I have a very complicated numerology that has developed into a full-blown superstition over the years. I count up numbers, especially three-digit numbers (ie, 143 = 1+4+3 = 8) into single digits, and I assign religious value to each single-digit number. I also have "good" and "bad" numbers. I know how insane and irrational it is, but that doesn\’t stop it from consuming my time and energy. My phobia of the number 5 in particular has caused me an excess of distress and pain.
1 is a bad number because it\’s lonely. It stands for Man.
2 is a bad number because it\’s weak. It stands for Woman.
3 is a good number. It is sacred and stands for the Norns (Fates).
4 is a neutral number. It stands for Frigge.
5 is a very very bad number. It stands for Loki. I truly have a phobia of the number five and I do crazy things to avoid this number. For instance, I cannot have listened to a song in iTunes any number of times that ends in 5. I will listen to a song that ends in 4 twice to "skip over" the 5.
6 is a neutral number. It stands for Hod because it comes between Loki and Baldur.
7 is a very good number. It is sacred and stands for Baldur.
8 is a neutral number. It stands for Thor.
9 is a good number, and sacred, but very powerful. It stands for Odin.
Again, I know how kooky and irrational this all is. I wish I didn\’t think like this, it goes against my empiricism and my desire for less anxiety in my life. But this is how my mind works. I have tried to break free of my numerology and it has always failed due to the massive anxiety produced by the number 5. I don\’t know why I like odds more than evens (except 5) or why I hate 5 so much. I just do. It\’s just a bizarre quirk.
May I suggest, that studying numbers may help to demystofy them and take them out of the context that you put them in. For instance 0 is the beginning point. . 1 is the first comple unit away. Like on a tape measure or graph. When dealing with things like multiplication 1 is a factor of every number.i.e.
! X1=1 !X2=2 etc. When it comes to 2 What we can say about it is that it is the first prime number and the only one that is even. Since all even numbers can be divided by 2, even if we know nothing else about even numbers we know that all of them have the factors 1 & 2. 3 is the ist odd prime number because it has only 1 & 3 as its factors. It is also our first triangular number. 4is not a prime number because it can be broken down into 2X2, as well as 1X4 , 5 is a prime number because it can only be 1X5. 5 is a very important number because it is a facor of 60 and 60 fits into the construction of clocks and map measurements. 6 is not a prime number because it is even it has 2X3 as well AS 1X6 It is also the next triangular number. 7 is a prime number because it’s facteros are 1&7. This number figures prominately in calender making, since 7(da. in wk) X52 (wks. in yr.)=364 da.in yr. 365 1/4 da. takes the earth to rotate around the sun. Numbers can be so much fun, if you change the context. I could go on and on, as you well know there are many books on this with linear arrays, square numbers, triangular numbers and cubed numbers being the most common. Of course it is more fun with pictures.
Kaiden, it’s funny because most people with OCD are "even" and here I am, an "odd". Things just have to be odd, so there can be something in the middle. I guess I’m just weird. Thor is the Norse god of thunder.
Ancientgeekcrone, that is a good way to look at things, focusing more on math than feelings. I read a book about the history of the number zero once, but math has never been too attractive to me, though I like science. Maybe I will try reading more math books. 🙂
yes numbers make me crazy. if the clock says a number i dont like i have to wait till it changes to move. dont like odd numbers. ocd is hell sometimes..really messes with your mind
I like five way better than four… I guess we all have our number "assignments"!