Let the Numbers Guide You: The Spiritual Science of Numerology

Glossary

Introduction

As a teenager I enjoyed the whole idea of magic but, as may be natural to a human creature of that age, it was the manifestations and the capacity to fascinate others that so attracted my attention. I set out to investigate the laws of magic and enjoyed the illusion of power that came from knowing things about my friends and enemies that they did not seem to know about themselves. Irresponsible as I may have been it was, nonetheless, clear to my investigative intelligence that there was a common language behind all systems of mystical, magical, and esoteric knowledge. That common language is the language of number.

Yet even within the world of numerology there are different systems of interpretation and use that exist. Egyptian numerology specialized in sacred geometry and divine proportion in building. Chinese numerology examined the space within the building and the numbers of time cycles. Hebrew numerology studied the link between letters and numbers and gave birth to the Kabala. Indian numerology was more abstract and metaphysical, studying the planets and astrology.

Pythagoras was one of the first teachers who had enough vision to see the all-pervasive existence of numbers as the base to every form of study. He brought the attention back to numbers and called on them to illuminate all aspects of life. Yet again and again as systems like the Kabala, Feng Shui, the Tarot, and the Eneagram came into being the focus shifted to the systems themselves and how they could be used, while the numbers that had been their foundation faded into the background.

So it was that a few years later, after a series of adventures into the darker sides of magic, coupled with the deepening insight into the gullibility of the average human being, I started to question the ethical aspect of what I was involved in. These questions led me to abandon the world of man-made magic and to explore the nature of the magic that made man; in other words a spiritual search. I saw that every religion builds up its teaching on the same backbone of numbers. I stopped being interested in the yin yang polarity, the three deities, the four truths, the five passions, the six states, the seven chakras, the eight limbs, and the nine initiations. Instead it was the numbers themselves that called me to honor them, to listen to them and to align with their innate nature without thinking what I could do with them.

It was the teachings of Guru Naanak and the humility that was the foundation of his life that touched my heart in a way that corresponded with my innermost being. Guru Naanak was the founder of the Sikh way of life and was succeeded by nine other masters or Gurus, leading to the completion of the teachings in the form of the scripture known as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh scripture contains a most universal, spiritual teaching in a beautiful, poetic verse written by Hindu and Muslim saints as well as the gurus from the lineage of Guru Naanak. The very first passage that Guru Naanak wrote and which sits at the beginning of the scripture starts with the number 1. It declares the unity of the entire created creation.

With some signposts from my Kundalini Yoga teacher, Yogi Bhajan, I then realized how the existence of the ten Gurus, each praising the magic that made man, showed the way for a marriage between the study of number magic and a spiritual ethic. Wishing to place this in a modern context led me to establish the Karam Kriya School of Applied Numerology.

The message is not new but needs to be renewed again and again. The greatest knowledge is not a secret that can be withheld by those wishing to manipulate it, nor is it a secret that must be withheld to prevent it from falling into the hands of potential manipulators. The true knowledge is an open secret that is available to all and does not lend itself to abuse. Only our misunderstanding that creates obstacles like pride, shame, fear, and doubt stop us from accessing this knowledge. In other words, it is a secret that we keep from ourselves.

In writing this book I have aimed to offer an introduction to the numbers, describing them through their innate properties and the way they manifest in the world. In this first section, to emphasize the ethical and truly human dimension, I describe the 10-in-1 being, the possible human. This is done through a brief account of the ten Gurus, whose life examples emulate the greatest expressions of mastery, each corresponding to one of the numbers. It includes a description of the ten Spiritual Bodies that make up the total constitution of every living person. In the second section you will be given an opportunity to verify the correspondence between number vibrations and your life experience by practicing a simple system of date of birth analysis. The third section invites you to explore some techniques to resolve the tension given through these ten facets of yourself by proposing suggestions in which you can initiate yourself towards your own mastery. You are then shown ways of applying your number awareness in the fourth section using the most basic concepts of the house, organs of the body, and stages in your lifecycles. Finally there is a concluding chapter for those who wish to research deeper into the spiritual psychology implied in the practice of Karam Kriya.

Shiv Charan Singh

Section one

Chapter 1

Numbers: the foundation

The fulfiller of wishes

With numbers I can have

More or less

By virtue of the nine

I can be near or far

By the magic of numbers

I believe I am high

Or low

I can make a wish

And count my blessings

Numbers are the stepping stones

To cross the difference between

What we are

And what our soul aspires to be

When a wish is a command

Then numbers will direct

The genie will change shape

And the mirror of empty time

Gives you

What you want

Beware

There is no secret to knowing numbers, they are themselves the secret. Numbers are the formula of all formulas and the rule behind the rule, the spiritual ground of our very existence. Life has its problems and applied numerology is a unique solution. Numbers are seen as a problem until we understand them, then they become the means to solutions. Every problem has its numbers and when you know the numbers of the problem you are half way to solving it. Solutions are basically formulas that tell you how to put together the numbers in such a way as to find the answers to your questions.

Intuitively we can sense that there is something to numbers. They have a strong potential although we do not know what it is. Yet it is more common to be skeptical about the idea of numbers determining or even influencing the course of events or our personal nature. Given the conflict between our fear of and desire for freedom, as well as our fears of being controlled and our need to believe we are in control, this is quite understandable, but let’s reflect on a few things.

There is one God and this number influences everything. If you had one eye your view of the world would be different enough to determine how you lived your life. Likewise if you had three legs, eight nostrils, or any other strange combination of limbs and sense organs, then your whole experience of reality would be modified. The numbers on the money in your pocket decide what you can and cannot buy, as do the number on your credit cards. Even in the times before money existed, exchanges required numbers – so many pigs for so many sacks of peanuts. The number on your passport may prevent you getting out of the country or it may allow entry into foreign lands. People get in touch with you by the number on your door or your telephone number. You know your age because you know the numbers of your date of birth.

If we go on listing all the areas of our life where numbers provide the base we will find that there is not much left untouched by number. Numbers are the origin of and foundation for the development of many fields of human endeavour and research. Every philosophy, every political, social and philosophical system and every culture is built on the same backbone; number is their common ingredient.

Here are some examples:

10 sephiroth of the Kabala, 10 Spiritual Bodies.

9 treasures, 9 initiations, 9 virtues.

8 limbs of yoga, 8 spokes on the wheel of dharma.

7 chakras, 7 steps to heaven or hell, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 soul types.

6 sides to the dice.

5 elements, 5 senses, 5 passions, 5 types of thought.

4 boons, 4 directions, the 4th state (neutrality), the 4 noble truths of Buddha.

3 qualities of energy in the world, 3 dimensional space, the Hindu and Christian trinities and others.

2 polarities of male/female relations – yin and yang.

1 soul, 1 God, 1 spine, 1 tongue.

The numbers are like a coat hanger upon which we hang the decorative ingredients that make each one appear different. The common altar, the common language that all people bow to is number. In other words, numbers talk and in spite of all the arguments about quality, it is quantity that impresses the most since even most qualitative differences are measured in number. The truth is that we are not free until we consciously recognize, accept, and agree to the utter hopelessness and predictability of the human creature. Then on the level of the common spiritual ground of number anything is possible.

Numbers are a universal language. They cross all boundaries and have no standard expression but can be expressed in countless ways and through countless forms or symbols. Numbers are holistic in the sense that they illuminate the unity of the diversity. Furthermore, numbers are holographic in the way that, no matter the scale of our study, the same number patterns will be found in all fields of inquiry.

In order to work with numbers effectively we need to consider the nature of numbers themselves. Generally we may only know them through their material expression. The essence of number, however, is discovered by focusing on the twoness or threeness of things rather than on the content. For example, to know what is the same about five birds, five pens, and five people would be to know the fiveness. The number is the unchanging common essence amongst a world of changing appearances.

Our spiritual and material lives begin to converge when we let the world become transparent and tune into the invisible presence of the numbers. It means going beyond our normal rational way of thinking. We fear this step into abstraction, imagining it to be a complex problem. In truth it is a courageous return to break through the surface and rest again in the elementary, the simple.

Applied numerology is the activity of decoding the signs on the map of life. Then, knowing the first principles, you can transform your life and become a conscious 10-in-1 being. You can touch the central fiber of reality by the study of ordinary, everyday life through attention to the numbers. With practice you can discover these basic properties of the numbers. You will come to appreciate how they stand as the vibrational essence of all your practical, moral, and philosophical existence, both in the world around you and at the core of your being.

True numerology is not about quick fix solutions, fortune telling, winning the lottery, or finding your lucky number. Yet knowledge of number is a lifelong jewel that you can refer to again and again. By this study you will know the building blocks to a sustainable ecology of consciousness. If you try to understand them from a solely rational position then you will find it difficult to really hear what is being shared. Applied numerology asks you to make a different step so that the material in this book becomes a working manual rather than another piece of information that weighs you down. Numbers are light; it is our projections that make them seem heavy.

In our everyday use of numbers we take them for granted and view any deeper research as esoteric and obscure. The result is an almost forgotten language. It is through our intuition that we can remember the magic of numbers. Then with easy-to-use tools, such as the date of birth, we will have a window into their mystery. This book opens your awareness to the book of life and introduces the numbers as your teachers and guides.

The calendar structure of any culture is a formula of numbers that help to diagnose life’s problems and to suggest new answers. One remarkable thing is that every year on our birthday we are celebrating a number. In summary we need first to study the properties of each number and then to identify that same quality in ourselves. Then, as we come to know our self as a 10-in-1 being, we can explore the variations of our shared nature by reference to our individual date of birth. Here is a quick preview of the numbers that gives a sense of the soul’s progression on its journey of awakening.

1 – The humble origin of each individual, feeling the impulse of existence and volunteering to take the first step.

2 – Immediately after the first step there is the duality, separation and hunger; the desire that becomes a spiritual longing and will empower the full circle of the journey.

3 – Development of personality and enchantment with things we meet on the way; also the capacity for positive action and the efforts to be a hero.

4 – Moments of awakening to Soul; becoming a chooser.

5 – Transformation; learning through reversals and the paradox of language.

6 – Being met by the grace of intuition; suspense, vigilance, and carefree responsiveness.

7 – The mantle of understanding enwraps you giving the elevated view from where forgiveness is natural.

8 – The healing of dying into deathlessness; not drowning but swimming in the ocean of infinity.

9 – Arriving home, the unborn essence, peace of the shore beyond – I lay me down.

10 – A natural and self-illuminating radiance; all light, all bright, glory and transcendent bliss.

11 – The communion of big I and little i (10 + 1); twins with God.

12 – The cycle repeats in its echo; you reflect it everywhere through all times.

Chapter 2

Becoming the possible human

The human race is just emerging from a teenage phase. I say a phase because it is not the first time we have been here. Just like the seasons there is a cyclic repetition of our phases of being human.

What is it that distinguishes us as human beings? It is our possibility of free choice rather than behavior that is genetically programed, reactionary, or socialized. We are all here pretending to be choosers without knowing all the forces and laws that influence or govern our choice. The whole game of life is to practice and pretend until it becomes a reality. Then when we awaken to choice and opportunity we develop a conscious relationship to the spiritual. This might be through denial or a path of worship, but that relation exists whenever there is consciousness of choice. No one is good or bad but the seeds of all virtues and all vice are within us. These seeds are numbered.

The following chapters will take each number as if it is a seed unfolding and describe the problems that can manifest as well as give examples of the highest expression of each number. To help with your study of numbers through life and life through numbers we will approach it from the following different aspects:

The natural magic of numbers, as introduced in the previous chapter.

The ten Spiritual Bodies of your personal cosmos as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

The lived example of the possible human through the Sikh Gurus.

Sacred words to live by from the Mul Mantra of Guru Naanak.

The Ten Spiritual Bodies

My Kundalini Yoga teacher, Yogi Bhajan, first brought the insight of the ten Spiritual Bodies to my attention in 1982. Upon investigation in therapeutic environments I have found they are a most accurate method of describing the various manifestations of human behavior. The corresponding parallels between the ten Spiritual Bodies and the properties of numbers are extensive and so the study of each advances our insight about the other.

The ten Spiritual Bodies, like numbers, represent parts of our own nature. However, we are not completely in touch with all aspects of ourselves and an applied study of numbers and their expression through the ten Bodies is one way to reclaim our own spirit. In numerology it is common to think of the first four numbers, 1, 2, 3, and 4 as being related to the individual body consciousness or body-mind, whilst 6, 7, 8, and 9 are considered expressions of universal spirit consciousness or spirit-mind. 5 then is the number of communication, which connects all things to all things and particularly corresponds to the nervous system. 10 is the number of the circumference – it holds all the other parts together whilst remaining apart itself and being more than the mere sum of the parts. 10 is the light, which illuminates the whole universe and whose withdrawal would mean the withdrawal of all things. In discovering the self through these ten aspects, we realize we are a 10-in-1 being.

SOUL, the innermost essence of being, a passenger through time and space.

NEGATIVE MIND, an organic or vegetative vital system that is in a state of need.

POSITIVE MIND, the creature-like body armor that works to fill the gap.

NEUTRAL MIND, the possibility of conscious choice in relation to the world.

PHYSICAL BODY, especially the inter-related expanse of the nervous system.

ARCLINE, the halo of presence manifest in the world as intuition.

AURA, the wider magnetic field for projecting ourselves into space.

PRANIC BODY, the infinite fuel supply sustaining our temporary projection.

SUBTLE BODY, the home of the soul’s emanations.

RADIANT BODY, when the whole ecology of our being is in dynamic harmony then not only are we transparently alight, but also we become a self-sustaining source of light and thus realize our immortality.

The Sikh Gurus

Over a period of 239 years, from 1469 to 1708, ten great beings successively incarnated in the physical form, each the carrier of the same light, the soul of Guru Naanak. Furthermore, each of these Gurus was a perfect embodiment of the numbers from 1 to 10. The eleventh and final Guru is, for the Sikhs, the scripture known as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The first passage of this holy text is Guru Naanak’s description of the divine and is also understood to be the description of the qualities that lead us to know the divine. It is known as the Mul Mantra or root vibration of the mind. Each stage of this mantra was also a prophecy of a kind in which Guru Naanak was indicating the qualities of his successors. First there was the word and then the word became embodied in the flesh and blood of the lineage of the Gurus that followed. Then in the eleventh stage there is a return to the word.

As the eleventh Guru is the word itself we are taken back to the beginning, to the original word. It was through his words that the first Guru became recognized and known. The Word is the Guru and the Guru is the Word. Hence each of the sounds in the Mul Mantra is an embodiment of one of the Gurus and each of the Gurus, an embodiment of these words.

GURU combines two distinctions:

GU, a hidden or mysterious place, an inner cavern with buried treasure.

RU, removing the veil with a ray of light that shines into the shrouded arena of consciousness wherein lays the realization of the mystery.

An account of the lives of the Gurus will help to give a feeling for the human expression of the numbers. The descriptions of them are brief, however, for the purpose here is to illustrate their relationship to the numbers and the ten Spiritual Bodies.

The Mul Mantra, the root of the vibration of the mind

Through the sacred sounds of this mantra Guru Naanak indicated the path of human consciousness as it finds its way back to its original and divine state. When he spoke the Mul Mantra he intended that it could be recited so as to vibrate the mind as an instrument to bring one to the root of all things. The mantra is:

EK ONG KAR – The one creator extended in all the creation.

SAT NAM – True name.

KARTA PURKH – The doer in all and the presence of being in all.

NIRBHAU – Without any fear.

NIRVAIR – No enemy or other historical complication.

AKAAL MOORT – Timeless and undying in representation.

AJUNI – Unborn; never takes birth through any womb.

SAIBHANG – Self-illuminating, self-sustaining, and self-existing.

GURPRASAD – By the miraculous grace of the mystery that is the Guru.

JAP – Contemplatively repeat this and realize it in yourself.

This first part of the mantra relates to divine qualities and the consciousness that the soul cultivates as it journeys through life back home. Guru Naanak added a further passage that tells us how these qualities exist through four phases of time. Section Two, which focuses on the date of birth, will go into this second part of the mantra and the structures or cycles of time in more detail.

Below is a chart that summarizes the link between the numbers, the Spiritual Bodies, the ten Sikh Gurus, and the ten dimensions of consciousness as described in the Mul Mantra given by Guru Naanak.

If you recognize aspects of yourself in the following descriptions of the ten dimensions of being human, do not be surprised for they are all the fundamental parts of your being. Fragments of ourselves are forever coming into being whilst others are continually falling out of being. There is no perfect middle way of becoming and unbecoming and each of us is finding our own unique path through experience and reflection of this process. However, there are some things that we all have in common since we are of the same species and on the same planet. We are all made of the same stuff and the variations are slight. Every human goes through the same natural learning process so no matter how much we aim to be different we remain always just another version of the universal blueprint. This multi-varied repetition of sameness is the JAP.

Chapter 3

Number 1

1 is alone; each 1 is unique yet its singular nature is common to all other units. As an individual it is undividable yet it is divided from all. 1 is the starting point, the origin and original, the beginning and the genesis. The birth of anything begins with 1, whether it is 1 step, 1 seed, 1 cell or 1 word. 1 is the creative cause, the primary and primal impulse, the original source. As the initial number it is a number of initiation and birth, the initial initiating initiative. It comes first before the others and is the essential essence and the very basis for everything. It is primal and primitive, the necessary foundation and the fundamentals of life.

1 is the basic building block for all other numbers. All numbers are a multiple of 1; it is the originator of all numbers. When we think of 1, its presence gives a feeling of unity; it is a unit that is united and undivided. It stands alone, by itself. It is one of a kind, dwelling in solitude, the sole soul, unique and rare. As the individual, it has an inwardness where everything is inside waiting to unfold. It is the seed carrying a potent potential and a latent impulse. 1 is in relation only to itself, never moving, always still, rigid, firm, and stable. It is the precise point, the localized location where everything is compacted and pressured into contraction and concentration. 1 multiplies to every other number, the anchor for all the numbers and the point of reference.

You have one body, one spine, one tongue, and one nose. There is one planet, one human race, and one of you. You can only go in one direction at a time, even if you try, or wish to go in many. To concentrate means to focus on one thing, to be one pointed. 1 is straight up, vertical, alert, and related to the ground. It is a totem to itself alone, lonely or solitary. 1 is the seed of individuality and the individual soul, the origin of the individual will to be and to do and the initiating source of any action of self-expression. 1 is the seed, containing the whole, waiting to unfold. It is the one road that all will ultimately travel, from the one to the One. It is the one will and the will of the One, not yet shaped into desires yet containing every desire within it.

1 is a point, a dot, and so relates to being focused and one pointed. It can be persistent and intimidating like the point of a needle that pokes and pricks, or it can be disturbing by the way it is fixed and does not move. On the other hand, the fixed nature of 1 can be a relaxed and stabilizing reference point. In its focused nature 1 is concentrated, dense, and potentially intense. It is a final point of convergence.

The first stage of the plant is the seed, which is very concentrated and contains all the potential of its multiplication without limit. The first element is earth and this refers to the solitariness of each rock, each mountain, each pebble or grain of sand.

Soul

The soul is what you are. When we say put your soul into it, give it soul, soulful or with soul, we are implying more intensity, more real and so more of yourself. When more of yourself is gathered into focus then you have, or you are, within yourself a strong springboard for action. We need a base from which to push against as we express our existence in daily life. It is common to find this base externally or only partially internally. Part of the mysterious purpose of life is to gather up this inner focus toward the possibility of becoming a self-sustaining being. This is the individuation of the soul, a convergence of our spiritual essence. This essential aspect of our being gives rise to very particular expressions in our personality.

The soul is number 1, the seed of individuality and the individual, the origin of the individual will to be and to do and the initiating source of any action of self-expression. The law of the soul could be expressed in terms such as originality, individuality, survival, contracts, contraction, gravity, irrationality, genesis and genetics, will, intent, a drive of perfection, sabotage, and home.

The energy of the soul can be totally static, just a dormant potential waiting for the right moment or environment to unfold. Or it can be experienced as an itchy feeling that keeps us from being too lazy. It is an itch that comes from the inside that sometimes comes to the surface, just under the skin, and is so intolerable that it is impossible to stay still; it demands action to be taken.

At the potential start of any story or journey we may talk a lot about things we intend to do but never follow through with the deed. As a soul we may experience extreme loneliness or find the capacity to be at peace whilst alone. From our point of loneliness we seek co-operation and partnership in another’s company. However, given the problems of relationship we may try to find solace by withdrawing back and preferring isolation. But a journey once started needs to be completed and the way back is by going through the whole circle. It is only then that the soul finds its own company is best but having completed the journey it also finds itself in all. Therefore, there is no isolation in keeping your own company.

The soul is the first (and by implication the last) point of call for consciousness. On the personal level we refer to it as soul while the impersonal level is referred to as spirit. Spirit is the quality of the Subtle Body and is discussed with number 9. The soul is the essence and the essential. Therefore, it is also the originator of everything around it, all action springing from within itself. We are referring to an inner springboard for all expressions of our existence. The action itself is a manifestation of the third body, the Positive Mind. Here, at the inner base of all action, we may get over attached to our ideas and refuse to acknowledge the value of anything other than our own impulses. When there is external pressure to act that is not congruent with the soul’s own sense of its unfolding, then it is likely to put up a lot of resistance, electing to act in its own time and way, when it is ready and as if it was its own idea. This stubbornness, however, implies that great strength of will and determination is held in the seed of our being. When this strength of will is lacking it is important to develop some intensification in this first dimension to bring about awareness of Soul. However, if too much attention is spent on the personal will the seed may assume itself to be perfect before even embarking on the journey of life. Everyone else will be considered as imperfect and consequently one experiences great frustration in the flaws of others.

Being number 1 the soul likes to be in a position of spokesperson but this is only possible for itself, no one else. To express its independence and self-dependence is very important but getting the balance right is not easy. The soul may move between co-dependence at one extreme and an inability to co-operate and compromise at the other. This need may not be considered a problem, however, and it is for this reason that we have all the other Spiritual Bodies.

Incarnation is like the seed getting thrown to the wind of possibility and carried afar. The soul seed is at the mercy of the elements and may live as the virtue of humility or the virus of humiliation. Humility can become an excess of self-criticizm and in certain circumstances this leads to humiliation where the seed is crushed instead of bursting open into the next stage of development. When humble, a person with a strong soul can harmonize with and become the voice of the soul of a group (number 10) but without humility they will concentrate on themselves and disregard the interests of the group (which is called looking after number 1). It is worth recognizing that when someone is being very restless or obnoxious in a group they are more than likely exhibiting the first impulse of life. They may be trying to get a voice for individuality from a group that may well be ignoring the fact that it is individuals that make the community.

When we remember our soul we find great strength of will. It is the source of movement as well as the destination of all movement, the primal creative cause of the micro-cosmos of the human being. The persistence and resistance of the Subtle Body, described in detail later on, is intimately linked to the commitment of the soul to follow through in life. Self-determination and dignity of the individual’s existence is based in a strong soul and it must work to explore the boundaries of its freedom and always from a principle of self-awakening. In this way humble appreciation of all other souls is embraced and