Let's take a poll!
I've read the same things too! Contradictions... contradictions... problem is, MY birthday is Jan 3!!! So there's no way I can apply my own personal observation to the dilemna!!!! argh!!!!!
I would LOVE it if someone would look over their diaries, their past, calculate their personal years, and see when those dynamics really came into play.
There tend to be peak times throughout the year - every three months are the peaks, with the half-year point the most major. So mine are January 3, April 3, July 3, October 3. Since this basically coincides with school dates etc., these do usually end up being peak periods for me.
See if your Peak Times, based on your birthday, coincide with major life changes such as marriages, breakups, new jobs.
I don't see how one's personal year vibration can't be affected by the global year change, but our personal b-days must have their own cycles and I think the peak periods are they. So a bit of compromise I guess, between the two ways of calculating personal years. ;)