Like many others, I was deeply saddened by the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18th, 2020. She leaves a seat open on the court that, if filled with a conservative, could undo the progress made for gender equality, women's interests, civil rights, and liberties over the last couple of decades.
I watched the documentary ‘RBG’ and the biographical drama ‘On the Basis of Sex’ when they were released in 2018. Back then I sat with my notepad and calculated the energies at play in her birthday and name vibrations while being at once infuriated by the discrimination she had to endure and in awe of her unwavering focus on creating a more equal and just society for all.
I’m sharing this little numerology case study to help you see just how much we’re shaped not only by our birthday but by the name vibrations we carry. Of course, there is always so much more to say about someone than I could cover here and out of respect for people’s privacy, there are things I won’t discuss or disclose in a public setting even if the numbers point to it clearly.
Notorious RBG as she was lovingly nicknamed by lawyer and author Shana Knizhnik was one of only 9 women in a class of about 500 men when she enrolled at Harvard Law School in 1956. Because of the hurdles in getting both a clerkship and steady employment after graduation, her journey with the law early on became focused on challenging the laws that made discrimination on the basis of gender legal.
A note here on seeing people in a nuanced way and how we read a numeroscope and birth date. No one is without flaws or challenges. While Ginsburg was a beacon of hope and a role model to many she chose strategic advocacy that focused on gender-based discrimination yet did so in an incremental way instead of trying to reach far into the future and try to pull it closer in one fell swoop. Some of her votes on the Supreme Court on environmental or criminal justice were more conservative than one might expect from a liberal legal icon. She was a complex person and legal mind as we will see when we dive into her numbers.
Ginsburg argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court between 1973 and 1976, winning five. She was nominated by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, to a seat on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit where she served until 1993, when she was elevated to the United States Supreme Court by nomination from President Bill Clinton. In her 27 years on the Supreme Court, she authored the court's opinion on landmark gender equality cases and penned multiple scathing dissents on behalf of the liberal minority.
Joan Ruth Bader was born March 15, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. When we look purely at her essence = her birthday, the information we get is this:
15 = 1+5 = 6. Her first base number is 6.
March = 3 and within the Sun sign of Pisces.
1933 = 1+9+3+3 = 16, 1+6 = 7. Her second/yearly base number is 7.
There are 9 base numbers, each one with specific gifts, challenges, and life goals. In numerology, we use the digit sum of larger numbers unless we’re talking about name vibrations, karmic lessons, and/or life themes. Want to learn more about each base number and yourself? At the bottom of this blog, you can sign up for the newsletter and get instant access to the free e-book ‘Your Numerological Essence’!
Ginsburg is a 6 and a 7, which tells us she was born with a heart that beat fiercely for other people and a mind that saw the greater challenges and structures in play when it comes to sharing and distributing resources for a community.
This combination of base numbers and sun sign could make someone a patron of the arts or drawn to working with architecture, social work, or education. A loving yet strict teacher who loves the beautiful things in life has an eye for detail and presentation and wants to see everyone enjoy an equal playing field.
The base number six is connected to Venus and has life lessons connected to love, boundaries, and service. Sixes can be very stubborn and strong-willed and if they have struck out a challenging path for themselves, it can be tough to change their mind. There is an element of pride and self-sufficiency in their emotional make-up that can make it hard for them to give up and accept help, even if it looks like they are on a hopeless endeavor and need assistance. Sixes are prone to sacrificing themselves for causes and people close to their hearts. There is a distinct parental element to this base number and in Ginsburg’s own words from the RBG documentary “I did see myself as kind of a kindergarten teacher in those days because the judges didn’t think sex discrimination existed.”
RBG argued for looking beyond our borders to foreign law and norms to shape U.S. law. The 7 in her second base number points to this interest and openness in implementing and being inspired by ideas from beyond one’s own circles. If 7’s don’t travel in the world they spent a lot of time visiting other places in their mind.
There are particular aspects in Ginsburg’s birth date and the interaction of her base numbers that have to do with the influence of micro and macro scale ways of inflicting change. Base number 6 is connected to our heart chakra and base number 7 to our crown chakra so Ginsburg had a unique way of looking at the interactions of our relationships and life from up close and then being able to dissect it from a higher perspective. The base number 6 is also connected to the sun signs of Libra and Taurus so working with justice and tangible change for the feminine and minorities is very on-brand for this combination.
I can’t help but notice that any 6 would find it against their nature to not care about the persona they present to the world so Ginsburg’s collection of collars she wore with her black robes for the court, fishnet gloves, and way of using her clothing to signal an opinion was such a stylish yet natural power move.
If you want to understand more aspects of the following numbers you will need a copy of my book A Little bit of Numerology to write out Ginsburg’s two numeroscopes. We start by adding up the numerical value of all the letters in a specific name to fin the vibration behind it. The chart is based on the Chaldean alphabet.
1 = A I J Q Y
2 = B K R
3 = C G L S
4 = D M T
5 = E H N X
6 = U V W
7 = O Z
8 = F P
9 -
The calculation for the name Joan Ruth Bader and her married last name Ginsburg looks like this:
Joan: 1+7+1+5 = 14/5
Ruth: 2+6+4+5 = 17/8
Bader: 2+1+4+5+2 = 14/5
Ginsburg: 3+1+5+3+2+6+2+3 = 25/7
When looking at Ginsburg’s numeroscope, meaning how her name and essence interacts, it gets clear that she was born to be an incredibly hard worker. Even with the name change after her marriage, there are so many indications of being able to push through and sacrifice physical comfort for the sake of something greater.
The name vibration 14/5 shows up twice in her numeroscope and has to do with connection, communication, speaking, writing, the media or stage, a good amount of influence, logical thinking, and enjoyment when it comes to debating, fighting, or getting your point across. There is an emphasis on ‘voice’. This name vibration definitely toned down the harmony seeking elements of her first base number in favor of sharing, defending, or criticizing a point of view.
The name Ruth carries the 17/8 vibration and is a fortunate name vibration when the person carrying it makes it their mission to work for the greater good. It draws attention and spotlight to the path one embarks on and a promise of being remembered beyond the limits of one lifetime. Numerologists often point to the choice that someone carrying this vibration has to make between becoming notorious or celebrated since the vibration will find a way of expressing itself no matter what.
Before marrying Martin Ginsburg in 1954 the life theme in her numeroscope had an extraordinary focus on toughness, work, independence, survival, and a good deal of temperament. No doubt this served her well and got her noticed throughout her school years while not inviting in a lot of close relationships. No one is born with this life theme without having a line up of challenges coming their way that they need the extra toughness for.
After her marriage and the addition of the 25/7 vibration in Ginsburg, her life theme changed in a way that must have opened her world up in many ways, not only is there more love available but also more help from others. Her new life theme points to a sense of greater responsibility and a tendency to solve problems for others that one is unable to solve for oneself.
Some of the things that stand out from her numeroscope are rebellious or unorthodox problem solving, a growing and grounded belief in her own voice and contribution, and a sense of purpose that must have felt like a strong force in her life.
There are certain challenges for everyone carrying the 25/7 vibration as it gives us a ‘tunnel of learning’ as part of our life. If we pay attention to our lessons we will get through it fast, for others, it can be a long road to finally be able to master the gifts and handle them with care.
One of the biggest obstacles I see in Ginsburg's numeroscope is the juxtaposition between her second base number's need for breaks - 7 is the number for pauses and divine intervention - and the relentless push of responsibility that 25/7 brings. She would undoubtedly have benefited from more rest and recuperation between her fights with cancer yet it was also her sense of duty and enjoyment of her work that got her through so many of them.
If you want more insights into the life and achievements of this brilliant legal mind and trailblazing feminist I recommend watching ‘RBG’ or ‘On the Basis of Sex’ today and picking up Linda Hirshman’s ‘Sisters in Law' or 'Notorious RBG' by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik.
100% Love
Novalee Wilder
Professional Numerologist
PS: I wrote another case study on Quincy Jones that you can read right here.