We talk a lot about Numerology here at Ocotillo Botanica...but what does it all mean?

Numerology is the Science of Numbers, defined as "the branch of knowledge that deals with the occult significance of numbers".  There are a number of schools of thought around how to calculate Numerology and what the significance is of each number - we could truly spend an eternity just discussing this one topic - but today I'll just share a bit about my personal Numerological path.

In order to understand the depths of this practice, we have to learn a little history first.  The study of Numerology can be traced back as far as the ancient Chaldeans, a culture that existed potentially as early as the 10th-6th centuries BCE.  The people of Chaldea have mention in the Hebrew Old Testament, and were said to have been Western Semitic Levantine peoples that migrated to the Mesopotamian region.  They were ancient scholars, students of the mystery and the cosmos.

The branch of Numerology that I study is known as "Chaldean Numerology," following a particular order of number-to-letter frequencies in order to arrive at a single numerical frequency.  There are a few ways to find this number, and the method that you use entirely depends on the format of the information you begin with.  Let's start with the Chaldean Number Grid.

Using this grid, we can assign Number Values to Letters to find the Numerical Frequency of any word or name.  For example:

ADONIS BLAZINGSTAR

1+4+7+5+1+3=21   2+3+1+7+1+5+3+3+4+1+2=32

Here we see that the word ADONIS comes to 21 and the word BLAZINGSTAR totals up to 32.   Our next step is to combine these numbers by adding the individual numbers together, like so:

2+1=3  3+2=5

3+5=8

So now we see that the name ADONIS BLAZINGSTAR has a Numerology of 8.

But what if the information that we are seeking to get the Numerology for isn't a word, but a date or a time?  The formula for this is just like the formula above, but instead of having to find the values, you already have them.  For example:

December (12) 1, 2022

1+2+1+2+2+2=10

1+0=1

This means that the Numerology for the 1st of December, 2022 is 1.  This same formula can be applied to a specific time, or date and time as well, by simply adding the numbers of the time in "Military Time" (i.e. 2:25pm would be 1425).

Now that we have the base numbers, what do they mean?  Each number has its own expanse of symbolism, so the intrinsic "meanings" behind them will vary depending on your training and school of thought.  A general guide that I like to work by is as follows:

Once we start to align with the Numerological Frequencies of the world around us, we start to learn a great deal about how we relate to things.  Beyond the handful of ideals listed above, you can start to align numerology with the Major Arcana in the Tarot, the Planets, The Constellations of the Zodiac, and so much more depending on your field of study.

A fun practice that has become a part of my daily routine, as well as an integral part of any sort of planning that I do from ritual to vacation, is to take a moment each day to align with the numerology of the day.  This simple practice takes less than five minutes and can truly help to inform us on what paths to take for the day ahead.  For example:

Today, 11/30/22, the Numerology is 11/2 - knowing this, we can see that today is a great day for Cooperation + Configuration.  Today I held a staff meeting here at the shop to align in the frequencies of the day, and opened myself up to some collaboration opportunities on the horizon.

Another way we can work with Numerology is to decipher our "Birth Number."  This number can give us a lot to go off of in regards to our incarnation purpose + potential.  Let's see an example using the grand opening date of Ocotillo Botanica:

January 17, 2020

1+1+7+2+0+2+0=13

1+3=4

With this, we can see that the Birth Number of Ocotillo Botanica is 4, which could elude to the incarnation purpose of my business being Manifestation + Expansion (perhaps of the Occult + Plant Sciences?).

As we can se here, Numerology has an infinite potential of applications.  It can assist us in so many ways, from finding the right date/time to launch a project to getting to know ourselves on a deeper level.

When it comes down to it, Numerology is whatever you make of it.  While there are some generally agreed upon rules + meanings to the practice, the way it plays out in your life is entirely up to you.

What did you reveal in your calculations?  I'd love to hear from you - drop a comment below about your own Numerology experience.

Looking to go deeper?  Align with your Personal Numerological Frequency with The Rites of Fire: Personalized Ritual Workings or begin your journey of innerstanding with Sacred Vessel, a 9-month container of Personal Healing + Transformation.