Everything You Need To Know About Your Life Path Number

Ever made a wish on the clock at 11:11? Then you might already be familiar with the power of numerology. Numerology is the study of numbers and their mystical meanings, and in this ancient practice, all numbers are believed to have unique vibrations. According to numerology, the numbers in your life can be used as tools to help you better understand yourself and navigate life with a greater sense of purpose — kind of the same way your horoscope works in astrology. Your life path number follows you throughout life in the form of your personal aspirations, motivations, and objectives. Think of it like your numerological zodiac sign. Knowing how to find your life path number and use it to your advantage is one of the best ways to start aligning with this energy.

“Life path numbers help us to understand the physical world and where we’re going in life,” numerologist and tarotstrologer Tai Soleil tells Bustle. “Once you know your life path number, it can be used to [make sense of your path] when you get distracted or discouraged.”

Your life path number represents your core essence, lifelong purpose, and your modus operandi, so it’s considered the most significant aspect of our personal numerological makeup. Aligning with your life path number can do more than help you make sense of life; it can move you in the direction of your numerological destiny.

Read on if you want to know how to find your life path number and apply its meaning to your life.

What Is A Life Path Number?

Just like your zodiac sign reflects aspects of your personality, your life path number speaks to your core values and overall mission in life. Life path numbers can be any single digit number between 1 and 9, or one of the three master numbers, which are 11, 22, and 33. Each of these numbers is associated with unique qualities, strengths, and weaknesses — and they’re believed to hold deep meanings and wield great influence over your life path.

The meaning of your life path number is to help you realize greater possibilities in life and align with your soul purpose. They’re considered the most significant numbers in your personal numerology charts — similar to the importance of the sun sign in astrology.

“Life path numbers help us on our personal hero’s journey, guiding us through stages toward completion,” Soleil says. “Life path number meanings will always bring us back to reality.”

On a spiritual level, your life path number can help you understand your soul’s calling. In other words, it can help you unearth your deepest desires and spiritual path. If you’re a life path seven, you may be on the hunt for personal, spiritual meaning, but if you’re a life path two, you’re concerned about bringing peace to others. On an earthly level, your life path number can also help you find the career you’re best suited for. For example, if you’re a life path one or eight, you could be destined for leadership or diplomatic roles. If you’re a life path two or three, you’re likely to be veered toward a more artistic career path.

Life Path Number Meanings

Each life path number embodies a certain type of personality archetype. Because your numerological profile represents qualities, it manifests not only in your personality, but also in your overall mission and objective in life. Knowing how these numbers operate can help you navigate life through a spiritual lens. Here’s a quick overview of what each life path number represents.

Life Path 1: You’re a natural leader who is hard-working, independent, and ambitious.

Life Path 2: You’re a peacekeeper who is empathetic, emotionally intuitive, and artistic.

Life Path 3: You’re an artist who is communicative, independent, and creative.

Life Path 4: You’re a sensible person who is structured, organized, and down-to-earth.

Life Path 5: You’re a free spirit who is diplomatic, adventurous, and adaptable.

Life Path 6: You’re a caregiver who is family-oriented, compassionate, and dependable.

Life Path 7: You’re a truth seeker who is spiritual, analytical, and intuitive.

Life Path 8: You’re an entrepreneur who is responsible, powerful, and disciplined.

Life Path 9: You’re a humanitarian who is fair, philanthropic, and understanding.

What Are The Master Numbers?

A master number symbolizes the double-powered energy of the single digit number it contains. For example, the master number 11 holds double the power of the life path number 1, which represents leadership and collectivism.

Master Number 11: This number represents the subconscious and is associated with intuition, spirituality, and collaboration.

Master Number 22: This number is associated with manifestation and is all about creating, building foundations, and stability.

Master Number 33: This number symbolizes knowledge and is associated with enlightenment, creativity, and influence.

How Do I Find My Life Path Number?

In order to find your life path number, all you need is your birth date and year. You can use an online life path number calculator, but it’s easy to calculate yourself, too.

The first step is to format your birthdate as a numeric date — so if your birthday is October 3, 1992, you’ll format the date as 10/3/1992. This is made up of three numbers: One for the month, day, and year. So in the case of our example, we’re working with 10, 3, and 1992. Next, you’ll reduce each of these three numbers into single-digit numbers (or master numbers, if they come up). To do this, simply add together the individual digits of any multi-digit number until you have a single-digit number for each (since we have 10 for the month, we’ll add together 1 and 0 to get 1; because we have 1992 as the year, we’ll add together 1, 9, 9, and 2 to get 21, which we’ll then reduce once more by adding 2 and 1 to get 3). Finally, those three month/day/year numbers are added together and reduced to a single digit number or master number, which represents our life path number.

If that sounds confusing, let’s break it down using our example birthdate of 10/3/1992, which is reduced to the numbers 1, 3, and 3. The number 1 is for the month (because the month is 10, and 1 + 0 = 1), 3 for the day (because the day is 3, and 3 is already a single digit number), and 3 for the year (because the year is 1992, and 1 + 9 + 9 + 2 = 21, which is reduced again to get the number 3 by adding together the two digits of the original sum, giving us 2 + 1 = 3). Now that you have three numbers, you’ll add them together to get your life path number. If the number is a double-digit, add those digits together until they’re reduced to a single number. In the case of this example, the life path number is 7, because 1 + 3 + 3 = 7.

The only exception to the single digit number rule of life path number calculation is if the numbers 11, 22, or 33 show up, as those are considered “master numbers” in numerology. If that’s the case, you can leave those numbers as is instead of reducing them to a single digit number.

How Do I Use My Life Path Number?

Once you know how to find your life path number, you can start looking into the qualities and vibrations associated with that particular number and applying them to your life. The meaning of each life path number is based on ancient numerological teachings, and many numerologists make connections between life path numbers and other modalities like astrology, as well. Once you catch on with the type of energy your life path number holds, you can apply it to your romantic, platonic, and domestic relationships, or to your professional life, too. Getting acquainted with the motivations, strengths, and weaknesses of your life path number can also help with shadow work, which involves deep introspection and facing your lesser-loved qualities.

“Aligning to your life path number is all about reflecting on your values and life goals,” numerologist Jasmine Wolfe tells Bustle. “The energy of that number is always there, whether you’re cognizant of it or not, but how you want to use it is up to you.” Learning how to work with your life path number and understanding how its energy manifests in your life can help you better understand your own inner workings and motivations. Once you can identify your underlying motivations through your life path number, you can start to move toward alignment with your higher purpose.

Just as with zodiac sign meanings, life path numbers should be used as a spiritual guide rather than a rulebook. Your relationship to them will be unique depending on how you interpret their energy and the way you choose to use it. Your life path number indicates energies that surround you, but in no way is meant to limit your interests and abilities.

“Understanding life path numbers is like coming home to who we’ve always been while also recognizing who we can become,” Wolfe says. “But first, you have to see how its [energy] has shown up in your past, how it’s manifesting in the present, and how you’d like to utilize it in the future.”