(274) How to apply the five elements: implication of numbers

By Janet Shin

Have you ever tried to figure your lucky numbers? If yes, for what purpose and how did you get it?

The lucky numbers differ with countries and their own customs.

In most Asian countries, odd numbers — especially one, three and seven — are considered to bring fortune while even ones, four in particular, are the opposite. It is because the former has yang energy, which is believed to emit vital energy with promising influence and the latter has yin. Yin is often regarded as lifeless energy.

For example, when people give a monetary gift or donation, they try to make the amount uneven. When they prepare food for an ancestral rites table, food quantity per dish and even that of dishes should be an odd number.

Company names, of course, are preferred to have those for the prosperity of business. Samsung, meaning three stars, is definitely meant to be. Cheers and songs also have the triple time beats, such as three-three-seven applause. Among them, seven is regarded as the luckiest because it contains the most intense energy of expansion.

Meanwhile, people have taken a discreet attitude toward number nine. Being the last odd number, it suggests fission and further growth.

There are expectations of collision before the next stage of advancement and they have to make the judgment whether it is good or bad.

People nowadays are still anxious about any unhappy incidents happening in their ages of nine, calling it “A-hop-su” in Korean, probable misfortune at nine. Nevertheless, the days of 9, 19 and 29 are considered to be harmless days, on which people plan their important moves and make sauces or gimjang — making seasonal kimchi — for the winter.

On the other hand, there are other reasons to make the numbers either fortunate or unfortunate by their intrinsic sounds in comparison with the meaning of local languages. For instance, four is considered an unlucky number as its pronunciation is similar to that of death, whereas eight is a lucky number in China for its same phonetic sound as the word meaning development and being rich.

One

— the beginning and source of all numbers

Two

— the beginning of even numbers

Three

— the symbol of mysterious numbers, meaning a fortune sign to harmonize and balance the energy of heaven and earth or yang and yin in the universe

Four

— Same phonetic sound of death in Asian countries

Five

— Philosophical significance in oriental teachings

Six

— Meaning fortune and smooth progress. There is a misperception to understand it as an evil number, which is incorrect.

Seven

— The Mystic and holy number

Eight

— The most preferred number in China, meaning wealth and honor

Nine

— The completion of all living creatures and symbol of longevity

Ten

— Fullness and perfection

In addition to the conventional recognition of numbers, there are more significant connections between the oriental philosophy, more specifically saju, and the numbers.

Actually, one of the most frequently asked question in its reading is one’s lucky number. For some saju practitioners, it can be an immediate practical application.

The numbers are assigned to each of the five elements as below:

Water

1, 6

Fire

2, 7

Wood

3, 8

West

4, 9

Earth

0, 5

One may apply the lucky numbers for their addresses, phone numbers, financial investments, license plates, and passwords. Believe it or not, there are some internet sites providing lucky numbers for lottery tickets.

There is a saying that a noted politician who ran for the National Assembly cautiously selected campaign supplies and rented an office at the floor level of his lucky numbers. This candidate ended up winning the election.

My foreign student blurted out the other day that she has got a unique combination of numbers in her next travel. She is departing on June, 6 at 6 p.m. Furthermore, she will turn 66 this year. She was getting scary and questioned what suggestions the series of sixes would have.

Here are more analytic advices according to her saju reading. She was born in the year of the rat and her day master is yin fire.

Six denotes water elements and for the fire day master, it represents one’s career fortune. Her upcoming trip in June would be a turning point in her life with the major career transition.

Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny”? For further information, visit Janet’s website at www.fourpillarskorea.com, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email janetshin@hotmail.com. The writer is the author of “Life’s Secrets.”