The 1919 Article is the Key: Unlocking W.D. Gann’s Mathematical Divination

✍️ By Sagar Chaudhary Contact: +1 (438) 448-6881

Few names inspire as much awe and mystery in the world of financial markets as William Delbert Gann. Traders, researchers, and mystics alike have tried to decode his secret methods for more than a century. Was he an astrologer cloaked in esoteric symbolism, or was he a mathematician who discovered the hidden laws of vibration that govern life and markets?

The answer lies, I believe, in a little-known piece of writing: Gann’s 1919 Milwaukee Sentinel article on the fate of Kaiser Wilhelm. This article is more than just a political forecast. It is, in fact, the Rosetta Stone to Gann’s entire method. Here, he speaks openly of using letters, numbers, geometry, and vibrations to forecast destiny. He stresses that mathematics — not astrology alone — is the key to accuracy.

In this article, I will take you deep into the 1919 forecast, extract its underlying principles, and show how the same framework can be applied to modern markets such as Nifty, Gold, and SPX500. By the end, you will see that Gann’s “Divination by Mathematics” was not mysticism but a structured system — one that remains as relevant today as it was in 1919.

Who Was W.D. Gann?

William Delbert Gann (1878–1955) rose to fame after the 1909 Ticker & Investment Digest article reported his astonishing accuracy in forecasting stock movements. Gann made 286 trades in 25 days, 240 of which were profitable. His capital multiplied tenfold, a feat unmatched in trading history.

What powered his forecasts? He called it the Law of Vibration. In early advertisements under the pseudonym OROLO, he spoke of discovering that stocks have “family vibrations” and move in sympathy, just like instruments in an orchestra. He also admitted to investigating astrology, but insisted that something was missing — that astrology alone could not unlock the full law.

By 1919, he was ready to reveal more. In his forecast on Kaiser Wilhelm, he laid bare his method:

• Letters have geometrical angles

• Numbers reveal cycles of harmony or disharmony

• Every person, stock, or nation has a Key Number

• Geometry and mathematics, not astrology alone, produce accuracy

The 1919 Milwaukee Sentinel Article

The article, titled “Sees the Kaiser Shot While Trying to Flee His Prison,” was published in January 1919. It was shocking, not only for its blunt assessment of Wilhelm’s character but also for the precise timing of his downfall.

Key features of the article:

1. Character Analysis Through Letters and Numbers

   • Gann analyzed the Kaiser’s name and his mother’s maiden name.

   • He showed how certain letters (W, H, N) carried specific vibrations:

     • W = dual nature, justice or selfishness.

     • H = destructive tendencies.

     • N = powerful for fame, long-lasting legacy.

   • He concluded that Wilhelm inherited imbalance, egotism, and inevitable ruin.

2. Forecasting Dates of Danger

   • Gann identified periods of crisis in 1919: March, May, July, August, October, November.

   • He tied these to unfavorable numbers: 5, 7, 9.

   • He said Wilhelm’s 61st year (1919) would be fatal, possibly ending in violent death.

3. The Key Number

   • Gann introduced the idea that each person has a Key Number governing their destiny.

   • For Woodrow Wilson, it was 28 — perfectly aligned with him being the 28th U.S. President.

4. Mathematics Over Astrology

   • Gann declared: “Nothing can be accurate that is not based on mathematics — and so few astrologers are mathematicians.”

   • He stressed that vibration is universal, exact, and must be studied through geometry.

This article, then, is not about the Kaiser alone. It is Gann’s blueprint for all his forecasts.

Why Astrology Alone Wasn’t Enough

Gann respected astrology — he used planetary cycles in his work — but he repeatedly pointed out its shortcomings. The problem, as he saw it, was that astrologers lacked the mathematical law behind planetary influence.

• Astrology identifies symbolic influences (Mars = aggression, Venus = attraction).

• But without numerical vibration and geometry, astrologers could not time events precisely.

• Gann insisted that the ancients hid this deeper law, keeping it secret while teaching astrology as a surface layer.

Thus, when modern readers treat Gann as “an astrologer,” they miss the essence. He was a mathematical mystic who combined cycles, numbers, and geometry into a precise forecasting system.

The Science of Letters and Numbers

Awodele, in Divination by Mathematics, argues that Gann’s 1919 article draws heavily from the Aso-Neith system and Luo Clement’s The Ancient Science of Numbers. This system assigns each letter a number, angle, and vibration:

Letter	Number	Angle	Body Influence
A	1	Head	Intellectuality
N	5	Kidneys	Sympathy & wealth
W	500	Stomach/Spine	Dual nature

Using these assignments, one can:

1. Calculate a Name Number.

2. Compare it to the Birth Number.

3. Determine harmony or disharmony.

For Wilhelm:

• His names contained conflicting vibrations (H destructive, W dual, N powerful but opposed).

• His numbers (5, 7, 9) aligned with danger months.

• Result: downfall and ruin.

Stocks, too, have names and tickers. Gann hinted that tickers carry vibrations just as human names do. A stock whose ticker harmonizes with market cycles will outperform; one that clashes will fail.

Geometry as the Language of Vibration

Gann’s article emphasizes geometry:

• He spoke of constructing squares, circles, pyramids, and angles.

• Each letter corresponds to an angle.

• Each number resonates with a cycle.

Why geometry? Because it is the universal bridge between numbers and form.

• A 360° circle = full cycle.

• A 90° angle = quarter cycle (often market turning points).

• A 45° angle = balance between time and price.

• A pyramid symbolizes growth and collapse.

This is why his trading charts are filled with geometrical overlays. He was not doodling — he was applying the same framework he used on Wilhelm’s name.

The Concept of the Key Number

The “Key Number” is central. Gann said: “That Key Number is the whole secret of my discovery.”

• It is derived from a person’s name and birthdate.

• It governs the harmonic events in their life.

• For Wilson: Key Number 28 → Presidency as 28th president → important events on 2, 8, 10 (2+8).

In markets, a stock or index also has a Key Number.

• Example: Gold often vibrates to the 144 cycle (12×12).

• Nifty shows strong resonance with 90-day quarters.

• SPX500 often reacts at 360-day solar years.

Thus, Key Numbers are universal harmonics.

Cycles and Periodicity in the 1919 Article

Why did Gann highlight 5, 7, 9 as Wilhelm’s fatal numbers?

Because cycles repeat in octaves:

• 5 = instability.

• 7 = crisis, restlessness.

• 9 = completion, endings.

This matches the law of octaves in music: vibrations rise and repeat at higher levels.

• In Wilhelm’s life, these numbers brought illness, abdication, imprisonment.

• In markets, similar harmonic counts (e.g., 90, 180, 270, 360 days) bring tops and bottoms.

Gann was mapping human destiny and stock cycles with the same harmonic law.

Implications for Modern Traders

What does this mean for us today?

1. Don’t rely only on astrology. Gann himself said it fails without mathematics.

2. Study vibration through numbers. Identify the Key Number of your chosen stock/index.

3. Use geometry. Angles (45°, 90°, 180°) are not arbitrary — they are harmonic divisions.

4. Respect cycles. Octaves repeat across time frames: daily, monthly, yearly.

Modern application:

• Nifty tends to turn on 90-day cycles (quarterly earnings rhythm).

• Gold resonates with 144-day cycles (square of 12).

• SPX500 reacts to 360-day solar years and lunar harmonics.

Rebuilding Gann’s Method Step by Step

To apply the 1919 principles today:

1. Start with a Name or Ticker

   • Assign numbers to letters (e.g., NIFTY → 5+9+6+2+7).

   • Reduce to a single digit or Key Number.

2. Identify Harmony with Birth Date or Listing Date

   • If Nifty was launched in 1996 → check concord with its ticker number.

3. Map to Geometry

   • Divide cycles into 45°, 90°, 180°, 360°.

   • Watch for turning points at these divisions.

4. Check Periodicity

   • Track 5, 7, 9-based cycles.

   • Overlay with lunar/solar harmonics.

5. Project Forward

   • Just as Gann predicted Wilhelm’s danger months, mark out probable turning points.

Example:

• Nifty often shows reversals in April, July, October (quarterly harmonics).

• Gold peaks or troughs often align with 144-day intervals.

• SPX500 reacts strongly at solar eclipses and 360-day anniversaries.

The Universal Law of Vibration

At the end of the 1919 article, Gann said: “Vibration is fundamental; nothing is exempt from this law; it is universal.”

This is the essence:

• There is no chance in the universe.

• Every event, every stock, every destiny follows vibration.

• Letters, numbers, and cycles are the keys to unlocking it.

For Gann, mathematics was not dry calculation. It was the sacred language of nature. Stocks moved not randomly, but like musical notes in a symphony. Human lives unfolded not by luck, but by harmonic law.

The 1919 Milwaukee Sentinel article is not just an oddity in Gann’s career. It is the blueprint.

• It reveals his reliance on geometry, numbers, and vibration.

• It proves that he saw astrology as incomplete without mathematics.

• It introduces the concept of the Key Number, the “whole secret” of his discovery.

• It shows how cycles of 5, 7, 9 — harmonics of vibration — govern both human destiny and market turns.

For modern traders, the lesson is clear:

• Look beyond surface astrology.

• Seek the mathematical vibrations behind names, cycles, and prices.

• Apply geometry and harmonic law to both markets and life.

As I, Sagar Chaudhary, have shown in this article, the path to understanding Gann is not through mysticism but through disciplined study of mathematics, vibration, and cycles. The 1919 article is the key — and once you unlock it, the hidden order of markets and destiny begins to unfold.