2017 - A "1" Year of New Opportunities

This upcoming year, 2017, resonates to the energy of the “1” (2+0+1+7=10/1). This is a welcomed change for many of us as 2016, which resonated to the energy of the 9 (2+0+1+6=9), brought with it the challenges that come from the harder aspects of this number - those things being endings, departures, and release. 

In 2016, we witnessed the passing of some amazingly talented individuals. We might have also lost people - although not famous - they were very near and dear to us. Some of us left relationships behind. Others of us left old ways of thinking and behaving behind. Some saw a major shift in our career and/or home life. What ever it is that we released - as painful as it was - these changes have opened new doors of possibilities that wouldn't have been an option to us if things had stayed the same. And that's where the energy of the "1" year comes in. 

The “1” year is all about new, healthy and natural beginnings. It’s also got a ‘take charge’ sense to it. We will definitely have the urge to start new things, improve our connection with others, and feel a deeper purpose to our lives. To quote Dr. Phil, these urgings will compel us to “put some verbs in our sentences.”

This will be a year of motivation for most people. There will be a desire to make things happen and a deeper appreciation for the gift of this life. We will not be content to stand on the sidelines for long. We will be tired of waiting for the perfect moment, and will choose to act in a productive manner to make things happen.

This means we may decide to start that new business we have been thinking about for a while. We may expand our social networks and connect with new friends and associates. We might feel the itch to travel and check off some of those items on our bucket list. We may begin a new career path or work to really showcase a special talent we have. We may decide to take a chance on love or become more committed to that someone special in our lives. 

Where ever we choose to make our fresh starts, know that the Universe naturally conspires to help us achieve these desires as long as they are aligned with our higher good and cause no intentional harm to another.

Tarot Associations

Magician – (Major Arcana 1) The Magician encourages us to be creative, individualistic, confident, and self-empowered. His message for the year tells us to take control of the resources around us and make the most of the opportunities presented to us. The Magician works his magic to manifest the things he desires. He does not just expect them to appear. That said, he warns us not to become too arrogant, selfish or deceptive in our practices as those energies are repellent to others, and ultimately plant bad seeds for a tainted future crop.

Wheel of Fortune – (Major Arcana 10) – The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that our destiny is a fine combination of our concerted efforts toward a goal and the fickle hand of fate. Some times the wheel turns in our favor. Other times it doesn’t. The energy of the Wheel of Fortunes tells us not to worry about the hand of fate as there is little we can do to control it. Instead, it’s best if we pursue our path according to what feels right for us, and trust that things will fall into place as they should. This card tells us not to worry ourselves with things over which we have no control and to trust in the process of life.

Ace of Cups, Pentacles, Wands, Swords – (The Four Elements) This year, we can expect to have new opportunities in the areas governed by the four elements – water/love, earth/finance, air/ideas, fire/passions and opportunities. The Aces of each suit suggest new chances, opportunities or “gifts” from the Universe. What we choose to do with them will be the deciding factor with how they develop.

For instance, the element of water tells us there may be a chance to improve/grow an existing relationship, the opportunity to begin a new one or the potential for a baby to be born.

The element of earth suggests we will have new opportunities that makes life on the earth plane better – an investment will pay off, a raise will come, a new job will be offered, an engagement may occur, or a big problem will be solved.

The element of air suggests a fresher mindset and more mental acuity. Burdens, anguish, disappointment and frustrations will be released. More productive and healthier ways of thinking will manifest. Attention will shift away from problems and our focus will be on solutions and brighter futures.

The element of fire indicates we will feel motivated to make our deepest desires come to life. We will feel passion in our bellies and there will be confidence in our action. We will also feel more motivation and energy in our daily life. Those opportunities that are seized and appreciated will produce great success.

In closing, it’s important to note that that while this New Year will present many amazing opportunities, it is up to us to take advantage of them. Without purposeful action nothing will manifest productively. So with that in mind, commit right now to make 2017 a year for which your future self will thank you!

December Energy Brings Triumphs and Truths

December 2016 resonates to the energy of the number 3. As a “3” month, we can expect December to bring with it feelings of fun, socialization and creativity. This will be a holiday season where we welcome that festive connection with others, and embrace opportunities to come together and celebrate our many blessings.

Be aware however, that with this more positive “3”energy-attitude, there is the risk of over-indulgence in all areas of our lives. Because of this, we want to make sure we aren’t spending extravagantly, socializing irresponsibly or eating and drinking excessively.

Basically, the “3” energy says, “Go out and have fun! Just don’t do anything, buy any item or indulge in any way you are going to regret.”

So that is really great! However, the number 3 also carries a secondary energy – this is one that is more about personal truths. This energy tells us that we will be doing some serious evaluation of ourselves, of our associates, and of our lives  - all before the close of the month. The purpose of this evaluation is to reassess our personal direction.

The “3” energy tells us we can expect to take a long hard look on where we have been this year. It suggests our focus will be more on our accomplishments rather than our disappointments. The 3-energy of December suggests we will be content with our progress in 2016. If we could, we’d be patting ourselves on our backs.

However, it’s important to remember that the overall energy of 2016 is a 9 – which is about release, detachment and forgiveness. With that in mind, we are finishing up a year where we have been releasing things that need to go, and are now at the precipice of a bright, new tomorrow.

And, being that December is a “3” personal truths month, it suggests we may find that there are still some lingering issues or remaining clutter that must be released before we begin 2017.

If we are honest with ourselves, we will already know what these issues are, because they are things we’ve been working on during this 9-year. This is like cleaning a house where you do a final sweep to collect those last little dust-bunnies hiding in the dark corners or tucked under the beds.

So, what might that clutter be? It can be anything that holds us back from what we desire most.

These things might be:

Out-dated ways of thinking. This is about being afraid to try. It’s about being afraid to be vulnerable and it’s about being afraid to leave our comfort zones. This is a big one, and is probably the most important shift that needs to be made before 2016 ends.

So what do we do? First, we shift your thoughts from “I can’t” to “I will”. We start believing in our own personal power, and become willing to try new things – things that previously frightened us. It’s about embracing new opportunities and expanding our interests with a sense of excitement and adventure. It’s making the decision to take a chance because we have finally realized the truth behind, “If not now, then when?”

Unproductive ways of living. This includes passively living our lives waiting for things to get better. It includes tolerating mediocrity or even unhappiness because we feel powerless to change an undesirable situation. It is the willingness to accept a scenario because it seems too hard to shift it in another direction. It is about hiding in pipedreams and promises of false tomorrows to get us through the frustrations of today.

So what do we do? We become a doer instead of a dreamer. We identify a plan to create the life we want and have the courage to take the first step. After that, we have the courage to take the next step and so-on and so-on.

Counter-productive habits around eating, entertaining, socializing or recreating. This one is for everyone who wants to take better care of that temple which houses our beautiful soul. Our bodies are an amazing gift from the Universe. Our body is meant to help us manifest our soul’s desire. It is meant to help us experience the wonderful pleasures and opportunities only available on this earth plane. But, our bodies are meant to be respected, and certainly not meant to be abused.

So what do we do? We need to show our bodies some love. We must treat them with the consideration they deserve. Let’s show our bodies we respect them by eating better to give our bodies the fuel it needs to thrive. We should cut back on the processed foods and sugar-laden products. We ought to get out and move – take a walk, stretch every day, find a physical activity we enjoy doing. We must let our bodies play. In addition, it’s important to give our bodies plenty of rest and cut back on abusive habits like drinking, smoking, over-eating and reckless hobbies.

Unhealthy peripheral relationships. Let’s be real. There are people around us everyday we feel we have to tolerate because somehow they have managed to become ingrained in our everyday life. We know who these people are. They are boundary-challenged friends who get in our business because they say they “care about us.” The truth is they get in our business because… well…. they don’t have boundaries or are trying to distract themselves from their own issues. Other times, these people are are the loud-mouth know-it-alls/top-it-alls who constantly have an answer for everything or a story that trumps every other one at social gatherings.  These people are particularly tough to deal with because all we really want to do is call them on their BS and tell them to shut up. But we can’t – for a variety of reasons – so we just sit quietly as they dominate the gathering with their delusional verbal reverie. Some times these people come dressed as takers, energy vampires and the drama-laden screw ups who always need your attention, assistance or advice. They are exhausting – not because they are bad people – but because the energy they unintentionally siphon from us on a regular basis interferes with our ability to do other things. However they appear, these people often come disguised as friends, relatives and colleagues.

So what do we do? A good course of action is to erect subtle, yet powerful barriers of our own. We can still maintain the Golden Rule when interacting with the individuals, but we  an also begin to distance ourselves. For instance, we can make ourselves unavailable to chat on a regular basis. We can have a ready excuse that gets us out of their request. We can politely decline invitations because of previous commitments. You get the point. Now, I am not saying to cut these people completely from our lives. Rather, I am suggesting we give ourselves permission to create some space, and protect our energy so you can devote our attention to manifesting OUR plans, dreams and desires.  

The upcoming year, 2017, promises fresh starts and new beginnings because it is a “1” year. In order to make the most of it, we must clear all the clutter with a proverbial spring-cleaning of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual house. And don’t feel bad about doing this. It’s a necessary course of action because only when the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical clutter is removed, can we welcome the exciting and powerful energy of the New Year.

Always Trust Your Powerful Intuition

Bias.

Such a simple word, but such a dangerous thing – particularly because, despite what one might believe about one self, no one is above it. Including myself.

Last week, I had a powerful wake-up call. It came Wednesday morning when I turned on the news and saw the results of the presidential election. Now, let me say upfront, I am not getting political here. However, I was shocked by the news that – although he had lost the popular vote - Donald Trump had won this highly contested, and long-fought battle for the White House.

 

And why was I shocked? I believe it’s because I was clouded by my own bias. For reasons I won’t discuss here, I believed it was impossible for Donald Trump to win the election. Some of the reasons were fact-based. Others were purely the result of emotion. Regardless, the collision of these two elements found the former getting left in the dust.

Why does this happen you might wonder? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that there is a component to the human being that is somewhat intangible and hard to describe. It is an essence; an ethereal, spiritual energy that sits at the core of who we are. This part of us whispers important truths, while voices of the outer world scream about ill-perceived fears. Yes, our soul speaks to our mind and our emotions. It promotes courage, authenticity and truth. Unfortunately, its wisdom is often drowned out by the cacophony of our egocentric, lizard-based, survival brain.  

And that is how bias is formed.

I believe that’s what happened to me last month when I pulled the Tarotscope for November. I remember laying out the cards after asking who would win the election. When I first saw the cards, a moment of panic so fierce and paralyzing swept over me that I actually struggled for breath.

“No….” I whispered aloud, “It can’t possibly be.” For a brief moment, I actually felt fear.  But that was not to last as my lizard brain quickly took over, and I interpreted the spread – unconsciously – in a way with which I felt more comfort.

Basically, there were three cards in the spread. There was the 10 of swords in the favor position. The King of Swords was in the challenge spot and the seven of cups was in the lesson category.

Hindsight being 20-20, it is very clear what the cards were saying. Had I stayed with my initial intuitive connection, a more accurate interpretation of the King of Swords in the challenge spot would’ve interpreted a win for Donald Trump that would be a challenge to the nation – as we have seen from the protests that followed.

Unfortunately, my lizard-brain took over and interpreted things from a much more comfortable perspective for me. That interpretation saw that King of Swords in the “challenge” spot and identified him as the loser of the race because I thought he would be the one facing the challenge and that is how I wanted it to be. (Again, not getting political, just being honest.) It wasn’t a malicious move. It was a fear-based move.

So what does this all have to do with the November numerology?

Well, this November resonates to the energy of the master number 11/2. The 11/2 is all about the delicate dance between the 11 and the 2. In numerology, the 11 stands for illumination, intelligence, intuition, and ingenuity. The second part of this number, the 2, stands for partnership, cooperation, balance and support. The message for November and this master number is to merge the energies of the 11 and 2 for the good of our self and everyone around us.

But this can be very hard to do because human nature, being what it is, tends to have us operating at extremes and can have us fluctuating between what we know we should do and what we feel we want to do – which opens the door to bias.

We don’t want to do that because bias skews our perspective of how things really are and affects our ability to manifest the things we truly desire in life. The 11/2 encourages us to trust our intuition and use it to ground us as we navigate this thing called life. It assure us that regardless of the outcome everything will be okay in the end.

So, as we watch 2016 come to a close, we should seize the 11/2 energy of November to help us shift our energy into a brand new year of beginnings and fresh starts. In order to do this, we must get clear. We must connect with that intuitive and insightful part of ourselves and boldly identify the vision we would like to manifest for 2017. Now is the time to confidently embrace that 11, and believe in the power our vision. However we must operate from a place of peace, balance and stability. We can’t let biases and fears get in the way. We need to also cultivate that harmonious 2 energy so the plans we seek to manifest bring comfort to our surroundings

This month, we need to say good-bye to mental and emotional limitations that stem from our biases. We need to clearly picture what we want to create in 2017, and  believe in our ability to achieve all that we desire.

To do this most effectively, we must take stock in where we are at right now. We must decide what must we retain. We must answer what must we release. In November we are being asked to complete an honest reflection of our lives – one without bias. This is an evaluation where we step back and honestly choose to operate from a position of freedom, courage and intuitive knowing.

January Calls for Optimism and Action

Yay! It’s a brand new year! New opportunity, new hope and new plans are in the mix for us all!

For the optimists among us, New Year’s awakens our enthusiastic and cheerful, child-like essence that believes in the power of endless possibilities. These idealists make their resolutions with wide eyes and reckless abandon, devoid of any consideration of the possibility that they might actually fall flat on their sunshiny faces.

For the pessimists among us, the New Year holds a more sullen energy. These Eeyore’s of the world often look at the New Year sadly. Instead of seeing the potential, they see what they failed to do. They are a bit hesitant to make any resolutions or big plans because they have experienced the cold water of reality being thrown smack into the middle of their dreams. These people convince themselves they will only fail, so why even start something new anyway?

It seems like we all know people who fit into these extremes. Perhaps we, ourselves, can identify a category in which we might fit. Or, even better, maybe we have been lucky enough to balance these two approaches and have begun the New Year with a cautious sense of optimism.

Well, if you have been able to do this, then you are well-aligned with the energy of this month and the start of 2016. To clarify what I mean, let me explain.

While January is always the first month of every year, it does not always resonate to the energy of the “1”. However, this year it does! That means this month, there is a stronger feeling of possibility. There will be a faith in the ability to accomplish one’s dreams. There will be a hopeful belief that tomorrow will be better because of the actions we take today.

Juxtaposed to this enthusiasm is the undercurrent “9” energy of the year (2+0+1+6=9). This energy is calmer, and almost seems the opposite. This is the feeling of acceptance, and completion, and release. This is not as pessimistic an energy as the “Eeyore” approach listed above, but it does have a certain amount of resignation to it.

When combined, the “1” energy of January and the “9” energy of 2016 have a bit of a matured and stabilizing “get ‘er done” philosophy to it.

Basically, this energy combination recognizes the need to move things to the next level, whether that means releasing something that must go or fixing something that must finally be fixed. We realize life is at a “fish-or-cut-bait” point. This is the feel of the subtle 9-energy of the year. That said, the “1” energy of January suggests we are very ready to do this. We are at the point where we are done. We will actively seek new solutions. That is the 1 energy of our month.

So what does this mean in terms of January? It means we will jump into this year ready to entertain the necessary changes we must make in order to bring us the peace and desires we seek.

In relationships, this could mean we either release or permanently mend a struggling connection with another. I think of that scene from Jerry McGuire, where Jerry is speaking to his wife, and trying to get her back after they split. He says, “If this is where it has to be, then this is where it has to be.” He is ready to put it all on the table with no guarantee it will end the way he wants it to. Relationships will be like that this year – and in particular this month. We will seek to finally solve our issues or we will choose to release them.

In work this could mean changes to your job. You may decide this month to actively seek a new position. You may come up with plans to start a new business. You may begin to explore more education or training. This is the month where you make decisions about how you can brighten your career and your financial future.

You may also decide to seek more freedom this year, and – as a result - this month you may begin to explore those options. You might speak with a realtor about the possibility of selling a property. You might look for ways to free up your schedule so that you can have more available time. In January you may decide it is time to actively fix or remove any situation that interferes with your healthy forward progress. 

Whatever your area of release this year, expect the month of January to be fresh with ideas and enthusiasm for making 2016 a very productive and healing year that allows you to manifest your hopes, your dreams and your true life purpose.