Cycles, Phases and Years

The Secrets of Your Age is based on three cycles.

The 48-year cycle -- which forms the backdrop to our life maps -- is the first cycle and is divided into four 12-year PHASES (or second cycles) representing the development of our ego, material, social and emotional needs.

Each of these phases has a particular quality of energy, consolidation or change.

The first phase, ego, covers the 12 years from birth to 11 -- when we're absorbed with ourselves.

The second phase, material, covers the 12 years from 12 to 23 -- when we're doing things, making and spending money.

The third phase, social, covers the 12 years from 24 to 35 -- when we're learning about relationships and other people

The fourth phase, emotional, covers the 12 years from 36 to 47 -- when we're learning about deep emotional matters.

The third cycle is the YEAR or annual cycle which compresses all of the above into one year. For instance, at birth you are in the ENERGY cycle (lasting for 48 years), the EGO phase (lasting for four years) and the EGO year (lasting for one year). Each year -- like each cycle and phase -- has a particular quality of energy, consolidation or change and presents you with a unique challenge or lesson.

Life Maps and Free Will

The forty-eight age groups are representations of a combination of two cycles -- the 12-year phase and the annual cycle. In keeping with human nature, each age group description has both a positive and negative representation. In describing each age group, negative representations are sometimes given precedence in dangerous years in order to encourage you not to go down a certain path. It's guidance, not a prescription.

The Secrets of Your Age is based on astrological principles and plain common sense. Everyone knows that life follows a cyclical pattern of highs and lows and that everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. Similarly, everyone knows that we all possess ego, material, social and emotional needs and that we all meet these needs by a process of development starting from birth.

The simple magic of the Secrets of Your Age is that it draws together all of these common sense principles into a coherent system of three cycles. It is both a map of our lives and a crystal ball into which we can gaze to see our futures and allows as much free will as our circumstances permit.

Generally, you can't walk before you learn to crawl, but at most ages you do have a choice. You can follow what everyone else is doing at your age -- getting married or amassing fortunes or whatever -- or you can do the opposite. Knowledge is power, and if you know what is coming up you can prepare yourself for it.

Also, bear in mind at all times that significant people in your life can affect your life map dramatically.