THE CHALLENGEs

What Are the Challenges?

Each of us is born with both strengths and weaknesses. Numerology looks at life as if it were an educational process that is meant to bring out and enhance our talents, and turn our weaknesses into strengths. This serves to complete our being.

The job of becoming whole is one in which we must face our weaknesses and consciously work to improve ourselves. There are four Challenges to be faced during our lives. For many of us, the same challenge is repeated, while others have four distinctly different lessons to learn.

The Challenges on your life's path provide specific lessons that you must attend to, and, in order to inspire and help you, life will place you in situations that require the specific characteristics of your Challenge numbers.

The four Challenges you are required to overcome during the course of this lifetime will influence you during different periods of your life, except for the Third or Main Challenge, which lasts from birth until death.

The Challenges are fluid periods of your life, not confined to specific years so much as general periods. All of your Challenges are present at birth, like actors standing in the wings.

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THE DURATION OF THE CHALLENGES:

Challenges do NOT have closely defined durations, they are more fluid than cycles and overlap for several years. The ages below are approximate and can be considerably shorter or longer, depending on how you handle, and ultimately overcome them.

• The duration of the First Challenge usually lasts from birth until approximately the age of 30 to 35.
• The Second Challenge usually lasts until the age of about 35 to 55/60.
• The Third Challenge carries much weight and will be felt throughout your life. For that reason, it is also called the Main Challenge. As you master this challenge, your life will come more and more under your own control. You will incorporate the positive aspects of the challenge into your character. This is it's purpose in the first place. Therefore, there is implicit in the challenge a chance for great reward. In short, this may be the secret to your success.
• The Fourth Challenge is most strongly felt during the latter part of our lives, beginning at the age of approximately 55/60.

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Calculating the Challenge Numbers

The 1st Challenge is the difference between the month and day of birth. The 2nd Challenge is the difference between the day and year of birth. The 3rd or Main Challenge equals the difference between the 1st and 2nd Challenge. The 4th Challenge is the difference between the month and year of birth.

In our example of Tom Cruise, born 7/3/1962, we reduce each of these units (the month, the day, and the year) to single digits. The result is 7, 3, and 9.

• To find the First Challenge we subtract the month of birth from the day of birth, or vice versa. In our example, we subtract 3 from 7 = 4. (Notice that the First Challenge appears below the month and day of birth in the star-shape.)
• The Second Challenge results from subtracting the day of birth from the year of birth, or vice versa. In our example, we deduct 3 from 9 = 6. (The Second Challenge appears below the day and year of birth.)
• The Third and main Challenge is found by subtracting the First and Second Challenge, or vice versa. In our example, 6 - 4 = 2. (The Third or Main Challenge is centered directly below the day of birth.)
• The Fourth Challenge is found by subtracting the month of birth from the year of birth, or vice versa. In our example, we deduct 7 from 9 = 2. (The Fourth Challenge fills the lower triangle of this star-shaped arrangement.)

NOTE: The 0 (zero) Challenge is very common.

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The Meaning of the Challenges

• Your Challenge number is: 0
• Your Challenge number is: 1
• Your Challenge number is: 2
• Your Challenge number is: 3
• Your Challenge number is: 4
• Your Challenge number is: 5
• Your Challenge number is: 6
• Your Challenge number is: 7
• Your Challenge number is: 8

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Challenge number 0

 

 

You are being challenged to stay faithful and focused on your highest ideals. You will often find yourself in a situation where you have an opportunity to be of help to people at large; people you never met and perhaps live in other countries. The 9 (here substituted with the 0) reflects global awareness, empathy, and a desire to dedicate time to helping humanity.

In order to overcome this Challenge, it is necessary that you recognize those opportunities and take full advantage of them. Helping others will benefit no one as much as it will benefit you.

It is not uncommon for people with a 0 Challenge to find career opportunities in diplomacy, law enforcement, and legal fields, and in those capacities they are often considered protectors of the less fortunate.

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Challenge number 1

 

 

This whole lesson represents the frontiers of your consciousness. Therefore, you will have to experience much trial and error, sometimes exploding with bursts of aggression, other times being intimidated and letting frustration and anger build within you until you are ready to act on your deepest instincts.

You will learn your own set of values; you will develop into an individual with original and innovative ideas.

If you have 1s in your core numbers or in your Hidden Passion this challenge will not be as difficult to learn, nor as strongly felt.

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Challenge number 2

 

 

You let your own feelings and emotions play too big a role. Your hypersensitivity causes fear, timidity and lack of self-confidence. And you experience unnecessary fear and emotional turmoil. Little things seem disproportionately difficult to overcome and sometimes have a paralyzing effect. Jealousy can cause much pain and misunderstanding.

These negative aspects of the numerology challenge actually spring in part from positive characteristics you possess, especially your acute awareness and intuition. You are an antennae for other peoples feelings; you know before a word is spoken how they feel.

You lack the inner strength to maintain your own center, and try to conform to the prevailing emotional atmosphere.

This challenge makes you understanding and compassionate; you have an enormous empathy for the inner turmoil of others and can do much good for people with emotional problems.

If you also have a 2 Karmic Lesson, this numerology challenge will be more intensely felt, but, contradicting as this may sound, also easier to overcome.

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Challenge number 3

 

 

You often feel alone and lonely. Your fear of social interaction causes you to strain conversation by making too many jokes and forced joviality. It may help you to find a creative outlet for your imagination, possibly through writing, painting, singing or dance.

At the bottom of this numerology challenge is an effort to bring out your true self. You will learn to truly value your own creative talents above anyone else's judgments. This must be viewed as a process of individuation, in which you become a whole human being, independent and free of the need to conform to others.

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Challenge number 4

 

 

You have to learn to be aware of the details. Keep your environment clean and orderly. Be efficient. You have the ability to be practical and organized but you must learn their value. This will cause you to incorporate them into your daily life and give you the basis for success.

This is the challenge of building a lasting foundation for your life. You will need perseverance and repeated effort. Get-rich-quick schemes will likely backfire; persistent effort is the key to your future happiness.

Numerology views this challenge as more difficult to overcome than others, especially if you have mostly odd numbers in your chart - in particular the Expression, Heart's Desire, and Personality

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Challenge number 5

 

 

You must work at establishing and maintaining long- lasting relationships. Be tolerant and understanding. This will enable you to have people in your life who are more than mere company. You need to discipline your urge to change every situation that does not immediately suit you. Stick with projects, maintain your friendships, don't abandon people or situations the minute they become the slightest bit difficult.

If few fives are in the chart you have a fear of change and can not let go of people and situations. This holds you in the past, restricting your growth. Learn to take prudent risks and be more adventurous.

If you have an even number Life Path, this numerology challenge is not as strongly felt as those with odd numbered Life Paths.

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Challenge number 6

 

 

You may also suffer from rigid thinking, which keeps you from having a clear perspective that would otherwise awaken you to the many good things you have received.

At bottom, this challenge is about having blinders on. You are unable to see a broader view, which makes you think you have all the answers. This keeps away information and perspectives that would be helpful to you.

Your desire to be of service to others is sincere. However, it may be blocking you from seeing the necessity of working on your own inner development. You can be domineering and righteous, often telling others what is right and what is wrong. You often feel a lack of appreciation from others.

There is an opportunity to be of service, to teach and heal, but you will have to achieve a balanced perspective between your idealism and your resistance to personal transformation.

If you have a 6 Karmic Lesson this Challenge is more difficult to overcome.

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Challenge number 7

 

 

All the characteristics that have to do with the irrational and holistic side of life - spirit, humor, playfulness, and intuition - are being shut out. Your challenge is to find some philosophy and, ideally, a community that will give you additional perspectives, and force you to bring out the many other characteristics that are a fundamental part of you. Otherwise, you risk loneliness and isolation.

You have to learn faith. When you consider that most of life is made up of the invisible world - thoughts, emotions, insight, and love - you can begin to appreciate that only a small part of life is within the domain of your senses.

You may have too much pride. You may experience a deep and humbling transformation that will set free the inner being you are keeping trapped within you.

Some people with a 7 Challenge, especially if it appears as the Third or Main Challenge in their chart, will eventually turn 180 degrees and become emerged in the search for spiritual clarity. A number of Saints and Holy Men or Women are found to have a 7 Main Challenge.

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Challenge number 8

 

 

For many with this challenge, there is a danger of becoming so obsessed with materialism that they may be tempted to ruthless and unscrupulous business practices, possibly crossing the borders of the law and causing themselves and others much misery.

You are facing a very real spiritual test in which you must realize that"Man does not live by bread alone." If you overcome this hurdle, you will achieve real spiritual and material balance, and can make yourself a powerful river, bringing an inexhaustible supply of nourishment to all, rather than a lake, whose nature is limited and can easily grow stagnant and can no longer support life.

If you have an 8 Life Path or an 8, 17, or 26 Birth Day number, this Challenge pushes your numerology chart off balance and money issues become a problem throughout the life.

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If you are currently working your way through our Do Your Own Reading section, continue with The Balance number.

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Do Your Own Reading

• Life Path
• Birthday number
• Expression number
• Heart's Desire/Soul Urge number
• Personality number
• Hidden Passion number
• Karmic Lesson number
• Balance number
• Period Cycles
• Pinnacle Cycles
• Challenges

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