If you’ve already got your sun, moon, and rising signs down pat, might I suggest doing a little bit of math — stay with me now — to calculate your life-path number? Tania Gabrielle, an astro-numerologist, likens the life-path number to the sun sign: It’s really just the tip of the iceberg. “It is the number that reveals your purpose for being on earth,” she says. “What is the reason you’re here? What is your main lesson or lessons? How can you refine your manifestation goals, for example, to create more success? You do that by fulfilling the qualities in this life-path number.”
The sum of your birth date in single digits that are added together until they reach a figure between one and nine, this number is said to illuminate your life’s destiny and challenges. Much like astrology, numerology maintains that your birthday says something essential about your personality. Also like astrology, there are several numbers in numerology that dictate different aspects of your life.
Okay, sure, skeptics argue that numerology is a pseudoscience and that numbers in and of themselves can’t confer meaning beyond their actual numerical value. Still, the practice has plenty of fans — including some gamblers who use it to choose lucky numbers at roulette tables and the like. Plus, it’s just fun.
Read on to learn how to calculate your life-path number and what yours reveals about you.
How do I calculate my life-path number?
Write out your birthday in digits and then add them all up. For example, if your birthday is November 2, 1998, or 11/2/1998, you would add 1+1+2+1+9+9+8 = 31. Then keep adding until you get a single digit: In this case, 3+1 = a life-path number of 4.
This is pretty straightforward so far, but there is one math-related complication. If your initial calculation comes to 11, 22, or 33, you’ve got yourself a master number, which, while totally bragworthy, is beyond the scope of our basic numerology lesson. So for the purposes of this introduction, we’ll be dealing only with numbers one through nine.
Got your life-path number figured out? Now you can simply plug that number in below and find out everything that might ever happen to you. (Almost.)
What does my life path number mean?
Each life-path number references a set of strengths and weaknesses, which Gabrielle calls the number’s positive expressions and shadow sides. When circumstances in your life are harmonious, you will tune in to your number’s positive expressions. But when things are unbalanced, you may find yourself struggling with your number’s shadow.
Below, Gabrielle breaks down each life-path number’s triumphs and obstacles.
1
Strengths: Ones are natural-born leaders. “The key words are independence, originality, achievement,” Gabrielle says. Noted for being original thinkers, they are also innovative, creative, determined, inspired, and courageous.
Challenges: “When you’re out of alignment, you can be narcissistic because you’re focused on you,” Gabrielle says. Ones are caring to the point that they may be overprotective, intolerant, and domineering. Ones can also feel insecure, helpless, victimized, wishy-washy, or lacking in self-respect or self-esteem, Gabrielle adds.
2
Strengths: “This is the sensitive number, the number of being supportive and diplomatic, patient, cooperative, and detail oriented,” Gabrielle says. Twos are intuitive, kind, and understanding, and they make excellent managers and mediators.
Challenges: “Out of alignment, they are careless, indecisive, and shy to the point of not wanting to interact with others,” Gabrielle says. “They’re resentful, narrow minded.” Unaligned twos can also be timid, insecure, confused, and moody and be easily offended.
3
Strengths: “Threes love to communicate, and they love to make people happy,” Gabrielle says. Other descriptions of a three are joyful, artistic, outgoing, cheerful, enthusiastic, and charming.
Challenges: According to Gabrielle, “The shadow side of the three is to worry, to lack concentration and focus, to easily get distracted.” Threes may also be plagued with a bad work ethic, jealousy, and a tendency to criticize and stir up drama.
4
Strengths: “Four is the most reliable number,” Gabrielle says. “They’re very loyal. They are diligent workers, practical, and accurate.” Other notable four trademarks include straightforwardness and conscientiousness. Fours seek security and stability and place value on the home, family, and friends.
Challenges: Out of alignment, fours can be bossy, rigid, humorless, and argumentative. Fours may also be wary of innovation. “They want to stick with what’s already tried-and-true, so they may resist a new way of looking at something,” Gabrielle says.
5
Strengths: Curious and resilient, fives are what Gabrielle characterizes as the number of freedom. “It’s fearless, flexible, and fun,” she says. Fives are social and love change and adventure. Other key words include: magnetic, witty, dynamic, entertaining, brave, and sensual.
Challenges: “You’re uncertain, indecisive, and impulsive; you gamble, take dangerous risks, or are careless,” Gabrielle says. “You’re dependent, easily overwhelmed, and restless.” Fives are also infamous procrastinators, lacking follow-through on projects they start.
6
Strengths: “People who are sixes like to comfort others,” Gabrielle says. “They like to uplift, share, and give advice, and they adore family. They’re very honorable, and they make great friends.” Sixes are poised, nurturing, unselfish, artistic, romantic, devoted, and sensible.
Challenges: “Out of alignment, they can be perfectionistic, very critical, idealistic to a fault, and self-righteous,” Gabrielle says. “They meddle in other people’s business, constantly counseling others and giving unsolicited advice.” Sixes may also be marked by indulgence and self-absorption.
7
Strengths: Sevens are insightful, intellectual, serene, and private. They value history, nature, and alone time and tend to have faith in some kind of higher power. “They can be very into either science and technology or spiritual subjects,” Gabrielle notes. “They seek deeper universal truths.”
Challenges: Sevens may be detached, unemotional, pessimistic, withdrawn, nervous, and aloof. “They can be repressed emotionally and can be deceitful as well,” Gabrielle says.
8
Strengths: Eight is a number of power, authority, and abundance. “Eight represents an energetic person — honorable, confident, dependable, and goal oriented,” Gabrielle says. They have big ideas and tend to delegate tasks to accomplish their vision. Eights are dependable and inspirational, making for great leaders.
Challenges: Of eights, Gabrielle says, “They can be materialistic, thoughtless, and controlling and can abuse power and be careless about money.” Eights may also be egotistical, scheming, and impatient. They worry about being powerless, about feeling victimized and financially insecure.
9
Strengths: “They embody unconditional love, which is so hard to come by,” Gabrielle says of nines. These people are also open-minded, creative, romantic, empathetic, and magnetic. Gabrielle also notes that nine is a humanitarian number marked by charitableness, kindness, and idealism.
Challenges: On the flip side, nines can struggle with holding on to things. Gabrielle says, “They’re extremely sensitive, resentful, cautious, nervous, gullible, easily used by others, and pessimistic about the world and the future.”
