4. 444
4 in Chinese is 四 (si4). It’s an unlucky number because it sounds like 死 (si3)…which means death.
In contrast, 6, 8, and 9 are lucky numbers in Chinese.
6 is 六 (liu4), which sounds like 流 (liu2) — flow
8 is 八 (ba1), which sounds like 发 (fa1) — wealth, fortune, and prosperity
9 is 九 (jiu3), which sounds like 久 (jiu3) — long lasting
You won’t find a 4 in any of my family’s phone numbers, but you’ll find plenty of 6’s, 8’s, and 9’s.
Yet, here I am, titling this post: 444.
Up until last November, I fully subscribed to 4 being an unlucky number. Needless to say, I’d slightly freak out each time I’d glance at the clock exactly at 4:44 pm—which would happen pretty regularly. Is it an omen of my death?
One day, a friend mentioned how he always sees the sequence 1234. I told him how I notice the time at 4:44, but that the Chinese superstition left me feeling uneasy. Immediately, he looked up the meaning of 444. Apparently, 444 (along with 111, 222, etc.) is an “angel number”. In numerology, it carries a specific spiritual significance.
This was a profound reframing of something that scared me.
The jury is still out on how I feel about the term “angel number”. And consulting random websites for the meaning of 444 makes me question: How credible are these sources? But setting aside my brain resistance, one meaning has stuck with me, and that’s from numerology.com:
The 444 Angel Number indicates you are on the right path, even if you don't know it yet. You may be feeling as though you've been pushing a huge boulder uphill with no end in sight. This is your sign not to give up and to keep your eye on the prize! Your spirit guides are right next to you, cheering you on and helping you get to the finish line. Trust that everything happens in its own divine time. You will come out on the other side of this, so just keep going.
Ever since I shifted my understanding of 444 from “death omen” to “sign that I’m on the right path”, I’ve seen 444 everywhere. I have a list going of all the moments 444 has appeared in my life since then. And it gives me chills just rereading the list.
Here are a few of those moments:
I pulled the same card twice in two days. Curious, I looked up the Roman numeral of the card: XLIV. Yep, it’s 44.
Air travel was my biggest spending category in 2019 because I put flights for my family on my new credit card to earn points. When I got this email showing my year in review, I couldn’t believe my eyes. So many things had to align for that number to add up to $4444. It still blows my mind.
I checked the weather of my hometown one evening and chuckled. Now the universe was just having some fun.
You may be like my brother who responds with: So what?
Well, thanks to my wonderful friend, I now see these as beautiful synchronicities—or “meaningful coincidences”. When 444 appears, I feel trust, ease, and surrender. I am grounded in the present moment. I am on my path.
To me, it is undeniable. 444 is a gift—a sign that I will continue to follow.
P.S. Right after I started writing this post, I glanced up at the clock and it was 4:44 pm…just saying.