Soul Urge and Expression Numbers in Numerology

The Pythagorean letter chart

Each letter takes a value from 1 to 9, repeating through the alphabet:

• 1: A, J, S
• 2: B, K, T
• 3: C, L, U
• 4: D, M, V
• 5: E, N, W
• 6: F, O, X
• 7: G, P, Y
• 8: H, Q, Z
• 9: I, R

The three name numbers

• Expression (or Destiny): all the letters of your full birth name, added and reduced. Traditionally your natural talents and how you express yourself.
• Soul Urge (or Heart's Desire): the vowels only. Traditionally what you most deeply want.
• Personality: the consonants only. Traditionally how others first see you.

Which name to use

Numerology traditionally uses your full name as it was first recorded at birth, including middle names, even if you've never used them. Married names and nicknames can be calculated too, but they're read as additional layers rather than replacements.

Y is the trickiest letter: it's often counted as a vowel when it sounds like one, as in Lynn, and a consonant otherwise. Different practitioners handle it differently.

Reading them together

A gap between your Soul Urge and your Personality number is common and often interesting: it can describe the difference between what you want inside and how you come across. As always, these are reflective themes, not verdicts.