MARY MARTINEZ

Your Core Name Numbers are 1, 5, 5

Mary, both your Heart's Desire and your Personality numbers are 5. Your Expression is 1. A double 5 supporting a 1 is a powerful combination with many options. You have more career choices than most people do. However, when the 5 energy is this strong, controlling it can be a real challenge.

Your 5 Heart's Desire tells us that you are an adventurer at heart. You are very likely easily bored, desiring change and variety. Your 5 Personality creates the impression that you are a bit of a rebel, unpredictable and difficult to read. You are unconventional and likely express it, at least in part, through your appearance.

Fortunately, thanks to your potent 1 Expression number, you have the ability to lock into a goal and pursue it to the end. Funneling your 5 energy toward that goal, will be your particular challenge. Stay focused and you will be unstoppable.

As to your personal life, you will probably have quite a few romantic experiences, more than most people. You may want to consider not committing to a serious relationship until at least age 30; you may not know yourself well enough to recognize what you want until then. Your need for freedom is such a dominant factor in your life, it can make commitment feel like a threat to your happiness. You may be past your 20's before you find some measure of stability and balance in this and other areas of your life.

You are generally a late bloomer, not because you are slow, but because you are curious and inquisitive and want to try everything that comes your way. This takes time, just as walking a path while making numerous detours delays your arrival.

Now let's look at each of your core numbers individually.

The single digit values of your Heart's Desire number and your Personality number are the same.

This is considered fortunate. You are a WYSIWYG: "What You See Is What You Get." You easily make people feel comfortable around you. However, if your Life Path number or your Expression number are also identical to your Heart's Desire number and your Personality number, your chart may be somewhat off balance. This may cause you to push the aspects of the repeated number to excess.

Read your Heart's Desire number again and ask yourself if you have not focused too much on the aspects described, at the cost of a more balanced approach.

You possess a great talent for creativity and self-expression. Many writers, poets, actors and musicians are born under the 3 Life Path. You are witty, possess a gift for gab, and savor the limelight. Your talent for the expressive arts is so abundant that you may well have felt drawn to becoming an artist while still very young. Your artistic abilities can only be developed, however, through discipline and commitment to the true development of your talent. Commitment, concentration and hard work are the only means of bringing forth your talent.

Thanks to your gift for self-expression, you can be the life of the party, and the center of attention. However, you could easily squander your talent by becoming a social butterfly. Your creativity is the gift that can give you the comfort and luxury you desire, but not without continual focus and discipline. You are optimistic and possess the resilience to overcome many setbacks.

You are socially active, popular, and inspire people with your sunny "happy go lucky" attitude. You can be generous to a fault. Many people born under the 3 Life Path have difficulty handling money because they can be disorganized and not particularly serious about their responsibilities. You are emotional and vulnerable. When hurt, you withdraw into a cloud of silence, eventually emerging from your reticence with jokes and laughter that cover up your true feelings. You can become moody and cynical when depressed. You can succumb to sarcastic remarks, which can be painful to those around you.

When used positively, your talent for self-expression can be a great inspiration force in the world, uplifting others, and bringing much success and happiness to you.

You are a hard worker and a conscientious person. You are precise and take great care in what you do. You are highly-principled, disciplined, and responsible. Mary, you take your obligations very seriously. You are highly ethical. You can be proud and upright, but, conversely, you are not particularly arrogant. You have compassion for people. You tend to persevere in the face of an obstacle or personality problem.

You love your family and make a wonderful mate. Yet, you are not overly emotional, nor very demonstrative of your love. You tend to understate your affections.

You are constantly focused on the foundations of your life -- whether it is in business, career, or family matters, you take care of the basics. You are highly rational. You are not one for pie-in-the-sky solutions to problems. Nor are you given to get-rich-quick schemes. Yours is the slow, patient approach, sound and secure.

You are a natural organizer and manager. People -- especially relatives and co-workers -- tend to rely on you. You are perceived as the rock of any endeavor. You can be stubborn and rigid. Your nature is to dig in and wait. This can close you off from solutions or creative ideas. You must work at being more flexible. You often experience frustrations and repression. You are not an emotional person, and perhaps you don't fully understand the emotional realm. This is the reason you can be rather tactless at times.

Be careful to avoid excess work and missing out at smelling the roses of life. You like to be in nature.

Your Life Path and Birth Day Bridge is 1, which combines individualism and personal power. Strive to recognize your moments of inhibition and question their source. Work on becoming franker and more direct. This has less to do with fear or insecurity than with trusting yourself and your instincts.

Consider the way most children lack inhibition or hesitation when responding to others. They are often painfully honest, but entirely without malice. Find a balance between refreshing directness and unnecessarily hurting another's feelings. Personal power is not the result of gaining authority, admiration or superiority - it comes from knowing who you are.

You are your own worst critic. You suppress your individuality and creativity. Each time you want to make an impression, you doubt yourself beforehand, and criticize yourself ruthlessly afterward. Your criticism of yourself is far more severe than anyone else's. As a result, you tend to play it safe by staying on the surface, indulging in superficialities. You rarely express what goes on deep inside of you; instead, you cover up your feelings with humor or perfunctory remarks.

You often feel alone and lonely. Your fear of social interaction causes you to strain conversation by making too many jokes and forced joviality. It may help you to find a creative outlet for your imagination, possibly through writing, painting, singing or dance.

At the bottom of the challenge is an effort to bring out your true self. You will learn to truly value your own creative talents above anyone else's judgments. This must be viewed as a process of individuation, in which you become a whole human being, independent and free of the need to conform to others.

This is a less demanding challenge. Growth is allowed to take place without one particularly serious obstacle. This does not mean that there will not be challenges on your path, but there is no single and consistent challenge during this period. However, you are being challenged to stay faithful and focused on your highest ideals.

There is an opportunity to go deeper within yourself, and discover the inner being that is you.

Your challenge deals with distorted idealism. Your ideals are unrealistically high, making life difficult for you and others. You have a hard time being satisfied with anything you do, or with what others do for you. You lack gratitude. This prevents you from seeing the beauty in your life. You may also suffer from rigid thinking, which keeps you from having a clear perspective that would otherwise awaken you to the many good things you have received.

At bottom, this challenge is about having blinders on. You are unable to see a broader view, which makes you think you have all the answers. This keeps away information and perspectives that would be helpful to you. Your desire to be of service to others is sincere. However, it may be blocking you from seeing the necessity of working on your own inner development.

You can be domineering and righteous, often telling others what is right and what is wrong. You often feel a lack of appreciation from others.

There is an opportunity to be of service, to teach and heal, but you will have to achieve a balanced perspective between your idealism and your resistance to personal transformation.

Your 2 Bridge number brings relationships to the foreground. It points to a need for clarity and confidence, while remaining sensitive and intuitive. Your Life Path and Expression suggest a fear of creating disharmony when you are pursuing your goals and desires. This is usually unwarranted, but there is a point that relates directly to these concerns.

A 2 in this position suggests you need to work on becoming a better listener. If you practice the art of listening, your friends and partners will feel acknowledged, and you will become clearer and more confident when expressing yourself.

Your maturity will find you increasingly practical, organized, and far more down to earth. You will be capable of putting your ideas into concrete form. Your latter days promise to be a time of accomplishment and activity. You become more focused and goal-oriented and less willing to discard details and cut corners. There is little interest in a quiet retirement. You are too involved in seeing your plans and efforts come to life.

Your family and friends will profit from your four-maturity number because of your increasingly helpful and reliable nature. However, you must guard against becoming rigid, narrow minded, and opinionated, especially if already several fours are found in your chart. If you are lacking 4s, or have only one or two of them, you will benefit by your increased understanding of systems, organization, and the rewards of a methodical approach to life.

It will do you good to take your time to relax and enjoy the flowers every day.

The first part of your life, through your late 20's or early 30's, is a period of much intensity. When the 1 dominates, it requires fortitude, courage, and flexibility. You are forced to use every one of your talents to achieve individuality and independence. This is a period of integration and focusing on your life's dreams.

Your ability to stay the course is repeatedly challenged, but adequate resources become available to assist you. Resilience, independence, and fortitude are required. As you strengthen these characteristics, they become an integral part of your personality and help you to emerge stronger for it. This cycle marks a time of progress in your development.

The middle part of your life is a period of hard work and the rewards it can bring. You are chiefly concerned with the practical aspects of life: career, family, and community. You are not given to pursuing idealistic or impractical goals during this time, as you prefer to place your life on sound financial footing. Find work you love, so your effort brings reward not only through promotion, success, and money, but also in joy and a sense of accomplishment. This is a time

dominated by discipline, order, and self-motivation, traits that will endear you to your family, co-workers, and community.

A 7 Period Cycle, especially in your later years, centers on wisdom and contentment. This is a time of spiritual/internal and intellectual growth, of discovering the beauty and harmony that underlie creation. However, it is often one of the most difficult last cycles, due in large part to society's lack of appreciation for the intangible qualities of this number.

Socially, you may feel distant and isolated. Interacting with similarly minded people through book clubs, art events, theater sponsorships, or other intellectually and spiritually stimulating activities can help you feel more connected. Although this is the latter part of your life, it may well be your most exciting time of discovery and personal growth.

This is a period that will teach the realities of freedom and expansion. You will travel great distances, meet many new and interesting people, experience many adventures, and essentially come to know the world. You are in a period of accelerated experimentation and learning. Experience is your teacher. Your ability with words is greatly increased. You can write and speak with ease. You are also able to successfully promote yourself. In fact, this is the source of much adventure; new opportunities for work, travel, and exotic experiences present themselves with regularity.

Your challenge is to prevent yourself from becoming a rolling stone. You need to ground yourself in a particular discipline, career, or relationship. This will not limit your freedoms so much as give you a base for operation. Otherwise, you may find yourself skipping from one meaningless job to the next, one superficial relationship after another. You can also fall victim to the abuse of food, alcohol, sex, or drugs. You must accept limitations as a necessary base for your freedom. Freedom cannot exist without limitations, otherwise you would be without identity, and without existence.

You may fear being anchored or tied down, which can cause you to skim the surface of a pursuit you enjoy, or important relationships. You must come to know the true meaning of freedom, which is unconditional love. You give your love and energy without the condition of holding on to a place, a person, or an occupation; and you expect the same in return -- to be loved for what you are, rather than someone who belongs to another. There is a highly spiritual path offering itself that requires detachment without loss of love. Many turn away from this and instead choose to maintain a superficial relationship with the world, or with other people.

You must cultivate your talents, especially your verbal and writing abilities. You are likely a gifted salesperson, or promoter.

This is a challenging period in which you are at a high point of sensitivity and intuition. There is so much going on in your psyche that you can suffer much confusion over direction and identity. On the other hand, there is a wide-open channel between the personal consciousness and the higher realms of the unconscious. You are constantly being inspired and even assaulted by information and insight. Because of the intensity of these revelations, you must learn to ground your life in faith and a practical vocation that keeps your feet on the ground every day.

This is a period of enormous spiritual and personal growth. You will come out of it with a highly uncommon clarity and understanding of life. At the same time, it is a period of enormous demands, emotionally and spiritually. Any attachment you might have to specific identity traits -- who you think you are and why you are here, for example -- is constantly challenged. There is a desire to settle into some field or way of life to attain stability, but the energy of this Pinnacle is not allowing it. It is as if there is a destination, or destiny, to which you are being driven. You do not feel in control of this process. Instead, you are acutely aware of the forces that are shaping your life. You must surrender to them.

Meanwhile, you experience the emotional turmoil that can come with this highly charged period. There is a definite, even compelling, sense of being different. You are aware of a feeling of receiving special attention from spiritual forces. Your perception of life is somehow more acute than others; you see more clearly and more spiritually due to your high degree of sensitivity. It is as if you have a perfectly accurate peripheral vision, in which everything stands out in sharp relief. At times you may feel that you can see into the souls of things. At the same time, you may feel like a foreigner to the earth. You are completely impractical. Sometimes you may feel that you do not understand the workings of the physical world. Practical things escape you. You feel awkward and clumsy at times and are aware perhaps how fluidly other lives are going. This increases your sense of being an outsider.

More important than all the awkwardness and feelings of being different is the overwhelming sense of having a purpose or a message to reveal that will make other people's lives happier, healthier, and more at peace. You want desperately to bring this out.

The challenge of the 11 Pinnacle is to remain grounded and attached to this dream. You must find practical and useful ways to be of service to others, at the same time developing yourself so that one day you may be able to bring forth that which is within you.

The influences of this period make you highly creative, innovative, and inventive. You have a completely unconventional approach to problems. Trust your intuition, seek harmonious settings to restore your sense of inner peace, and work hard to keep your feet on the ground. This period will bring great rewards on all levels, and with perseverance you will find your rightful place.

This is a period of inner development and soul searching. Mary, you will deal with the deeply important questions of personal existence and the meaning of life. You will need time to be alone to contemplate your inner world. This is a time of spiritual growth. You will experience a heightened sense of faith. The power of the universe will be the force that carries you along. During this 7 Pinnacle, spiritual growth, increased knowledge, and wisdom are the big rewards. The 7 Pinnacle provides the basis for contentment in older age, because you now begin to understand life more deeply.

You have an enhanced appreciation of poetry and nature. Walks in nature provide great therapeutic value and spiritual nourishment.

This is a time of specialization. You will pursue some course of development with fervor and focus. Your ability to concentrate will be greatly increased. Your desire to study in all forms -- reading, self-reflection, and contemplation -- will reach an all-time high. Your intuition is much more sensitive, making your path a little easier and more direct, since you know intuitively the appropriate next step.

Under this Pinnacle, you will become an expert in one particular field. Your capacity to penetrate the depths of a subject area is enormous. You will look below the surface in virtually everything you encounter. It is very possible that you will find yourself in a teaching role.

You must consciously work on your closer relationships, especially with your spouse and children. You must explain that your desire to turn inward is not an escape or an avoidance of those you love, but a deep need for knowledge. Your challenge is to avoid becoming critical or cynical of others. You can become so withdrawn from society that you look down on others. You may forget that you, too, are part of the imperfect human race. Sarcasm is the lowest form of communication, and a trap you could fall victim to.

Your desire to attain some high degree of perfection is sincere. But that pursuit can make you miserable if you lose perspective and fail to realize the relativity of human existence. Perfection is a Utopian goal, but an unrealistic ambition. It can cause you to be dissatisfied with yourself and others.

The 7 provides the possibility of true refinement, insight, and a high degree of wisdom. This deep understanding is the basis for self-love and true happiness.

Mary, under the influences of this Pinnacle, you will have greatly enhanced talent for dealing successfully with business and finances. This is a time of material growth, a time of expansion and reward. It is the cycle of harvest. The 8 Pinnacle also increases your personal power. You have sound judgment and vision. In fact, this is the basis of your financial success. People sense your power and effectiveness. They defer to you much more easily and look to you for answers. This makes it easier for you to use power without having to be a bully or force your way through situations. They perceive your able-ness and want to join you in your vision. Others have faith in you.

You will be able to organize large enterprises. Problems do not threaten you so much as provide a challenge. You yourself sense your enhanced personal powers and feel a growing sense of stability and centeredness. You will be capable of influencing matter in an almost magical way. As a result, you are extremely goal oriented, moving toward the realization of your dreams with confidence and clarity. Your challenge during this period is to maintain a hold on your human and spiritual values. You must remain balanced between heaven and earth. There will be enormous temptations to make money and status your only priorities, excluding the more human or immaterial matters entirely. This will undoubtedly lead to losses. You are being tested and instructed in the real value of money -- it's natural place in life. If money is placed on a high altar, overshadowing all other facets of life, you will become its slave. If you are balanced in your approach to money, and have proper perspective, this can be a truly rewarding period, both materially and spiritually. That is the true promise of the 8.

The number 8 symbolizes the balance between the finite and infinite, matter and spirit. It offers a great opportunity to grow.

You are energetic and hardworking with a touch of the workaholic. You are efficient and do not tire easily. You likely have a strong physical constitution. You are domestic and want financial security. You are tolerant and can endure hardships. You must be more patient with others.

You can appear indifferent to your surroundings and somewhat aloof. You are well-balanced and can survive many a stormy time. In time of trial, you withdraw within yourself finding solace and answers, in your creative and analytical mind.

You may be a bit of a loner and do not easily share your feelings with others.

This number makes you better equipped for the daily struggle of life. This is a powerful number with good leadership abilities. It is independent, individualistic, original and innovative. It adds courage and a willingness to take risks. This number makes you more determined and goal oriented.

Your shortened name encourages you to seek more freedom and adventure in your life. You want to become less conventional and more individualistic. Your native intelligence and imagination are enhanced. You are more dynamic, enthusiastic, and flexible. You attract more excitement into your life. It is easier to adapt to changes with this Minor Heart's Desire.

You are a stimulating person. You brighten social gatherings with your fresh and original ideas. Your conversation tends to be sprinkled with novelty and wit. You have a quick tongue and charisma. You are probably an excellent salesman. There is a lot of nervous energy within you looking for an outlet. You love your freedom and you see this life as an ongoing adventure. You are upbeat and optimistic.

You are a little irresponsible and quick in satisfying your sensual urges. You are attractive and that, coupled with your innate ability to promote yourself, makes it easy for you to satisfy your desire for new and exciting relationships.

This is a time for hard work and a practical approach. You may appear reticent or remote which can create distance between you and those you are close to you; try to express your feelings. Relationships may be demanding and require more sacrifice.

Think carefully before making important decisions. Try not being impulsive and don't let your changing moods influence your direction. Take your time!

This is a period of change, activity, progress, and creativity, enabling you to become more independent and self-reliant. This cycle tends to make you physically stronger and healthier, largely because it inspires you to pay attention to your diet and exercise.

The A Transit increases the potential for travel or a change of residence. It also delivers promotions and other opportunities. For some, an A Physical Transit brings a breakthrough in awareness and perspective of life.

This could be a particularly emotional time with many ups and downs. The I Transit can make you feel high-strung and vulnerable to stress - and somewhat accident prone. This period requires calmness, centeredness, and an acceptance of life. Do your best to control your moods and try not to slip into feelings of self-pity or insecurity. This year should also find you quite competitive, with opportunities to achieve success and financial reward.

This a period of much work, attention to detail, and advancement in your career. Your rewards will be directly proportional to your effort. Much will be demanded of you, but you now have the opportunity to lay a sound foundation for your life. You must be orderly and disciplined. Attention to detail in all areas -- especially in personal finances and business -- is a necessity. Your workload will likely increase. Only through the correct management of time and resources will you be able to apportion your energies correctly to meet the increased demands made of you.

You are now being trained in the ways of the world, and only sound practical management will bring you the results you desire. Any flimsy or unsound business practices will likely bring trouble and increased work for you. Only by dealing with reality -- that is, by facing situations exactly as they are, and not how you might like them to be -- will you be able to find the correct path to success.

Avoid feelings of restriction or limitation. Be economical in all your expenditures. Be sure to care for your health. Maintain a healthy diet and follow a sound exercise routine. Pay attention to preventive health methods and get the rest you need. But know when to allow yourself some breathing room. Be moderate in all things, including moderation. Balance is the key to this period.

In-laws and family members can be demanding during this period. People see you as a rock of stability and are naturally attracted to you for support. Be helpful without allowing yourself to be used.
You are being called upon to work hard and establish a firm foundation upon which your life will rest for many years to come.

You will now begin an entirely new phase of your life. You are on the threshold of a new beginning. Not only will fresh ideas come into your life, but you will accept and even embrace them. It is a time of radical change, and in all likelihood, you are ready for it. Now is the time to advance the new and let go of the old. All inefficient methods will have to be eliminated from your life. In the same way, you must let go of relationships that no longer serve your future. Discard habits and liabilities that you have been holding on to. A new identity is emerging, one that is efficient, innovative, highly creative, and courageous.

Your leadership qualities will rush to the surface. Your environment will demand that you stand up to challenges, and face difficulties head on. You can no longer hide from the truths of your life. The facts are now blatantly clear. Mary, you must make a stand. Change is a given. But you possess the power to make those changes. All you need is the will and the energy to enact your plan.

This is a period of struggle and great reward. You have the chance to achieve independence. But it will not be handed to you. You must wrest from old habits and inertia of the past.

As with all beginnings, this one will be marked by false starts and blind alleys. You will be forced to start again and again. You are like a baby learning to walk. There will be falls. You will have to persevere. This is a period in which your willpower will be tested. You are, in fact, forging your own determination. You must not give up. But the rewards are great. The general influences are raising you to new heights of independence, courage, and self-esteem. At the conclusion of this 1 Essence, your self- knowledge and self-respect will be greatly increased, as will your capacity to stand on your own two feet.

This is a year of progress and financial advancement. Major career opportunities present themselves. It is a challenging year in which personal growth is joined with new responsibilities and challenges. This is a year of domestic responsibility and attention to the needs of family and friends. It is a time of heartfelt emotions and some sacrifice. It is a time for comforting and caring. You realize the importance of your place within your community. You will be called upon to help others bear their burdens. You are the proverbial friend in need. Deep feelings bring renewal to relationships and often a birth in the family.

You must work to create an atmosphere of harmony and balance. It is often a time when marital issues surface and need attention. However, you possess the understanding to deal with such issues effectively if you apply yourself with love and flexibility.

May is an emotional month filled with the promise and the stress of imminent changes. June is a breakthrough and a relief. September brings advancement, October self- reflection and readjustments, and December brings a sense of completion and fulfillment.

You will experience a strong tendency to spend more time alone, to delve inside and find some answers and to reach a better understanding of yourself. This is not a year for social activities nor is it a year to try and reach goals on a material level. You will find that the necessities of daily life seem to be taken care of by themselves. There is no need to be overly concerned regarding your material needs. Without slacking on your daily duties and responsibilities, you can afford to give more attention to yourself. This is a year for inner growth. It is your spiritual and mental presence that requires attention. Improve the quality of your life, read, contemplate and gain insight in yourself. You are important now. Rest and attend to your health.

It is during this year that you strengthen the foundation of your life, after all your success in all matters rests upon the strength of your inner self. There will be many strange and unusual events inspiring you to take a closer look at life and an opportunity is there to experience the joy and beauty of life without any artificial or exterior involvement but purely the growing awareness of yourself. Too much concern and desire for material rewards, Mary, will turn this period of your life into a very bad experience indeed, while a "let go and let god " attitude will make this such a fruitful and pleasant year that you may find yourself wondering what you did to deserve this.

Mary, when you read your 4 Essence and 6 Personal Year chapters, you may have noticed they have little in common. However, they do share an important trait: they are both realistic and practical (although in different ways). This makes it a better combination than expected, not only for the practical areas of your life - business, finance, household - but also for your relationships, even romance.

Your Essence affects your mindset and the way you feel about the situations you will encounter. Although it is efficient and detail-oriented, the 4 can be slow and rigid. Its plodding, methodical approach can cause frustration and make you feel like you are slogging through mud.

Your 6 Personal Year affects the circumstances and events you will face this year. Unlike the 4, the 6 doesn't get hung up on details and is much better at
interacting with people. This will help the 4 speed things up and overcome personality conflicts and other relationship issues.

However, both influences tend to increase the pressure to get things done. The efficient 4 places much of its focus on career and business, and the sacrificing 6 attracts responsibilities and commitments. With so much attention devoted to tasks and obligations, you might feel a bit overwhelmed at times. Patience and persistence will be key to your success during this demanding period.

Another concern for the 6 is its tendency toward gullibility; its nurturing, sympathetic nature can make you more vulnerable than usual. Make sure to stand up for yourself.

Your greatest asset this year lies in your ability to connect with people. Romance and other close relationships are highly favored, and long-term commitments tend to work out well. Even co-workers and business partners are more likely to cooperate with you during this period.

When you read about your Essence and Personal Year cycles, Mary, they may not have looked like a promising combination. However, when the 4 and 7 team up they inspire a number of deep and positive personal changes. This is one of the strongest combinations for intellectual and spiritual growth.

Normally, the 4 combined with almost any other number, prioritizes practical matters such as business, career, and finances. However, teamed with the 7, you could find yourself drawn to more idealistic and intangible interests, including some you may have considered eccentric, or brushed off as nonsense at a different point in your life.

The 7 inspires the recognition that there is more to life than either work or play. The 7 bends the path of the 4 away from the practical/material side of life and directs it toward the spiritual, abstract, and philosophical. This influence increases your awareness and the potential for perceptive insight and understanding, if not wisdom. As your Personal Year number, it will deliver the circumstances you need to bring this awareness about.

Although you will still benefit from the sensible, efficient mind of your 4 Essence, you may not be as concerned with the aspects of work and stability it usually inspires. Still, looking back, it is very likely you will view this period as a time of breakthroughs in the way you view yourself and your relationship to the world around you. This is a year for growth, particularly on a personal level.

Although you will grow and become stronger this year, your relationships might not fare as well. With your focus primarily on your own needs, you may not be as responsive as usual to the concerns and priorities of others and have less patience for issues that distract you. Although your loved ones should always be considered, being a little self-centered may be just what you need right now.

Mary, it may look as if your ambitious, driven 1 Essence fits poorly with the more laid-back, introverted influence of your 7 year, but it is actually one of the more balanced and harmonious cycle combinations.

The dynamic 1 Essence inspires an energetic, decisive and highly motivated state of mind. At the same time, your main Yearly influence will provide opportunities for a slow internal awakening, and spiritual or philosophical growth. This can sound conflicting. However, a 7 year also sharpens you mentally. It helps you recognize and understand things that were hidden, obscured by misinformation, or simply too subtle to perceive. This enhanced intelligence and insight will serve you well during a time when you are focused on progress.

The 1 lends a courageous and confident state of mind. Additionally, although you may still be affected by last year's emotional ups and downs, the strengthened bonds and added support that were part that cycle will be a positive influence this year as well.

In short, a 7 year/1 Essence brings clarity, and often smart strategic solutions that may have escaped you previously. It can bring balance between a driven, if not aggressive, state of mind and quiet, observant intelligence.

Under the right circumstances, these differing influences can supplement one another in a harmonious manner. However, when circumstances are discordant - if your surroundings are unstable, or you are worried about your career or business or distracted by relationship issues - the drive and restless energy typical to a 1 Essence can easily turn into frustration and anger. In these circumstances, the 7 can have a negative side as well. Instead of clarity, the inwardly focused 7 could raise doubts about your direction.

The advice for this period is to be clear about your goals and your plans to achieve them. It is a year to focus on you. Although you should not neglect them, romance and relationship issues might take a backseat this year. Achieving success in your material goals will require courage, independence, and ambition.