 Chapter One: Introduction to Arithmancy Cheesy Mac
Chapter One: Introduction to Arithmancy
The word ‘Arithmancy’ is derived from two Greek words – arithmos (meaning number) and manteia (meaning divination); as such, Arithmancy is the branch of magic studying the occult meanings of numbers as a means of divining their influence on human life. Arithmancy can be thought of as the science of number energies, with each number having its own vibratory influence. Studying what these numbers mean in relation to your birth name and birth date gives a detailed portrait of who you are and what your potentials and challenges are. Think of it as a convenient map for your life!
The science of names and numbers originated in the ancient cultures of Greece, China, Rome and Egypt, but the acknowledged birth of Arithmancy is credited to Pythagoras, a sixth-century B.C.E. Greek philosopher, mathematician, and mystic, who is historically known as “the father of numbers.” Pythagoras, though born in Greece on the island of Samos, spent the greater part of his life in Croton, Calabria in Southern Italy, where he established a school founded on numerous strong beliefs, one of which was that all life could be predicted and measured in rhythmic patterns or cycles because everything was related to mathematics. He believed that the higher an object’s vibration, the more spirit force it contained, hence the more positive its nature. Likewise, the lower an object’s vibration, the less force and more negative its action. When taken all together, the vibration of everything in the universe creates an absolute, undivided unity. These beliefs led to his system of Arithmancy, in which the numbers 1 through 9 are symbolic representations of the nine stages of the human life cycle. (See Chapter Two)
Although the term was not used in Pythagoras’s time to describe him or his pupils, the term currently used to describe those studying or practicing Arithmancy is an ‘Arithmancer.’ One particular Arithmancer of great historical importance is Bridget Wenlock, who in the 1200s discovered the magical properties of the number seven.
__________________  |