Happy New Year, dear readers!

After the year we’ve had with 2020, many of us are feeling renewed hope with the coming of a new year. Of course, I am not naive enough to think that the changing of the dates from 2020 to 2021 will bring change overnight, but rather, the changing dates mark the passage of time, and that, for me, means that whatever shitty situation we find ourselves in too, shall eventually pass.

The changing of the dates from 2020 to 2021 also brings us from a Universal Year of 4 to a Universal Year of 5. The number 5 is the number of CHANGE, and that’s where most of my hope lies.

2020 is the Universal Year of 4, and we are in the Universal Decade of 4 from 2020 to 2029. The number 4 is resistant to change, and we sure got a glimpse of how resistant people can be to even the smallest changes to their lives last year. (Alright, there were a lot of big changes as well, but I’m talking about the masks in particular.)

However, in a Universal Year of 5, CHANGE is inevitable.

Change is going to happen, whether we like it or not. The good news is, change is good for us and it often brings us towards a better world. The bad news is, there will still be those who oppose change, and they will be kicking and screaming with all their might to stay in their comfort zones. We are, after all, still in the Decade of 4, and resistance to change is very much in effect.

The Number 5 Energies

The energies of the number 5 is polarizing in its nature, as it is a midpoint number in between 1 and 9. The number 5 is the place where we can either go back where we came from, or continue moving forward. It is where everything is neither good or bad in and of themselves, but only as good or as bad as what we do with them.

For example, some of the themes of the number 5 are fun, freedom, and adventure. These words have positive connotations and are generally regarded as good things. However, taken too far, they can also lead to hedonism, addictions, fear of responsibility.

On the flip side, themes of the number 5 that usually have negative connotations are chaos, rebellion, protests. And yes, we have seen anti-mask protests and rebellion against safety guidelines that reinforce these negative connotations. Those protesting the safety guidelines put in place were doing it out of selfishness and idiocy, but we can also rebel and protest for the benefit of all, against the governments, corporations, and systems that oppress us. This is, after all, part of the trajectory of the Universal Decade of 4.

Before Things Get Better…

I’m not going to lie; it all sounds like a lot of mess, and it is. Change can be messy, and the fact that the number 5 is such a polarizing energy makes it even messier. Last year, when discussing expectations of the decade with Natalie Brite, we talked about how things will get worse before they get better. There will be those who will continue to try to oppress you even as you fight for your freedom. There will be those who protest for what you do not want, even as you protest for what you want.

Well, then, how is this year hopeful again?

Keep in mind that the Universal energies are powerful, and the Universe wants change. The Universe wants to evolve and this year, change is going to happen despite all efforts to prevent it.

Remember also, that those who are protesting against change are usually the ones who stand to benefit most from things staying the same. They like the status quo as it is. The rest of us want a revolution. We want universal healthcare, affordable education, better labor laws and minimum wage, equal rights and safety for people of color… We want better. We want change. And things will change… we just got to do our parts to nudge it towards the change we want to see.

Embrace the Mess

So yes, it will be messy. There will be a lot of things out of our control. Things that will not go according to plan. Things that will take us by surprise.

One of the key lessons in a Universal Year of 5 is letting go of control. You are on an amusement park ride now; there’s no use agonizing over the ups and downs, you are not going to get an itinerary or a navigation guide. You just got to sit down, make sure you’re following all the safety guidelines, and then let go and enjoy the ride.

A few thoughts that might help:

• Flexibility and adaptability will serve you well this year. There’s no use getting upset when things don’t go your way. No use asking, “Whyyyy did that happen???” Instead, just say, “Okay then, what do we do next?” and go from there.

• Experiment. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Then experiment again. This is a time for doing things in a new way. Which means we’ve never done them before and we’re probably going to do them wrong a few times before we get them right. That’s the whole point.

• Take calculated risks. Sometimes if you want things to change, you’ve got to take risks. Starting a new career might mean letting go of that old one which gave you security but not fulfillment. Sometimes the risks pay off, sometimes they don’t. Take the risks that you can bear.

• Embrace the mess. The best thing that you can do is to accept right now that there is going to be chaos. Once you do that, you can let yourself have fun, no matter what happens. Alright, I’ll admit that bad things happen and they’re never going to be fun… but in a life full of ups and downs, we can at least try to find as much fun as possible and enjoy those moments.

One final thing to take note of; moderation. It’s probably one of the most important thing we can do in a Universal Year of 5.

Everything in Moderation, Including Moderation Itself

Remember what I said about the number 5 being the midpoint number, and also a polarizing one? Well, there’s a danger of going to extremes if we don’t use our judgement when working with the energies of the number 5.

We’ve already talked how going to extremes with fun, freedom, and adventure can lead to hedonism and addictions. We’ve also talked about how it can be a good thing to rebel and protest against injustice. But it is important as we are having our fun, and/or rebelling against injustice, that we are self-aware and know exactly where we stand.

Nothing is black and white. Not all fun is good; there is good, clean fun, and there is dangerous and reckless fun. If you are protesting against an injustice from the government or a corporation, be clear on what you are fighting for – not everything the government does is bad. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

This bears emphasis because we sometimes have a tendency to go to extremes when it comes to “choosing sides”. “If you are not for me, you are against me,” kind of thinking.

I don’t believe in subscribing to an all-or-nothing policy for most things, but especially for people. One or two mistakes doesn’t make a person evil. One or two incredible accomplishments doesn’t make a person a hero. Context is important, and in a Universal Year of 5, when moderation is one of the most important lessons to learn, it is imperative that we exercise our powers of discernment.

The good news is that if we have gotten this far, our powers of discernment are working, and will continue to work whenever we choose to apply them. And as long as we continue to use them, 2021 shouldn’t be too hard to get through.

So have a very happy new year, dear readers. My wish for you this Universal Year of 5 is that you will always have enough of everything you need.