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Number 4 in the Bible Number 4 in Buddhism
The Four Canopic Jars
Number 4 in Mythology
There are four cardinal points: North - South - East - West.
There are four winds.
There are four phases of the Moon.
We have four seasons.
In the West we have four elements: earth - air - fire - water.
The Pythagoreans believed the number four, the Tetrad, was a perfect number. They taught that the Tetrad symbilized God.
In Pythagorean philosophy there are four parts to the soul:
| mind |
opinion |
science |
sense |
The four-leaf clover is believed to bring luck to the finder, especially if it is found unexpectedly. Each of the four leaves symbolizes something special.
Cancer is the fourth astrological sign in the Zodiac. (June 22 - July 22)
 In the "Book of Gates" humans are divided into four different races. These were the races known to the ancient Egyptians:
| Egyptians |
Asiatics |
Libyans |
Nubians |
The number four is sacred for the Pueblo people. The Zia Pueblo sun symbol is used on the flag of New Mexico,USA. The four sets of four strips symbolizes: 
| four seasons |
four directions |
four corners of the earth |
four elements. |
Tetraphobia - the fear of number four
 Tetraphobia or the fear of number four is common in East Asia. You will espesially notice tetraphobia in China, Japan and Taiwan. In these countries four is pronounced the same as the the word for "death" (shi).
Many appartment and business buildings, hotels and hospitals will skip the room and floor number four. The same goes for the industry and their military vessels. When visiting never give presents that are made up of four pieces, for example never give four flowers as a gift. That would be a huge insult. 
The Four Castes in India
In India there were four different castes(classes). Almost every person belonged to one of the four castes. This was determined by birth, you always belonged to the caste of your parents.
Some people were so unfortunate they did not belong to any caste, they were known as the "untouchables". Today they are called the "Dalits". There were strict rules for what each caste could or could not do. Each caste also had many subcastes. Even though the government now has outlawed the caste system, it is still practiced in many parts of India. Being a vital part of the society of India for over two thousand years, it has proven to take time to change the way of life and thinking.
The four castes are:
| 1. Brahmins |
priests, scholars and philosophers |
| 2. Kshatriyas |
warriors and rulers |
| 3. Vaishyas |
traders, merchants and farmers |
| 4. Shudras |
laborers and servants |
The fourth year anniversary is traditionally celebrated with fruits or flowers in the Western world.
James Madison was the fourth president of the United States. 1809 - 1817.
In the Tarot the number four is the card of the Emperor.
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