In the Chaldean tradition, there exist 22 primary phonetic vibrations corresponding to individual sounds. When drawing parallels with Latin characters, in certain instances, the conversion of these ancient sounds uses multiple Latin letters, such as in the fifth position where we encounter the letters E and H. Some ancient phonetic positions have remained unused in the European adaptation, for instance, the 18th position housing the sound Tsadi (TS). In the most prevalent contemporary adaptation of Chaldean script to the Latin alphabet, only the letter values are employed. Although phonetic values serve as the foundation for establishing relationships between letters and vibrations, we are unconcerned with pronunciation specifics (e.g., in French, English or Italian, or any language utilizing the Latin script).
Classical analyses work with letters, which are depicted in black in the table. Among these letters, it’s noticeable that the letter S holds a value of 3, despite its closer phonetic association with another sound S (Samekh), which carries a value of 6. This discrepancy arises from the inherent strength of the written form over the phonetic one.
Conversely, one might expect the letter F to potentially carry the value of 6, as it evolved from the sound and letter Waw, associated with the sounds V and W. Nevertheless, analyses indicate that the correct numerical value of this letter is 8.
The letter C also holds connections with the number 2, while the letter H is linked to the number 8. There exists a specific rule governing the circumstances under which these values can be applied.
As for the letter X, which is denoted in green within the table, it is predominantly interpreted today as K+S=2+3=5. However, some perceive it as Samekh or as G+S=3+3=6, in which case it’s positioned phonetically as S, with a value of 6.
Letters marked in red are derivatives of the basic system. Unfortunately, in certain instances (designated with *), values are duplicated. For instance, if the word with Ö can also be written with OE, we obtain values 7 and 12. Similarly, if the word with Ä can also be writen by AE, we obtain values 1 and 6. Likewise, if the word with Ü can also be writen with UE, the values used are 6 and 11.
Letter Ë appears to carry a value of 5. The Croatian letter Đ poses an even greater puzzle; among Croatian numerologists, there is no consensus regarding its numerical value.
Chaldean numerologist Cheiro, lacking familiarity with the Aramaic alphabet, popularized the idea in 1926 that the Chaldeans did not assign any letter to the number 9. He argued instead that the number 9 was so sacred to the Chaldeans that they refrained from assigning it any letter. However, historical evidence shows that the Chaldeans, Jews, and Arameans did, in fact, associate the letters Tet (representing a unique ‘T’ sound) and Tsadi (akin to the Slavic ‘TS’) with the number 9. Moreover, the number 9 and its higher numerological values are employed in calculating names, surnames, and date analyses. Thus, the number’s sanctity is not as absolute as claimed. Nevertheless, Cheiro’s erroneous assertion continues to persist in many works on Chaldean numerology.
Thank you for reading,
Boštjan Lovrat
The Mystery of Numbers, Luck, Worlds and Planets 