The 8 Most Important Numbers in Your Numerology Birth Chart

You are more than just your Life Path number! If you didn’t know that, by the end of this post you will understand and find out why. Most people who embark on their numerology journey often start learning about their Life Path number first and then assume that this is who they are. I’m no exception because I did the same. But the more I delved into numerology, the more I learned that there isn’t just one simple number that defines your traits, characteristics, talents, and complete path in this lifetime. When I got my numerology birth chart done and studied that of others, I concluded that at least eight numbers hold a high significance in our lives. These numbers form the core of who we are, the lessons we should learn, and the path we should walk in this lifetime to fulfill our desires and pay off our karma. Speaking of the latter, we came into this birth because of our unfulfilled desires and past life karma (if you believe in reincarnation). This means that besides your life path number, more numbers can explain who you are at the core, including one that reveals your karmic debt and lesson.

Although your numerology birth chart consists of more than eight numbers; however, in this blog post, I will only share the eight that I find the most important. This way, you will know what to look for when you examine your chart. These eight numbers I will explain next will help you gain insight into your soul; what you came here to do, and the lesson you are meant to learn.

Before I start, I first want to explain a bit about the difference between an astrological and a numerological birth chart.

Your numerology birth chart is like a blueprint of your life. It can help when you feel lost or need (re-) direction, new insight, and more. The same goes for an astrology birth chart. If you’ve ever had an astrology birth/natal chart created by a professional astrologer or a good software online, then you know it is a ‘snapshot’ of all your planetary placements, along with the houses and zodiac signs, at the time of your birth. Through your astrological birth chart, you can discover more about your psychological makeup including your personality, talents, strengths, weaknesses, lessons, and karma, but also your career direction, including the challenges and opportunities that you may encounter in this lifetime, and so much more. You can get similar personal and psychological details in numerology, but it is less complex. The major difference between the two is that a numerology birth chart consists of numbers only, derived from your date of birth, and the numerical value of your full name (according to your birth certificate). No zodiac signs or houses are involved, and you don’t need a time of birth. Although the two charts differ, astrology and numerology have one major thing in common; the planets. Namely, the energetic vibrations of the numbers are based on the planetary significations in astrology. 

Now that you know more about the major difference between an astrological and a numerological birth chart, let’s get back to the topic at hand; the 8 core or most important numbers. What are they, and what do they mean? What should you look out for when you examine your own personal numbers in your own numerology birth chart?

Starting with the most important one.

1. Life Path Number (a.k.a. Destiny Number)

Your Life Path number is one of the first numbers you may spot in your numerology birth chart and it is also considered the most important one. It is the number that gives you a general, superficial overview of the type of life you are destined to live and the lifestyle you may experience in this birth, provided that you align yourself with the energetic vibrations of this number.

This number reveals the path that was chosen for your soul to experience to help develop and grow yourself further in this lifetime. This new path, however, is based on all your actions and experiences that you have accumulated from a past life or several past lives. So if, for example, you’re a Life Path 8 (ruled by Saturn), then now you are here to learn new lessons, improve yourself, take up new challenges, and seize the new opportunities that correspond with the energies of this number. Your Life Path number simply describes who you are and how you behave, more so, from the outside. It describes how others may perceive and view you. It also reveals your unique characteristics, behaviorism, strengths, weaknesses/areas of development, capabilities, and possibilities in life. Thus, if you want to understand why you were born, why you are here, and where you should go, then your Life Path number could give you some clues to work with, and a direction regarding the path you should follow in order to reach your soul’s destiny. Hence in Chaldean or Indian numerology, the Life Path number is better known as the Destiny number.

Your Life Path number can also reveal how you would make a living and what skills you can develop to be in a certain profession. But to get a stronger sense of your career direction, job, and profession, it is very important that you look at your other numbers as well. Although this number can help you discover a lot about your human makeup, however, it is just one aspect of yourself. Similar to your ascendant or sun sign in astrology, which is only one side of who you truly are. Thus, in order to get an in-depth perspective about your complete numerological DNA, you need to know and understand your other personal core numbers as well, which I will explain next.

Side note: To calculate your Life Path number, you need your full date of birth. It is basically the sum of all your numbers that make up your date of birth, which you then have to reduce down until you have a single digit between 1 and 9 unless it’s a Master Number 11, 22, or 33.  To learn more about Life Path numbers, including example calculations, click here. Or if you’d like to know your Life Path number without doing the calculation yourself, you can do so using my free calculator.

2. Birthday Number (a.k.a. Psychic Number)

Besides your Life Path, your Birthday (or Birth Day) number is the second most important number. The name already says what it is; the day you were born. This could be, for example, the 1^st, 2^nd, 15^th, or 25th of any month. Your Birthday (or Birth Day) number can influence you on a psychological level. In Chaldean or Indian numerology, it is also known as a Psychic number. Your Birthday (or Birth Day) number can tell you a lot about your unique talents, including those behavioral/personality traits that come naturally to you. It represents your inborn qualities. So whatever natural talent you possess (or may not even be aware of), know that this may come from your Birthday number.

Side Note: You don’t have to calculate a birthday number unless it is a double-digit, which you should reduce to a single digit. For example, if you are born on the 25^th, then you possess special qualities concerning the number 7, because 2 + 5 = 7 (influenced by Ketu), and to a lesser extent you may have inherited traits, or possess talents concerning the number 2 (Moon) and 5 (Mercury) as well. But if you are born on the 6^th of the month, for example, you may have unique Venusian qualities (because the number 6 relates to the planet Venus).

3. Expression Number 

Your Expression number is, besides your Life Path and Birthday number, also very important! It represents the way you express, develop, and grow yourself using your God gifted talents, skills, personal traits, and all your abilities throughout your lifetime. This can be on the personal or professional front. It reveals how you express yourself through, e.g., a hobby, a passion project, your profession/career, or relationships.

Nice to know: Your Expression number, in combination with your Birthday number, can help you fulfill your life’s path (destiny). Thus, if you want to understand your purpose and career path in a simplified manner, and care little about the rest of the numbers in your chart, then these three personal core numbers (Birthday, Life Path, and Expression) are sufficient.

Side Note: In numerology, some numbers are calculated using the letters in your name. The Expression number is one of them. In order to calculate your Expression number, you need your full name according to your birth certificate (first, middle and last). *This calculation is complex, as it’s based on the numerical value of each letter in your name. These days, you can get this done using a numerology software program. However, at the end of this blog post, I will show you how to calculate your Expression number manually.

4. Soul Urge Number (a.k.a. Heart’s Desire Number)

Your Soul Urge number represents the things your soul really urges for in order to feel content, happy, satisfied, and motivated in life. This number represents your true inner needs, on an emotional and spiritual level. It is that one special thing your heart truly craves for and desires from the core. Hence, the reason some numerologists call it a Heart’s Desire number. It often describes one of these craving desires (and maybe even secrets) you always carry with you, and probably no one in your environment might know what that thing is unless you tell them. But only your soul knows what you want from deep within and would like to fulfill in this lifetime.

Side Note: In numerology, some numbers are calculated using the letters in your name. The Soul Urge number is one of them. In order to calculate your Soul Urge number, you need your full name according to your birth certificate. *This calculation is a bit complex as it is based on the vowels in your name. I will share an example in a future post.

5. Personality Number

Your Personality number describes your personality, as the name already mentions. However, it is just a tiny portion of your personality. It is that part of yourself that you choose to show to the world, but that doesn’t mean this is who you truly are from the core. As you know, we play many roles in society – whether at work, at home, with friends, etc. We choose to show different parts of ourselves whenever we feel like it. At work, for example, you are not going to behave as you do at home, you usually do not open up yourself completely to all your colleagues, and reveal all your secrets to them. So, at some level, it also describes how others may view you (based on what you show them), including your image. At the same time, it is also the way you choose to represent yourself, including the way you think, speak, and behave. Your Personality number is simply another piece of your numerological DNA. In astrology, for example, you might choose to show certain people only your rising sign, and choose to refrain from your moon characteristics. Thus, this is how you can interpret the influence of your Personality number.

Side Note: In numerology, some numbers are calculated using the letters in your name. The Personality number is one of them. In order to calculate your Personality number, you need your full name according to your birth certificate. *This calculation is a bit complex as it’s based on the consonants in your name. These days there are tools online that can calculate this for you.

6. Name Number (a.k.a. Minor Expression Number)

Your Name number represents the name you use on a daily basis. This consist of your first and last name. This doesn’t include your middle name, nor is it your married name. For example, “Jane Doe”, instead of “Jane Janet Doe”. It is the name you use, for example, at work, on official documents, in your email signature, your LinkedIn profile, and it is also the way you present/introduce yourself to others. Your Name number can give you extra information about your potential, talents, and the way you express yourself. Hence why it’s sometimes also referred to as a Minor Expression number. Through this number, you can even learn more about your special qualities and traits. It is like an add-on to your numerological DNA.

Side Note: In numerology, some numbers are calculated using the letters in your name. The Name number is one of them. In order to calculate your Name number, you need your first and last name. *This calculation is a bit complex as it’s based on the numerical value of the letters in your name. These days there are tools online that can calculate this for you.

7. Maturity Number

Your Maturity Number represents the number that will influence you as you grow and mature in life. It can give you that extra boost and motivation you need to begin that next step in your life. This number becomes active from your mid-30s onwards. But it can also start from the moment you hit your Saturn Return (between the age of 28 and 31) and gradually build up to your 36^th year (so around your 35^th birthday). Now, if you’re a student of Vedic astrology, then you may be familiar with the maturation ages of planets. In a nutshell, it is a concept which describes the maximum results a planet produces and gives you once you have reached a certain age. It is not that the planet itself matures, but it is you that has grown into a certain stage in life along with the experiences that usually come with that age. For the Sun it happens at 22 years, Moon – 24 years, Mars – 28 years, Jupiter – 16 years, Venus – 25 years, Saturn – 36 years, Rahu – 42 years, and Ketu around your 48th year. 

So around your 36^th year, you may notice how suddenly the qualities and maximum results of Saturn will also manifest in your life, for better or worse. This happens in combination with your personal Maturity number, which could be any number from one to nine. It all depends on your personal numerology chart, but also the placement of Saturn in your astrological birth chart. Now, let’s say you have a Maturity number 1 (ruled by the Sun); it means that from the moment you turn 35, the energies of the Sun will play a very pivotal role in your life, and thus may trigger something within you. You may express more Sun-like behavior combined with Saturn elements. You could suddenly relocate and start a fresh new chapter elsewhere, or perhaps you decide that you no longer want to depend on your 9-to-5 job to make a living. And so, you may set things in motion so that you can have your own business and become financially independent in the future. Or, if you have a Maturity number 6 (ruled by Venus), you may decide to reevaluate and improve all your relationships, including the ones in the romantic sphere. Perhaps you don’t want to be Mr. Bachelor or Mrs. Bachelorette anymore and so the desire for commitment may get stronger; you may feel it is time to settle down and get serious. So you could take that next step towards being in a committed relationship. Obviously, you need to take other things into consideration as these are just simple examples. Nonetheless, it is always good to have an understanding of both (astrology and numerology) and see for yourself how these energies work simultaneously.

Ultimately, the result you will get from your Maturity number also depends on how much you have matured yourself through your own personal experiences. Usually, from your 36^th year onwards, you will understand more of who you are and what you truly want out of life, and not what society expects from you. Around this time, you may also come more into terms with yourself and even your past mistakes. Your outlook on life will suddenly change and you will become more realistic pertaining to your goals. More so, the Maturity number is the number that will help you understand your true potential which you were not able to see up until now. However, the energy behind this number will enable you to become more serious and start working towards achieving and realizing your goals, in a Saturn-like fashion, so that you can gain more stability and security for yourself.

To conclude, the Maturity number is like a key that will help you unlock your full potential, so that you can attain greatness in this lifetime. So, if you want to understand what the Universe has in store for you at a later time, including your capabilities, then you may want to check out this number. However, you don’t have to wait until you’ve reached your 36^th year. Instead, start working towards that stage, and focus on your goals at an earlier age. But if circumstances don’t allow you to, then understand that it is never too late to start. By the time you have reached your 36^th year (at the age of 35 that is), your Maturity number will help you understand your purpose in life, provided that you are in alignment with the universal energies. Once you truly know who you are, then this number may act as a catalyst for change and transformation. It will help you take the necessary steps in order for you to become the best version of yourself. So, if you have done the work, put in the effort, then you might see significant changes for growth, expansion, and prosperity between your 36^th and 42^nd year (42 is also Rahu’s maturation age, which carries similar characteristics to that of Saturn). 

FYI: Another astrological cycle that happens around the age of 36 is your Jupiter Return. This cycle happens every twelve years, around the ages of 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, etc. It is a time when Jupiter returns to the exact position (house and zodiac sign) it was in at your time of birth. So when this happens around your 36th year, taking into account Jupiter’s significations, you will suddenly get the inspiration to start something new, expand your horizons and grow yourself with the wisdom and experiences you’ve gained throughout your life thus far. So you might also want to take this into consideration when your Maturity number kicks in.

Side Note: Your Maturity number is the sum of your Life Path number + Expression number. If you’re a Life Path 7, for example, and have an Expression number 3, then 7 + 3 = 1. This means that if you incorporate good Sun-like qualities like leadership, initiative, originality, and confidence, and diminish negative traits like selfishness, arrogance, and dominance, it will help you unlock your full potential between your 36^th and 42^nd year. Obviously, you have to take into account your other personal core numbers as well, along with the astrological placement of Saturn in your chart.

8. Karmic Number 

In numerology, there are two kinds of karmic numbers; Karmic Debt and Karmic Lessons. Your Karmic Debt number represents your karmic burdens and all the bad deeds that you have done in a past lifetime, and for which you have to pay (through obstacles, struggles, and suffering) in this present life. Your Karmic Lesson number represents the lessons your soul came here to learn and grow from. It can also show you your hidden/missing talents and skills and just overall traits that you are not aware of, but still have to learn and discover. However, once you become aware of your karma, you can develop yourself towards becoming a better person and your soul can then move on to the next level instead of repeating the same struggling cycles and situations. Also, you will be less inclined to blame anything or everyone for your circumstances.

Side Note: Not everyone has a Karmic Debt number, but we all have Karmic lessons to learn in this lifetime. After all, your karma is why our soul came into this birth. Nonetheless, when either of the numbers 13, 14, 16, or 19 are found through calculation, or as a result of your other core numbers (e.g. Life Path Number and Expression Number), then you have a Karmic Debt number. Your Karmic Lesson number, on the other hand, is a result of the numerical value of the missing letters in your full name, according to the Pythagorean numerology system. To learn more about Karmic Debts and Karmic Lessons, including calculations, click here.

To summarize all eight core numbers, have a look at the table below.

Summary table

*As mentioned previously, some numbers are calculated using the numerical value of the letters in your name. This includes the Expression, Personality, Karmic, and Name numbers. In order to calculate one of these numbers, you would need the table below, which is based on the Pythagorean numerology system. As you can see, each letter in the alphabet is assigned to a number. Using this system enables you to decode the letters in your full name. 

Nowadays, you don’t have to calculate all your personal core numbers manually unless you actually want to or enjoy playing with numbers. But as I’ve mentioned earlier, there are many numerology software programs out there that can do these calculations for you. There is no need to contact a numerologist to get your numerology chart or report.

But to give you an idea of how the Pythagorean system works (using the numerical values of letters), I will now show you how to calculate your Expression number:

For this, we will use the following name as an example: Jane Janet Doe

First, you assign a number to each letter. Let’s start with the first name (Jane)

J= 1, A= 1, N= 5, E= 5

Then you add up all the digits 1 + 1 + 5 + 5 = 12, reduce it until you have a single-digit between 1 and 9.

1 + 2 = 3 is the result of the first name

Now assign a number to each letter of the middle name (Janet)

J= 1, A= 1, N= 5, E= 5, T= 2

Add up all the digits 1 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 = 14, reduce it until you have a single-digit between 1 and 9.

1 + 4 = 5 is the result of the middle name

Now assign a number to each letter of the last name (Doe)

D= 4, O= 6, E= 5

Add up all the digits 4 + 6 + 5 = 15, reduce it until you have a single-digit between 1 and 9.

1 + 5 = 6 is the result of the last name

Finally, you add up the result of the first, middle, and last name:

3 + 5 + 6 = 14, reduce it until you have a single-digit between 1 and 9.

1+ 4 = 5 Expression number

This fictive person with the name ‘Jane Janet Doe’ has an Expression number 3, but also a Karmic Debt number 14. As stated before: When either of the numbers 13, 14, 16, or 19 are found through calculation, or as a result of any of your other core numbers (e.g. Life Path Number and Expression Number), then you have a Karmic Debt number.

FYI: It is important to note that when you calculate your Expression, Soul Urge, Personality, Name or Karmic number, that you do not use your married name, because you came in this birth with the name your soul has chosen. That name carries certain energies that will not change. Even if you decide to change your name for whatever reason, understand that your karma doesn’t change. Some numerologists may differ, but I speak from my personal experience. You do what works best for you.

On this last note, I end this long blog post and hope you understand why you are more than just your Life Path number. We are all a mixed bag of numbers that sum up our existence, and thus our numerological DNA, which you cannot define by just one number. All the eight core numbers discussed in this post influence you on a daily, even if you are not aware of it. Some numbers are obviously more noticeable than others. However, it is up to you to decide which number plays a more prominent role in your own life. It all depends on your level of consciousness, and self-awareness, and how much you are in tune with the universal energies.