Since Pythagoras, people have attributed meaning to numbers -which is known as numerology. Since their invention, numbers have held an almost magical place in our psyche. They hold no less mystery in our dreams.
In the ancient Hebrew tradition of Gematria (or Gimatria) a word or phrase is assigned a numeric value. The belief was/is that words or phrases with the same values bear some relation to each other, or to the number itself. To determine a word’s numeric value, each letter of the alphabet was assigned an individual value based on the number of times each letter appeared in the Scriptures.
In the medieval mystical text called Sefer Yitzirah -The Book of Creation- the letters of the alphabet are described as “the stones used to build a house.” This tenet highlights the belief in the essential relationship between letters, words and creation.
In non-Jewish traditions, less emphasis is placed on the spiritual or biblical meaning of a number/letter than in the Hebrew system, and many different systems have evolved over the years with their own methods for determining a letter/number value and meaning.
Modern numerology now contains various aspects of different early cultures and teachers, including Babylonia, Hellenistic Alexandria, Christian mysticism, Gnosticism, the Kabbalah, the Hindu Vedas, the Chinese Circle of the Dead, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and, of course, Pythagoras.
Pythagoras and other philosophers of the time believed numbers were the universal language given to us by the creator as confirmation of the truth. Many mathematicians, physicists and other scientists still believe this today. Pythagoras believed that everything had numerical relationships and it was up to the mind to seek out and investigate the secrets of these relationships or have them revealed to us by divine grace.
Today, numerology is no longer considered a part of mathematics and is considered by most scientists as psuedomathematics or pseudoscience. However, there are numerological-type theories sometimes labeled “numerology.” The best example of such a case involves the coincidental resemblance of certain large numbers. These numerical coincidences refer to such quantities as the ratio of the age of the universe to the atomic unit of time, the number of electrons in the universe, and the difference in strengths between gravity and the electric force for the electron and proton. Large number coincidences still fascinate many mathematicians and physicists.
Because there are so many different numerological systems, methods for calculating or determining meaning, and even applications for numerology, there has never been a set, or agreed upon, definition or interpretation for a specific number or letter. This makes understanding the numbers in our dreams more difficult but not impossible. On the positive side, there are some common and largely agreed upon interpretations which include:
1 – Individual; aggressor; self; leadership2 – Balance; union; receptive; partnership
3 – Communication; interaction
4 – Creation
5 – Action; restlessness; life experience
6 – Home; family; responsibility
7 – Thought; consciousness; spirit
8 – Power; sacrifice
9 – Change
Unlike the systems and calculations employed by numerologists, psychics, such as Edgar Cayce, derive their interpretations and meaning of numbers through divine means. According to Cayce, the following numbers have the following meaning:
1 – God; life; the oneness of all things2 – Strength; balance
3 – Holy Trini ty; human trinity (mind, body, soul); a time of self-expression and expansion
4 – Stability; materiality
5 – Change
6 – The Christ force in nature; “6” days of creation; beauty and strength
7 – Perfect order; a complete cycle; the spiritual path
8 – Attributes of strength and weakness
9 – Completion; the end of a cycle
10 – Return to unity; humanity
11 – Mastery of the physical plane; courage; power; spirituality; enlightenment; spiritual healing; intuition
12 – Cosmic order; spiritual perfection; completion
Astrology also uses numbers to infer meaning. The zodiac is divided into twelve sections called houses and each house is associated with specific areas and issues in life. When a number appears in your dream, it may be referring to that particular area of life.
Yet another possible interpretation of the numbers in your dreams may be that they are markers or references. They may be pointing to a past (or future) issue, situation or event. Your dream may be trying to draw your attention to a specific age or time in your life. For example, suppose you see a group of children standing around a 7-11 convenience store. You estimate their ages to be between eight and twelve. The dream may be trying to tell you that something (the main action/issue in the dream story) that’s happening in your life now is reminiscent of, or related to, something that happened when you were a child between the age of seven and eleven. Another possibility is that an issue from that time period is still influencing you, your choices or your life in general. If, on the other hand you dream of a sixteen year old throwing a temper tantrum, perhaps the message your subconscious is trying to get across to you is that you’re acting like a spoiled, petulant teenager and need to deal with the issue in a more mature manner.
With all the possible ways to interpret the numbers in your dreams, how can you know for sure what they represent? Like every other dream, you have to examine the content and context of the dream and how the number fits in. Do you have any personal associations with the number? Is it a favourite number, or do you believe it’s bad or good luck? Once you’ve examined any associations, go through the above options and see if any of those make sense.
Don’t stop there, though. The most productive and enlightening examination of the numbers in your dreams will come from your own dream journal. Do some research with your own dream reports. Find other instances where the specific number is referenced or featured. What were the emotions in the dream? Who were the characters? What was happening? If you keep notes and updates of your daily (waking) activities in your journal, check them for correlations or connections. Did you do something seven days after having a dream where the number seven was mentioned? Did your two siblings have an influence on your life after a series of dreams where the number two showed up? Did something happen on the eleventh day of the month, or in November, after dreaming about the number eleven? Perhaps after you’ve dreamt of the number eight you were involved in a business venture or transaction. Maybe you dream of the number two before you begin a new relationship.
By studying your own dreams and keeping track of your waking life activities and events, you’ll be able to recognize the patterns, not only with numbers, but with many other symbols and elements that develop throughout your dreams, and your life.