Why does each virtue have a number?
We associate each of the 13 virtues with a number. The numbers are presented in the diagram to the right. These numbers represent the order in which we move through the virtue seasons throughout the year.
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The numbers also represent the number of principles within each virtue:
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Fulfill Yearnity, the first virtue has one principle:
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Fulfill Yearnity (it's it's only principle).​
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Accept Agency, the second virtue has two principles:
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Accept personal agency.​
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Accept influential agency.​​
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Communicate Effectively, the third virtue has three principles:
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Communicate honest content.​
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Communicate within context.
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Deliver communication effectively.
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And then Create Solutions has four principles, Process Emotions has five, Act with Balance has six, etc. onto Steward the Earth which has 13 principles.
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We did not set out to make this virtue model work this way. As we discovered the 13 virtues, pieces of this system came to different ones of us at different times over the course of a about a year. One person received the idea that there are 12 important groups (the 12 that are in six pairs around the center in the diagram above). Another that the groups go in a specific order. Another that there is a 13th group related to the Earth. Another that each group has a number of principles that correspond to its place in the numerical order. And then we all worked together to receive the names and definitions of the principles in each group.
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The way our distinct spiritual experiences resulted in something that fit together so well is evidence to us that this virtue model is sound.
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And it's all still a work in progress. We are still learning the nuances of the different virtues and principles. And as we do so, we sometimes change what we call them to reflect our updated understanding.
If you have any insights about any of this, please do share it with us! We want to learn more!