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Celebrating Life with the Help of Numerology

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
–Oprah Winfrey

In this essay we’ll discuss celebration and Numerology. As we normally feel happy and joyful when we celebrate, I’d like to look at how we allow joy and happiness into our lives when we celebrate, especially on a daily basis. I feel that looking at how we feel about and express ourselves is also important. As is passion and creativity in our lives. Feeling naturally happy and joyful doesn’t have to be difficult at all. It can basically mean that you appreciate the simple opportunities to celebrate that life has to offer.

Is feeling joyful difficult for you in times of stress? Are there particular times when you attack yourself and then feel depressed? At one time or another we all may find ways to be critical of ourselves. Is self-acceptance difficult for you in times of stress? Are there particular times when you attack yourself? Are there certain situations that trigger your inner critic? Self-criticism can become self-destructive and sabotaging. It’s important to identify the times in which we hinder ourselves, because our ability to accept and have faith in our abilities is weakened.

Within Numerology you probably are aware that your “Soul Number” reflects how you see yourself. Do you see yourself as happy and satisfied with your life and open to celebration? Do you see that you have pursued those dreams and desires that you soul calls out for?

Ask yourself about those inner dreams or personal desires, that if achieved, would be reason to really celebrate? This question can enable you to look within and come to terms with your own abilities and desires. What are you drawn to do or have a calling for? Honestly, listening to the call of your soul, especially through the help of your Soul Number means finding ways to do the things you feel drawn to, even if you feel that you are not necessarily good at them. If you feel drawn to acting, then find a way to take part in local theater. If you feel drawn to painting, find a way to allow yourself to paint or at least to foster creativity within you.

Your Soul Number, which as you know, can you to identify and highlight paths that your soul is drawn toward. And, it is calculated using the vowels in your name. You can use your birth name (as it appears on your birth certificate) or you can use the name that most people know you by, as this holds significance too.

 So, at work, most people might simply call you “Christine”, rather than “Christine Ann Smith”.  Eventually, you may wish to look at the entire name, but for now, let’s calculate just the first name.

Before we begin to calculate your Soul Number, you will, eliminate all the consonants from your name. We only need the vowels. For the name “Christine” we end up with the letters I,I and E.

The next step is to simply add the Numerological equivalents for each letter,
displayed on the chart below, up to a single number.

A 1
E 5
I 9
O 6
U 3

We add 9 + 9 + 5 and the result is 23.

Within Numerology, we will reduce this result. The reducing process will be used to “break down” or “break apart” the result, into single digits and add those single digits together.

We add 2 +3 = 5

We stop the process, if we have come to a number that it is a single digit (1 through 9). Otherwise we continue to reduce the result, until we do arrive at a single digit. For advanced work, we can use double digit numbers (11, 22, 33 and so on)

After you have finished the process described above, then you have arrived at your Soul Number. You can now use the descriptions below to better understand how you might use it to help you to allow more joyful, happy and celebratory moments into your life.

If your Soul Number is #1, then your soul calls for independence, creativity and individuality. You may see yourself as a talented artist and take great pride in your abilities. Inwardly, you can have a strong desire to be recognized for your talents. You can crave for recognition, yet fear it, and you may push away feelings of worth and the compliments of others. Also, in your desire to manage the big picture, you may often leave the details, which can allow you to be extremely creative, to others. Self-acceptance for you means recognizing yourself as creative. It also means finding ways to break free of constricting situations.

The general way in which you express yourself creatively is not as important as doing the actual expressing. You can be a policeman, short order cook, gardener, artist or librarian. It is important to understand that none of these professions is any less creative than the other. They all can be. Being creative doesn’t have to involve painting, sculpting or drawing. It also doesn’t have to be about what you invent. Instead it can be about how deeply you honestly live the life of someone who loves to create and bring interesting things into the world. Whatever you create can be exciting, inspiring, heart-warming and motivational to others. In allowing yourself to be creative, you celebrate your individuality and uniqueness, and allow your humanness to shine through.

If your Soul Number is #2, then your soul has a calling for inner peace and harmony. Relationships can be very important, and without them your life can lack foundation and support. Because of this, you may make sacrifices so that you can help others, instead of helping yourself. Inwardly you yearn for situations in which there is little stress. You see yourself as a peacemaker, yet because of your need for quiet, others might see you as introverted. Self-acceptance for you can mean learning to find ways to develop healthy boundaries, and still develop meaningful relationships.

Deep within you, you strongly believe in being loyal to the people in your world, and you will do everything in your power to stand by their side and help them to deal with the details of life. You can be seen as one the most trusted, unselfish and dedicated confidants around. In the business world, you may have few equals. The general way in which you express yourself in relationships is one of dedication and support, and it might be good for you to allow the same kind of help, advice and support in from the outside from time to time. It can be rewarding to help others, but it can be equally rewarding to allow help to come in.

When your Soul Number is #3, then you have a calling to be seen and appreciated for your talents. You can be drawn toward the bright lights of the theater. You can also be drawn toward politics or some other form of public expression. You will have to find ways to calm your inner critic, and allow yourself to be seen and heard. For you, the being the center of attention can be very important towards your own self-acceptance and growth. However, you’ll also have to find a way to balance the needs of your soul, with the needs of your ego.

The general way in which you express yourself is through an intense belief in beauty, abundance, grandeur and splendor. At times, you may look at the world through your rose colored glasses, but you can bring light and warmth to any room that you enter. Whatever you value as having significance can, whether it is a Monet or a great book, be uplifting to others and is a clue to unlocking the deeper secrets of your soul. Even if you simply want people to taste your fabled chocolate cake, it is important to let others know what it means to you, and that by tasting the cake, they are helping you to celebrate your soul.

When your Soul Number is #4, then you have a calling for safety, solidity, order, stability, and practicality. Some people thrive under chaos and stress, but you do not. You may be challenged to find a way to bring order to the world around you. You can be an effective leader if you are willing to find your voice and believe in yourself. You’ll also need to learn that you do not need to control the outcome of every situation. You can be responsible, and delegate control to others. Although you like to live in an ordered world, you may do all the important things that you need to do to sustain and support yourself, but stop short when it comes to finding ways to nurture yourself. Just listening to music, or looking at art, can be very nurturing and one path toward developing greater self-acceptance.

The general way in which you express yourself is through bringing order out of the chaotic world around you. You might not be an architect, engineer or scientist but you certainly are as orderly, logical and strategic as they are. Sometimes, perhaps even more so. It can be important for you to understand and incorporate the feelings and viewpoints of others into your daily life. Sometimes the path toward celebration might be dotted with a few crumpled pieces of paper that haven’t yet been tossed into the trash. Also, do not be afraid to speak your mind when you see a situation that you feel could spin quickly out of control, without proper planning and organizing.

When you have a Soul Number #5, then your soul calls for learning, adventure, games, excitement and change. You may find it hard to stay in one place for very long, as you feel pulled toward many activities and interests. You can have a very sharp mind filled with ideas, innovative approaches, desires and dreams. However, a real challenge and difficult task for you might be to find a way to be stable and connect with others, while still allowing time for exploration and travel.

Because of your keen insights and thirst for knowledge, the general way in which you express yourself can be through what you may see as simple conversations, but others feel are detailed and layered talks that contain sharp insight and wisdom. Don’t be afraid to let others into your world, as your clarity and vision can be as life changing and inspiring as watching an artist create his work. Others can see you as having the capability to seek out knowledge that can help to solve difficult problems, make decisions and understand people in a whole new way. By sharing your learning, you are celebrating in your own uniqueness.

When you have a Soul Number #6, then your soul calls for a strong and supportive family and home life. However, for you the challenge may be to find ways to let go of the stress from the outside world, so that you can recharge and reconnect with your family and friends when you are with them. You can be drawn toward vocations that allow you to share your concern, care and empathy with others, perhaps through the medical field or perhaps through more creative pursuits, like cooking or interior design.

For you a key way in which you express yourself is through your devotion, appreciation and caring for your family and other important people in your life. To a certain degree, we all care deeply about our friends and family. But, your self-esteem and soul can satisfied when you find ways to blend your own interests with those around you. Of course, you still need to make time for yourself. By taking care of your loved ones, you celebrate their importance to you. You feel happy and joyful, when those around you are able to experience life in a healthy and safe environment.

If you have a Soul Number #7, then you will be deeply attracted toward the mysteries of life. Travel and exploration can constantly pull at your soul. You may do well to pursue a career in the travel industries or perhaps as a curator or guide of some kind. For you, the main challenge is to find ways to share your experiences, in meaningful ways, with others, so that they can feel connected with you. You may also have to look for ways to understand the strong desire for constant learning within you, or you may find it hard to actually complete any one particular pursuit. You’ll have to watch out that for an aspect of yourself that can drift and wander and to cause you to become nothing more than a “jack of all trades”. However, it can be said that it might be better to be seen as amateurish than someone caught in the crush of the 9-to-5 world.

For you a key way in which you express yourself really is through finding ways to guide or teach others. You do not have to be a teacher or spiritual guru to do this. At certain times, you can simply be a shoulder to lean on. Others can be drawn to you because you’re willing to share your experiences with them and you may have seen or heard similar stories before. They can also be drawn to you because of your ability to see the big picture and the larger patterns in life. Of course, if you are not on a path that leads to your own personal growth then your advice may not be supportive or helpful.

If you have a Soul Number  #8, then you will be deeply attracted to the world of business and especially toward others who hold authority and power. You may feel that you are a natural born leader, and that you deserve to be given free reign and control over almost any situation. Yet, unless you learn to delegate, you may find it difficult to master or learn about real relationships, as you hold all the power.

It can be difficult to learn that for you, the way to best express yourself is through structure, responsibility and leadership. For you it is important to know that a real leader guides, directs and protects those people under his leadership. Sometimes you may even have to deal with difficult issues that require you to forgo your own desires and pursuits in favor of giving into the needs of others. You don’t have to be a “bossy” person to live through the power of your soul, rather you need to find ways in which you feel in control and that somehow the world is okay. Simply ask yourself whether you back away from people and experiences that you encounter who appear to be bigger, intolerable or stronger than you. In order for you to be truly happy, you may find that you are the person who needs to stand up to defend against the injustices, threats and bullies of the world.

If you have a Soul Number #9, then you can be extremely intuitive and perceptive. Your soul has a need to understand the way in which the world works. You can feel happiest, when you allow yourself to be drawn into pursuits that revolve around the gathering and dissemination of information and knowledge. For you, money is important, but it doesn’t have to come as a result of your interests and activities.  You can get caught up in the excitement of everyday life, and a challenge in your life can be to be understood as more than a mere charlatan, fool or flake by others who may not understand your emotions and idealism.

The best way to express your soul is to allow yourself to deeply believe in the importance of your work, whatever it is and whether or not you consider it to be a simple avocation. For you, a big challenge can be in letting go of the 9-to-5 world and stepping into a world that allows for a richer mythology. When you allow your passion and desire to help and heal the world then you can bring inspiration and happiness to others.

Know that your other personal numbers will also play a role in your life and that the characteristics that are suggested by each Soul Number can “dance” with those of the other numbers. For instance, you may be called to travel, while your significant others enjoy staying at home. When you understand more about what your own soul is calling for, you can see that we all have our own calling. You can then understand why it might be difficult for two people in a relationship, when they both want to lead or they both want to go to school and continue learning, yet still run a household. Sometimes, we have to make adjustments in our lives for the needs and desires of others. Yet, we still have to make our own needs important and worthwhile.

Now, if you have read any material or watched any of the movies about creating what you want, visualization and manifestation, you probably understand that feeling celebratory and joyful is an important part of achieving your goals. It’s about enjoying life now. It’s not about sticking your head in the sand, but simply appreciating the wonder in normal life. It's recognizing that every day is special, and that each moment can hold some reason for celebration in your life.

For our example above, Christine has a Soul Number of 5. This can mean that she may have a strong pull to simply pursue activities that allow her to be alone, such as reading, painting, travel, writing and other pursuits. Now, for her the challenge might be to allow others into her world, and to find ways to let down her ‘walls’ and share her interests with others, even if she might think that they wouldn’t understand.

Now, you might feel that there are so many things that need to be done first, that you don’t know where/how to start listening to your dreams. The following questions might help you to look at your present circumstances in a new light, especially in relation to pursuing your dreams.

* Do you feel like you are being judged?
* Know that you are doing your best
* What don’t you allow in your life?
* Do you feel supported?
* Do you feel guilty?
* Do you feel betrayed?
* Are you critical of yourself?
* Do others encourage you?

The questions can help to shine a light on where you have room for growth in your life, and where you have achieved some level of success. A strong sense of joy can come from allowing yourself to be successful, and to allow yourself to go where your inner spirit leads. And, it can be a life changing experience to be able to share your success, joy and adventure with others. When we share our lives with others then we can add richness, vitality and meaning to our lives, and have many more reasons to celebration.

Only you know what your real dreams and desires are. When you communicate your ideas and hopes with others, they may be better able to offer support, encouragement or stability for you that you had not thought of. You will also able to share your joy with others! The possibilities are endless.

Recent research gives us a hint to the significance of being happy. The study, which involved nearly 1,000 pairs of identical and non-identical twins found that genes have power over the personality traits that make people happy! Of course, they found that factors such as relationships, health and careers are responsible for our well being as well. Tim Bates, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh who led the study, said 'It is really quite surprising.' and 'An important implication is that personality traits of being outgoing, calm and reliable provide a resource, we called it 'affective reserve,' that drives future happiness' Bates said.

There are also many other research teams exploring happiness and it’s importance to our lives. One of these researchers is Dr. Michael Fordyce, who has been writing about happiness for more than thirty years. According to him there are key fundamentals that happy people have. He says that happy people are active, social, pursue meaningful work, worry less, and live in the present.

Dr. Sheldon Cohen and a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, recently found that people who had a positive emotional attitude were not infected with colds as often and experienced fewer symptoms than people with a negative emotional style. Dr. Cohen said, The symptoms of a cold are caused by the release of chemicals such as cytokines, histamines and bradykinins. The release of these chemicals is to some extent under the control of hormones that are produced when we experience various emotions. We think that the levels of these hormones in happy people may partly protect them from developing symptoms of cold when infected by a cold virus.'

I believe that feeling happy and joyful is critical toward achieving those things that we want to celebrate about! Indeed, when we experience joy, our hearts are open and we are more willing to take risks, be hopeful and are more willing to celebrate life. We’re then more willing to pursue our deepest dreams!

Good luck on your journey in Soulful living and Numerology


Resources:

Happiest Countries:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3157570.stm

Happiness Researchers:
Timothy Bates
http://www.psy.ed.ac.uk/people/tbates/

Dr. Fordyce
http://www.gethappy.net/about.htm

Martin Seligman
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/seligman.aspx

Ed Diener, Ph.D
http://s.psych.uiuc.edu/~ediener/

Dr. Sheldon Cohen
http://www.psy.cmu.edu/faculty/cohen/

Calculator:

Soul number:
http://www.simplynumbers.com/html/interactive/sn_int_soul.asp

Copyright © 2008 Rob Ragozzine. All Rights Reserved.