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SELF U P D AT E D J U L Y 3 , 2 0 2 3

What Is Your Life-Path

Number?
By Hannah Jackson, a writer who covers culture, fashion,
wellness, sex, and relationships

Photo: Tanja Ivanova/Getty Images

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.

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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.”

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