The Seasons of Our Life - Discovering the Meaning of Your Personal Year

We observe the effortless cycles that occur in nature all the time. Every spring brings new growth and a regeneration of the natural world. Summer brings maturation and vitality and autumn brings with it a final harvest that will ultimately create the seeds to spawn a new generation. Winter brings with it a time of rest for many and finality for some.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that many of these same physical cycles can often be observed in the lifetime of a human being. We are born, we mature and produce, until finally we pass away leaving the “seeds” of our thoughts, our deeds, and our children to create the next generation.

In addition to physical cycles, however, we also live through many psychological cycles as well. For example our first twenty years are that of learning, experimentation, and identity building. Our twenties then are a continued time of exploration, growth, and interaction. Our thirties and forties involve hard-work and frantic activity as we attempt to establish our families and our careers. Our fifties and sixties become a time of consolidation and reflection as we often begin to slow down physically, while at the same time, expanding ourselves intellectually with new wisdom and insight. This type of natural progression is a subject that I discuss in-depth in my Mastering the Chaldean Star course.

These changes do not occur in all of us at exactly the same time, however, which is why it is helpful to have a more personalized method to see where we currently are in this progression. Many numerologists believe that we can discover this information by calculating our “personal year” number.

How to calculate your Personal Year Number:

Anyone who has studied numerology (and many people who haven’t) know that we all have a significant “life path” number that is calculated by adding up the numbers in our birth date (e.g. 1/23/1987 = 1+2+3+1+9+8+7=31=3+1= 4 life path). Although this method may be great for discovering an overall message of who we are, unfortunately it often does very little to tell us about our current situation.

Our “personal year” number, however, can tell us not only where we are in the current process but also what we might be able to expect in the coming years. Please understand that this has nothing to do with predicting the future, this is simply about following a natural progression from point A to point B. In other words, when you plant a seed you can reasonably expect it to grow, mature, produce fruit/seeds/flowers, and then eventually die. That is simply the way the natural cycle progresses. Now there’s always a chance that it may not happen this way, but you’ll still be right more often than not.

In order to calculate your personal year number, you simply add together the month and date of your birth to the current year while remembering to ignore any zeros. So for our example, we would add (1/23/2009 1+2+3+2+9=17=1+7= 8 personal year). This also means that if this person is currently in an “8” personal year, next year they will be in a “9” year and then a “1” the following year. If you use this method to add up the following year or two, you will see that this is the case.

Interpreting your personal year number:

1—If you are currently in a one personal year, you are said to be beginning a new stage of life. This year is all about preparing yourself mentally (and possibly physically) for this new adventure. It often means letting go of old outdated ideas, goals, and expectations that you have carried with you this far. It can also mean reexamining and potentially letting go of old habits and routines that may have served you well in the past, but you have simply outgrown. You may also have to let go (or at least reduce your contact with) those who have trapped you into thinking about and defining yourself in a particular way. In other words, it’s time to clean out your mental attic and throw away anything that you no longer need.

2—If you are currently in a two personal year, you are entering into a year of creating new partnerships in your life. This will be an adjustment period where you are still sorting out your new priorities and reimagining yourself within this process that began the previous year. Throughout this year, you will be seeking out new friends, partners, contacts, who will be able to support you along this new stage of life. These may be new people in your life, or it may involve bringing back old friends who have been previously forgotten or neglected. You will need the support of these individuals in order to have the courage follow this new unfamiliar path. You may not even know at this point which path you are wanting to travel, but you should be able to easily separate those individuals who are willing to support your future efforts (whatever they might be) from those who are more likely to hold you back.

3—If you are currently in a three personal year, you are entering into a year of finding a new direction. This year is all about creativity and finding a new focus for this stage of your life. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean a traditional “creative” art such as writing, painting, etc… but something that is new for you. Now that you have let go of your past ideas of who you are supposed to be, it is time to create some new goals on where you want to go and the kind of person you want to become. This year is all about opening yourself up to new ideas and new ways of thinking about what is truly important to you. Now is the time to create your plan and mental blueprint, while remembering that this plan is likely to change and evolve along the way.

4—If you are currently in a four personal year, you are entering into a year of putting your plan into action. The number four in numerology is about practicality and taking action. In other words, now is the time to get off your butt and start doing something that will take you towards your goal. Even if you are still not sure exactly where you want to go, you need to start doing something and have confidence that the path will be revealed as you move forward. Remember to use the new friendships and contacts you have formed along the way to give you the courage and support that you will need in order to take action.

5—If you are currently in a five personal year, you are entering a year where flexibility is critical. This year is all about fine-tuning your plan and “rolling with the punches”. Anyone who has worked on any kind of project knows that you don’t always end up where you were originally planning to go. Things come up, mistakes are made, priorities change, and detours arrive. Oftentimes in order to continue on you must be willing to alter your path. At times your original goal may have simply evolved into something you did not expect. Either way, flexibility is key here. Whatever you do, don’t simply continue to follow the original course out of stubbornness. Keep an open mind, search for alternatives, and above all—don’t give up. Use your partners and the resources you have gathered to guide you along the way.

6—If you are currently in a six personal year, you are probably entering into a year of adjustment. The sixth year of a cycle is often the year of reimagining your path. The number six represents the doubling of the number three’s creative energy. In fact it is often known as the “re” year where your will need to “revaluate”, “recreate” and ultimately “refocus” your energies not necessarily toward a new goal, but towards an evolved or reimagined goal. During this period, it is critically important that you allow yourself to be open to new directions or new opportunities when they present themselves.

7—If you are currently in a seven personal year, you are probably in the process of finding some wider purpose for your goal. The number seven is a mystical number that is all about going beyond the needs of our self and our ego. It’s about expanding your original goal, reaching out to others, and addressing a larger need. This is the year where you take your reimagined goal and expand it to find a way to serve the needs of others.

8—If you are currently in an eight personal year, you are probably beginning to see the results of all you past efforts. These may or may not be the results that you originally intended, but you begin to see how all of your past efforts have led you to this point in time. Just because you are beginning to see some results, that doesn’t mean that the hard work is over. The number eight is the doubling of the hard-working number “four” so this will most likely be a year of refocused effort.

9—This year represents the culmination of your previous eight years worth of effort. It is believed in numerology that the number nine includes the energy of all of the other numbers because it is not only the end of the progression before the cycle starts over again, but it is also the sum of the numbers themselves (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8=36=3+6=9). As a result, the number nine is considered both a practical and spiritual number which combines the energies of both.

What should you expect in a nine year? The nine personal year is generally seen as a year of reflection. A time for tracing the path of your decade long journey. It is a time for showing gratitude to those who have helped you along the way. It is the time to examine and understand the winding path and how it may have deviated from your originally intended course.

It may also be time to explore how this path fits into the larger journey of your life. How your past has brought you to this moment and where it is likely to take you from here. Use this year to reflect on the lessons you have learned on this journey, while remembering that no journey lasts forever. This journey too will end, but there is always something else ahead of you just around the bend. This is the moment to open your mind, let go of your expectations, and enjoy the ride.

I hope that you have been able to find something of value in these words. I believe that we are all here on a journey of self-discovery. Never be afraid to search within the depths of your heart or the dark unexplored places where that path may lead. If you know someone who might appreciate this article and its unique message, please pass it on.

I wish you well on your journey.