A New Year always heralds a new beginning. That’s why we make New Year’s resolutions – because we feel that we’re a year older, a year wiser, and the opportunity for change for the better is signaled by the New Year’s Eve drop of the Times Square glitter ball (or, up here in Toronto, the lighting up of the CN Tower).

However, in these hesitant times, I can understand why people might wonder how will we be able to cope – and even thrive – in the New Year? Well, here’s the secret to making 2009 work for you: You’ve got to know how to move from “me” to “we”.

Let’s use numerology to look at the year. 2009 boils down to 2 + 0 + 0 + 9 = 11, and 11 is a very powerful number. Numerologists call it a master number (like 22, 33, 44, etc.), because it contains more potential for action. But 11 has another special meaning: It is thought of as the number that most symbolizes intuition and the path to the higher self, especially if you can imagine 11 as two posts – a gateway you must walk through to find the path that leads to what you desire. And to some, that gateway is a test: What are you willing to sacrifice to gain awareness and enlightenment?

The number 11 also represents duality, because 11 can be seen as 1 + 1. This duality can signal inner conflict or a lack of focus, because 1 and 1 may mean there are two competing goals. Can you harness together intention and action; can you balance spiritual truth with worldly desire? (Or, put more simply, can you find a way to follow your heart and still make your car payments?)

The answer is yes. And the key is, as I stated, moving from a mindset of “me” (1) to “we” (1 + 1 = 2).

I believe 2009 will be a 2 year – a year of partnerships. Whether it’s a business joint venture, an artistic collaboration, a sports team’s drive for glory, the friendship between two or more like-minded people with a goal (even if that goal is just to have fun), a marriage, a sibling relationship or whatever – partnerships will be tested in 2009 and only those relationships that involve people who share equally will survive.

Why? Because quality partnerships aren’t based on greed. Those partnerships are based on cooperation, respect and mutual fulfillment. This is like Scott Peck’s definition of love, which he stated in his marvelous book The Road Less Traveled: “Love is the will to extend oneself for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.”

The 1 signifies the needs and desires of the ego; 2 signifies the awareness of the needs and desires of others’ spiritual growth. And a 2 person is concerned with working in unison to achieve harmonious conditions.

The good news is partnerships that understand the need for mutual trust and agreement will survive. The bad news is that other partnerships won’t survive this test of sacrificing the ego to gain mutual awareness and enlightenment for the partnership members. So, we might see a lot more divorces in 2009. And businesses that run on greed or just plain stupidity will go bankrupt. This is sad, especially for those workers who are squeezed in the middle, but try to keep this in mind – every ending represents the chance for a new beginning. And, better yet, the chance to create a new partnership that’s more in line with the group’s needs.

And this relationship based on trust and love might extend even beyond life itself. I was reminded of this after reading this touching story in a magazine called Fortean Times (www.forteantimes.com), published in England. In the February 2009 issue, this short piece called “Till Death Do Us Join”:
“Sam Lung of Zhongshan, China, went ahead with his wedding after his bride-to-be, Yan Lin, 26, died in a motorbike accident a few days earlier. The dead girl attended in her coffin, and Lung slipped a ring on her finger. The ceremony showed he would care for her after he dies himself.”

If you have any questions or comments about my work, or questions about any other subject relating to mediumship, I’d love to hear from you. Write me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and please visit me again!