The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays

Many astrologers and numerologists believe that the major arcana cards are related to astrological and numerological personality tendencies; for example, the Emperor card is ruled by the planet Mars, the astrological sign of Aries and the symbolic power of the number 5. As such these arcana cards present a powerful means of promoting self-awareness, especially when their implications are considered in conjunction with those indicated by astrology and numerology.

A brief introduction to color healing

According to color analysts or chromatherapists, every color is believed to vibrate with its own energy and to have specific effects on individuals. Seven colors in particular—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, the colors of the rainbow—have carried religious, occult and mystical significance since ancient times (see box on page xvi). In the late nineteenth century color theory began to receive attention in the West; in 1878 Edwin Babbitt published The Principles of Light and Colour, highlighting ancient Pythagorean correspondences between music, color, numbers, and sound.

Today modern science is able to provide evidence for some of the ancient claims about color. In the 1980s it was shown that colored light can trigger biochemical reactions in the body. Later research confirmed that blues and greens have a soothing effect, helping to lower stress, brain-wave activity and blood pressure. Warm colors such as orange and red have been shown to have a stimulating effect. Given the research, it is small wonder then that many psychologists use color to produce beneficial effects in the home, workplace and hospitals.

Putting it all together!

There was a star danced, and under that was I born

William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

As you can see, the basic principles of astrology, numerology, Tarot, and color analysis are interrelated, and this book uses a combination of them all to highlight the old axiom, "As above, so below." There is a world of possibility contained in each date of birth. You were born during a particular season, under a particular Sun sign, fixed star, and decanate. You have a ruling planet and belong to a particular element—air, earth, water, or fire. Each day also has a numerical vibration and color vibration that has a specific meaning and significance, and these vibrations can suggest numbers, dates and colors that are likely to be more beneficial than others. All these factors shape your personality and life experience; when combined with a modern psychological perspective, they can create a unique and in-depth personality profile for each day of the year.

The psychological approach used in this book involves you in becoming an expert on yourself and others. Think of your birthday profile as a modern tool to assist you on your voyage of self-discovery by translating and fine tuning the symbolic wisdom of your Sun sign, birth number, Tarot card, and personal colors into user-friendly advice. Use that advice to help you develop a deeper understanding of what makes you and other people tick. Use it to help you discover what your strengths are and to find ways to compensate for your weaknesses. Use it to work towards positive growth and change in all aspects of your life. Use it to help you attract luck and success into your life.

Ultimately this book is a celebration of growth and change—the process of growth and change that can be seen each year as the seasons melt into one another; the process of growth and change that can be seen in all human development and transformation.

Only by finding ways to change and work towards your true potential today can you transform your tomorrows and start discovering all the wonderful gifts the universe has bestowed upon you. Your birthday profile is a defining factor that distinguishes you from other people. But never forget that your profile

Healing benefits of color

Each of the seven colors of the spectrum is associated with specific healing properties.

Violet

Violet promotes enlightenment, revelation, and spiritual awakening. Holistic healthcare providers use violet to soothe organs, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system.

Indigo

Indigo is also sedative and calming. It is said to promote intuition. Indigo may be useful in controlling bleeding and abscesses.

Blue

Blue promotes communication and knowledge. It eliminates toxins, and is used to treat liver disorders and jaundice.

Green

Because it is located in the middle of the color spectrum, green is associated with balance. Green is calming and is used by Ayurvedic practitioners to promote the healing of ulcers. It is said to have antiseptic, germicidal and anti-bacterial properties.

Yellow

Yellow is a sensory stimulant associated with wisdom and clarity. Yellow is thought to have decongestant and anti-bacterial properties, and is useful in stimulating both the digestive system and the lymphatic system.

Orange

Orange promotes pleasure, enthusiasm, and sexual stimulation. Ayurvedic practitioners believe it has anti-bacterial properties and may be useful in easing digestive system discomforts, such as flatulence or cramps.

Red

Red promotes energy, empowerment and stimulation. Physically, it is thought to improve circulation and stimulate red blood cell production.

In astrology and numerology, each astrological sign and number has an associated color or colors and, according to color therapists, these colors have a special significance in the birthday profile because our lives can be enhanced by surrounding ourselves with the colors that are most harmonious with our own personal vibrations for that day.

merely highlights potential strengths and weaknesses, and that you always have a choice. You can refuse to budge or you can seize the day. You can wait for luck or you can make your own luck. You can sleep or you can dance under the stars!

Birthday quotes

And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.

Abraham Lincoln

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

Oprah Winfrey

The best birthdays of all are those that haven’t arrived yet.

Robert Orben

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.

Michael Althsuler

Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.

Jean Paul Richter

Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.

Plautus

Birthdays? Yes, in a general way; For the most if not for the best of men: You were born (I suppose) on a certain day: So was I: or perhaps in the night: what then?

James Kenneth Stephen

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.

George Harrison

Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.

Oscar Wilde

Astrology is assured of recognition from psychology, without further restrictions, because astrology represents the summation of all the psychological knowledge of antiquity.

C. G. Jung

Numbers rule the universe.

Pythagoras

From our birthday, until we die, Is but the winking of an eye.

William Butler Yeats

There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents…and only one for birthday presents, you know.

Lewis Carroll

Old age: a great sense of calm and freedom. When the passions have relaxed their hold, you may have escaped, not from one master but from many.

Plato

No wise man ever wished to be younger.

Jonathan Swift

One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them.

Virginia Woolf

The greatest comfort of my old age, and that which gives me the highest satisfaction, is the pleasing remembrance of the many benefits and friendly offices I have done to others.

Marcus Cato

If I’d known I was going to live this long [100 years], I’d have taken better care of myself.

Ubie Blake

May you live all the days of your life.

Jonathan Swift

Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.

Maurice Chevalier

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

Anonymous

1 January the birthday of self-improvement

Your greatest challenge is…

to stop beating yourself up about making mistakes

The way forward is…

to learn from your mistakes, turning regret into positive resolve. Let the powerful energy of positivity sweep into your life and raise your game.

You’re drawn to people born on…

July 24 to August 23

You share the same wild energy and drive, and this mutual understanding creates an intense and passionate bond.

Luck maker

Believe in a better plan

When you plan for things one way and they turn out another, don’t drown in remorse and anxiety; open up your mind with the positive belief that there must be a better plan or a better way.

Full of energy and enthusiasm, those born on January 1 like to show others the way forward. Once they settle on a goal, their drive, integrity and originality attract good fortune and assure success. However, the very qualities that draw success to them can also hold them back.

It is extremely important for people born on January 1 to realize that "mistakes" are going to happen in life. If they go through life expecting that things will always turn out the way they wanted and that people will always do what they said they would do, they will feel perpetually frustrated when life does not go according to plan. They need to deviate from the familiar, learn from mistakes and accept the unexpected. And when they are finally able to turn rejection into resolve they will discover an emotional resilience that will drive them forward and break through their fear.

Above all, January 1 people value dedication, discipline and anything to do with education, psychology and study. They truly are born to lead and inspire, both at home and at work. There is always a voice inside them urging them to work harder, faster and longer. This quality can make them charismatic achievers who set an example to others. They are the bosses who burn the midnight oil, the teachers who give up their spare time to help struggling pupils or the politicians who take a pay cut. The only disadvantage is that they can get so caught up in the process of self-improvement that they forget their goal, their sense of humor and the bigger picture.

January 1 people, especially those under the age of thirty, do run the risk of becoming too focused on work and responsibility, and pushing themselves and others hard in the process. But once they figure out that optimism, resilience and listening to the opinions of others are just as important ingredients for success and happiness as hard work and dedication they possess tremendous potential for creativity, insight and inspired leadership.

On the dark side

Oversensitive, impatient, manipulative

At your best

Drive, dedication, honesty

Love Overpowering and seductive

The seductive power and drive of those born on January 1 can be so strong that unchallenged it can overpower others. They like variety and constant challenge and if their relationships don’t hold their interest they can get bored quickly and become controlling. However, once they get involved with someone creative who can keep them on their toes, and who can give them a sense of peace and security when things aren’t going to plan, they tend to stay involved.

Health Danger of burnout

Emotional and physical burnout is the biggest health worry for people born on this day; because they can be so self-critical they can suffer from bouts of depression. It is extremely important for them to have people in their lives with whom they can talk about their insecurities. This could be family, friends or counselors. Stress-related illnesses, such as headaches and high blood pressure, as well as comfort eating and digestive problems, are also areas of concern. They need to make sure they avoid alcohol, smoking and reliance on caffeine and sugar, and that they get plenty of fresh air, exercise and relaxation. Three drops of lavender essential oil on a handkerchief to breathe in when life is moving too fast will give them a much-needed pick-me-up.

Career Born specialist

These people like to be in charge so they are often attracted to careers that offer them this possibility. In business they like to work as a planner, producer, CEO or account manager and, if these are not possible options, to be self-employed. They can also be attracted to politics, education, engineering, astronomy, geology and medicine but any career that allows them to specialize in and rise to the top of a particular rather than a general field will appeal.

Destiny To be a voice of the people

The life task for people born on January 1 is to recognize that weaknesses in themselves and others are not necessarily insurmountable obstacles and that with a change of perspective weaknesses can become strengths. This insight, along with the realization that everyone has something to offer, will help give them the emotional strength to fulfill their destiny as a voice of the people.

Power Thought

“When one door closes, another always opens for me”

January 1

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Sun; the individual

Tarot card: The Devil (instinct)

Favorable numbers: 1, 2

Lucky days: Saturday and Sunday, especially when these days fall on 1 and 2 of the month

Lucky colors: Dark blue, orange and baked clay brown

Birthstone: Garnet

2 January the birthday of the intuitive leader

Your greatest challenge is…

overcoming feelings of isolation and loneliness

The way forward is…

to go beyond your dark moods, recreate yourself and achieve a goal that involves the help and healing of others.

You’re drawn to people born on…

June 22 to July 22

You share the same desire to live love or friendship to its limits and together your energies can flourish, flow and grow.

Luck maker

Expect luck

Luck follows expectation. Once you expect luck, then you lose your hesitancy and commit to taking actions that will draw it to you.

Those born on January 2 have a remarkable ability to tune into their surroundings, and this sensitivity toward others, combined with their unusual insight into what makes other people tick, can put them head and shoulders above less observant people.

The intuitive power of these people can, however, work against them, making them at times feel alone and different, rather than unique and natural. But once they are able to recognize and celebrate their uniqueness, January 2 people can unlock incredible energy, creativity, endurance, flexibility and commitment. And when their confidence is high, their intuition works at its best with an extremely powerful shift toward this inner life around the age of forty-nine. Unfortunately their acute sensitivity also makes them prone to unpredictability and extreme mood swings. These can create problems for them and for those who care about them. However, once they become aware that they are masters of their own thoughts, a more stable self-confidence will emerge.

Although by nature reserved, January 2 people possess an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time; this gives them excellent opportunities for success. If they believe in themselves they can go all the way to the top. If they cannot believe in themselves they may find that they are working in positions beneath their abilities. The same applies to their relationships; if they lower their expectations and don’t set clear boundaries they could find that their gentle nature is taken advantage of by others.

Extremely hard working and committed, those born on this day make highly dependable team leaders and negotiators. The danger is that they can overburden themselves with huge responsibilities and this, coupled with their belief that they are different in some way, can set them up to experience frustration and alienation from others. Even though they are often more than capable of fulfilling their responsibilities it is extremely important for them to keep both their feet on the ground with hobbies, social activities and time spent relaxing with family and friends.

On the dark side

Moody, antisocial, indecisive

At your best

Sensitive, spiritual, intuitive

Love Intoxicating passion

January 2 people know that love holds mystery and magic. They want to be carried away by passion but it also scares them, meaning that they can come across as indecisive and uncommitted. Once in a relationship they can be passionate lovers but their generous and loyal nature can mean that they stay for too long in relationships that are not going anywhere. What they need is someone who shares their sensitivity, their goals and their strong sense of purpose.

Health Find your inner child

People born on this day tend to suffer from problems, such as stress, anxiety and fatigue, that are created either by an unhealthy, hectic lifestyle that allows little time for fun and relaxation or by chronic worrying and indecisiveness. Leisure activities that bring out the child in them such as roller skating, finger painting, rock climbing or dancing can help those born on this day escape from their introspection. They also need to take special care of their teeth, gums, hair, skin and bones, especially in the legs, by eating a healthy diet rich in nutritious fruits and vegetables. If stress is a constant part of their life, they should try to burn a chamomile-, lavender-or sandalwood-scented candle. These produce a calming effect.

Career Born teachers and healers

The highly intuitive nature of these people makes them natural teachers, social workers and healers, but they can also do well in public relations or as managers of others. Their desire for reflection and love of people watching mean that, especially later in life, they have a talent for writing or journalism. On the other hand, they may choose careers such as photography, music, comedy or the theater to express their uniqueness.

Destiny To educate others

When those born on this day conquer their shyness and fear of expressing their individuality, they often encourage others to do the same. They have a tremendous capacity to connect with others and their destiny is to inspire by example, to heal and to educate.

Power Thought

“I deserve the best in life”

January 2

Signs & symbols

Sun sign: Capricorn

Ruling planet: Saturn, the teacher

Symbol: The Horned Goat

Birth date ruler: Moon, the intuitive

Tarot card: The High Priestess (intuition)

Favorable numbers: 2, 3

Lucky days: Saturday and Monday, especially when these days fall on 2 and 3 of the month

Lucky colors: Dark blue, silver and light brown

Birthstone: Garnet

3 January the birthday of determination

Your greatest challenge is…

resisting boredom

The way forward is…

to experiment with different concepts, make your own decisions and, instead of waiting for others to catch up, to strike out alone.

You’re drawn to people born on…

November 23 to December 21

The childlike non-conformist qualities of people born between those dates will be an excellent counterbalance to your more serious tendencies.

Luck maker

Trust your gut

Tune into your intuition while you are day-dreaming or just "hanging around." Just a few minutes of quiet time a day can help you make the right decisions for yourself.

Failure is never an option for people born on January 3. They often have a wild, impulsive energy but they are not quitters. It is not in their nature to pass along responsibilities, and their persistence and sense of duty mean that they can overcome incredible odds. Sometimes, however, their stubbornness to see things through to the bitter end, combined with their inability to admit defeat, can make them appear inflexible and intolerant.

Stubborn by nature, January 3 people can impose unbearable pressure not just on themselves but also on others, and when pushed into a corner they can resort to using their charm to help them get what they want. This isn’t to say they are dishonest—dishonesty isn’t in their nature—but they are capable of using their seductive powers if they think it will help them achieve their goals.

The rock-solid determination of people born on January 3 can stretch the patience of those around them; in fact opposition and barriers just tend to strengthen their resolve even further and they are at their most inventive when challenged or confronted. It really is hard to throw them off course, and even if it looks like they have lost or need to reconsider they will secretly be planning their comeback or, in some cases, their revenge. The only chink in their armor is that appearance matters a bit too much too them. Nothing pleases them more than a compliment. They have a strong eye for beauty and style but their intolerance for imperfection can, if left unchecked, exasperate and occasionally alienate others.