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The meanings of specific numbers in your religion

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
Let's talk a little bit about the meaning of specific numbers in your religious system, or spiritual view.

Specifically, maybe, any or all of the basic root numbers in reality, as in 1-10 or 1-12 (ending whenever you think that the series of 'root numbers' ends). Alternatively, you talk about any number you like, though I have an interest in the 'root numbers:' The one - the unity or 'start' of something, the 2, the duality.. the three as the trinity, and so on. Each place in the basic scale can seem to represent something different, and important.

So what significance do these things have to you, at the most basic level, via their significance in your religion?
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Staff member
Premium Member
There is something about a combination of 42, sometimes with a 1 or a 0 in the mix, that reminds me that God is here with me.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
The significance of numbers plays a role in many esoteric and occult traditions. Those traditions had no small influence on the development of contemporary Paganism so it isn't surprising to see it crop up within that religious demographic. Stretching further back, indigenous storytelling and folklore often evokes numbers and reputation as a sort of mnemonic for the pre-literate days when bards told tales around campfires.

In Druidry, there is probably no number more significant than three. The three drops of Awen, the three rays representing the stations of the sun, three worlds for past and present and future, three planes of land and sea and sky, gods and goddesses with three aspects, three part wisdom sayings... it goes on and on. Why three? It's been speculated by my fellows that the why isn't so important as the what it does. Where some other religious traditions emphasize either-or, this-that, black-white, refusal to conceptualize the universe in dualistic terms reveals a nuance and complexity that lends richness to Celtic and Druidic traditions in the modern day.

Before formally joining a Druid order, I would have named four as the most significant number without hesitation. The Four Elements are the foundation of my tradition, and modern Druidry incorporates them as well. As with threefold thinking, fourfold thinking avoids the problem of dualism but also acknowledges it, for the elements form pairs of contraries with one another; Air and Earth, Fire and Water. These in turn transform into one another in a rotation based on their core qualities: Air to Fire, Fire to Earth, Earth to Water, Water to Air, and so on. The metaphysics of the Sacred Four serves as a template for understanding natural cycles and the universe, as well as being a helpful memory tool.

Double the four and we get eight, a number many contemporary Pagans will immediately recognize as sacred due to its connection to the eightfold Wheel of the Year. While a modern invention, the eightfold ritual cycle of celebration is built upon indigenous Pagan traditions of Western Europe. Consisting of the equinoxes, solstices, and their cross-quarters, there is a time of celebration for every season and station of Sun. By each turn of the wheel we walk through the ancient yet ever new gateways of the seasons, repeating themes, creating and destroying, growing and decaying, planting and harvesting, time after time.

The lunar cycle also is significant and with it the number thirteen. Particularly in traditions of modern Witchcraft and Wicca, thirteen is a number of magic and mystery. Connected with Moon, it taps into the mysteries of change and transformation, of darkness and night, of reflection and introspection. Thirteen is the number of Witches in a traditional coven, which the nine foot diameter circle casting comfortably accommodates. Some consider the number thirteen inauspicious and unlucky, but the Witch, unafraid of tapping into their own power and authority, instead leverages this to spin spells and impose their will.
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Many numbers have their own significance for people in Hinduism. 1 for Brahman, 3 for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, 5 for the suggested five deities by Sankaracharya, 6 for Kartikeya/Murugan, 7 for seven suns of the Vedic religion, 8 for Siddhis, Gaanesha, 9 for planets and Mother Goddess Durga, and 10 for avataras.
In prayers 108 repetitions is standard as mentioned by Just George. Other Hindu members may give their view or add more sacred numbers.
 
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amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
The lunar cycle also is significant and with it the number thirteen. Particularly in traditions of modern Witchcraft and Wicca, thirteen is a number of magic and mystery. Connected with Moon, it taps into the mysteries of change and transformation, of darkness and night, of reflection and introspection.
This caught my eye a bit, and I had to reference the Tarot - the nameless arcanum is 13, and the moon is 18. 13 in the tarot seems to want to restructure the planet, but if you want to mix the Nameless card with the Moon, then in appears that the nameless card is made to conduct the restructing of the introspective dream world (the Moon).
 

Rachel Rugelach

Shalom, y'all.
Staff member
@Jayhawker Soule already mentioned the number 18, which is an example of gematria -- the adding up of the individual numerical values of Hebrew letters to find meaning in the resulting total number. The two Hebrew letter-numbers that make the number 18 (chet and yud) also spell out the Hebrew word for "life." (Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value, and Hebrew letters are used as numbers).

For anyone who's interested in gematria (and has a fondness for cats :smilecat:), I've started this thread in the games forum: Your Inner Cat through Gematria
 
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Brickjectivity

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm a little superstitious about numbers, but I tend to think they are all equally important. You can't have 2 without 1. Personally I like the patterns that make things easier: easier calculations, easier memorization etc.

18 x 6 = = 9 x 12 Looks obvious, doesn't it? However when you are memorizing multiplication tables it feels like an oasis of ease, because you have already learned the same multiples in a different form. You can skip memorizing and go directly to knowing.
18 x 7 = = 9 x 14
18 x 8 = = 9 x 16

Here is a similarity between the 18's and 19's tables:
18 x 9 = 162 = (19 x 8) - 10 It doesn't seem that obvious here, but 162 and 152 stick in your mind to help you memorize.

As you can see there is a neat pattern in the 18's where if you have already learned your 12's 14's and 16's then its like revisiting. Then when you get to the 19's you see patterns, too. These stick with you. 162 is 18 x 9, but then you encounter 152 in the tables and note that it is 8 x 19.

Primes: The easiest prime multiplication table I've seen so far is 37. Why? Because 37 x 3 = 111. That means in this table are the numbers:
111, 222, 333, 444, 555, 666
They are no-brainers to memorize, corresponding to 3's. 3x37, 6x37, 9x37, 12x37, 15x37, 18x37. Its like you can skip memorizing them.

Now when I encounter a number like 444 I instantly think "37 x 12". You can also envision the number this way as an area. Its about 1/3 as wide as it is long.
 

Viker

Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal
The most sacred numbers are 9 and 1.618.

9 because of the nine muses and members making the pantheon, it is considered cyclic and the symbol that is 9 is a spiral thus visual representation of the holiest number 1.618, aka. the Golden Ratio. It is one of the reasons the pentagram is a sacred symbol. It has the Golden Ratio in it: a/b=1.618. We invert the pentagram to represent Corniger or our primary deity of life, vitality and covenant.
 

InvestigateTruth

Veteran Member
The most sacred numbers are 9 and 1.618.

9 because of the nine muses and members making the pantheon, it is considered cyclic and the symbol that is 9 is a spiral thus visual representation of the holiest number 1.618, aka. the Golden Ratio. It is one of the reasons the pentagram is a sacred symbol. It has the Golden Ratio in it: a/b=1.618. We invert the pentagram to represent Corniger or our primary deity of life, vitality and covenant.
9 is also represents greatest name of God in Bahai Faith.
 

dybmh

ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים
The most sacred numbers are 9 and 1.618.

9 because of the nine muses and members making the pantheon, it is considered cyclic and the symbol that is 9 is a spiral thus visual representation of the holiest number 1.618, aka. the Golden Ratio. It is one of the reasons the pentagram is a sacred symbol. It has the Golden Ratio in it: a/b=1.618. We invert the pentagram to represent Corniger or our primary deity of life, vitality and covenant.
9 is also represents greatest name of God in Bahai Faith.
9 is truth in Judaism. :)

It's buried in this article... search for the word 'truth' if you're interested.

 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
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