Challenge Numbers are the only part of a standard chart built by subtracting rather than adding, and that suits what they describe. They point at what is taken away from you rather than what is given.
Each one matches a pinnacle and covers the same span of years. Where the pinnacle names the opportunity, the challenge names the thing that keeps getting in its way.
How to calculate your Challenge Numbers
Subtract the smaller reduced value from the larger one, and always take the positive result.
- 1
Reduce your birth month, day and year to single digits.
- 2
First challenge: the difference between the month and the day.
- 3
Second challenge: the difference between the day and the year.
- 4
Third challenge: the difference between the first and second challenges.
- 5
Fourth challenge: the difference between the month and the year.
Example for 5 March 1990, where month is 3, day is 5 and year reduces to 1
- First: difference between 3 and 5 = 2
- Second: difference between 5 and 1 = 4
- Third: difference between 2 and 4 = 2
- Fourth: difference between 3 and 1 = 2
Challenges 2, 4, 2 and 2
What each challenge asks for
Challenge 0: no single obstacle, which sounds like good news and is not always. A zero challenge means you must choose your own difficulty, and people who avoid choosing tend to drift.
Challenge 1: learning to stand on your own without either bullying or shrinking.
Challenge 2: learning to be sensitive without being flattened by other people's moods.
Challenge 3: learning to say what you mean instead of performing around it.
Challenge 4: learning to work steadily without becoming rigid.
Challenge 5: learning freedom without wrecking every commitment you make.
Challenge 6: learning to care for people without taking over their lives.
Challenge 7: learning to think deeply without withdrawing from everyone.
Challenge 8: learning to handle money and authority without letting either define you.
Why the same challenge repeats
It is common to get the same number in two or three positions. That is not an error in the method. It means the same lesson runs across most of your life, which usually matches what people already know about themselves.
Questions about the Challenge Numbers
Is a challenge of 9 possible?
No. Because challenges come from the difference between two single digits, the largest possible result is 8. There is no 9 challenge in this system.
Read next
- Timing and cyclesPinnacle NumbersFour long phases built from your date of birth, each carrying a different theme and a different opportunity.
- Karmic numbersKarmic Debt NumberFour specific numbers, 13, 14, 16 and 19, each said to carry an unfinished pattern that keeps presenting itself until it is dealt with.
- Core numbersLife Path NumberThe single most used number in numerology. It comes from your full date of birth and points to the direction your life keeps pulling you toward.