Numerology Defined
To define Numerology and its many complex systems and beliefs, a person would have to study at least briefly the history.
Numerology and divination from numbers was once considered to be part of Mathematics, especially during the time of Pythagoras. But no longer, Numerology is now considered a pseudo mathematics and part of the occult. Numerology is the study of the relationship of numbers and objects including the living. Modern Numerology contains certain aspects from a wide variety of teachers and cultures, which includes the following, Babylonia and of course Pythagoras in the sixth century B.C. Greece. It also brings in aspects of Hellenistic Alexandria astrology. Modern numerology also includes early Christa inanity, early Gnostic's, the Kabbalah, Eastern Vedas, "Circle of the Dead" from China and the " Book of the Master of the Secret House" from Egypt.
Both Pythagoras and St. Augustine of Hippo both agreed that everything had a numerical value and it was up to us to figure out the secrets set by "divine grace." As St. Augustine stated, "Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth."
Ironically, these men lived many centuries apart and were of different religious beliefs. Since St. Augustine of Hippo was alive 354-430 A.D., and this was shortly after the First Council of Nicaea decided that Numerology was an unacceptable belief. But Numerology still survived in spite of this decision, especially what was considered the sacred numbers like the "Jesus number."
Numerology can also be found throughout literature such as, for example, "Sir Thomas Browne's 1658 Discourse the Garden of Cyrus" and more recently, Ruth A. Drayer's book," Numerology, The Power in Numbers." In this book, she states, that about the turn of the 20th century (from 1800 to 1900 A.D.), Mrs. L. Dow Balliett took Pythagora's work and combined it with Biblical reference. Then Balliett's student, Dr. Juno Jordan, made further changes to Numerology in the middle of the 70s and helped to put the system known today as 'Pythagorean' on the map.
Now how does it work? Numerologists use a process called as digit summing, which is reducing a number or word to a single digits number. To achieve this, a letter is assigned a number.
1 a, j, and s
2 b, k, and t
3 c, l, and u
4 d, m, and v
5 e, n, and w
6 f, o, and x
7 g, p, and y
8 h, q, and z
9 i and r
To further explain numerology, take a number like 7,654 the equation would look like this...
7 + 6 + 5 + 4 22 then that number is further reduced like this...2 + 2 4.
The number 4 is the single digit you are looking for.
In the case of a word, say Bird, the equation would look like...
B 2
I 9
R 9
D 4
2 + 9 + 9 + 424 further reducing 2 + 4 6
The system used in the examples were in Decimal Arithmetic otherwise known as 'Pythagorean' however there are other forms that can be used like; Hexadecimal, Octal, Binary and Vigesimal. The same number that was used in Decimal which uses a base of 10 has a different sum in any of the other. In other words, no two systems will yield the same answer.
People are familiar with this form of numerological divination - The use of their names and their birth date. This will then be used to help analyze and give definition to a person's personality. Using the Decimal system a person's name and birthday can be reduced down to what is called their "Master Number."