Harry Potter and Arithmancy

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I came across this word while reading Prisoner of Azkaban. I looked it up and it means "divination by numbers" and has been around for over 2,000 years. You might have seen some examples where people say to add up your name and the results mean something; in a nutshell that's arithmancy.

Here's the arithmancy legend. 9 numbers, each corresponding to a group of 2-3 letters.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z

Let's start by adding up your name. Unless you have a very short name the total is usually more than 9 so it must be "reduced" to a single digit by adding the component numbers together, and generally more than once, if necessary. So for example your name totals 58, this reduces to 13 (5 + 8 = 13), which in turn 13 reduces to 4 (1 + 3 = 4).

Arithmancy provides three base number:

Character Number. This number is your personality type. This number is a sum total of all the letters in your name (first, middle, last, and so forth... it's not necessary to include titles and suffixes).

Heart Number. This number represents your soul, spirit, or individual's inner life. It can also indicate desires and fears you hide from others. This number is the reduced total of all the vowels in your name.

Social Number. This number represents your outer personality and the face you show to the outside world. This number is the reduced total of all the consonants in the name.

I thought it would be a fun exercise to apply this to a select list of characters from the Harry Potter universe.

Let's start with TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE (otherwise known as Lord Voldemort)

Character Number: 7
Heart Number : 6
Social Number: 1

Meaning.

7. Perceptive, understanding, and bright, sevens enjoy hard work and challenges. They are often serious, scholarly, and interested in all things mysterious. Originality and imagination are more important than money and material possessions. Sevens can also be pessimistic, sarcastic, and insecure.

6. Six represents harmony, friendship, and family life. Sixes are loyal, reliable, and loving. They adapt easily. They do well in teaching and the arts, but are often unsuccessful in business. They are sometimes prone to gossip and complacency.

1. This is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. Ones are independent, focused, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don't like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

HARRY JAMES POTTER

Character Number: 5
Heart Number : 9
Social Number: 5

5. Five is the number of instability and imbalance, indicating change and uncertainty. Fives are drawn to many things at once but commit to none. They are adventurous, energetic and willing to take risks. They enjoy travel and meeting new people but may not stay in one place very long. Fives can be conceited, irresponsible, quick-tempered and impatient.

9. Represents completion and achievement to the fullest degree (as it is the complete number, three, expressed three times). Nines dedicate themselves to service, often as teachers, scientists, and humanitarians. Strongly determined, they work tirelessly and are an inspiration to others. However, they can also be arrogant and conceited when things don't go their way.

ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE

Character Number: 7
Heart Number : 6
Social Number: 1

7. Perceptive, understanding, and bright, sevens enjoy hard work and challenges. They are often serious, scholarly, and interested in all things mysterious. Originality and imagination are more important than money and material possessions. Sevens can also be pessimistic, sarcastic, and insecure.

6. Six represents harmony, friendship, and family life. Sixes are loyal, reliable, and loving. They adapt easily. They do well in teaching and the arts, but are often unsuccessful in business. They are sometimes prone to gossip and complacency.

1. This is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. Ones are independent, focused, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don't like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

SEVERUS SNAPE

Character Number: 2
Heart Number : 1
Social Number: 1

2. Two represents interaction, two-way communication, cooperation, and balance. Twos are imaginative, creative, and sweet natured. Peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty, and fairness are characteristic. But two also introduces the idea of conflict, opposing forces, and the contrasting sides of things: night and day, good and evil. Twos can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious and indecisive.

1. This is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. Ones are independent, focused, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don't like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

HERMIONE GRANGER

Character Number: 4
Heart Number : 4
Social Number: 9

4. Like a table that rests solidly on four legs, four indicates stability and firmness. Fours enjoy hard work. They are practical, reliable and down to earth; they prefer logic and reason to flights of fancy. They are good at organization and getting things done. Like the cycle of the four seasons, they are also predictable. They can be stubborn, suspicious, overly practical and prone to angry outbursts. The conflicts possible in "two" are doubled in four.

9. Represents completion and achievement to the fullest degree (as it is the complete number, three, expressed three times). Nines dedicate themselves to service, often as teachers, scientists, and humanitarians. Strongly determined, they work tirelessly and are an inspiration to others. However, they can also be arrogant and conceited when things don't go their way.

RONALD WEASLEY

Character Number: 1
Heart Number : 9
Social Number: 1

1. This is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. Ones are independent, focused, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don't like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

9. Represents completion and achievement to the fullest degree (as it is the complete number, three, expressed three times). Nines dedicate themselves to service, often as teachers, scientists, and humanitarians. Strongly determined, they work tirelessly and are an inspiration to others. However, they can also be arrogant and conceited when things don't go their way.

Quite interesting. Do you think she did the names selection with numerology in mind?

I don't really know. I suppose it is possible. She likes to sprinkle a lot of ancient creatures, magics, and techniques in her books so I suspect she may have done some research in a library. For example 'I am Lord Voldemort' is an anagram of 'Tom Marvolo Riddle'.

I think it's very uncanny how accurate arithmancy is. It's like the concept doesn't even try to be accurate and yet it is, in great detail. I tried this on my full name and I was floored by how accurate it was.

Character Number: 5
Heart Number : 4
Social Number: 1

Everything bold below is me to a tee.

5. Five is the number of instability and imbalance, indicating change and uncertainty. Fives are drawn to many things at once but commit to none. They are adventurous, energetic and willing to take risks. They enjoy travel and meeting new people but may not stay in one place very long. Fives can be conceited, irresponsible, quick-tempered and impatient.

4. Like a table that rests solidly on four legs, four indicates stability and firmness. Fours enjoy hard work. They are practical, reliable and down to earth; they prefer logic and reason to flights of fancy. They are good at organization and getting things done. Like the cycle of the four seasons, they are also predictable. They can be stubborn, suspicious, overly practical and prone to angry outbursts. The conflicts possible in "two" are doubled in four.

1. This is the number of the individual, the solitary unit. Ones are independent, focused, and determined. They set a goal and stick to it. They are leaders and inventors. Ones find it difficult to work with others and don't like to take orders. They can be self-centered, egotistical, and domineering. They are often loners.

An interesting note: the instability in 5 and stability in 4 is an interesting mix because at times I know there's something wrong with me even though I keep doing what I do. For example I get panic attacks in social settings even though I know no one is judging me or anything. I end up leaving or hanging out in the bathroom. I also have enough stability to know I need to get up in the morning to go to work so that I can pay the bills, and yet I'm not stabile enough to pay my bills on time... even though I have the funds sitting in the bank.

You can test this out on yourself
http://www.sorcererscompanion.net/arithmancy.html