The Magic Behind The Number 9

A few weeks ago, I dove into Nikola Tesla’s magical number 369. From manifestation methods to vortex mathematics, I concluded that no matter the community you are in, 369 is a magical number. But that led me down another rabbit hole: the magic behind 9.

The number 9 is considered magically powerful for many different reasons. In numerology, numbers are more than just symbols. Some people call these angel numbers or synchronicities.

You’ve probably heard someone at some point: “It’s 11:11, make a wish!” That’s because 1 represents a beginning and is a perfect time to whip out that 369 manifestation method I mentioned previously.

Whereas 9 is the end of a cycle. The final single digit in the decimal system, sitting on the boundary of 10, marking the end of singularity. For this reason, it represents wisdom and spiritual awakening.

Folklore and Myth

For instance, in Norse mythology, there are 9 realms of Yggdrasil. Odin, the King of the Gods, knowledge and wisdom, sacrifices himself on Yggdrasil for 9 nights and 9 days until the magic of runes is revealed to him.

In addition, the God of Thunder and wielder of Mjolnir, Thor, dies on his ninth step after slaying the sea serpent Jormungandr during the apocalyptic events of Ragnarok from its venom. Ragnarok, of course, marks the end of Nordic mythology.

Or take the phrase ‘being on cloud 9’, a feeling of completion and satisfaction, originally used to describe spiritual enlightenment or perfect bliss. Fairytale heroes must travel 9 seas or climb 9 mountains to complete the quest. For example: The city of Troy was besieged for 9 years before the infamous Trojan horse story, which happened in the 10th year.

In fairy lore, if you step into a fairy ring for more than 9 seconds, you will be trapped in the spiritual realm for 9 years. And in some cases, fairies may demand impossible tasks that involve the number 9, so that you never complete the task, trapping you in a cycle that will forever be incomplete.

9 in various folklore and myth is linked to the underworld, where humanity's journey ends, whether that be the 9 circles of hell or the Aztec underworld of 9 levels before rest.

To reach Hades, you must travel via the River Styx, which wraps around the underworld 9 times to ensure no one can escape. When Persephone is kidnapped and taken to the underworld, her mother, Demeter, searches the realm for 9 days without eating, drinking or sleeping.

In witchcraft, some spells require 9 ingredients, 9 stirs in the cauldron, or 9 days to complete a full cleansing.

Mathematics

Safe to say there is a lot of folklore, myth and culture regarding the number 9. All echoing the theme of completion, awakening, and wisdom. And what I have discussed here is only a smidge of it. I could spend the whole article on folklore, just Ancient Egypt alone, but I wanted to touch on the mathematical side of the number, because that too is pretty magical.

I mentioned in the Tesla article that, in doubling sequences, 9 creates an infinite feedback loop. 9, 18, 36: take the digital root in double-digit numbers: 1+8=9, 3+6 =9. This is vortex mathematics, but in multiplication, the answer is also 9!

You can literally multiply any number by 9; once again, take the digital root and boom, the answer is 9. 9x3=27, 2+7=9, 9x5=45, 4+5=9, 9x7=63, 6+3=9 - even if you take 9x11=99, 9+9=18, 1+8=9!

It never ends. Sticking with multiplication, there is a little mathematical trick that you may have seen on your For You Page at some point.

Take a random number, say 1782; we add the digital root: 1+7+8+2=18. Now we can add 1+8=9 to get straight to 9, OR we subtract the answer 18 from the original number we chose: 1782-18=1764 and again take the digital root and add together 1+7+6+4=18, 1+8=9.

I chose that number completely at random, and I am shocked myself, so let’s try another:

4567 - 4+5+6+7=22, 4567-22=4545, 4+5+4+5=18! 1+8=9 aaaah!

My flabbers are gasted.

Whether it’s cats and their 9 lives, the Swedish language's 9 vowels, or 9 rings for the realm of men, 9 is a powerful number, transcending language, culture, myth, and maths.

If you’re interested in magical numbers, why not give this a read:

Nikola Tesla's Magical Number