The number of the inner voice
The Soul Urge number, also called the Heart Desire or Motivation number, is one of the three core numbers taken from a name. While the Destiny number looks at every letter, the Soul Urge uses only the vowels. In numerology the vowels are called the sound of the soul, because they are the open sounds of a name. The number is said to describe what you want deep down, what motivates you when no one is watching and what kind of life feels truly satisfying.
It is often the number that people recognize most quickly. Many find that the Soul Urge describes private wishes that do not show on the outside, and that it explains why a path that looks right on paper can still feel empty.
Which letters count
The vowels are A, E, I, O and U. The letter Y is a special case. Most numerologists count Y as a vowel only when it acts as one, for example in Lynn or Rhythm, where there is no other vowel in the syllable, or in the name Mary, where it ends a syllable with a long vowel sound. When Y acts as a consonant, as in Yolanda or Kayla, it is left for the Personality number. The same applies to W in rare cases such as Bowen, though many ignore this. Pick one rule and apply it the same way each time.
The letter values are the same as in the Pythagorean chart: A 1, E 5, I 9, O 6, U 3, and Y 7 when counted.
How to calculate it
- Write the full birth name.
- Mark every vowel.
- Replace each vowel with its number. A is 1, E is 5, I is 9, O is 6 and U is 3.
- Add the vowels of each name and reduce each total to a single digit, keeping 11, 22 and 33.
- Add the results and reduce once more, keeping the master numbers.
Example: John Smith. The vowels in John are O, giving 6. The vowel in Smith is I, giving 9. Add 6 and 9 to get 15, then 1 + 5 = 6. The Soul Urge number is 6.
Example: Anna Lee. The vowels in Anna are A and A, giving 1 + 1 = 2. The vowels in Lee are E and E, giving 5 + 5 = 10, then 1. Add 2 and 1 to get 3. The Soul Urge number is 3.
What the numbers mean
1. A wish for independence and to lead. You want to do things in your own way and to be first.
2. A wish for peace and close bonds. You want harmony, and to feel needed by someone you trust.
3. A wish for joy and self expression. You want to create, to speak and to be seen.
4. A wish for stability and order. You want a secure base and work that you can finish.
5. A wish for freedom and experience. You want change, travel and room to move.
6. A wish to care and to belong. You want a home, a family or a community to look after.
7. A wish for truth and solitude. You want to understand, and need time alone to think.
8. A wish for achievement and respect. You want to build something strong and to be taken seriously.
9. A wish to serve and to complete. You want to help others and to live by high ideals.
11. A wish for inspiration and meaning. You feel called to uplift others, and need a calm life to manage nerves.
22. A wish to build something large and useful. You want to turn a big plan into real form.
33. A wish to heal and teach through love. You want to give, and must learn to protect your own energy.
The three name numbers together
A name gives three numbers that are read as a set.
Destiny. All letters. The tools and goals, what you are likely to do.
Soul Urge. Vowels. The inner wish, what you want.
Personality. Consonants. The outer style, what others see first.
A person with a Soul Urge 7 and a Personality 3 may look sociable and light, but need quiet and deep thought. A person with a Soul Urge 3 and a Personality 8 may seem serious and driven, while longing to play and create. The gap between inner and outer is often the most interesting part of a reading.
In the example John Smith, the Soul Urge is 6 and the Personality is 11, which reduces to 2. These two combine to give the Destiny 8. See the page on numerology for an overview of the whole set, and How is a Life Path number calculated? for the number that comes from the birth date.
Using the number
Read your Soul Urge as a question. Does the description match a private wish you have? If it does, ask whether your life gives it room. A Soul Urge 5, for example, may feel trapped in a job with no change, and a Soul Urge 4 may feel stressed by constant change. The number can help you notice what is missing, and to choose small changes that give the inner wish a place.
If it does not seem to fit, that is also useful. Name differences, spelling and the choice of system can change the result, and the symbolic meaning is only a loose guide.
A word of balance
Scientific studies have not found that the vowels in a name reveal inner desires. Numerology is a symbolic practice, and many people enjoy it for reflection. Treat the number as a prompt for thought and not as a fact about you, and avoid paying for services that promise to fix your life with a name change.