Numerology

Higher Level | Gnothology »

May 10, 2003

Rooting the Numbers

Every student of Tarot has at least a passing acquaintance with Numerology. The numbers 1-9 (and in some cases 0-9 or 1-10) are apparent as a quality in the cards and are usually presented in any course.

Then there's the next level of numerology... and it can go as far as you would ever want to go with it. Most of numerology comes to us from the ancients such as Pythagoras. Number mysticism did not originate with Pythagoras, but his group brought number worship to a high level, both mathematically and religiously. They saw mathematics as a higher language and used numbers to explain all of life. The Pythagoreans pursued studies of mathematics and philosophy as the basis of a moral life.

One of the things that brought about the downfall of number mysticism was the discovery of irrational numbers. Number mysticism in Pythagoras' time was based on whole numbers and their ratio (rational numbers). The square root of two is an irrational number, and the existence of irrational numbers was a devastating discovery. It was such a big deal, that the person who divulged this to the common people (Hippasus) was killed.

Then there was Georg Cantor - who basically lost his mind studying the continuum problem. Basically, he went mad (literally) obsessively contemplating infinity and its properties and implications. He was not the first, nor will he be the last...

Kabbalists also have a firm grasp on numerology. They also talk about the Ein Sof (infinity) which is the ultimate concept in all of the Kabbalah.

Like I said... numerology can go as far as you want it to. You can toss in irrational numbers, infinity and nothingness. There's plenty to find in numbers if you look for it.

One of the simpler things to do with numerology is to root the numbers. This is not the square root, but the origin of the numbers. In numerology, you take double and triple digits and reduce them to a single digit.

42= 4 + 2 = 6
15= 1 + 5 = 6
33= 3 + 3 = 6

Although all three numbers (42, 15 and 33) reduce to 6, they each have a different quality. The 42=6 comes from the qualities of 4 and 2, whereas the 15=6 comes from the qualities of 1 and 5. A 42=6 would be the type of harmony a couple/pair (2) that is practical/down-to-earth (4) might display. A 15=6 might be the beauty of an individual (1) expressing freedom (5) in the way of a musical piece. And the 33=6 would be the balance and harmony of two equal creative (3) people... or the special relationship a child (3) has to God (3).

If you've studied the single digits, you've seen that each digit expresses a wide range of qualities. Finding the root numbers can focus on a particular aspect of that number and make the meaning clearer.

Some of the better books on numerology that I've read:

The Connolly Book of Numbers (Volumes I and II) by Eileen Connolly
Discover Numerology by Julia Line
Numerology and The Divine Triangle by Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker
The Mystery of the Aleph by Amir Aczel

Posted by BlueWolf on May 10, 2003 10:05 PM