According to numerology, each number carries a special vibration and has a specific application to our life. Our numerology charts can provide insight into our passions, destinies, and even inner demons. Some people also have what is known as karmic debt numbers in their charts, in addition to the core numbers that everyone possesses (such as life path numbers). The significance of karmic debt numbers is related to the struggles we face daily, which serve as a means of instructing us in important spiritual teachings.

“A karmic debt is something that happened in a previous lifetime that you’re now making amends for,” author of You Are Cosmic Code: Essential Numerology Kaitlyn Kaerhart tells Bustle. When we recognize and begin to understand the karmic debt that we must pay this lifetime, we have the opportunity to break old cycles and stop repeating the same mistakes, which can bring a deeper sense of freedom and wisdom to our lives.

While not everyone has a karmic debt number, they are fairly common and nothing to be concerned about. Here’s the lowdown on karmic debt numbers and how to use them for personal growth.

The Karmic Debt Numbers 13, 14, 16, & 19

In numerology, the karmic debt numbers are 13, 14, 16, and 19. Each of these four karmic debt numbers has a significant meaning and represents a specific set of difficulties that a person must overcome in this lifetime.

“A karmic debt of 13 is about past moral abuse for material gain — or, in other words, any abuses dealing with work life,” Kaerhart says. “This karmic debt indicates that you will need to work harder and learn more lessons in order to achieve professional success.” When it comes to personal goals, people with this number may face repeated roadblocks, but they can often overcome this by avoiding shortcuts and putting in a more grounded and methodical effort.

“14 indicates that there was an abuse of freedom in a previous life,” says Kaerhart. “It’s important to strengthen the positive traits of being a free spirit while maintaining boundaries and limitations so you don’t completely go off the rails with this karmic debt.” Because a karmic debt of 14 is associated with escapism, maintaining moderation and self-control is essential to overcome a karmic debt 14.

Karmic debt number 16: According to Kaerhart, the number 16 represents past-life love transgressions. This could manifest as a cycle of having your heart broken or breaking the hearts of others. Addressing toxic relationship patterns and committing to honesty and loyalty is critical.

“A karmic debt of 19 is related to the abuse of power in a previous life,” says Kaerhart. People who have this karmic debt must learn lessons about independence and how to support themselves through life’s difficulties. With this number present, it is critical to avoid ego-based behavior or stubbornness.

How to Calculate Your Karmic Debt

Our numerology charts contain several symbolic core numbers, each of which is calculated differently and has a different meaning in our lives. Karmic debt numbers can appear in any of them, but they have the greatest impact when they appear within your life path number. Learn how to determine your life path number.

In its final form, no one’s life path number will be one of the karmic debt numbers (as life path numbers are always reduced to either the numbers 1-9, or one of the master numbers). Instead, they can arise during the process of calculating our life path numbers before they are reduced to a single digit number. “You only have karmic debts if you come across the numbers 13, 14, 16, or 19 while calculating your core numbers,” Kaerhart explains. For example, if the sum of your three-month, date, and year numbers was 16, you’d need to reduce that number by adding 1 + 6 to get a life path number of 7.

It’s more common to have karmic debt numbers in a numerology chart than not, so finding one doesn’t mean you’re doomed to struggle with bad karma for the rest of your life. It simply means that your soul has some obstacles to overcome on its current journey, and once these debts are identified, you will have a better idea of how to clear and overcome them.

How Do I Clear My Karmic Debts?

The concept of past life karma can be frightening because no one wants to be punished for unknown mistakes that their soul may have made in a previous incarnation. Karmic debts in numerology, like all debts, can be settled and removed from your spiritual credit. “A lot of people get scared when they realise they have karmic debt, but most people do, and it’s not a big deal,” says Kaerhart. Once you understand what your karmic debts are, you can begin settling them and breaking free from the karmic cycle.

What’s more, karmic debts can be used to help us break free from limiting behavioral patterns or personal struggles. Karmic debt numbers frequently manifest as people grappling with the same themes or facing the same challenges throughout their lives. If we ignore our karmic debts, it is believed that they will continue to appear as roadblocks that prevent us from reaching our full potential or goals. However, if we acknowledge them, they can help us learn and overcome what we are meant to learn and overcome throughout our lives.

What if I have no karmic debts?

If you don’t have any karmic debt numbers, it simply means that your soul’s quest has a different meaning than repaying past life debts. “It is possible to have no karmic debt, but it is uncommon,” Kaerhart says. “I believe this means you chose to come here and be here at this time for a reason that wasn’t necessarily related to karma.” Neither scenario is better or worse, because everyone is fighting their own battle and working through their patterns, whether karmic or not.