For many, the end of one year and the start of the next brings an opportunity for a blank slate and a fresh approach to life and love. But as we get closer to the unique date of 12/31/23 (or 123123), which carries with it a numerological call to action, and the year 2024, that’s perhaps never been more true. According to numerology, a system that lends meaning to numbers based on patterns and ancient context, the meaning of the year 2024 will push us to step into our personal power.

It’s a fitting vibe for the sequel to 2023, which carried with it a numerology meaning associated with discovery, curiosity, and compassion. After spending the past year contemplating or considering the big picture amid rapid changes in technology and in nature, we’re now poised to own our personal stories and go after what we desire with renewed vigor.

According to numerologists, though, the coming year isn’t about charging ahead with brute force, so much as it is tapping into our hearts to better access our reservoirs of creativity and love—and using these as our guides.

What is the meaning of the year 2024 in numerology?

In numerology, the meaning of a multi-digit number is assessed by “reducing” it to a single integer—or adding up its individual digits until you get one single-digit number. Each of those numbers (1-9), called base numbers in numerology, has particular themes associated with it that numerologists use to derive meaning.

In this way, the year 2024 is assigned the universal year number of eight (2+0+2+4=8), which in numerology is all about power, passion, and authenticity. To get more of the flavor of the year, says numerologist Novalee Wilder, we can also look at the shorter numerical sequence for the year 2024 and find its meaning, too; in this case, ’24 corresponds to six (2+4=6), which is the number of love, creativity, and compassion. Taken together, the meanings of eight and six are set to make 2024 a year of  “growth and challenges, but not toughness,” says Wilder.

Diving a bit deeper, the number eight in numerology is also connected with Saturn, which is the planet of discipline and order, astrologically speaking; this means we’re going to have to be accountable for the choices we make in 2024, which could push us to get better acquainted with our personal truths, adds Wilder.

“The word that can be a guide for all of us is ‘soft,’ meaning soft strength and soft power.” —Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, mystic and author

There’s a calm assuredness to that process of facing and owning your authentic mode of being. “It’s not about pushing, but instead, moving from your inner confidence and authority,” says mystic Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, owner of The Moon Studio. “The word that can be a guide for all of us is ‘soft,’ meaning soft strength and soft power.”

In keeping with that energy, “there’s going to be a real emphasis on the heart: opening it, thinking from it, and having our heartbreak lead us into heart-opening and compassion,” adds Gottesdiener. It’s a time for finding that inner spark—meaning, whatever your heart really desires—and nurturing it, she adds. “This is really the year to start shedding all the decisions we’ve had to make out of necessity and not out of the full spectrum of the heart.”

Fittingly, the number six (also connected to the year ’24, as noted above) is associated with Venus, the planet of love and affection—which could also have us considering how we’ve opened our hearts to others, says Wilder. She suggests asking yourself: Who do you really care for, and how do you care for them? Do your actions match your feelings for them and the way you perceive of yourself?

What collective themes can we expect to surface in 2024?

Expect 2024 to be full of events that determine who is an authority and who has control (a fitting energy for the 2024 presidential election in the U.S.), as well as what it looks like to wield your own power.

2024 may also be a year when the metaphorical mask comes off, and the true nature of powerful people is revealed; Wilder says we may see the public downfall of known figures who haven’t acted with honesty or authenticity. “We may finally see beneath the façade of some people who’ve been due for a reckoning,” she says.

On a personal level, we may face the same push toward authenticity. Wilder calls it a year of “radical honesty and transparency.” This might involve confronting the ways in which you’ve been lying to yourself or holding yourself back from living the way you truly want, says Gottesdiener.

Expect this to be especially true in your relationships, given the connection between the year 2024 and the numerological significance of the number six (associated with love and affection). Ask yourself: Are you being truthful in your interactions with your loved ones or S.O? Are you being honest with yourself about what you want out of your love life or partnership? If you’ve been dodging your own reality, perhaps by staying in a convenient or comfortable relationship you’ve outgrown, Wilder says 2024 is the year you could get real with yourself.

The same thing goes for other facets of life, like your work or hobbies. Perhaps you’ve hustled yourself into a certain career or life path because of a societal norm or someone’s expectation of you, and it’s been just fine for awhile, but now, “the anxiety of faking it starts to stress you out, so you’d rather let it all fall and do something else,” says Wilder.

In any case, putting your truth into action doesn’t have to mean making grand, sweeping changes. Small behavior shifts can help you better align your life with your values, too, says Gottesdiener. For example, if you want to leave your corporate job to pursue writing a book, you might start making changes to your routine to accommodate a daily writing practice. If you want to invite more love into your life, you could intentionally seek out more first dates.

Don’t know what your heart truly desires? Gottesdiener recommends connecting with nature in the last days of 2023 to invite some calm and stillness for clear thinking about the year ahead. Another aligned way to uncover your desires and identify your bigger-picture goals is to self-reflect through journaling. Just being able to put those goals on paper might just point you toward the first step you’ll want to take in 2024 to bring them to life.