A New Year's Divination

[ecosophia]

2022 is here, and since one of my resolutions for the new year is to teach more occultism. I figured I'd start things off right by showing my readers how to do a classic bit of American folk divination using numerology. As I noted in a post here a while back, numerology has a bad rap among serious occultists, but it's had a place in folk magic for a long time and my experiments with it have by and large had very favorable results. So...

The basic concept is that anything that has a number can be added up and, if necessary, the digits added together, until you get a number between 1 and 9. Since ancient times -- and I mean this quite literally; I can point you to sources from ancient Greece if you like -- each of those nine numbers has had its own rich body of symbolic meaning, and the theory is that anything that adds up to that number shares in that meaning. 

The year 2021, now mercifully past, was a 5 year -- 2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5. In the system of numerology I learned from my late teacher John Gilbert, 5 is ruled by Mars; it is a number of crisis and change, and a year ruled by it is marked by instability and sudden shifts.  It is a bad time to take unnecessary risks or to do anything on a whim, but a good time to take decisive action, once you've done the necessary research and know what the dangers are. 

This year, 2022, is a 6 year -- 2 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 6. In that same system of numerology, 6 is ruled by Jupiter, and it's a number of harmony and peace. It's a favorable time for ease and comfort, for settling disputes amicably, for following precedents and using established approaches. It's a bad time for conflict, which will prove ruinous for those who start it, and unfavorable for direct action, sudden changes, or new beginnings. Slow and easy is the motto of a 6 year. 

That's what numerology predicts for the world as a whole this year. Does that apply to your individual life? Nope. For that, you need your time number, which is calculated by adding together your birth and name numbers. You calculate your birth number by adding together the day, month, and year of your birth -- for example, a child born today, 1/1/2022, would have a birth number of 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 8. 

The name number is a little more complicated. Each letter of the ordinary English alphabet has a number, as shown in the table on the right. You add up the numerical values of the letters of your name to get your name number. Which name?  The one you usually use. If your legal name's John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith, for example, and you go by "Jay Smith" in ordinary life, then Jay Smith -- 1 + 1 + 7 + 1 + 4 + 9 + 2 + 8 -- is the name you use; that sums to 33, and you add the digits together: 3 + 3 = 6.  So if Jay was born today, he'd add his name number of 6 to his birth number 8, resulting in a time number of 5 (6 + 8 = 14;  1 + 4 = 5).

You add the time number to the number of the year to get your personal year number, the number that tells you what kind of year it will be for you. Jay's looking at a 2 year -- 5 + 6 = 11, 1 + 1 = 2. (The numbers 11 and 22 can have special meanings in certain contexts, but we'll leave those aside for now.) 

For those of you who've done the math, here's a brief summary of what the year numbers mean: 

1. Ruled by the Sun, this is a number of new beginnings and opportunity. This is a time of practical action and constructive change.  It's a good time to take direct action and to start new things in motion, so long as they aren't complex or evasive. Move ahead forcefully during this year.

2. Ruled by the Moon, this is a number of ups and downs, ebb and flow, and variability. This is a time of variable outcomes and of indecision, and is unfortunate for action. Spend the year weighing possibilities and researching options rather than trying to make things happen. 

3. Ruled by Mercury, this is a number of complications, minor changes, and many things to do. Plenty of opportunities and challenges can be expected. Stay nimble and you can manage them all. Cooperation rather than conflict is highlighted. 

4. Ruled by Venus, this is a number of stability and steadiness, but also of being stuck in one place. It is favorable for hard work and patience and is beneficial for small things, but trying to push events to a conclusion will have bad results. If you can, stay quiet and avoid trouble.

(5 and 6 have been described above.)

7. Ruled by Saturn, this is a number of contemplation and mystery. Things get weird during a 7 year as factors you don't yet know about take charge. It is favorable for study and preparation. Avoid depressing thoughts, as it will be easy to be dragged down by them. 

8. Ruled by Uranus, this is a number of material success and practical effort. Sustained effort this year brings substantial rewards. Focus on the big picture rather than the little details, and work on finishing up projects already begun. 

9. Ruled by Neptune, this is a number of completion and karma. The cycle that began with 1 ends this year, for good or ill; your actions in previous years will determine how this one turns out. If you don't like the outcome, learn from your mistakes and prepare to try again. 

So there you are. The same system, by the way, can be used for daily divination:  simply add your personal time number to the numbers of the day, month, and year, and replace "year" with "day" in the descriptions of the numbers. Have at it -- and have fun. 

Comments

OK

[degringolade]

Got a seven for my personal cast. Things get wierd. That's what I have been thinking anyway.

I am hoping for a year of peace, but at the same time I think that whoever throws the first punch this year is going to have their butt handed to 'em.

I sure hope that Biden is the same draft dodget that he was when he was young. Conflict avoidance is what we should be doing rather than woofing.

Re: OK

[ecosophia]

I hope so too...

[barefootwisdom]

Oh, this is delightful. I suspect that I did some of this work in a past life; when I first learned the numerals as a very small child, I would do this repeated summing of digits to get 1-9 with pretty much any longer number I encountered. Had no idea why I was doing it, certainly didn't know the word "Pythagorean," but there you go.

Can you give us any hints of what's so special about 11 and 22?

Thanks, and a happy new year to you and Sara!

[ecosophia]

If your birth, name, time, or year number sums to 11, you've got the balance and up-and-down quality of 2 but you can use the balance consciously to make things happen. It's the number of the magician.

If your birth, name, time, or year number sums to 22, you've got the passive, stay-at-home quality of 4 but it's perfused with spiritual influences, so you can transmute the suffering into healing and transformation. It's the number of the mystic.

and another thing

[degringolade]

Would John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith actually ever refer to himself as Jay? I don't think so.

Happy New Year JMG and the gang.

Re: and another thing

[(Anonymous)]

If I was John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith, I'd call myself J.J. Smith and then I'd start a company called "J.J. Smith & Co."

Although "Jingleheimer and Son Pty Ltd" has a nice, err, ring to it.

[ivn66]

Is there anything to be adduced by adding one’s personal year number to the world’s year number? For example, I’m in a 5 year and 5+6=11=2.

[ecosophia]

Good question. Keep track during the year, and see what happens!

[sdi]

I've been practicing this system daily alongside geomancy for four or five months now, and have found the two to agree most beautifully.

[ecosophia]

That doesn't surprise me at all. Numerology and geomancy were among the divination systems taught in John Gilbert's version of the Golden Dawn, and they meshed well together.

[(Anonymous)]

I was wondering what happens if you change your name, since I figured this would matter for, but it turns out it doesn't: the name I used most of my life and my new one are numerically identical! Which is just breathtakingly weird...

[ecosophia]

You can literally change your destiny by changing your name. That's one of the secrets of numerology: if you don't like how your life is going, you can change some aspects of it by varying your name with an eye toward the numerical value. There's a reason I go by all three of my names...

[(Anonymous)]

Have you ever crosschecked the predictions of this system of numerology against astrology? I had a yearly forecast done by an astrologer recently. 2022 is a sun year for me based on the above. My progressed sun will also be in Leo for most of the year. There was a bit more to it, but the advice they gave me aligns pretty well with the general advice above.

[ecosophia]

I haven't, but this doesn't surprise me at all.

[jprussell]

Happy New Year!

I notice that this results in predictable cycles of rulership day by day, year by year (unless, of course, you change what you go by) - presumably, this is a good topic for meditation (and planning)? :)

Also, if I've read your wikipedia and folks' birthday wishes this past summer correctly, and assuming that in the online world, at least, you go by JMG, might I wish you a pleasant upcoming Venus year

[ecosophia]

It's a fine topic for meditation. ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you! I didn't know about birth numbers, but I have done name numerology, and I'm an 8. Very Capricornean, apparently. my birth numbers add up to 26. As do the numbers of the mundane name I usually go by, which I didn't know! So, in fact, does the entire string of names: first, middle, birth surname,married surname. How coincidental is that? Weird!

I see my birth year, 1939, is a 4. And 1941 is a 6-year. Knowing what was happening in the world then, I'm asking - DUH???

In Suzette Haden Elgin's Ozark trilogy, name numerology was an important part of her culture's magic. That was my first introduction to it.

The Grey Badger - spelling etc deliberately chosen to match. Shakes head.

[ecosophia]

It makes perfect sense that 1939 would be a 4 year and 1941 would be a 6 year. In both years, the people who started wars ended up bitterly regretting it! If they'd paid closer attention to numerology, they'd have waited for a better opportunity -- but then we'd probably all be speaking German today.

As for name numerology, yep -- it's one of the classic modes of American folk divination, which is one of the reasons I figured it's worth giving it a little more publicity.

[jruss]

So I got a six like the world Something told me this would be a good year.

[ecosophia]

Glad to hear it. Every kind of year can be a good year, provided that you pay attention to the guidance and don't do something that conflicts with the year energies.

[(Anonymous)]

My birth date number and name number each came out to seven, seeing as they are both the same value, could my personal number be considered seven as well, rather than the five which is their solution?

[ecosophia]

The sum of your name number and your birth number is your time number -- that is, how you interact with the zeitgeist of the different phases of time. That sum is 5 in your case because a 7 personality (your name number) and a 7 life (your birth number) are guaranteed to put you at odds with the zeitgeist.

With 5 as your time number, this is a 2 year for you -- 5 + 6 = 11, 1 + 1 = 2 -- so now you know you should be ready for a lot of ups and downs in the year to come. That's useful data to have!

[stcathalexandria]

4 year for me which being unfoxinated and having show papers for every archive I used to travel to research in makes sense! I've been planning to stay home and do a lot of gardening and appropriate tech projects.

[ecosophia]

An excellent use of the year! A Venus year is great for gardening and crafts, also for quiet preparations.

[ataulfo]

Do you feel it's ever prudent to hold back information from a reading when doing divination for someone else?

[ecosophia]

I don't do that. I make a point of telling querents in advance that the divination may tell them things they don't want to hear, and then call it as I see it.

[brendhelm]

I find it interesting that the number of my full legal name and the number of the username I use most often online (which, for the record, isn't "Brendhelm") are the same. Wonder if there was something unconscious about that.

Anyway, it looks like this year is a 5 for me. Here's hoping that whatever changes transpire turn out for the better!

[ecosophia]

A 5 year means you can make successful changes if you're prudent, disciplined, and do your research in advance. Avoid making changes just for the sake of changing things, and be wary of attempts to lure you into doing something that won't be for your benefit. Since Mars governs the year, face events like a warrior on the battlefield and you'll be fine.

[boccaderlupo]

An interesting approach. I think Papus details similar methods, relating them back to Cabala. I would've guessed six to correspond to Tifaret (Sun), but what do I know.

In any event, a happy new year and many blessings to all.

Fra' Lupo

[ecosophia]

That's the Cabalistic number scheme, which is valid in other contexts. This system puts the planets in their traditional Pythagorean order, with the Sun first. Different systems for different uses!

[(Anonymous)]

So, assuming I've done this right, my birth year is a three, my name is a 1 making a 4, adding the 6 for this new year comes out a 1. Since last year would have been a 9 does that mean a cycle has ended and I'm starting a new one?

JLfromNH/Periwinkle Shabby Gila Monster

[ecosophia]

That's correct.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you JMG. If your birth day and month was, say 30 November, would you add the numbers as 3+0+1+1... or 30+11+....

Thanks

[ecosophia]

Add them both up and see...

3 + 0 + 1 + 1 = 5
30 + 11 = 41, 4 + 1 = 5.

It works out the same way no matter how you do it. That's one of the fun things about numerology!

[(Anonymous)]

Well, this is fun.

My birth number total is 33 and my name number total is 67 which = 100

The digits of my birth number sum to 6 and name number to 4 which = 10

And the digits of 10 sum to 1

Decimals ftw!

Meanwhile, I'm due for a 7 year which entails "weirdness". Damn, I was hoping for a nice boring 4 after the last two years.

[australiandreamer]

So my name number came out as 74 so 11 so 2 (shame 11 is only special for birth date!)

If I went by my full name it would be 94 -> 13 -> 4

Birth comes out as 33 so 6

So me too ends up in a 5 year.

Do either of those mean anything on their own or just in combination with the day or year?

Does changing your name just change which day/year is better (by eg making this a different number year) for you or deeper than that?

[ecosophia]

11 also has a role in name numbers. Each number -- birth number, name number, personal year number -- has its own meaning and importance. I didn't discuss that, since I was writing a journal post, not a book on numerology!

[(Anonymous)]

"Things get weird during a 7 year as factors you don't yet know about take charge"

... thanks, I think.

-Bofur

[ecosophia]

Hey, everyone gets one of those every nine years!

Numeral Divination and various calendars

[(Anonymous)]

JMG -

Could you elaborate on how the Pythagorean numerology system made the jump to the Gregorian calendar? Also, could I use this system if I lived in a culture using the Hijri calendar or an Asian lunar calendar?

Re: Numeral Divination and various calendars

[ecosophia]

1) I've never seen any discussion of that. It seems to work here and now, however, so that's not an important issue.

2) Probably not. You'd want to look up local numerology systems. That's one of the reasons I stressed that this is an American folk divination system -- you'd have to use something else anywhere there's a different calendar or a different alphabet.

Cool!

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, how interesting! If I'm doing the math right (no guarantee with a humanities brain like mine), I have a 9 birth number, a 6 name number, a 6 time number, and thus a 3 as my personal year number. Fascinatingly, even if I keep the 15 intact in the calculations, I still get 15+6=21, rather than 1+5=6, 6+6=12, 1+2=3, still a 3 year! 2021 was unstable, chaotic, emotionally turbulent, and totally unpredictable for me in every way, so .... yeah, thats a 2 year for sure, very much a lunar style layered on top of the tumultuous 5! Also, in 2020 I mostly finished my first novel rough draft, started to really knuckle down with spiritual practices for the first time, worked out a bunch, and generally was extremely motivated, so that sounds like a 1 year! After this crappy, stultifying and ever-changing year, complications but also opportunities sounds better by far, especially mixed with the wonderful Jovial 6 energy! Also, in my birth chart my Jupiter is pretty prominent in an interesting way, so that would line up with both my time and name numbers.

(Side note, wow, 2020 was uhhhh .... the most 4 year EVER??? Being stuck in place for a while? TRYING TO PUSH TO A CONCLUSION ENDS UP BADLY? Hmm, wonder what we tried to expedite without adequate testing late in the year?)

-Derpherder

Re: Cool!

[ecosophia]

One of the reasons I take numerology at least a little seriously is that when I picked up my notes and lessons from my time with John Gilbert shortly after he passed, and ran the year numbers, 2020 stood there ten feet tall with 4s sticking out of it like the quills on a porcupine...

[tamanous2020]

Hi JMG,

Can this same numerology schema be used on say nations? Or would that be the equivalent of bring an apple corer to an orange fest?

Tamanous

[ecosophia]

I don't know if anybody's ever tried that.

Name number in different contexts

[sea_spray]

Hi JMG

So I may be doing my usual thing and over complicating it.
Do you think that you'd be under the influence of the names that you use in different areas of your life? So for mister "John Bob Smith":
He's John to his friends then his name number for that area of life would be 20=>2.
something slightly more official where he's John Smith would be 20+24=44=8, possibly also the overall one.
something for formal where he's Mr Smith it would be 24=6
and an offical area where he's John Bob Smith 20+24+1=45=9

So is this right or worth a try or what?

Thank you for all the help and guidance you give here.

Re: Name number in different contexts

[ecosophia]

The usual rule is that you use whatever version of the person's full (first + last) name they typically use in everyday life, with middle name if they use that. Yes, you can overthink it... ;-)

[frittermywig]

My personal year number comes out to 6. It's just a coincidence, right, that the letters under '6' are F-O-X? This could be tricky-- you say a 6 year is about harmony and steadiness, but great changes are being forced upon me. I guess I'll be offering extra prayers...

[ecosophia]

If this is a 6 year for you, try to deal with those changes by following familiar courses of action and going back to options you've tested out before. Remember that creative laziness is often a good idea at such times!