Growth Cycle Definitions

Growth Cycle Definitions

The Fool which is 0 and The Magician which is 1 are universal principles that all humankind have as resources at all times: The Fool is the symbol of the Great Spirit and fearlessness; The Magician is the symbol of the ability to communicate.

2 – The High Priestess
Appears generally just once in someone’s life; very rare to have it twice; marks period of independence; little tolerance for being limited, restricted or retrained; need to be on one’s own or may find that circumstances force one to be on one’s own; may live near water; need for balance and harmony; will withdraw or leave if situations too disharmonious; not a recommended year for marriage. Marks creative cycle.

3 – The Empress
Year of assessing emotional needs and wants; for most women can be a year where there are issues surrounding motherhood; for both males and females it is the best year to resolve issues with their own mothers or with female authority figures or important maternal figures in their lives; also, year that most people get in touch with what they need and want in emotional relationships that will mirror both of those qualities so that clarity is achieved. Year of striving for emotional balance; not over extending or under extending one’s emotional expression – to do either would produce disharmony.

4 – The Emperor
This symbol and the Chariot are the major symbols of change and new beginnings in the entire tarot system. During Emperor Years, individuals attempt to own their own leadership; may start new projects; become leaders, directors, or have important responsibilities; may take a major trip or travel. Resolve issues concerning fatherhood or with their own father or male authority figures; learn about moving in new directions from an Aries person; may start a business or creative project on one’s own; interest in the visual art or photography.

5 – The Hierophant
Year of learning and teaching involving the family (father, mother, siblings) or with important Taurus people in your life; may consider going back to school or getting involved in some kind of special training; entry of important teacher in your life or someone you learn new things from; music and art could become important interests or areas that could provide nurturement; year that you could be tested on old issues or patterns; year of assimilating and integrating what was begun in Emperor year.

6 – The Lovers
Major decisions concerning relationships; either the coming together and the deepening of relationships or the distancing and splitting apart of relationships – this could include friendships, co working relationships, family, and deep emotional relationships; learning from Gemini people; most common year for marriages, commitments, separations, or divorces. Best year to work with groups of people or people of all ages.

7 – The Chariot
Whatever was set into motion during the Emperor year is accelerated during the Chariot year; also, whatever relationship decisions were made in the Lover’s year are experienced or action is definitely taken in the Chariot Year; people move or find themselves experiencing a definite change tied with family and home; they may travel more extensively; career changes are most often experienced during this year or major thoughts of moving in new directions with career are entertained during this year. If you don’t move, generally there will able remodeling or redecoration or movement of furniture to create the feeling of change; financial and health changes could occur; whatever directions one takes during this year are more fortunate, positive ones for the individual (you hold the wheel of fortune in your hands); could be entry of Cancer person in your life; or directions with Cancer individual changes.

8 – Justice
Best year to handle legal issues; finances begin to come into balance; best year to publish or synthesize new ideas or projects; year of wanting things to be simple, direct and clear; little tolerance for anything complex, covert, or non direct. Attention to health, exercise, nutrition; attempt to balance and realign health and care for the body; a year of adjustment – wanting to assimilate and adjust all the changes which occurred during Chariot year. Balance could be mirrored to you by an important Libra person in your life.

9 – The Hermit
Best year to complete any unresolved issues from the past; symbol of transition; things definitely ending or being resolved and definite movement in new directions; opportunities presented by older people in your life, either Virgo people or significant older men, someone a few years older or significantly older. A year that one cannot compromise values; a need to have things meaningful or significant or would rather spend time alone. A strong need for the feeling of space and time alone to assimilate the major completions and new beginnings

10 – The Wheel of Fortune
Whatever was initiated during your Emperor or Chariot years comes to fruition or harvest during this year. This is a year of major breakthroughs, self realizations, and deep commitment to turn one’s life in more fortunate, positive direction. It is a year of unexpected creative opportunities, unexpected monies or inheritances, and attainment of abundance through past efforts. It is a year of seeking opportunity and pulling unexpected rewards or harvest toward you. Reward comes from past effort.

11 – Strength
Return of wonder, awe, passion, vitality, excitement. Demonstration of creative and physical strength. Attraction to creative, passionate people. The capacity to utilize all of one’s multi-faceted talents into one area. Passion for some form of creativity. Strong internal center is developed. Important Leo people in one’s life. Symbol for theatre; one who is gifted in playing many different parts/roles well. Overcoming “the beasts” within; strong trust in self or possessing a strong faith.

12 – The Hanged Man
Committed to braking through all repeated patterns; a desire to see old issues from a fresh perspective; year to accept and surrender – to no longer resist; year that if one did not complete things during their Hermit year (things associated with the past: that one is forced by events to complete unresolved issues or patterns from the past. If issues were completed during Hermit year, then individual is rewarded during Hanged Man year. Major Rite of Passage symbol – tired of old patterns and willing to break old patterns or not repeat them. Karmic issues resolved.

13 – Death
Least likely year for physical death; more associated with ego death; ends of relationships or restructuring processes in relationships; the release of a new quality, attitude, belief system; the death of an old identity, attitude, behavior or belief system. Major letting go; the symbol for emergence of even more of who the individuals. Entry of important Scorpio people in your life.

14 – Temperance
Highly creative year; year of assimilation, integration, and stability; a year of desiring balance, beauty, and harmony. Important Sagittarius people in your life. Year where one is actively involved in some major creative project or idea.

15 – The Devil
Year where one could experience a strong physical relationship; or year where one explores more of one’s own sensuality and sexuality; the ability to view one’s sexuality form a place of mirth and humor – not take it so seriously; year of working hard and playing hard like a Capricorn; year of having the willingness to view one’s own “be-devilments” from a place of humor and surefootedness. A year where one is not easily thrown by external situations.

16 – The Tower
Year of renovating self, ideas, houses, life-style; de-structuring old forms and restoring what is actual and true for self; health , exercise becomes an emphasis. Interests in healing, design work, photography might surface.

17- The Star
The year of increased self-confidence, sense of worth, and self-esteem. Best year for external recognition to come toward you. Year that most people manifest important ideas, projects, or work. Year that one could learn from an Aquarian individual.

18 – The Moon
Determined to turn difficult situations around into positive directions; year of choice – between two issues, two opportunities, two people, two situations; year of facing what is realistic rather than illusionary in relationships; year of exploring deeper aspects of the self; year of applying internal realizations into the external reality where they can be seen. Recognition of the light and dark sides of self. Year of definite decision. Important Pisces people in your life.
19 – The Sun
Year of entering or leaving a teamwork effort or project; best year to collaborate or move into co-creative projects; couples could find themselves working with each other; formulation of important partnerships or dissolution of partnership. Need to experience sense of community or cooperation. Year where friends become lovers or lovers become friends.

20 – Judgment
Best year to resolve or integrate career and family issues; desire to break through patterns of self judgment projected upon others; the ability to handle judgment from others in new ways; best year to integrate the past into present experience. A desire to look at all things from a holistic view rather than segmented or fixed frame of reference. Abundant creativity in both family concerns and career issues.

21 – The World
The symbol and the Hermit are the two major transition symbols in the tarot map. The Universe year is one where a major block, obstacle, obstruction has been overcome; it is a time of new directions and beginnings as a result of major endings, resolutions, or completions. It is a year where the individual is inspired to expand his/her universe of experience – especially during the months of Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio. It is bringing applied creativity into institutional structures from a place of futurist vision and deep emotional commitment. It is the desire to change some aspect of the universe (internally or externally) for the better. It is being community-minded; service-oriented; and globally aware. Strong need to travel, explore, experience something new.