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Philosophy and Numbers
What are Numbers ?
Are numbers man made or universal ?
Can numbers describe, the formless, or are they restricted to form ?
Through numbers can we describe the world of form ?
Why do we use base 10 ?
Where did zero come from ?
Where did Infinity come from ?
Are zero and infinity numbers ?
Numbers and Description
Whenever we describe, compare or contrast something or idea, we use some form of picture, word or symbol. When we begin to understand the meanings of particular symbols then we have the beginnings of a system or language.
Numbers are simply a type of language used to describe, compare and to contrast properties of different things.
Eliphas Lèvi says in his "Histoire de la Magie": "The absolute hieroglyphical science had for its basis an alphabet of which all the gods were letters, all the letters ideas, all the ideas numbers, and all the numbers perfect signs.
Meaning and Philosophy of Numbers
Bosman states that 'numbers are symbols of the beginning and development of the universe, of a solar system, or a series of such, or, indeed, of any rhythmic movement. The terms with which we have to deal in considering the science of numbers are figures, symbols, ciphers, arithmetic and mathematics.
As numbers describe the differences and the degrees of separation, then we can conclude that numbers are only indicative of the world of form and its manifestation.
We can easily prove the limits of numbers by the process of addition.
1+1=2
2+1=3
3+1=4
and so on. We can always add one more number. So imagine the largest number that we can imagine. Let’s call it n.
We can always add one to n.
And so the new largest number is n+1.
As this continues then we will tend towards Infinity. A number which is limitless.
We can do the same process backwards and produce –n-1, which will tend towards minus infinity.
So we find that any number scale is found within the limitless, that which we cannot understand or comprehend.
Lets now look between the numbers……
Halfway between 0 and 1, we can find ½.
Halfway between 0 and ½, we can find ¼
Halfway between 0 and ¼, we can find 1/8
As you can see, we can continue to divide by a half until we eventually arrive at 1/infinity.
So not only does infinity stand at the beginning and the end of any number sequence, it also lies in between every number.
“all things are numbers”
Pythagoras himself spoke of square numbers and cubic numbers, and we still use these terms, but he also spoke of oblong, triangular, and spherical numbers. He associated numbers with form, relating arithmetic to geometry. His greatest contribution, the proposition about right-angled triangles, sprang from this line of thought:
The Egyptians knew that a triangle whose sides are 3, 4 and 5 has a right angle, but apparently the Greeks were the first to observe that 3²+4²=5², and, acting on this suggestion, to discover a proof of the general proposition. Unfortunately for Pythagoras this theorem led at once to the discovery of incommensurables, which appeared to disprove his whole philosophy. In a right-angled isosceles triangle, the square on the hypotenuse is double of the square on either side.
This shows how Pythagoras’ formulation immediately led to a new mathematical problem, namely that of incommensurables. At his time the concept of irrational numbers was not known and it is uncertain how Pythagoras dealt with the problem. We may surmise that he was not too concerned about it. His religion, in absence of theological explanations, had found a way to blend the “mystery of the divine” with common-sense rational thought.
From Pythagoras we observe that an answer to a problem in science may give raise to new questions. For each door we open, we find another closed door behind it. This is the nature of duality and world of measurements, filled with limits, boxes in boxes, like a Russian doll.
What are incommensurables ? Pythagoras created a religion around the perfection of numbers and how they all simply and neatly fit into each other. This can easily be seen by,
1/3 , 1/5, 3/7, 8/11, 15/2 etc….
But when Pythagoras noted that in his famous theorem, if a and b are 1, then c= root2.
Root 2 is not a fraction and is actually a non-recurring fraction,
1.414213562……
These numbers that have no ending cannot be found exactly. Just when we think we are getting closer they continue to elude us.
All that I can see from these examples is that no matter how hard we try, we will never be able to fully describe or understand the true nature of the manifested nature.
The numbers are only abstract, they are defined by the medium which supports them.
They are creatures of form.
Through continued meditation we can be that which supports the world of numbers and form, we can not understand or describe it fully with our minds.
Numbers and Meanings from One to Eleven
Numbers have been studied for thousands of years and, although it is not known when this practice first began, what we do know is that spirals that occur in nature can be predicted mathematically through the use of gnomic growth patterns such as the Fibonacci series. These have been used and verified by science in explaining the formation of a flower's seeds and the courses of a river. From the point of view of our ancestors this is to say that such things were predetermined to happen.
Numbers or numerology is also the study of the meaning of the number beyond its numerical quality. This study is related to the path of spiritual evolution and the processes that are involved, it is in this way that the tarot uses numbers.
Numbers run from one to infinity in a progressive sequence. The tarot deck only uses numbers from one to twenty one however; for the purposes of this article, here we will be restricting our exploration to the numbers one to eleven - a complete study is not practical as this would be a separate writing in its own right.
Also I feel that each person would benefit from taking their time to reflect on numbers and learn to feel them as a living organism, rather than have a superficial intellectual understanding.
Below you will find a number of meanings from different systems.
The Numbers from One to Eleven
One is the beginning of the journey and as its name presents itself. One ness of all things, this is the light & the dark, the hidden and revealed, male and female. This is the duality of all things together in oneness.
Two is the duality, the first or second step upon the road. For the one to understand it self further it first divides, like the difference between the light and its shadow where both make each other apparent, but are born in the same event.
Three represents great movement, energy or fire. Though it is no longer stable as a duality this is the only way to move to another place, for the duality to move beyond its bounds it creates one more to bring into the equation. This extra sum is almost theoretical in its sudden appearance and so three can be said to represent what is essence.
Four is the first number of formation. As our physical world has four directions and is fixed, then four is of worldly or physical being. In its geometry four is connected to the right angle, a basis of the building block.
Five is the first step beyond the material form and holds the keys to higher thought. Five could be understood as the form (four) plus the essential (one) and is like the spirit with the form as this is the first of such movements then its nature is of thought.
Six is the first resting place from the struggle from materialism and so sits again at the first great throne, that is the harmony between the duality, but the key to six is that it is two times three, or the two fires that rest together, creating a new form. If we were to put this into a geometrical form we would have the six pointed star or the Star of David. Each of these triangles represents the movement of Masculine and Feminine. This coming together of two movements is of great importance. I say again this represents the return to the first of the great thrones.
Seven is again (being one of the numbers with the additional one added) coming into movement. This movement from the first golden throne (six) desires to move heavenward. The visual key is in the icon we use for the number seven where a line travels upward to a higher plane. This being the second golden key, where five is 'of thought' then seven is 'of dynamism'.
Eight takes form from the previous experiences (numbers) and takes its role as the second throne. Eight is made from two times four, and is therefore the two forms or worlds we live in, the seen and unseen (material / spirit). As a visual key we can look either at the eight pointed star of the two squares overlaid, or the icon for the number eight which depicts the cyclic nature of these two existences, feeding each others being.
Nine is the step towards realisation of self again. Where the numbers previously have included diversity, nine is the return of awakening back into the One and so takes its place as the last of the golden keys.
Ten is the completion of the first wheel of events and stands as the infinite self. Zero being the number of infinity alongside the One, there by completing the first cycle.
Ten is also the first in progressive cycles of measuring one value of a number against that of another.
The New Age definitions
0. The All
1. Individual. Aggressor (positive enforcer as opposed to negative receptive). Yang.
2. Balance.
3. Communication/interaction. Neutrality.
4. Creation.
5. Action.
6. Reaction/flux. Responsibility.
7. Thought/consciousness.
8. Power/sacrifice.
9. Completion.
However, Cheiro and ancient numerological systems such as the Chaldean, do not necessarily agree with this system, leaning toward the either astrological, or the psychic/symbolic.
Under these systems, the numbers 0-9 possess the following associations and colours:
0. - Nullify, Void, Space - Astrology: sometimes, space/infinity - Colour: Black
1. - Activation, New Beginnings, Consciousness - Astrology: Sun - Colour: Brown
2. - Duality, Duality of Physical/Non-Physical, Duality of Male/Female - Astrology: Moon - Colour: Red
3. - Creative, Perfection in Creation - Astrology: Jupiter - Colour:
4. - Earth-based, Ego, Physical Solidity - Astrology: Uranus - Colour: Yellow
5. - Healing, Growth, Christic - Astrology: Mercury - Colour: Green
6. - New Ideas, Vision - Astrology: Venus - Colour: Blue
7. - Perfection, Creation, Completion, Physicality - Astrology:
8. - Infinity, Eternity, Non-Physical/Angelic - Astrology: Saturn - Colour: Silver
9. - End of a Cycle - Astrology: Mars and Pluto - Colour: Gold
The numbers following the cycle of 9 in base-10 are also assigned colours and associations such as the following examples:
10. - God, Universal Mind, the Intelligence of Space, the Wheel of Fortune - Colour: White
1. New beginnings, opportunity, potential
2. Balance, duality, a crossroad or choice, partnership
3. Initial achievement of goals, growth, creativity, abundance
4. Structure, foundation, stability, stagnation
5. Instability, conflict, loss, opportunity for change, new cycle
6. Communication, problem-solving, cooperation, balance, relaxation
7. reflection, assessment, motives, spirituality, wisdom, perfect order
8. Movement, action, change, power, rebirth, regeneration, reevaluate
9. Fruition, attainment, bringing things to a conclusion
10. Completion, end of a cycle, renewal.
Numerical Meanings in the Jewish and Kaballistic System.
1 —The Magician: Concentration, intention, will
2 —The High Priestess: Reflection, receptivity, hidden knowledge
3 —The Empress: Imagination, inspiration, spiritual world
4 —The Emperor: Reason, order, material world
5 —The Hierophant: Intuition, union, bridging of spiritual and material (Heaven and Earth)
6 —The Lovers: Decision, discrimination, love
7 —The Chariot: Direction, empowerment, secret languages (symbolic)
8 —Strength: Energy, exuberance, bliss
9 —The Hermit: Summit, attainment, secret teachers.
10 The Wheel of Fortune
11 Justice
12 The Hanged Man
13 Death
14 Temperance
15 The Devil
16 The Tower
17 The Star
18 The Moon
19 The Sun
20 Judgement
21 The World.
