Numbers and Spirituality: Understanding Sacred Numerology

1st Intervention: Numbers and spirituality. The first thing to understand when talking about the spirituality of numbers is that we must refer to numbers not as quantities but as qualities. This way of conceiving numbers is far from our usual way. Normally we refer to numbers as quantities. If for example you ask me how old you are, then I could answer you $33$ years in relation to how many times the earth has completed its orbit around the Sun or how many times the Sun has returned to the same point on the ecliptic. Conversely - for example - in the Bible we read that Adam begat Seth at $130$ years. Now this $130$ is clear that it does not refer to how many times the Sun has returned to the same point of the ecliptic (also because shortly after it specifies that as far as the flesh is concerned man will not last more than $120$ years). Rather this number indicates a quality and the state of consciousness in which Adam was when he begat Seth. The number $130$ in fact in Hebrew corresponds to the terms "ollal" which means "child" and to "kefel" which means "double" corresponds to "Sinai" mountain on which Moses received the Tradition. This therefore makes us understand the spiritual state in which Adam was when he generated Seth.

More generally therefore when we refer to Numbers from a spiritual point of view we are not talking about an identifier for quantities but about the deep origin of qualities. If I refer to the number $5$ for example I refer to Light or to the awakening of the spirit, to the discovery of Light, or to the quintessence, to dominion over the elements and over astral light. If I refer to the number $9$ instead I indicate Wisdom and Prudence, Silence, etc. Therefore when we refer to numbers from a deeper point of view, we refer to absolute philosophical ideas that is transcendent or, in creation, to true spiritual entities or realities. For example the Pythagoreans refer to the number $3$ and call it, the indomitable, the tireless when they speak of the number $4$ they refer to it as the Guardian of the keys of Nature.

Just as if they were referring to a person, to an individual, to a true spiritual entity. They called $2$ Mother of Zeus, $5$ Light. $6$ for example they called Cosmos or Love Union. $7$ was called Angel or also Wisdom or Destiny. $1$ was called Friend or also Chariot, while $10$ was called Sun. In the traditional Pythagorean conception therefore the Number is not only an abstract concept to study, but a spiritual being, "someone" who can act on human intelligence and with whom one can tune in. To facilitate this process of attunement with the Number three different disciplines are used: philosophy or theology to study numbers as ideas; arithmetic to calculate names to use and geometry to make their action practical and operative.

Intervention 1: Can you give us an example of how to use arithmetic from a practical point of view?

Certainly! It's very simple: we said that in the Hebrew alphabet every letter corresponds to a number.