Agent-almanac apply-gematria
git clone https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanac
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanac "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/i18n/caveman-ultra/skills/apply-gematria" ~/.claude/skills/pjt222-agent-almanac-apply-gematria-28bd0e && rm -rf "$T"
i18n/caveman-ultra/skills/apply-gematria/SKILL.mdApply Gematria
Compute + analyze gematria — numerical values of Hebrew letters + words. Standard (Mispar Hechrachi), ordinal (Mispar Siduri), reduced (Mispar Katan). Isopsephy compares words equal value. Interpretive frameworks for contemplation.
Use When
- Numerical value of Hebrew word/phrase
- Compare 2 words → shared gematria (isopsephy)
- Which method appropriate for given analysis?
- Study biblical verse or divine name → numerical correspondences
- Explore word meaning ↔ numerical value
- Connect numerical → Tree of Life
In
- Required: Hebrew word, phrase, or divine name (Hebrew script or transliteration)
- Optional: 2nd word/phrase for compare (isopsephy)
- Optional: Method preferred (standard, ordinal, reduced, or all)
- Optional: Context/question guiding analysis
Do
Step 1: Transliterate + ID Hebrew Src
Establish exact Hebrew spelling.
HEBREW LETTER VALUES — Standard Gematria (Mispar Hechrachi): Units: Aleph (A) = 1 Bet (B) = 2 Gimel (G) = 3 Dalet (D) = 4 Heh (H) = 5 Vav (V) = 6 Zayin (Z) = 7 Chet (Ch) = 8 Tet (T) = 9 Tens: Yod (Y) = 10 Kaf (K) = 20 Lamed (L) = 30 Mem (M) = 40 Nun (N) = 50 Samekh (S) = 60 Ayin (Ay) = 70 Peh (P) = 80 Tzadi (Tz) = 90 Hundreds: Qoph (Q) = 100 Resh (R) = 200 Shin (Sh) = 300 Tav (Th) = 400 Final Forms (Sofit — used when letter appears at end of word): Kaf-final = 500 Mem-final = 600 Nun-final = 700 Peh-final = 800 Tzadi-final = 900 Note: Whether final forms carry different values depends on the gematria system. Standard (Mispar Hechrachi) typically uses the same values for regular and final forms. The 500-900 values above follow the extended system (Mispar Gadol).
- English translit → Hebrew letter sequence
- Verify spelling: Hebrew has multiple spellings (plene vs defective)
- Note final-form letters (Kaf-sofit, Mem-sofit, Nun-sofit, Peh-sofit, Tzadi-sofit)
- State src: biblical, divine name, modern Hebrew, technical Kabbalistic term?
- Ambiguous → present both common spellings + compute each
→ Hebrew letter sequence established w/ confidence. User knows which letters summed + verifiable.
If err: Translit ambiguous ("chai" could be Chet-Yod or Chet-Yod-Yod) → both options w/ values + user selects.
Step 2: Standard Gematria (Mispar Hechrachi)
Sum letter values via standard table.
- Write each letter + standard value
- Sum left-to-right (Hebrew reads right-to-left but addition commutative)
- State total
- Note significant:
- Sephira (1-10)
- Path (11-32)
- Well-known (26 = YHVH, 18 = chai, 72 = Shem ha-Mephorash, 137 = Kabbalah)
- Total > 400 → summing multiple hundreds
→ Clear numerical result w/ step-by-step computation. User verifies each letter vs table.
If err: Uncertain Hebrew spelling → compute all plausible + note range. Correct depends on src text.
Step 3: Ordinal + Reduced (Optional)
Alternative values revealing different patterns.
ORDINAL GEMATRIA (Mispar Siduri): Each letter receives its ordinal position (1-22): Aleph=1, Bet=2, Gimel=3, Dalet=4, Heh=5, Vav=6, Zayin=7, Chet=8, Tet=9, Yod=10, Kaf=11, Lamed=12, Mem=13, Nun=14, Samekh=15, Ayin=16, Peh=17, Tzadi=18, Qoph=19, Resh=20, Shin=21, Tav=22 REDUCED GEMATRIA (Mispar Katan): Reduce each letter's standard value to a single digit: Aleph=1, Bet=2, ... Tet=9, Yod=1, Kaf=2, ... Tzadi=9, Qoph=1, Resh=2, Shin=3, Tav=4 Then sum the digits. If the sum exceeds 9, reduce again. Example: Shin(3) + Lamed(3) + Vav(6) + Mem(4) = 16 → 1+6 = 7 ATBASH: A substitution cipher: first letter ↔ last letter. Aleph ↔ Tav, Bet ↔ Shin, Gimel ↔ Resh, etc. Used in biblical and Kabbalistic cryptography (Jeremiah's "Sheshach" = Babel via Atbash).
- Ordinal: sum each letter's position (1-22)
- Reduced: reduce each standard → single digit, sum + reduce
- Present all 3 side-by-side
- Note which method reveals most interesting connections
→ 3 values (standard, ordinal, reduced) side-by-side. Reduced often links single-digit sephirotic nums, useful Tree mapping.
If err: User wants 1 method only → provide + mention others exist. No overwhelm.
Step 4: Search Isopsephy
Hebrew words/phrases sharing value.
- Take standard gematria (Step 2)
- Search well-known words, divine names, phrases same value
- Present 2-5 connections, prioritize:
- Biblical words + phrases
- Divine names + sephirotic titles
- Traditional Kabbalistic connections (classical srcs)
- Surprising or illuminating
- Per connection note src tradition (Zohar, Talmud, later Kabbalistic, Hermetic)
- No significant connections → acknowledge
→ Set of words sharing gematria + brief note why connection meaningful. User has contemplation material.
If err: No well-known for value → acknowledge. Offer relationship to nearby nums ("378 is 2 more than shalom [376] — what does that suggest?").
Step 5: Interpret Connections
Computation → contemplation.
- State: gematria reveals correspondences for contemplation, not proofs/predictions
- Per isopsephy connection pose contemplative question:
- "Word A + B share value N. How might meanings illuminate each other?"
- "Reduced → sephira X. How does word's meaning relate to sephira's quality?"
- Note Tree of Life connections:
- Standard 1-10 → direct sephirotic correspondence
- Reduced 1-9 → sephirotic resonance
- Value = path (11-32) → resonance w/ path's Hebrew letter
- User provided guiding question → address directly
- Close w/ integrative statement connecting numerical → meaning
→ Numerical analysis meaningful — not arithmetic but lens for word's place in Kabbalah symbolic network.
If err: Interp feels forced/speculative → say directly. Some computations more fruitful than others. Honest acknowledge thin > fabricated significance.
Check
- Hebrew spelling established w/ confidence (or multiple presented)
- Standard gematria computed + each letter value shown
- ≥1 additional method (ordinal or reduced) applied
- Isopsephy searched + results w/ src notes
- Interpretation framed contemplative, not demonstrative
- Computation verifiable — user can check each letter vs table
Traps
- Spelling ambiguity: Hebrew words w/ or w/o vowel letters (matres lectionis). Gematria changes significantly — always confirm.
- Final-form confusion: Mem-final = 40 or 600 depends on system. State explicitly.
- Finding what expect: Enough methods → connect any 2 words. Privileging confirming preexisting belief = confirmation bias.
- Ignore tradition: Classical Kabbalistic connections (YHVH = 26, echad = 13, ahavah = 13 → love + unity = God) documented authoritative srcs. Novel connections distinct from traditional.
- Gematria as proof: Numerical equality suggests correspondence to contemplate, not identity/causal.
- Forget context: Same word may have different significance biblical verse vs liturgical vs meditation. Ctx shapes interp.
→
— map gematria → sephirot + pathsread-tree-of-life
— individual letter symbolism deepens gematriastudy-hebrew-letters
— sustained neutral attention to patterns; gematria = numerical pattern recognitionobserve