Do you know that your life changes every 7 years? Discover the seven-year theory

A Chinese proverb affirms that human life has three phases: twenty years to learn, twenty to fight and twenty to achieve wisdom.

goethe he said that youth is a time of idealism; adulthood, of skepticism, and old age, of mysticism.

A human life seems to present, then, three big phases characteristics, each with its own atmosphere, like the chapters of a good novel. And, according to anthroposophy, each of these phases can be divided into periods of 7 years.

The septens of human life

The anthroposophy, vision of the world based on Rudolf Steiner’s philosophyplaces special emphasis on the first three seven-year periods, which is considered the first three stages of life that constitute the formative period: from birth to 7 years, from 7 to 14 and from 14 to 21 years.

from 0 to 7 years

Every child should have the opportunity to complete their education in a nurturing environment until they enter adulthood. The loss of milk teethe is considered a visible sign of this inner transformation, and marks the moment when, according to anthroposophy, the child is fully prepared for school life.

From 7 to 14 years old and from 14 to 21 years old

The second cycle of 7 years is marked by the puberty and leads to sexual maturity, while the third leads to social maturitywhen the young person feels fully adult.

From 21 to 28 years old

Of the 21 to 28 years old sensitivity, self-control and creative self-affirmation are developed. The second cycle of three seven-year periods begins around the axis of the social and work life. It is precisely around the age of 28 when many authors and creators debut with their first great work.

From 28 to 42 years

Of the 28 to 35 develops a key vital phase, of maximum development. According to traditional biographies, it is at 35 when the Buddha reached enlightenment, and a similar age would be Jesus at the time his life culminates and ends. Dante Alighieri initiates the Divine Comedy affirming that he is, at the age of 35, in the middle of the path of his life.

In the Middle Ages and in classical antiquity it was considered that human life had a natural duration of seventy years. The physical and mental abilities they tend to culminate at 35, the age, for example, when chess players usually reach their highest level.

If in the first half of life we ​​focus on training, in the second half the impulse to give ourselves to the world through our vocation or our family role. This stage lasts until the age of 42.

From the age of 42

Approximately from the age of 40-42 we experience the fully mature and developed existence. “Life begins at forty” is sometimes said, not without reason, although this sometimes entails finding new motivations.

Then the vital arc begins to curve downwards, and we have to move away from the external world to delve into our own interior.

Aging well radiates dignity, permeated by a serene acceptance of life and death. Fertility is lost and vigor is reduced, but paths of growth in inner freedom and wisdom are opened.

The Japanese painter Hokusai claimed that his true art only began to flourish when he was seventy-three. Verdi, Richard Strauss and many other composers continued to create past the eighties.

Each stage of life is variable and has its advantages

There are anthroposophical therapists who help to understand the “human biography” in terms of strict seven-year terms, but some authors affirm, however, that in the contemporary societies life cycles have been changing their rhythms: youth accelerates while longevity extends.

For example, menstruation occurred around the age of 15 in 1900, but today it occurs around 12 or 13. The age of majority was previously set at 21 and in most countries it is currently 18.

The child is not a miniature adult and the old man is not a broken adult. Each phase has its own light. Expectation and discovery predominate in the child; in the old man, memory and deepening.

Being aware of how the chapters of our vital symphony are made up is a valuable form of self-knowledge.