Cheiro's Numerology and Astrology: the Book of Fate and Fortune

Count Louis Hamon, better known as 'Cheiro' is regarded as the most successful palmist, numerologist, and astrologer of this century. He was seriously initiated into the art of fortune telling when he came to India and lived with the Joshi family in Bombay. He was one of the first to translate and interpret in English the Hindu works of palmistry. Thereafter starting his practice and continuing his study and research he wrote remarkable books on palmistry, numerology and astrology in English.

During my earlier years, when travelling in the East, it had been my good fortune to come in contact with a certain sect of Brahmins who had kept in their hands from almost prehistoric times studies and practices of an occult nature which they regarded as sacredly as they did their own religious teachings. Among other things, they permitted me to learn certain theories on the occult significance of numbers and their influence and relation to human life, which subsequent years and manifold experiences not only confirmed, but justified me in endeavouring to apply them in a practical sense so that others might also use this knowledge with, I hope, advantage to themselves and to those around them.

The ancient Hindu searchers after Nature's laws, it must be remembered, were in former years masters of all such studies, but in transmitting their knowledge to their descendants, they so endeavoured to hide their secrets from the common people that in most cases the key to the problem became lost, and the truth that had been discovered became buried in the dust of superstition and charlatanism, to be re-formed, let us hope, when some similar cycle of thought in its own appointed time will again claim attention to this side of nature.

As a Professional Astrologer, I must admit that even though I studied astrology and palmistry in great depth, it was per chance I discovered the magic of numbers during the course of my learning. This ancient science of numbers has always fascinated mankind but only few have been able to unravel its deeper meaning and significance. Hindu seers contemplate on Shoonya, Bindu or zero, described variously as void, the beginning, or even one without beginning, self-effulgent, etc., and in this void they seek the self the ONE, the omnipresent which, numerologically, is represented as ONE. This itself is the gist of entire science of numbers 0 to 1. In modern times, we are aware of the importance of these two digits in computer language. But seers of yore were intuitively aware of the importance of these numbers and made remarkable study of numbers and their influence over life and events on earth. Such studies were usually shrouded in secrecy and hence it was a practice not to record or write one's observations lest these fall into the hands of uninitiated who could misuse such knowledge which gave unbounded power to its knower. As a result, the finer aspects of the science of numbers have been lost in time. Apart from the Hindus, the ancient civilisations in Greece and Latin America, the practice of numerology was widespread. The Chaldeans, Hebrews, Egyptians, are known to have practiced numerology.

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