Predictive Numerology 101: What are Personal Years and Universal Years?

There is a season for everything, and a time for every event on earth [Ecclesiastes 3:1].

We as humans don’t know everything, but we sure can predict a lot of events in life. Think about this; How do we know what the weather is going to be like next week or that a hurricane is about to arrive? How do we know when it’s mating season for elephants, and when it’s time for them to give birth? And we all seem to know that April is the best month to see the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom. We also know when it’s the best time and season for planting and harvesting our fruits and veggies. I can mention a few more of these examples, but think about these for a minute. How come we know the timing and season of these events? The answer is pretty simple. It is through years of observing, studying, and analyzing the life cycles of nature. By paying careful attention to the various behavioral changes and patterns of every life form here on earth, it can become pretty easy to predict events—and not just those related to the weather, animals, plants, and foods, but also those special events pertaining to our own human lives.

I know that there are a lot of skeptics out there, but I truly believe that if we, as humans, can predict the various life cycles of nature, we can definitely foretell —to a certain extent— particular events in our own lives as well. Simply because we are part of nature itself.

And this brings me to the predictive aspect of numerology.

As you know, in numerology, we go through life in cycles of nine years. When those nine years have passed, we get the chance to start all over again! Predictive numerology is that part of numerology which not only helps “foretell” peoples’ repetitive behavioral pattern but also certain life events that repeat themselves throughout nine-year cycles. In this blog post, I will cover the basics of prediction using the numerological concepts of Universal Years and Personal Years.

What are Universal Years and Personal Years?

Universal Years and Personal Years are periods of influence (by numbers and planets) within a nine-year cycle. Universal Years are actually calendar years that pertain to a group of people, and Personal Years pertain to an individual within a calendar year. Each year, whether on a Universal or Personal level, one may feel, experience, and manifest events, opportunities, challenges, and obstacles through the influence of numerical and planetary energies. 

Let’s explore the difference between the two a little further.

A Universal Year is the calendar year we currently live in, or the year you would like to make the prediction for. It is a twelve-month period that runs from January until December. Each calendar year, or Universal Year, carries a certain theme and energy that we all feel and experience on a collective, global level; from country to country, and as a society. And each year is ruled (or heavily influenced) by one dominant number which is linked to the planets in astrology. So, the number or planet that influences a specific calendar year often determines the energies we feel universally, including the type of events that might take place around the world. Since Universal Years operate just like regular (Gregorian) calendars, every year another number, or planet, gets a chance to influence the world during a 12-month period. And every nine years, the cycle changes and repeats.

Let’s have a look at some examples and calculations.

To calculate the Universal Year number, and to figure out what planet would be a factor of influence, you would need the calendar year for which you would like to do the prediction.

How to calculate a Universal year

The formula is pretty simple; Add all the numbers of the year and reduce it down to a single digit between 1 and 9. Let’s take the calendar year 2020 as an example.

The year 2020 was a Universal Year 4. Why? Because 2 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 4

This means that the planet Rahu influenced the year 2020. This planet manifested various events and human activity pertaining to its energies and natural attributes. (We all know what happened in 2020 around the globe. However, to learn more about this planet click here )

Another example is that of the year 2021.

The year 2021 is a Universal Year 5. Why? Because  2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5

This means that the planet Mercury will influence the year 2021. So, throughout 2021, we may experience and witness sudden changes, opportunities, challenges, disruptions, and unexpected Mercurial events related to communication, travel, logistics, transportation, media (e.g., shocking news around famous personalities), marketing, the weather, etc.

Let’s move on to the Personal Year.

A Personal Year is a year that is personal to each individual walking on this planet and entails the events that a person might experience on a physical level. These events pertain to different aspects of life, e.g., career, family, home, finances, business, relationships, health, travel, etc.. and include both opportunities and challenges that one might experience during that specific year. A Personal Year runs from January until December, just like a calendar year. Once you know your Personal Year, you can prepare yourself better for the new energies, along with the things you could manifest on the material plane. A Personal Year is also dominated by a number, which in turn, is linked to a certain planet. Hence, the planetary energies and numerical vibrations related to that number will have a major influence on your life and, thus, behavior, and may also determine how your year may play out. Every year, another number and/or the planet gets the chance to influence you on some level. And every nine years, the cycle changes. To calculate your Personal Year number, you would need your day and month of birth, including the Universal Year number.

Let’s have a look at an example.

How to calculate a Personal Year

To find out your own Personal Year number for the year 2021, you would have to add the day and month of your birth to the Universal Year.

Here’s the formula:

Day + Month + Universal Year number = Personal Year number

For example, if someone is born on the 3^rd of May, you would need to calculate their Personal Year number as follows:

3 + 5 (May) + 5 (Universal Year) = 12, then continue to add and reduce until you have a single digit between 1 and 9.

1 + 2 = 3 (Personal Year)

So, this means that the year 2021 will be a Personal Year 3 (ruled by Jupiter) for someone born on the 3^rd of May. This person could experience events, challenges, and opportunities related to the energies of the number 3, and thus the planet Jupiter. On a minor level, one may also feel the energies of the Universal Year 5 through world events happening in 2021.

Now that you’ve learned about the difference between a Universal and Personal Year, keep this in mind:

• Both Personal Years and Universal Years always hold a specific theme, which is linked to the planetary energies and significations in astrology. However, the energies of your Personal Year will influence you more on a personal level than the energies of the Universal Year.
• The result of the calculation for both years never goes beyond the number nine. Whether it is a Personal Year or Universal Year, the cycle always runs from year 1 to year 9, and then it starts all over again.

The following chart illustrates, in a nutshell, the Nine-Year Cycle of Life, including the themes and energies for each year.

Understanding the energetic pace and difference between the even and odd (Personal Year) numbers

Apart from the different themes and numerical/planetary energies that you may experience throughout your Personal Years, it is also important to note that each year has its own pace. You might not feel this on a Universal (collective) level, but definitely on a personal level. Some years are slower than others and some just fly by, and you can actually feel that. You know those moments when you say; “Time flies!” Well, that really applies to, for example, a Personal Year 1 (ruled by the Sun) or a Personal Year 5 (ruled by Mercury). And some years never seem to end, like a Personal Year 2 (ruled by the Moon) or a Personal Year 4 (ruled by Rahu).

The slower-paced years, which pertain to the even numbers, are the Universe’s way of keeping us in check as we can’t always run through life like Speedy Gonzales. Hence, we are forced to be less productive, dial back, reflect, relax, get organized, and check in with ourselves. So when the fast-paced years arrive, which pertain to the odd numbers, we can fast-forward with our personal ambitions, goals, and aspirations.

The following table illustrates both the pace and energy for each Personal Year in a nutshell.

*These themes/energies also apply to a Universal Year. Hence, they are felt on a collective and global level.

As you can see from the table above; there is a time for everything in life! Besides the fact that every year has its own energetic pace, there is also a shift in energy where the focus is on yourself or on others. You know those moments, just before the new year starts, someone says: “This coming year will be all about me and my goals! I’m going to put myself first” This could often be a sign that they will enter a Personal Year 1 (ruled by the Sun) or a Personal Year 7 (ruled by Ketu). And a year where the focus is often on others is, for example, a Personal Year 2 (ruled by the Moon) or a Personal Year 6 (ruled by Venus). Here’s an easy trick to help you remember whether the focus is on yourself or on others: the odd numbers are self-focused years and the even numbers are more service-oriented. It’s that simple!

So, the energy changes each year within a nine-year cycle; It moves from slow to fast, then from fast to slow. The focus also shifts from the self to others, then again from others to the self. However, there is an exception for Personal Year 9, which is considered a neutral year; a period in which you would make amends, tie up loose ends, resolve pending matters, and wrap up everything that occurred over the past nine years as you prepare yourself for your next new cycle.

Now before I end this post, I want to share one last thing:

Even though this blog post is about the predictive side of numerology, I actually don’t like to call Personal Years and Universal Years a “prediction” of certain events in our lives. It is, in fact, more about expectations by paying attention to the energies and patterns of human behavior. When you live a conscious life and become more aware of everything and everyone around you, and understand how everything works in a mathematical pattern, then things won’t seem like a prediction anymore. But more like an opportunity for you to learn, grow, identify, and change your behavior, so you won’t live your life in a repetitive mode and continuously make the same mistakes. Raising your consciousness and developing your self-awareness will enable you to make better decisions, maximize your potential, and, ultimately, improve the overall quality of your life.

With that in mind, I hope that now you have a better understanding of Personal Years and Universal Years, including the different numerical and planetary energies that dominate each year, and the influence they have on our behavior. In the next post, I will share some other important things to be mindful of when working specifically with the energies of your Personal Year.

As always, thanks for reading.

• Learn more about Personal Years and find out what each year has in store for you.
• Learn more about the (Vedic) astrological meanings of each planet.
• Learn more about the meaning behind the 9 numbers in numerology, and human behavioral traits.