2021: The 5 Universal Year - "I Want To Break Free!"
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We did it, folks! We survived the stressful, painful, restrictive hellscape that was 2020 and the 4 Universal Year. Every single one of us deserves a hearty pat on the back. Hip, hip, hooray! Now we are staring down 2021, and hopes are high for a happier and brighter new year.
So what does numerology tell us to expect after the turning of the calendar year? To get an idea, we need to explore the next 12 months through the lens of the Universal Year. Let's start with some basic definitions.
The Universal Year is the vibe that the entire planet is operating throughout 2020. It is different than the Personal Year, which we experience more acutely on an individual level. Universal Years point to themes, lessons, challenges, and opportunities that we see unfolding nationally and internationally. They dominate our news headlines and social media posts. It's a good number to know so you can recognize what you see and perhaps develop a more informed viewpoint as a result.
We calculate the Universal Year by using numerology's primary formula: addition, and if needed, further reduction to a single number.
2+0+2+0 = 4.
2+0+2+1 = 5.
It couldn't be simpler!
Armed with this basic knowledge, let's briefly touch on where we just came from- the 4 Universal Year.
A 4 Year of any variety brings lessons about strengthening foundations, shoring up resources, fixing proverbial weak spots in our fences, employing consistent discipline, adhering to facts, and behaving sensibly. The 4 says, "There's work to do, so stop messing around." It's all homework and no recess. The 4 plays the long game. It doesn't care about immediate gratification; its priorities lie with the long-term result, and it's more than willing to be patient, turn the screw, and apply pressure to make sure the tasks at hand get taken seriously.
In November 2019, as I assessed how the 3 Universal Year might parlay itself into the trends of 2020, I remember having a stark realization. I said to myself, "Oh no. 2020 will be the year of the war on facts and reality." And uh, yeah. I think it's safe to say that proved correct. And that war rages on, although we see glimmers of hope on the horizon.
For more information, you can go back and read my original 4 Universal Year blog post here.
On that note, I think 2020 has had more than enough of our attention, don’t you? Let's shift gears and dive into 2021 and that upcoming 5 Universal Year.
I've often found the transition from the 4 to 5 a particularly notable one. The 4 is all nose-to-the-grindstone. When the 4's assignments get properly learned and applied, the gift at the end is self-betterment, increased security, growth, and we get rewarded with lots of fun and enjoyable activity. When that work doesn't get done, and if those lessons don't get learned, what follows next can be sheer chaos.
Where the 4 is rigid, the 5 is footloose and fancy-free. Where the 4 is limiting, the 5 is expansive. Where the 4 emphasizes restraint, the 5 chucks it all away for freedom to roam. The 4 works overtime, while the 5 explores with curiosity and a thirst for adventure. The 4 thrives on structure, while the 5 seeks to rebel against it.
Pretty stark differences, right? A 5 Year in any form is a vastly different breed of cat, to be sure. After the unrelenting “buckle-down and push through” dutiful nature of the 4, the 5 comes along and says, "Are we done yet? It's time to go outside and go exploring!"
So what might that mean for us?
The good news: If we've risen to the challenges of the 4, the 5 often brings us plenty of chances to throw off our shackles and break free.
The not-so-good news: If we've resisted the work of the 4, it will probably linger on into the 5 year and kill the mood. It can feel like a nasty case of senioritis- you want to play hooky, but you can't because the principal and your parents have their eyes on you.
Here's another example I like to use. Imagine you've purchased a prime slice of real estate right on the beach. All you have to do is build your home and enjoy!
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The catch? It's in a hurricane-prone area. In the 4 year, your job is to meet with the best builders around to fortify your new home with strong materials that can stand up to dangerous winds and potentially catastrophic flooding. But what if the warm sun and palm trees prove too hard to resist? What if you decide to blow all that planning off, put up a portable camper, grab a nice fruity drink, and go beach-bumming instead? Sounds fun, right? Of course, it does! That is until hurricane season arrives earlier than expected and catches you asleep at the switch. Here come those 180mph winds and a 20-foot storm surge, and all you've got for shelter is a little camper. Suddenly you find yourself wishing you had a concrete-based, multi-level fortress to keep you safe. You wish you could be having a Hurricane Party, but sadly, it's too late- now you're at the mercy of the elements, and it doesn't look good for you. This analogy well illustrates the lost opportunity in not using this transition to your best benefit.
Like the 4, the 5 is a physical number. Both have a "hands-on" quality, and both like to crush their goals; however, their goals are vastly different. 4s value productivity and churning out useful results. The 5 represents the five senses and brings out the "I want to smell/touch/see/hear/taste" impulses within us. It wants to feel and experience everything to the maximum sensory level. What's more, the sensual 5 doesn't just want to put their hands on everything; it wants to fully immerse itself and feel out everything with equal pressure and sensation from head to toe.
The 5 is the halfway point between the 1 through 9 cycle. It acts as a hinge between the first and second acts of numerology's growing season, which can act as a time of "plot twists." Circumstances might become more unpredictable— will the crops thrive under these uncertain conditions, or will they wither? One crosses their fingers and wishes upon all the stars, in hopes for the luck of the elements to successfully carry its continued growth to full maturity.
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We can also think of the 5 transit as the intermission between theater acts. Its energy is antsy and restless. The thrill-seeking 5 doesn't like sitting still unless the presentation is enthralling! If it doesn't get hooked on the show, it will be itching to stretch its legs, get a bathroom break, consume all the lobby concessions, chat with its friends, and scan the room looking for people they might know.
When I think of the 5 vibration, the song "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop comes to mind. The 5 craves adventures, bold exploration, and freedom. It gets bored quickly, creating its own excitement if its environment fails to provide the stimulation it desires. 5s feel best when they have worldly adventures on the docket. As far as the 5 is concerned, the world IS its oyster- no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It wants the unrestricted license to experiment and experience new things, and it will staunchly rebel if these desires get thwarted. The 4 is the structure. The 5 is the structure-buster. The problem is because the 5 demands absolute liberty to drink in all of life's bounty, it can go to excess and create havoc. In fact, 5s often attract chaos and upheaval. Think of the frat boy stereotype and all the regrets he has the morning after too much partying: Beer cans and red solo cups are everywhere. Someone's puked on his laundry. He can't remember sizable portions of the evening's events and his actions- why is his underwear missing? And where are his wallet and phone??? Uh oh.
So, what might this mean on a global scale?
Well, as with astrology, we can only surmise and offer conjecture. Predictions can be hit-or-miss, especially with the wild-card 5 Universal Year in play! I can, however, offer up a few thoughts and theories that I've been rolling around.
- With the vaccine slowly but surely rolling out worldwide, people are itching to get out of their four walls, get outside, and start participating in people-oriented activities again. And soon, we can! Hooray! So the million-dollar question is, when might that be safe to do so? It's so hard to say. As a numerologist, I do note that January through April will be 6-9 Universal Months, so we will likely still be working toward cleaning up the messes from the previous 4 Universal Year during that time. May stands out to me, though. That heralds the beginning of the One Universal Month and a time of fresh starts and new beginnings. So I'm hopeful we will be fully feeling the 5's expansive, adventuresome energy by then.
- Speaking of adventure, I'm curious to see if the travel and hospitality industries enjoy a glorious revival in 2021. With its love of all things worldly, life-enhancing, and mind-expanding, the 5 vibration favors these enterprises. (For my part, I am already setting my sights on my next adventure- just waiting for that vaccine to get firmly planted in my arm!) It will be interesting to see if there is a deluge of folks trying to purchase flights, cruises, and other travel packages. Additionally, since the 5 represents the love of the five senses, gyms, restaurants, and bars fall under this umbrella. Such businesses that have managed to stay alive for this long could receive a much-needed and well-deserved rebound as well.
- 5 is an extroverted, loud, uninhibited number. And after many months of restrictions and limitations, I'm sure people will be going buck-wild, with untamed and unfettered behavior on full display. Earlier this year, there was a saying circulating on Facebook: "Once this is all over with, I'm hugging everybody. Get ready for long, awkward hugs. I'm gonna make it weird." (All credit goes to the original author, whom I could not trace.) With the 5 in play? Yeah. That's gonna happen, folks. 100%. And don't be surprised if it gets way weirder and more raucous. The flipside of the 5 is noisiness, chaos, and unhinged behavior. When under the 5 influence, some people like to take things too far into the realm of disorder and turmoil. Thanks to that over-the-top restrictive 4 Universal Year we just endured, there's a lot of pent up energy waiting to be released. Let's hope it gets released gradually and steadily like a slowly turned faucet, and not fast and furious like a violently erupting volcano. (And not to be dour, but one of the dark aspects of the 5 can be physical violence. So I hope murder rates don’t return to, or exceed, their former numbers.)
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- I realize this sounds vague, but expect the unexpected. Seriously. 5s attract change and unforeseen developments. 5 transits are notorious for throwing major curveballs, which can cause chaos and force people to adapt on the fly. In this respect, I have no idea how to prognosticate its future influence.
- For the record, I am laughing while typing this last musing: 5s often enhance sexual desire, libido, and exhibitionist tendencies. People worldwide may be feeling far too eager and willing to... "share" themselves in multiple ways. *cough cough* I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Spring Break-ish behavior for prolonged stretches of time, and from a wide swath of age groups. There are a LOT of extroverts out there that are dying to be seen again- let’s hope they don’t show us too much, haha! Also, I know people were anticipating a 2020 quarantine baby boom, which never materialized. As a numerologist, if a baby boom is indeed coming, I'd personally bet on the 5 Year over the 4 Year. And it would align itself perfectly for a slew of births in 2022, a 6 Universal Year, which is all about home, family, nurturing, caregiving, and enhanced responsibility. With birth rates declining across the globe, we will see if this comes to pass or not.
So. Are we ready, folks? Buckle up, because the bumpin’, boisterous 5 train is leaving the station. All aboard!
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