How to Calculate and Interpret Your Personal Year Number

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Learn more about the numerology year cycle and what it means

Co-authored by Luke Smith, MFA Reviewed by Michelle Arbeau

Last Updated: December 28, 2024 Fact Checked

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What is a personal year number?

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Calculating Your Personal Year Number

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Personal Year Number Meanings

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Tips

Personal year numbers are used by numerologists to predict the shape of your life in any given year and to help you make the most of that life.^{[1]
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Research source} They change each year, and each year offers a new and specific opportunity for growth. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about personal year numbers, how to calculate yours, and what your number means for you.

Things You Should Know

A personal year number is a special number calculated using the digits of your birthday to give insight into how your life will look in the current year.
Calculate your personal year number by adding the numerals of your birth month to the numerals of the current year.
Take the number you found by adding your birth and year numerals, then add the numerals of that new number together to find your personal year number.

Section 1 of 3:

What is a personal year number?

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A personal year number is a prediction based on your birthday. This number is calculated using the digits of your birthday and the current year. Your own number changes every year, and that change is said to alter your upcoming year’s vibrations and energies. By calculating your personal year number, you can use that number to predict those energies and act accordingly. Think of it like a weather forecast for the whole year.^{[2]
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- Some believe your personal year number changes on your birthday, while others believe it changes on January 1 of each year. Follow whichever system feels right for you—there’s no “wrong” method!

Section 2 of 3:

Calculating Your Personal Year Number

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Add the digits of your birth date to the digits of the current year. To calculate your personal year number, take the digits of the day and month you were born, then add them to the sum of the digits of the current year.^{[3]
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Research source} For example, if you were born on August 24, you would add 8 + 2 + 3, which is 14. Then, if the year is currently 2023, those digits add to 7 (2 + 0 + 2 + 3). Finally, add 14 to 7 to get 21.
- Some numerologists also add the digits of your birth year. Again, do whatever feels the best to you, energy-wise.
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Simplify the number to a single digit by adding its digits together. Many numerologists believe that you progress along a 9-year cycle, with each year marking a different stage of growth.^{[4]
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Research source} To align your number to this cycle, take the number you found in the previous step and simplify it to a single digit by adding its digits together again. So if the number was 21, then 2 + 1 = 3, meaning that your personal year number for this year would be 3.
- That said, don’t reduce the number to single digits if it’s 11, 22, or 33. These are “master numbers” in numerology, and have special significance.

Section 3 of 3:

Personal Year Number Meanings

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Personal year 1 Personal year 1 is all about new beginnings. You’ve just completed your 9-year cycle, closing the book on a long period of growth, and now you’re starting anew. In this year, you tend to have quite a bit of energy, so now’s the time to harness it and start doing the things you’ve always wanted to do.^{[5]
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Research source} This year, pick up a new hobby or dive into a career that’s always fascinated you. The cycle is just beginning and the world is your oyster.
- Think of a big-picture thing you've always wanted to do and make a life plan to achieve it, whether that’s moving to a new city, finding new love, or buying a home.
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Personal year 2 This is the year of building new relationships that will provide a stable foundation for the years to come.^{[6]
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Research source} They may be professional, casual, or even romantic, but every relationship is an opportunity to learn more about the world around you and yourself as a person in that world. Get out and make new best friends or grow your professional network. The more connected you are, the more opportunities are available to you.
- The first step to meeting new people is to brush up on your small talk and be curious about those around you. You never know who might open your next door.
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Personal year 3 The third personal year is about turning inward and nurturing your inner self.^{[7]
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Research source} Often, the best way to do that is by expressing yourself creatively. Spend this year creating art that speaks to you, which in turn helps to improve your mental state.^{[8]
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Trustworthy Source

Mental Health Foundation
UK charity working towards good mental health for all.

Go to source} Or, take time to read new books, listen to new music, visit museums, and speak to creatives to expand your own creative horizons.
- You don’t have to be a traditional artist to be creative. Express yourself in your clothing, cooking, home decor, and the daily choices you make as you live your life.
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Personal year 4 After the creative explosions of the first 3 years, this fourth year is all about laying solid foundations.^{[9]
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Research source} To do that, start tracking your finances and save money, if you can. Pour your focus into your job (or finding a new job you’ll love). Consider going to school to get your education, which is often a strong way to build a sturdy foundation for the rest of your professional life. Strap in for the slow and steady road to progress, which will pay off later down the line.
- You might also start a business or intern with a business to gain new professional experiences.
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Personal year 5 Personal year 5 is the year where you break loose and let loose. You’ve spent 4 years working on yourself, and now it’s time to put that work to use. Harness your experience to have a new adventure, whether that means traveling to a new place, jumping head-first into a new social scene, or letting a romance spark and flare.^{[10]
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Research source} But this year is also about embracing change and exercising an open mind. Take inventory of your own personal beliefs and convictions, ask yourself if they serve you, and leave behind any that don’t.
- Most of all, follow your intuition and listen to your gut. You’ve spent the past few years developing it, after all.
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Personal year 6 This is the year of family and responsibilities.^{[11]
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Research source} After a year of fun and adventure, now’s the time to come back down to earth and tend to your garden. Improve your family life by spending quality time with those you love. Even if they’re not related by blood, they’re your kin, so show them your love by offering them your time and energy.
- Also, think back on the things you set out to do years past, and make an effort to bring them to fruition. For example, if you resolved to learn how to garden, now’s the time to sow some seeds.
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Personal year 7 The seventh personal year is one of spiritual examination and growth. You’ve come a long way and learned many things, so now it’s time to take stock of your life—your career, relationships, habits, health, and even faith—and hold them up to the magnifying glass for inspection. Think for yourself about which of these are going well, and which you may need to reevaluate. Then, take steps to do just that. Think of it as perfecting a sculpture years in the making, and that sculpture is you.
- For example, if you’ve let your health habits fall by the wayside, this is year to start exercising regularly and eating healthier.
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Personal year 8 This is the year of prosperity. You’ve sown your seeds, and now it’s time to sit back and appreciate all that you’ve reaped. Think of what you’ve gained these past years, then put it to use.^{[12]
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Research source} For example, if you landed a killer job, spend some of that hard-earned money on yourself. If you’ve fostered a tight-knit group of friends, spend time hanging out and swapping life stories. You’ve earned everything you have, so use this year to enjoy it.
- Help yourself identify the things you’ve gained by keeping a gratitude journal, where you write everything that you’re thankful for.
This is the year where you share everything you’ve gained, earned, and learned. Your 9-year cycle is drawing to a close, and you’ll take your gifts into the next cycle, but for now it’s time to share them with others. Use your skills and talents to volunteer at a non-profit, drop a donation to a worthy cause, give advice where it’s needed, and make yourself a gift to the world around you. This is a selfless year, but everything you give will return to you doubled in the next cycle.
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Personal year 11 Some refer to personal year 11 as the “bonus year.” It lies outside the 9-year cycle and comes as an opportunity to enrich your spirituality and develop your intuition, which is more attuned this year.^{[13]
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Research source} Spend this year meditating on the person you were, the person you are now, and the person you wish to become. Then, visualize your future self to give you a clear version of your best self to work toward.
- This is also a big year for romance, when your intuition and emotional acuity are at their peak, so be on the lookout for that special someone. You’ll recognize your soulmate when you meet them.
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Personal year 22 This bonus year is an opportunity to develop your discipline for when you dive back into your 9-year cycle.^{[14]
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Research source} Think of ways you might be slacking a bit too much in both your personal and professional life, and make an effort to course-correct. For example, spending a bit too much time scrolling rather than chasing those dreams? This year, reach for a book instead of your phone.
- You might also stay healthy and active by developing an exercise routine or joining up with a gym.
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Personal year 33 This master year is one of intensified challenges—and intensified rewards. Responsibilities may pick up at work or at home, and they may feel a bit overwhelming.^{[15]
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Research source} But you wouldn’t be given those challenges if you couldn’t handle them. This year, the name of the game is delegating your burden. Ask for help when you need it, from coworkers or family members, and together you’ll get those responsibilities done.
- You may feel swamped by responsibilities, but taking time to indulge your creative side will keep you buoyant and energized.

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Tips

Some people also observe personal month numbers, which are calculated the same way as personal year numbers, and abide by the same cycle and system, only on a month-by-month level.

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