 29y + 72x - 13z. Let it jolly well do what it wants. We don’t care.’ There were lots of other things we could competently and happily do, so we turned our backs en famille on numbers.
However, as time went by, the little pests appeared to develop some sort of revenge strategy, and kind of crept up on me. They gradually and rather spookily began to make sense. Recently, when Carol Vorderman, TV presenter and mathematical whiz, advised us not just to look at numbers, but to look for patterns in numbers, something clicked inside my head. Eureka!
I suppose I’d been unconsciously studying numbers in a roundabout way over the years. Not formal maths of course (that would have been too scarily direct), but through the rather unorthodox route of astrology. My interest in the subject sparked when I noticed how many people I knew uncannily resembled their zodiac signs. Astrology drew me like a magnet: it used logical patterns.
I began studying Sun signs, Moon signs, ascendants and birth charts. Never had drawing circles divided by six lined segments been so fascinating or satisfying as when working out charts. It was really just geometry, but now with purposeful meaning. Slowly it dawned on me that there was an order in the universe, and this order involved numbers. They were not so abstract, after all.
In astrology, planets are plotted on the 360-degree circle of birth charts, forming aspects that dovetail with numerology. And I discovered – oh joy – that numerology involves only nine numbers (1 to 9), much easier to calculate than astrological ones. Numbers with relevance to your own life can be added quickly and easily – like lucky numbers. Numerology was for me.
The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, born around 570 BC, was one of the earliest numerologists, and believed numbers were sacred because they existed independently of material form. More recently, scientific discoveries about light and magnetism popularised the 19th-century idea that numbers relate to energy patterns. Basic numerology requires you to learn about the ruling planets and qualities of the nine numbers:
1 vibrates to the Sun: initiating, creative, protective, benevolent
2 vibrates to the Moon: imaginative, parental, sensitive, dreamy
3 vibrates to Jupiter: idealistic, optimistic, intellectual, expansive
4 vibrates to Uranus: individualistic, original, inventive, tolerant
5 vibrates to Mercury: communicative, versatile, writer, speaker
6 vibrates to Venus: femininity, compassion, love, romance
7 vibrates to Neptune: spirituality, sensitivity, sympathy, mystery
8 vibrates to Saturn: wisdom, learning through experience, caution
9 vibrates to Mars: aggressive action, courage, conflict, originality
To apply numerology, think about the day you were born. This is your personality number, and also one of your lucky numbers (keep a note of this). If it is, say, the 5th, then you are a ‘five person’ and you’re ruled by Mercury. You must reduce double-digit numbers by adding them up. For example, for the 29th add 2+9 = 11, then 1+1 = 2, which is ruled by the Moon, giving you the Moon-like qualities described above.
Your age can also give useful information about which influences you will experience that particular year, what to expect, and how best to deal with them. For example, if you are 32, all you need to do is add 3+2 together = 5. Your strongest influence will be Mercury-ruled 5, and most communication-related things should go well in that year. Go with the flow and success ought to follow.
As secondary influences, you should then examine the Jupiter-ruled 3, which suggests optimistic intellectual expression, probably with a touch of idealism. Positioned slightly weaker still, Moon-ruled 2 provides lots of imaginative ideas, but cautions you to be sensitive to those around you, and not to get too carried away with yourself.
Hot tip: ensure you go for those health checks, particularly in ‘eight’ years – whether you’re 17 or 71. You will be relieved to know that our birthdays move in nine-year cycles. Therefore, if you’re turning 81 you require only nine candles on your cake, and the following year, even better: you’ll only need one. Numbers can be fun when they relate to our own lives – and are quite addictive, too.