Recently I was talking with a friend about the craft day I had with my four grandchildren, and went on to tell her about the meal I had cooked for my son and daughter-in-law and their two boys, who live across the street from “Nana.”  I was obviously speaking with enthusiasm and happiness. 

My friend has known me for over thirty-five years, and is like an aunt to my grown son and daughter.  “You seem to really have the family thing down now,” she commented. “Were you this happy and into parenting when your kids were young?”  This made me think! No, actually it was very different in the days when I was a parent.

I had had my daughter, Sigrid, at age twenty-three and my son, Gunther, at twenty-five.  I had divorced at age twenty-eight.  To be honest, my family life was something of a mess! 

During my early life, I was driven by the idea of wanting to “see life,” to experience new things and meet new people.  Restless, I moved several times during that period, and pursued a career in painting.  I wanted to be different. While I deeply loved my kids, I have to admit that being a mom and making time for their needs did feel at times like a burden.  There were lots of moments when all I wanted was to be free to do my own thing (I know this sounds awfully selfish—but hey, it was also the early seventies!)

For the past ten years, I have lived in a quiet neighborhood with my family close by.  I see them virtually every day.  I also fly down regularly to Studio City, California, to spend weekends with my daughter and her husband, Jim, and their kids, Trevor and Chloe.  I like to be there for birthdays and holidays whenever I can.  During the week here, I watch seven-year-old Anders and four-year-old Auggie at my house twice a week while their mom, Eliza goes to college classes.  I am a working grandmother.

As I considered the two very different periods of my life, it came to me that the explanation could be accounted for by looking at my numerological Cycle numbers. 

You Have Three Distinct Cycles with a Mini-purpose for Each Period

The three Cycle numbers are found in the numbers of your month, day, and year of birth. The Cycle numbers determine the influence under which you will be in the early, middle, and late phases of your life.  They point to the qualities you must develop and use in order to fulfill your life purpose.

The Cycle number from your month of birth (e.g., January = 1 Cycle; February = 2 Cycle; October = 1 + 0 = 1 Cycle) is in effect from birth to roughly age 28 to 36.

The number of your day of birth (e.g., the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) If your birth date consists of two digits, add them together to end up with only one digit (e.g., the 22nd becomes 2 + 2 = 4). This Cycle number is in effect in the middle part of your adult life, from approximately age 36 to 54.

The number of your year of birth (e.g., 1941 should likewise be added together—1+9+4+1 = 6 Cycle) indicates the general circumstances and lessons during the last phase of your life, starting around age 56 to 61. 

My first Cycle was a One!  Under the One, I was being asked to develop my independence (e.g., I divorced, lived on my own, and became a single mother.) I was required to learn how to make my own decisions (lots of them!)  I was supposed to develop original ideas, not lean on others, and perhaps be self-employed  (e.g., I was working hard at painting and trying to establish a career.) 

In this last Cycle of my life, I am now under the influence of Six.  Six indicates a life filled with family responsibilities, security, and domestic comforts!  Need I say more?

Below is a description of the meanings of the nine Cycle Numbers, if you’d like to discover what your influence is (or was, or will be.)

An early One Cycle demands that you develop individuality to the highest point.  This challenging influence conditions you to think of yourself as independent, different and adventurous—which could define your personality throughout life.  You enjoy mental activities of all kinds, such as writing, designing, or inventing.  You like the idea of having your own business, or find that you excel at something.   You enjoy thinking outside the box. It’s important to you to feel that you are not going to live a conventional or boring life.

A One Cycle occurring in the mature period from age 36 to 54 indicates some form of outstanding accomplishment.  For example, you may run your own business or find yourself in leadership roles.  Your field of endeavor usually involves the possibility of a high-profile career, innovation, or competition, rather than one that is traditional or where you become lost in the crowd.  You must make your way to the top through your own efforts.

A late One Cycle from age 54 onwards, while it offers great opportunity for outstanding achievement, could be difficult as you face the need to re-invent yourself. After retirement from one field, you may start over in a completely new career. This could also be the time when you break away from restrictions, and are finally able to establish your own business. Since the One demands continued effort and growth, you may very likely change your entire life-style during this period, making it, perhaps, the most exciting time of your life.  Even if committed in a romantic relationship, you deeply desire to maintain your individuality and freedom.

An early Two Cycle from birth to age 28-35 conditions you to be sensitive and understanding, but somewhat timid or shy.  During this period you crave affection, and may have been either spoiled or overlooked as a child. Strong connections develop with your mother or other women. Circumstances require you to be keenly aware of the feelings of others and listen to your intuition; you learn how to keep the peace and get along. Relationships—while sometimes providing the path to new experiences--can be somewhat frustrating, especially if you feel you must subordinate yourself to the demands of stronger personalities.  You are more likely to accept life as it is, rather than strike out on your own. 

In maturity, the Two Cycle allows you to accumulate knowledge, build friendships and partnerships, and develop artistic or psychological skills. This influence gives you the focus and patience to take care of important details and do things well. Obstacles, while at first seeming to be distractions, turn out to give you time to come up with workable and elegant solutions.  Opportunities tend to show up at the right time; you accept rather than assertively push

As a late Cycle, Two highlights an interest in the areas of art, music, crafts, and drama.  You enjoy good friendships as well as a loving partnership.  You have a chance to work in a patient manner with those who look to you for support. Money is sufficient to cover necessities and even a few personal luxuries (e.g., a collection of china, a deluxe camera, a laptop, or a drum set.)  You may retire early, living quietly in pleasant surroundings with a dear companion.

An early Three Cycle (birth to age 28) usually indicates a desire to explore different areas of life, especially the more social and pleasurable areas (which could result in scattered energies or false starts.)  You are attracted to stimulation—looking for activities where music, the arts, performing, or travel are prominent.  You tend to take short-term jobs such as bartending and waiting tables, or jobs requiring imagination such as marketing, sales, or teaching. While finances may go from one extreme to another, you feel that life flows towards you, moving easily from one thing to another.  You are not inclined to serious, intellectual learning, but to the expression of what you already know.

During a mature phase, the Three Cycle sometimes indicates a tendency to drift into several different type of jobs—as you seek something that sustains your interest. Your greatest help comes through social contacts. Your attitude may be humorous, youthful, easy come easy go. Since the Three encourages creativity of any kind, you may be involved in parenting, as well as in artistic pursuits.  Money usually appears when you need it, but it’s important not to sabotage yourself by with an extravagant life-style beyond your means. Self-employment or commission work is usually favored over a nine-to-five job.

In a late Three Cycle, you come to realize that life works better when you maintain a positive attitude.  You may even be surprised at how easily things come when you spend a little time using your imagination to affirm your goals. Despite a few challenges (usually of your own making) life tends to feel good; you are able to find joy in little things. As a last Cycle, you can look forward to a possible early retirement, ease from financial worry, and the opportunity to travel.  If you are the creative type, you may have time to write a best-seller or take up painting!  You will most certainly be surrounded by a circle of friends who are youthful, supportive, and enthusiastic.

A first Four Cycle, (starting from birth to between age 28-36,)conditions you to take a realist's view of life. Tradition, family, and social pressures heavily influence your thinking toward the practical. Four tends to encourage you to take service jobs, marry early, and happily take on family responsibilities. Attraction to discipline may encourage some to join the military. This is a productive time, and economy and perseverance are your key words for success.

In the mature phase of life between ages 28 to 56, a Four Cycle you are given opportunities to build.  Your success comes from careers involving construction, energy conservation, business administration, transportation systems, food, agriculture, accounting, or government. A reliable and dedicated manager, you are the backbone of any organization. While you instinctively understand the power of saving money, investing, or buying property, you must never become too overly frugal, miserly, or pessimistic. You generally enjoy the demands of your work without grumbling too much. Even though you tend to keep your thoughts to yourself, recognition for your efforts brings a great deal of satisfaction. 

A late phase Four Cycle (starting approximately age 56-61) helps you maintain strong family ties and responsibilities; it rewards you with a sense of belonging.  Long-time friends are very important. If looking ahead to a last Cycle of Four, don’t fear this practical number.  Start now to build for security; you may choose to keep working past retirement age as a way to not only pay the bills, but to stay connected to a sense of purpose.

As a first Cycle, Five encourages you to live life by your own rules and values (even if you come from a traditional background). Whether you are overtly rebellious or just restless for adventure, you want to explore and experiment.  Outgoing and magnetic, you have a wide variety of friends.  You deeply enjoy the feeling of freedom and unknown possibilities whenever you travel, move, or change jobs. In youth and young adulthood, your purpose is to experience life in a broad way, rather than settling into a narrow or routine path. You may marry early, but your craving for independence may eventually end the relationship.

A mid-life Five Cycle throws constant change your way.  You develop resourcefulness as you handle changing or uncertain circumstances.  You learn a little about a lot of things.  It’s likely that you will be self-employed or that your work involves public contact. For example, you may work in communications, news media, retails sales, advertising, transportation, performing, or travel. Domestic responsibilities may prove challenging during the active Five Cycle.  Life can seem to have turned out very differently from what you had originally envisioned when younger!

A last Five Cycle suggests that you will be active, healthy, and busy, unburdened by financial or domestic worries. You may finally have the free time you craved in earlier times to pursue various interests or travel.

An early Six Cycle conditions you to take care of others.  You develop reliability and excel at teaching or service work as well as handling domestic responsibilities. While having strong opinions of your own, you unconsciously adopt the values of your family and social milieu. Enthusiastic and dedicated--but not necessarily a free thinker-- you tend towards the tried and true and are slightly repelled by those who seem irresponsible. While your role in your original family tends to remain a strong focus, it’s likely that you will enter into an early, long-lasting marriage of your own.

A mature phase Six Cycle tends to surround you with close friendships, marriage, and family ties.  You have many opportunities to teach, advise, or care for others. Generally, you avoid the untried in favor of familiarity and security.

A last Six Cycle brings the rewards of family, security, and comfort. In teaching others, you will find yourself giving back the experience you gained in youth.  Life  generally provides you with what makes you feel happy, harmonious, and comfortable.  It’s important to remember to take time to nurture your own needs as well as attend to the demands of circumstances. It’s possible you must care for elderly family members.
 

A first Seven Cyle can sometimes be a difficult on a young person because you may not feel that you fit in with “the norm.” Circumstances may prevent you from feeling close to your family, or they may not be the people you wish they were.  Religion (if thrust upon you by religious parents) can sometimes bring limitations or a narrow upbringing.  Despite whatever spiritual orientation your parents have, however, you yourself naturally ponder the deep questions of life from an early age. Discovery of family secrets may alter your sense of identity.. Unusual circumstances, however, bring the opportunity for deeper understanding and awareness of life's mysteries (if not resisted or denied). Intuitive, observant, and sensitive, you may see things others miss. Because of your need to understand and know, you may develop eccentricities or special abilities in artistic, mathematical, technical, or scientific fields.

In mature phase Seven Cycle encourages you to focus.  You become known for something you do well—such as research, analysis, or intellectual pursuits. You attract people with specialized knowledge.  Selective in both your activities and your friends, you may live an unconventional lifestyle—or even choose to live in a foreign country.

A late Seven Cycle encourages soul development.  You care less about what others think, and crave time for reflection.  You may choose to live more simply and be closer to nature. You enjoy time to study, meditate, write, and think. While guarding your time for solitary pursuits, you also enjoy good conversations with off-beat, but intelligent people from all walks of life. Your best domestic relationship will either be with someone who has similar core values, or with someone who is very self-sufficient people who respects your privacy and time as well.  If you have a niche or specialty, people will come to you for what you know without your having to do much to market yourself.  Finances earned in your career tend to be there for your retirement; you also prefer to live inexpensively and simply, with a few well-chosen items.

As a first Cycle Eight encourages you to be realistic, hardworking, and to make your way up the ladder.  Self-esteem and natural leadership mark your early years, and you are often recognized as a “go-getter.”  The quest for a good lifestyle, money, and professional status give you the energy to work hard for what you want. Your natural habitat tends to be in a corporation, government, the military, or a financial institution.  A first Cycle of Eight conditions you to be always on the alert for how to “work the system.” 

During a mid-life Eight Cycle (approximately between ages 28 to 56), opportunities for  supervisory roles, such as an executive or professional (or being married to one) are extremely likely. Social and financial pressures encourage a rational and business-type way of thinking, rather than an emotional response.  The stresses of an Eight Cycle can be so intense that your find it hard to get enough sleep or exercise, and may interfere with family relationships if you are rarely home!  Worried about losing ground, you feel you must always be making progress, and usually do create substantial material wealth.

A last Eight Cycle may mean that you prefer to delay retirement for many years.  When you do retire, your natural problem-solving ability and the need to keep busy are likely to develop a hobby into a highly lucrative business! At any time, the Eight brings productivity, business interests, respect, and power, but especially so in the years when your expertise has been well-developed. 

As a first Cycle Nine (starting at birth to approximately ages 28-36) often indicates a striking maturity in an individual. Since the Nine is always interested in a broad range of subjects, you may find it hard to choose a career path.  Naturally passionate and usually liberal in perspective, you may gravitate to working for the good of others in humanitarian causes. Under this expansive and universal vibration, you tend to learn new things easily—from life experience as well as books. Good fortune or synchronistic opportunities seem to drop from the sky.  This period is developing your emotional side, and even crises are later seen to be avenues for growth. Your early adult task is to develop a philosophical attitude—accepting what life brings you (and listening to your intuition before making decisions.)

In mid-life a Nine Cycle (roughly age 36 to 56) you tend to be interested in the arts, drama, higher education, paths of healing, or spiritual activity. A desire to work for the benefit of others (especially on a volunteer basis) is very likely.  Advocacy and fund-raising for disadvantaged people can bring a great sense of purpose and fulfillment.  For some, long-distance travel and work with foreigners is highly indicated.  You tend to have both wealthy friends in high places, as well as humble people about whom you deeply care.

A late Nine Cycle (starting about age 56 and influencing you the rest of your life) provides many opportunities for sharing your experience and wisdom.  By this time, you feel comfortable with who you have become, and have understood some of life’s questions by what you have learned through hard experience. You feel like giving back to the world.  With a feeling of gratitude, you don’t worry about small things, and take life in stride.  Sometimes you quietly make personal sacrifices if you can help another.  As a last Cycle, Nine promises a sense of fulfillment, in both a spiritual and material sense. You may greatly enjoy being a mentor, involved grandparent, or philanthropist.

Happy May!
Carol Adrienne                    Copyright 2009, Carol Adrienne

Carol Adrienne, Ph.D. is an intuitive counselor and life coach who has helped thousands of people work through doubt, procrastination, and obstacles to create the life they want to live. Private consultations and coaching available. Contact her at Carol@caroladrienne.com
Please email Carol with a story or question about your own life for consideration for her monthly column.