Numerology, Part 4: 1, the Magic of Starting Over
Note: This is part of an ongoing series about numerology, how it is used in astrology and magic, and its uses in spellwork. If I've made a master post, you will see it linked here. If not, bug me to make a master post.
At its most basic, numerology is a study of the occult meanings behind numbers. Numbers have intrinsic significance in modern society and carry specific meanings that come from folklore, magical traditions, and mathematics. Using the art of sympathy, we can apply these meanings to our magic by using numbers in our magic to bring their energy into our work.
For the purposes of this work, we are looking at Western numerology that focuses on the numbers 1-9 (sometimes 1-10). By this system, all numbers are reduced by adding each digit together until you have a single-digit number. It is best in the beginning to view numerology as an ascending story with 1 being the beginning and 9 being the ending. Note here that the number 10 (1+0) is, in this way, a number 1; this is an important part of the "story" of numerology. When something ends, something else begins.
The Magic of the Number 1
I wanted to start to write this yesterday on 2/1 because it seemed like a fitting beginning to a post about the number 1. And that is, inherently, the point of the number 1. Number 1 is the number of beginnings. Any time we want to start a project or forge a new future, we begin with the number one.
You know this already: this is the magic behind making a New Year's resolution on 1/1.
You see this in Tarot where the Aces cards all represent new beginnings. It is also reflected in the natal birth chart in astrology where we start the chart with house #1 or the point of the Ascendant (your "Rising Sign") calculated from the moment of your first breath. If you want to dig deeper into the meaning of the Number 1 in numerology, a study of Aries and the 1st house in astrology or the way Aces are used in Tarot is a great place to start. 1 is the seed of creation - it is the reminder that the egg MUST have come before the chicken because all ideas hatch from somewhere.
In American culture, there's a lot of bullshit wrapped up in the mythos of the Number 1. On the one hand, it is heavily celebrated through our rampant pursuit of individualism and exceptionalism. Still, on the other, it is demonized through our toxic family values and obsession with coupledom. Everybody criticizes and fears the eternal bachelor or the "Crazy Cat Lady", those oddball individuals who choose (or are forced into) bucking our societal conventions to pair up and settle down. As the song goes "One is the loneliest number" but, with a caveat: if you do not want to be a Number 1.
That said, if you need to put aside all of the noise and focus, or if you're at a point in your life when you want or need to go at it alone, the magic of the Number 1 can be highly supportive of this.
Some magical associations of the number 1: birth, Aries, the 1st house, The Magician, Aces (tarot or playing cards), Spring and more specifically the Spring equinox, New Year's Day (any tradition - Wicca, the modern calendar, the Lunar New Year), new moons, January, Mondays, Dawn/Morning, the Dagaz and Jera Elder Futhark runes
The Magic of Starting Over
One of the most important lessons that the cyclical nature of numerology can teach us is that there is always another chance to start over. If you've had a bad day, tomorrow can be better. If you've had a bad month, next month can be better. If you've had a bad year, next year can be better. This is a great way to think obviously, but we can do more than just think because we're sorcerers.
We can MAKE tomorrow/next month/next year better.
It really is that easy. Number 1 magic is incredibly simplistic, all it takes is a general proficiency with magic of some kind. It's not stuck up in a single magical paradigm or belief system - you use numbers in your everyday life and you can use numbers in your magic, too!
At most all you need to harness 1 energy is to craft one intention, use one correspondence, or perform one action. And, since 1 is a correspondence in and of itself, if you are willing to wait a hot minute to do your magic (1 energy comes about at least twice a month with the 1st and the new moon), you really only need an intention or one action. See also: writing out an intention for the month ahead and putting it on your mirror so you'll read it every morning. See also: carving your intention into a candle and burning it.
Yes, I know that there is more to magic than this (most times) but as I said above - I am expecting you to bring your own magic to this circus. This isn't a how-to on magical technique here, this is about using the Number 1 as a correspondence in your magic.
You can use this correspondence in many different ways: you can take one action, you can craft one intention or one mantra, you can enchant one object or light one candle.
The idea here is that you are taking 1 step to start over. That keeps it simple and doable. This isn't about making a complicated resolution that you can't keep. We're not overhauling our entire lives here: we are pretending today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
Because it IS. That is the magic of the Number 1.
Note here that as a correspondence, 1 can be used as a demarcation of time OR as a number (of objects).
If you are looking to incorporate 1 as a demarcation of time, you want to cast your magic of a day associated with the Number 1. The easy all-of-the-time choices here are the 1st of every month, the new moon, or Mondays as the defacto "start of the week". January is also considered a "1" month and Aries is the "1" astrological season which puts 1/1 and the Spring Equinox (the first day of Aries Season and the astrological New Year) as the two of the most auspicious days of the year for 1 magic.
Additionally, each year, month, and new and full moon carries specific numerological energy that you can use in your magic. (I wrote more about that here) You could also use your solar return as a "1" day of profound significance for you.
You can use the Number 1 as both a demarcation of time and as a number in your spellwork: for instance, casting a spell with one candle on the 1st of the month. You can incorporate as many aspects of 1 Energy into your spells as you like: this is why it's highly auspicious to have a new moon on the 1st of the month and even more so to have a new moon on the first of the year!
As stated, using 1 Numerologically in Magic as a correspondence of "Starting Over" is quite easy. As it's most simple, you are choosing a day with which to Start. This day will be most auspicious if you incorporate 1 "Date" energy but this isn't necessary because the magic of 1 inherently is that every day that you wake up to is a new chance.
If you can't wait until a new moon or the 1st of the month, a Monday will do just fine. If you can't wait until Monday, tomorrow is just fine.
If you are inclined towards working with the runes, the Dagaz/Day/Dawn rune is a good place to start when you are working with the energy of A Brand New Day and Jera/Year/Harvest is a great rune to work with for new moons (each new moon in a sign happens once a year), new year's work, and work around your solar return/birthday.
The Magic of Starting Over can be as simple as drawing either of these runes on a candle and lighting it in a way appropriate to your magic. (You, as always, bring your own intentions to this work)
Or, instead, pick the Ace Card that represents where you wish to start over and burn a candle near the card. Alternatively, find a free-to-use copy of the card (Rider-Waite cards are in the public domain) and print it out as a petition paper underneath your candle.
You can add oils, herbs, or other accouterments, but you definitely don't have to.
If you need a bit more oomph, perform a banishing or cleansing on one day (say that dark of the moon) and then perform the candle lighting ceremony the next (on the new moon).
The timing of the spell can matter a lot here. If you want to work with the lunar cycle, remember to check the time (in your time zone) of the new moon - you would want to cast your spell AFTER the Sun and Moon meet up in conjunction and perform your banishing/cleansing (if using) BEFORE the conjunction. In this way, it is sometimes better to cast a spell of this nature on the day after the new moon if it is later in the evening and inconvenient for you.
That said, this spell can be cast at dawn or in the morning on every single day of the year. It is that simple.
You could cast it every single day of the year. (though that does sound exhausting to me)
A Note on New Moon Magic* and Rune Spells
Of all of the dates mentioned, New Moons are unique in that they can be used for both short-term "brand new day" spells and longer-term "brand new month"/"brand new year" spells. To determine whether you want to use Jera or Dagaz for a new moon spell, I would consider how quickly you wish for the turnover to manifest itself.
This is built into new moon magic.
We often talk about the cycle from new moon to full moon as complete. A lot of magic needs more than 14 days to fully actualize though. For that, we look at a full lunar cycle of six months, from the new moon in a particular sign to the full moon in that sign. The short moon cycle is Dagaz and the long moon cycle is Jera.
*I think that, to a degree, this also applies to New Year's Day magic, but most people don't set short-term goals for the New Year.
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I've decided that will finish off this piece and set it to publish on 1/10 which is the start of the Lunar New Year. Of all of the modern New Year's days that exist on our planet, this is one that strikes me the most true as it coincides every year with the Aquarius new moon.
To quote Robert Jordan: it isn't THE beginning, but it is A beginning.
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Read more about Numerology here:
Part One: Years, Months,and Lunar Events
Part Two: Numerology Uses in Spellwork
Part Three: 3x3 Spell Format
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