How Long Will I Live?

The Secrets of Your Age does not claim to predict the age of death. Theoretically, on the basis of the cyclical system used, we have the potential to live until 143.

With advances in medical science it is very likely that future generations will indeed achieve their full life-span potential. For this reason, all ages up to 143 are included in the chart.

However, that so few people do continue to live happy, healthy and independent lives after 96 has a lot to do with the third and final cycle of change that they have to endure. It's easy to go through the cycle of energy (when we're building our lives) and consolidation (when we're settling down with what we've got), but dealing with constant change, day in, day out, after the age of 96 is unbearable for most elderly people.

Age 0, 48, 96

EGO AGGRESSION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: ego
Year Type: energy
Expression: immature aggression/proud aggression/philosophical aggression
Astrology: At birth you're Aries-Aries and energizing; at 48 you're Leo-Aries and consolidating; at 96 you're Sagittarius-Aries and changing.

Whether or not you arrive kicking and screaming at birth, 48 or 96 your presence is unlikely to go unnoticed, unannounced or even unadmired by others.

At these ages you are acutely aware of your ego needs. You want ego gratification, you want recognition, you want to be the centre of attention and your ego is growing so fast that asserting your will on others in order to achieve your goals is easily accomplished.

In this year, you cannot escape noticing your effect on others, and their effect on you. You become involved in power struggles, stretching your ego to the limit, and you become so obsessed with ego gratification that you often alienate the very people you need to nurture you and admire you.

The purpose of this year is to become aware of your ego needs and to learn to gratify them by means other than power struggles. A smile can achieve far more than a scream.

Getting your ego needs met without alienating others is the lesson to be learned from this year.

When you were a little baby, everybody expected sleepless nights walking the floor with you, giving you 2am feeds and trying to stop you crying and get you to sleep. They put up with your teething grizzles and constant demands for attention because they loved you, or were responsible for your welfare. At 48 and 96 you are unlikely to elicit the same devoted attention. You're not as cute!

Despite knowing that you need to tone down your act, nothing is going to stop you from wanting and gaining centre stage this year. You will be chewing on things indiscriminately and you are likely to bite off far more than you can chew. And that's okay. That's what ego awareness is all about.

This is a special year. It's the year of birth and rebirth. You can't get enough of life and you'll be squeezing as much into every day as you can. You'll be trying new things and expanding your ego in all directions. The world is your oyster. Explore it. Revel in it. Let your ego go free, but do remember to smile when you want others to co-operate with you.

Interestingly, some men become a parent for the very first time at 48 - and some women have an unexpected late life baby at 48, too - literally allowing them to recreate every experience they had in their first experience of this year. Also, the fickle hand of fate gives many women an early menopause at 48 - freeing them to experience a totally new lifestyle; and at 96 one must bear in mind that the new life at this age may presage the proverbial afterlife.

Age 1, 49, 97

EGO MATERIALISM
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: material
Year Type: consolidation
Expression: immature possession/proud possession/philosophical possession
Astrology: At 1 you're Aries-Taurus and energizing; at 49 you're Leo-Taurus and consolidating; at 97 you're Sagittarius-Taurus and changing.

At 1, 49 and 97 your ego needs are possessive, you want tangible rewards of your worthiness and will fight like a demon if your possessions are removed or damaged. What you have -- your possessions -- are almost an extension of your ego this year. You can't bear to see others have something that you don't have, or something better than what you have.

Having experienced an awakening of our ego potential last year, we typically have an uphill battle this year trying to maintain whatever power we once possessed. You may think you are wonderful, and you truly are, but others are going to be very quick to cut you down to size -- and will do so through what you see as being yours.

You don't have the incredible ego drive that you had last year. You are like the one-year old child, who has taken the focus away from himself to attaching his ego to 'things' and like that child you will wail indignantly when a toy is taken from you. People will continue to impose their will upon you this year, and if you are not careful they will divest you of ego rewards that you may have worked very hard to attain.

It's a year when you expect a pay rise or a company car or a gold medal just for being who you are. It is all very well being a king or a queen in your own mind, but the rest of the world may not agree that you are worthy of their respect, admiration, praise and remuneration.

Your ego may extend beyond the magnificence of your being to the things you possess. You demand unstinting praise for the clever things you do, and the beautiful things you own, and you will crush anyone who dares stand between your ego and your reward. It is not a reward they are taking away from you. It is part of you. It represents an extension of your ego.

The sad thing about the year of ego materialism is that although your ego development is big enough, your material development is not. You will spend this year desperately trying to maintain power in the face of dwindling rewards. Typically, this is the year when 49-year-olds will buy a red automobile or some other flashy toy to prove to the world how magnificent they are, or they will strive for a gold medal in sport or academic achievement, or they will simply yearn for any sort of tangible reward of their existence - even if it's just the acknowledgement of being given a job.

The lesson to be learned from the year of ego materialism is that you don't need a gold medal or any other tangible reward in order to gain respect or prove your worth. You are who you are, now what you have.

Age 2, 50, 98

EGO COMMUNICATION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: social
Year Type: change
Expression: immature communication/proud communication/philosophical communication
Astrology: At 2 you're Aries-Gemini and energizing; at 50 you're Leo-Gemini and consolidating; at 98 you're Sagittarius-Gemini (opposition) and changing.

Like a 2-year old child, your ego does the communicating this year and it is likely to be 'me me me' all the way. If thwarted, you may not throw a tantrum at the supermarket, prostrate yourself, foam at the mouth and pull all the dog food cans off the shelves, but your social skills this year are definitely going to be similar to that of a 2-year old child.

At 50, you are a proud communicator, expecting everyone to bow and kowtow to what you consider to be your superior eloquence and knowledge. The sad thing about this year for a 50-year-old is that you will be seen as a pompous ass in much the same way as the 2-year-old seen as a spoilt brat.

On one hand you have a desire to communicate and tell people how wonderful you are and how much you know -- and it may very well be worthwhile for them to hear it -- but few people are going to listen to what you have to say when it is designed to puff yourself up at their expense.

Also, because your ego is heavily involved in what you say, you are likely to be incredibly sensitive to criticism. You want to be right at all costs. You want to talk longer and louder and smarter than anyone else. A gentle criticism or a misunderstood exchange could lead to major confrontations, or a total communication breakdown.

The lesson for this year -- and especially so for the 98-year-old in a year of opposition -- is to control your communications. Keep quiet. Say nothing, write nothing. The more you say the less control you'll have and the more likely you'll say something foolish. A 98-year-old has a lifetime of incredible knowlege to impart -- but this year you are more likely to be ridiculed than applauded.

However, the most frightening scenario for those in the ego communication year, with an ego heavily invested in what he or she says, is becoming a sitting duck for mischievous others to manipulate into a caricature of a pompous ass for their amusement.

A 2-year old deserves understanding for ego driven behaviour because his speech and self-control has not yet developed. At 50 there is no such understanding. Even people who would not generally enjoy torturing others tend to get stuck into ego communicators, so if you have a great deal to say this year you could put it in writing and hold off publication for two years and then return to it and assess how much is worthwhile knowledge and how much is simply an ego trip.

At 98 there is opposition between social change (communcation) and ego change (personal development), typically expressed as a clash between what you're saying and what you're doing but at 98 you will be radiating so much abundance and joviality and experiencing such a renewed intellectual vigour and speed that others may tolerate you. With your ego in release mode you will say some shocking things! At your age, you may say, you have a right to say whatever you want to say. Hooray to that! However, being an opposition year you risk antagonizing those who care for you, so be careful.

Age 3, 51, 99

EGO SENSITIVITY
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: emotional
Year Type: energy
Expression: immature sensitivity/proud sensitivity/philosophical sensitivity
Astrology: At 3 you're Aries-Cancer and energizing; at 51 you're Leo-Cancer and consolidating; at 99 you're Sagittarius-Cancer and changing.

You are likely to retreat to your castle and fill the moat with crocodiles this year. Last year, when you were 2, 50 or 98 your ego suffered a battering from those around you and as a result you just want to avoid the limelight this year. Dealing with people has proven to be dangerous. Your ego has developed to a point at which it is reasonably secure, not needing the fanfare it demanded in the past.

At 51 and 99 you are just like a 3-year child whos has developed from the terrible twos into a delightfully quiet little person. Of course, this delightfulness has more to do with social conditioning than a completely tamed ego, but for this year at least you are happy to avoid getting your ego tested. Also, like the 3-year old child who typically starts kindergarten this year and clings to his mother, not wanting to be left alone in a strange environment with strange people, your home is going to be very important to you this year. It's going to be your castle. You will feel safe and secure and cherished within the bounds of your family and close friends.

At 51 and 99 you crave the ego security of your own home and don't want any changes. The lesson for this year is that fortifying your castle may improve your sense of ego security but it also makes you a vulnerable and conspicuous target. If you don't have a loving family to protect you, or a safe home base, then you do need to take steps this year to protect yourself from people and situations that threaten your ego security. But do take into consideration that not every contingency can be covered. It is definitely not a good year to buy or sell a family home, move, redecorate or cope with any changes to your home base, and that includes the people you live with.

At 51 and particularly at 99 you may also feel deep nostalgia for childhood faces, places and things. You want everything around you to be comforting, grounding and of sentimental value. Old movies, songs, books, clothes and photograph albums are going to become very important to you this year. You are also likely to chuck out everything that reminds you of bad times. It's comfort and security and peace and quiet at any cost this year.

You are in the same stage as a three-year old child who seeks ego attachment to his home and family. Your tremendous ego engery has been tamed by emotional energy. At 51 and 99 you have a strong desire to belong to a loving family and have a solid home base from which you can derive ego security.

Age 4, 52, 100

EGO PRIDE
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: ego
Year Type: consolidation
Expression: immature authority/proud authority/philosophical authority
Astrology: At 4 you're Aries-Leo and energizing; at 52 you're Leo-Leo and consolidating; at 100 you're Sagittarius-Leo and changing.

At 4, 52 and 100 you feel so powerful, so big, so superior and so important that when you ask for what you want, you will very likely get it. You wont stand for any nonsense from anyone, and will move on rather than wasting your time confronting someone of lesser value than yourself. You walk the talk and make a great impression. You are likely to derive ego satisfaction from creative pursuits this year. You will be exceptionally good at problem solving, and rolling up your sleeves and doing what needs to be done.

It's time to write that book, paint that portrait, climb that mountain or do anything that requires a powerful ego centred on doing rather than talking. You'll be like the 4-year old at kindergarten, assiduously building magnificent towers out of blocks, putting together a complicated jigsaw puzzle, drawing interesting pictures with his fingers and making delicious chocolate crackles -- just for the hell of it.

You have gained incredible confidence and power and believe that there's nothing you can't do. And you're right. At 4 --if there's a little brother or sister at home -- you can take care of them as well as an adult. You will often be left in charge of the little ones. At 4 you are recognized as being a responsible little person, and as a consequence your ego is as secure as a rock. The 4-year old, the 48-year old and the 100-year-old are 'in charge' people. They take on tremendous responsibilities and if they slip they just pick themselves up, brush themselves off and carry on without looking back.

At 52, it's a year to take on anything that requires total exercise of ego. The world's your oyster this year, go for it. The lesson to be learned this year is to grab the opportunities that present themselves to you. Because it's a year in which you'll be absorbed in creative pursuits - for your ego gratification, not anybody else's - you will be seen as a benign figure, not a threat, and people will be attracted to you. Power does have that affect on people. They will want to bask in your magnificence rather than pull you down, so take advantage of their needs and proceed without fear. Of course, you won't be interested in them, you will be far too absorbed in whatever you are doing. Nevertheless, if you are offered a position of power -- as a leader, especially one requiring focus and dedication to getting something done -- you should accept the challenge because this year more than any other you are capable of setting a magnificent example and getting things done.

Age 5, 53, 101

EGO ANALYSIS
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: material
Year Type: change
Expression: immature analysis/proud analysis/philosophical analysis
Astrology: At 5 you're Aries-Virgo and energizing; at 53 you're Leo-Virgo and consolidating; at 101 you're Sagittarius-Virgo and changing.

This is going to be a year when you may be required to put your ego on the line - possibly for your good, but more likely for the good of others. Whether you do it consciously, or unconsciously, you will stand back and let someone else shine, if only for a while. You will be toning down your act, blending in with the crowd, and not making waves. You may seek to mend bridges, reunite with long lost friends and even seek public office or promotion. If you do so you without your ego being dependent upon the results, then you are likely to be very successful. A five-year old has usually settled down and functions well as a team. This is exactly how you will come across to others at 53 and 101.

It's a year of learning new things, perfecting your skills and analysizing. You are impetuous -- and yet methodical. You want everything perfect. Your ego depends upon perfection. This combination can be problematic, especially for your health. At 5 and 53, you could show workaholic symptoms. You need order in your life and for the good of the whole, or the team, you are quite prepared to sacrifice your ego. When things run smoothly you are happy.

5 is a perfect age to start formal education. Children at this age -- like someone 53 and 101 -- enjoy being part of a team and are eager to learn and are hard workers. Bean-counting is a word that seems to suit this year. A child of 5 will line them all up in perfect order by color or size -- as may someone 101 -- but a 53 year old may prefer the beans to be coins! You will actually enjoy simple accounting tasks this year. You will derive enormous ego gratification from creating order out of chaos.

Age 6, 54, 102

EGO RELATING
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type:energy/consolidation/change
Year: social
Year Type: energy
Expression: immature relating/proud relating/philosophical relating
Astrology: At 6 you're Aries-Libra (opposition) and energizing; at 54 you're Leo-Libra and consolidating; at 102 you're Sagittarius-Libra and changing.

Ego relationship could mean narcissism, a pathological love of self, but usually it means seeking out relationships with people who boost our ego in some way. It could be hero worship or the halo effect. Either they are good looking and make us look good, or popular and make us seem popular, or any number of other possibilities. Or it could be someone less fortunate than ourselves who makes us look good by comparison.

At 6 there is an opposition between ego energy (aggression) and social energy (relationship), typically expressed as being bullied or being a bully in a close relationship. It's an age when we reach out to make our first best friend only to learn that close relationships involve risk. At 6, little hearts tend to get hurt -- and possibly lash out in revenge. It's also an age where a child hero worships someone in his life - such as a teacher - or a pop singer or sportsman.

At 54 and 102 we also tend to discard existing relationships that don't boost our ego. Discarded relationships can include family members and old friends who embarrass us. If we've put up with someone who's dragged us down for years, this is the year we tend to have sufficient ego power to tell them to go.

If someone dumps us this year, especially someone our egos depended upon, we are likely to suffer abject humiliation. Ego relationships are dangerous at any time, but particularly so at 6, 54 and 102 because at these ages we definitely need to bask in someone else's light as well as our own.

At 54, it's a ideal year for a flashy marriage to someone very rich, very beautiful or very talented. Make sure, though, that they have something more substantial going for them as you've got some hard years ahead.

Age 7, 55, 103

EGO INVINCIBILITY
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: emotional
Year Type:consolidation
Expression: immature invincibility/proud invincibility/philosophical invincibility
Astrology: At 7 you're Aries-Scorpio and energizing; at 55 you're Leo-Scorpio and consolidating; at 103 you're Sagittarius-Scorpio and changing.

There's something incredibly karmic about this year. Whether you're 7, 55 or 103 something happens this year that has a tremendous affect on your ego, for good or bad, that steels your emotions -- that makes you believe you are invincible, that nothing or nobody can get to you, that you are the strongest person that ever lived.

Let's take 'bad' things first. For 7 year-olds it may be the birth of a brother or sister. There may be anger and jealousy that you dare not show. You steel your emotions and pretend that what has happened doesn't really bother you. For someone 55 it may be retrenchment. You are too proud to show how deeply hurt you are. At 103, you are more philosphical about catastrophic events. You can really take these things in our stride.

On the 'good' side, a karmic event can be a fantastic ego opportunity. Bear in mind, though, that karma often has a bite to it, a bitter-sweet victory, so even if your karma is something wonderful like five minutes of fame or winning the lottery your emotions will definitely be deeply affected. You could be thrust into the limelight, you could be catapulted into fame by adoring fans, or jealous enemies may shoot your reputation to pieces, or you may rise to fame and then sink into ignominy.

It all happens this year. Go for it. Get out there, see and be seen, stretch your ego to the limits. Even bad publicity can be good for your ego in that people are recognizing and acknowledging you. Lap it up. Your emotions are strong enough this year to cope well with whatever life throws at you.

Age 8, 56, 104

EGO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: ego
Year Type: change
Expression: immature personal development/proud personal development/philosophical personal development
Astrology: At 8 you're Aries-Sagittarius and energizing; at 56 you're Leo-Sagittarius and consolidating; at 104 you're Sagittarius-Sagittarius and changing.

8, 56 and 104 are wonderful ages to achieve all you've ever wanted to achieve. This is your year to develop yourself -- to take your ego one step further than simple aggression or pride. Self-development implies stepping outside your comfort zone -- having an adventure -- and this implies risk.

A typical scenario for an 8-year old is slipping out of the home at night to meet friends in the graveyard in order to prove his bravery -- not so much to his friends, but to himself. Adventurous, brave and risky deeds accomplished at 8, 56 and 104 boost our egos and are vitally necessary for our development. We want to be proud of ourselves.

At 56, some may seek to sail or fly around the world solo, others may seek cosmetic surgery. The ego is as much dependent upon personal appearance as heroic accomplishment, and cosmetic surgery is definitely the more risky. At another age, we would not dare.

At 8, 56 and 104 we throw caution to the wind and seek to do something outrageous or extraordinary. Ordinarily we'd say a woman of 104 making her first parachute jump would be foolish, but if she missed her magic chances of adventure at 8 and 56, she would be a fool not to grasp the last opportunity she has. She has to stretch herself, even if it lands her on a stretcher.

The lesson to learn from the year of ego personal development is to go for it! There are only three more years remaining in the ego energy phase, and you sense that time is running out. It is. After the 12-year ego energy phase ends, your focus moves from ego development to material development, and you will have to wait another 48 years to gain the sort of confidence, desire and downright dare devilishness that's necessary to get out there and climb that mountain, sail that boat or do whatever you have to do in order to be proud of yourself.

Don't let anyone or anything hold you back this year. There may never be another chance. Go for it!

Age 9, 57, 105

EGO AMBITION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: material
Year Type: energy
Expression: immature ambition/proud ambition/philosophical ambition
Astrology: At 9 you're Aries-Capricorn and energizing; at 57 you're Leo-Capricorn and consolidating; at 105 you're Sagittarius-Capricorn and changing.

Ego and ambition together imply going after something that is probably beyond your capabilities. It represents naked ambition. People can see right through you.You are blinded by ambition, and if you fail to achieve success your ego gets a battering. At 9, failure will result in overt rage; at 57 that rage is internalized by pride; and at 105 you are more philosophical.

When you embark on ambitious projects for no other reason but to boost your ego, you are likely to work terribly hard, bash your head against brick wall after brick wall, and, of course, others will delight in erecting those walls for you to crash into.

When your ego is at stake, you are vulnerable to the treachery of others. If your ego is rock solid, and.your ambitions are realizable -- without the assistance of others -- then this could be a very successful year for you.

Age 10, 58, 106

EGO ASSOCIATIONS
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: social Year Type: consolidation
Expression: immature associations/proud associations/philosophical associations
Astrology: At 10 you're Aries-Aquarius and energizing; at 58 you're Leo-Aquarius (opposition) and consolidating; at 106 you're Sagittarius-Aquarius and changing.

In this year, you are likely to be drawn towards group associations and humanitarian concerns, just like you were when you were 10 years old. At age 10, you are growing in awareness of the outside world. You become aware of poverty, disease, disability, unemployment, war, natural disasters and all types of intolerances. Depending upon the attitude of your parents, you may start befriending children who are 'different'. You empathise with them. If you have a disadvantage yourself, you become acutely aware of how other people treat you differently because of it. You see yourself in relation to others. You put yourself in their shoes. You are aware of peer pressure and the importance of belonging to a group in which some people are 'in' and others are 'out'.

At 58 there is opposition between social consolidation (associations) and ego consolidation (pride), typically expressed as being socially ostracised or shunning society

It's a year when you want to be 'in' yet feel very sorry for those left out. You will feel outraged that people in third world countries are dying of starvation, that little children are forced to work like slaves and that nobody, seemingly, is doing anything about it. You will feel outraged that our society is so wasteful and crassly materialistic in comparison with other cultures. And you will feel outraged that governments are manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.

At 10 you were very cute writing to the president of the USA, begging him to be kind to people. At 58 and at 106 you should have more sense to do such a thing, but it won't stop you caring very deeply about man's inhumanity towards his fellow man. You care because your ego is involved.

At 10, your parents probably prevented you from empathizing so closely with the downtrodden that you wanted to bring them home, and at 58 your ego should be sufficiently mature to stop you doing something similarly silly. Yes, you're drawn towards the unfortunates of this world, but you know that there is really nothing much you can do to make the world a happy place for everyone. You find yourself caring far more than you should. It's an ego thing, just like it was when you were 10 years old. You don't have to feel guilty for the miseries of others. It's not your fault. don't take it personally. Nevertheless, you'll probably go on a thrift spree this year, cutting back on this and that, in order to make yourself feel better about being better off than the less privileged.

If you have the time, energy and wealth to make a difference, then boost your ego by doing what you have to do, but don't get so heavily involved in humanitarian causes that you end up shunning your own people or being ostracised by them.
br>If you're on Struggle Street yourself, then turn your humanitarian phase inward. Save someone the bother of feeling sorry for you by saving yourself!

Age 11, 59, 107

EGO CONFUSION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: ego
Phase Type: energy/consolidation/change
Year: emotional
Year Type:change
Expression: immature confusion/proud confusion/philosophical confusion
Astrology: At 11 you're Aries-Pisces and energizing; at 59 you're Leo-Pisces and consolidating; at 107 you're Sagittarius-Pisces and changing.

At 11, 59 and 107 your 12-year ego phase fades out, preparing you for a completely different 12-year phase next year, and before the year ends your ego is likely to be challenged by an incredible emotional change. It's an emotionally confusing year, and if you don't appreciate that one phase is ending and another is starting your ego can suffer.

At some time this year, you will lose interest in ego gratification -- fame, fortune and limelight -- and want to move on to a different life focus.

Learning how to project and control your ego, and generally how to handle power and achieve your ego potential was a crucial phase in your development and now it has come to an end.

This year, withdrawal from the limelight to reflect on things is a natural progression in your development.

In this year you cannot help being aware that something amazing is happening to you, that you are being prepared for a new purpose - that you are about to leave who you have been for the last twelve years and become someone new. Your ego has matured to the point where it has actualized - it has expressed everything it was designed to expressed - and in this year you marvel at your achievements, shrug off your failures and enjoy who you are before you prepare yourself for a new phase.

From 48-59 your ego has gone down the same path it travelled from birth to the age of 11. Then, your childhood ego was developing. This time your mature ego was developing. If you live to be 96, you will start the same process all over again to develop a super-mature ego.

Eleven is typically the year when we progress from primary school to high school, from a place where we were the big guys to a place where we are the little guys.

Similarly, 59 is typically the year when we progress from a career to retirement, from a place where we were senior in comparison with everyone else to a place where we are babies in comparison with everyone else.

What is so special about being 11 and 59 is that we know what lies ahead. Society has mapped it out for us. At no other age do we have this certainty that we will be somewhere else at the end of the year, whether we like it or not. It can be an incredibly empowering year if your ego has been satisfied by everything you achieved in the last twelve years - if your ego is indeed actualized - and you are ready to move on; but it can be an incredibly sad year if your ego was denied expression for some reason or other.

At some level of your consciousness you know that something has come to an end. You may still feel a need to be out there, leading society and showing off, but your spirituality allows you to see the futility of that need. You may be radiating power, energy and warmth, yet experiencing confusion and illusion. The world is not as bright and rosy as it once seemed to be. There is a sense of deep emotional release. You may want to be 'out there', but spirituality, seclusion and inner growth will become an important part of your growth this year.

Because it is the end of the ego phase -- and such an emotionally draining year -- this year is one in which someone 107 years old, in difficult circumstances, may choose as a natural life ending. Having been through it twice before -- once at 11 and again at 59 -- there may be no desire to repeat history.

Age 12, 60, 108

MATERIAL AGGRESSION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: ego
Year Type: energy
Expression: possessive aggression/analytical aggression/ambitious aggression
Astrology: At 12 you're Taurus-Aries and energizing; at 60 you're Virgo-Aries and consolidating; at 108 you're Capricorn-Aries and changing.

Like old Mother Hubbard, you are likely to look into your cupboard at 12, 60 and 108, and discover that it is not as full of all the goodies you expected to to find there.

The second 12-year phase in the 48-year cycle encompasses material development and starts with material awareness, if not material aggression.

At 12, 60 and 108 you start becoming acutely aware of your material needs.

You want material gratification, you want money and all that it can buy. At 12 you will try to achieve your material goals by possession -- even if this means stealing. By 60, you will try to achieve these goals by planning and careful investing. At 108 you are just plain ambitious, making deals without the means to carry them through.

You cannot escape noticing a complete change in focus this year. You start assessing what you own, what you want to own, and you may become so engrossed in saving and planning for a forest that you forget to plant the trees.

The purpose of this year is to become aware of your material needs and to work hard and sacrifice to buy the things you want, but a necessary part of this process is to learn that the big things in life are not worth having if they mean doing without the basics.

The material phase first occurs at 12 because by that age we have developed the necessary ego development to handle the responsibilities of ownership and handling money. By 60, we have more assets than we did at 12, but we also have far greater material responsibilities in that we are approaching retirement.

When you were twelve, you wanted everything new and cool on the market, and nagged your parents to buy these things for you. They either told you to go clean cars or sell newspapers to get the money, or they paid you for doing chores or they satisfied your insatiable greed by buying you everything you wanted.

At 60, you will be very lucky to still be employed or to have somebody showering you with gifts. so you may have the same bleak options at making money that you had at 12. You now have the additional responsibility of providing for your retirement. You may choose to get into debt in order to pamper your aggressive ego this year, or you may cut back on essentials in order to buy luxuries or big ticket items. Or you may decide on drastic measures to provide for a comfortable future retirement.

Whether 12, 60 or 108, it's an angry year, a hungry year, a greedy year.

Age 13, 61, 109

MATERIAL POSSESSION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: material
Year Type: consolidation
Expression: possessive hoarding/analytical hoarding/ambitous hoarding
Astrology: At 13 you're Taurus-Taurus and energizing; at 61 you're Virgo-Taurus and consolidating; at 109 you're Capricorn-Taurus and changing.

At 13, 61 and 109 your material needs are possessive, you want to protect and hang on to what you have. At 13 you become aware of inheritance and take 'ownership' of what belongs to your parents. To expose a 13-year-old to the possibility of a new sibling or a step-mother or step-father is asking for trouble.
This year, actually or in your mind, others are going to be envious of your material wealth, no matter its size, and will do their best to divest you of what you have. Typically in this year, people come begging, or you are robbed, or material possessions get mysteriously mislaid.

At 61, parents are typically approached by adult children wanting an advance on what they consider to be their 'inheritance'. At an age when you are counting pennies, wondering whether you have enough to last you for the rest of your life, it's a bad time for anyone to come begging. Family arguments are rife. At 109, the vultures are circling.

Prevent these possibilities by investing wisely, go for security rather than high interest. Install security features at home. Don't trust anyone. Don't go guarantor for anyone.

So what if people call you a Tight Wad or a Scrooge. What's yours is yours, right?

Age 14, 62, 110

MATERIAL COMMUNICATION
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year:social
Year Type: change
Expression: possessive communication/analytical communication/ambitous communication
Astrology: At 14 you're Taurus-Gemini and energizing; at 62 you're Virgo-Gemini and consolidating; at 110 you're Capricorn-Gemini and changing.

At 14, 62 and 110 you're going to be talking money, money and money all year. And everyone is going to be all ears because some way come their way, or something you say may benefit them.

You are extremely savvy this year at ways to make money work for you, or get rich quick. You are happy to share your knowledge. On the other hand, you may be seeking expert advice on investments, or learning the tricks of the stock market.

It is not usual at 14 or 62 to start thinking about running your own business. It's a year of talking, collecting and planning rather than a year of doing, so try not to make any major commitment.

Age 15, 63, 111

MATERIAL SENSITIVITY
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: emotional
Year Type: energy
Expression: possessive sensitivity/analytical sensitivity/ambitous sensitivity
Astrology: At 15 you're Taurus-Cancer and energizing; at 63 you're Virgo-Cancer and consolidating; at 111 you're Capricorn-Cancer (opposition) and changing.

At 15, 63 and 111, your material needs combine with emotional energy and can affect you in various ways. At 15 you are likely to be made acutely sensitive of what you or your family has in terms of material assets. It's an age at which a careless remark about the family home, automobile or whatever can cut you to the bone. You become hypersensitive about your clothes and accessories and the things in your life. Even if you're blessed with the best, you'll still suffer -- you may feel you don't deserve it.

At 111 there is opposition between emotional energy (sensitivity) and material energy (ambition), typically expressed at an earlier age as a clash between family life and the lure of worldly success. At 111, it may be a clash between material ambitions and letting go emotionally.

At 63, your hypersensitivity is directed not so much at what you have or don't have but in the process of accounting -- analyzing how to stretch your assets without denying yourself little luxuries. At 63, you're generally content with what you have, no matter how little, and it's the unexpected expenses that throw you into emotional frenzies.

Age 16, 64, 112

MATERIAL PRIDE
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: ego
Year Type: consolidation
Expression: possessive pride/analytical pride/ambitous pride
Astrology: At 16 you're Taurus-Leo and energizing; at 64 you're Virgo-Leo and consolidating; at 112 you're Capricorn-Leo and changing.

It's often the case that when you 'let go' of a desire for wealth that money just lands in your lap, and while windfalls may not happen to you this year, if they happen at all it will be when you are 16, 65 or 112. So this is a good year to buy lottery tickets -- or just sit by and watch your ship come in. It's a year when you'll feel incredibly wealthy even if, in comparison with others, you're just comfortably off.

By now you have mastered control over your material desires and feel reasonably powerful about what you have. At 16, you are in a possessive phase and won't be making changes -- unless your parents move you to a bigger and better home; but at 64 and at 112 material change is likely. Your ego is big enough to let go of things that have served their purpose, so it's time to unclutter your life and sell or give away the things that don't reflect who you are now. Selling up and moving on to somewhere which better reflects your ego is common at 64.

At 16 you're likely to start your first job -- even it's casual -- and you will take enormous pride in the things you can buy with your own money.

Generally, it's a very creative year for money -- either it arrives as a windfall or you earn it in a creative way.

Age 17, 65, 113

MATERIAL ANALYSIS
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: material
Year Type: change
Expression: possessive accounting/analytical accounting/ambitous accounting
Astrology: At 17 you're Taurus-Virgo and energizing; at 65 you're Virgo-Virgo and consolidating; at 113 you're Capricorn-Virgo and changing.

At 17, 65 and 113 we are 100% materialistic, without ego or emotions clouding our judgment. This is the year in which you plan your finances for the next 12 years, make long overdue budgets, take stock of assets and liabilites, make wills, get insurances in order and make canny investments.

You're less likely to waste money on frivolities this year, but typically you will commit to a big ticket item - be it a car or a retirement apartment - if you can afford it.

Even if it just means making a commitment to save a couple of dollars more a week, or staying put in a job or a house for a while longer, in this year we are totally focussed on improving our material basis.

Age 18, 66, 114

MATERIAL RELATIONSHIP
Cycle: energy/consolidation/change
Phase: material
Phase Type: consolidation/change/energy
Year: social
Year Type: energy
Expression: possessive relating/analytical relating/ambitous relating
Astrology: At 18 you're Taurus-Libra and energizing; at 66 you're Virgo-Libra and consolidating; at 114 you're Capricorn-Libra and changing.

This year smacks of gold-digging. Material and relationship together imply marrying for money, but it could also mean a business partnership, or judging people by their material assets rather than their intrinsic worth.

It could also mean that you form a bond with something material, like a car or a computer, but more likely it means that you relate to people in a material way -- or they relate to you that way.

You are liable to assess the value of people in terms of what they have, how much they earn, what is their net worth in terms of cold, hard cash and how much you stand to gain out of this relationship - no matter if it's with friend, family or lover.

If you are the gold-digger it's wise to remember that there is no free lunch. You may think you're getting a good deal out of someone for nothing, but they are taking their pound of flesh out of you in some other way. Be very careful.

If, however, someone is relating to you like a leach or a bloodsucker, then it pays to be aware of your worth -- which you undoubtedly are.