Vedic Numerology
Vedic numerology works with two numbers: the Psychic Number, calculated from the day of birth, and the Destiny Number, from the full date. Each number corresponds to a planet of Indian astrology.
How it's calculated
The Psychic Number is the reduced day of birth. For the 14th: 1+4 = 5. It describes how a person sees themselves and is strongest until age 35.
The Destiny Number is the sum of all the digits of the date. For 14.02.1988: 1+4+0+2+1+9+8+8 = 33 → 6. It describes how others see the person and grows stronger in the second half of life.
A mismatch between the two numbers is read as the gap between self-image and reputation.
Numbers and planets
| Number | Planet | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun | Will, leadership |
| 2 | Moon | Sensitivity, changeability |
| 3 | Jupiter | Knowledge, expansion |
| 4 | Rahu | Unconventionality, unpredictability |
| 5 | Mercury | Intellect, communication, trade |
| 6 | Venus | Beauty, comfort, love |
| 7 | Ketu | Detachment, mysticism |
| 8 | Saturn | Work, limitations, discipline |
| 9 | Mars | Energy, struggle |
The planetary correspondences here don't match the Western ones: four and seven are assigned to the lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu, which don't exist at all in European numerology.
How it differs from Western numerology
There are three differences. First, the planetary correspondences mentioned above. Second, there are no master numbers: 11, 22 and 33 are reduced without exception. Third, the link to Jyotish: Vedic numerology is not used on its own but as a supplement to the birth chart.
There is also a separate system, Katapayadi, in which numbers are encoded as Sanskrit syllables. It was used to memorize astronomical constants in verse and has nothing to do with name numerology.