Alphabet Numberology
Alphabet Numerology
How to Calculate Your Numbers
and What They Mean.
Another key core number in your numerology chart is the Heart’s Desire Number, which is also known as the Soul Urge Number or simply the Soul Number. This is considered by some numerologists to be the most important number as it reveals some of our most complex and nuanced inner workings and spiritual centers.
The Heart Desire number works with the vowels in our name to reveal the soul and uncover our urges and desires.
To first discover the significance of the Heart Desire or Soul Urge, we must take a look at the significance of vowels themselves. Pythagorean Numerology’s primary focus is to utilize the building blocks of life – numbers, and letters – to uncover meaning. Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, were chiefly interested in numbers. Numbers are seen to form the backbone of all physical and metaphysical existence. Pythagoras was also interested in the intrinsic link that exists between numbers and letters, since written and verbal language are our primary methods of communication. He came to realize that numbers and letters can often not be separated and share many of the same spiritual harmonies.
Why Does the Heart’s Desire Number Use Vowels Only?
Because of their unique spiritual characteristics, form and purpose in language and communication.
There are two types of letters in Latin-based linguistics, the vowel and the consonant. Each has its own distinct character. In Pythagorean Numerology, vowels work in tandem with consonants to form words – their spiritual resonance and qualities are unique and differ greatly to consonants. Consonants have sharper edges, they form stops or end-points in language. Consonants act as containers, or shields, within which the vowels are expressed as airy gaps that aid the flow of language.
Contrastingly to consonants, vowels have a warmer, more airy persona. They flow with our breath, displaying smoother tonal characteristics that make words and sentences flow naturally. They feature a more universal, smoother, and natural sound that we can more readily access. In fact, the tonal qualities of vowels across nearly all languages are remarkably easy to access and reproduce. The same cannot be said for consonants, which have an overall more complex and unnatural tone.
The history of vowels is long and illustrious history and within various mythologies, they have been described as having a connection to God and the afterlife. The Greeks, including Pythagoras, associated vowels with the vibrations of both musical notes and the planets. Of all the vowels, O has long been viewed as the most significant in modern mythology. It represents a full circle and has near-perfect vibrational qualities.
Whilst it may be that ‘everything is numbers’ (Pythagoras, 569-475 BC), numbers are still prescribed meaning using linguistics. To synthesize a meaningful relationship between numbers and letters, the building blocks of our physical and metaphysical existence, the Pythagoreans devised a chart that equated numbers to letters that shared their spiritual resonance.
In the same way that we calculate the Destiny or Expression Number, the Heart Desire or Soul Urge number is calculated using the same Pythagorean Chart:
1 = A, J, S
2 = B, K, T
3 = C, L, U
4 = D, M, V
5 = E, N, W
6 = F, O, X
7 = G, P, Y
8 = H, Q, Z
9 = I, R
A = 1
E = 5
I = 9
O = 6
U = 3
Y = 7 – Sometimes
W = 5 – Sometimes:
Here is the calculation for Charles John Dickens, the same name we used in our demonstration of the Destiny or Expression Number:
First/Given name
= A + E
= 1 + 5
= 6
Middle name
= O
= 6
= 6
Last/Family name
= I + E
= 9 + 5
= 14
= 5
His Heart’s Desire/Soul Urge Number
= 6 + 6 + 5 = 17/8
Controversial Vowels: Y and W
In numerology, there are two letters that have a rather controversial status. These are Y and W. In Ancient Greek, the letter Y, or Upsilon, was assigned to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, which also equates to Zeus, the King of the Gods of Olympus. The Romans also initially used Y as a vowel. Y is derived from the Hebrew letter Yod, representing the spirit of God inside of us and the act of reaching towards the sky and heavens above.
Y also has its peculiar characteristic brought about by modern linguistics in that it heavily modifies the sounds of consonants, effectively acting as a vowel. It is also the same as the syllable ‘why?’ – Y represents ‘why’ in that it appears as a crossroads, asking for a decision.
As such, some numerologists choose to omit Y from the Heart’s Desire Number calculation – it is too closely linked to the symbolism of indecision and not desire.
Functionally, though, Y does act as a vowel in the formation of many names and it is very similar or indistinguishable in tone to the letter ‘I’. Most numerologists do include Y in Soul Number calculations under the following rules:
(Here, the consonant’s sound is modified completely by the Y)
Use Y as a Consonant If:
- Y follows vowels in the same syllable without providing its own vowel sound
Examples: Nataliya (Na-tal-iy-a), Grayson (Gray-son). (Here, both of these names would sound the same if the ‘y’ was removed)
W also has vowel-like qualities
W also has vowel-like qualities in that it involves a ‘whoosh’ that provides its own subtle ‘oo’ tone. Walt Disney is a prolific example here, the ‘W’ does not act as a consonant at all but instead provides an O-like whoosh to the syllable ‘Walt’.
In this case, W may or may not be used to calculate the Heart’s Desire Number. You can then choose to use a double Heart’s Desire Number by calculating it with W as both a consonant or vowel.
Incidentally, in Walt Disney’s case, this outputs a Soul’s Urge number of 22, the master number of the architect.
More on master numbers here:
Heart’s Desire Number 1
Your Heart’s Desire is to be a driving force or authority in life. Your deep belief is that what you think and say deserves to be heard. It is a committed Heart’s Desire that results in loyalty. However, you must be wary of egoism and big headedness. Your authority may mean you do not realize when your opinions become problematic for others. Reflect on yourself from other’s perspectives and you will become stronger than you can imagine on your own.
Heart’s Desire Number 2
Heart’s Desire number 2 requires love, admiration, and nurture. It represents a deep need to connect with others across the physical and supernatural planes. Cooperation is part of who you are, and thus, you may be scared off by conflict and drama. This may extend to yourself, and you must learn to live with the inevitable internal conflicts we all experience in life. If you can channel the nurture that comes naturally to you when dealing with others towards yourself, you will become more balanced.
Heart’s Desire Number 3
3 is the Heart’s Desire number of culture and expression. You are great at identifying the positive sides of situations that face you, even when they are challenging. Your optimistic attitude can be inspirational to others. However, it may also belie the fact that you are not always as confident in yourself as it seems. You must learn to balance the optimism you show on the outside with the optimism you can feel on the inside.
Heart’s Desire Number 4
4 is the Heart’s Desire number of balance, stability, order, and affinity. It is a zen-like number and your life skills and views have practical characteristics that enable you to see through most issues clearly and easily. In your craving for balance, you may get caught up spending too much time in a time-consuming balancing act. Sometimes, chaos is inevitable and you may experience diminishing returns by always trying to keep your life in perfect balance – learn to let things be.
Heart’s Desire 5
5 represents an inquisitive, searching nature. Heart’s Desire 5 thirst for travel and adventure. You look up to the epic challenges that we humans face. You may shun the notions of standard life and may look for something out of the ordinary. Within this dynamic, you may become bored very quickly and this could challenge your relationships. Learn to embrace home and the comforts it brings.
Heart’s Desire 6
Heart’s Desire 6 represents the enduring need to care for others and be kind. You have a deep sense of intuition into how others feel and why. This provides you with a tremendous introspect into the lives of others. You may feel a burden of protection and a need to intervene, and sometimes, you will have to learn to take a ‘hands-off’ approach to help others if you truly want them to be ok.
Heart’s Desire 7
7 represents the urge to discover truth and meaning. You enjoy the quest for knowledge and experience and may spend a good deal of time deliberating and pondering. Decisions may not come naturally for you, as you are so concerned about making the right choice. Sometimes, you must learn to act now and think later. You can always learn a lesson after the event has taken place – your foresight is exceptional but not always effective.
Heart’s Desire Number 8
Heart’s Desire 8 craves influence, status, and even power. This ties with philanthropism and the desire to accumulate wealth to aid others. You understand the ways in which the world works, including the positives and negatives of commerce and capital. 8 has a good work ethic and plenty of stamina. You must remain undeterred by setbacks as you may let these reflect too greatly on who you are. March forward and stay determined.
Heart’s Desire 9
Heart’s Desire 9 embraces idealisms, particularly those that make the world better for all people. It is a number of humanitarian values, not ideologies as such. 9 desires a legacy and can see how they can help others in almost every situation. The difficulty is actually putting these ideas into motion. You must learn to channel your wisdom and innate desire to help others into practical plans that you can enact in real life.