If one word could define America that word would be freedom. Arguably, no other concept in the history of man courses through his veins more than the ideal of being free, unrestrained and unencumbered, especially from external rule, such as that of monarchs, kings, queens, oppressive governments and their oppressive rules.
The American Declaration of Independence of 1776 established a foundation of freedom for a new country, a country whose magnetic pull of being free and independent has drawn people to itself from the four corners of the world.
In numerology, the number representing freedom is the number 5. It is no coincidence that not only is the Declaration of Independence a 5 energy, but the United States of America has a 5 Lifepath (4 July 1776) as well as a 5 Material Soul. Additionally, the letters U.S.A. combine to create a 5. In simple terms, The lifepath of the United States of America, her deepest desires, her founding document and even her initials are massively saturated with the very essence of freedom.
The number 5 is the midpoint of the alpha-numeric spectrum of the numbers 1 to 9 and, hence, 5 is the fulcrum of all people since every person is defined by one of the numbers 1 to 9. Thus, 5 is the Number of Man. It is therefore logical that freedom is intrinsic to each individual, regardless of culture, color, country, gender, nation or political system. America, being saturated with 5 energy, naturally draws all people unto herself and, hence, is a melting pot of all races, religions, cultures and colors.
Freedom is certainly a blessing. The rub, however, is that everything in this universe has two sides, just as every coin has two sides. Every number also has two sides – one positive and one negative. The danger of the 5 energy is in people not realizing this fact of the duality of its nature. Frighteningly, the opposite side of freedom is slavery, and if people are not careful in exercising their freedom wisely, they could easily become enslaved by the very essence of that freedom.
How can this be, that man runs the risk of becoming enslaved by his own freedom? The reason is that people often misunderstand freedom and the wisdom, strength, courage, restraint, responsibility and sacrifice necessary to insure it. Freedom is not license carte blanche – the ability to act without consequence. True freedom is action taken in consideration of consequence. As everything in this universe has two sides, every action has its equal and opposite reaction; every cause has its equal and opposite consequence. The reaction and consequence of unrestrained freedom is slavery.
The number 5 not only rules freedom, it rules the 5 senses, sensuality, experimentation and exploration. Misunderstanding the dual aspect of freedom, people often venture into the dangerous territory of the five senses, especially that of recreational drug usage, the infestation and infection of which has become a veritable plague in America. Such behavior does not support freedom, it destroys it. It is no secret that millions of American citizens, expressing their freedom, are sliding into the dark side of its energy, becoming slaves of their own free-spirited indulgence. If America’s violation of the principle of freedom persists unchecked and uncorrected en masse, especially if the plague of recreational drug usage continues unabated, it will destroy her, as it has so many of her citizens already, and her people will have no one to blame but themselves.
This reality of the duality of this world is echoed in the words of Twentieth Century Saint, Charan Singh, who stated, (Worldly people) do not realize that no matter how great the pleasures of the world may be, they are not only short-lived but also have equally unpleasant reactions at some time or another. Therefore, it’s impossible to escape the negative consequences of worldly pleasures. It would be wise to remember that unrestrained pleasure leads to addictions which entrap the soul and turn freedom upside down, revealing its dark side, slavery. As the 13th Century poet and mystic, Rumi, says, I plot to get what I want and end up in prison.
Summary
America’s lifeblood of freedom is both a blessing and a curse. The reality of life is that nothing is free. Everything has its price. The price of unrestrained freedom is slavery, its opposite side. The price of unrestrained sensual indulgence, especially in the use of recreational drugs, is that one becomes captivated and enslaved by them. Once enslaved, it is virtually impossible to be free. Such is the curse of the number 5, a curse facing America and her grand experiment into the landscape of personal freedom. Will she survive? It depends on her and the wisdom of her citizens. Will they ultimately choose to wantonly indulge themselves in destructive poisons and behaviors for the sake of ephemeral pleasures while exercising a myopic understanding of freedom, or will they exercise temperance and restraint, realizing that the critical nature of the fabric of freedom also houses the enslaving depravity of shackles and chains?
~finis
Copyright by Richard Andrew King
