When I was in my mid-20s, I left London to live in Somerset for two years. Now that I was living much closer to my grandma – around a 40-minute drive – I would visit her every week. We’d go for a coffee and talk about her past. I love hearing about the lives of elderly people; all that they’ve experienced.
She was talkative but quite closed in terms of her emotions, so I was surprised when one day, she said to me: I will die at 11.11am. She was resolute. Until then, I’d never paid much attention to number sequences or time, in this way. But as soon as she said that, I started noticing when it was 11.11am.
It would be another 10 years until she died, in her 90s, and my parents were with her when she passed away. I asked if they knew what time it was but they didn’t. It wasn’t the most pressing thing to focus on, in that intimate, profound moment. But I still wonder if it was, indeed, 11.11am.
Once I’d started looking out for 11.11am – subconsciously; I’d just glance at my phone, see it said 11.11am and think: I wonder if Grandma is ok? – I also started spotting other number sequences, both in relation to time and other aspects of life.
I became excited when I glanced at my phone and saw the date was 22/2/22. I knew two people who had birthdays on this date and I messaged them. It felt wonderfully ominous. Also, if my bill came to £111, or I happened to book something at 3.33pm or see that I’d posted on social media at 13.13pm.
If you look up the meaning of particular number sequences, like ‘111’, you’ll find different information about the spiritual meaning of what some refer to as ‘angel numbers’. You can be guided in part by this and also conjure your own meaning; something that resonates for you.
So we might associate the number 1 with beginnings; the start of something new. With birth, re-birth. While the number ‘7’, considered to be lucky by many, is a prime number and maybe there is power in that? We might think of number associations, like the seven days of the week.
The number 13 is often considered to be unlucky, which is why tall buildings don’t always have a thirteenth floor, yet for me it is lucky. I have often lived, happily, at number 13 – so I see it as absolutely lucky and will always choose the number 13 if I can (for instance, with swimming pool lockers).
You can create a meaning that works for you or be guided by others, for instance this poster I found on Etsy that offers ideas for what certain numbers in a series of three might symbolise…
Often, when I spot a number sequence that feels exciting, I don’t necessarily think about what it specifically means but I will get a sudden giddy feeling, as if good luck is coming my way. And then, guess what? Because I’m feeling excited and positive and upbeat, often something good will indeed happen.
When choosing the logo for this website, I spoke to my sister – the designer – about number symbolism. She’d sent over an option for the ‘SQ’ letters to be in an octagon but I discovered that ‘six’ is the number of creation so instead, we went for the six-sided hexagon.
You can look out for numbers and assign your own meaning, look it up online for ideas and also think about ways you can incorporate magical-feeling numbers into your work (the amount of pages, words or lines you write, for instance).
Like with all things spirituality, there is no one way. You get to choose. Use your intuition, be guided by your inner wisdom, speak to others about it and have fun.
Words: Annie Ridout