Your soul number gives you an indication of how you look at things—your first instinctive reaction, before you begin to rationalize. It's important to know what your impulses are in order to be able to live with them.

The soul number comes from your given name, as it appears on your birth certificate. Let's go back to Winifred Alice Lee. When you convert each of the letters of her full name to a numerical value and add them all up, you should get 86. To reduce, add 8 and 6, which equal to 14; in turn, 1 + 4 = 5. The result is Winifred Alice Lee's soul number.

British philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) stated, “Mathematics is, I believe, the chief source of the belief in eternal and exact truth, as well as in a super-sensible intelligible world” (The History of Western Philosophy).

Here are interpretations for each of the soul numbers:

• At first glance, you're incredibly ambitious. You want to control, dominate, and to possess. That's okay, as long as you realize that you have to play by the rules and stay calm to get what you want. Don't obsess.

• Stop trying to see everything from another person's point of view. It's time that you relied on your own thoughts and trusted your gut. On the other hand, if there is a companion in your life who has the same ideas you have, perhaps what you're doing is right. Think about it, and go on from there.

• You take the side of the underdog before you hear both sides. This means you're easily influenced, and you can, at times, be a little naïve. Still, you are good at giving advice and are creative in your approach to things.

• You're everyone's rock, but it's difficult to find someone that you can rely on and respect. Once you do find that person, you'll be functioning at 150 percent capacity. Get rid of people close to you who drain your energy. Your mission in life is not to be a saint, but to be happy.

• You are more instinctive than analytical and prefer to find solutions quickly, without considering all sides. Unfortunately, you tend to make hasty decisions without listening to others. Take some time to get away from the problem before you make important decisions.

• You feel responsible for making everyone else have a good time, which ruins your own enjoyment. Remember that a sunset can be just as beautiful when you watch it alone.

• Try to feel things on a more emotional level. People don't want your sympathy, they want your empathy. If you feel more comfortable isolating yourself, pick someone to do that with, whether a lover or a friend. Having good company is more important than you realize.

• Sometimes you see an easy solution to a problem but you don't recognize all the hard work needed to make it happen. You should try being more generous and more sensitive to others around you. Not everything has to do with your career.

• You're good at figuring out right from wrong and your hunches are nearly always on the mark. Stop trying to guess what the other person is thinking and, instead, let them tell you. You'll learn something from the experience.