DC numerologist Tania Gabrielle uncovers how names and dates shape US history in her latest book, The Unrevealed Secrets of Political Success. She uses Pythagorean, Chaldean, and ancient Egyptian systems to outline what the founding fathers have in common, how the numbers related to President Bush’s name beat those in Al Gore’s in 2002, why John McCain and Barack Obama were destined to run against each other, and more.

Numerology is the study of the meaning of numbers. In the same way words are associated with a definition, numbers are associated with a set of key words in numerology. Gabrielle explains that the numbers 1 through 9 have very specific meanings that have been handed down from the systems she studies.

In the book’s introduction, she explains how she figures out people’s life-purpose number, day-of-birth number, current-name numbers, and more. A life-purpose number is found by adding all the digits in someone’s birthday. For example, potential first lady Cindy McCain’s birthday is May 20, 1954. Gabrielle adds 5 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 9 + 5 + 4 to arrive at life-purpose number 26. By adding the 2 and 6 from 26, the result, 8, is placed next to 26 for a life number of 26/8. The day-of-birth numbers represent the day of the month, so Cindy McCain’s would be 20/2 (20 next to 2 + 0). To figure out what number represents someone’s current name—which differs from the birth name—Gabrielle calculates all of the letters of the name that the person now uses through the Chaldean system. Each letter represents a number, which Gabrielle explains further in the book’s appendix.

Here’s what the numbers say about the presidential candidates and the election, according to Gabrielle:

• Obama’s name adds up to a powerful number—the immortality number of 17/8. This means his legacy will resonate long after he passes away. McCain’s life-purpose number (which he shares with Obama) and day-of-birth numbers both reduce to 11, which means McCain has nervous energy that will fuel his novel ideas.

• Some of Obama’s numbers connect him to John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr., which is worrisome to Gabrielle, while McCain shares numbers in a positive light with Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton, and more.

• After the numbers for Election Day, November 4, 2008, are broken down, the date turns out to be an ominous number: Voting takes place on a fateful day and year—the numbers 4 and 8 are considered fateful—and the month reduces to a “victim number.” One of many possibilities is that the day represents “a fall from a high place,” which symbolizes a fatality and defeat of plans.

• The 11 in the life-purpose number represents a born leader or teacher. The numbers show that either Obama or McCain has the potential to win. With danger surrounding Obama and the potential of a looming world war, says Gabrielle, the numbers predict John McCain will be the next president.