Numerology is a method of divination that uses numbers as symbols of the different vibrational patterns which make up our human experience. The ancient Chaldeans understood that all things are composed of energy at varying states of vibration, and modern science is just catching up with this concept. Through Numerology, you’ve got a system that allows you to understand the qualities of the universal and personal vibrational patterns that make up your life. You can also calculate the changes in your relationships throughout the years.

Some teachers of the Yogic wisdom tradition say that we have 6 physical senses and 108 astral senses. In everyday life, we filter most of what we receive so that we can focus on matters of immediate importance. A Person who has acquired some psychic ability or skill at divination learns to filter less information than most, and can read the information coming to others through the use of symbolic tools like Numerology.

While it doesn’t take much of a leap to imagine the mystical diagrams used in Astrology or the mythic images of Tarot as symbols containing many meanings, it’s a lot harder for most people to imagine those same attributes being “held” by common numbers or letters of the alphabet. We have a hard time seeing numbers as anything other than ciphers for quantities and measurement, because that’s how we use them every day.

Numerology’s 2 ‘Schools’

There are two major schools of Numerology practiced today, the Modern system and the Chaldean system. Modern Numerology claims a lineage going back to Pythagoras, but the story of his invention of a “new number system” was made by Philolaus who was born 25 years after Pythagoras’ death, and after the original mystery school burned down.

The Chaldean system, on the other hand, can verify its antiquity through cuneiform tablets dating back thousands of years before the birth of Pythagoras. The chief difference is that the Chaldean method is based on the vibrations that numbers represented, while the “Pythagorean” system considered the alphabets in a strict, linear sequence.

Another difference between the Chaldean and Modern methods is that the Chaldean system places more emphasis on the name, while the Modern system is more concerned with permutations of the birth date.

“The Science of Numbers”

The term Numerology was coined by Dr. Julia Seton, and first seen in a book published around 1937. Before then, this type of divination was referred to as the Science of Numbers, Arithmancy, or sometimes erroneously, Kabbalah.

There are other schools of Numerology which have their origin in ancient Taoist cosmologies that follow the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. It is believed that these methods, (developed into what’s known as 9 Ki or Kyusei in Japan), along with the Yijing (I-Ching) are older than the origin of numbers.

Eastern Traditions

It’s also interesting to note that the more modern and very popular system of Chinese Astrology, known as the Four Pillars, is really a numerological method based on the calendar, rather than the movements of the stars.

In India, many methods of astrological divination are based on numerological techniques such as harmonics and magic squares. Some of them use only approximate positions of the planets, a preset sequence of positions in the Zodiac signs, or sequences and cycles of time that have no relationship to planetary position at all. These are actually numerological methods, based on the symbolic value of number, rather than observations of the sky.

The 3 Facets of Numerology

We could say that Numerology has three different facets. None of these facets can operate on their own, because they are the three legs of the tripod upon which Numerology stands.

The first would be Numerology itself; the understanding of the numbers as symbols for vibrational patterns. There are advanced aspects to the study, of interest only to metaphysical researchers and divination professionals concerned with the nature of symbol, myth and consciousness.

The second facet has been recently and brilliantly rediscovered by the famous author J.K. Rowling – Arithmancy. Arithmancy is the set of techniques used for manipulating the numbers and extracting the meaning from their various relationships. Arithmancy gives us the ability to find the definitions we need and the information we seek.

The third facet of Numerology is usually called Kabbalah. This term is borrowed from the system of mystic cosmology developed by ancient Babylonian and Hebrew sages. It’s most commonly used to describe the assignment of letters of an alphabet, or phonemes of a language, to the numbers. These methods help a practitioner to understand the numeric values of words, and to define the way that names are converted to complex vibrational patterns.

Using Numerology to Navigate your Life

Numerology is a profound and reliable way to examine your inner nature, and look at the various psychological, physical and spiritual processes that make up your life experience. It can give you deep insight into what makes you “tick”, and provides an excellent way for navigating the currents of daily life.

Whether your goals are romantic, material or spiritual, it can help you reach them with less difficulty and fewer delays. Numerology can help you learn how to emphasize your strengths and overcome your weaknesses – almost anything you need to know can be found within the vibrational patterns and their cycles defined “by the numbers.”