BLOOMING IN 2025 ~ A Forecast by Olubode

Dear One,

In the aftermath of COVID, the rise of geopolitical polarization, and the increasing cost of living, many of us are wondering how to stay aligned with our goals, dreams, and desires while maintaining a sense of purpose during this particular period of volatility and uncertainty.

I have found refuge in my practice.

From 2004 to 2009, I studied and trained with Malidoma Patrice Somé, a Dagara elder from Burkina Faso. According to Malidoma, the five elements of creation, illustrated below, provide a powerful individual and communal ecosystem, offering profound insights into one’s purpose, relationships, challenges, and path in life.

The following is a look ahead to 2025, using the elemental tools and knowledge I have gained from my time with Malidoma, as well as additional guidance from other wisdom traditions, and insight from years of practicing what I now call the Philosophy of BLOOMING.

2025 GENERAL OVERVIEW

In the tradition of the Dagara, the last digit of each year corresponds to one of the five elements. Years ending in 0 and 5 are EARTH years, making 2025 an EARTH year. The last EARTH year, 2020 saw the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic. Currently, the stage is set for similar global events that will shift our shared way of life. 

With your growing awareness there are ways to thrive during this time. 

Here  are some things to be mindful of.

Each of the five elements represents a specific DESIRE that seeks expression. EARTH is the element that reflects our DESIRE for SAFETY, BELONGING, and COMMUNITY.

In 2025, while the desire for individual voice and empowerment will be strong; the desire for safety, belonging and community will also intensify. This will manifest as a desire | need to experience:

• Power 
• Order
• Nourishment
• Nurturing
• Balance

2025 will be a time to connect with your authentic power, understood as influence that transcends borders and includes everyone. Despite appearances, we can trust in the underlying order of things. It will be a year to gather in community for fellowship, nourishment, and nurturing—a time to create a sense of coziness and comfort.

Equanimity—a sense of humor—will be a powerful touchstone, as life is never truly balanced and is always in flux.

However, be mindful of tendencies in all spheres toward:

• Autocracy | Hierarchy | Dominance
• Chaos | Complacency | Stagnation
• Martyrdom | Cancellation
• Greed | Grasping
• Self-righteousness | Inflexibility

These represent EARTH energies out of alignment, which often arise from stress or triggers around safety—whether psychological, cultural, physical, or spiritual.

Already, we are seeing clear signs of these challenges.

To navigate this, having a clear, well-grounded goal, intention, or vision will be essential. While “earthquakes” may disrupt things, staying grounded will keep you focused.

The year calls for intuition and self-care.

THE BIG QUESTION FOR 2025

The central question for this year is: “WHERE?”

Questions like:

• “Where are we/I now?”
• “Where do we/I want to go?”
• “Where can I find belonging?”

These questions reflect the need to find balance amid chaos. Subtle adjustments will require fluidity and embodied intuition. Keep moving intuitively and instinctively, this will help you find new centers of balance within as things change.

FORECAST

LIFE AREAS

Here’s what to be mindful of in each of  the five life areas in 2025.

COMMUNITY

Community, a key expression of EARTH, will take center stage this year. Collaborative and collective efforts, along with deeper activations of democracy, will be essential. Emerging communities will need to create new shared languages.

Abundance and resources will be found within the community. Fellowship unlocks communal memory and shared stories, so prioritize gathering and sharing stories from the heart.

Focus on building skills for collaboration and community. Balance, laughter, and equanimity will be your guides.

WELL-BEING

Stay tethered to Source energy in the body. Consistent individual and collective practices that connect you to Source—such as yoga, qigong, moving meditations, and breathwork—are highly recommended.

Remember, intuition is rooted in the body, not the head. Nourish your body with what it truly needs.  

PLAY & ADVENTURE | LEISURE

Get your bare feet on the physical earth. Group activities and rituals in nature will be particularly grounding. Watch for synchronicities and let them guide your journey. Explore freely and embrace the unknown. 

WORK | BUSINESS | CAREER 

In your work, be bold and decisive while nurturing yourself and others. Adjust your methods to achieve outcomes, but don’t compromise your integrity. Make self-care, and clear boundaries a priority in the workplace.

FAMILY & FRIENDS
Give in the right amounts. Allow relationships to take their natural course. Resist the urge to direct outcomes. Trust that everyone is finding their path. We are each learning to trust ourselves, to take care of ourselves.

FORECAST

BIRTH YEAR

According to Malidoma, each birth year is guided by an element. Here’s a breakdown based on the last digit of your birth year.  

MINERAL PEOPLE (Birth years ending in 4 or 9)
As you find your voice: be patient, be still, listen, and stay present. Those who have already found their voice will be offered platforms to share their truths far and wide. Know that this is already happening. Slip into timelessness.  Even in silence you are being heard. Smile. 

NATURE PEOPLE (Birth years ending in 3 or 8)
We will need the change you bring to shape-shift through this time. Those driven by curiosity and adventure will help bring new order and harmony to this emerging frontier. In 2025 feel free to roam even more widely. Eschew boundaries. We will need the wisdom you will discover. You will feel scattered, and this is okay, simply be on the lookout for synchronicities and allow them to guide you.

FIRE PEOPLE (Birth years ending in 2 or 7)
Your focus and strength will be essential for the heavy lifting—to light the way and burn away the nonsense. As you lead with clarity and decisiveness, remember to nurture yourself and allow others to nurture you as well. You who are often out there on your own will need the warmth  of community.

WATER PEOPLE (Birth years ending in 1 or 6)
Those who feel deeply will be called to bring healing and nourishment, as many will be hungry and disconnected. Remember to nourish yourself and allow your energy to flow freely. This year your mantra is  “let go, and flow.” Follow the path of least resistance.

EARTH PEOPLE (Birth years ending in 0 or 5)
Your community will need you now more than ever. Those who have upheld the community must now prepare to be an even bigger shelter and safe haven. Send your roots deeper for your own thriving.  When you do so you are tapped in and unshakable. More so than others you have a strong sense of intuition -- justice and balance. Trust it. Like a good mother, self care will be needed even as you tend to the needs of others. Your motto in 2025 is "deeper and wider." 

I hope this was helpful. If it was, let me know,.

INDIVIDUAL READINGS

If this resonates, I can expand on it in an individual reading. These sessions will help you imagine and create the year ahead—exploring challenges, opportunities, and ritual practices to support your journey.

For more information about individual sessions, go HERE.

InBLOOM Always,

Olubode