january 1, 2024 marks the beginning of the universal 8 year, ushering in a universal 9 month with the pattern universal 1-personal 1.
with jupiter and mercury now direct in sidereal aries and scorpio {both under the guidance of mars in sagittarius}, we’re slowly transitioning out of the 7 year + closing the current numerical cycle that began in march 2023. we’re reflective and setting our sights towards all timelines, but especially the future. with the universal 8 year, we’re moving from the dominating influence of jupiter to that of saturn, who is approaching their one-year anniversary of transiting sidereal aquarius.
“with saturn [retrograde] in sidereal aquarius, there is an emphasis on the reimagining of reality, revisiting our original visions and plans, investing in our collective future, realigning and even reimagining our collective and social responsibilities, and removing some of the haze and fog that’s been clouding our vision. we all know that we’re facing numerous challenges that leave us with an abundance of questions about the fate of our species and the world as a whole. aquarius as fixed air reminds us that there is an invisible web connecting us all, human and more-than-human like. what happens to one impacts us all, no matter how individualized our responses and emotions towards our circumstances may be and no matter how much we believe we’re not interlinked.”
this universal 8 brings us closer to the completion of the numerical cycle that began in 2017 and brings focus to the previous 8 year, 2015. where were you in 2015? what was happening for us on a collective scale in 2015 that is circling back this year? as a saturn-ruled year, this universal 8 year will also draw parallels from the last saturn-ruled year, 2020. with everything going on, from multiple genocides, human rights atrocities, famine, an ongoing global pandemic with surging cases, economic recession, ecological devastation, etc., the stakes are high, and everything counts. it always has, and now there’s no denying that we know differently, so it’s our responsibility to do differently.
“8 is an embodiment of what it means to live in the material and spiritual simultaneously—to be a walker between worlds, an alchemist. 8 highlights the alchemical processes of transformation and transmutation, to create from what we have and are given to continue the cycles of abundance and generation. 8 teaches us appreciation for every lesson we have learned because they have all built and expanded upon one another to lead us to the present. by the time we arrive at 8, we have learned about ourselves, those connected to us, our communities, our home, our curiosity, our heart, our minds, psyches, and souls, and hopefully, we feel deeply empowered by all of this knowledge so that we can respond and act accordingly. 8 is the moment to show that we know what we are doing will all that we’ve learned. it’s a period of application.”
NOTE: this post is intended to be a resource and reference, and it’s encouraged that you take your time with it and come back to it as much as you need, take notes, leave comments for discussion, etc. it’s information-dense because it is my goal to support us throughout this time in the ways i’m able. it will be pinned to my substack home page for easy access.
if you’d like to get to read about the personal year themes within 2024 and how to work with me, just scroll down :)
8. saturn. capricorn. aquarius. authority. understanding. cycles. alchemy. fertility. fermentation. transmutation. transformation. exchange. shadow. inspiration. ancestors. descendants. inheritances. natural abundance. allowance. karma. karmic lessons. renewal. reincarnation. promise. virtue. containment. strength. discipline. self-determination. resilience. generation. lineage. regeneration. preservation. circuitry. power. empowerment. electricity. blood. sexuality. intimacy. circulation. movement. eroticism. snakes. coils. batteries. butterflies. shedding skin. octopus. octagon. spiders. maternal. feminine. yin. grandmother. octahedron. octave. creation. destruction. seasons. restriction. limitation. freedom. phoenix. scorpion. kundalini. prana. chi. death. life. rebirth.
each 9-year cycle, i connect with an elder/ancestor as a guide for the year whose life path mirrors the universal year. this 9-year cycle runs from 2017 until 2025. so far, the elders & ancestors have been:
2017 · audre lorde · life path 1
2018 · alice walker · life path 11
2019 · nina simone · life path 3
2020 · octavia butler · life path 4
2021 · malcolm x · life path 5
2022 · bell hooks · life path 33
2023 · toni morrison · life path 7
for 2024, both james baldwin and frantz fanon have come to the forefront. during their lives, both walked life path 8 guided by an exalted saturn in sidereal libra, and were and are still highly revered for their many written works championing movements for equality, civil and human rights, anti-colonialism & imperialism, post-colonial imagination, and liberation. throughout this universal 8 year, familiarizing yourself with their works can serve as a guide when moving through all this year has to bring politically and on the world stage. of course, always include a diversity of perspectives in your learning and connect with who calls to you, but these two have emerged as spotlights, and i’m grateful to further study what they’ve left behind for us.
below, you can find the link to a free resource drive that contains pdfs of their written works. this resource drive is attached to the reflector’s path and through this year, i will continue to add resources to it.
“The role of the artist is exactly the same as the role of the lover. If I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don’t see.”
- James Baldwin
“For a colonized people the most essential value, because the most concrete, is first and foremost the land: the land which will bring them bread and, above all, dignity.”
- Frantz Fanon
as a universal 8 year, 2024 is guided by doorway 8: strength and doorway 17: the star.
doorway 8: strength
arriving at doorway 8, we are equipped with deeper knowledge of self and have embraced the vehicle (chariot) for the expression of our spirit. at this doorway, we now embrace the ideal that the truth comes from within and that its our own inner light and brilliance that illuminates a worthy path to follow. with strength, we’re no longer fearing our power, which is an elemental union of our light and shadow, and we’re ready to rise to the occasion. we’re not simply grinning and bearing it, nor are we going out of our way to prove our strength by seeking out hardship; instead, we’re leaning on inner resolve to propel our movements forward in the external world and trusting that we have built and are continuously building our fortitude. doorway 8 reminds us of the strength present in vulnerability, in sensitivity, and in courageously meeting life, ready to act, receive, and respond.
the teeth at doorway 8 serve as a guardian between inner and outer worlds, playing a vital role with taking in information in the form of food, feelings, perceptions, etc., and initiating the process of digestion. containing enamel, the hardest substance in the human body, the teeth remind us that caring for our strongest parts allows our softer parts to receive the same care and protection, and together, our lives are more full. here, the strength of the spirit is rising to the surface and materializing, and we feel ourselves on the precipice of major change. just as the loss of baby teeth and the presence of adult teeth marks a pivotal life stage in childhood, it is the loss of ignorance that marks a pivotal stage of the spiritual journey. at doorway 8, we are becoming. we are maturing. we are moving through the endless continuum that is life and death, anabolism and catabolism, creation and destruction. we’re shedding old skin and expanding the room for transformation and necessary growth, on every level.
with saturn as the guiding planet of the year, pluto in sidereal capricorn also comes into clear focus alongside saturn in aquarius. from ‘tending the roots’, i shared:
pluto's transit through sidereal capricorn feels like a much needed root tending, where the entire plant is dug up to check for what's become root bound and examining where there is root rot, not meant to be saved. this process is slow, intentional, careful. the transformations come when new space to grow and thrive is created. the transformation comes when there's a conscious letting go and acceptance of what has died, unable to be alchemized and revived. there are some things that are not meant to be saved. there are some things that can not be spared from experiencing death. the material reality we find ourselves in has run out of room to grow. this is root rot on a global scale. the foundations are not sustainable. never were.
moving through this year, strength reminds us to show up for the cause and continue fortifying ourselves to be able to withstand the pressures and stresses that come with any pursuit and fight for liberation. here, garlic provides immense value to us in all matters of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. a powerful antimicrobial, antiviral, carminative, and antiseptic, garlic supports us in building our immunity and fighting both physical and spiritual disease. with historical use as a repellant for vampires and parasitic spiritual entities, garlic is a perfect companion for this 8 year because the number 8 emphasizes what’s circulating within us. are we amplifying and circulating something meant to feed on our life force or are we empowering ourselves and becoming more discerning with what we intake? strength requires protection—don’t forget to hold strong to what you know keeps you from unnecessarily being in harm’s way.
what makes you strong? what nourishes you? with a fierce and loving heart like yours, what are you doing to ensure its continued strength? what enlivens you?
doorway 17: the star
following the leap from the crumbling tower, we find inspiration for newness with the star. whether we choose to believe it or not, the collapse of this is inevitable, and it may not always look how we’ve been led to believe, but it’s all around. it’s present in healthcare infrastructure disintegrating, teachers quitting en masse, the banning of books and severe underfunding of public libraries, the overfunding of private prisons, the inflation and stagnant wages. it’s everywhere in subtle and overt ways. the question then becomes: what will come next? the star reminds us that our lives don’t end when something falls; instead, our lives expand in meaning and value, and we get to take creative control. when the illusions fall, you now have more room to welcome in what’s real. tower moments can be scary, but they’re not the end.
at doorway 17, we’re stretching our imaginations and connecting with channels of inspiration that will help us expand what’s valuable, meaningful, purposeful, and necessary. the small intestine as the star helps us with the process of extracting value from what we’ve already taken in. as the longest organ in the body, the small intestine plays a pivotal role in not just our digestion but also our immunity. here, we break down food, absorb the nutrients we need, and get rid of what’s unnecessary. the small intestine as the star connects with the lessons of this 8 year that we’ll learn through the south node in sidereal virgo. the small intestine + virgo+ 8 encourage us to be mindful of what we intake so that our movement can continue. when the flow of movement is disturbed from intaking too much or too little, we then experience blockages and obstructions or the movement is too rapid, and we lose a sustainable pace. whether diarrhea, constipation, or inflammation, the small intestine + virgo + 8 ask that we be mindful. the process of growth is not something we can rush. in fact, it’s this unwillingness to adhere to sustainable processes that have led us here to these moments of collapse.
as you move through this year, the small intestine asks that we support ourselves and others in our movements, internal and external. it’s the time to get out of the way if we cannot contribute in the ways that are needed and find where we are needed. it’s better to find your fit rather than trying to force yourself where you don’t belong. with jupiter entering sidereal taurus in may 2024, the square between fixed earth and fixed air will become more prominent, as well as the trine between jupiter in taurus and pluto in capricorn. a prominent theme is growing pains. here, the medicine of cottonwood helps soothe our aches and pains as we go through this stretching, this extension, and this maturation. cottonwood as the star reminds us to mend the brokenness and to know that even broken, fractured things can carry hope. you don’t have to be perfect to show up. this is a mission for all of us, where every one of us is needed, so stretch yourself and challenge yourself to make more room for possibility.
what lies beyond the broken, tragic mess? do you envision a future where we can heal, mend, and build something new? do you imagine a world where you no longer have to bend yourself out of shape for belonging and connection? does the world widen around you the more you process it or does it shrink? what do you want it to do? how do you keep your spirit of faith, optimism, and hope alive?
the individual stories within the grand web.
every year, the universal year carries its own themes for the wider collective experience, and it is our personal years that help flesh out more context for how these years may look for us individually.
our personal years carry us from birthday to birthday. come december 31, we’ve all had a birthday and whatever personal year you’ve started on your most recent birthday will carry you into the new universal year. those born on january 1 will begin a new personal year on the same day as the new universal year.
it is normal and expected for most of us to experience two different personal year energies in one calendar year — one concluding and another beginning.
how to calculate your personal year
the personal year is calculated by adding the numerical value of your birth month + birth day + the year of your most recent birthday. using an example birth date of august 14, the personal year would be calculated as follows:
august 14, 2023
8 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 0 + 2 +3 = 20 = 2 + 0 = 2
a person born on august 14 started their personal 2 year on their 2023 birthday, which will last until august 13, 2024. they will begin their personal 3 year on their next birthday, august 14, 2024 which will last until august 13, 2025, etc.
to refresh yourself with personal year themes that began in 2023, check out universal 7 & you.
with the universal 8 year, we’re focused on our interconnection with the web of life and how we, as individuals, play a role in the collective ecosystem. the revolution begins in the heart and in the soul of every person before it manifests into the physical. our survival is a collective mission. the preservation we are after is that of humanity and life, not just a singular thing.
below, you will find musings for the personal years and themes that have the potential to be explored in the universal 8 year of 2024. the universal 8 year is also a time to revisit the karmic lessons and explore the gifts they have during this time.
personal 1 year + universal 8
breaking the seal, innovation, self-determination
those experiencing their personal 1 year in 2024 are breaking the seal and growing past all previously defined limits. themes of pioneering, self-determination, and innovation are at the forefront. utilizing the many lessons you learned in your previous 9-year cycle, what is emerging in this new cycle? what are you here to do that’s never been done before? how does the broader web of life support you as an individual stepping into your new mission? being an individual does not mean you are untethered and unaffected by the big picture. instead, you’re here to add your own unique brushstrokes and flair to help the picture come together. whether you’re an artist wanting to share a new message, a technologically savvy pioneer here to harmoniously bridge the gap between human and tech, or even a parent/caregiver that’s breaking cycles in your family, your personal 1 year is a time to build your support networks so that you can more readily and easily fulfill the duties and responsibilities required of you.
flower essence companions: elm · red larkspur ·
personal 2/11 year + universal 8
relationship anarchy, defining relational responsibilities
those experiencing their personal 2 or 11 year in 2024 are addressing the limitations that are present in various relationships, both personal and collective. when it comes to being in community with others, what kind of boundaries and foundations are needed to ensure that everyone has a vested interest in progress without the need for establishing hierarchy? relationship anarchy is a central theme for you this year, especially after the nodes in sidereal aries and libra highlighted the needs for equity, the presence of power imbalances, and the necessity of autonomy within relationship. as you build community and work with others in your interpersonal and wider social spheres, how are your responsibilities defined? what is your responsibility to yourself and to your community? how do you center equity, equality, and justice as foundational principle? how do you determine your capacity? when you are approaching your limits, how do you determine what needs expansion and what’s a hard stop?
flower essence companions: centaury · quince ·
personal 3 year + universal 8
advocating for the children, expanding imagination
those experiencing their personal 3 year in 2024 are taking on more responsibility when it comes to the children. as the most oppressed group, the children require protection, nurture, guidance, support, and advocacy for their rights and wellbeing. this personal year is a time where you may find yourself called to connecting with your own child within and embracing the responsibility of parenting. whether or not you have your own children, the art and practice of parenting is a necessary skill to build to ensure that any child that may find themselves in your care is protected, safe, and treated as a valuable human being. this is a time to use your voice to advocate for the liberation of children, to plant seeds that support the creation of a future where all children are safe to grow, learn, and experience this world without the burden of being a savior for adults. how do you use your imaginative power as an adult to bring life to worlds where this is possible? for inspiration, consider the world you wanted when you were a child—what did you need? what did you dream?
flower essence companions: fairy lantern · zinnia ·
personal 4/22 year + universal 8
support networks, circulation of resources, direct impact
those experiencing their personal 4 or 22 year in 2024 are taking a more active role in the safety, stability, and security of their communities, materially and spiritually. this personal year is a time to become more involved in mutual aid, the needs of your immediate community, and getting involved in what’s happening around you. with the increase in politically-motivated violence and extremism that is characteristic of election years, this is a time to be in the know and to start expanding your network. this is also an important time to circulate resources in your community, whether that’s money, food, medicine, books and educational tools, etc. how do you show up for the most marginalized within your own community? do you connect with the unhoused population? the elderly? the disabled? the flora and fauna? where you physically exist in your body is the site of your most immediate impact, so it’s wise to begin there. what laws are being passed in your local environment? where can you affect direct change through your participation and advocacy? who are the organizers in your community?
flower essence companions: sweet pea · water violet ·
personal 5 year + universal 8
breaking mental barriers, liberation studies, risk-taking
those experiencing their personal 5 year in 2024 are encouraged to break past the confines of convention and usher in changes that serve as beacons of hope for transformation. universal 8 years are times that can seem daunting with responsibility and work, but the influence of the number 5 brings fresh air, and the world opens up because the restrictive and oppressive status quo becomes intolerable. this personal 5 year is a brilliant time to expand your reach in your community and the world at large, to open your mind to possibilities through learning, being a student, and traveling beyond your comfort zone. freedom and liberation require a willingness to change and break the mental constraints that hold us captive. additionally, pursuing liberation requires adopting an attitude and disposition that is comfortable with risk-taking and embracing the unknown. this is a time to embrace the many elements involved in liberation through the study of past liberation movements and getting involved in current movements. the world is open to those willing to explore it, so what will this year bring?
flower essence companions: walnut · jasmine ·
personal 6 year + universal 8
love as politic, passion projects, healing arts
those experiencing their personal 6 year in 2024 are encouraged to dive deeper into the healing arts and the many practices of love in action. this personal 6 year is the perfect time to circulate, amplify, and express love through all avenues of advocacy, art, creativity, and expression. what do you want to pour your love into? what sets your heart on fire with the passion of a thousand suns? how does love become a central responsibility and politic? with the north and south node in the sidereal pisces-virgo axis, this is a time where service, healing, connection, and devotion are center-stage and a time for the lovers to shine and take their rightful place as leaders in various movements. how are communities for creatives, artists, healers, and practitioners evolving to meet this moment? what do you envision for the future of the creative and healing arts? what is integral to your love mission? what do you want to create during this time that expands and deepens the love in this world?
flower essence companions: pink monkeyflower · lupine ·
personal 7 year + universal 8
the spirit of liberation, deconstruction, empowered spirituality
those experiencing their personal 7 year in 2024 are diving deeper into the spiritual elements of liberation and decolonization. similar to those in the personal 5 year, this is a time to spend time expanding your knowledge and reorienting your spirit towards the direction of truth, spiritual sovereignty, and freedom from spiritual bondage. this work is just as much collective as it is personal, and this is the year to center your spiritual practice around becoming more free and embodying the spirit of liberation itself. what does your spirit need to continuously be engaged in these efforts? for some, this may look like religious deconstruction, returning to ancestral spiritual practices, or simply reshaping your faith and belief practices to be more active rather than passive (i.e. “for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”). who benefits from you holding certain beliefs? where were those beliefs inherited? do your spiritual beliefs reserve liberation for only a select few or for all the oppressed and suffering? do your practices only center yourself and not the webs you belong to? this personal year is a reminder that you don’t exist in a vacuum, no matter how isolated you may believe yourself to be, and that spirituality that disempowers and dehumanizes won’t serve anyone in the long-run.
flower essence companion: lotus · shooting star ·
personal 8 year + universal 8
restoration, building reserves, limiting access
those experiencing their personal 8 year in 2024 are encouraged to rest and take time getting clear on your visions, responsibilities, ambitions, and directions. following a personal 7 year of deep introspection and soul-searching, this personal 8 year is a time to continue clearing any muck, confusion, and blockages that may be lingering. as you emerge from a period of deep rest and contemplation, it’s natural to not feel compelled to “hit the ground running” just yet and instead be called towards restoration and rebuilding your reserves. as you awaken into a new sense of purpose or even revisit something you once put down, this is a time to determine what you’re going to feed and what feeds you. what are you intaking that inspires and nourishes? what are you expelling that poisons and maims? what powers and empowers you? what are your responsibilities to your own power? moving through this personal year will require you to become even more firm and disciplined in your boundaries and further eliminating distractions and repelling all that is determined to drain your life force. what inspires you to live and love more fully?
flower essence companions: crab apple · hornbeam ·
personal 9 year + universal 8
transitional phases, review, life after death
those experiencing their personal 9 year in 2024 are closing a personal year cycle that began 9 years ago. this is a transitional period where you are exiting one phase and entering another. at this threshold, you may be called to review the last 9 years and taking inventory of what you’ve done, learned, witnessed, experienced, etc. what cycles did you begin in the last 9 years that are ending now? what began during the last 9 years that you want to bring with you into this new season of your life? as you move through this personal 9 year, what do you envision for the future? what are you bringing death to and leaving behind? what tower moments are paving the way for deeper inspiration, dreaming, and imagining? this is a powerful time to connect with those in your community that support these transitional and liminal phases. on the edge of collapse, what is being birthed?
flower essence companion: angel’s trumpet · angelica ·
of course, these are generalized themes and more specificity is found when engaging with your whole chart, personal transits, and factoring in your own unique life experiences. the manifestations of these patterns are many and vary.
thank you for your support of my work and happy new [universal] year!
I appreciate your connecting the number 8 with the 'emerging from a period of deep rest and contemplation'. A time for rebuilding it has made me realise their isn't a rush and that previous lessons of previous year for me are still being absorbed into my consciousness. I hope my fit this year as I hope to stop forcing myself into the wrong jigsaw puzzle. Thank you for sharing :)
Very nice, thank you!