by Diane Callahan

Created on: November 21, 2008   Last Updated: December 02, 2008

What is your destiny? Do you have karmic lessons to learn? Who is your True Self? These are questions humans have been asking since the beginning of time, and Numerology is a great way to get on the path of finally understanding them.

Numerology is an ancient metaphysical science that has been around for thousands of years and is based on the belief that everyone comes into this world with certain numbers which represent life forces or energies. Those energies influence the person's life in varying degrees. Therefore, an understanding of the numbers can make a person more aware of his or her strengths and weaknesses and give them a guide to achieving happiness and success in life. It is the key to living life consciously and affecting things around you, rather than simply reacting to outside forces and being swept away on a random path.

Although there are many different things you can determine from Numerology, most of today's experts will concentrate on the five core numbers. These are 1) the Soul number, derived by adding together the vowels of a name, reveals your heart's desire and inner motivation. 2) The Destiny number, derived by adding vowels and consonants of a name, reveals the purpose and direction of your life. 3) The Personality number, derived by adding consonants of a name, reveals how others see you. 4) The Life Path number, derived by adding month, day and year of birth, reveals your natural gifts and talents that will help you fulfill your destiny. 5) The Maturity number, derived by adding birth name numbers and date of birth numbers, reveals the direction for the second half of your life.

To arrive at these numbers you must have the chart that converts letters to numbers. Make your own by simply writing down numbers 1 through 9, then underneath them, write the letters starting at A and ending at I, then continue by writing the J underneath the A, and so on. With this simple code you can calculate all of your core numbers.

One very important rule in Numerology is that all numbers must be reduced to one digit. Therefore, if you add up the letters of your name and get a total of 23, simply add 2+3 to get 5. If your first name is a 5 and your last name is a 12, first add the 1+2 to get 3, then add 5+3. Your name number is 8.

There are ample uses for Numerology in everyday living. For instance, knowing your Communication Number can improve relationships, and knowing your Money Numbers can help you hold onto or even increase your hard-earned dollars. You may even use it to determine when is the best time to have a baby, or when to build a house.

It will take some research at first to grasp all the varied forms and uses of Numerology. But even just knowing the principles allows you to discover and understand who you are, where you're going and what you can become. No doubt it will be a fascinating journey!

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