Karmic Debt: What It Is, How to Calculate It, & Ways to Repay It (2024)

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Co-authored byJennifer McVey, Cht

Last Updated: June 15, 2024Fact Checked

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1. Karmic debt is accrued, negative karma. Accrued karma results from past actions in this life or a previous one.^[1] Karmic debt is essentially the belief that misdeeds and mistakes made by your spiritual being in past lives are carried into the next life. Like any debt, this karmic energy that you’ve accrued in past lives, will eventually come due and must be repaid.

   • Repayment of this debt can be understood as an opportunity for your spiritual being to correct the past mistakes or misdeeds. This is accomplished by growing or evolving yourself so that you can learn the lesson that you missed out on previously, and break the cycle of karmic debt.

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1. Karma is rooted in Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Karma is generally understood as the concept that your life experiences, whether good or bad, are a direct reflection of your actions, thoughts, and words in this life or a past one. This spiritual boomerang effect means that the energy you throw out into the world, ultimately and always, finds its way back to you.^[2]

   • Karma is a Sanskrit word that means “action.” And while the emphasis is on your actions (the things you’re saying, doing, and thinking), it is really the intent behind your actions that represents your karma. Good deeds and kind words that are carried out for morally bankrupt reasons, like trying to manipulate or exploit someone, will generate the karma of manipulation or exploitation, not the karma of a good deed or a kind word.^[3]
   • A slightly nuanced concept of karma sees it more as a recognition that our words and thoughts shape our actions. Are you persistently thinking and talking about how awful you are at romantic relationships or how difficult they are? Your actions within those relationships will reflect your words and beliefs. The boomerang still returns, but in a way that shapes the actions of your life as it actually unfolds.^[4]

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   You can identify patterns of adverse situations in your life. This might manifest as cyclical difficulties with finances, relationships, addictions, or emotional instability.^[5]

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   You respond to the things that pop up in life with intense, difficult emotions. This might feel like being fully overwhelmed, distraught, or brokenhearted.^[6]

   • Of course, feeling these things every now and again is just a part of life. But if you look at your life through an honest lens and you can spot a cyclical pattern of returning to these intense emotional states across time, this may be a signal that you have karmic debt.^[7]
   • Repaying karmic debt through emotional turmoil is also seen as an opportunity to grow your level of compassion and empathy. Leaning into the latter could help guide you out of the cycle.^[8]
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   You have a history of toxic, abusive, or difficult relationships. Repetitive cycles of toxic, abusive, or difficult relationships is a strong indicator that you are carrying karmic debt and need to learn a lesson before the cycle will cease.^[9]

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   You have a history of being a selfless caregiver. Though this may not make intuitive sense on first pass, it can be a sign that you are burdened with repaying a karmic debt of selfishness in a past life.^[10]

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   You struggle with an irrational fear of something. If there is a specific, unexplainable fear manifest in your life, it could be a sign of karmic debt from a misdeed in a past life.^[11]

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   You have a pattern of not forgiving easily or frequently. Though there may be understandable situations in which forgiveness is extremely difficult or not forthcoming, if you can see a pattern of this across your life, karmic debt may be present.^[12]

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   You have a karmic debt number in your numerology chart. Once you complete the karmic debt calculations below, you’ll know with certainty whether you have karmic debt to repay.^[13]This is considered the easiest and most precise way to know that you have karmic debt.

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   Know the 4 karmic debt numbers. Numerology is the belief that numbers carry energetic vibrations which impact and influence your life on a cosmic level. By identifying the numbers associated with different aspects of your life, you gain meaningful insight and guidance.^[14] Since numerology is all about numbers, in numerology karmic debt can actually be calculated by looking at your own personal numerology chart. To get started, you need to know that there are four karmic debt numbers: 13, 14, 16, and 19.

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   Know the key areas of your numerology chart. When it comes to karmic debt, the most important areas of your numerology chart are: Life Path, Personality, Birth Day, Expression, and Heart’s Desire. If any of the four karmic debt numbers (13, 14, 16, & 19) are present in any of these key areas of your chart, then you carry karmic debt.

   • You analyze each of the key areas separately. If one of the karmic debt numbers is present in any of the areas, then you carry karmic debt.
   • The area of Life Path is the most important in numerology and also the most important for determining karmic debt. So, if you only want to focus on karmic debt in one area of your numerology chart, Life Path is the most important and influential one.
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   Find your Life Path number. Start by adding up the individual digits that make up your complete birthdate. For instance, if you were born on April 13, 1976, then your calculation would look like this: 0+4+1+3+1+9+7+6 = 31. Now, simply the result into a single digit. 31 = 3+1 = 4. The Life Path number for this exact birthdate is 4.^[15]

   • In the equivalency chart below, 4 is equivalent to 13, making it a karmic debt number. This indicates that karmic debt is present.
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   Find your Personality number. The Personality number is calculated using the same method as the Life Path number but using only the month and day of your birth, not the year. The simplification process and equivalencies are the same.^[16]

   • Using the same example, April 13, 1976, the calculation would look like this: 0+4+1+3 = 8. The Personality number for this date is 8.
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   Find your Birth Day number. The Birth Day number is calculated using the same method as the Life Path and Personality number, but using only the day of your birth, not the month or year. The simplification process and equivalencies are the same.^[17]

   • Using the same example, April 13, 1976, the calculation would look like this: 1+3 = 4. The Birth Day number for this birthdate is 4.^[18]
   • In the equivalency chart below, 4 is equivalent to 13, making it a karmic debt number. This indicates that karmic debt is present.
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   Find your Expression number. Start by representing each of the letters in your full name as a number in accordance with the single-digit number assigned to that letter in numerology.

   • (A, J, S = 1), (B, K, T = 2), (C, L, U = 3), (D, M, V = 4), (E, N, W = 5), (F, O, X = 6), (G, P, Y = 7), (H, Q, Z = 8), (I, R = 9)
   • Now, calculate a single-digit number for your full name (first, middle, and last name). For example, if your full name is Mickey The Mouse, the calculation would be 4+9+3+2+5+7 (Mickey) + 2+8+5 (The) + 4+6+3+1+4 (Mouse) = 63. 63 simplifies to 6+3 = 9. This represents the Expression number for this name.^[19]
   • The number 9 is not one of the karmic debt numbers, per the equivalency chart below.
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   Find your Heart’s Desire number. The Heart’s Desire number is calculated using the same method as the Expression number but using only the consonants in your full name. The simplification process and equivalencies are the same.

   • For Mickey The Mouse, using only the consonants, the calculation would be 4+3+2 (M,c,k) + 2+8 (T,h) + 4+1 (M,s) = 24. 24 simplifies to 2+4 = 6. This represents the Heart’s Desire number for this name.
   • You may see this number referred to as your “Soul Urge” number as well.^[20]
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   Understand karmic debt number equivalencies. With certain exceptions, numerology really only deals with the numbers 1 through 9. So, in order to know if you have a karmic debt number in a key area, your calculation in that area gets simplified to a single-digit number. Each of the four karmic debt numbers (13, 14, 16, or 19) have a single-digit equivalence: 4, 5, 7, and 1.^[21] This means that if you end up with a 4, 5, 7, or 1 in a key area, then you have karmic debt. You can try to understand why this is, or you can just accept it, and use this handy chart:

   • 4 is equivalent to 13. If you have a 4, it is the same as having a 13.
   • 5 is equivalent to 14. If you have a 5, it is the same as having a 14.
   • 7 is equivalent to 16. If you have a 7, it is the same as having a 16.
   • 1 is equivalent to 19. If you have a 1, it is the same as having a 19.

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1. 1

   Know your karmic debt number. If your calculations conclude that a karmic debt number is present in any of these areas of your numerology chart (Life Path, Personality, Birth Day, Expression, or Heart’s Desire), then you are burdened with karmic debt. To better understand what that means and how to repay the debt, you have to consider the significance of the individual karmic debt numbers.

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   Karmic Debt Number 13. This karmic debt number represents a pattern of difficulty in completing tasks. It might manifest as obstacles, burdens, or frustrations that make the completion of any task exponentially more difficult than it seems like it should be. Or it might lead to abandonment of the task altogether, creating a cycle of feeling like goals and objectives are unattainable.^[22]

   • To repay this debt: Be very cognizant of staying focused, maintaining good order and organization, and leaning into the opportunities that come your way.^[23] Breaking the burden of this karmic debt requires harnessing your ability to stay on task.^[24]
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   Karmic Debt Number 14. This karmic debt number represents a pattern of experiencing constantly changing or unexpected circ*mstances. It might manifest as addictive behaviors around (or extremely strong proclivities for) drugs, alcohol, sex, and food. ^[25]

   • To repay this debt: An effort toward flexibility, adaptability, and commitment is essential, and a focus on moderation in all areas is key. In addition, moving toward your goals and maintaining personal power, while being careful not to take power away from others can help.^[26]
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   Karmic Debt Number 16. This karmic debt number represents being stuck in a cycle of birth and rebirth.^[27]It is heavily associated with ego and arrogance. It might manifest as a pattern of situations in which your life seemingly falls apart, humbling you in the process, and drawing you to seek a higher purpose. It is meant to ultimately break down the barriers that your ego has placed between you and your source, or an opportunity for spiritual cleansing.^[28]

   • To repay this debt: You should pursue a path of spiritual connection and mindfulness. Move away from ego and appearances and toward the divine and meaningful.^[29]
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   Karmic Debt Number 19. This karmic debt number represents being stuck in a pattern of loneliness and isolation associated with an individualism and self-reliance that is out of balance with the need to connect with and accept help from others.^[30]

   • To repay this debt: You must develop an ease with both giving and receiving help.^[31] Help in this sense might also look like being open to sharing and hearing other’s perspectives. It’s about drawing yourself toward the connection, inspiration, and input of others.^[32]
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   Other things to be aware of in clearing karmic debt. As a general rule, clearing karmic debt should also always include embracing gratitude, love, and forgiveness in the broadest sense, even when those things might be challenging. Forgiveness is thought to be especially balancing because of how difficult it can be to truly do. Bring a grateful awareness to every experience, whether good or bad. Treat others with love and make sure that your own actions are coming from a place of love. Cultivate a positive attitude. Since negative thoughts, feelings, and actions only fuel the negative karma boomerang, this definitely can’t hurt!

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