Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Lonely Numbers?Mike Madigan

You have probably heard the song lyric - "One is the loneliest
number you will ever know?" However is this really true?

According to numerology there may actually be something to this as
the 1 is a Life Path number that seems to be fated to shoulder the
burdens of fate all by him or herself. It is considered to be a
mundane number that is considered with the execution of every day
chores and very practical things. This means being with a 1 is not
that romantic because there is always "something to get done."

Life demands a lot from a number 1 and the number 1 in turn demands
a lot from other people. This can lead to some isolation simply
because most people like to have more fun in life. However a 1
considers working a lot to be a great deal of fun. There is no
other number that can mix business with pleasure as well as this
one. They rarely do anything without a business motivation in mind.
Even their vacations usually have to do something with social
climbing or scouting for business opportunities.

The busy schedule of a 1 also often leaves their partners feeling
secluded and lonely. It takes a very strong person to be with a 1
and few of them exist. Often the 1 is like a politician or is an
actual politician that needs a partner that focuses on him or her
exclusively. Unfortunately that means that they attract a number
like a 2, 9 or 11. These numbers tend to focus more on other people
than themselves. Unfortunately the 1 ends up alone after teaching
the 2, 9, and 11 a karmic lesson about learning to love themselves
more in life.

Often a 1 ends up lonely because the Life Path Number also means
standing up for your beliefs despite the fact that everyone else is
against you. It is the number of the noble martyr who stand up for
what is right in life. It is the number of a great leader who is so
self assured and innovative that their ideas often seem radical to
others. Many ones have notions that are far ahead of their time and
often they stand alone - like a David against a huge Goliath of
public objection.

A similar number is the 8. An 8 can be a lonely number simply
because they are so busy being pillars of the community that they
do not have time for family or lovers. Instead many of them are
busy building empires.

The timing in the life of an 8 is also similar to that of a 1. They
are often slave to economics and as they tend to employ or take
care of a lot of other people. Their lives are ruled by deadlines
and practical matters.

The 8 can end up lonely because the partner soon realizes that this
number is public property. Yet another problem is that the 8 is
always in the spotlight.

Anyone with a Life Path number 3 can also feel incredibly at times
in their life. This is the number of fame and it is the penultimate
number when it comes to being a living illustration of that old
saying "It's lonely at the top."

A number like 3 can draw a lot of attention yet find nobody that
they can identify with personally. That is because many of them are
phenonomenal talents that rocket to the top. This means that many
of them are used for their connections and money and are rarely
loved for who they really are.

It also does not help that the number 3 stands for the "odd man
out" in a love triangle and end up spending holidays all by
themselves. The Life Path number 3 is notorious for being unable to
settle down. Many of them are so attractive that they also attract
infidelity. They become a "score" and are often not treated like
human beings that way.

Yet another "lonely number" is the number 5. This is because the 5
is fiercely dedicated to his or her own individual independence and
the right to exercise free will. Anyone who interferes with this
number's whims is likely to be viewed as an obstruction by this
number.

The number 5 also likes to travel a great deal and loves being on
the road. During these extended periods of travel the 5 will often
have a series of lovers rather than just one.

Yet another quirk of the number 5 Life Path number is the constant
desire to be alone. This number is very much torn between their
love of solitude and their love of other people. Of all the numbers
the number 5 also sometimes displays an exaggerated need for
privacy.

The number 4 can also be a lonely Life Path number. Usually this
number has a very hard childhood and because of poverty and
societal discretions does not make friends easily. This number
usually has to struggle with some kind of big problem in their life
and usually it has to do with a chronic health problem or addiction
that also prevents them from meeting other people and forming
relationships. This is not absolutely true of every number 4 as
many of them are also quite adept at transcending every single
challenge to become quite beloved by many. Oprah Winfrey is an
excellent example of a number 4 energy that has triumphed over a
number of setbacks in life to become one of the richest and most
famous people in the world.

The number 7 is not necessarily a lonely number so much as a number
that likes to be left alone. Many of the number 7s are eccentric
geniuses and prodigious talents that find people in general to get
in the way of their big vision. Sometimes a 7 finally notices that
they have failed to attract a partner in life but usually the
contribution that they make to society in the form of an invention
or piece of literature far outweighs the importance of their
personal life.

So the next time you hear that 1 is the loneliest of numbers think
again! It is not necessarily true!

Jacob and Esau,By Karen Berg

This week's Bible reading tells us that Jacob feared his brother, Esau. Now this fear might come as a surprise to some of us who know how powerful a spiritual force Jacob would become. After all, don't we know that Light prevails over darkness?
According to the kabbalists, there is an important secret here: Esau was the epitome of ego. It was not his physical brother that Jacob was afraid of; Jacob was afraid of his own ego. Even at his elevated spiritual level, Jacob knew that if he began to believe himself to be the message rather than the messenger, to be the Light rather than a conduit, then he would lose the battle against the ultimate destructive force: The ego, also known as the Opponent, also known as the Desire to Receive for the Self Alone, which is the real battle, the battle of consciousness. For Jacob, it was clear that his only real strength was his ability to be a channel for the Light of the Creator.
For us, this is a powerful lesson. It tells us that each one of us should cultivate a similar fear of our own ego every day. We need to learn that it is not how hard we work physically or the intensity of our learning that makes us spiritual. Spirituality happens from the moment we wake up in the morning, to the hello we say to the first person that we meet, to the way that we approach and see life, to the respect for human dignity that we grant to those around us. This is the kind of spirituality that Jacob worried about. He was afraid he wouldn't be present when he was needed, and therefore he would lose the battle.
This story reminds us that we always need to be on the lookout for what our Ego wants us to do, so that we aren't cutting corners, hoping no one will see. Because you know what? The Creator is in every place. He even goes to the Chinese restaurant on Sunday. Again, the Creator is in every place. God is here.
We need to know that whatever we do or don't do, today, tomorrow or the next day, is going to come back to us. If we can acknowledge and be aware of that, as Jacob was, then we can grow. In that growth might be pain, and in that growth might be disassociation with what is comfortable. But if we don't grow, there is no alternative.
As we have mentioned before, there is only one block in every person's life. And what is this block? The block is the person him- or herself! I am the only blockage in my life, just as you are the only blockage in yours. When we can sit here and not think only about our own needs and agendas then can we begin to taste the sweetness of our soul's potential.
If you like this please share it with a friend.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Numerology and the Tarot,Blair Gorman

One of the oldest applications of numerology has to do with the
design of Tarot card. The numbers on Tarot cards are enormously
significant when it comes to interpreting the meaning of a card
reading. Tarot cards are specifically numbered and the images on
the cards reverberate to those images to convey meaning to the
reader who then analyzes such matters as relationships, the future,
motivations and options.

Traditionally there are 56 minor arcana cards -- the Ace through
Ten, plus the four Helper Cards. Many tarot readers maintain that
56 was a number chosen on purpose as esoterically it symbolizes God
(or the force of the creation principle.) This idea comes from
pagan and Celtic beliefs that the number 56 corresponded to the
Celtic sun God.

The reason there are fourteen minor Arcana cards is because this
Celtic Sun God also had fourteen rays of light shooting out from
his head in the four directions. This is also where the common
card layout known as the Celtic Cross comes from. The fourteen
cards consist of the cards Ace through to Ten plus the Four Helper
Cards also known as the King, Queen, Knight and Page.

Each number in each suit has historically represented a particular aspect
of human consciousness or experience. In each of the Element suits,
the Ones contain many of the same properties; the Twos are similar,
as are the Threes, and so on through the rest of the deck. The
Minor Arcana does not usually have imagery so the reader relies a
lot on knowing about numerology to make relationships between the
cards in a spread.

When the science of numerology is applied to the tarot cards, the
number, which governs the card, gives deeper insight into the
hidden meaning of the card.

The relationship of numerology is actually an enormous topic in
itself but here is an idea of how the Tarot Cards in the minor
Arcana relate to the numbers One through to Nine. The meanings
stay basically the same no matter what suit the cards are in -
Cups, Swords, Wands or Coins.

Below is the key words that are traditionally used by Tarot card
readers to read a card when it comes up in a spread. This
particular list is adapted from the well known universal meanings
for numbered cards from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck.

One: Creation, originality, independence, courage, progress,
ambition, positiveness, will power, leadership, pioneering,
activity, force, raw energy.

Two: Love, service, gentleness, harmony, adaptability, charm,
diplomacy, friendliness, rhythm, music, receptivity, cooperation,
consideration for others, will, purpose, initial understanding.

Three: Artistic expression, joy of living, freedom from worry,
optimism, inspiration, talent, imagination, good taste,
sociability, friendliness, kindness, conception, beginning
manifestation.

Four: Practicality, service, patience, exactitude, organization,
application, devotion, patriotism, conservatism, pragmatism,
dignity, economy, trust, worthiness, endurance, loyalty,
production, mastery.

Five: Freedom, progress, versatility, understanding, variety,
adaptability, mental curiosity, life experience, cleverness,
non-attachment, sociability, change, discord, travel, adventure,
companionability, surrender, release.

Six: Love, harmony, home, responsibility, adjustment, musical
talent, sympathy, understanding, domesticity, guardianship,
stability, poise, protection, healing, firmness, balance, idealism,
conscientiousness, justice, burden-fearing, service to All,
solution, exaltation, seeing.

Seven: Mental analysis, technicality, introspection, peace, poise,
scientific research, spirituality, faith, trust, stoicism,
refinement, wisdom, silence, "theories and fundamentals," feeling,
deepening, mystery.

Eight: Power, authority, success, material freedom, judgment,
discrimination, executive ability, organization, leadership,
management, practicality, thoroughness, dependability,
self-reliance, control, the power to succeed, repose,
consideration, retreat, ripening.

Nine: Universal love, sisterhood, brotherhood, charity, compassion,
the Higher Law, artistic genius, selfless service, philanthropy,
humanitarianism, magnetism, sympathy, understanding, romance,
generosity, breadth of viewpoint, understanding before or beyond
words, strengthening.

What is quite interesting is that you can also use these values to
numerologically get a reading from a deck of plain tarot cards.