Primary Energies for 2017

 “There is a Chinese curse which says ‘May he live in interesting times.’ Like it or not we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men [and women] than any other time in history.”

~Robert F. Kennedy, June 1966~

Introductory Note

When looking at 2017 from a Mystical Numerology perspective, there are three primary energies that are factors to consider. First, 2017 is a “10” Universal Year (2+0+1+7 = 10). Second, this is “Year 5” of the new long cycle on the New Mayan Calendar. And finally, it carries the “17” energy because it is year 17 of the new century. What follows is a detailed description of each of these energies and how they are likely to affect us throughout the year.

“10” Universal Year

 “The purpose of life is undoubtedly to know oneself. We cannot do it unless we learn to identify ourselves with all that lives. … The instrument of this knowledge is boundless, selfless service.” 
~Mohandas K. Gandhi~

Mystical Aspects: It helps to remember that “10” is the energy of the Higher Realms and the Infinity Grid that connects everything, everywhere. This means two things. First, you will feel and be affected by what is happening in the world at large even more than in previous years. And second, you can call on the Ancestors and the Angelic energies for help more easily. With all the current turmoil in the world, this is a good thing. Something is shifting and transforming on fundamental levels this year. Old energy is clearing out. Something new is being born. And yet, birth is a process that is both chaotic and painful. Mothers can relate to this.

Indeed, the “10” energy is about Mothers. As Rudyard Kipling said, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” Already this year, on 21-January, we have witnessed the power of millions of women – mothers and future mothers – marching and rallying in some 670 cities around the world to make their voices heard.

Artemis, who is the protector of childbirth and labor, is one of the carriers of the energy for 2017. This is another sign that women have a pivotal role to play in the coming months in leading the way (giving birth) to the mass awakening that is occurring.

Although we may not be able to predict the outcomes, the energies and actions this year combine to create a clarion call to awaken the masses from their slumber. It is no longer an option to sit idly on the fence and watch the parade go by. It is time to wake up, rise up, and make our collective voices heard! As the poet William Stafford said, “It is important that awake people be awake, … the darkness around us is deep.”

We can take heart that Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, also symbolizes another aspect of this year’s energy. If the start of this year is any indication of what the rest of the year will bring, we may need the help of Ganesh and our better angels to help us negotiate the hurdles we are facing.

Collective Aspects: 2017 represents the doorway into a new world. Objective reality is malleable and collective shifts on the level of mass society are taking place. What was hidden can now be seen. What we consider to be the manifest world and the material domain is being redefined. The global ecosystem is in flux, and it is not comfortable. Some people are clinging to the past with their fingernails, teeth and toes dug in, and striking out in reactionary and fearful ways in an effort to turn back the tide of change. These people will ultimately fail, but will make life for the rest of us more difficult for a time. Our job is to hold to the light, have compassion, walk our talk and stand up for what we believe.

This is a time for “ubuntu,” a Zulu word that means (roughly translated), “I am who I am because of other people.” In other words, we are all connected. None of us can be all that we are meant to be without the help of others, the community, society and world in which we live and breathe.

In this year, despite the nationalistic and isolationist forces that are working to pull us collectively inward and create social distance between factions – and maybe because of them – it will become more apparent than ever before that the time of separation is over. We are bound together with the common threads that weave the web of life. What harms one of us, affects us all. When we disconnect from the collective knowledge and wisdom we suffer. When we think or feel we must do it all ourselves (whatever “it” is), we ultimately fail. Our brightest future takes all of us working together cooperatively as a team.

The dark shadow of the collective energy for 2017 creates cultural instability, spawned by a kind of collective madness to which a portion of the population has succumbed. This is a year that pits separatism against universalism. Watch for signs of gangsterism and the criminal underworld attempting to take control. Be alert for attempts at societal mind control. This is a year when even mass hysteria is possible. In the face of this potential darkness, it is more important than ever that you shine your light more brightly. Stay centered and walk your talk.

Practical Aspects: A “10” year is a time of outcomes. “10” is the stage at which creation is complete and physical manifestation occurs. This means that what you have been working on now can become an objective reality. During this year, something is being completed and you are stepping up to a new level – ideally to a higher level in both service and responsibility.

It is good to take some time to stop, reflect upon, digest and integrate your life experiences and accomplishments over the past nine years, and carefully consider what is now emerging.

A “10” period is also a time of new beginnings, a time of renewal. A new path may be stretching out before you that will take you in a different direction – something that already is happening on a collective level.

2017 is a period of transition and transformation. It is a favorable time to launch new projects, ventures, or relationships. It is an auspicious time to make life changes. And sometimes, life changes are thrust upon you, imposed in a way that is uninvited. If this is the case, it is helpful to know that a new door is opening that may bring something even better that fits your higher purpose.

A “10” period often brings more clarity and certainty, but sometimes this comes as a result of struggle. This is a year to sharpen your intellect, find the answers you seek and achieve greater self-knowledge. It is a good time to gain understanding, make decisions, put plans into action, and ultimately feel more secure about desired future outcomes – even though many things seem to be up in the air and turning somersaults at the moment. It is good to remember that Ganesh symbolizes the energy of 2017 and brings the power to overcome obstacles and move forward.

This year supports pioneers who lead the way for others, and the pioneering spirit to push up against boundaries to create something new. It also brings the ability to lead, or transform things around you. It is a good time to step forward and take personal responsibility for a project or activity – at home, at work, or in the community. What you accomplish now can be both growthful and purposive, and is in harmony with the energy of this period that supports being decisive and taking practical action.

This is a year for organizers, and those who can energize others to take action. This is a powerful year for social reformers who speak truth to power. We have already seen an effect of this energy in the women’s marches and rallies around the world on 21-January. It all started with an effort on social media for women to stand up and have their voices heard. Remember, you can also be a catalyst for positive change this year, so stand up and be heard!

Your ability to be empathic and connect at an emotional level with others is strengthened during this year. You may find yourself feeling more outgoing and friendly. So, this is a good year for socializing, making friends, starting relationships, and adding more romance to your life.

Shadow Aspects: The carriers for the shadow energy for 2017 are Thanatos (symbolizing death) and the Elemental Underworld. Something is ending; the old order is dying. Destabilization is another shadow energy for a “10” year, and we can certainly see this playing out in the early days of the Trump administration. The power of the storm is also an aspect of this year, and may be a foreshadowing of events and rough winds to come.

On a more practical level, you can feel bogged-down, tangled up, and blocked energetically during this year. A variety of emotions can create mental and emotional immobility, including worry, aguish, or even paranoia. Easy to do in the current political environment in many countries around the world. Remember, this is just the circus sideshow that has come to town to entertain us for a while and give a wake-up call to the sleeping. What is really important is what is happening on inner levels.

Here is a prescription for better health in 2017: Movement is important to stay in balance this year. So, if you are feeling stuck, move! Walk, run, exercise, jump up and down, dance around the house, or simply get up from the couch and walk to the kitchen and back. Move!

The energy of this year makes you more susceptible to making careless mistakes, and this can cause you to feel naïve, stupid and even irrational. If this happens, break your routine. Stop. Find some quiet space to reflect and find the lessons being presented in what is happening. Let things settle before getting back into action.

This can also be a year of calamity, crisis and breakdown. It can be a time of personal darkness. If so, life is asking you to transform in some way, to find completion in some aspect of your life before moving forward. Remember that even though you must go through the experience by yourself, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach to your support network for help. Get help from your community.

You may encounter people on your path who are arrogant, egotistical, and tactless and divisive. (I have a few high-profile politicians and government leaders in mind). Do your best to not allow these people to take you out of your center by becoming angry and defensive, or sarcastic and ridiculing. More than likely, a life change is occurring and a deep shift is taking place inside of you. Work on yourself and your own self-esteem. Remember, this is a temporary period. Things will change, and will likely get better.

Year 5 of the New Sun Cycle

 “Change is the process by which the future invades our lives” 

~Alvin Toffler~

Mystical Aspects: The “5” is the Goddess energy of the feminine archetype. It is mysticism and the connection with the astral dimension and with ancestral spirits. “5” is the number of precognitive dreams, clairaudience, mediumship and intuitive insight – the bridges between the silent voice of Spirit and the open hearts that hear it. Ideally, in a “5” year, we can more easily achieve Cosmoconsciousness, a state of being that is beyond the normal boundaries of space and time. It is a kind of supraliminal mind existing above the threshold of normal consciousness that creates an experience of expanded maximum awareness and is connected with All-That-Is.

In a “5” year, Spirit reaches down to touch your heart, and to infuse you with knowing and the power to conceive of and create new things. It is the number of divine longing that urges you forward to manifest your dreams. It is very expansive and hard to handle at times, like drinking light from a cosmic fire hose.

The other part of the “5” energy is this, and it can be uncomfortable. You aren’t in control this year, at least not in the way you think. Spirit is really in the driver’s seat. It is Spirit who takes charge of the outcomes. She may also send you visions and insights but in ways that are often unbidden and uninvited. Sometimes, the Spirit of Life takes hold of you (or the family, community, country and planet) and shakes things up – like a medicine bottle that says, “Shake well before using!”

Collective Aspects: This year, there is an evolutionary impulse that is moving us, collectively, toward our best selves and the highest expression of our humanity. From behind the scenes, the energy is paving the way for universal compassion and working together in mutual support on behalf of the common good – despite all current evidence to the contrary.

This is a year that favors collaborative diplomacy over an iron fist, community involvement over going it alone. It is a year of social change when we, through our collective efforts, can have more-than-normal impact. But, and this is a big one, we have to get involved. As President Obama said in his departing speech, we have to lace up our shoes and get involved. We have to stand up, rise up and raise our voices in unison to be heard. We can no longer be complacent. We have to take action. We must call, write, email, text or tweet our representatives, senators, Members of Parliament, and other local and national government leaders. After all, they work for us! Make your voice heard! We must also organize and run for office. This is the year that supports all of those efforts.

Practical Aspects: The “5” year is usually fast-paced, upbeat and expansive. Its energy can be akin to drinking water from a fire hose and, therefore, sometimes hard to handle. The “5” merges the infinite, spiritual dimension and the personal, emotional dimension of life. It wants freedom, change and spontaneity, and doesn’t like limitations or boundaries. Indeed, you may feel drawn to go on a quest or journey to explore new potentials and possibilities, develop a new idea or start a new job. It can be a time of creativity, learning and personal growth.

In a “5” year, things are dynamic, fluid and in constant flux. It can be a very creative time but it requires flexibility and a willingness to be spontaneous. Living in the moment is a desirable quality for a “5” year because things are changeable and will frequently shift. The energy of a “5” year doesn’t really play well with those that have a need to adhere to strict schedules. If you are one of these people, be prepared to deal with shifts and changes.

Desire and pleasure, laughter and pain, chaos and harmony all of fall under the “5” energy.

During a “5” year, friends, family and community are in the spotlight. It is a time to strengthen family and social bonds. This is a time that favors and supports working together with others – especially in a common cause and for the common good.

It is a good time to ask for a partner or love relationship. And, it can bring greater success in business or in your job.

The energy of this period is about the flow of abundance and prosperity into and through your life. That said, the best use of money this year is to keep it in circulation and working for you rather than hoarding it. 2017 is an auspicious time to ask for both personal and community abundance. The key is to ask for what you need and then get your ego-mind out of the way. Something larger than you is in charge during this year!

Shadow Aspects: This can be a time of chaos. You can feel more impulsive than normal, and have difficulty focusing on practical things. You can be overeager and too much in a hurry. This can result in hurry-worry and even recklessness. The “5” energy wants freedom and tends towards restlessness and scattering energies in too many directions at once. As a result, breaking commitments and being unfaithful to partners, beliefs or ideas one of the downsides during this period. Consider that this period is helping you to learn to create a sense of dynamic but sustainable balance in your life. It is prompting you to work with a focused intention to create what most inspires you.

The other shadow side of the “5” energy is feeling blocked, stuck, unable to free yourself from old habits, and being low on energy and undemonstrative with friends and loved ones. Obsessiveness and addiction is a severe example. Sometimes, a fear of lack is what begins the downward spiral, causing you to withdraw into a suit of protective armor and become covetous of what others have, be it money, influence or power.

This can be a time of emotional pain, grief and fundamental insecurity. If this happens, remember two things. First, this is a temporary situation. It is going to pass. Second, realize that to transform these heavy emotions, you must allow yourself to fully feel them (as opposed to going into denial). You don’t have to feel them for very long, but you do have to feel them.

Experiencing emotional pain may just be an “AFGO” – Another ‘Freaking’ Growth Opportunity. Yet, “5” is the number of karma. So, it may be that karmic residue has walked out onto center stage to be recognized, dealt with and cleared away. Once you’ve processed the feelings, you no longer need to hang onto them. Give them the hook. Drag them off center stage and lovingly give them the boot!

Government & Politics: There are conflicting sides of a “5” year as it applies to government and politics. It is the energy of “Brexit,” fiscal conservatism, political action committees (PACs), and the rise of populism and the right. On the other hand, it is anti-authoritarian, gives rise to a backlash, and energizes the struggle for freedom while supporting civil institutions.  So, with the Trump/Bannon objective of demolishing the administrative state, we’ll just have to wait and see how all this plays out. My bet is that they are going to have more difficulty than they imagined in accomplishing their objective.

Year 17 of the New Century

 “If we want to talk about freedom, we must mean freedom for others as well as ourselves, and we must mean freedom for everyone inside our frontiers as well as outside.”

~Wendell Willkie~

 Mystical Aspects: On a mystical level, the “17” energy promotes the spiritual union of the four aspects of the psyche – intuiting/spritual, thinking/mental, feeling/heart, and sensing/physical. This gives the kind of overall balance that can be transformative in the way that one interacts with the world. It can produce a spherical state consciousness in which inner vision is heightened, holistic seeing becomes the norm, and one more frequently experiences direct knowing, e.g., knowing without knowing how you know.

Practical Aspects: The “17” year is brings balance and sure-footedness through movement. It is a year that favors doers. It is an excellent time to get into action, be enterprising, and move forward to achieve desired goals. This includes finding the job you desire. The “17” energy gives a helpful boost to professionals in the material, cultural and spiritual worlds. It is a good time to explore new ideologies, put together a business plan, and do some empirical research or quantitative analysis. At certain times, this period can be used to peer into the future.

This can be a time of change since the “17” energy represents metamorphosis – the power for the caterpillar to become the butterfly. It is a time that emphasizes individual identity, personal autonomy and self-realization. So, it is a good time to make significant personal shifts, and confront whatever may be holding you back from being all you can be. You may also find that you can have a transforming influence on both people and events during this period.

A “17” year highlights the quest for understanding, including the search for the deepest truths that undergird our objective reality, but also for promoting understanding between individuals and groups of people. “17” is the energy of togetherness, but also of dialogue. It is a good time to bring people together to explore ideas and/or forge a collective vision of the future. It is a period that favors group processes, public relations work, and healing processes.

The “17” year is an auspicious time to find greater balance in your life. The energy of the period helps to bring inner balance as well as harmony with the natural world. Your ability to sense things on a kinesthetic, body level is likely to be stronger this year, so pay attention to the messages your body gives you through your belly brain or gut instincts. Indeed, one has access to the ground state of pure being during this period and the psychokinetic abilities that can flow from it – something to experiment with, for sure. It can be a time for miracles and miracle workers!

Movement is often important to achieve balance during this year, so consider integrating exercise of some sort into your daily routine. Moving your body not only brings greater balance and helps with physical conditioning, it also opens a channel to higher wisdom and heightened physical senses and sensual ecstasy during a “17” period. Kundalini meditation is especially effective during this time.

You may also find that any artistic abilities that you may have are enhanced during this period – especially those that involve working with your hands or body in some way. Artistic endeavors can be another pathway to balance and harmony at this time.

Shadow Aspects: The positive side of the “17” can bring power and focus. The shadow side of the “17 brings negativity and a tendency toward shallowness and narrowness of thinking – but not necessarily your thinking.

You might find yourself confronting (or being confronted by) political or religious fundamentalism in some form or fashion. You may feel misunderstood. You can feel subservient to forces beyond your control or, alternately, entangled in issues that cause feelings of possessiveness, and/or create separateness that can include estrangement in relationships or marital strife. Be sure that you don’t overstep your boundaries and trample on others during this time – as we can see the Trump administration doing in the USA.

The shadow of the “17” includes nervousness, temperamental or argumentative energies, and rebelliousness. It can be a catalyst for opportunistic behaviors and controversial actions. During a “17” year, you can be prompted to take a walk on the wild side and explore things considered taboo by society. Take care, during this period people can binge on food, alcohol, or other sensory indulgences.

At a collective level, the “17” period can be a time of purification that brings dangerous times and the popular hysteria that often follows in its wake. It can be a dire time of mournfulness when people feel grief-stricken.

Although the “17” has its own path on the Medicine Wheel and therefore I don’t reduce it, others often do. In its reduced form, it becomes an “8.” Here’s what Joseph Rael has to say about the “8” energy for 2017:

This year 2017 we will be in the vibration of Number 8: WHEH-LEH – the horizontal dimension.

 At the number eight, we have to fall. We lie down to rest because inspiration is also saying we have to fall into the foundation of life.  (The Way of Inspiration by Joseph Rael)

This “falling” feels entirely consistent with how 2017 is unfolding. So, if you feel a bit like you/we are in a surreal free-fall this year, Joseph’s words will give you some context and help you realize that this is not really a bad thing.

Next year will be a time for planting seeds for future hope and success.

 

Copyright © John B. Pehrson, March 2017