Are there different types of Numerology?
Yes there are. The three major forms of numerology in use today are the Kabbalah, the Chaldean and the Pythagorean. I happen to use both, the Pythagorean and Chaldean. However the Kabbalah ( which means knowledge that comes through the mind and soul rather than through a flesh and blood teacher) originated in Hebrew mysticism, and interprets only the meaning of the name. The Kabbalah was developed for the Hebrew alphabet, and therefore has only 22 vibrations ranging from 1 to 400. It was adapted for the Greek alphabet, then further adapted for the Roman alphabet. There is also the Chaldean system which is not used nearly as much as the Pythagorean system. But I happen to use it. Chaldean numerology was originally developed in Ancient Babylon (now Iraq), and combines Kabbalistic name interpretation with aspects of astrology. The 9 is considered holy and therefore is kept apart from other vibrations, except when it results as the sum of vibrations (e.g., from an individual's name). In Chaldean numerology, compound numbers always used. Single digits represent the outer aspects of a person, while double digits reveal inner influences. Then there is the most commonly used method, the Pythagorean method! The Pythagorean method was developed by Pythagoras, a Greek mathematician and metaphysician who lived during the 6th century BCE. He was most widely known for his proposition that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides. Pythagoras was as interested in metaphysics and spiritual development as he was in math, so it's no wonder he joined the two disciplines. He studied at the Hermetic (after Hermes, messenger of the gods) Wisdom Schools of the Egyptian holy city of Heliopolis (later named Alexandria) and incorporated many of the same teaching techniques with his own students in Greece. For example, his students had to memorize everything rather than write it down. This approach is still used for geometry students learning theorems. The right triangle was Pythagoras' "Eureka" (which means "I found it"). The right triangle can also be used to symbolize the world of an individual and serves as the original basis for the numerological interpretation of the life pattern of an individual. Like the Chaldean method, Pythagorean numerology analyzes both name and date of birth, and the interaction between the two. The basic vibrations are 1 through 9.
How does Numerology help you?
Numerology can help you better understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, what you need to work on and what you have to work with, where you are coming from and the heights you can yet reach. It's all there in your cosmic name and in your date of birth. The name initially given at birth is called the cosmic name. There is no coincidence that your parents choose YOUR name, there is Karma involved as far as influencing the parents' choices of names for the child. The cosmic name reflects your goals, talents, lessons and debts, in essence, your reasons for being here. Changing your name can enhance or detract from your ability to fulfill your mission in life, but it does not change these factors! The day of the month on which the you were born, regardless of which month or year it is, is an important numerological indicator, providing an excellent "thumbnail sketch" of standout traits. In fact this is where the Chaldean method comes in handy. The Chaldean Life Path (hence your Birthday) reveals the mystical or Karmic reason you are here! It strongly influences the most productive period of your life, and is one of the four key numbers in a chart. (The other three are the Soul Urge/Heart's Desire, Expression and the Life Path.)
The Soul Urge is found by adding together all the vibrations of the vowels. It reveals the longings of the soul, the goals and motivations in life. The sum of the vibrations of the consonants is the silent self. It indicates the unique talents that help you reach your goals and, because it operates on a more subconscious level, is expressed as if describing a dream. The total of all of the vibrations in the name is the Expression. This is the face you show the world, the traits that others see most readily. You may find that you vibrate to one or more of these numbers, ie., feel a particular draw to them without consciously knowing why.
The vibrations that do not appear at all in your cosmic name indicate Karmic Lessons, the areas in which you are here to learn, qualities that have not been fully developed in other lives or were developed but then lost (usually by neglect). Numerological charting is predicated on reincarnation and a belief that there is some degree of choice operating at the soul level when re-entering this dimension. Our names reflect those choices in terms of what we want to undertake in a particular lifetime. As I just had mentioned, Karma is what is responsible for influencing our parents to name us what they do. The parents feel that the name is right, or even like the name for a reason! It does seem that there are almost always setoffs to the karmic lessons that literally propel us in directions that give every opportunity to learn the lessons. In other words, a basic vibration that is missing will appear in another key position in the chart (such as Soul Urge, Expression, Life Path or Day of Birth). This, of course, is no accident, since we are not casual tourists on this plane. We come here with a purpose and equip ourselves with the tools needed to achieve it.
Theoretically, there can be as many as 8 Karmic Lessons (if a person were given a name consisting of a repetition of a single vibration). In practice, most people have between one and three Karmic Lessons. More than three lessons is a difficult and burdensome undertaking, when more than three lessons have been chosen, it is best to focus on lessons that are supported by other chart aspects because these lessons are more likely to be mastered. In fact I have 4 Karmic Lessons, which may also explain why I have a lot to face. It is also increasingly common to encounter persons with all of the basic vibrations present. This can be an indicator of an Old Soul, one with many experiences in this dimension, who seeks to grow by remastering and refining ALL the lessons. It may also be found in concert with an especially heavy karmic debt represented by a Malefic Number, although Malefic Numbers can occur with or without Karmic Lessons. There is a difference between not mastering a lesson from a previous life and downright doing something that you knew was wrong!
The term Malefic comes from the Latin word for bad, which gives malefic numbers an onerous sound. What they actually indicate is an abuse in another life that is to be balanced in this life. They are significant when found in any of the key positions, i.e., Soul Urge, Expression, Life Path and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Day of Birth. The Malefic numbers are 13, 14, 16 and 19. When a Malefic Number is found in the Soul Urge, it will interfere with the individual's personal life, upsetting his or her dreams and hopes. Malefic Numbers in the Expression interfere with the outer life, ie., business and career. When found on the Life Path, Malefic Numbers take their toll in all aspects of life.
Your name is only half of your story. Your date of birth, regardless of what time or where you were born, fleshes out the whole person. The digits of the date of birth reveal additional character traits, but are primarily reflective of the types of events that can be expected during specific periods of your life. The Life Path is calculated by adding together the digits of the date of birth, then reducing them by again adding the sum together until the result is a number between 1 and 9. This gives an overall "tone" for the course of your life. Also calculated from the date of birth are shorter periods, cycles and pinnacles. These add further definition to the Life Path and allow you to better understand the kinds of experiences that you will face at various times. The special challenges you face are derived from your date of birth, which is also the source of personal year, month and day information. Taken together, these serve as "life almanacs" to help you prepare, plan and make the most of your time in this plane of experience.
I will give you a brief overview of what the numbers mean-
1- independence, adventure, initiative, originality, determination, individuality, direction
2- diplomacy, mediation, kindess, caution, sensitivity, cooperation, emotion, feeling, intuition
3- enthusiasm, inspiration, imagination, words, vision, optimism, pleasure, creativity, ease, happiness, animation, artistic, cordial
4- concentration, management, application, conservation, dedication, stability, foundation, efficiency, organization, follow-through
5- expansiveness, adventure, invention, promotion, variety, flexibility, change, movement
6- beauty, creativity, harmony, domesticity, healing, morality, passion, trust, serving
7- analysis, research, solitude, calculation, understanding, perfection, the unseen, intuition, investigation, reason, vision
8- power, authority, hard work, capability, organization, efficiency, skill, hard work
9- creativity, imagination, benevolence, impersonality, intuition, philathropy, emotion, generosity, devotion, dedication
Then we have some Master Numbers, numbers such as 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99 that I will briefly go over with you. These numbers are the high octave with much spiritual influence of the root it becomes, ie 11/2, 22/4, 33/6, you get the message.
11- aware, six-sensed, creative, discerning, dreamy, inspiring, intense
22- mastery of vast co-creative projects, ingenuity, high energy, innovation, idealism
33- self-sacrifice, comforting, very much compassion, ultimate teaching
44- a materialistic number but very spiritual, a visionary, a doer
55- a knowledgable leader, born traveller, constantly seeks answers
66- generous to a fault, very loving, loyal
77- spiritual wisdom, most intelligent and inventive of all numbers
88- Master Number of contradictions, brings much success to businesses, very insensitive, poor for relationships
99- artistic genenious, extreme compassion, pure selflessness