2012=5, Mercury, Volatile & Mercurial; but World wont end! First, the good news; the world won’t come to an end in 2012. But 2012 = 5, which is Mercury, and all that is Adaptable, Volatile and, well, Mercurial. And global meltdown worries continue, even for affluent Continents like Europe and the US. Back home, the economy continues to look bleak. Naturally, the question uppermost is whether tough times are here to stay. Consider this, 2010 = 3, which is Jupiter, the Planet of Wealth, and for the New Year then we had predicted that India, whose numbers add upto 12 (3) and which was in her 63rd (9) year of Independence, would have a good year because 3, 6 and 9 are a family. So while the world suffered a meltdown and scores of people lost secure jobs globally, India was least affected by the recession. Even the Obamas and Sarkozis of the world visited us in search of greener pastures! Then came 2011 = 4, which is Uranus, and we warned what an expensive year this would prove to be. The Sensex would tumble (it lost 4,500 points and still counting), Gold (then 20,000) would cross 25,000, Apple would be the brand to watch out for (it became Brand No 1), there would be political upheavals (the Anna Hazare movement) and more scams (Yedurappa, Goa Mining), besides inflation would reach an all time high. It’s all there on the website So what does Mercury, the fastest Planet of Movement, have in store for 2012? Mercury is known as Buddh, which means ‘knowledge’, but like the element Mercury that is found in thermometers, when exposed to any temperature it reacts. Which way it will zoom, depends on the situation Mercury finds itself. But such volatility can be tricky. For example Volkswagen, which adds to 41 (5), enters and exits the Top 10 brands; andSouth Africa, which also adds to 41 (5), finds itself tagged a choker in cricket because of its tendency to start very well to reach the top and then suddenly fizzle out! Likewise ‘Damadam’ Himesh Reshammiya (born 23/6), a No 5 whose name adds to 5, has seen ‘mercurial’ highs and lows in Bollywood. As did Abhishek Bachchan (Feb. 5), a No 5 who gave 13 flops until his 14th (5 again!) film Bunty Aur Bubli. Mercury, which disintegrates when hit with a spoon, can join or bounce back immediately too! While adaptability is its biggest strength, inconsistency is a major weakness. Nobody knows this better than the King of Good (and Bad) Times, Dr. Vijay Mallya, whose name adds to 23 (5)! Mercury is ‘Silvery Green’ and hence ‘silver’ is the metal to invest in and hold onto it till the end of 2012. Like silver, travel, transport, tourism, communications, telecom, teaching, consultancy, law, marketing, sales, advertising, the print and electronic media are some industries likely to sizzle. Colors fascinate, and talking about Green, remember cricket teams sporting this hue in World Cups, even minnows like Kenya, Ireland and Bangladesh, have caused some of the biggest upsets! The No. 5 works best for No. 5s or those born on 5th, 14th or 23rd. The Virgo and Gemini ruler is Mercury, so people with such numbers or Zodiac signs could have a great year. Recently a No. 5 – Virat Kohli (5/11/1988) in his 23rd (5) year was the highest scoring cricketer in the world for the calendar year. No. 5 Gautam Gambhir (14/10) dons jersey No. 5 and has been pretty successful too. No. 5 Aamir Khan (14/3) found No. 5 to his liking too; his debut hit Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak added to 41 (5), same as his Oscar nominee Lagaan (14). Aamir’s Delhi Belly and Dhobi Ghat both added to 5, too! And Bollywood’s biggest blockbuster, 3 Idiots, added to 23 (5) and worked wonders for Vidhu Vinod Chopra (5/09), a No. 5 again, and ditto for Kareena Kapoor (21/9), a Virgo ruled by No. 5. Recently, though Aamir Khan’s baby was born on December 1, he made the announcement only on the 5th! Still think it’s a coincidence? Happily, No. 5 is also adaptable with No. 6. Venus governs those born on 6th, 15th and 24th, as well as Librans and Taureans, so people born under such numbers or Zodiac signs may also make headway; as well as with No. 3, Jupiter, ruler of those born on 3rd, 12th, 21st and 30th and Pisceans and Sagittarians who are also influenced by No. 3. No. 5 is also amongst the lucky numbers for No. 8s (Saturn) or those born on the 8th, 17th or 26th in any month. Mercury is known to cause worries and anxieties, so we must use the adaptability of No. 5 to our advantage and believe in our ability to bounce back! United States Of America & Dubai both add to No. 5 and have a great chance to bounce back in the second half of 2012. However, Europe – the root of the world economic slowdown, adds to 6 and may have to wait till 2013 (6) to make its ‘comeback’. Since 6 is Venus, and represents Progress and Luxury, 2013 shall be a far better year than 2012. India adds to 3, Jupiter {Biggest} and on 15/8 we enter our 66th {6+6=3} year of Independence which shall be a great period for our Nation, more so when 2013 {6} sets in as 3,6,9 is a family. And… the world will not come to an end, even though the Ancient Mayans predicted the apocalypse on December 21, 2012, in their Mayan calendar! But the Mayan culture disappeared long before their calendar ended, proving that they were not good at making predictions! Sanjay B Jumaani chucked his job as a marketing executive of seventeen years      Swetta Jumaani is the daughter of the famous Jumaani family ...         Emraan Hashmi “Thanks for all the help that you have given me when I was new ...