2023 and The 7 Universal Year: A Time to Listen, Observe, and Quietly Improve
Hello, dear folks!
First, a personal note:
First of all, before we begin, all apologies for temporarily closing the business. As you may or may not know, my husband and I recently moved overseas. We are now happily resettled in the gloriously stunning Azores (Açores) Islands of Portugal!
It was no small feat. I've needed every ounce of energy and attention to make this happen. We downsized our 5-bedroom home with two garages and a full basement and sold it. Now, our remaining stateside belongings fit inside half of a 9'x16' storage unit. We took our two dogs, cat, and ten suitcases, drove across North America to catch our flight from Boston, boarded the plane, and bid adieu to everything we knew. It. Was. A lot.
Winter, Ilha de São Miguel
And the adjustments continue. In addition to establishing an entirely new living space, we've had to relearn everything from the significant to the mundane. From learning governmental regulations for immigration, taking Portuguese lessons, plus finding services and stores for necessary items, my hands have been full. I have been exhausted. But most importantly for the business, I chose not to accept payments due to my lack of understanding of Portuguese tax law. I will only allow self-employment income once I meet with an attorney and CPA. I want matters between my newly adopted home country and me to remain copacetic.
For those of you who have been anxious and asking about my return, I'm so sorry for taking this long. Now that we have been granted long-term residency status, I can take the necessary steps to get the business re-established and reopened, and I will announce my grand reopening date via newsletter and social media.
That's enough of all that. Now let's dive into the true heart of the matter: The 7 Universal Year.
In case you need a reminder, or if this is your first time here, let's chat briefly about the concept and calculation of the Universal Year.
The Universal Year is the vibe under which the entire planet operates throughout the calendar year. It differs from the Personal Year, which we experience more acutely and individually. Universal Years point to themes, lessons, challenges, and opportunities unfolding nationally and internationally. They dominate our news headlines and social media posts. It's a good number to know to recognize what you see and develop a more informed viewpoint.
We calculate the Universal Year using numerology's primary formula: addition and, if needed, further reduction to a single number.
2+0+2+2 = 6.
2+0+2+3 = 7.
We're taking it back to grade school math, folks.
With these basics in hand, let's briefly discuss the last year: 2022, and the 6 Universal Year.
With its emphasis on service and caregiving industries, we witnessed a lot of upheaval in healthcare, the restaurant industry, and other industries where employees are subservient to their clients and customers. Workers left in droves. The 6 is also noted for stubbornness and issues surrounding protecting the home and homeland. It stirs up that sense of hometown pride. Amplified situations can cause fights between families or "kissing cousins," territorial disputes, and turf wars (prime example: the Russian invasion of Ukraine). It also raised multiple ethical questions regarding what is just and how justice is served, how we treat one another, and where our priorities and responsibilities lie. The 6 is also traditionally considered more of a feminine number- as a woman living in the USA in 2022, I found the timing of the overturning of Roe V Wade to be quite pertinent. Quite the intersectional meeting of healthcare issues and women's issues coalescing at the apex and full strength of the 6 Year's vibration.
The calendar year inevitably turns, so we find ourselves firmly on the passageway through the serious and introspective 7 year.
What is commonly associated with the 7 vibration?
Open the door to 2023.
Ilha de São Miguel
A fervent desire for quietude and absence of distractions.
Powerful and heavy spiritual lessons being brought to the surface, potentially triggering existential crises.
The craving for knowledge and greater understanding. Seeking out additional educational opportunities. Reading more.
Issues involving solitude and what happens in isolation.
Increased focus on the "weirdos," societal outliers, and those who don't conform to cultural norms.
Lessons about secrets and secretive behavior.
Things going underground, gestating, and revealing themselves in unexpected and sometimes disruptive ways.
Conversations, debates, and assessments regarding mental and spiritual health. Analyzing the behavior of ourselves and others.
Being forced to go with the flow even if the flow is uncomfortable. Not. Pushing. Anything.
Surrendering the ego's hurts, wants, and desires.
Honing in on what's really being said behind words and facades. Not accepting things at face value.
Resting and recuperating- boisterous actions and behaviors are not favored.
Saying less and seeing more. Being observant, silent, and enigmatic. Exploring the mysteries of life. Readjusting your eye to pierce through the veil and see what lies beyond.
Paying attention to fine details and sharpening one's expertise.
Practicing humility.
Seeking truth, no matter what that may personally mean.
Being detached and non-reactive.
Exploration of non-traditional forms of belief and all things considered eccentric.
Finding a balance between skepticism and open-mindedness.
Conspiracy theories.
To further illustrate the difference between these two numbers:
The 6 says, "I've got opinions, and you're going to hear them," whereas the 7 says, "You'll never know what I'm thinking." And you won't.
Where the 6 rushes in to help, the 7 hesitates to best analyze the situation from every angle to understand why help was needed so they can strategize a behind-the-scenes approach to fix the systemic problem.
The 6 loves to nurture through hosting others, whereas the 7 prefers the smallest gatherings possible with a nearby exit through which they can quickly exit and disappear.
The 6 reaches out to discover common interests and connections through small talk, while small talk makes the 7's skin crawl and their mouth clam up.
The 6 wants to beautify their surroundings. The 7 wants to rarify their surroundings. The eclectic and unusual are the top priority.
The introspective season of late Autumn in São Miguel.
It's a numerical transit that usually requires prolonged adjustment due to the confusion it can create. Think of the well-known phrase: "At 6s and 7s." It can be a complicated and muddled transition.
The 7 is ever unknowable, elusive, and impossible to pin down. It will back up and inch away if you try to get closer and figure it out. One can see it from a distance, but the 7 is always one step ahead. It represents those times in our lives when we agonize over why things are the way they are, praying and pleading to our Higher Power for answers, yet the answers come slowly if they come at all. Then one day, after you've given up and shifted your focus to other matters, like the Tooth Fairy, you wake up and find an unexpected letter from the Universe on your pillow, chock full of all the "aha" moments you wanted. Eventually you get what you need, and everything makes sense, but getting there was a slog and a massive test of faith. Over and over again, the 7 reminds us we can't always be in charge, so it would be wise to develop patience. It's like the meme about chasing a butterfly. If you chase it, it will fly away. But if you remain calm and still, it will come to rest on your shoulder.
So… what does this mean for us?
As I say every year, I am a mere mortal staring into a portal of numbers while assessing the trends of a planet full of 8 billion people. How the hell can I be sure? It's all conjecture; all I can do is surmise the possibilities. And if you wonder about my tone in this paragraph, it should be noted that my chart is full of 7s, so I'm filled to the brim with self-skepticism. It's a 7's standard modus operandi. That said, here are my thoughts:
A harmonious 7 vibration can set a serene, peace-loving, tranquil tone where reading, research, and reflection are favored. When in the flow, the 7 can bring about a time of substantial maturation and personal growth. 7 is associated with wisdom. It is the professor, researcher, philosopher, psychologist, and deep thinker. It wants to take inventory, assess the data, study variables, and figure out patterns. Why are things the way they are? The 7 elevates such questions to a higher purpose and spiritual quest.
7 rules the realm of secrecy and hidden information. Lessons about what is unknown and concealed are likely to get lots of attention this year. It is typical of the 7 to put an unexpected spotlight on noteworthy and heavy spiritual lessons previously lurking unseen to the surface, triggering existential crises. It consistently reveals what you need to know but not necessarily what you want. As my numerology mentor always said, "The 7 always reveals something." And those things can get really weird and really complicated, really fast.
The 7 commands you to plunge sharply into the depths, just like this road on the North Shore.
The 7 can bring up issues that rattle the ego and sense of solidity. Nothing is quite like 7 energy's ability to force people to their knees. From the braggarts and egotists to the meek and shy, the 7 doesn't discern. Everyone gets a fat truth sandwich shoved down their throat, and it's best to chew slowly- otherwise you might choke.
The 7 represents the unusual, which often symbolizes the "weirdos." These "weirdos" are not the rambunctious nonconformists who rebel for the sake of rebellion. These people often wish they could fit in with the crowd but, for whatever reason, can't- and it usually tortures them. 7 Universal Years often put these folks in a limelight they never sought. Expect issues revolving around those not aligned with societal norms to take center stage.
So. What can we do with this information?
A 7 in any placement of a traditional numerology chart gives off a ruminative vibe. In a universal chart placement, the ethos will be about wrestling with ourselves and the challenges of our times. In other words, if you're feeling groovy at the beach party, the collective mood will be on a different page. Be prepared- you won't be popular, and multiple wet blankets will get thrown on you. That doesn't mean you shouldn't feel good- instead, you should read the room and determine whether your good feelings might make others feel crappy by comparison. The 7 hands us a firm directive: "It's not all about you." And if you try, the 7 will dole out some swift and humbling lessons.
The 7 always asks questions regarding the spiritual cost to humanity, not the material. It focuses on cause and effect, psychology, and examination of the unseen. It often sees the pursuit of corporeal satisfaction as vapid and exterior distractions, and it redirects us toward the more serious issues of this world. It wrings its hands, tumbles down wormholes, analyzes things ad nauseam, and grapples with the nature of everything imaginable. All the time. The issues that arise in a 7 vibration regularly manifest in the physical realm. Still, the key to unraveling the reasons therein always, always, always lies in the spiritual, esoteric, and/or higher perspective above the mundane everyday human domain.
Rowdy and raucous approaches often backfire under this transit- and I mean, they often backfire in spectacular fashion. The 7 urges us to fly low under the radar. Keep it chill, people. Don't give in to madness. Don't fight. Rather, take everything in. Absorb, assess, analyze, and ask yourself, "What is the lesson, and what do I do with this information?” Look for the bigger picture, and remain calm, cool, and collected.
My cute hubby exploring an old lime kiln in Jardim Botânico da Ribeira do Guilherme, Nordeste, São Miguel.
The 7 wants us to examine what we reveal, what we don't reveal, what we should reveal, when it's time to conceal, and the wisdom and discernment to know the difference. Start paying attention and develop your awareness.
Assume you don't have all the answers. Because you don't. None of us do. There will always be pertinent information to which we are not, and never will be, privy. Resist the urge to shoot off your mouth, or the Universe may insert a planet-sized foot in it. Stay humble.
7 vibes are always good for therapy and getting more in touch with your everyday thoughts and core beliefs. Talking things through with a rational, detached, attentive professional is positively aspected. Journaling is also encouraged. As the Delphic maxim from Ancient Greece states: "Know thyself."
The 7 can expose an otherwise beautiful landscape’s hideous underbelly - like turning over a rock long embedded in soil. The top of the rock may look clean and shiny, but underneath lies all kinds of creepy crawlies that are gross at best and possibly deadly at worst. It's not always pleasant. But whatever the 7 reveals is meant for the greater good, even if its manifestation can be a shock. So rather than despairing, ask yourself instead, "How is this new knowledge meant to serve us and propel us forward?" After all, that 8 Universal Year will be upon us before we know it, along with a whole new ballgame.
I always illustrate the benefits of the 7 to my clients with this (expanded) analogy:
Think about someone who hasn't been to the gym in years. They make the decision to return and commit to self-improvement. They re-enter the building, head to the locker room, and put on their workout gear, but uh oh- their old exercise clothes are tighter than they used to be. Nevertheless, they proceed to the weight room and begin doing pre-workout stretches. Suddenly, BAM! Doing a seemingly harmless and routine move, they pull a muscle, and everything hurts like hell.
Unable to proceed with the workout, they limp home to develop a close relationship with an ice pack for the next few weeks. The muscle heals, and they decide to try again. This time, they are able to lift some barbells, but to their shock and disappointment, they can't lift nearly as much as they'd envisioned. And the next day? OUCH. Again, everything hurts. They've got muscle tears and they once again need to retreat to the couch with ice packs, where they have more-than-ample time to contemplate how much they have changed over the years.
Translation: ”How strange is the human being! Born without asking, Lives without knowing, Dies unwillingly.”
On that sofa, it becomes clear they need to slow down and modify their approach to rebuilding their bodies. They analyze and assess what would best serve them now. A plan is formed: time to buy a few smaller barbells for the house.
From there, they can do reduced exercises focused on stability and poise instead of over-confident displays of strength. Progress comes painfully slow, like watching a glacier slowly carve its way through a valley. It's humbling. Disheartening. Demoralizing.
But then, some months down the road, they have an epiphany during an ordinary moment: they suddenly realize they can carry twice as many groceries as they could before. Now, thanks to readjusting expectations based on new biofeedback, they are now ready to return to the gym and start lifting those bigger weights. A major revelation, detour, and a lot of honest self-assessment was needed, but the goal is back on track! That's when the 8 energy kicks in, and how it all unfolded makes sense.
In closing:
In this 7 Universal Year, it is a time of accelerated learning and internal growth. Be curious, but quiet. Be open, yet skeptical. Close your mouth, open your ears and your eyes. See much, say little. Develop your concentration. Absorb wisdom. Read. Build a library. Learn to be comfortable being still. See the bigger picture. Desire to know more, even as you know you can't know everything. Don't be frustrated by delays- rather, see how lack of external movement ramps up skill development of the mind and soul. Clean up your inner house so when it's time to move, you'll be ready to hit the ground running and be ahead of the game.
Pertinent quotes for the 7 Universal Year:
“If you seek truth, you will not seek victory by dishonorable means, and if you find truth, you will become invincible.”
— Epictetus
”Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
”Don't waste your time chasing butterflies. Mend your garden, and the butterflies will come.”
— Mario Quintana
”Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”
— Buddha
”I am instinctively hostile to any kind of devotion. Certainty is my enemy. I'm all about doubt— questioning oneself and the nature of reality constantly.”
— Anthony Bourdain
*If you want to learn more about the psychology of the 7, you may want to check out Part One of my blog about Anthony Bourdain.
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