Compendium of Magical Things: Communicating with the Divine to Create the Life of Your Dreams

Numerology is a science founded upon the belief that numbers and sounds have a vibration in common that can give you important information about your true self as well as what the future holds. I once studied numerology rather extensively, but that was decades ago. So in doing research for this book, I really was seeing it with fresh eyes.

Every oracle I’ve explored in writing this compendium has had a distinctly different feel and focus. Numerology’s energy felt like the science of astrology mixed with the subconscious connection of pendulums.

Before I go any further, there are a couple of things you need to know about numerology right up front.

First, there is math. I’m sure that can’t possibly be a shock. However, it’s very simple math. It’s mostly just easy addition with occasional subtraction. There’s no geometry or trigonometry for you to worry about. I admit that I used a calculator a couple times, but that’s just because sometimes there were a lot of numbers to add up—not because it was difficult math.

Second, if you’re familiar with the concept of angel numbers, which we touched upon in Chapter 2, please know that numerology is completely different. I do love angel numbers and use them all the time! But the meanings of angel numbers and numerology only occasionally agree with one another. Numerology has complex meanings for all the numbers, whereas angel numbers have very simplistic, and therefore easy to use, definitions. So if you think you already know about numerology because you understand angel numbers, keep reading, because there’s a lot to learn and to gain from numerology.

The basis of numerology comes from calculations using your name and your birth date. The practice attributes numbers to the letters of the alphabet to transform your name into a number. Likewise, the numbers in your birth date get added together in various ways to provide information about yourself and the future.

Different numerologists disagree on what to call various calculations of numerology, but they generally agree on what information you’re getting from the most common methods of transforming the various pieces of your name and birth date into numbers. For example, one of the primary calculations in numerology is to turn every letter in your full name into a number and then add them up. Some call this the expression number, but it can also be called the destiny number or simply the name number. However, the information it provides is largely the same for most numerologists. I happen to have a ridiculously long name, which is why I resorted to a calculator. But if your name is Susan Mary Jones, you should be fine with the simple math.

Numerology (like astrology) is ancient and has turned up in most of the major civilizations. The Egyptians, Mayans, Hebrews, and even early Christians turned to numbers for answers about themselves and the Universe. Around 400 C.E., St. Augustine of Hippo is said to have written, “Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth.” Church leaders repeatedly banned numerology as an unaccepted practice, all the while using it in secret in conjunction with understanding religious texts. Evidence of Chinese numerology goes back 4,000 years.

Several versions of numerology still exist today, but the most common is the version called Pythagorean numerology (which is what I’ll be sharing with you). It’s loosely based upon concepts from his teachings that numerologists call the “science of numbers,” which was presented to the world in the 6th century B.C.E. by (unsurprisingly) the Greek philosopher Pythagoras. His ideas formed a basis for the belief that numbers made up everything and had a powerful effect on the Universe. That makes it easy to see how he might then be credited as the “father of numerology,” but in reality, he wasn’t directly involved in the creation of contemporary numerology.

It’s worth mentioning that the Chaldeans created a version of numerology that is older but also vastly more complicated and therefore less practiced today.

While many secret organizations like the Golden Dawn and the Masons were very interested in the meaning of numbers, the term numerology is a relatively recent word first used in 1907 by famed numerologist Dr. Julia Seton. The 20th century saw a big increase in interest in numerology among the general population, and there were several famous numerologists in the 1900s who shaped the science into the form it finds itself in today.

Numerology works on the principle that every number resonates to a particular frequency. It also states that everything around us has a particular energy or vibration. Much like in astrology, numerology relies on the concept that you chose the date of your birth and that by working with those numbers, a lot of information about who you are can be extracted.

Likewise, numerologists believe that you chose your name before you were born on the basis of the vibration or energy that you wanted to work with in this lifetime. That name was relayed to the subconscious of your parents. Numerology works using your full name: your first, last, and any middle name(s) you may or may not have as reflected on your birth certificate. By turning your full name into numbers, you can gain access to information about your life purpose, your inner self, and other important pieces of information.

Experts differ in opinion as to whether to take name changes into consideration. Some numerologists are adamant that your birth name is your birth name. Whatever is on your birth certificate is the final word, and name changes due to preference, marriage, or stage names are irrelevant. Other numerologists take a softer approach, stating that a new name adds to the energy of a birth name and can even be beneficial to how your life flows. For example, taking a partner’s name due to a marriage can bring the energy of the ancestry of the partner into the life of the person taking the new name.

For the sake of simplicity, I suggest working with your true birth name. If numerology really speaks to you, check out the suggested reading section at the end of the book for more expert opinions as to how to handle name changes.

Numerology can give you information on many aspects of your life—including what your future holds at various times of your life. However, in this compendium, we’re going to be focusing on the most well-known numbers:

Before we start doing math, let’s talk about the meaning of the numbers themselves.

Numerology concerns itself with the numbers 1 through 9, 11, and 22. There are other numbers beyond these that some numerologists work with, but these are the primary ones. The numbers 11 and 22 are considered “master numbers” with special meanings of their own. The following is a short explanation of each number:

Now let’s talk about names. Most numerologists are very strict about wanting to use your birth name—literally what’s on your birth certificate. If you’re adopted or for some reason don’t know your actual birth name, numerologists will encourage you to seek it out through public records or adoption agencies. If your name has changed due to marriage or personal choice, they’ll still use your birth name but also work with the new name as an “added energy” to your reading. A few numerologists will work with a changed name if it’s been so incorporated into your psyche that you no longer even associate with or think of your birth name anymore.

All right. Math time. I’m going to use a very simple example: Susan Mary Jones, born March 28, 1990. I’ve chosen 1990 because 9s are very much like their description—self-sacrificing. You can add 9s into the calculation, or you can leave them out completely and still come up with the same eventual result. Also know that numbers are always reduced down to a single digit except for master numbers 11 and 22.

Life Path Number: Time for an example. Let’s start by calculating the Life Path number. The Life Path number gives a broad understanding of how your life will play out. This includes the lessons you have come into this life to learn. For this reason, some numerologists call it the Life Lesson number.

The Life Path number is calculated using your birth date. The numerical values for each month through September are easy. January is 1, February is 2, and so on. The numerical value for October is 1 (1 + 0 = 1), November is 2 (1 + 1 = 2), and December is 3 (1 + 2 = 3).

Numerologists don’t all calculate the Life Path number the same way, but I’ll give you what I think is the most accurate. It requires you to reduce each piece of your birth date and then add them together. For Susan, it’d look like this:

Now you add the final three numbers together: 3 + 1 + 1 = 5. Susan’s Life Path number is 5!

Remember how I told you that 9s always sacrifice themselves? Well, one useful trick to know is that we could’ve ignored those 9s in the equation and gotten the same result. If we eliminate the 9s in 1990, only adding together the 1 and the 0, and then reducing to 1, we still have the final calculation of 3 + 1 + 1 = 5.

Susan’s Life Path number tells us that the life lessons she is here to experience are related to the qualities of the number 5. Susan is likely to be constantly seeking, always changing, always after the next big experience. Her experiences are likely to inspire others. She’s likely to be a lot of fun, very interested in sensual experiences of all kinds, and quite spiritual! In fact, a search for spirituality is likely to be a big part of her explorations.

Some numerologists skip the part of reducing the month, day, and year and then adding the three numbers together. They’d just add all the numbers together (3 + 2 + 8 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 0) to get 32, and then add 3 + 2 to get the same answer of 5. The reason not to do it this way is that it can create a situation where you don’t end up with a master number, whereas the original way I taught you could’ve ended in 11 or 22 for a different birthday.

The Life Path number isn’t the only numerological calculation that involves your birth date. There are a lot of them. But let’s turn our attention to Susan’s name.

Pythagorean numerology turns your name into numbers. The numbers are as follows.

Pretty easy right? The most commonly used calculations with a name involve turning the letters into numbers and adding them all up, then reducing down to one number, unless the letters of your name total up to one of the two master numbers, 11 or 22.

Expression Number: The Expression number (sometimes called your Destiny number) is the way you’ll go about your life. It indicates the ways in which you react to situations or other people. It’s your goals in life and the talents and characteristics —good and bad—that you were born with in order to handle those goals. It’s created by turning all of the letters in your name into numbers and adding them up.

Heart’s Desire Number: The Heart’s Desire number is the true inner you. It’s what drives you at your core. Sometimes called the Soul number, it’s the authentic you that indicates your true motivations as you move through the world. It’s calculated by adding up only the values of the vowels of your name.

Personality Number: Finally, the Personality number is sort of like your rising sign in astrology (see Chapter 9). It’s the way you present yourself to the world. It’s the public you that you don’t mind showing to those around you. It’s also how others see you. It’s an important number, because you might find out you’re not projecting yourself the way you think you are! It’s calculated by adding up only the values of all the consonants in your name.

So let’s take a look at Susan. I’ve created a chart, Figure 10.2, to make this as easy as possible.

Susan’s Expression number is 5—same as her Life Path number. Susan is constantly interested in learning. She enjoys travel and values her freedom deeply. She can get bored if there isn’t something new to experience. Susan is aware of her own talents and she can really turn on the charm when she wants to.

Susan’s Heart’s Desire number is 7. On the inside, Susan is an introvert. She loves her time alone and is always thinking, always analyzing. She loves to learn, and in her free time she is probably either reading a book or researching something on the Internet. Not in the slightest bit shallow, Susan wants to understand the depths of any topic that interests her.

On the outside however, things are quite different for Susan. Her Personality number is a 3. Around people, she is likely to be an excellent communicator and quite charming. Fun to be around and endlessly optimistic, Susan will likely have many friends and be the life of the party (presuming she’d ever go to a party she didn’t have to attend). She’s likely to always look younger than her age, and in her natural desire to always see the positive in any situation, she might be a tad prone to exaggeration.

Susan is a very complex person. Her true nature is to be an introvert and experience the depth of life in her own little world. However, she knows that’s not always possible, and so if she’s going to be out in the world, she’s going to turn on the charm so that people will give her what she wants. She’s probably not being manipulative, but she is being very practical about how the world works.

Numerology is about cycles. Every year, month, week, and day of your life has a numerological value. These dates are called Personal Date numbers. Manifesting with numerology is about knowing those cycles and working with them, not against them. If you want to manifest more abundance in your life, that means understanding when the 8 cycles of your life are present and then taking the right action to match that. If you want romance or a family, you would work with the energy of the 2 and 6 cycles.

To calculate your Personal Year number, take your birthday month and day and add it to the last year in which you celebrated a birthday. Let’s take our gal Susan as an example. Let’s pretend it’s November 2017. Therefore, Susan’s last birthday was 3/28/2017. We simply take 3 + 2 + 8 + 2 + 0 +1 + 7 = 23; 2 + 3 = 5. This is a 5 year for Susan—she really likes 5s!

Susan would do well to focus on manifesting changes in her life that she’s been wanting to make. Travel is also a good thing for Susan during this time. If there’s any part of Susan’s life that she’s been wanting to break free from, a 5 year is the time.

A PINNACLE EXPERIENCE

Many years ago, when I was in my 20s, I was seeking a spiritual path. I was deeply into angels and tarot but also exploring astrology and numerology. What got me interested in numerology was a reading I received from an extremely talented numerologist.

Now, to give you an indication of how long ago this was, the reading was recorded on a cassette tape and given to me to keep. The reading was very accurate for where I was at that time in my life, but it also included something called Pinnacle Cycle numbers. These numbers pinpoint what your future life is going to be like in four stages, or pinnacles. I was still in my first pinnacle cycle at that time.

Many years later, while packing up to move into a new home, I stumbled upon that cassette tape. Naturally, I was curious, as I was well into my third pinnacle cycle by then. So I put it into a machine and hit PLAY.

Listening to that old cassette tape was a jaw-dropping experience. Everything that numerologist said about the last 20-something years of my life was completely spot-on! Including a cross-country move that I had no idea was coming at the time of the original reading, the end of a 14-year relationship that I thought was “forever,” and a major career change!

Numerology is a lot like astrology to me. It’s the type of oracle where I like having the skill set in order to use pieces of it to plan for the energies that are coming. Things like Personal Year and Personal Month numbers can be very helpful. While it’s easy enough to do the math, I also think a professional can be very helpful—especially in the beginning.

Even though it had been a long time since I’d worked with numerology, in all honesty, most of the numbers made perfect sense this time around. My Expression number is a 3, and it sounds exactly like me. My Life Path number is a 5, and that also feels spot-on. My Personality number also makes sense. In fact, next year’s Personal Year number also made sense based on what I know I have coming up. However, my Heart’s Desire left me confused. Everything I’ve read about it sounds like someone else.

As with astrology, I don’t think you can take the Life Path, Expression, Heart’s Desire, or Personality numbers as individual things. Like an astrological chart with planets flung in every direction, you have to take each of these numbers and their meanings and blend them. They have to be looked at as interacting with one another. They relate to one another.

When I took that into consideration, that Heart’s Desire number became a lot clearer to me.