Everything in the universe has an energy vibration – and numbers are no different. In fact, in Numerology every number (and letter) has its own unique vibration that has an influence upon the story of your life. Therefore, numerology is the study of the relationship that numbers and letters have with our personality and life events. It is an ancient metaphysical science that reveals the blueprint of every human being’s life and it is one of the most accurate and powerful self-help tools available today.

2018 Numerology Forecast

From a spiritual perspective, you have a soul within your physical body that has chosen to incarnate into this life simply to evolve through the life experiences it encounters while it’s here. Throughout the course of this life there are specific areas of growth your soul has chosen to master and specific opportunities it would like to take advantage of on its journey. In order to do this there are specific personality traits and life circumstances it requires in order to achieve its goal – the details of which are found in your “numbers.”

The benefits of numerology

The greatest benefit of numerology is the gift of insight. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and numerology provides the road map for your life so you have an idea of where you’re going and what to expect along the way. If you decided to take a road trip to an unfamiliar destination, wouldn’t you prefer to consult a map to see where you’re going and check the driving conditions before you hit the road? Numerology is a tool that can help you to find your destination and to arrive there safely, too.

In addition, numerology uncovers your potential and shows you what you have the ability to achieve. It helps with goal‑setting and planning your future and it gives you reassurance that you’re on the right path. Another advantage is that it enables you to prepare for potential challenges and to grasp the opportunities coming your way.

Your Personal Year Number for 2018

Editor's note: This is an extract of Michelle Buchanan's Hay House Basics book on Numerology.

In numerology, every year you have a “Personal Year Number” between 1 and 9 that indicates the lessons, opportunities, and experiences you’ll encounter during the course of the year. This cycle runs from January 1st to December 31st to coincide with the calendar year. However, sometimes the influence of the upcoming Personal Year Number can be felt several months before the official changeover date on January 1st.

Your Personal Year Number cycle commences at birth and progresses through nine-year intervals throughout your life. Each of the nine years has its own unique theme with respect to the types of lessons and experiences you’ll encounter for that year. In comparison with your other forecasting numbers (cycles), your Personal Year Number has the most obvious influence over your life for the year.

When you know your Personal Year Number, you can prepare for what’s ahead. This number is a great indicator of the ideal time to take certain actions, such as focusing on your career, moving house, traveling or embarking on an adventure, repairing or beginning a relationship, studying, getting married, working on your personal development, or starting a family. 

When you know the Personal Year Number of those around you, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in their lives, too. This can be of great benefit when it comes to improving your relationships with others.

How to calculate your Personal Year Number for 2018

Step 1: Add the month and day of your birth date to the current calendar year, 2018.
Step 2: Continue to add any double-digit numbers together until you get a single-digit Personal Year Number between 1 and 9. 

For example, to find the 2018 Personal Year Number for birth date June 11th, 1969, the calculation would be:

6+1+1+2+0+1+8 = 19
1+9 = 10

1+0 = 1 Personal Year Number

Please find the Personal Year Number meanings below: 

Personal Year Number 1
New Beginnings, Action, Opportunity

The 1 Personal Year follows directly after the 9 Personal Year of “endings and completion”, and so it represents new beginnings and creating a fresh start. This year, you can wipe the slate clean and begin a brand new nine-year cycle aimed toward improving yourself and your overall quality of life. Everything you do this year (and the attitude you take while doing it) will set the tone for the following nine years, so it’s vital that you maintain a positive mindset and be proactive about making improvements.

Big changes and new opportunities will present themselves this year, so don’t procrastinate or you may miss the boat. The masculine energy of Number 1 will encourage you to be decisive and take action, and you’ll experience an influx of renewed energy and new ideas. It’s important that you give these ideas sufficient time to marinate and grow for they could take the entire 12 months to come to fruition. Whatever you do, don’t give up if they don’t happen straight away. Be proactive yet patient at the same time. Meditate regularly to enhance your intuition. That way you’ll know which logical steps to take and you’ll be able to distinguish the good ideas from time-wasters.

This is a year in which to be courageous and to make decisions that reflect your true, authentic self as opposed to compromising your needs to conform to society or to please others. Be the real you. For the next 12 months you must learn to focus on yourself and put your own needs first (within reason). Whether it’s getting a makeover, focusing on self-improvement, or taking steps toward making your life the way you want it to be – this year is all about you.

This is a year in which to:

•    Get in the driver’s seat of your life and move forward
•    Be proactive and take action
•    Begin something new such as a relationship, a career, a project, a hobby etc.
•    Develop and implement new ideas
•    Start a healthier lifestyle
•    Focus on self-improvement
•    Be independent and self-reliant
•    Increase your self-confidence
•    Be your true, authentic self
•    Plan your goals for the next nine years
•    Stay positive and have a fresh approach
•    Be open to new opportunities
•    Manifest your dreams into reality
•    Take on a leadership role

Personal Year Number 2
Patience, Relationships, Balance, Emotions

Where last year’s 1 Personal Year was about being proactive and taking action, the 2 Personal Year is about stabilizing and consolidating what you’ve already created and waiting for things to come to you. As this is a slow-paced year, there will be times when you’ll feel as if nothing is happening at all. But don’t be fooled by this lack of activity, as things are still happening “behind the scenes.” If there’s one thing that will guarantee your success in a slow moving 2 Year, it’s patience. Should things happen to come to standstill – don’t panic. It’s simply the Universe giving last year’s changes and improvements the time they need to solidify and mature. In the meantime live in the present moment and take advantage of calming/grounding practices such as yoga, meditation, or qi gong to maintain balance and a positive mindset. Listening, singing, writing, or playing music you love during this time is extremely beneficial, too.

Love, relationships, emotions, and matters of the heart come to the forefront this year. Existing relationships will be challenged or get stronger and those who are single may meet someone special (or several special people). Either way, life is giving you a chance to explore your emotional side in a 2 Year and that can manifest itself in many different ways – each person’s experience is different. However, common events in a 2 Year include: heartfelt love; meeting a soul mate; heartache, loss, or disappointment; repressed emotions coming to the surface; a deeper connection to others; happiness and joy.

This is also a year in which to focus on self-love and developing a strong relationship with yourself. Be kind to yourself and surround yourself with good people. Strive to create balance in every area of your life. Be cooperative, compromise, and seek harmony in all that you do. You’re going to feel hypersensitive this year, so try not to blow things out of proportion. However, with this heightened sensitivity come increased intuition and extrasensory experiences. So take advantage of this by following your gut feeling at all times, as well as developing your psychic abilities, if you feel that way inclined.

This is a year in which to:

•    Consolidate and solidify what you started last year
•    Build upon what you already have
•    Be patient and wait for opportunities to come to you
•    Practice mindfulness; take up meditation, yoga, or qi gong
•    Focus on your health and wellbeing
•    Recognize, express, and release repressed emotions
•    Work on self-love
•    Develop psychic abilities and enhance your intuition
•    Work on personal development
•    Be positive and proactive about finding love
•    Improve your existing relationships with others

Personal Year Number 3
Socialization, Self-expression, Communication, Creativity

Where there were delays and frustrations last year, things speed back up again in the 3 Personal Year. It’s full steam ahead as the things you created in your 1 Year begin to pay off and take flight. This is a year in which you finally start to reap what you’ve sown. There is a lot going on, so extra effort is required in terms of planning, discipline, and focus. If you scatter your energy in too many directions or have your finger in too many pies, things can easily spiral out of control and you may not accomplish anything. Being organized and grounded is the key to your success.

The 3 Year is a year in which to be social and to spend time with others, so reconnect with old friends and be open to making new friends. Your social calendar will liven up, so you may feel a desire to entertain as well as to attend gatherings and events. Due to your heightened personal expression at this time, you may find you develop the gift of the gab or a need to express your thoughts and feelings. It doesn’t matter whether you do this through conversation, journaling, writing an email, poem, blog, or song, as long as you speak your truth and communicate what you feel. This is also a year of enhanced creativity, so if you have a creative project you’d like to work on, now is the time to do it.

This is typically an upbeat year with “fun” and “joy” being the dominant themes, so it’s important to do more of what you enjoy. Whether it’s taking a vacation, gardening, cooking, dancing, listening to music, or spending time on a hobby – if it makes you feel good – do more of it! Number 3 amplifies the emotions, so it’s important that you have an optimistic attitude throughout the year and see the glass half full at all times because your attitude will determine how this year unfolds. Avoid gossiping and complaining, and monitor your budget, as 3 encourages spending.

This is a year in which to:

•    Be social and connect with others
•    Entertain family and friends
•    Attend gatherings and events
•    Have fun and do more of what you enjoy
•    Be creative – perhaps by working on a new project
•    Write a blog, a memoir, a poem, or a book
•    Start journaling
•    Take up a hobby
•    Travel or go on vacation
•    Be optimistic and see the glass half full
•    Monitor your spending
•    Express yourself honestly
•    Communicate your thoughts and feelings

Personal Year Number 4
Order, Effort, Building, Planning

The 4 Personal Year is all about doing whatever needs to be done to make your life the best it can be. It’s about knuckling down, being organized, and putting systems in place that enable things to flow more smoothly. This may involve getting fit and healthy, studying something that will increase your earning potential, setting up insurance, doing maintenance on your home, emptying out the attic, or getting on top of your paperwork. It will involve a variety of personal and work-related chores that will benefit you in the long run, providing you put the effort in.

This is a year in which to plan your future goals and to take steps toward achieving them. For the next 12 months, life is giving you an opportunity to build a firm foundation for your future, so don’t waste it. You can have some great accomplishments this year and make major headway; however, your attitude is the key to your success. There may be obstacles, frustrations, and delays, but with patience and perseverance, you’ll get there in the end. Your dedication and determination will be tested this year, so don’t give up when the going gets tough. Just pick yourself up and soldier on.

You’ll be more focused than last year, so prioritize your time, work on the details behind the scenes, and finish what you start. This is also a year in which to put down some roots and commit to your future; therefore it’s a good time to save money, pay off debts, solidify your relationships, start a family, and buy a business or a home. Regardless of what you do, it’s about making long-term decisions that make things more secure. Be sensible and practical, as this isn’t a year in which to be adventurous or take risks. Extra physical, mental, and emotional effort is required of you, but with effort come rewards. Providing you have a positive mindset, this will be an extremely significant year.

This is a year in which to:

•    Work hard
•    Build a solid foundation
•    Plan your future and take action
•    Get organized, put systems in place
•    Budget and save money
•    Pay off debts
•    Focus on your mental and physical health
•    Make a commitment
•    Study
•    Buy a business or a home
•    Start a family
•    Make time to relax and unwind

Personal Year Number 5
Adventure, Progress, Movement, Change

After last year’s effort and hard work, you’ve now entered a dynamic and action-packed year full of both expected and unexpected change. Because the 5 Personal Year is midway between the 1 Personal Year of “new beginnings” and the 9 Personal Year of “endings,” life decides to shake things up by creating necessary changes, whether you’re prepared for them or not. Therefore, it pays to be flexible and adaptable and be ready to go with the flow. That way you can roll with whatever comes your way.

Change is inevitable and can manifest in many forms. For some it could be a change in location, residence, relationship, or job, and for others it may be a change in attitude, direction, or lifestyle. Either way, there’ll be many options to choose from, so break away from old routines and launch yourself into new areas of challenge and growth. You may experience feelings of restlessness and boredom, or simply being “stuck” – but don’t make hasty decisions. Think before you act.

This year can trigger a desire to overindulge your senses with food, alcohol, overspending, or sex. So don’t go off the rails or throw caution to the wind. Discipline and moderation are the keys to your success. This is an exciting year when it pays to promote yourself and to network with others. Travel, exploration, and adventure lie at your fingertips, so get out and about and try new things. However, try not to scatter your energy in too many directions as things could spiral out of control. The 5 Year can either be exhilarating or challenging, depending on your mindset.

This is a year in which to:

•    Make changes and prepare for change
•    Be fun and adventurous
•    Create more personal freedom
•    Experience new things
•    Take a vacation
•    Travel nationally and/or internationally
•    Move house, town, or country
•    Advertise and promote yourself
•    Be social, network with others
•    Change job or career
•    Take a calculated risk

Personal Year Number 6
Love, Family, Domestic Responsibility

The 6 Personal Year is one in which to be of service to others and to attend to your responsibilities. It may involve an element of sacrifice, so prepare to put others’ needs before your own. There’s a big difference between helping others because you “have to” and helping others because you “want to,” and this year will reflect that. For the next 12 months your loved ones and family come first, so try to serve them willingly.

This is the perfect time to mend broken relationships and to touch base with family members you haven’t spoken to in a while. It’s also a year when you dedicate extra time to your children, grandchildren, or other children within the family. You may become a shoulder to cry on, so offer your assistance where you can. Whether it’s taking care of elderly relatives, nursing a sick family member or friend, or babysitting your nephew, it’s natural to experience feelings of martyrdom and resentment. However, it’s important to process these feelings in a healthy way and to remember “it isn’t going to be forever.”

Number 6 governs love, marriage, separation, and divorce – and some people will experience these things in a 6 Year. Others will experience the 6 energy in different ways such as engaging in a community project, having a child, working in a service-based career, or starting a home-based business (as this is a favorable time to do so). The 6 Year is a good time for singles to find love and for existing relationships to move to a deeper level of understanding and commitment. For others, relationship issues that have been brewing beneath the surface will rise to be resolved and unstable relationships may end. Either way, this is a year in which to ensure that the relationships in your life are the best that they can be.

If you’d like to spend some extra time in the garden or do some much-needed work on your property, this is the year to do so. Renovating, redecorating, or rearranging may do your home the world of good. This is a good year for career advancement, especially for those in a service-based career. Number 6 represents beauty and physical appearance, so a makeover, a new wardrobe, or a change in hairstyle may boost your self-esteem. Other things to focus on this year are self-love, health, and the healing or creative arts.

This is a year in which to:

•    Take your responsibilities seriously
•    Be there for family and friends
•    Be of service to others
•    Focus on domestic affairs
•    Renovate or redecorate your home
•    Be creative – take up a new hobby
•    Work on your garden
•    Start a home-based business
•    Get married
•    Start a family
•    Get a makeover
•    Engage in a community project

Personal Year Number 7
Introspection, Personal and Spiritual Growth

Where last year you focused on serving others, this year the focus is on building a better relationship with yourself. The 7 Personal Year encourages self-analysis, so that you form a deeper understanding of who you are, what you want, and why you’re here. Your main agenda over the next 12 months is personal development, spiritual wisdom, and going within to find the answers you seek. This isn’t a time to chase new opportunities or to conquer the business world. Instead, it’s a time to take a step back and reflect. This is a very important year when the more inner work you do, the greater your success in the outer world – in your 8 Personal Year, next year.

Your capacity for research and understanding is at its peak, so it’s a favorable year to study or to develop an existing skill – especially anything that is related to IT and computers, science, psychology, engineering, analytics, metaphysics, philosophy, and conventional or alternative health. If you wish to become a specialist in your craft, this is the year to do it. This is also a year in which to focus on spirituality, spend time in nature, and contemplate the meaning of life. Your intuition is at an all-time high, so follow your inner guidance at all times.

If you suffered a loss or heartbreak last year, use this year to process and heal. Explore alternative therapies if you feel that way inclined. Don’t force things to happen this year, wait for things to come to you, as opportunities will present themselves next year. In the meantime, get a health check, exercise, take up a spiritual practice such as yoga, meditation, EFT (Tapping), Reiki, or qi gong, and enhance your connection to Source (Universe, God, Divine). Build a strong inner foundation in preparation for the years to come. In fact, your future success depends upon the positive changes you make today.

This is a year in which to:

•    Adopt a spiritual practice
•    Spend quiet time alone
•    Take up meditation, yoga, EFT, or qi gong
•    Explore alternative therapies
•    Detox and eat a healthy diet
•    Spend time in nature
•    Rest, recuperate, and relax
•    Focus on personal development
•    Study or become a specialist
•    Go on a spiritual retreat, expand your spiritual learning
•    Get closer to God
•    Improve your health, get a health check, exercise

Personal Year Number 8
Manifestation, Personal Power, Finances, Career

The 8 Personal Year focuses on business, career, property, finances, and legal matters. For some there will be opportunities for career advancement, recognition, and financial gain, while others may experience an increase in expenses or financial loss. Either way, 8 is the number of karmic balance that rebalances the scales of justice in direct proportion to your attitude and actions of the past – especially since your 1 Personal Year. You’ll reap what you’ve sown in an 8 year, and whatever you began in your 1 Year will now begin to pay off. If you’ve been honest and hardworking, you’ll be rewarded in some way, either financially, through recognition, or by attracting favorable opportunities.

This year is all about balance – especially balancing the material and spiritual worlds. On the one hand you’re being encouraged to have a positive relationship with money and to adopt an attitude of abundance, yet on the other you cannot allow yourself to become consumed by the accumulation of money and material goods, power, status, or success. You need to obtain balance and find the middle ground in between. Wherever you are out of balance in your life, the 8 Year will point it out, giving you the opportunity to re-adjust.

The 8 Year will also encourage you to reclaim your personal power over anything or anyone that has caused you to feel disempowered in some way. Whether it’s an overpowering person, an addiction, a fear, or a belief, this is the year to assert yourself, confront it once and for all, and take ownership of your power. On the other hand, you must be mindful not to overpower or disempower others.

In addition, the Number 8 Year represents money and manifestation, so get your finances in order and be mindful not to overspend. This is a powerful cycle of manifestation when you can attract what you focus on, so focus on the positives and minimize your fears. This is a very karmic year in which major lessons will be learned, and important connections will be made. Significant people, who can enhance your career or your overall quality of life, will cross your path. Since 8 governs the Law of Cause and Effect, it’s essential that you watch your motivations behind everything you do, and live with honesty and integrity at all times.

This is a year in which to:

•    Budget, save money, get your finances in order
•    Deal with outstanding legal matters
•    Work hard, be honest and ethical
•    Build your career
•    Study something that advances your career
•    Apply for a promotion
•    Start a new job or career
•    Reclaim your personal power
•    Familiarize yourself with the Law of Attraction
•    Manifest your goals and dreams
•    Adopt an attitude of abundance
•    Reprogram your limiting beliefs

Personal Year Number 9
Transformation, Completion, Endings

This is the final year of your nine-year cycle, and it focuses on completion and transformation in preparation for new beginnings. A major part of this transformation involves letting go of the things in your life that no longer serve you – whether it’s a job, a friendship, a relationship, a residence, a mind-set, or behavior you may have outgrown. Either way, this is a time to spring-clean your life so you can move toward better things.

To make the most of this year, trust in the Divine plan; surrender to change; forgive others and yourself; and accept, let go, and move on when things don’t go your way. Despite this being a year of endings, it’s also a year of rebirth and compensation, when everything you’ve been striving for can finally come to fruition. In other words, this is your pay-off year – so start feeling deserving and worthy. Expect the best and you’ll get the best, especially this year.

The 9 Year encourages you to focus on being of service and following humanitarian pursuits by donating your time, money, attention, or unwanted items to a good cause. Perhaps you could do something to assist the environment or offer a helping hand to a charity, a person, a family, or an animal in need. Compassion and forgiveness play a major role this year, so be open-minded toward others and resolve outstanding conflicts and disputes.

This is a year in which to:

•    Spring-clean your life and home
•    Let go of bad habits
•    Move house
•    Leave an unfulfilling job
•    Tie up loose ends
•    End an unhealthy relationship
•    Clean out your closets
•    Donate to charity
•    Work for a cause
•    Forgive others and the past
•    Resolve outstanding conflicts
•    Heal outstanding emotional wounds

What else can numerology be used for?

Numerology can be used for many things, but here are some of its most common uses:

• Greater self- awareness and understanding
• Improving relationships through a better understanding of others
• Forecasting the future
• Planning major life events
• Predicting cycles and patterns
• Choosing a suitable career
• Evaluating relationship compatibility
• Changing a name for marriage (or other purposes)
• Choosing a business name (website domain name, product name, brand name, book title etc …)
• Naming a baby
• Evaluating the energy of an address, a property, or a home
• Choosing a wedding date
• Naming a pet
• Deciphering the meaning of recurring numbers
• Evaluating the energy of a country, a city, a town etc.

How can numerology improve your life

Numerology gives your life meaning. It takes it from being a “random event” to a pre-planned blueprint of opportunity and potential. It offers direction and added insight into what’s around the corner, and it uncovers your destiny and life purpose. It also provides a deeper understanding of others and the world around you. How can than not improve your life?