Why does Brian like the number five?

[Dunderhead]

"Alright this is take 5, that's a very big number with us. That's a magic number-with me, so let's do it on take 5." - 1967

"That's a great number, 5. Isn't 5 a great number." - 2010

I'm wondering what the deal with this is. I know Brian was into astrology and numerology, is there some reason that he'd consider the number 5 significant? Why was 5 a magic number for him?

[stack-o-tracks]

it's also the number of toes he has on each foot.

[STE]

There were 5 classic Beach Boys?

[The Heartical Don]

There are 43 years between the two statements. He may have stated any other number in the universe as being his favourite in the interim.

Just sayin'.

[Dunderhead]

Not exactly the type of responses I was hoping for.

I do not believe in astrology, numerology, horoscopes, or whatever else in any way shape or form.
Brian Wilson however at one point had an astrologer whom he consulted about major life decisions. He consulted the I Ching. He read pop-philosophy books, and engaged with pseudo-religious mysticism. He believed that the number of flowers in the background of a portrait of himself had numerological significance....

In light of all that, I don't see the possibility of him placing a special significance on the number five as being especially far fetched.

It's also possible that it relates to an obsessive-compulsive disorder which Brian has, where multiples of 5 are seen as "neat" or "orderly".

I don't expect the answer to my question to provide a definitive understanding of Brian Wilson, and it may be the case that the two quotes I listed are just completely random examples of Brian talking out of his ass.

However I think it's equally plausible that Brian assigned some special value to the number 5 after reading a book on numerology or astrology, or speaking with a "professional" astrologer. I don't know very much about numerology or astrology unfortunately. It's all BS to me, but that maybe wasn't the case for Brian. I think it's a perfectly valid question to ask, if Brian spend time in 1966/67 drawing up horoscopes for his friends or determining the numerological "life path" of various people he knew, then understanding what exactly those systems told him would only help us understand his general outlook during the SMiLE period.

[The Heartical Don]

Fair points, Fishmonk -

'5' could be OCD-related, in terms of referring to some form of symmetry, perfection, neatness (in Brian's view). It is a prime number, and belongs to Fibonacci's series. And it is the number of original Beach Boys, the classic line-up. With three Wilson brothers, a number that also satisfies these two characteristics.

Whilst these observations may seem superficial, unimportant, to 'non-believers', so to speak, they may in fact hold great importance for someone who assigns meaning to a number. And I won't even begin to try to list great artists/scientists/other vocations who held and hold, secretly or publicly, comparable convictions, as an ideal, as a form of support, a crutch in life so to speak. And why not? Humans are at heart (amongst many other things) deeply irrational, however many of them like to deny this.

[MBE]

9 was Lennon's. Brian is very well read on all various forms of thought as Fishmonk stated so it could have meaning.

[puni puni]

It's normal for a person to place personal meaning behind seemingly unimportant symbols. It's also highly prevalent in mental illness.

No one here knows what he connects the number five to. You'll have to ask him directly! Good luck.

[Dunderhead]

The problem is I'm not sure where to learn about the actual history of numerology. Is modern numerology the same as numerology during the 1960s?

The internet tells me numerology involves reducing birth dates and names down to a single digit number.
This number I guess then tells you what type of person you are, what your ideal jobs are, what people are your ideal partners, the usual bull. Maybe 5 was his father's number, or Marilyn's, or Diane's.

Obviously to what extent Brian's daily activities were informed by numerology and astrology is debatable. He probably wasn't drawing up star charts or whatever in order to pick the best cereal after all. I think that astrology is often used by people as a means of justifying or "proving" what they believe about themselves and others already.

As you said Don, it could be that Brian saw the number 5 recur so often (5 founding Beach Boys) that he attributed special significance to it. It could have been his lucky number according to some esoteric system. It could have been the numerology number of a girl he had a crush on. I really don't know, and Brian's interest in the supernatural and mystical is a topic that hasn't often been covered, which is a failing I hope we could spend a little bit of time rectifying.

[?]

When I saw the thread title I thought maybe it was his life path number, but after doing the math his number would actually be 6.

Those born with a Life Path number 6 are incredible nurturers. If men, they rescue damsels in distress. If women, they mother the "little boy" in their men.

If you have a six in your chart you are home, family, or community oriented, loving, warm, understanding, compassionate, responsible and reliable and interested in pleasing others. You are an excellent caretaker and provider, and enjoy being of service to others, and this is especially true with your family and friends. You life revolves around home and family, and your parenting instincts are very strong. The word domestic most likely describes you well, and one job you would love is being a stay at home parent.

As a Six you should keep an eye on yourself as you may become self-righteous and critical of others. Because you are so giving you might have a tendency to become a slave to others and neglect your own needs in the process. Because you thrive on supporting others you may sometimes find it difficult to find a balance between helping and meddling. You may also become an enabler for someone who needs taking care of in a relationship, or with a child, and not allow them to experience life or learn its lessons. People born on the Sixth path are often described as magnetic, as people are often drawn to them, and their moods can affect the room.

Your tendency is to be a humanitarian and you feel a genuine devotion to the welfare of your fellow human beings, but you must be careful of putting people on pedestals, as they often have a tendency to topple.

Life path number 6 is the number of responsibility and awareness. When those around you are losing their heads, you're the one who takes charge. Stop fighting it. Below are some key points you might want to take into consideration to help you on your path …

Don't try to deny who you are. You are a take charge person. You have two choices. You can accept it and get over it and do it right and actually enjoy it. Or, you can give up control and know that you'll be critical of the way anyone else handles things. You're probably a control freak. That's OK, there are a lot of us out there. Just have a sense of humor about it. Remember, you're a legend in your own mind! Now, keep reading.

Appreciate yourself. Aim for a career that rewards your responsibility. You'll do much better as a manager than as a worker. If it means more education, then get it. Be proud of yourself for being capable.

Remember that the person in charge is only as good as the people doing the grunt work. Be compassionate, practical and appreciative. And make sure that you know how to do each person's job, so that you know what you're asking them to do.

You might want to make your vacations as control-free as possible. Someplace like Club Med or a cruise might be perfect for you. Give yourself a few days where the only decisions you have to make are if you're hungry or thirsty and what you want to do about it. Let the people in charge take care of you for a change. Just make sure you know they're going to do it properly.

Another vacation option is to do something very physical. Go someplace and help build a cabin, or a house. Do a seven-day backpacking or bicycle trip. The idea is to do something physically fairly strenuous for a week or so. Or huge, like train for and run a marathon. Make yourself tired. Just make sure you spend a couple of days recovering.

[Gertie J.]

I've just did the calculation and yes his DOB is equal to 6. BUT. Fishmonk said in his previous post that you need summarize both DOB and full birth name numbers and after i really got the 5. So that makes a lot of sense now. BTW I'm a non-believer too.

[?]

Nah, the life path number is strictly birth date.  The name number is the expression number (with two additional numbers for the vowels and consonants, the heart's desire and birthday numbers).  I've never heard anything about reducing from the two - only relating the different energies from each number.

[Jaco]

I thought of number 5 before, but I never knew quotes from Brian about it.


5 fingers and 5 singers!

Also SMiLE has 5 letters, and in numerology, 18+12+9+11+5=55

The year 1967, the year of Brian's creative peake: 1+9+6+7=23, and 2+3=5

This year of celebration 2+0+1+2=5

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Phil Spector is  5' 5"

[The Heartical Don]

Phil Spector is  5' 5"

 

[Runaways]

in 1965, the beach boys released 5 singles  

[I. Spaceman]

Brian has five adopted children.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

ooh...someone do me! My birthday was 13 Aug 1978...what's my life number? I'm off work, so I can't be assed to do math right now.

[LostArt]

Brian has five adopted children.

And 55 dogs.

[Theydon Bois]

Also SMiLE has 5 letters, and in numerology, 18+12+9+11+5=55

Um, 19+13+9+12+5 = 58?  Unless numerology has no letter K, or something.

15 [Big Ones] divided by ([Shut Down Vol.] 2 + (20/20)) = 5

[EgoHanger1966]

Number of times Brian listened to Be My Baby - 5,555,555,555,555,555.

[Gertie J.]

i'd just done a mere calculation and i got 6 as my life path number. Now i know the origin of my brianist behaviors. by that i mean picking the newest flick as my fav, 3 years of staying in passive condition, making non-sensical jokes and many other.

JUST KIDDIN'

[Rocker]

This year of celebration 2+0+1+2=5

50th anniversay: 5 +/- 0 = 5

[?]

ooh...someone do me! My birthday was 13 Aug 1978...what's my life number? I'm off work, so I can't be assed to do math right now.

Your life path number is 1 Billy.  And Happy Birthday. 

A person with Life Path number 1 is hard working, a natural born leader, has a pioneering spirit that is full of energy, and a passion for art. They have a strong desire to be number one, which means a person with this number can manifest very easily. Due to their determination and self motivation, they won't let anything stand in their way of accomplishing a goal. Their drive allows them to overcome any obstacle or challenge they may encounter, and they have the desire to accomplish great things in their lifetime. Their only need is to focus on what they want in order to achieve it.

Because Ones are critical of themselves, they can also be very critical of others. The Ones will not tolerate laziness from the people they spend their time with.

People with Life Path 1 are very independent and feel the need to make up their own mind about things and follow their own personal convictions. All this drive and determination means that they can easily become irritated when things don't go their way.

Innovation and creativity also are characteristics associated with this path. These folks are very good at starting new projects, and often take a unique or inventive approach to solving problems. Because of these qualities, and because multitasking is something they tend to be very good at, they are well suited to self employment and can be happiest being their own boss. A Life Path of One also means that they may possess the qualities to be a political or military leader.

On the negative side, if you are of Life Path 1 you can have a tendency to be self centered, egotistical and demanding. Because you feel a strong desire to be number one and to appear successful, you can easily become arrogant or boastful. Though you excel as a leader, you may have a difficult time being a follower, and are reluctant to seek help, which can cause you to be quite unhappy if you are in a situation where you are not in charge. While you are great at starting projects, you quickly tire of detailed tasks.

Your life path tells you what your life tools and lessons are about. Life path number 1 is a strong vibration, one of individuality and invention, and below are some key points you might want to take into consideration to help you on your path …

Be true to your path. You are quick on the draw and you usually see the opportunity in an idea faster than most people. Use that and you'll be happier.

Aim for a career that lets you be your own boss. You're better working alone than with a group and you don't take orders well.

Avoid getting lazy just because you're frequently quicker than other people. Use that energy to explore and achieve further on your own.

Take charge, step out and risk it all on a new venture. Nobody will do that better than you.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

If Brian was born in 1942...
and Be My Baby came out in 1963...

That's 49 years for him to listen...

That's 25771501 minutes... divided by 2:34...

He's listened to Be My Baby about 11013462 times