~first~, an 8 Essence in a 2 Personal Year is a tricky combination. It combines the most vulnerable, emotional, and sensitive yearly cycle with the most controlling, decisive, and ambitious Essence cycle. To avoid conflict, they will require careful balancing, especially when money, business, or career have the potential to affect personal feelings (as in a partnership or family business).

During this period, you will need to take one approach in your profession and pretty much the opposite in your personal life. Your 8 Essence will lend a results-oriented, ambitious state of mind that could, at times, be somewhat aloof and indifferent to others. This can be acceptable in business dealings, but it does not work well in personal relationships. The 8 can become irritated more easily and would often rather "˜take care of business' than be sidetracked by the problems of others. If your work requires a caring touch such as human services, education, medicine, or social work, you may not feel as empathetic and responsive as you usually do.

The other side of the conflict comes from an 8 Essence being present during a 2 Year. Your 2 Year affects the events and circumstances you will encounter. The 2 will place you in situations that require you to respond to the feelings of others with sensitivity. It desires tact and harmony - traits that are not priorities for the 8.

Your challenge will be responding sympathetically to emotional turmoil and relationship issues at a time when you are more interested in material gain and progress. Plus, you will need to keep relationship issues from hindering your ambitious project-related goals. Clearly, attaining a successful balance in both areas will take effort.

The upside of this team is that one cycle dominates in the professional and practical areas of your life while the other mainly affects your personal life. This works well if you heed the earlier suggestion to compartmentalize their traits. Be as driven and ambitious as you like in your career but leave your assertive persona at the door when you get home. It will probably be easier to focus on practical goals than to slow down and give attention to loved ones, but your relationships will benefit from the extra effort.