A Brief History and Understanding of Numerology 

Numerology is the study of the archetypes (or symbology) of numbers and their vibrations.  It can be used to determine your purpose and destiny in life, personality characteristics, strengths and talents, weaknesses and challenges, inner needs, emotional reactions, and your ways and patterns of dealing with others and difficult situations.  Basically, it is a tool to gain a greater understanding of your inner self, true nature and propensities, thereby furthering your self-discovery and personal transformation and the building of self-esteem and confidence.  Numerology can also help you understand the dynamics of your relationships with others, stress factors in those relationships and give you insight into strategies to encourage growth in your relationships.

Numerology also offers insights into various life cycles, opportunities, and challenges you may have already faced, or will experience in the future.  It gives you a greater and symbolic perspective on life and helps you prepare for the future.  In doing so, it helps you cultivate strengths and master weaknesses. 

Numerology has been traced back over 10,000 years.  Pythagoras, sometimes called the Father of Mathematics, is credited with giving numerology a life and formally organizing this science over 2,600 years ago.  Many civilizations have studied and furthered this esoteric science as numerology has grown over thousands of years.  The Bible and religious works of many faiths around the world have used numbers as symbols for thousands of years.  Studying numbers and letters and their patterns has become increasingly popular in the recent past, both in print and in movies and television. 

The Basics

The simple mathematical operations of addition and subtraction are used to reduce all of the numbers of a person's birthdate and the numerical vibrations associated with the letters of a person's birth name down to the single digits of 1 through 9.  Occasionally, the numbers of a birthdate or a name will add up to double digit numbers such as 11, 22 or 33 (what many numerologists call master numbers), or the karmic debt numbers of 13, 14, 16, or 19.  When these numbers are present in a chart, the double-digit master numbers are are considered in the reading as they serve to provide important information into a person's path in life.

A numerologist can derive major core elements and many other modifying and informational numbers from the addition and subtraction of the number energies of your birthdate and birth name.  The interpretation of these elements and modifiers provide a remarkably accurate depiction of your character, talents, and challenges.  These formulas will also tell a numerologist where you are in terms of certain cycles in you rlife so that you can make the best use of the energies available to you during particular periods of time.  For example, wouldn't it be great to know as you are going through a year that seems so work intensive that the following year will be much lighter and social? 

The most important information in a numerology chart are the core elements known as the Life Path (aka Birth Path), Expression (aka Destiny), and Soul Urge (aka Heart's Desire).

Life Path (aka Birth Path)

This is the most important number in your chart and is based on your birthday -- the day your life started.  If only one number were used to describe you, it would be this number.  The Life Path number gives a broad outline of the opportunities, challenges, and lessons you will encounter in this lifetime as well as some of the major characteristics likely to be present in your makeup.  Part of this number is the actual day of the month on which you were born, which day has great significance in understanding your talents and who you are. 

Expression (aka Destiny)

In The Healing Wisdom of Africa, Malidoma Patrice Somé explains that her people, the Dagara who come from a little village in West Africa called Dano, believe that each of us is born with a purpose and that in order for us to live an integrated life, we must know what that purpose is.  Prior to the birth of a baby, Dagara tribal practices focus on discovering this purpose and once discovered by trial elders it is embodied in the name given to each new baby.  They believe our names are a constant reminder of the why and for what purpose each of us walks on this Earth - our Destiny and the way we express ourselves in the world. 

In preparing your numerology chart, the letters of the name given to you at birth are reduced to a numerical vibration.  This number is called your Expression, and reveals your physical and mental constitution, and the purposes of your life.  Some numerologists refer to this number as the Destiny, because it represents a what you are here to do.  While the talents that are expressed by this number are present at birth, for most of us they are not "expressed" until we grow and mature into adulthood.  The talents described by this number may form the focus of your career.  Or, they may be a well-loved hobby or something you do in your free time to be of service to the world.  When giving a numerologist your birth name information, it is very important that that information exactly match the information on your birth certificate. 

If for some reason there was a mistake made by hospital personnel on your birth certificate and your parents or you have always spelled your name differently, make sure you inform your numerologist of this difference as it will affect the accuracy of your reading.  Likewise, please let your numerologist know if you were adopted and the name on your birth certificate is different than that given to you by your adoptive family.  The name given at birth represents the blueprint of your life and it is important to use that name in a reading.  Later spelling or name changes can be analyzed for a change in energy, however, your given name is still the most important indicator of your Destiny.

Soul Urge (aka Heart's Desire)

This number, sometimes called Heart's Desire, is just what the name implies - your innermost yearning.  Your Soul Urge number is derived from the vowels in your name and will show your underlying motivations and intentions.  Although the Life Path and Expression are usually easy to see in a person, the Soul Urge, due to its private nature, is often difficult to see.  Numerology provides an important tool to seeing into this private side of yourself and may not even be something that you have yet recognized.

Some Final Thoughts

This has been a simple description of the main core elements of a numerology chart to give you an understanding of the type of information a reading will give you.  There are many other elements that provide a well-rounded view of you and the life you were born to live as well as the many cycles of your life and challenges and gifts inherent in those cycles.  Please join me in learning more about yourself through numerology.