Shirley Lawrence - Exploring Numerology: Life by the Numbers

This edition first published in 2003 by New Page Books, an imprint of

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

With offices at:

65 Parker Street, Suite 7

Newburyport, MA 01950

www.redwheelweiser.com

www.newpagebooks.com

Copyright 2003 by Shirley Lawrence

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-1-56414-651-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lawrence, Shirley Blackwell.

Exploring numerology : life by the numbers / by Shirley Lawrence.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-56414-651-0 (pbk.)

1. Numerology. I. Title.

BF1729.N85 L343 2003

133.335dc21

2002041095

Cover design by Mada Design, Inc. / NYC
Interior by Nice DeFelice

Printed in the United States of America
IBI
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

This book is dedicated to
all who seek to know themselves,
and to be an inspiration of good for others.

If it weren't for New Page Books, division of Career Press, this book may never have been written. It is to them I owe heartfelt thanks for giving me the opportunity to write for their new Explorer series. It was their suggestion, and I heartedly agree, that there is a need for a book on numerology that is understandable and fun for the casual reader; one that allows the novice to easily find his/her personal numbers and just as easily interpret them without going into a lot of advanced terminology that leaves them perplexed, and to make for interesting reading as well. I am truly indebted to everyone at Career Press who gave me the opportunity to fill this gap. My special thanks go to the following people:

Ron Fry, Publisher

Michael Lewis, Senior Acquisitions Editor

Stacey Farkas, Editorial Director

Kirsten Beucler, Marketing Associate

Nicole DeFelice, Editor

Each one of them has been right there for me when I needed them. I greatly appreciate each one for without them, this book would not have been written. Thank you. All of you for your part in making this book possible.

When I was at the start of my journey of discovery, I remember well the questions I had about numerology. Is it a true science, or is it just a toy to dabble with for fun? Does it really tell me truths about myself and answer my own questions about who and what I am, or is it just a game?

I was skeptical at first. But as, I learned, having a first name that starts with an S and ending with a Y, I wouldn't take someone else's opinions. I'd look into it and form my own.

I remember once when Oprah Winfrey had people on the show to debate the authenticity of astrology. The astrologer presented a fine case for it. The other person said that it was stupid for people to waste their time on it. Evidently, he didn't waste his time researching it to see if he might be wrong, because he had no facts to back him up.

The truth is, once anyone really studies it, they can't argue against it. They will find that it is a true science that not only reveals facts about people, but it reveals spiritual laws as well and opens a person's mind to the wonders of our incredible universe and the nature of God.

Just recently, I was a guest on a radio show to discuss my book, The Secret Science of Numerology. Off the air, the host told me that a certain fundamentalist preacher wrote a book on all the things he considered as cults, and numerology was one of them. It is obvious that he has preconceived ideas and no knowledge about it. The funny thing is, he is a leader of a cult himself. My dictionary defines the word cult as a system of religious rites and observances; zealous devotion to a person or ideal. Then it says, See religion.

The point of this part of the discussion is this: If we really want to know the authenticity of anything, it is best for us to draw our own conclusions from our own research. That is what I decided to do regarding numerology, and I have never been sorry. What I have learned from this science has benefited me both academically because I learned a great deal about the history of language, alphabets, and philosophers who have shaped our thinking, and of science and the marvelous breakthroughs that have helped us understand the laws of our universe; and spiritually for the greater insight I've gained for knowing these things.

When I attended my first seminar on numerology at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, I heard several say that numerology would be quicker and easier to learn than astrology, and that is true. But I didn't find it to be as plain as I expected. One thing led to another, and another, and it got deeper and deeper. In searching for the science it was based on, I was drawn into Kabalah, which has a depth that has no end. It is a spiritually revealing, fulfilling, and rewarding study.

And so, to answer my questions at the top: Is numerology a science or a toy to dabble with and have fun? It is a science. And it is also fun to dabble with for there are constant Eurekas and A-has. It stimulates the mind and warms the soul.

Does it tell truths about myself, or is it just a game? By all means, it tells truths. There were things about myself I couldn't understand at all. Numerology revealed my true self to me. I could write a book on those revelations alone, but let's get on with it. Let's talk about you and revealing you to yourself. You are in for a most wonderful adventure.

Many books are written on numerology, so why would you choose this one? There is a need for a beginner's book; one that is very easy to understand, one that will that will help you construct your own chart immediately. In order to keep this as easy as possible, we will first have you find your personal numbers and record them on a chart. Then simply go to the ensuing chapters for each category to find your number and what it has to say about you.

What do we offer that you won't find elsewhere? Briefly, the Inner Guidance Number, the W as a part-time vowel that tells you about the double-you, the adjective numbers that precede the root, and, best of all, the science numerology is based upon. In other words, you will learn why it works as well as how it works.

This is an ancient science that goes back to antiquity. The principles of numbers and letters have been kept alive in Freemasonry and other secret orders. But it was not adapted for our personal names until the beginning of the 20th century when it was rediscovered by a Mrs. L. Dow Balliet of Atlantic City.