1 and 2

When you think of walking, then it’s natural to think of taking steps with your two feet- hence the “1, 2, 1, 2” rhythm. Well, this is what’s happening when the 1 and 2 are found together: two opposite numbers working together to produce a new entity, that of upright and bipedal walking. But there’s more meanings to this combination: the math processes of complexity and simplification; duplication, splitting and union. Next, these two digits form interesting symbols and shapes which can have various meanings. Lastly, we can liken themes of acceleration, practical increase and steady growth to this combination, while contrasting these themes with those of deceleration, deepening, reflection and introspection.

To kick it off mathematically, seeing any combo of 1’s and 2’s could relate to themes of duplication and complexity or unification and simplicity; as well as traits of balance and stability, depending of course on the sequenced order of these numbers. Obviously then, seeing 1’s followed by 2’s would imply themes of stepping up, growth, duplication, doubling and balance. So, in terms of life, this pcould be a predictor or signal of such similar processes, whether positive or negative, occurring in our lives. It could be the continued growth of a skill, or a bad habit. It could also be a harbinger of division (remember Duality?”) amongst people, things or processes; or, even the arrival of much needed stability of a previously unbalanced and one-sided situation. An example of this could be an employee, overburdened with too many responsibilities, receiving a partner to lighten the workload and make it manageable; or, a group of friends splitting into two groups due to an internal disagreement. Naturally then, the flip side of this, with having 2’s followed by 1’s, would imply the opposite: simplification and “unification” processes; yet also, imbalance. In practical life, this could mean something like complex issues being simplified by through individual or group problem-solving, or perhaps previously divided people, things or processes coming back into union and harmony with each other. But then, we could also maybe see a sudden shift of one-sided financial power in a couple where one partner gets an unexpected promotion; whereas previously, both partners were on equal financial footing.

Then, like we touched on in “The Trilogy”, the 1-2 union is kinda procreative, to put it modestly, as our “marriage of opposites”: the bold, loud, steady, one-pointed and activating 1, versus the humble, quiet, changeable, bilateral and normally pacifying 2. Such a “marriage” results in the 3 (discussed in The Trilogy; 1+2=3) with the 3 being mentioned as symbolic of progeny and family. Of course, this doesn’t have to mean literal, physical progeny, but even things like the creation of new ways of being and doing things as an offshoot of new ideas. This very simply, yet beautifully, sums up the process of having a novel idea or epiphany, and then taking steps to continuously build upon it in the physical, which leads to expansion, growth and the emergence of something new. Now, this kinda mirrors the whole 0-1 transition of taking something unconscious/subconscious and dream-like (0) and making it conscious and “real” (1) (yes, a “The Matrix” flashback…); but, I like to think of the 1 as a step-up from a dream (0) to an actual planned vision and process of manifestation (1), which then continues it’s development (2) to create a whole new complete entity with the ability to grow and expand further (3). Picture apple tree buds of spring (1) turning into full blown green leaves  on branches (2), with the eventual production of “baby”apples (3). This is aptly shown in the number 1212, a number I’ve often seen on digital time clocks, my phone, license plates and maybe even on the microwave. Here we have two subsequent “creative manifesting of an idea to the steady continuation of building” combos, back-to-back, which reduce to “33” (if you add each individual 1+2), which we can read again about in “Master Numbers”, with its interesting connotations of remaining as is, or reducing further to a simple “6” (3+3). So, seeing this could remind us that we need to keep the stamina to implement and keep building upon those beautiful ideas in our heads instead of giving up on them when life starts to get just a bit tougher than normal (advice that I personally need to follow); or, that we are doing so, and in the process, a new self perpetuating entity is on its way to soon be created as a result of the relentless “building-upon-of” our ideas. In this way then, particularly with 1212, it’s a bunch of offshooting smaller tree branches budding and continuing to grow off the main branch. And yet another meaning I saw in the 1212 is that each “12” of this number resembles an “R”, at least in the English language; therefore, seeing two successive “Rs” in 1212 may imply a need for some “R&R” or some “rest and relaxation” in one ‘s life as a other fun side note. Relatedly, “1213” resembles the letters and/or initials “RB”…kinda random I know; but, yeah…

Anyways, building upon the last paragraph, I saw that the 1-2 combo, in that precise order, resembles half of a heart, such as in the number “12”, where you can see the upward curve and downward slope of the 2 (and ignoring the bottom horizontal line) it looks like half a heart, with the 1 next to it, defining the center cut off edge of that half heart. This could mean something akin to all this new age talk about “twin flames” and the like. Basically, that there’s another person in and around your life  that could fulfil and complete one’s romantic side of life to make a “complete heart” if you will (without the cheesiness of it). Building further upon this notion, we could add that there is a symbolic “marriage” and “union of opposites”; or again, like alternating footsteps, we have a coordination of things or entities quite different or opposite from each other that is represented here. Now, this could of course be literal, like finding a partner whom you’re attracted to due to their differences from yourself being intriguing, but it could also be something more subtle: like the need to blend together conflicting opposites in your life, whether that be parents who constantly argue; or, the skillful merging of your boring, analytical, cold, hard, left-brained scientific logic, with your interesting, emotional, lively, artistic, intuitive, imaginative and innovative right brained creativity to truly experience life at a more whole and complete level. But by now, I hope you’ve caught me on something while we’re discussing opposites here…..what about the 0 and 1 being opposites? To be honest, you’re not wrong..in many ways these are also opposites: the 0 with its sleeping, hidden potential; the 1 with its awakened, visible burst of action; then, the conundrum of the 0 being a number, and yet also representing nothingness and the absence of physical-material being. Essentially then, the 0 is like a phantom which neither truly “exists”, at least in a measurable, physical and defined form; and yet, neither is it “dead.” Rather (at least physically) it’s something in-between, like the way a virus is classified; and this is juxtaposed to the 1, which loudly trumpets its presence and clearly asserts its existence. Yet, because the 0 has this subtle, phantom-like, all-pervading, universal quality to it where it totally dissolves its ego-like idea of a standalone separate, visible physical existence in place of an invisible and spiritual identity, it is able to seamlessly mesh with any and all numbers coming after it, and most importantly, because it in a sense, is the birthplace of all subsequent numbers, it becomes difficult in my mind to compare it to the 1 on an equal footing. Not that the 1 (and all other numbers are in any way inferior to the 0, as without the other numbers, it simply would remain like cold, silent outer space: as sleeping potential without the presence of any life, activity or movement whatsoever) but it’s just that I feel the 0 is an entirely different entity to the other numbers; in fact, so different and alien in action, function and magnitude that it can’t be compared in a feasible way with all the other numbers…this is why I feel the 2 is the perfect opposition to the 1, because, it is an established number with a solid, material and defined presence (versus the “in-between”, “phantom-like”, mystical, and spiritual existence of the 0) that still shares traits with the 0: namely, those of passivity, quiet (when not oscillating between extremes) and a kind of “gravitational” and magnetic ability to attract, like in 0 and 2. 

Remember how I talked about gears in a car in The Elusive Zero? Well, just like the 1st gear in a manual will only get you moving from a standstill; but, you can’t drive in that snail-paced gear for long, so here comes the 2 to intensify the speed (and help it connect to higher gears) that will make it into a practical, steady acceleration of speed. If you remember from Master Numbers under “22” about the 2’s curvature in its shape and the association I drew about it being like a “slowed down” lightning bolt; well, if you throw the 1 in the mix: with its straight, stream-lined and ultimately simple shape, resembling a default “quick” lightning bolt, then this can create a few different  implications. Firstly, drawing upon the last paragraph, it can build upon this idea of “an acceleration of speed”. So again, moving from the 1st to 2nd gear will mean a quickening and intensification of processes that were created with the “1” (and possibly conceived of in the womb of the “0“). This could be a new business idea or project, which, after the initial ram-like thrust, really starts to gain ground with the continuing powerful momentum of a raging, charging bull. Or it could be something as simple as your bank account growing and gaining steadily with a good interest rate. Let’s talk about the flip-side: having a 2-1, in that order, can signify anything from a simple deceleration and slowing down of processes, activities or even thoughts in your life to deepened introspection, reflection, contemplation, meditation and analysis of your life and thoughts, as the quick, rushed, frantic, superficial, impulsive, beta-wave lightning bolts give way to the slowed, smooth, deepened, thoughtful, gamma-wave curved lightning bolts, which, through their slowed activity, have had time to gain a special intensity to them.