Lucky Numbers – How to Calculate Your Personal Lucky Number
Almost everyone has a number that seems to "follow" them – a date, a house number or a digit that keeps appearing at important moments. Lucky numbers are part of every culture in the world, and numerology offers a concrete way to calculate the one that traditionally belongs to you.
Lucky Numbers Across Cultures
Some numbers enjoy favorite status almost everywhere, while others are lucky only in certain cultures:
- 7 – the Western world's favorite "lucky number": seven days of the week, seven colors of the rainbow, seven wonders of the world. In surveys about people's favorite number, 7 regularly wins.
- 8 – the pinnacle of luck in China, because its pronunciation resembles the word for wealth. License plates and phone numbers with multiple eights fetch enormous prices, and the Beijing Olympics opened on 8/8/2008 at 8:08 p.m.
- 3 – the number of wholeness and harmony: "third time's the charm", three wishes, and trinities in mythologies around the world.
- 9 – in China the number of longevity and imperial power; in Japan, on the other hand, it is avoided because it sounds like the word for suffering.
As a reminder: the unlucky number is 4 in China, 9 in Japan and 13 in the West – proof that a number's "luck" always depends on language and culture.
Calculating Your Personal Lucky Number
In numerology, your personal lucky number is most often considered to be your life path number – the sum of all the digits of your birth date reduced to a single digit. An example for someone born on June 14th, 1985:
- 1 + 4 + 6 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 5 = 34
- 3 + 4 = 7 – the lucky number is 7.
The only exceptions are the so-called master numbers 11, 22 and 33, which are not reduced further because they carry special meaning. You will find a detailed description of the process and the meaning of each result on our Life Path page, and what each digit symbolizes on the Number Meaning page.
Some numerologists also consider your unique number derived from your name to be lucky – which gives you two personal numbers: one from your date, one from your name.
How to Use Your Lucky Number
Tradition says a lucky number "works" when you consciously include it in your life: when choosing the date of an important event, a house number, a license plate, or simply as a reminder in moments of decision. Psychology sees a confidence effect here: those who believe the day favors them act more relaxed and boldly – and things really do go their way more often.
If you keep seeing a particular sequence of digits on clocks or receipts, also read our article on Angel Numbers – repeating sequences have a symbolism of their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the luckiest number in the world?
In Western cultures, the number 7 leads by a wide margin, appearing in the days of the week, the colors of the rainbow and countless religious symbols. In China, the luckiest number is 8, because it sounds like the word for wealth.
How do I calculate my lucky number?
Add up all the digits of your birth date, then keep reducing the result to a single digit. Example: June 14th, 1985 gives 34, and 3+4 = 7. The numbers 11, 22 and 33 are not reduced further, as they are considered master numbers.
Can I have more than one lucky number?
According to numerology, yes – the most commonly used are the life path number from your birth date and the number derived from your name. Many people also add numbers that have followed them through important life events.
