The Pythagoreans
The origins of numerology date back more than 10,000 years to Egypt and Babylonia. Modern numerology has roots in the work of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who believed that everything was connected through a numerical relationship. In an effort to unlock the mysteries of life, he invented an alphabet based on numbers that assigned values to each letter. The Pythagoreans believed whole numbers and their ratios were extremely important and had mystical properties. This system was later adopted by other cultures in various forms, including Hebrew gematria, kabbalistic number mysticism, Hindu Vedic numerology and Chinese feng shui (four is considered very bad luck in China because it sounds like “death”).In Western culture it is widely thought that Pythagoras (570–495 BC) founded numerology as we know it today. He advocated the idea that all things could be expressed in numerical terms because everything can ultimately be reduced to numbers. For example:
- Pythagorean table
- Pythagorean Tetractys
- Pythagorean theorem
- Pythagorean triple
- Pythagorean tuning
The Greeks
The Greek philosophers, including Pythagoras, were amongst the first people to consider mathematical ideas in a similar way to how we do today! They were interested in pure mathematics and how it related to the world we live in.
They believed that numbers held special meanings. The famous philosopher Pythagoras actually went as far as founding his own religion based on these beliefs! He founded a brotherhood called the Pythagoreans who used numerology for divination purposes. One of their most well-known practices was using numbers to determine which days of the week are lucky or unlucky for you!
The Romans
The origin of numbers is tied to our fascination with counting, which is closely tied to the idea of growth. Since nobody has a naturally high number of fingers, toes, and noses, we use our hands, feet and heads to count things. Our first attempts at counting were based on how many times something happens.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Numerology was first used in ancient Greece, and was later adopted by the Romans. Today, numerology is especially popular in the West. During the Middle Ages, though, it went out of favour until being brought back to popularity during the Renaissance.
In Western culture today, most people become familiar with numerology through astrology and horoscopes. Many astrology charts are built on a nine-number grid that is said to reveal secrets about your life and future events. Numerology can be seen as a kind of divination or fortune telling; others see it as just a fun game or way to pass the time.
The Golden Age of Mathematics
The Golden Age of Mathematics – Greece and the Hellenistic world of the Mediterranean from about 600 BC to 300 BC – was a period of pure and applied mathematics. Pythagoras and his followers were the first to apply the term “numerology” to the science of numbers. They viewed numbers as divine entities that held key information regarding life, nature and other aspects of reality. The Pythagoreans developed numerology from their study of mathematics, music and religion.
Many other cultures throughout history have utilized their own form of numerology including: ancient Babylonians, Hebrews, early Christians, Mayans, Incas, Druids, Hindus and others. Some used letters in place of numbers; some used only single digits; some used certain calculations or equations in combination with interpretations; some built upon previous numerology methods while others started over with new theories based on different perspectives on a universal truth. Yet they all shared one commonality – they understood that numeric symbolism was a powerful way to provide insight into both nature and man.
Sir Isaac Newton and Sir Christopher Wren
The mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, the inventor of calculus, was a member of this society. In 1695 he wrote “On the Method of Continued Fractions” and studied Diophantine Analysis.
Sir Christopher Wren was born on October 20, 1632 and died on February 25, 1723. He is perhaps best known as an architect but was also a mathematician who built several telescopes and estimated the distance from Earth to Mars. Wren became president of The Royal Society in 1680 and held this position for more than 20 years. He also continued to lecture and write about mathematics at Oxford University until the age of 85.
Mid-19th Century
The term numerology was not coined until the mid-19th century, even though the study of numbers and their significance had been going on for centuries. Pythagoras is considered to be the Father of Numerology and he believed that our universe is governed by numerical relationships. He also said that numbers have a specific vibration and they represent cosmic patterns.
The word number comes from the Latin word numerus, which means arrangement or counting. Therefore, in its most basic definition, numerology is the study of how numbers affect our lives. The more you understand how this works, then more you can use this knowledge to your advantage!