The Sum of a President Elect: 4+4=8
Late last night, we Americans elected our next president. But in some ways, Barack Obama is our first president because he has the greatest potential to be a true president of all the people. His bi-racial heritage makes him a living, breathing example of the melting pot demographic we have always — at least theoretically – held dear. Obama’s upbringing and adult experiences have given him the gift of being able to move comfortably within multiple American subcultures.
As I watched Charlie Gibson announce that Obama will be our 44th president, I was struck by the number. Four has great symbolic significance and I started wondering what it might mean. Four is the number of stability and the physical world — the four seasons, four directions, four elements, four mental functions, etc. When we build upon this aspect of its meaning, we also see why, from a Jungian perspective, four represents wholeness, the uniting of different sides or aspects contained within one.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that four is represented not once, but twice, in the ordinancy of Obama’s presidency. On a fundamental level, his election certainly represents our nation’s attempt to come together and close the racial divide that has separated us for far too long. After all, people from many different ethnic groups voted for Obama.
In numerology, it is common to add numbers to “reduce” them to their essential significance. (This is done most commonly with the numerals in someone’s birthdate.) When we add the numbers of Obama’spresidency, we come up with eight. As I wrote in a posting a few months ago, the eight represents beginning, renewal and rebirth since it follows seven, the number standing for cyclical completion.
Given the symbology of 4 and 8, I can’t help but see how fitting it is that our 44th president is someone we have entrusted to move us closer to national unity and a renewal of positive energy both here and abroad.
– Writeye
Posted on November 5th, 2008 under Current Events, Jungian Psychology • Tags: number 4 symbolism, number 7 symbolism, number 8 symbolism, President-Elect Obama symbolism, symbolism of 44th president. • 
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