Kabbalistic numerology: gematria and the 22 vibrations
Two strands: gematria, which adds up the letters of Hebrew words, and a recent French method that draws one of 22 vibrations from the first name.
By Thomas Guilhot · updated
Kabbalistic numerology: where it comes from, what it calculates
In Hebrew, as in ancient Greek, letters also serve as numerals: aleph is worth 1, bet is worth 2, and the series continues up to yod, worth 10. It then goes on by tens, then by hundreds up to tav, worth 400. Every word therefore has a numerical value: this is gematria, one of the interpretive methods known in the rabbinic tradition.
Kabbalah, a mystical current of Judaism developed in the Middle Ages, made it a tool for meditating on sacred texts: two words of equal value can be brought together, and that pairing opens a line of reading. Its works also speak of the ten sefirot, or emanations, and of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. For its followers, it is first of all a religious practice of study.
This legacy must be distinguished from its modern use. Western authors have taken up gematria, sometimes with an adapted Latin alphabet, to draw numbers from a first name or a family name. This version no longer belongs to the Jewish tradition: it is an adaptation, which does not speak on behalf of that tradition. It can be of interest out of curiosity, provided you keep this difference in mind and do not present it as religious teaching.
How it is calculated
In Hebrew, you add up the value of each letter, read from right to left, without reducing to a single digit. Ahava, love, is written with the letters aleph, he, bet, he: 1 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 13. Echad, one, is written aleph, het, dalet: 1 + 8 + 4 = 13. The two words have the same value, and tradition sees in this a pairing to meditate on. The word chai, life, is worth 8 + 10 = 18, a number to which a particular meaning is attached. These examples show that the value of a word is read as a single block, without reduction.
Kabbalistic numerology of the 22 vibrations
Under the name of Kabbalistic numerology there also circulates, mostly in France, a modern method called the 22 vibrations. It starts from the everyday first name, the one people call you by. Each letter receives its value from the Pythagorean table, you add them up, then divide the total by 22 and keep only the remainder; a zero remainder counts as 22. With SOPHIE: 1 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 5 = 36, and 36 = 22 + 14, hence vibration 14, linked to the letter nun.
Each vibration corresponds to one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, from aleph for 1 to tav for 22, and, for most authors, to the tarot major arcana bearing the same number. Some sites follow a different rule: they take the remainder of the total divided by 9 and add 1 to it. SOPHIE then gets 1, since 36 is a multiple of 9: the two methods do not give the same result. In both cases, it is a modern adaptation, which does not speak on behalf of the Jewish tradition.
- 1Add up the letters of the first name (Pythagorean chart)
- 2Divide the total by 22
- 3Keep the remainder; a remainder of zero counts as 22
Calculate your vibration (22 method)
The 22 vibrations and their letters
Each vibration bears the name of a Hebrew letter, with its traditional value; most authors also link it to the major arcana card with the same number (the Fool, unnumbered, counted as 22 on this site). These are reported correspondences, with no predictions.
- 1Alephvalue 1
Will
This vibration is linked to the drive that sets things in motion. It invites you to take the initiative and own your choices without waiting for others’ agreement.
Card 1 (vibration 1) - 2Betvalue 2
House
Welcome, receptivity, and a taste for building a safe place are associated with it. The emphasis falls on patience and on what is built step by step.
Card 2 (vibration 2) - 3Gimelvalue 3
Gift and exchange
The image of the traveler carrying goods from one place to another is often lent to it. It speaks of expression, creativity, and what you put into circulation.
Card 3 (vibration 3) - 4Daletvalue 4
Door
It evokes a threshold crossed with method. Authors read in it stability, order, and the need for solid foundations.
Card 4 (vibration 4) - 5Hevalue 5
Breath
It is linked to inspiration and freedom of movement. It leaves room for curiosity and for whatever renews the way you see.
Card 5 (vibration 5) - 6Vavvalue 6
Link and choice
The hook joining two pieces is its image. Harmony, affection, and the need to choose between two paths are attached to it.
Card 6 (vibration 6) - 7Zayinvalue 7
Discernment
The image of the sword ties it to the ability to separate the essential from the rest. It highlights clarity and effort carried through to the end.
Card 7 (vibration 7) - 8Hetvalue 8
Enclosure
It evokes a bounded space, protected so as to work better within it. Presentations see in it a sense of steady work and responsibility.
Card 8 (vibration 8) - 9Tetvalue 9
Hidden wisdom
This vibration turns inward, toward reflection. It suggests stepping back to let ripen what does not yet show.
Card 9 (vibration 9) - 10Yodvalue 10
Hand
The smallest letter of the alphabet, it stands for the starting point of every accomplishment. Skill and the art of giving form to an idea are read in it.
Card 10 (vibration 10) - 11Kafvalue 20
Open palm
It evokes what you receive as well as what you offer. Generosity, waiting potential, and the art of seizing the moment are associated with it.
Card 11 (vibration 11) - 12Lamedvalue 30
Learning
It is tied to study and the lifting of thought. This vibration values passing on knowledge, listening to those who know, and a taste for understanding.
Card 12 (vibration 12) - 13Memvalue 40
Water
Water that changes form without being lost serves as the image for this vibration. It speaks of transformation and of a past you leave to make room for the new.
Card 13 (vibration 13) - 14Nunvalue 50
Growth
The fish growing in water is its traditional symbol. It stresses continuity, faithfulness to a project, and patient effort.
Card 14 (vibration 14) - 15Samekhvalue 60
Support
It is associated with a stable prop, with what stands upright and surrounds. It evokes trust, in yourself as in others, and the care of choosing your company well.
Card 15 (vibration 15) - 16Ayinvalue 70
Eye
It invites you to see clearly and to observe before acting. Authors attach to it vigilance, fine perception, and the art of untangling appearances.
Card 16 (vibration 16) - 17Pevalue 80
Speech
The mouth makes it the vibration of expression. It underlines the weight of words, the talent for persuading, and responsibility for what you say.
Card 17 (vibration 17) - 18Tsadivalue 90
Uprightness
It is tied to the figure of the righteous person and the search for meaning. This vibration puts integrity and the match between principles and actions first.
Card 18 (vibration 18) - 19Qofvalue 100
Perseverance
It evokes patience and the path covered in small steps. Read in it too is the imitation that precedes mastery, and the tenacity that makes it possible.
Card 19 (vibration 19) - 20Reshvalue 200
Head
The head gives it its image, and with it the idea of guiding. It highlights clarity of thought, a sense of responsibility, and the ability to lead a group.
Card 20 (vibration 20) - 21Shinvalue 300
Fire
The flame is the symbol tradition most often associates with it. It evokes passion, intensity, and the need to set in motion again what stagnates.
Card 21 (vibration 21) - 22Tavvalue 400
Sign
Last letter of the alphabet, the mark that closes the series is its image. It speaks of fulfillment, synthesis, and of what you sign with your name.
The Fool card (vibration 22)
How it differs from this site’s method
This school works on Hebrew letters, with values rising up to 400: it does not reduce to a single digit. It compares words with one another, where the method followed here reads a person’s name. It pursues a goal of study, not portraiture: the number serves to open a discussion on the meaning of a passage or an expression, not to describe someone. Gematria does not apply to first names; the more recent 22 vibrations method does: see below.
Good to know before relying on it
Without knowing Hebrew, you can only imitate gematria, not practice it. A shared value between two words is not a proof: it opens a line of reflection, within the framework that tradition gives it. Calculations done with the Latin alphabet, like the 22 vibrations, belong to a different approach: a modern adaptation, interesting in its own right, which is best not confused with the traditional reading.
Frequently asked questions: Kabbalistic numerology
What is gematria?
It is an interpretive method from the Jewish tradition: each Hebrew letter has a numerical value, and words that give the same sum are compared. It serves first of all to study sacred texts, within a specific religious framework.
What is the value of the Hebrew letters?
The first nine letters are worth 1 to 9, the next ones 10 to 90 by tens, then 100 to 400 by hundreds. Aleph is worth 1, yod is worth 10, tav is worth 400. Some final letters have additional values depending on the system, which complicates the calculation.
Can you do gematria with your first name in French?
You can transliterate a first name into Hebrew letters and add them up, but the result depends on how the sounds are written, with no single rule. For serious use, help from someone who knows Hebrew is valuable. Two transcriptions can give two totals.
Are Kabbalah and numerology the same thing?
No. Kabbalah is a mystical current of Judaism, with its own texts and practice. Modern numerology borrows certain ideas from it, such as the value of letters, but is not part of it. The two should not be confused, and the first does not depend on the second.
How do you calculate your Kabbalistic vibration?
Under the 22 vibrations method, you add up the letters of the everyday first name with the Pythagorean table, then divide that total by 22 and keep the remainder, a zero remainder counting as 22. The result, from 1 to 22, points to a Hebrew letter. The tool on the page does this calculation for you and shows the vibration obtained with its letter.