Chapter III (part 1)

CHAPTER III. THE ESOTERISM OF NUMBERS. The Theosophic Numbers and Operations--Signification of the Numbers. THE NUMBERS. THE ancients had a conception of numbers which is almost lost in modern times. The idea of the Unity in all its manifestations led to numbers being considered as the expression of absolute laws. This led to the veneration expressed for the 3 or for the 4 throughout antiquity, which is so incomprehensible to our mathematicians. It is however evident that if the ancients had not known how to work any other problems than those we now use, nothing could have led them to the ideas we find current in the Hindu, Egyptian, and Greek Universities. What then are these operations, that our savants do not know? They are of two kinds: theosophic reduction and theosophic addition. These operations are theosophic because they cause the essential laws of nature to penetrate throughout the world; they cannot be included in the science of phenomena, for they tower above it, soaring into the heights of pure intellectuality. They therefore formed the basis of the secret and oral instruction confided to a few chosen men, under the name of Esoterism . 1. Theosophic Reduction . Theosophic reduction consists in reducing all the numbers formed of two or several figures to the number of a single figure and this is done by adding together the figures which compose the number, until only one remains. EXAMPLE: 10 = 1 + 0 = 1 11 = 1 + 1 = 2 12= 1 + 2 = 3 126 = 1 + 2 + 6 = 9 2488 = 2 + 4 + 8 + 8 = 22 = 2 + 2= 4 This operation corresponds to that which is now called the proof by 9. 2. Theosophic Addition . Theosophic addition consists in ascertaining the theosophic value of a number, by adding together arithmetically all the. figures from the unity to itself inclusively. Thus the figure 4, in theosophic addition, equals all the figures from 1 to 4 inclusively added together, that is to say, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. The figure 7 equals-- 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28 = 2 + 8 = 10. Theosophic reduction and addition are the two operations which it is indispensable to know, if we would understand the secrets of antiquity. Let us now apply these rules to all the numbers, that we may discover the law which directs their progression. Theosophic reduction shows us, first of all, that all numbers, whatever they may be, are reducible in themselves to the nine first, since they are all brought down to numbers of a single figure . But this consideration is not sufficient, and theosophic addition will now furnish us with new light. Through it we find that 1, 4, 7, 10 are equal to 1. for: 1 = 1 4 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 = 1 7 = 1 +2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 28 = 10= 1 10 = 1 So that all the three numbers ultimately return to the figure 1, thus-- 1. 2. 3 4. 5. 6 4 =10 =1 7 = 28 = 10 = 1 Or one could write-- 1. 2. 3 (1) 4. 5. 6 (1), etc.