Numerology & Graceful Living
"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron
or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the
first link on one memorable day." --Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
This month we will be talking about Numerology and living gracefully. I
consider "Living gracefully" to be living from, and listening to your heart.
I also think of it as being community minded, living in peace, caring for
others, being cooperative, patient, non-retaliatory and working for common
good. It means living a life that is respectful of others. It is living in
the moment, working hard to be aware of your emotional shackles and being
appreciative and thankful for the life you lead.
Attitudes, emotions and moods play important roles in living gracefully. At
certain times you may experience your own inner emotional obstacles, which
hinder your ability to live gracefully and fully function in the world.
Powerful feelings and emotions like hate, anger, guilt, greed, and jealousy
can be persistent, powerful dispositions capable of misguiding, hindering
and tying you down. On occasion, these dark emotions can settle into your
life. Each day we have the opportunity to choose, and strive for, a more
graceful life. You may need to be very attentive, and rattle your chains, in
order to live gracefully.
Hopefully, by now you know that although you may not be perfect, you do have
your own personal potential. Within Numerology your Planes
of Expression (which we have talked about before) may help you to be
more cognizant of your potential, ability and strengths as well as emotional
obstacles. We'll look deeper into the Planes of Expression/Personal Aspects
and help you to get a better grasp of them. As you may remember from past
columns, The Planes show all of the energies of each letter in your Birth
name as they relate to one of 4 types of energy: Physical (Body), Mental
(Mind), Emotional (Soul) and Intuitive (Spirit) energy. Each has its own
strengths and weaknesses.
You can also utilize the Core Numbers with this process. I've also provided
a Numerology
Tutor control panel, which will provide an easy starting point. It is
meant to be a jumping off point, from which you can gather your personal
facts from the various the Numerology tools/readings and use them to paint a
portrait of yourself, friends or family members.
Before beginning your actual name analysis, you may want to take the time to
ask yourself the following questions:
Am I a physical person?
Am I an emotional person?
Am I an intuitive person?
Am I a thinker?
Do I let my emotions hold me back?
Do I let my emotions control my actions?
Am I connected with the world around me?
Who/What am I thankful for in my life?
How can I notice the things that bring me joy?
Answering the questions above can help shed light on how you see yourself.
You may also want to ask friends and family the questions to see how they
view you. You may think of yourself as shy, while others see you as outgoing
and dynamic. Seeing the real you and recognizing whether you are an
intuitive, emotional, mental, or physical person can allow you to develop
more compassion and respect for yourself.
After you answer the questions you may want to compare your answers with
your Planes of Expression reading. Now, what if you think of yourself as
calm and introspective and your reading indicates an especially strong
Physical plane? If you do indeed have a strong Physical plane then you may
be more inclined than others to try to find a way to solve your issues
through immediate and prompt action, rather than planning out a full course
of action (as with a strong Mental plane). You may also not be comfortable
sitting still for long periods of time. You may have a daunting physique,
which may deter others from approaching you. It may be important for you to
learn patience and serenity in order to bring more grace into your life.
Now, you might not have a strong physical plane but instead have a strong
intuitive plane. If you do then you may have great intuition and insight
into many different matters. You may need to find ways to ground and balance
yourself in order to live gracefully, as you can easily scatter your
thoughts and energies in many directions all at once. Others can see you as
an intense thinker or flighty.
Perhaps you have a strong mental plane. If this is indeed the case, then you
probably have a very alert and quick mind. However, you may tend to forget
mundane or unimportant (at least to you) everyday things quickly. For you,
it may be important to keep pace with those around you, rather than dealing
with all the issues at work, or a home, by yourself. Living gracefully can
mean learning to be helpful without dominating, be insightful without being
superior, and witty without hurting others.
You might also have a strong emotional plane. Although you are kind and
caring, you can be moody at times. You can also be disorderly and messy. You
are very likely to have developed some kind of artistic talent, such as
painting, dancing writing, or performing. As you are very creative you may
spend a good deal of your time fantasizing and daydreaming. For you, living
gracefully can mean utilizing your creative talents in a way that connects
and engages you with the world. Also, if you have a strong Emotional plane,
then you may have to work at finding ways to step out into the world, while
having an extremely open heart.
Asking yourself about your "strongest" and "weakest" planes can help you to
learn more about your needs. As they can indicate the aspects of your
personality that you will need to develop the most awareness of. However,
you may find that you have a fairly good balance between all 4 of the
planes. If you find that your Planes of Expression reading shows that the
planes are balanced then your work may be in helping others to bring balance
into their lives and find their own strong points. This personal
introspective process may not be an easy undertaking. You may need to look
for outside assistance and encouragement. You may find motivation, guidance
and hope through inspirational reading.
As it is December, you might even enjoy reading "A Christmas Carol" by
Charles Dickens. At the start of the story we see that Ebenezer cares
nothing for the people. This was a person who was not very self-aware at
first. It took a visit from the "ghosts" for him to begin to live gracefully
and understand that he was part of a larger community. Scrooge first sees
the ghost of Jacob Marley. Jacob says to him:
"I wear the chains I forged in life. I made it link by link. I girded it
on of my own free will."
Jacob was Scrooge's old partner, who had died 7 years before. He appeared as
a ghost wrapped in the chains that his actions in life had created. He urged
Scrooge to make a change in his life to break his own chains of selfishness,
gluttony and greed that he was building. Of course, Scrooge's greed kept him
isolated and lonely. Ultimately the message of the story is that we all can
change. We all can break free from our restrictions, even if we think it
will be impossible.
It is interesting to note that Ebenezer
Scrooge has a strong Physical plane with 8 letters in the Physical
plane, and only 7 combined for the three other planes. Also, his first name
began with E, which is also in the physical group. This makes him strong
willed and determined. In his case, he was very miserly. His love of money
was almost his reason for being. You can see a brief Planes of Expression
reading below. (P = Physical, E = Emotion, M = Mental, I = Intuitive).
E | B | E | N | E | Z | E | R | | S | C | R | O | O | G | E | | P | E | P | P | P | M | P | I | | M | E | I | P | P | I | P |
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Personally, I have been reading a lot about developing faith in my life. You
may like to read about something else that has importance for you and your
growth. Men, especially those at midlife, may find solace in writings by
Robert Bly. In his "The Long Bag We Drag Behind Us," he talks about the
shadow. He says that it can be thought of as a big bag that you stuff full
of all that you perceive to be unsavory or unattractive. This is done so
that you can be seen as acceptable and capable of performing as a normal
member of society. He goes on to say that after years and years of filling
the bag you may find yourself in an emotional crisis. Ironically, many people can really see what is in your "bag". We only hide
from ourselves. Of course, we all have "rough edges". Now, understanding
this will help to lighten your burden. Hence, you should evaluate your
planes with an open mind. Use them as a tool for positive change and growth.
Meditating can be another step that you can take. Meditation can be best for
those individuals who are doers (as with those with a strong Physical
plane). Find the tools that help you to
relax and be aware and at ease. If you are not rigid, uptight or constricted
then you are naturally more graceful. Reaching out and working with others,
as with therapy, can also help you.
Know that we all have different dispositions, moods and reactions. Also, we
are occasionally caught in a battle between them and our needs. You may want
one thing, but somehow work toward achieving something else entirely. A
greater self-awareness can make you more relaxed and better able to cope
with everyday situations and live gracefully. In coping, know that with the
more independence you desire, then the more responsibility you put on your
own shoulders.
Your important work may be to balance coping, independence, and awareness.
Coping involves knowing when to handle a situation by yourself and when it
is time to reach out for help. When you ask for help you are welcoming
someone else into your life. They then can share their personal wisdom and
experiences with you. Their knowledge may help you to better understand and
believe in yourself. This can allow you to connect with your inner self,
which can make it easier to live gracefully. Some of us may have more work
here than others.
Keep in mind that everyone experiences life in different ways. What is a
challenge for you may not be for someone else. Difficult situations can
cause some people to withdraw emotionally, mentally or physically. However,
experience, maturity and self-consciousness can be of assistance to you to
help you understand that there are useful techniques for managing issues in
your life and the difficulties you face.
Actively look for ways to be at ease with yourself and try to take the time
to express your gratitude to the people in your life who have helped you. Be
giving and offer your assistance to those who need it. Be kind, caring and
accepting. If you are living a life that is indeed respectful of others then
you are on the path toward a more graceful life.
Remember, that you have the power to choose to lead a graceful life every day. This can mean that you make choices for growth, progress and life
rather than choices based on constricted emotions. You choose to be in the
world, rather than shut away from it. You choose to forgive rather than hold
a grudge. If you must have your chains, wouldn't you like them to be made of
flowers, rather than thorns?
Hopefully with the help of your Planes of Expression, your progress can be a
rewarding and exciting challenge!
Good luck in your journey into Soulful living and Numerology.
Copyright © 2003 Rob Ragozzine. All
Rights Reserved.
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