Does Number 666 Make Astrology Creepy?
A terrible curse or incredible luck? We can only marvel at the centuries-old history and legends variety which has grown around three sixes during the millenniums of mankind's existence. But what does 666 mean in different religions and why it became so popular? Read and learn right now about both wide-spread and not so much common myths associated with the mysterious number, as well as about the hidden meaning of 666 in numerology.
Three Sixes in Christianity
The classical representation of 666 in the Christian religion always had a negative interpretation. Most often, it is associated with the so-called number of the beast, which is mentioned in the Book of Revelation of John the Theologian. In his verse, John described a terrible beast with seven heads and ten horns that rises from the sea. There are ten crowns on its horns. And there is the name of the blasphemer on its heads. It is believed that John borrowed such a complex and vivid image from an ancient Phoenician-Canaan myth about the Khaos – a terrible sea monster that rose from the depths to battle with a god-hero such as Baal or Hadad. Other researchers believe that seven beasts' heads symbolize seven Roman emperors who were especially cruel to Jews and, later, to Christians. These seven emperors most often include Titus, Vespasian, Nero, Claudius, Caligula, Tiberius, and Augustus. It is also possible that one of them could be Johns' contemporary – the emperor Domitian.
In the Holy Scripture, there is only one mention of 666 – in the New Testament. Here, this number is used as the personification and sign of the Apocalyptic Beast – Satan's protégé. The German philosopher and historian Friedrich Engels believed that in the Bible, the name of the cruel Roman emperor Nero (“Nero Caesar”), well known for his persecution of Christians, was encrypted under the number 666. Engels's research was based on the belief that in the first century AD, the names of famous kings, who had ruled at the time writing the book, had been often encrypted in order to avoid negative consequences and persecution. So, numerical values were assigned for each letter. Later the authors summarized the numerical values of the letters in words (names) and wrote down only the number. Because the Roman characters also had the meaning of numbers, Engels suggested that this word could stand for any name or concept as a numeric code. He analyzed the information and assumed that the author of the Apocalypse had encrypted the name of the emperor Nero in this way because he couldn't write about him openly at that time.
There is also a version that there was a mistake made when the Revelation of St. John was rewritten, and the real number of the beast is 616, not 666. But this assumption wasn’t proved yet.
Three Sixes in Judaism
Despite the fact that the Jewish faith formed the basis of Christianity, the concept of three sixes does not have an ominous connotation in it. On the contrary, in Judaism, the number 6 is a blessed one, referring to the book of Ruth. It says that Boaz, the great-grandfather of King David, gave Ruth, the biblical righteous and his future wife, six barley ears. According to the Sanhedrins treatise of the Talmud, these ears are described not as a modest gift, but rather as a hint of Boaz that there will be 6 righteous persons in the family of Ruth, who will be blessed with six blessings. These six blessings of heaven point at the nobility of the number six. This idea also fits the fact, that in Hebrew, the number 6 is marked with the letter Vav, which is written like a straight line from top to bottom (“I”). Numerically, the name Ruth is written as 606 too. That is why the legend heroine was the bearer of the heaven arrangement herself and was honoured with blessing, which passed on to her descendants.
Midrash also hints at the safe meaning of the number 6, when describes the life of Jews in Ancient Egypt by words of the sage Maharal. According to the text, Jewish women gave birth to six children, thereby indicating the divine blessing of the Jewish people in Egypt. So, according to the sage Maharal, the number 666 is more than just safe – it implies the Heavenly blessing of a man.
Arabs and the Combination of Three Sixes
Everything is simpler with the concept of the number 666 in Arabian countries – there is no spiritual and mystical meaning at all. In Islam, 666, like any other number, does not carry any meaning. The reason is that one of the Islamic religion foundations is a ban on the belief that signs, symbols, numbers, and other similar things have any sacred meaning. This belief is rooted in an absolute commitment to monotheism - the faith in one God: in the case with Islam – in Allah. And only the Koran and the Prophet Muhammad are recognized as the only true sources of Islamic teachings.
Muslims oppose Allah to Shaitan, who appears as the analogy of Christian Satan. His main goal is to tempt people, distance them from Allah and force them to make malicious mischief. Despite such an important role, Islamic Shaitan has no form, sign, icon, or idol. In addition, there is a prohibition for Muslims to participate in any form of divination, to visit fortune tellers, or to engage in any other activity associated with superstitions. That's why three sixes in the Islamic world does not mean anything.
The Number Pattern 666 in Chinese Culture
In this eastern culture, three sixes are perceived even in a more positive way. In China, it is still associated with approval. The good connotation of 666 is so strong that you can often find it in blogs, posts or comments to pictures. And here it does not carry any diabolical meaning, but stands for phrases like “Cool!”, “Excellent!” or “LOL”.
The entire Chinese numerology differs from classical numerology. It is built on Taoist traditions, which are described in the Book of Changes and Ching. Here, odd numbers symbolize the masculine beginning of yang, while even numbers symbolize the female yin. Also, the numbers six, eight and nine are assonant with the word that can be literally translated as successful. The number six, in turn, sounds like "prosperity." Hence, Chinese 666 means a wish for triple well-being.
The Implication of 666 in Numerology
In numerology, three sixes also have a positive meaning. It is a symbol of the warmth of a mother's heart and harmony. This number carries the base energy of warm family relationships. It also indicates housekeeping. The number 6 repeated three times characterizes the best human qualities in numerology:
- purposefulness;
- ability to sympathize with other people in their grief;
- readiness for honest deeds.
Six also appears as a support symbol, which can help people in difficult moments and shows a person’s willingness to come to the aid to the weak and defenceless. It is also a symbol of new knowledge and a desire to explore the world.
In the love sphere, the number six denotes strong love relationships, sincere affection, and devotion. If the symbol dominates in a relationship, such a love affair can be considered as stable, earnest and built on mutual respect and a common commitment to creating a family.
Sacred Meaning
The abundance of sixes in a person’s life means a mess in his or her thoughts. Constant contact with the three sixes also shows that it is time to support desires with practical actions: a person should discard minor problems and small financial difficulties and begin developing the inner world to improve material well-being. If sixes are found at every step, it means that the time for changes has come.
Even though this number has strong energy, a person shouldn't get distracted by doing several things at once. You just need to prioritize – only in this case the success can be guaranteed. If a person's business sphere is fine, then three sixes may indicate that his relatives and friends feel a lack of his attention. In this case, it is better to put worries away for a while and spend time with loved ones, trying to find out their fears and worries.
An abundance of sixes in the love sphere can mean a lack of spiritual intimacy or the need to help your soul mate. The situation may refer to a lack of attention, ignoring the partner’s feelings for any reason, or it may simply mean that your partner misses you and would like to see you more often.
The Bright and Dark Sides of Three Sixes
Numerology believes that the appearance of this number is rather a positive sign than a negative one. It is a symbol of goodness and compassion, self-sacrifice and renunciation. But most of three sixes carriers are convinced materialists. They spend their lives earning material wealth and can completely forget about spiritual values. These people are prone to two bad habits at once: gambling and laziness. The first can deprive a person of everything, from home and money to family happiness. But laziness can provoke a person to constant complaints about life coupled with unwillingness to change something in it.
666 in Astrology
A certain role is also assigned to three sixes in astrology. Six is associated with Venus – the planet of beauty and love. So, triple six means triple Venus, and astrology gives 666 a special energy of intelligence, imagination and the desire to achieve goals. But this number also has a negative side: the figures include debauchery, temptation, and destruction as negative manifestations.
Venus patronizes all those who were born in June since it is the sixth month of the year. Sixes also patronize those born on the 6th, 15th or 24th of any month.
People with number six are usually very attractive to other people and cause general admiration. They are naturally charming, reliable and hardworking. Those who have three sixes in their date of birth are also distinguished by a special industriousness and cheerful disposition. Usually, there is no problem in finding a common language with them, and it's nice to communicate with such people. Also, 666 is an opportunity indicator to get a good position or to make a brilliant career in politics or any other managerial or public areas. Such people always have an outstanding sense of justice, but sometimes they are too arrogant, as well as concerned with their appearance.
666 usually does not imply financial difficulties. And sixes are excellent partners not only in business but also in family life. They give their owners a fairly pragmatic outlook on life and the ability to make money.
It is everyone's personal choice whether to believe in mysticism, which is inextricably linked to 666. But we can guarantee that studying such legends can turn into an exciting lesson.