Lucky seven means God’s in heaven but 99 is SBY’s time

While anxious ministers in the cabinet wondered whether their numbers were up ahead of the reshuffle, other more mystically inclined observers were focused on a different set of digits.

Much of this spiritual analysis centred on the most promising time for Yudhoyono to announce his new cabinet; and on this, the majority of psychics and astrologists were apparently in agreement. As anyone with a basic grasp of Javanese numerology knows, a source told the Report, the best date for Yudhoyono to make the reshuffle was on May 4, 2007.

According to this source, Yudhoyono was born on September 9, 1949 (9/9/1949) and therefore his lucky number is most certainly nine. To calculate the best time for him to announce the reshuffle, one then had to look for a date with a “pleasing symmetry” and May 4—or 04/05/2007—represented such a choice.

It is no coincidence that the numbers in the date add up to nine—four and five equalling nine as do the sums of 2, 0, 0 and 7. For the president, having two nines in this date made it doubly lucky, the source noted.

There was only one problem with this reasoning. If May 4, was so lucky, why, the Report asked, did the president ignore this good fortune and wait until May 7 to announce his choices?

Un-phased, the source had a ready answer. She noted that Yudhoyono did make the actual decision about the reshuffle on May 4, using this day to inform his ministers in advance, before publicly announcing the re-jig on

Monday, May 7, the next-most auspicious date.

May 7 was a good time for the president because in the Javanese language the word seven translates as “pitu”, the source said.

“Err … yes,” the Report replied.

“Pitu,” the source continued, “is commonly associated with the Javanese word pitulungan, which means ‘a helping hand (from God)’.” Help from a deity cannot be unlucky and, “as everyone knows,” dates with seven in them are always fortuitous.

At this point the Report decided it was better not to argue. After all, one should never cross a mystic.

VAN ZORGE REPORT — MAY 10, 2007