Regarded by some as an occult art and by others as a science, numerology involves using your birth date and full birth name to find answers to important life questions, including career, romance, the life path and money matters. Numerologists use eleven numbers to construct a numerology chart.

In essence an individual’s full name and the day on which they were born, is converted into a number which is used to unravel their deepest potential. Numerology isn’t difficult to understand once you learn its basic principles. Once the ‘recipe’ is understood the numbers may be used as a guide to help and provide advice on many important questions and to provide guidance to help you in reaching your full potential.

The numbers that are used to build a numerology chart are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 22. Bigger numbers are calculated by adding the numbers in the complete birth date or from the values assigned to each name and these are then made into smaller numbers by adding the digits together until one of the core numbers are produced. Each core number is said to be representative of unique qualities and potential pertaining to an individual.

In addition, there are specific numerology ‘master numbers’ namely the numbers 11 and 12 that are said to intensify the single digit numbers that they replace i.e. 2 and 4. If these numbers are present in a chart it means that the individual is a high achiever often in a very undesirable environment.

Using Numerology to Construct a Chart

The most important factor in numerology is the birth date. This is expressed in numbers as mm/dd/yyyy and can be used to find an individual’s ‘Lifepath Number’ as well as many other factors.

The next step involves changing the full birth name (as it appears on your birth certificate) into a number. In numerology letters and numbers are seen to be the same thing, so for example:

1 = A, J, S
2 = B, K, T
3 = C, L, U
4 = D, M, V
5 = E, N, W
6 = F, O, X
7 = G, P, Y
8 = H, Q, Z
9 = I, R

These numbers are used to determine your life path number by adding the digits together (over and over if necessary) to produce one of the numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 22.

The number in your birth date are likewise added together (over and over if need be) until one of the above numbers is produced.

What follows is a basic description of how these numbers may be used to uncover your hidden potential.

The Numerology Life Path Period

According to numerology we live three life path periods in our lifetime and these periods are similar to the life path numbers but perhaps a little more enhanced or fine tuned.

These life periods are based on your date of birth. The month of birth is reduced to a single digit or master number and this is said to indicate the first life path period.

Next, the day of birth is reduced to a single digit or master number and the final life path period is determined by the year of birth reduced to a single digit or master number.

The first life path period starts when you are born and continues until (according to astrology) the moon has returned to its original place in the birth chart. In real terms this translates to about 28 years of age.

If you want to find out when the first cycle will be completed calculate the year in which the person turns 28, 56 and so on.

This same process should be used to determine the beginning of the second and third life path period.

The Personal Year

If you want to work out what your coming year is going to be like you can calculate what is known as your personal year, as follows:

* Reduce the month and day of your birth to a single digit.

* (If the total comes to 11 or 22, the master numbers, in this instance, reduce the number to 2 and 4.)

* Reduce the year for which you are making the calculation to a single digit. The year 2005 would become 7.

* Add the single digit produced from your birth day and month to the single digit produced from the year in question.

This will give you a personal year number that can be used to determine what to expect in the coming year.

Numerology: The Planes of Expression

The way in which you express yourself or what you do and how you act is your plane of expression. Using numerology you will use your full birth name to determine how you express your personal energy and you will do this using each letter of your name.

In numerology each letter of the alphabet is placed in one of four planes of expression or temperament namely: Mental, Physical, Emotional or Intuitive.

These four groups are sub-divided to define your modes of expression more intensively. So the letters of your name show your tendencies to one type of personal expression or another.

Once you have figured out how your name fits into the Planes of Expression numbers you can determine how the letters in your name color the way you express yourself and relate to others and the world around you.

The Soul Urge

Your soul urge or heart’s desire in numerology is that part of you which expresses your deepest longings and it is a very vital number in your numerological chart. The number can be calculated by using all the vowels in your full birth name (a, e, i, o and u).

Add up all these letters according to the letter=number formula below and reduce them to a single number or master number. More than any other number, your soul urge number, speaks of who you are no matter what your life path number may be and will, to a large extent, govern who you are.

Here is a chart reflecting the number value of the vowels:

1 = A
3 = U
5 = E, W
6 = O
7 = Y
9 = I

* A ‘Y’ is a vowel if there is no other vowel in a syllable as in Lynn or Carolyn and if it is preceded by a vowel and sounded as one sound e.g. in the name ‘Hayden’.

* A ‘W’ is also a vowel when it is preceded by a vowel and produces a single sound, such as in the name ‘Bradshaw’.

These are just some of the ways in which numerology can help you to understand more about whom you are and help you to uncover areas in your life that are strong or others than may need determined application and hard work to overcome.

Enjoy your study of numerology!