Numerology uses numbers from dates, times, and letters, and deciphers how they affect people. Practitioners of numerology use the data they acquire to help themselves or others decide what path to take in life, in a career, or a romantic relationship. Many use the practice in conjunction with astrology to give people a more individualized reading.
An Ancient Practice
Numerology has existed in various cultures around the world for thousands of years. Mystics from the Middle East, Asia, and beyond studied numerology. They studied the numbers in religious texts and how they affected the people around them. Many modern followers consider the philosopher Pythagoras and those influenced by his works like Aristotle and Plato, as the first numerologists. These men were deep thinkers who saw numbers as the basis for everything.
A Simple Start
Numerology can involve complex calculations that use an incredible amount of data pertinent to the individual or the situation under study. A simple example of numerology is how to determine a life path. To calculate a life number, the individual adds all the numbers in their birthdate. Someone born on April 4th, 1971, would convert the month to its order in the year and add it to the remaining numbers. The calculation becomes 4+4+1+9+7+1 = 26.
The goal is to continue to break the number down until it becomes a single digit. The number 26 becomes 2+6 = 8. The person with this birth date has a life path number of eight. Guides allow people to look up their life path number and what it means for them.
A Detailed Look
More in-depth readings involve converting the letters in a name to numerals and adding them in the method above for an expression number. Other readings provide personality numbers to show people what others see in them, and a number that represents the heart’s desire to recognize hidden feelings and traits most people did not realize they had.
Numerology can be a fun look at yourself or those around you or become an opportunity to go deeper and increase self-awareness. The results and meaningfulness of the practice depend on the skill of the person performing the reading. Those that want to learn all the secrets of numerology can expect to spend many years discovering all the possibilities it holds.