High-flyers whose lives are ruled by LUCKY numbers

They’re all intelligent professionals. And they all passionately believe that a single special number is their key to success in life, love and business ...

WHENEVER events planner Abby Knight reminisces about the night she met her husband, she never dwells on such romantic details as the flowers he bought, the dress she wore or the bar they chatted in.

Instead, Abby, 55, recalls the uncanny fact it happened on November 9, 1999 — because nine, she believes, is her lucky number.

‘When a friend set me up on a blind date on that night, I was over the moon — a numerology expert had told me the number nine would always bring me love and luck. Sure enough, we had a great evening and met again for another date — this time on December 9!

‘Our relationship progressed from strength to strength. So when, in September 2000 — the ninth month, of course — Chris proposed on the London Eye, I immediately said yes.’

The fact their marriage is a success is no surprise to Abby, who today lives happily in Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex, with Chris, 60, a company director.

‘Two years before Chris and I met, I’d consulted a feng shui expert, who also specialised in numerology — the study of numbers and the mystical impact they can have.

‘She was able to explain, based on Chinese calculations around when I was born, that nine would bring me lasting happiness.’

While sceptics may scoff at the idea of placing one’s future on a number, more and more women see numbers as a sign or path to a happier, more romantic or professionally fulfilling life. Indeed, many confidently make business decisions, organise their love lives and even buy a property, not for the kerb appeal, but for the number on the door.

Holistic therapist and author Susan Horwell says that, for many, numbers offer a lifeline in times of uncertainty. But she cautions they should always be taken in context.

‘I’ve seen number trends come and go. For example, everyone thought that December 12, 2012, would herald some sort of miraculous new world.

‘But when the date came, it was just another day in winter. That didn’t stop unscrupulous “teachers” making money by offering advice about the day’s significance to gullible people.’

Former bank manager Sharon Crowley retrained as a numerologist a year ago, and she has seen a tidal wave of women looking for magical answers in the world of numbers during the pandemic.

‘The past two years have been catastrophic for how we feel,’ she says. ‘That, combined with the uncertainty of our futures, has meant women have turned inwards to look for hope and inspiration. Numerology, a Chinese practice that has been around for 4,000 years, can identify strengths, great career choices and life purpose.’ Indeed, most cultures give weight to the significance of numbers. In the West, we see 13 as unlucky, while the Chinese avoid the number four.

Abby believes she was attracted to numerology because she’s from a long line of ‘spooky’ women.

‘My mother and grandmother were both gifted; Mum could read tarot cards and we were both a bit obsessed with astrology and Chinese horoscopes.

‘After the relationship with my son Dan’s dad ended in 1997, I read a feature about feng shui and links to numerology and decided that, now I was in my new house (coincidentally number nine!), I would make sure the next relationship was for keeps.

‘The feng shui expert I hired wanted to know all about my life before she explained the numbers that would be significant to me and my future.’

‘Eight has always been unlucky for me, whereas 13 is usually good. That’s why something clicked when she mentioned nine. I became obsessed with it, and even asked her to help me and Chris pick our wedding date.

“It has to be November 9, 2001, for long and lasting happiness,” she said. And she was right — we celebrated 20 years together this year and are still blissfully happy.’

Many celebrities are also convinced numbers are the key to success. Socialite Paris Hilton believes in the ‘power number’ 11:11.

She said ‘I do’ on November 11 this year, and regularly posts on social media when the time is 11:11, encouraging her followers to make a wish.

Shirley-Ann O’Neill, 46, is a fellow believer, but admits her approach to lucky numbers may be ‘a bit woo woo’. Still, she ardently believes that the number three has always been lucky for her.

She explains: ‘I grew up as one of three children and our nickname was the three musketeers. The number is in my date of birth, my mother’s birthday, and the date of my first house purchase.

‘More recently I found a retirement bungalow for my father which had number three in the address.’

Shirley-Ann, a divorcee who lives in Liverpool with her daughter, Mollie, three, says she has even received mystical confirmation that her ‘life path number’ is three.

‘Many years ago I saw a medium. I was a sceptic, yet when she explained that the number three reflects a person who is creative and optimistic, I realised that’s me.’

Shirley-Ann says she had this confirmed by U.S. medium John Edward, who has 1.1 million Facebook followers. He gave her numerous examples of the significance of three in her life by quoting important family birthday dates and anniversaries. John also knew her parents’ wedding anniversary fell on the third of a month.

This is why throughout her career in senior positions for arts organisations she has always used ‘the power of three.’

‘In business, admitting that you use numerology isn’t a good idea, because not everyone believes in it. But I’ll always ask clients three questions: where are they today, where do they want to be and how do they want to get there?

‘I set myself three daily goals. To stop myself procrastinating, I’ll send just three emails — knowing that once I start, I’ll get my work finished. I extend this to my home life, too: I’ll wash three dishes, put away three pieces of laundry. I’ll also do three minutes of artwork with my daughter every day. I find that this approach breaks the habits of self-doubt and of putting things off.’

The notion of lucky numbers also fascinates Dr Lizzy Bernthal, a former midwife who worked in Hong Kong during the 1980s.

‘Soon after I arrived it was August 8 (the eighth month of the year), 1988. I couldn’t understand why so many women were booking in for an induction or an elective Caesarean section on this particular date. I discovered

‘Our wedding date had to be the ninth for luck and lasting love’

the reverence the Chinese have for the number eight.’

Today, Lizzy, 59, lives in Bromsgrove, Worcester, with her husband Paul, 69, a retired Army scientist, and their daughter Rodena, 19. Lizzy says that since she discovered that eight is associated with luck, prosperity and wealth, she has sought to include it in her life.

‘I was deployed to Afghanistan on March 18, where I was going to spend four months in charge of healthcare for personnel.

‘I was aware as I left that I might not see my daughter and husband again. But leaving on a date ending with eight felt like a good omen — and it was, because I came home.’ nowadays, Lizzy works as a resilience and empowerment specialist and confidence coach.

She uses the figure of eight in her work, as a metaphor for the empowering journey clients take to get back to themselves.

Yet while she says the practice doesn’t extend completely to her business, she has noticed the number crop up on more than one occasion. ‘My business phone has an eight at the end and my credit card has, too. In fact, I have sent back credit cards if they didn’t have an eight at the end.

‘I’ve even been known to change hotel rooms if the energy of the number doesn’t feel right — a room that contains a number eight is always on my wishlist. It bodes well for a great holiday.’

Artist and sound healing practitioner hayley Ku’unani, believes the number 22 is one that ‘follows her everywhere’ because it is her ‘soul number’ — identified by adding together the numerology numbers assigned to the vowels in your full name.

hayley, 28, who lives in London, explains that ‘power numbers’ in the spiritual world are those containing double digits.

Many numerologists believe that when you double a number, you double the intensity and impact it can have. ‘The number 22 is considered to be “the architect” or “master builder” and reminds me to pay attention to my life,’ says hayley. ‘During my darkest times, 22 would always be there. even on good days, 22 has my back.

‘I decided to have the alchemy cube, which represents 22, tattooed on my fingertips while on a trip to Romania in 2016. That way, the vibration of the number makes me more creative when I work with my hands, such as when I’m creating music while hosting my monthly sound baths.’

For those who scoff at such a notion, hayley cites philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras and his theory that everything in the universe can be explained by numbers. Others who work with numbers refer to the preference of nikola Tesla — the inventor and electrical engineer who helped design the system by which our homes are powered by electricity — for the ‘energy numbers’ of three, six and nine as ‘the keys to the universe’.

‘In everyday life, 22 pops up everywhere in phone numbers, receipts, number plates and text messages,’ hayley says. ‘It brings me so much comfort.

‘Ask anyone for their favourite number and they will always have one. In a less spiritual way, they are the building blocks of our world today: we wouldn’t have buildings, our phones or even the internet without them!’

As for Abby, she says she will continue to be influenced by her significant number.

‘People may think I’m a bit obsessed when I say number nine is my talisman, but my life is always positive when there is a number nine in it,’ she says.