My assignment this month is to explore the child archetype through the lens of Numerology – now that’s an exciting challenge! One of the core archetypes, the child is present in all of us, but is complex, with many variations – Eternal Child, Divine Child, Wild Child, Wounded Child… Each of us has a different variation, playing out in unique ways at different times in our lives.
See what I mean by a challenge?! Identifying the child in numerology is as complex as the archetype itself, but I am excited because, well… can I tell you a secret? The child archetype is one of my favorites! I happen to have a potent child within me, which makes me playful, curious, joyful and able to see the world through innocent eyes.
Oh. Yes. Um, there is a shadow side, and I definitely have that too – but I’ll talk about that later!
In previous articles, I have for the most part correlated each archetype with one of the single digits one through nine, but the child archetype calls for a different approach. Sure, there are a few numbers that would appear on the surface to line up with a variation of the child: three, with its creativity, playfulness, joy and social nature; five, with its powerful sense of curiosity; and six, with its focus on love and family provide a few examples.
But I believe that the child archetype as a whole, rather than aligning with any one number, relates more powerfully to a specific position in the numerology chart – the Soul Urge, often called the Heart’s Desire number.
Take a deep breath, and allow me to explain. We need to go through a little technical talk about how a numerology chart is set up, in case you aren’t familiar.
If you know even a little bit about astrology, you know that we aren’t just one sign of the Zodiac, but a complex combination of signs and planets, all working in relation to each other. The same kind of structure is true of a numerology chart: we are not just one number, but a whole combination of numbers, each having a different influence in our chart depending on its placement, and each relating to the other numbers in a variety of ways. It’s amazing stuff!
To make it quick and simple, every numerology chart has five major numbers that are considered the core of the chart and provide the strongest influence on the person being read. One of those five core numbers is the Soul Urge number, which is considered to reveal your deepest inner longing – your true heart’s desire, as a soul, in this lifetime.
This core number, I believe, most accurately represents the essence of the child in you because it indicates what secretly (or not so secretly) makes your soul most happy. A powerful influence indeed.
For each person, then, the essence of the child will be different based on the number calculated as the soul urge number. Before I go further, I’d better tell you a little more about how that number is calculated – so take another deep breath please!
You may remember from my previous articles that your numerology chart is based on your date of birth, and full, original name as it appears on your birth certificate. That’s it, nothing more. Know those two pieces of information, and you can calculate your whole numerology chart.
One of the five core numbers is based on calculations using your date of birth. Three of the other core numbers are calculated using the letters of your name, by assigning a numeric value to each letter. So every letter in your name receives a numeric value, one through nine. Hanging in there? Then, to calculate the Soul Urge, you work with only the numbers assigned to the vowels of your full name.
Why only the vowels for the Soul Urge? Because in many of the ancient wisdom traditions, words and letters had great meaning, and the vowels were considered to be windows to your inner life and soul! I told you this stuff is cool.
Your Soul Urge, after final calculations, will be represented by one of the single digits, one through nine, and that will give you an indication of the nature of the child within you, as well as an idea of how that child essence relates to every other aspect of your being. If your Soul Urge is represented by the number one, for example, your child may long for new beginnings, always looking to start something – and possibly wanting others to follow!
If your Soul Urge is represented by the number two, on the other hand, your child might have a deep desire to be the peacemaker, always making sure that everyone else in the family is ok and getting along with each other. My own Soul Urge number is three, meaning I’ve got that desire for joy, play and creative fun deep in my heart, no matter where I’m headed in life!
Oh. Yes. Um, remember earlier I said there is a shadow side to the child archetype? It’s just the same with numerology; each number contains the potential to be expressed in light or through the shadow. So for me, that child shadow has at different times in my life expressed itself by being so eager to play, in as many different ways as possible, that it had a hard time focusing on one thing. At other times, it was so intent on joy, in an ungrounded way, that it had a hard time getting serious about life (read that as – growing up!) or it was cut off from joy and became too serious altogether.
Maybe a few of you can relate? The beauty of a numerology chart comes from seeing all your numbers together, including their essential characters in both positive and negative expression, and their potential influences. They’re all laid out where you can take a good look, gain objective distance from the energies at play in your life, and make the changes needed to create positive growth and healthy balance.
So – what child is waiting deep in your heart to be discovered? What does that child long for? When is it sweet, and when is it just a brat?! How is it expressing itself in your life right now? Take a look at your numerology chart, go to your Heart’s Desire number and start exploring – from the child’s point of view!