HAVING THE TIME
OF YOUR LIFE
Determining
Your Current Year
Please keep in mind that your first year of life begins at birth and ends on your first birthday. So at age 1, you are actually beginning your second year of life. To compute the year that you are in, you always add 1 to your present age. For example if you are 56 you are in your 57th year. If you are 14, you are in your 15th year.
Finding Out When Your Year Begins and Ends
Children between the ages of 1 and 9 are in their root years. If you are in your tenth year or older, add the digits of your age together to obtain a number between 1 and 9.
- For example, if you are in your fourteenth year, add 1+4 = 5. You are in a five year. If you are in your fifty-seventh year, add 5+7=12 and then add 1+2=3. You are in a three year.
Every year of your life therefore corresponds to a number from 1-9 and exhibits the energetic characteristics of that number. Descriptions of each of the nine years can be found in Part Two of this Course (see link below).
Becoming Aware of the Theme for Your Year
If you are sensitive to cycles, you will notice that the theme for each year begins right around your last birthday. If you are not particularly tuned into your cycles, you may not realize how that theme is manifesting in your life until well into that year.
This is very much an individual phenomenon and you will need to find out through experience what is true for you. As you work with your cycles, it will be clear what your own individual timing is. You can also get an idea of your timing by analyzing the previous cycles in your life.
The Three Stages Within Each Cycle
- People who are in a 1 or a 2 year are at the beginning of a cycle. This is the Formation Stage.
- People who are in an 8 or 9 year are at the end of a cycle. This is the Detachment Stage.
- People who are in years 3-7 are in the middle of their cycle. This is the Action Stage.
While action and outward activity are optimal in the middle of a cycle, the beginning and end of each cycle require a turning inward for vision and reflection.
Journaling Questions to Answer
- What year are you now in?
- When did that year begin and when does it end?
- Now that you know your current year, what stage of your cycle are you in: Formation, Action or Detachment?
- How does that help you to understand how to better cooperate with the universal energies that are at work in your life.
- What was your experience of this year nine years ago and how does it compare to what is happening for you today?
- When did you enter the current cycle (year 1) and when does your next cycle begin?
- What impact does this information have on your short and long term plans?
- Which 9 year cycle are you now in (see descriptions below) and what perspective does this give you for your life?
Nine Cycles of Life
A person who lives to be 81 years old goes through nine consecutive nine year cycles.
- The first cycle begins at birth and ends on the 9th birthday. This is the root or archetypal cycle. It is synonymous with childhood.
- The second cycle begins at age 9 and ends at the 18th birthday. It is synonymous with adolescence.
- The third cycle begins at 18 and ends on the 27th birthday. It is synonymous with early adulthood and with advanced schooling and preparation for making a living and taking responsibility for one’s own life.
- The fourth cycle begins at 27 and ends on the 36th birthday. It involves building the foundation of career and family.
- The fifth cycle begins at 36 and ends on the 45th birthday. During this cycle we begin to experience the shift that comes as we approach our mid-life crisis and we begin to redefine who we are. For some people, changes in career and family structure may occur. T
- he sixth cycle begins at 45 and ends on the 54th birthday. This is a time when our children leave the nest and our mid life crisis often continues, along with the changes that come with menopause. We begin to realize that we no longer fit into the family structure and communities that have defined us in the last two cycles and we begin the search for new spiritual families and support systems.
- The seventh cycle begins at 54 and ends at 63. Often, we become grandparents in this cycle, if we did not in the previous cycle. These are the years when we come fully into our power and purpose and become teachers, leaders and role models for the next generation. Our creative fulfillment and the recognition by others of our talents and gifts (or the lack of fulfillment and recognition) are particularly poignant at this stage of our lives.
- The eighth cycle begins at 63 and ends at 72. In this cycle we may experience health issues and crises and we may need to make lifestyle changes that enable us to heal and find greater balance in our lives. We may decide to retire or cut back on the number of hours that we work. We may downsize or relocate to a warmer climate. We may need to get more support from others to continue to live independently.
- The ninth cycle begins at 72 and ends at 81. These are our wisdom years when we begin to detach from the world and come to peace with our lives and the people who are closest to us. We may have opportunities to forgive and to heal that were not possible till now because we were not ready. Often we simplify our lives, explore our spirituality and let go of roles/activities that make us anxious or drain our energy. In this last ninth cycle, we also begin thinking about our legacy and preparing to make our transition.
Of course, many people live to be older than 81 and they may experience a 10th or even 11th nine year cycle. However, the readings in this book do not go beyond the ninth year of the ninth cycle (81).
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