Edited to add references/links at end of post
The History of Numerology
Numerology is the study of numbers and numerical patterns. There’s significance to repeating numbers, every number on the calendar means something, and even names have meaning. You can use Numerology to understand yourself and the people around you. Making smarter choices, maximizing your potential on certain days/years, catching auspicious timing, and knowing when to act can all be done with Numerology. It’s important to remember that Numerology only predicts potential.
There is much evidence for the “science of numbers” throughout history. Numerology is often credited to Pythagoras. You’ll find numerical significance in ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, Asian, and Indian history. Pythagoras’ ideas are fundamental to math, astrology, astronomy, and physics. Every number has a unique cosmic vibration and can be reduced to a single digit of 1-9. Westerners mostly use Pythagorean Numerology.
The oldest system, Chaldean, uses numbers 1 through 8. Sacred and holy, the number 9 stands out from the rest. Founded in Hebrew mysticism, Kabbalah focuses only on a name and uses 22 vibrations from the Hebrew alphabet. In New Kabbalah Numerology, 26 Roman characters are adapted to the Pythagorean number chart.
Introducing modern Numerology to the Western world, Dow Balliett is credited with popularizing it. Her teachings were based on the Pythagorean theory and significantly influenced Dr. Julia Seton, who popularized the system and coined the term “Numerology.” Juno Jordan, her daughter, was also interested in metaphysics. In the late 1950s, she founded the California Institute of Numerical Research. “NUMBERS DO NOT LIE,” CINR concluded after testing numerical theories and patterns for 25 years.
Vibration in Numbers
To understand the positive and negative characteristics of numbers, it is essential to understand vibration. In Pythagoras’ view, every object and person possesses a spiritual force. Higher spirit forces are associated with positive energy or experiences, while lower spirits are associated with adverse. Each number’s vibration is associated with its shadow and traits. It is also possible to discern vibrational information and meaning from numbers’ shapes and flow lines. Three, for instance, is lucky since it resembles two horseshoes side by side. A 6 has nurturing energy because it resembles a pregnant woman’s belly. Symbolically, 9 is a wise number, with a circle forming a head full of knowledge.
Tools for Numerology
With Numerology, all you need is your birth date and given name. That’s it! No fancy tools. My research indicates that many practitioners recommend performing all calculations by hand first to get a feel for the flow lines and shapes of the numbers. Be guided by your intuition about what to reveal and what to leave unsaid.
Creating Your Core Profile
Your Core Profile consists of your Birthday Number, Life Path Number, Destiny Number, Soul Number, Personality Number, and Maturity Number. I’ll walk you through creating each of these using my information as an example. Please note that I will only post information to my specific number for the meanings of the various numbers to avoid making this longer than it already is. There are tons of resources out that to find information. I’ll link a few of my favorites at the end of this post.
- Birthday: 11/06/1980
- Birth Name: Jessica Ann Clay
Birthday Number
In Numerology, the day of your birth is believed to be chosen by your soul. Birthday Numbers reveal your personality, talents, and higher purpose. There are unique gifts/talents associated with it that will significantly impact your life.
Your birthday number is the sum of the digits of the day you were born. If your date is a single digit, no reduction is necessary. If it is double digits, add the two numbers together.
My birthday is the 6th. Therefore my birthday number is 6.
Note: If your birthday is the 11th, 22nd, or 29th (2+9 = 11), you will not reduce to a single digit as these are Master Numbers (more on that later).
Meaning of Birthday Number 6:
- Responsible, family-oriented;
- loves animals;
- loyalty, perfectionism, and thoughtfulness are your nature;
- tends to meddle in affairs that are not yours.
- Lesson: Surviving betrayal and staying true to yourself.
Master Numbers
It is a blessing and a burden to have master numbers. Extra gifts and talents are associated with these numbers, but they also come with hard lessons and higher expectations.
Master Number 11 (11 or 29): abundant intuitive gifts; kind; capable of pinpointing trends and pushing boundaries; can also be manipulative and go to extremes. Lesson: Never give up on your dreams and develop decisiveness.
Zeros: An intensified version of the trait; it is amplified and exaggerated, boosting its force.
Karmic Debt
It is almost impossible to have a chart without Karma, either as Karmic Debt or Lessons. As a result of past life choices, karmic debt accumulates. The four Karmic Debt numbers are 13, 14, 16, and 19. This can apply to any of the numbers in your chart. To determine if you have Karmic Debt, look at the final number before the final reduction. If it is one of the listed numbers, you have Karmic Debt.
These four numbers are always written as fractions to show the total before the reduced single digit:
13/4
14/5
16/7
19/1
The “1” in the Karmic Debt indicates you were selfish in your previous life. The second number tells you what you were selfish about:
- 13/4: laziness; you must learn lessons of hard work, discipline, and overcoming procrastination. Once you prove to the Universe that you can complete something, you start, and the Universe will stop testing you.
- 14/5: overindulgence and abuse of pleasure; avoid addictive substances and behaviors; or learn by loving someone with a severe addiction. The Lesson will be moderation.
- 16/7: irresponsible with love, crimes of passion; often have a hard time communicating and being honest with the ones they love; tend to be secretive, leading to separation and divorce. The Lesson is to overcome jealousy and be forthright/open in all communication.
- 19/1: old souls that have abused power in their past lives; this leads to trouble with authority figures - starts with parents, and carries over to your teachers and bosses; in other words, you don’t play well with others. If you can learn to stand up for the underdog or to become a whistle-blower who exposes shady corporate practices, your debt will be resolved.
Life Path Number
It provides insight into the unique path you will take during this lifetime—the most important number in your Core Profile. Discover the critical lessons you need to learn to achieve your goals with this number, your natural talents and abilities, your character, and your unique opportunities.
Life Path Numbers are calculated by adding the digits of your month, day, and year and reducing them down to a single digit. By adding the numbers in the month, day, and year first, then combining the three reduced digits, you can avoid false Master Numbers or Karmic debt.
Month: November = 11 (Master Number)
Day: 6th (no need to reduce)
Year: 1980 = 1+9+8+0 = 18 → 1+8 = 9
Path Number: 11+6+9 = 26 → 2+6 = 8
Meaning of Life Path Number #8:
- It’s in your blood to be the boss
- A visionary but also reckless
- A fine line separates power from corruption
- Like money and will spend it extravagantly
- Whenever money is involved, the wrong reasons will cause it to backfire
- By operating with integrity and authenticity, you can achieve success
- In some cases, rewards are not financial (e.g., recognition and legacy).
- The act of showing love and affection can be challenging
- Your downfall can be caused by ego, arrogance, and selfishness
- Achieve excellence in business-related tasks
- You are at your best when you organize, coach, supervise, and direct
- A variety of health problems can occur as a result of stress, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease
- This shape (two conjoined circles) represents the spiritual and material worlds; they must always remain balanced
Destiny Number
As well as revealing your mental and physical talents, your Destiny Number also shows the shadows underneath your character. It represents your highest potential, which you will work for your entire life to meet and achieve.
To calculate your Destiny Number, write out your full name (as given at birth) in all capitals. Under each letter, write the correlated numerical value.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
| J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| J | E | S | S | I | C | A | A | N | N | C | L | A | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
1+5+1+1+9+3+1=21; 2+1=3
1+5+5=11/2
3+3+1+7=14; 1+4=5
3+11/2+5 = 19
1+9 = 10
1+0=1
Meaning of Destiny Number 1
- Your way or the highway - and you usually get what you want
- For a career to remain motivating, it must have opportunities for advancement; the person will likely end up in management
- Fast problem-solving skills come from an inventive mind
- Visionary and innovative ideas; excellent at motivating others
- Has a tendency to get excited about an idea but loses interest in details and has trouble following through
- The fear of failure prevents you from even trying; you won’t do anything if you don’t believe you could succeed
- Your shadow side can make you bossy, impatient, arrogant, and selfish, as well as use your influence for evil purposes
- Take advantage of your leadership gifts of imagination, independence, and creativity
- Share your originality
- Creating opportunities for you to fulfill your vision will require you to make use of your gifts
Soul Number
This number governs decisions made by the heart. In it, you reveal a side of yourself that only those close to you get a glimpse of. Genuine relationships are driven by the dreams, desires, longings, and true inner motivations you possess.
If this number is in harmony with your Life Path Number, your decisions will be easy. You will wear your heart on your sleeve when your Soul Number is the same as your Life Path number. Your private self will read more like an open book. A conflict between your Soul Number and Life Path number will lead to indecision - your head and heart will want different things. There will be times when your actions or decisions will surprise people and be more complex.
Your Soul Number is the total of all the vowels in your full birth name. Use the same chart above for assigning numbers.
| J | E | S | S | I | C | A | A | N | N | C | L | A | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
5+9+1+1+1 = 17
1+7=8
What about “Y”? easiest way to determine if the “Y” in your name is a vowel or constant is whether or not it is next to another vowel. Having vowels on either side will likely make it a constant, such as in my maiden name. The exception here is if the “Y” sounds like a vowel, even when placed next to a vowel (For example, Wyatt or Bryan).
Personality Number
This is the number that dictates the first impression you make on others. This number is expressed in the external image you choose to project through your reactions, behaviors, and responses, whether consciously or unconsciously. It is a gatekeeper to your true nature. It censors what you send out and what kind of people or information you let in. It acts as a filter for who and what gets to enter your inner world, deflecting specific vibrations and choosing those that best resonate with you.
Your Personality Number is the total sum of the constants in your full birth name.
| J | E | S | S | I | C | A | A | N | N | C | L | A | Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
1+1+1+3+5+5+3+3+7 = 29
2+9 = 11/2
Meaning of Soul and Personality Numbers 8 & 11/2:
Soul Number 8 - The Striver
- Taking the hard road to learning
- Enjoys material comforts and wealth
- It is important that others perceive you as successful
- You dream big and are not afraid of hard work
- You need to be challenged (and rewarded for rising to the challenge), or you will slip to low vibration, becoming sadistic, cruel, depressed, and frustrated
- Your ideal partner needs to be attractive, capable, and as driven as you are
- Whether intentional or not, tends to marry well or partner with someone with resources who can support their vision and need for material success
- Remember there is no room for hypocrisy in love - treat your partner as you would like to be treated
Personality Number 11/2 - Friendly and Unpretentious
- Cooperative
- Modest
- Diplomatic
- Humble
- A good listener
- Shy
- Refined
- Often underestimated
Karmic Lessons
Your name reveals your karmic lessons based on the missing energy, represented by the missing letters. Think of the missing energy as tools that are hard to access. To develop these skills, you must learn them on your own. When the missing number is included somewhere else in your Core Profile, Karmic Lessons will be less effective and more manageable.
- #2 - Missing B, K, and T: become more patient, cooperative, and diplomatic; learn how to play well with others
- #4 - Missing D, M, and V: Having trouble staying organized; needing to develop a foundation and learn the discipline to avoid scattering your energies; Procrastination is a significant issue
- #6 - Missing F, O, and X: have major commitment issues; avoid responsibility; may have family scars that need resolving or forgiveness (diminished by birthday number).
- #8 - Missing H, Q, and Z: you must learn how to manage money both in abundance and in poverty; you must learn how to handle your resources, better tolerate authority figures, and accept advice from others.
Concords
The concords (or triads) are numbers that naturally go together. They are the following:
1, 5, and 7
2, 4, and 8
3, 6, and 9
Find the group that contains your Birthday or Life Path Numbers to determine your personal concord. If your Birthday and Life Path Numbers fall in different concords, you may find that you don’t always know what you want.
My concords:
Birthday: 3, 6, 9 - The Creative Concord
- Inspirational, artistic, and spiritual
- Live life to the fullest and express yourself
- The metaphysical and spiritual are of great interest, and you quickly understand them
- Tend to be creative and emotional
Life Path: 2, 4, 8 - The Business-Minded Concord
- Moneymakers, workaholics, and corporate ladder climbers
- Career-minded achievers and find success in business development, operations, and management
- Generally practical, grounded, and efficient
Maturity Number
You will not feel your maturity number strongly until you reach your 40s, and it won’t be actualized until you are around 50. It is here where you can find your true self and feel comfortable in your skin. Integrating it with your Life Path number provides a theme for the second half of your human experience. Your energy shift will be subtle if your Maturity Number is in harmony with your other numbers. A brand-new number will bring dramatic changes.
To find this number, add your Life Path and Destiny Numbers.
Mine: 1+8=9
Meaning of Maturity Number 9
- This number will cultivate wisdom, humor, and humanitarianism
- An interest in arts/culture and volunteering will bring you joy
- Strive to create something worth keeping
A Note on Repeating Numbers
If you have repeated numbers in your profile, they will be expressed intensely. There are both challenges and opportunities associated with repeat numbers. If you are aware of your profile’s intensity, you can put in the hard work to moderate your actions and change how you approach challenges. Think of your Core Profile as a toolbox. Having four to seven unique numbers means you have a wide range of tools and skills. You will have to work extra hard to develop skills outside your natural abilities if you have only two or three different numbers.
- The Ultimate Numerology Book: The Complete Guide to the Spiritual Meaning of Numbers including How Your Birthday and Name Affect Your Life Path
- A Beginner’s Guide to Numerology: Decode Relationships, Maximize Opportunities, and Discover Your Destiny
- Numerololgy.com
- Law of Attraction post on Numerology
- Numerscop.net
- Building Beautiful Souls section on Numerology
- numerology number meanings YouTube Channel
- Numerology Explained YouTube Channel
- Daily Numerology Horoscope by AstroYogi
What a great (and thorough!) dive into not only your personal numbers, but the various areas you explored. This is really interesting and opens up a lot of new doors into Numerology- you’ve really mastered your chart! 
