I know that some people will consider the number 11 to be its own number opposed to 1 +1 therefore 2. I have heard that 11 is a magical number, and one whose name is a number 11 is an old soul. Does anyone know what that means.

The "old soul" reference is usually meaning that the person has had more than one lifetime here on earth and in some belief systems means that they have now been given a "Master Number" because they are more prepared to deal with the supposed difficulty of being a "Master Number".

Much of the reference depends on the numerology sytem you follow.  Basic guidelines for "Master Number" 11:

Spiritual awareness and a drive to serve others altruistically.

If your Life-Path number is ELEVEN, yours is a Master Vibration number associated with spiritual awareness. Master Vibration people tend to possess an understanding and knowledge beyond others. As an ELEVEN, you are thought of as being on a higher spiritual plane.

ELEVENS tend to be very interesting people with much to offer those around them. They are intuitive, avant-garde, idealistic and cultured - extremely so. They are the visionaries. It's common to find an ELEVEN looking for understanding in life's mysteries. Their interests will be many. Socially, connections with others are highly developed. ELEVENS bring much to the topic of conversation and are excellent listeners.

An ELEVEN will expect much from themselves and from others. At times this can make them difficult to deal with. It's common for this Life-Path to have a lot of nervous tension. There can be mood swings and challenges with focus on ambition. At times actions can be impractical, as an ELEVEN is more of a dreamer than a doer. Key words/qualities associated with an ELEVEN Life-Path are higher spiritual plane, intuitive, illumination, idealistic and a dreamer.

The life purpose for an ELEVEN is to utilize innate skills of counseling and guidance. While you may not be a leader, much talent can show through in this area. Finding ways to release nervous energy such as sports and exercise can bring much relief during difficult times.

You have chosen a life of enlightenment and an interest in Alternative ways of living. You think beyond the obvious and are not satisfied with the mundane. Universal consciousness would be an inspiring concept as you may devote your life to the service of others and even humanity as a whole. It is through this care-giving that you have the inclination to become recognized and revered as an insightful human being.

The master number eleven indicates a need, for those who fall under its influence, to balance temporal interests with a strong natural attraction toward self-sacrifice and a giving of themselves for the benefit of others.  Eleven is a transcendental number that relates to enlightenment and spirituality as well as martyrdom.  The eleven tends to be someone who naturally uses his or her innate abilities to help others, whether that is through a life of sacrifice and giving, through the arts, or through a leadership role of some sort.  The negative aspect of eleven indicates that a person who is an eleven may be so wrapped up in trying to “save the world” that their immediate relationships suffer from coldness or neglect.  Another negative is that if the individual chooses to ignore his or her mission of seeking and sharing enlightenment, he or she may simply become entirely materialistic or uncaring in an extreme way.  This number requires that powerful forces be balances, so as to avoid the extremes of martyrdom on the one hand and complete lack of care for others on the other.

IDEALIST, artist, celebrity, highly energized INSPIRATION, psychological, radical, sensitive The number 11 symbolizes the principle of enlightenment. It colors everything with drama, a visionary outlook, artistic sensitivity, and a sparkling quality. It is not truly practical, but its contribution is its unique perspective and philosophy which instigates new consciousness. Its energy is very high-strung, intense, mercurial, polarized (off an on), and subtle.

Gifts: Revealing higher truths, transformation, poetic interpretation, romance.

Challenges: Illusion, isolation, allergies, over-stimulation.

Personal Goal: Living the dream.

Fears: Drudgery, restriction, ugliness, boredom.

Succeeds as: Media star, poet, inventor, psychologist, minister, designer, society figure, beauty queen, occultist.

The life path color associated with number eleven is Silver.  Potential:  Idealism.  It is unusual to find silver as the ground color, though it is frequently seen as one of the other colors in auras.  People who have it as their ground color are full of great ideas, yet sadly, most of them are impractical.  These people often lack motivation and become dreamers, rather than doers.  Once they become motivated and find an idea that is worth pursuing, their progress can be a joy to behold.

Crystals are natural healers, utilizing energy to transform light into healing rays, becoming a medium or conduit through which healing passes. They are able to increase their personal, physical power to the point where they are able to cleanse minds and souls so that physical healing can follow. Their greatest challenge is learning how to cope with their gift of healing, and how to be themselves, since their natural inclination is to hide or protect themselves, by taking on other colorations, cluttering their energy field and potentially harming themselves.

I almost never reduce an 11 to a 2...

The best SIMPLE description of an 11 is the "double one" or the "double sun"... I once read the term "the illuminator" attached to 11 and have found that to be very accurate.

One thing I see quite frequently with 11's is that they may have several persons trying to "drain" their energy.  11's tend to be quite attractive and often they seem to attract the wrong type of attention... sort of a parasitic attention by people trying to sap them.  I always caution 11's to watch out for that.

OMG thank you so much enchantedelf for all that info on 11's it has been the most informative i have read (on 11) yet. I have several 11's in my numerology and this describes me well also my son and daughter we are all 29/11's

My full name adds to 11. I recently read this:
"Let us create illumination of all that is before us. There is a path beyond what we know today"    and this....
The 11 lives in 2 worlds. On practical days, it vibrates with the 2. On days that is senses its' full nature, it is of an energy that translates a world beyond. Therefore, the 11 energy is: aware/six-sensed/creative/discerning/dreamy/inspiring/intense.
I think that this is good description. I am a mental health counselor but didn't know numerology until I started working in the field. I have told people many times that there is, in fact, a future that they may not yet see, but can believe in. Nothing lasts forever, things are constantly changing, and there are universal truths that are more valuable than any of our petty thoughts and wishes in this world.   I try to live my life remembering that.