We have come to the end of an extremely turbulent, chaotic, deeply difficult and at times heart-achingly sad year on so many levels.

It isn’t often that we reach the end of a year and want to truly celebrate the closing of it and lock the door, but 2016, despite many highlights, has most definitely been one of those messy, stressful, exhausting and disappointing ones for so many of us.

2016 had its own unique theme running through the entirety of it, which has likely left us feeling a little wary and edgy, but at the same time hopeful and looking forward to the magic and mystery that 2017 is about to bring.

We now have a choice.

We can lovingly choose to let go of all that 2016 delivered to us or we can be dragged into the new year with a heavy load on our backs filled with heartache, upset and quite a few regrets.

Although this year may have taken many of us by surprise, if we look a little closer at the energies of the year, it all begins to make sense.

2016 is a “9” year in numerology. Nine is an impulsive, highly charged, volatile, fiery, intense number that is ruled by the planet Mars. It signifies the completion of cycles and eras, emotional and karmic closure, sudden shocks and dramatic endings. The number 9 also signifies cutting ties that have been binding us, or tying up loose ends as well as gaining a profound understanding of our situations and the people around us so that we can find the compassion to open our hearts and forgive.

This is a significant period in our lives that is here to show us how to surrender to all that has happened so far and how to release the desire to change the outcome of things that we cannot possibly control. When we attempt to cling tightly to the past, all we do is inadvertently cause our own struggle and suffering.

Life is constantly moving forward and if we do not flow with the incoming energies, we start to notice friction and frustration creeping in that ultimately leaves us feeling suffocated, blocked and stuck. We may then end up isolating ourselves and subconsciously placing obstacles all around us, especially if we do not pay close attention and listen to what our inner intuitive senses are attempting to tell us.

2017 has a very different energetic vibration compared to 2016. While 2016 was all about endings, 2017 is a “1” year in numerology which marks new beginnings and exciting new opportunities and possibilities. However, these will only arrive if we are willing to fully let go of the past and if we are open to receiving the wonders of the present moment, as well as the future.

We will notice over the coming days that the bonds that once energetically magnetised us to people or situations that were detrimental, or limiting in any way, will easily and naturally sever, and we will feel free to walk away from harmful relationships with peace, love, compassion, forgiveness and a clear and light mind.

We will feel a compelling urge to remove ourselves from any environment where there are arguments, aggressiveness, control, manipulation, deception, judgment, criticism or ones that feel generally dysfunctional and abusive. Basically, we will find that anything unhealthy has to be removed from our life or be totally revolutionized, whether it is the relationship dynamics we are involved in, our eating habits or our overall lifestyle choices.

Although 2016 hasn’t always been easy, it has most definitely been memorable. We have laughed, cried, loved, lost and most of all we have learned so many lessons and received a variety of confirmations that were necessary to stop us briefly so that we could review where we were, regain strength and continue on smoothly navigating our way through the days ahead. When we remain aware and alert as we travel through tough times we discover valuable teachings that  provide us with the insight needed to avoid repeating similar patterns.

2016 signals the end of a nine year era. It is a time to firmly shut tired old doors, make sense of and close unread chapters and drop any heavy loaded emotional baggage that we do not wish to carry with us into 2017.

Now that we are at the end of the 2016, we must evaluate everything we have been through over the last nine years (since 2007) if we want to fully realize what the purpose was in our combined experiences. We may have been feeling as though we have been repeating the same patterns over and over and attracting the same lessons. The main reason for this is that the completion and conclusion to all of our encounters arrives at the end of an energy cycle.

Over the next few weeks as the 2016 (9) energy comes to a close, we will receive numerous insights and significant aha! moments alongside melancholic feelings and emotions that cause us to return and relive certain periods from the last nine years that caused us a lot of turmoil and pain.

It is essential that we take a deep breath and dive into these feelings that are being unearthed so that we can finally free and heal them. To move forward we must first have faith and courageously take one step back knowing that we do not have to remain there wallowing; we are just finally slotting a huge piece of the puzzle of our life into place.

We can then step into 2017 revitalized with fresh energy, with a renewed sense of excitement and adventure, and most of all with love in our hearts and a deep feeling of peace and harmony in our souls. We have built up a great reserve of knowledge and wisdom that will constantly remind us that everything we experienced over the past nine years was for a reason, and it will guide and serve us as we explore the magic and wonder waiting for us as we head into the next nine year cycle.

The next couple of weeks will serve as an important and necessary transformational phase and it is vital that we are prepared for this shift.

Here are a few ways we can release the residue of 2016 and create space for the offerings of 2017.

Declutter

Clearing out our living space is an effective way to kick-start a flow of energy that helps keep our mind calm and clear and also invites fresh positive energy to enter. Click here to read about the highly recommended Konmari technique to discover how to effectively reorganize the home.

As well as clearing old energy from our personal space, we can also do the same with our electronic devices. We often keep hold of old messages or contacts or particular quotes that held intense emotional meaning at a certain time in our lives.

As we move into a new year, this is the opportune time to remove anything that is triggering old emotions to resurface that we would rather not be reminded of regularly. If our phone is filled with text messages, photographs or memories of pain and torment from the past, we can take a few moments to delete whatever is causing us discomfort and turmoil and clear the energy so that we start looking positively towards the future.

Forgive

The easiest and most healing way to let go of the past is to forgive. This means forgiving ourselves along with anyone else who may have caused us turmoil. Whenever we hold onto resentment, we remain energetically connected to the person with whom the encounter involved. Therefore, by letting go of any negative emotions, we also untie the knot that was subconsciously holding us hostage. When we forgive, we effectively release and let go.

Finish

Focus time and dedication on finishing any projects that have been started or that are halfway completed. Anything that we have been procrastinating will need some kind of structure so that we can release the energy caught up in it, even if all we do is make a plan with a realistic deadline

We are currently stepping through a revolving door as we enter a new nine-year energy cycle in 2017, so it is imperative that we start the year in the direction we wish to follow.

We have the next week or two to focus and decide whether we are going to let go of the nine years leading up to and including 2016 so that we can move fluidly with the fresh energy about to arrive. Otherwise, we will be dragged backwards into 2017 and thrash around swimming against the current.

Either way, 2017 is coming for us—ready or not—and based on energetic predictions and numerology, it is going to be an incredible year. It will be a much welcomed and deserved year after the manically out of control roller coaster ride that 2016 has so often been.

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Author: Alex Myles

Image: Deviant Art

Editor: Travis May