- Author: Alana Fairchild
- Publisher: Blue Angel Publishing
- Publication Date: May 2026
- RRP: (AUD) $32.95 / (UK) £16.97
- ISBN: 978-1-922574-59-6
- Country of publication: Australia
- Reviewed by: Kim Goldsmith Cosmic Snail Tarot
Messages in the Numbers: The Universe is Talking to You is a book that explores the idea that numbers can come to you as a type of divine guidance, particularly when repeated in your everyday life. “What distinguishes it (numbers) as a sign is that you feel something, a nudge, an inner knowing, even just a questioning about whether or not it could be a sign.(p.13)” Alana Fairchild has written the book in a very conversational style, providing lots of anecdotal evidence for how she has recognised guidance in numbers throughout her life, or witnessed others experiencing it. Fairchild is a spiritual author of numerous books and oracle decks, runs courses on magic and mysticism and creates vocal meditations and prayers which you can find on her website or add to your Spotify list. She mentions that she grew up in a Catholic household, but over time moved away from it and now embraces a variety of beliefs from world religions. Frequently in the introduction, she emphasizes that if you don’t resonate with angels, don’t believe in tarot, and other spiritual concepts in the book then you can bypass those topics and still gain some information about numbers in your own personal way, opening the book up to people of all walks of life.
The introductory pages have brief notes on the Tarot (p. 15-16) and Life Path Numbers (p. 16-17) because she occasionally mentions these systems in the book. Sacred Geometry Mandalas (p.17-19) are also explained, because at the end of every number chapter, there is a a Healing Process to help you integrate the guidance about that number at a deeper, conscious level, using a line drawing of a mandala as a focal point. The following chapters explore each number from 1-9 then zero at the end. Each chapter is further broken into number combinations – 3, 3 with 1, 3 with 2, etc. The significance of these pairings is explained through the author’s stories of times when these numbers have appeared to her and what this meant.
The book is lacking an index which would have been useful as a reference guide for further reading about the concepts touched on in the introductory pages, and to support some of the meanings the author attributes to numbers 0 – 9. For example, life path numbers are mentioned on p.16-17 but the source of these calculations and the broader context of numerology is not referenced or explained in detail. This is not a method Fairchild created, so it would be sensible to refer the reading to a text about numerology, if you are curious. For instance, The Numerology Guidebook by Michelle Buchanan is one for getting into the nitty-gritty calculations of your life path number. Or if you are a Tarot enthusiast then Mary K. Greer’s Archetypal Tarot: What your birth card reveals about your personality, path and potential is a great book for learning how to use your birthdate to work out which cards in the tarot represent your personality and soul’s journey.
This book will be useful to anyone who wants to hone their intuitive skills on a daily basis, using numbers as a focal point. Fairchild states that ‘one reason why I wanted to write this book; to help make the messages being given clearer and more accessible ’(p.125). To be honest, I don’t tend to have numbers pop into my head often (except when bills are coming up) so I tried paying more attention while reading the book. The number 44 started to appear a lot. I would suddenly wake up in the night and look at my phone and the time would be 4.44am. I kept doing 2 card readings for myself and the 4 of Swords + the 4 of Cups would come up. Feelings of resistance to stability and uncertainty around change were niggling at me when the numbers appeared. This is probably because I turned 44 this year and I have been more conscious of, and anxious about, the idea of settling down, and feeling I have to be more responsible. I looked up the chapter ‘4 with 4 (eg. 4.44 44. 444) to see what I could learn about this number:
“Sometimes what we get is what we need, even if we think we don’t really want it right then at all” (p.126).
Yes. This checks out. I constantly feel I need to be on the go, always doing a lot, always restless and in motion (sun and moon in Aries!) and I really resist the idea of staying still and setting down roots, but it is most likely what is best for me.
On p.15-16 Fairchild mentions that tarot is “a non-religious, self-help system that is based on playing cards, which in turn, are based on numbers.” (p.15). Tarot is only loosely referred to in the book, not in a deep way in connection to numbers. I can see some parallels in the meaning she attributes to certain numbers with the tarot system and wish that was more clearly attributed – surely there are books she referred to, where did she learn tarot, what system of tarot might she draw inspiration from? For instance, the chapter on 8 talks about “power and authority” (p. 209) as key messages for this number, and she defines it as not about controlling others but about inner strength and an ability to master your passions. This sounds a lot like the Major Arcana card Strength, Card 8 in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot decks.
I had in mind how I could use it for my tarot or oracle practice, since I am writing this review for a tarot blog after all! Most tarot books will have some information on number correspondences, and there are specific meanings associated with numbers 0 -10 in tarot, i.e 4 for stability, foundation or 5 – challenge, change and growth. When starting a tarot practice, it is often good to pull one card a day, write down your impressions, then, at the end of the day, reflect on what events related to the card, writing down those meanings so they are imprinted in a personal way in your memory. I found that a fun way to use the book was to draw a minor arcana card, pay attention to the number and suit, and see how it presented itself in my day. For instance, 2 of swords came up as two crossed knitting needles one day when I was returning to an unfinished project that I was procrastinating over. I looked up 2 in Fairchild’s book to see if choice/indecision was a theme; “Allow yourself to be helped” (p. 61). Well, I did remember why I had been avoiding knitting my jumper – I managed to tangle all the yarn up and absolutely loathed detangling it, and felt too embarrassed to ask one of my friends or partner AGAIN to help me untangle it! The 2 that appears by itself, not in combination with other numbers, has an emphasis more on connection, intimacy and relationships with others, according to Fairchild. This aligns with the meanings we may attribute in tarot to the 2 of Cups card. “The two is also about exploring and balancing sometimes opposing roles or demands” (p. 59) or the juggling act as represented in the 2 of Pentacles.
Another way to use this book is to start looking out for recurring numbers in your day, journal about the connections you see in them and then refer to Fairchild’s book for some examples and stories from her life, to help you make sense of what is coming up for you. Keeping a log of where you see numbers, what was happening, what you felt and who was around may enable you to make symbolic and personal connections to that number. For instance, 14 may represent the date your father passed away. You may start to realise that every time you see that number on your phone, or notice every 14 days you may have a sleepless night dreaming of your father, that this may make you stop and question if there are some unresolved feelings about this event that you need to address.
Messages in the Numbers: The Universe is Talking to You, is not a book on numerology as I anticipated it to be. Some people may find this book too subjective because it doesn’t provide enough practical exercises to guide the reader towards understanding numbers in their world. Others may not find the content educational enough because it is primarily the author’s personal experiences of numbers and what she believes they mean, rather than being anchored in any specific pre-existing bodies of knowledge about number symbolism, like tarot, numerology or astrology. However, I feel the aim of the author is not instructive, but exploratory – guiding the reader with her lived experiences to gradually develop their own library of number symbols. It is clear through this book that if we pay attention to numbers, they have the capacity to act as symbols that illuminate unconscious thoughts that we may need to acknowledge and accept. Although it lacked any reference materials to show how she came to attribute specific meanings to the numbers, as a Tarot reader, despite knowing the traditional meanings of the numbers in the cards, I can still understand that intuition and personal experience of those numbers add another layer of meaning to a reading. Overall, I found this book intimate, relatable, easy to read, and an interesting spin on the understanding of numbers.
About the Author:
Alana Fairchild is a world renowned creator of oracle decks, particularly for her goddess series which include the Isis, Kuan Yin and Kali Oracles. A visionary powerhouse with a gift for soul-nurturing communication, Alana weaves magic into the world to uplift, vitalise and comfort. Her insights promote freedom in the language of the heart and soul, with works guided for effectiveness and evolution that are accessible to all, irrespective of religious beliefs. To explore her special offerings, including online programs, unique in-person experiences and more, please visit alanafairchild.com
Other publications by the author: White Light Oracle, Sacred Rebels Oracle, Lightworker Oracle, Medicine Heart Oracle, Rumi Oracle, Mother Mary Oracle,and Crystal Masters 333.
You can purchase Messages In The Numbers direct from Blue Angel Online here:
Or from any good bookstores.
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