Ever noticed the same set of numbers appearing on your receipts, on your alarm clock, and on random phone numbers?
It’s the universe trying to tell you something!
At least that’s the theory behind angel numbers, which are huge on TikTok (the hashtag has been used 315.5 thousand times) and were the subject of a recent New York magazine article that went viral.
So £9.99 wasn’t just the total of your overpriced latte and toastie, it was your guardian angel whispering an important message to you.
Confused? To understand numbers, you must first tackle ‘numerology’.
This is the belief that certain numbers have a mystical relevance, and it has been floating around for a while.
For example, Pythagoras, born around 570 BC, told what 10 was like
perfect number, which held the key to understanding the cosmos.
Kylie Jenner has been seen wearing a necklace with the numbers 222 on it
Chris Brown performs in support of his 11:11 Tour opener at Little Caesars Arena on June 5, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan
Numerology has now found a fandom among Generation Z, which is perhaps not surprising considering that 70% of 18-24 year olds believe in at least one pseudoscientific discipline.
Back to angel numbers. They started in 2004 with Doreen Virtue – a then 46-year-old ex-psychotherapist turned New Age ‘teacher’ based in (quelle surprise) California.
Virtue kept seeing special numbers – specifically 111 and 444 – repeated on things like bills and phone numbers.
She decided they were miraculous messages from angels.
Virtue’s method of deciphering? Who knows. But she published a book in 2005 with co-author Lynette Brown, Angel Numbers: Angels Explore the Meaning of 111, 444, and Other Numbers in Your Life.
Do you see 333 everywhere? This means that you are called to recognize the purpose of your life.
For 444, you are on the right track, even if you don’t know it yet. Go to the casino when you see 888 because it represents abundance.
And if you have 777, you’re in luck, because that’s the most sacred of all numbers – and spiritual evolution is certainly just around the corner.
This is all according to Virtue’s book, a 300-page glossary that deciphers the hidden meanings behind every possible three-digit combination (a sequel decoding four-digit strings followed in 2008). It currently has 853 five-star ratings on Goodreads.the line
So why are numbers back on our radar? TikTok, of course, where #angelnumbers videos have collectively racked up millions of views.
Former New Age teacher Doreen Virtue branded the practice ‘garbage’ and admitted she was ashamed to come up with it
They are mainly ‘angel number explainers’, with 22 year old gurus making announcements such as ‘I am a qualified spiritual coach and I have studied over a thousand angel numbers’. There are also celebrities who endorse this. Kylie Jenner has been seen wearing a necklace with 222 engraved on it.
Unfortunately, numerology.com reports that this means your life is out of balance.
The Hills’ Kristin Cavallari is so dedicated that she wears her number on her skin; 1111 is tattooed on her bicep, which would mean that you could be entering a new phase of your life or starting a journey.
Chris Brown recorded the same sequence last year in a confusingly named song called Angel Numbers/Ten Toes.
Would you like to add accessories with your preferred number? There are tons of options, but why not make like Jenner and go for a necklace? Abbott Lyon sells them for £79, and you can personalize yours by choosing up to four angel numbers. Plot twist! Virtue, the maker of numbers, has decided they are bull***t.
After moving to Hawaii and converting to Christianity in 2017, she has denounced numbers as a “New Age deception” and referenced the Biblical teaching that says interpreting omens is detestable to God.
Her personal website now asks others not to sell her old work. But the mystique surrounding numbers has continued unabated, with one popular TikTok influencer saying: ‘The angels still use those numbers to communicate with you, even though the woman who coined the term no longer fits in.’ We are not 100% – or even 444% – convinced.