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Show Sacred and Lucky Numbers Superstitious Notions Connected With Almost Every One of the Digits; Six Is Held Highly Potent in Mystical Properties. Very many superstitious and curious curi-ous ideas have been and are still connected with numbers. Great hopes have been founded upon certain combinations com-binations of numbers In lotteries, in horoscopes, or In predictions regarding regard-ing important events. Important undertakings un-dertakings have awaited favorable favor-able dates for their inception, and the lives of more than one leader of men have been more or less influenced influ-enced by a regard for certain numerical nu-merical combinations, supposed to have a dominating power in shaping a successful career, writes a contributor con-tributor in the Birmingham (Eng.) Weekly Post. There have been superstitious notions no-tions connected with nearly every one of the nine digital numbers. The number 1 was held to be sacred sa-cred because it represented the unity of the Godhead. This number is esteemed as very lucky by the Javanese, Jav-anese, who allot but one day to each of the several operations of husbandry, husban-dry, leaving that portion of the crop that could not be gathered in one day. The second digit acquired an especially espe-cially evil reputation among the early Christians, because the second day hell was created, along with heaven and earth. The Caballsts said it typified union of Christ It seems to have been a number unlucky in English dynasties. Harold II was slain in battle; William II and Edward Ed-ward II were murdered ; Ethelred II, Richard II and James n were forced to abdicate; and Henry H, Charles n, and George H were unfortunate in many ways. The number seems to have been an unlucky one to the sovereigns of other European countries. coun-tries. The Charles n's of France, of Navarre, of Spain, of Anjou and of Savoy passed or ended their reigns unhappily. The number 8 has an abundance of superstitions connected with it It was the perfect number of the Pythagoreans, who said it represented represent-ed the beginning, middle and end. A greater importance was given to the number because it represented the Trinity, not only in the Christian Christ-ian religion, but In many others. There was but little mystery attached at-tached to the numbers 4 and 5. In folk-lore the four-leaved clover is especially lucky. The four of clubs is an unlucky card, and it is named the devil's four-post bed. The Cabalists asserted that the number 6 was potent in mystical properties. The world was created In six days, the Jewish servant served six years, Job endured six tribulations, and hence the figure typified labor and suffering. The rabbis asserted that the letter vau, which represented six, was stamped on the manna, to remind the Jews that it fell on six days only. The number 8 was an unlucky one at Rome. Tarquinius Sextus was a brutal tyrant and the church was divided di-vided under Urban the Sixth. The number 7 has been invested with more mystery than all the other oth-er digits together, and to it were ascribed magic and mystical qualities quali-ties possessed by no other numbers. Several learned treatises have been written on this number, and septenary sep-tenary combinations have been sought everywhere. In an old writer of two centuries ago we may read why, in his opinion, the number is peculiarly excellent. First, he says, "It is neither begotten nor begets" ; secondly, "It is a harmonic num- ber and contains all the harmonies"; thirdly, "It is a theological number, consisting of perfection"; fourthly, "It is composed of perfect numbers, and participates of their virtues." He may find better reasons for the Importance attached to this number. Much of it is doubtless due to its prominence in the Bible. The seven days of creation led to a septenary division of time to all ages. Several of the Jewish feasts lasted seven days. Ellsha sent Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times, and Ellpah sent his servant from Mount Oarmel seven times to look for rain. For seven days seven priests with seven trumpets invested Jericho, and on the seventh day they encompassed it seven times. There were seven virtues vir-tues and seven mortal sins. The ancients not only noted tha Importance of seven as an astronomical astro-nomical period, but also connected with the seven planets the seven metals then known. The soul of man was anciently supposed to be controlled by this double septenary combustion. It was also an ancient belief that a change in the body of man occurs every seventh yearn year. Says an old writer: "Augustus Caesar as Gellius saith, was glad, and hoped that he was to live long, because be-cause he had passed his sixty-three years. For olde men seldom passed that year, but they are in danger of their lives. Two years, the seventh and ninth, commonly bring great changes to a man's life, and great dangers; therefore 63, that contaln-eth contaln-eth both these numbers multiplied together, to-gether, contalneth unknown dangers." |