0.45min “The number 23 has the key to unlocking Man’s relationship to the cosmos,” Colin explains during the credit sequence. “It’s associated with the inspired mind, but it’s also very unstable,” Sonia adds. “It is also significant in different religions,” Tahlecion adds. “The Koran was revealed to Muhammad over 23 years.”

3.32min Enter Walter Sparrow (Jim Carrey), who works for unit five of an animal-catching service. The time is approaching five o’clock. “We usually add digits together to produce a number that can be as important as the original one. So 23 becomes five,” Berenice explains. “Five is the number for knowledge,” Sonia says. “But also for addiction,” Pauline advises.

16.38min His father was an accountant, but Walter always wanted to be a detective. Pauline approves: “That’s an ideal job for a five.”

20.26min We learn that Walter’s mother died on his eighth birthday. “Eight represents the point at which the realities of physical life become greater,” Colin notes. “It also represents the journey into the subconscious from the conscious,” adds Berenice.

BACKGROUND

• The Number 23

• Go figure this

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26.37min Walter gets obsessed with a novel in which the red-clad femme fatale commits suicide. “When you add up the numbers of the word ‘red’ they come to nine, which is all about sacrifice,” Pauline observes.

30.49min Walter’s name, birth date and social security number all have links with the number 23. “He’s converting words into numbers by giving each letter a number from 1-26, so W is 23,” Sonia explains. “In our system, we start again from 1 after every nine letters, so W would be 5. When a number’s condensed down it has much more power.”

68.58min Walter’s wife (Virginia Madsen) is worried about his obsession. “The number 23 has no magical meaning – only people can give it that,” she insists. “Every number you come across has a meaning – it’s up to you how you interpret it,” Pauline argues.

90.17min Laughs all round as the film ends with a biblical quote – from Numbers 32.23

VERDICT

Although it concentrated on the darker side of their discipline, our panel admired the film from a numerological perspective. “They’ve done their research and it brought across the energy of numbers,” thought Pauline, while Sonia hoped it would encourage people to find out more about numerology.

The Number 23 is out to buy and rent on DVD on Mon. Interview by Ed Potton. For more information, visit www.numerology.org.uk, www.numerology-advice.com and findyourpurpose.co.uk

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