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Each number, 0 thru 9, carries an energetic frequency, theme and lessons, all of which are the building blocks of the universe which have further been built upon in the egregore through man and his allegories and magick. As we inch closer to moving into a Universal 8 year (2+0+2+4), we can better prepare ourselves for the themes of 2024 by being aware of and in tune with the energy surrounding the number eight. In numerology, eight is the number of creation, cosmic balance, harmony, stability, reciprocation, and resurrection which translates into authority and personal power, self confidence, inner-strength, dependability and self-reliance, discrimination and discernment, discipline, decisiveness, control, ambition, giving and receiving, and manifestation.
Before we go any further, I must warn you that this is not your traditional numerological forecast plastered on the internet and social media, this is for the sincere seeker who wishes to better understand his universe and thus himself. Likewise, those who come to this post with sincerity will know that these writings barely scratch the surface of what is being presented. Those who are sincere will continue to seek down these rabbit holes rather than finding themselves at a finish line trophy in hand with the closing of my last word.
Do not concern yourself with unpacking every ounce of detail, simply come with an open mind and see what unfolds before you. As the details emerge, consider how these things may apply to your life in the present and how they may play out in 2024. Keep in mind that these energies are not what is given or impressed upon you, they are what are available for you to work with. We will begin our journey through Strength, Key 8 of the tarot.
Strength
2023 was the year of the Chariot and setting out on your path, and 2024 is the year of Strength where we are able to meet challenges head on on that very path. Strength is Key 8, The Daughter of the Flaming Sword. When Strength appears we are being asked to show and maintain physical, mental and emotional fortitude during times of turmoil and uncertainty. It is here that we need to quiet the mind, contemplate and consider. To have subtle control over ourselves and to respond rather than react to tests of our fortitude. It is important to realize that maintenance of this control is a large part of self-mastery, this is not a one-and-done type of thing. By being courageous, letting past challenges foster present strength, moving from a place of pure intentions, and removing impurities of the id and ego we allow our kundalini or vital spiritual and energetic force to rise from the base of the spine and bring us closer to the Divine.
This is part of the alchemical process of healing. The lion is tied to many legendary females and goddesses of love, war, healing and feminine strength, my favorite being the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet.
The lemniscate seen above Strength’s head as seen above the Magician’s head is a reminder that all things including you are infinite, that you are the master of your own destiny, and it is through self-refinement that you become a higher and better version of yourself.
On the Tree of Life, Strength lies on path 19 between Chesed and Gevurah, where Form and Force must work in tandem to see things through.
Strengths fundamental correspondence is Leo which by looking closely at the RWS Strength card you can find the astrological symbol of Leo hidden in the lion’s mane. Leo is fixed fire, a mixture of desire and drive with the motto of “I will”. Leo rules the heart and spine and asks you to have the heart of a lion, that of gold (a nod to the sun) while exerting nobility, bravery and courage (the spine).
Leo is ruled by the sun thus The Sun is the secret ruler of 2024 indicating a center around the self, the soul, the creative self and the will for a dignified, confident, ambitious, determined, and self-reliant influence throughout the year.
But the human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to break out it's cage, and if it is not tamed, it will turn wild and cause you grief.
Robert Greene
Tet(h)
Tet(h) is the Hebrew letter associated with Leo and Strength, has a numerical value of 9 and means serpent. Tet(h) is in the shape of a ouroboros or the alchemical snake biting it’s tail as a symbol of infinity ot wholeness. It is this same symbol we see above the woman’s head on the Strength card. Jung attributed the ouroboros to that of integration and assimilation of opposites and the swing of the pendulum between the polar opposites. This integration can be seen as the Middle Pillar between the Poles of the Tree of Life, creation and destruction. As a lateral path on the Tree of Life between Jupiter and Mars, the initiate must find balance lest the pendulum swing too wildly to one side or the other. Tet(h) ask you to use the power wisely in the ebb and flow between the two forces of Chesed and Gevurah, particularly as it relates to our will, desires, and new structures being built. This intense energy can bring challenges with high highs and low lows to relationships, especially those with sexual tension.
Tet(h) is the light in the darkness, reminding you that all is not lost, showing you a way out, that situations that appear bad may be in fact be important and beneficial, and above all that things will get better.
With it’s attribute to Leo and the Sun, unlimited power, rulership, and transformation of the Self take center stage. This transformation is the force of the Kundalini or serpent energy that is awakened as the result of spiritual work and rises up for healing and wholeness. Tet(h) ask us to find and use our energy to Become a higher and better version of ourself and the world around us through letting Divine energy flow through you for creation and destruction.
For those with kidney concerns, watch them closely this year as Tet(h) is associated with the left kidney in man.
Chet(h)
While the Strength card is associated with the Hebrew letter Tet(h), the numerical value of 8 is attributed to Chet(h), the fence that keeps a boundary between man and God. It is God uniting two opposing forces that are in balance for the creation of new life. When it is an unbalanced force, it leads to sin and destruction, and the inability to see the Divine through what we perceive is real. Our spiritual vision is hindered. Chet(h) links Binah to Gevurah where we are meet with the limitations and the idea of giving structure and form to abstract idea. Whatever we encounter in our path we can overcome if we are able to stop and see the Divine behind all things as blockages, limitations, hurdles and the like may be there for a reason. It is important to remember that in these times we find balance, particularly of the emotional self, and surrender our ego and plans to those of the Divine Will.
Gematria
8 - Hod; The Number of Abra-Melin Sub-Princes, and of the Servitors of Oriens; To will, intend; Desired, beloved; then; the entrance, threshold; to be anxious, grieve; love; beloved, breast; pleasures of love
88 - Redness; sparkling; to be hot; darkness; a duke of Edom; roaring, seething; burning; snare, danger.
Eight is Sacred
The following are stark examples of the significance of the number 8 throughout the Universe, nature and mankind’s design and history.
Universally eight is the number of cosmic balance. The Ogdoad of Hermopolis was a group of 8 gods, four pairs of male and female deities, which embodied the inchoate world before creation; the Cosmic Egg.
The number 8 allows for the Cube with it’s eight cardinal points of creation.
The Greeks believed eight to be an all-powerful number; “all things are eight”.
The number 8 was sacred to Dionysos who was born in the 8th month.
The ancient Chinese writing refer to eight musical sounds, and since musical ratios are distinguished in eights, it was referred to as “Universal Harmony” by the German classical scholar Camerarius.
There are eight Principles to the Buddhist Wheel of Law, as well as eight petals of the lotus, eight trigrams of the I Ching, eight pillars in the Temple of Heaven, and eight Angels that support the Throne of Heaven.
The Lord Vishnu has eight arms corresponding to the eight Guardians of space.
The Dogon of Africa, as well as other African peoples, believe eight to be the number of creation.
Saturn has 8 moons.
In Judaism, male infants are circumcised on the 8th day after birth.
At the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) eight candles are lit for eight days.
In the Book of Joshua, there were eight prophets who descended from Rahab, and in the last eight versus of Deuteronomy, the Mosaic Law, The Pentateuch, was written by Joshua.
Eight is considered the number of regeneration as eight souls were saved in Noah’s Ark.
888 is the number of Jesus Christ as “He who is the Resurrection of the Life”.
The Eighth Day symbolizes resurrection and is attributed to the New Testament just at 7 is attributed to the Old.
The Word is symbolized by the number eight, so too are the fertilizers water and semen.
There are eight Beatitudes of Christianity.
John Heydon, an English Neoplatonist occult philosopher, Rosicrucian, alchemist, astrologer, and attorney wrote that eight events befall the Damned, and that there are eight rewards for the Blessed.
I encourage you to do your research into your personal attributes, interests, culture, belief systems, etc to seek where the number eight can be found.
May 2024 be an alchemical year for you, one that leaves you better than where it found you.
LVX
Brandy
© Brandy Rachelle
Uncredited images from my personal collection or stock images