An Old Practitioner Reflects Upon Numerology and the Missing Trinity

I entered this business as a young man in 1964. I have worked hard and contributed many new things to numerology over the last 50 years. To toot my horn a little I would offer this: 12 numerology books (including translations), four new terminologies (Integrated Self, Karmic Accumulation Number, Stress Numbers, accomplished you), extensive development of the master numbers and the simplified progressed chart, psychotherapeutic insight and personal growth options, 50k + individual readings, two graduate papers (MA and EdS) written on numbers and symbols (both published) from an accredited state University system, a lengthy list of who’s who clients from around the world, and the cosmology of numerology to mention most of them.

There will be those who say this is article is judgmental, opinionated, enlightened, harsh, arrogant, wonderful, discerning, needed to be said, eye opening, gutsy, stupid, or revealing. My hope is that it becomes an important starting point to encourage numerologists to get together in forming solidarity of professionalism, research, definition of nomenclature and applications to community needs (see blog section!). At 70 years of age I reckon I can say what I want and let the chips fly (or is it fall?) where they may.

As one scans the plethora of numerology websites that appear on the internet, it raises many questions as to the status and standing of this ancient practice. These websites offer everything from profound, useful and wise insight to startling, shocking, exaggerated and more often superficial and repetitious. As stated elsewhere, is it truly a contribution that 100 more websites come online to tell us that 1’s are individuals, 2’s cooperate, 3’s are creative, 4’s work a lot, 5’s play a lot, 6’s care a lot, 7’s think a lot, 8’s rule and make money and that 9’s are idealistic? An old psychological axiom suggests that if you have to startle, shock and scare someone into reading your information, you may be insecure about what you have to say, and desperate to get attention. There is always a need to reach readers at their different levels of interest and awareness. It benefits the reader and the profession when the contribution is refreshing and original.

When I started my study of numbers in 1964 there was a small collection of available books on the subject. The two most influential books were Your Days are Numbered by Florence Campbell, and Numerology: The Romance in Your Name by Juno Jordan. Florence Campbell’s work is dated by its vocabulary and view of the times, but she demonstrated a precursory psychological penchant and glimpse of the evolutionary journey of the soul. Juno Jordan was more obsessed with acquiring a rudimentary type of statistical base by accumulating large numbers of data to establish the validity of her subject. She had an aversion to exploring the subjective and psychological side of human personality as applied to the numbers. I can say this from having had a professional exchange of views with her before her passing.

What most young people and new students to the study of numbers do not realize, is that hundreds of books published from the 1970’s and onwards are just regurgitated information presented by these two pioneers of 20th century numerology. These latter day authors make enough changes to avoid plagiarism laws and add a little of their own perspective. However, in numerous cases there is very little, if any, original information. It is still true as of 2014 when this article is being written. This is not to overlook or discount the few original, profound and innovative missives that have been written for the profession.

I, too, was highly influenced by these two books, and I acknowledged that in my earliest writings. As time went on and I expanded my practice as a psychotherapist and alternative wellness innovator, I began to place a new imprint upon the field. Life experiences and time have a way of leading us to ever expanding panoramas of human nature and our relationship to the cosmos. The bountiful gifts of maturity and expanded cosmic and earthly experience, of course, become applied to our work. It is virtually impossible for the author or practitioner to separate their slant upon the art of numbers from them selves and their experience.

Numerology, as it is presented to the public, leaves many questions to be answered. For that matter, it leaves many questions for those who practice it. The lack of common nomenclature and varied opinions of authors leaves much confusion to the novice seeker of numerical wisdom. There are several different ways just to determine your destiny number, let alone grappling your way through a labyrinth of seemingly conflicting terms and delineations such as soul number, inner urges, acquiescent self, subjective neuter, and accomplished you, to mention a few.

I must admit to having introduced several entirely new and original terminologies that reflect my academic and professional background in psychology along with wisdom acquired from cosmological connections and mystical moments throughout my life. Numerologists become very attached to their little thing and sometimes hostile to those who differ. There is virtually no cooperation among practitioners and little effort to unite. I have seen several failed attempts to form a united collective organization that furthers professionalism, research, study and application of numbers to diverse areas. I was a member of one fledgling international numerology associations in the 1970’s that faltered and failed because of egos and lack of cooperation.

My personal perception of this phenomenon is to say that it appears to be a reflection of the personality of Pythagoras himself. Although there are numerous systems of numbers rooted in ancient cultures around the world, he is the one person who most significantly influences numerology as it is being presented to the world today. He is noted as the father of mathematics and a great philosopher and cosmologist, but there are hints that he had a lot of pride and issues with ego.

There were two primary divisions of study in the Pythagorean School. They were the exoteric and esoteric studies, and considerable competition occurred among the students of both. The exoteric studies had more to do with the mathematics and the practical applications of numbers. The esoteric studies had more to do with the intuitive, cosmological and divine nature of numbers (sacred geometry being one of these). Students of the latter often took on an elitist attitude partially encouraged by their mentor. You still see this separatist and elitist attitude today among practitioners of the art!

Having met thousands of numerology students and practitioners, I have observed several characteristics among them. The very good intuitive numerologist almost always had trouble with mathematics and numbers in their early life. Then there are a group of numerology seekers who come from having been bookkeepers, accountants or financially connected occupations. Academically oriented students of mathematics more often then not have disdain for numerology and consider it at best a pseudo science.

It is my personal observation that this split among numerologists comes from the competitive days as students of Pythagoras. I am pretty sure of this because of personal memories of having been there. The truth is that for numerology to reach its peak of contribution to humanity there will come a time when the mathematical and mystical elements once again reunite and function together! It will be a true sacred science!

I often lament that I did not place more effort into a continuing study of mathematics. I managed to get through high school geometry and struggled with algebra. I finally dropped out of advanced algebra and turned mystical in my life direction. The very best mathematicians are highly intuitive. An interesting irony is that they often come to the same conclusion as the intuitive numerologist. However each one got to the same place by a different route. There are five levels of math beyond geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus that will one day be returned and be given to human memory. When that day arrives numerology and mathematics will once again be reunited.

There are some who call the numerology of putting a number under the letter in a name a “science”. That is at best naïve and demonstrates lack of academic training. If you ask any member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, I doubt if you will find one member who would agree. There is a science and mathematical confirmation behind the numbers that when applied to numerology will bring it back one day into the realm of statistical and mathematical validity. That day has not come.

The competitive spirit and lack of cooperation among numerologists still continues to this day. Do it this way. Mine is the best. They are wrong. There were times in my earlier years of practice when I got caught up in all of that myself. One of the biggest areas of debate is the break down of the name and birth date. The historically popular method was to take all three (first, middle (or middles if more than one), and last) of the names on the birth certificate and calculate them separately. Then you add them together to get your final number. I did that also for years since I had accepted the method from Florence Campbell as the gospel truth.

After years of doing so, it just did not seem right for me. I started to explore other forms of interpretation and came to the calculation of the pure number. That is, the sum of all of the letters in the entire name, and then all of the vowels and then all of the consonants. You can take the route of breaking down the name into multiple parts and deriving information there from. It just adds more variables to work with in your interpretation. The point is you work with the system you find most comfortable and you will attract the people who need to hear that message. There are gadzooks of ways to interpret. Each has a place and time. In my old age I am finding that simple is best. Using the big four primary numbers (total name, vowels, consonants and birth number) you can go right to the heart of your interpretation and cover the essential elements.

Another question arises about what to do with the letter “Y”. Is it a vowel or is it a consonant? The decision has been predicated upon issues of grammar rather than frequency and vibration. I also debated either way through the early years of practice. My response when these issues arise is to do it both ways and see what fits. After thousands of times and discussions with some of the very best intuitive practitioners, I came to the conclusion it is a vowel, period.

The turning point for me was during a conversation with the noted Juno Jordan. In her work she leaned more toward y being a consonant. Anyway, as I was about to leave our meeting she leaned toward me in her quavering 90 year old voice, and shaking her finger at me sort of hesitantly asked, “honey, what do you do with the Y ?” From that moment on I was sure that for me Y is always a vowel. The debate, however, still goes on until this time. Most likely it will for some time to come. Until the day we all agree, you do it the way you believe best and you will attract those who need to hear your message.

Numerologists become so serious and competitive about this stuff. What they overlook is that we are working with a metaphor. Numerology is a reference to reality through symbolism. This way of applying numbers to people and events is a reflection of the higher laws of vibration and the true frequency. It is not the pure reality! However, the work with numerical vibrations can help user get there. I repeatedly say to students, “don’t get caught up in the symbol and miss the moment”! Have to remind myself of that too!

There is no standard of measurement or professional criteria for those who call themselves numerologists. All kinds of claims are fostered and self anointed titles given to those who practice. Claims abound about the best site, the number one site, the biggest best and most bizarre site in the entire galaxy! You can take a course for a few months and become a master numerologist. Or you can just anoint yourself as being one. What are the professions agreed upon criteria that determine being a master numerologist? Without some standard, the use of the title has no meaning.

This raises the question, should there be a set of tests and standards to qualify for the title and position of numerologist? History has pretty much proven that when you do set such standards you often get people who are compulsive and good at taking tests and meeting set criteria, but may not be good practitioners. As in every type of service oriented occupation and profession there are going to be those people in practice who have dysfunctional needs to direct, control or use others for personal purposes rather than being of service to the client. It is impossible to prevent all such types from entering a given organization or profession.

For now, the market place pretty much says buyer beware. Using discernment and knowing clearly what you want as a seeker puts you at a good starting point where you will more than likely find a suitable practitioner. Getting recommendations from friends who were pleased with someone in practice appears to be the most practical way of choosing a numerologist.

We live in a dimension of duality and cannot escape that, but we can grow through it and beyond. Much of the numerology literature teaches the positive and negative components of the numbers. If you only see the duality, you can remain stuck in the duality. I started out doing the same and soon became uncomfortable, because it just did not seem to address the dance of vibration and cycles that numbers represent. It took me years to get even a glimpse of why. Part of the clue came from being a dancer. Part of it came from influence by the Asian philosophy of the yin, yang and the Tao. Part of it was from observing the Christian teachings concerning Sins of commission, sins of omission and the hallowed way.

Most of it came from being a student and teacher of esoteric cosmology. My bible of cosmology is The Cosmic Doctrine by Dion Fortune. In the book cover it is mentions that the information was received in 1937 from an entity, who in a previous life was a world famous philosopher. My personal opinion is that the entity was Pythagoras. I had read it and meditated upon it, and then read it again hundreds of times.

Sometime around the mid 1980’s I read a book called Superforce by physicist and professor, Paul Davies. It was at that time the very current thinking in quantum physics. Fortunately it was written in a way that a layman could grasp. I found it amazingly similar to the teachings in The Cosmic Doctrine; different terminology, but almost exactly the same in describing the mysteries of creation. Even recently I have watched shows about cosmology on the Science Channel where there have been announcements of the latest breakthroughs in cosmological thought. On more than one occasion I found myself saying, “well they finally figured that one out”, because the information was presented in The Cosmic Doctrine nearly 70 years ago!

I highly recommend this volume to the sincere and spiritually inclined student of numbers. I have acknowledged and paraphrased this cosmology in three of my books including The Heart of Numerology. Almost every major religion in the world has its trinity. In the Hindu tradition it is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. In the Egyptian tradition it was Isis, Osiris and Horus. In the Christian tradition it is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

The Cosmic Doctrine reveals the dynamics of the triune nature of rings and cycles of creation as it is repeated throughout the cosmos in never ending cycles of birth, death and rebirth. The essence of the origin of all creation is a cycle of expansion, counter action and balance repeated endlessly in different manifestations throughout the cosmos. This activity of creation is symbolized with a triangle, which represents the three fold nature of our Creator. These qualities are given the name will, wisdom and love at each point of that triangle. Or, another way is to think of it as the attributes of Father (will) God, Mother (wisdom) God and the product of their union the Child (love). These three rings of creation rotate, orbit and revolve in ever repeating sequences of expansion, contraction, balance and repeat. Thirty years ago I started using the Goldilocks analogy when teaching these dynamics of creation and esoteric cosmology. Just recently cosmologists have started describing the Goldilocks Enigma of universal activity!

As an accomplished ballroom dancer I realized that numbers reflect the cosmic dance of expansion, contraction and balance. You can do too much, too little or just right. The Goldilocks phenomenon. That is, as the lead you can push your partner too hard and throw your partner off balance (too much). You can be spaghetti armed and give your partner no information whatsoever (too little). Or, you can provide a solid frame and confident timely lead (just right)! As the follower you can resist the lead (too much), ignore the lead (too little) or move in harmony with the lead (just right). To better understand a moment of “just right” during dance, you are encouraged to read my article about The Cosmology of Dance.

It is the same in dealing with numbers. There can be too much, too little, or just right! When you have gotten your life just right in this dimension, you are at the staging point to leap into a new one!

It was my interest in numbers that helped to lead me into the path of healing and professional work as a psychotherapist along with stimulating the opening of the cosmic door to mystical and spiritual experiences beyond description. Numerology is the study of cycles, vibration and rhythm.

For those who are in search of Self, the study of numbers and their deeper truth can open the doors to enormous self discovery and personal growth. I have been presenting the psychological, cosmological and spiritual essence of numerology for thirty years. It has been disappointing at times, and surprising to find such a small percentage of practicing numerologists seeking to take the step into an elevated level of numerical consciousness.

There are any number of numerical dances and numerical dance instructors for numerical dance seekers. Each dancer has a choice of rhythm and timing that seems appropriate for them at the moment. The planet earth offers a wide selection of choices.

The study of numerology can help take you as high into awareness as you want to go. It is a reflection of the eternal cosmic dance of universal life and infinite choice. My wish would be that your path through the numbers assists you in your search to find your eternal Self, bliss and the ultimate union!

Do you want to dance?
Copyright. July 9, 2014. All rights reserved

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