Tag Archives: Community

You may need to look past set views of society to bring new concepts to your community. Novelty cannot be achieved by repeating the same patterns. Sometimes to change the pattern, you have to push the boundaries. Today this might be required, and the help of others may be needed to achieve it.

The combination of the nawal of new concepts with the number of community brings about the possibility of bringing the new light to the world through cooperation. Whilst our individuality certainly serves a purpose, we can usually achieve bigger and more complicated tasks when we work as a group. The energy of today brings a great opportunity to do just that.

There may be something that you have been dreaming, something that you are trying to bring into the physical world. Today is the day to seek the assistance of the people within your community to make it happen. Both Aq’ab’al and the energy of the number 10 are seen as rather positive energies. This would be expected from the number of cooperation and the nawal of conception. It is the day to join with your community and bring your communal idea into physical reality.

If there were any cautions to go with the energy of 10 Aq’ab’al, it would only be that Aq’ab’al can sometimes become a little stuck in its ways. One meaning of Aq’ab’al is house (from the house of darkness in the Popol Vuh) and one of the essences of Aq’ab’al can be the stability given by fixed shelter. Additionally, the energy of the number 10 can also be seen as representing the laws of society. Perhaps by coming together with others this resistance to change can be overcome through a new concept.

The Nawal Aq’ab’al

The word aq’ab is translated as dark. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, alluding transtition and the dawning of the day. It is the time between darkness and light, night and day. Probably our best way to translate it would be as twilight. Birth is the beginning of the mortal journey. Aq’ab’al is just the beginning of the day and of things which are not yet fully formed.

In Santiago Atitlan one day, a friend explained to me the different parts of a weaving on a backstrap loom. Aq’ab’al is the warp (the vertical threads), B’atz is the weft (the horizontal threads) which creates the whole cloth. The newly woven cloth is Kawok. In order for the weaver to create, first she has an idea in her head or a dream. She sets out the dream on her loom by setting up the warp. The design has passed from being just an idea, to the beginnings of a woven reality. Thus, concept requires creative input before it becomes whole. Aq’ab’al can also represent conception. The fertilised egg is far from ready to be born, but has passed from the dream or spirit world into the physical.

Aq’ab’al days are great days for the start of new things, particularly new relationships – Aq’ab’al has a strong affinity with marriage. Also it is a perfect day for starting new projects. It is the time to bring them into the world of light from the world of dreams and ideas.

The Number Ten

The number 10 is another number which demonstrates the connection between the sacred calendar and the human body. As five represents one hand, ten represents two hands coming together. This can be seen as the shaking of hands creating agreement between people. Ten is seen as a good number, a number of community and the laws of society, of acting in harmony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 Tz’i (14th December 2023)

13th December 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today is a day to restore and strengthen faith in the community, to look out for each other. It is a day to give of yourself unconditionally, to bring harmony to the community you live in.

There are some combinations of nawal and number which are meant to go together, where both reflect each other beautifully. 10 Tz’i is one of these combinations. Whilst much is said about the wild side of Tz’i, it is also about unconditional love and unquestioning faith. Tz’i is the most loyal companion, at your side through thick and thin. It brings justice to the world, and is heavily invested in keeping the world in order through upholding the laws of society.

It is here that we see its reflection in the number 10, the two hands coming together. This represents the co-operation we see in society in order to bring justice, the bringing together of peoples in order to ensure that the fabric of true society is held together. It is friendship and loyalty, particularly towards your community, and the unconditional love which sustains the community spirit.

The Nawal Tz’i

The dog sits by the cauldron, from the Madrid Codex

Tz’i is possibly the nawal with the most colourful reputation. Some describe it as the nawal of “sex, drugs and rock and roll” and it has the possibility to live up to that label. One of the functions an Aj Q’ij (Mayan spiritual guide) performs is divination, usually using red seeds called Tz’ite. If a question is asked about a relationship and Tz’i comes up in the reading, it is seen as a sign of infidelity. Tz’i is instinctual, and closes its ears to reason when it gets an idea, particularly when it is hormonally driven. This is the worst possible aspect of Tz’i and when it falls down, it does so spectacularly, which is why it tends to be remembered for those events.

However, what is sometimes forgotten is the other side of Tz’i, which is the side more frequently displayed. Just as Tz’i can represent infidelity, it also represents faith and loyalty. Just as it can be the trouble maker, it also represents law. It is the nawal of police, lawyers and judges. Tz’i is unwavering faith, unconditional loyalty. The totem animal of Tz’i is the dog, and through the actions of dogs we can understand both the loyalty aspect, and the instinctual. Tz’i is also the guide and protector on life’s path, ensuring that it’s charge travels safely. It is a day when your faith or loyalty may be tested, where your instincts are stimulated. The positive traits of this day give rise to to some of the greatest displays of friendship. However, be aware that your loyalty may be tested by temptation.

The Number Ten

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 No’j (1st December 2023)

30th November 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today is a day to get things sorted out, a day to find solutions within your community. It is a day when the saying “a problem shared is a problem halved” is extremely applicable.

Some days should really work out well, with a strong and positive effect coming from both the nawal and the number. Today, the clear thinking, analytical energy of No’j is combined with the socially helpful 10. Join minds with your friends, colleagues and neighbours to come up with unique and novel solutions to problems. New communal ideas may solve issues that have been perplexing you for some time.

One slight drawback could be that the energy of the nawal No’j sometimes brings thought without action. It may be a day where the mind drifts through many ideas of how to resolve situations within the community, without actually initiating those ideas. This could even result in the ideas themselves becoming muddled, lines of thought being expressed and followed without actual realisation into the physical world. Whilst the energy of No’j does have a practical edge to it, it can on occasion end up lost in its thoughts.

A logical solution to this may come through cooperation. However, despite your combined solution being obvious to you and your group, be aware that you may still be ahead of your time. Be patient with those you explain your new big idea to, they might need a little time to catch up.

The Nawal No’j

The nawal No’j is the nawal of thought, of intelligence and intellect. Within the count of days, there are two geniuses. B’atz is the creative genius, No’j the intellectual one. No’j is an energy of masculine, logical thought. As the problem solver, it gives ideas and solutions which work in the real world. No’j gives a different way to understand situations, and through this ability comes innovation. It is thought, but also understanding and, indeed, knowing. As such, No’j is also a day associated with divination.

This energy is not necessarily social, it can lead to becoming absorbed into one’s work, lost in one’s thoughts. The influence of No’j can create ideas which may be very much ahead of their time. Do not be surprised if ideas you have on this day take a little time to catch on, the people you express the ideas to may need a little time to process, to see the genius within the idea. No’j is also one of the classic year bearers, or year lords. As a year bearer it is thought to be one of the more beneficial and benign energies.

The Number Ten

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Aj (27th November 2023)

26th November 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This is a day to create harmony and stability in our homes, families and communities. This is a perfect day for a global meditation to bring peace and stability.

At the top of the sacred hill Paclom, in the centre of Momostenango, is a cross. Unlike many of the crosses you might see, it has two cross pieces. I was told that reason for the second bar was that it creates a two-dimensional representation of the four directions. As such this cross represents the number 6, which is the other name for Paclom, the six place.

For me this especially represents the power of the number six. It has the horizontal Earthly stability of the four cardinal points, yet is also vertically connected with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth. Today on the day 6 Aj, we see that stability amplified. It is as if the vertical post, or spinal column, that would normally be found with any six day, is energised by the connection of Aj between the Sky and the Earth, the divine masculine and divine feminine essences.

So, what is the point of this energisation? To bring this stability and blessing from the Celestial and Earthly realms into our communities and homes. This is a day on which to ask for, and give thanks for, stability in our homes and communities. It is particularly a day on which we can call upon the “greater powers” to energise us, to give us strength, so that we may sustain those around us.

May the Heart of the Sky be in My Heart

May My Heart be in the Heart of the Earth

May the Heart of the Earth be in My Heart

May My Heart be in the Heart of the Sky

The Nawal Aj

The nawal Aj is related to many things which generally revolve around leadership on an earthly level. It is also known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, that which allows us to stand tall, proud and brave. As the cornstalk, it has it’s roots in the Earth, and its head in the sky. If we wish to lead in a just manner, we should cultivate our connection with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth.

Aj is an authority, it is gentle, yet noble. It works quietly for the community it leads. It does not seek the limelight. This is a day that seeks sustenance for it’s people, that keeps everything in it’s rightful place. It is a day where we ask for the courage and bravery to stand up straight and tall, to do the right thing.

The Number Six

The number six is said to be the number of ultimate stability. It is the first of the three middle numbers of the cycle, the balance point. Six days are frequently used for ceremony thanks to their conducive energy.

The number 6 carries the qualities of the number 4, but has an extra axis. If we think of the number four representing the cardinal points, the number six adds a vertical axis to these. It brings in the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth. The number six has the stability of the number four embellished by the masculine and feminine principals. If the number four represents the physical world and the number 6 represents the physical world animated by the life force energy.

It also represents family, relating to the six qualities which hold families together – health, understanding, property, employment, friendship and actions.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 K’at (18th November 2023)

17th November 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 10 K’at can be seen as an excellent day to gather your community together. Whether it is a town meeting or a social event this would be a perfect day for it. This could result in abundance for all.

There is a certain image that comes with this combination of number and nawal for me. That is a community coming together to bring in the harvest. It is time to reap and leaving the crop in the field could cause wastage. Bringing together a task force of your friends to help you complete this work could benefit all. This is a day to ask for help from those around you to finish a project. Equally, lending a hand to help friends and family complete a task bring an unexpected bonus. This is a day to fulfil your commitments to your community.

However, it is important to know when to break away too, before it holds you back from progress. K’at is the nawal of the burden. Here we can see it in combination with the number which represents society. Whilst fulfilling the commitments you have made to your community, you may find yourself over burdened. This could leave you with little time or energy to for your own or your family’s needs.

This could also be a day to take a look at where you have become trapped by the expectations of society. Are there certain parts of your community that hold you back from achieving what you could? K’at helps to highlight these issues It shows us where the net which entangles us is, and helps us to break free if we choose. This is the day to ask for help to be released from that within society which holds you back from fulfilling your true potential.

The Nawal K’at

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. In the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together. This could mean gathering your harvest, collecting ideas for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire, with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us. These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

The Nawal K’at and Ix K’ik

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixk’ik, Blood Moon, who was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu. Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon.

She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

The Number Ten

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 B’atz (5th November 2023)

4th November 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This combination gives the ability to create something beautiful with your community. It is a day on which innovation and creation with other members of your group helps to strengthen the fabric that holds your community together.

There are many types of days, each with different attributes. Some are weak, some are strong, some are challenging, some are beneficial. Some are truly sweet, giving an opportunity for the memorable to happen.

Whether it is a social event, or community project, the creative juices should be flowing for everyone today. A collective which gathers with the intention of creating something beautiful should be particularly successful. This will, in turn, strengthen the bonds within the collective. If you are creating something on your own, be aware of its power to bring you closer to your community through the quality of your work.

We could see the warp and the weft, masculine and feminine, within society coming together today to create a greater whole. It is a day of creation through cooperation and agreement, when the polarities are brought together as one new masterpiece. It’s time to get weaving!

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

The Number 10

The number 10 is another number which demonstrates the connection between the sacred calendar and the human body. As five represents one hand, ten represents two hands coming together. This can be seen as the shaking of hands creating agreement between people. It is a number of community and the laws of society, of people acting in harmony with each other.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 Tijax (23rd October 2023)

22nd October 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 10 Tijax can be seen as a day which brings healing and resolution within the community. This may involve removing the cause of the imbalance, which may cause some discomfort during the process.

As we continue to journey through the Toj trecena, the theme of service to the greater whole is often reinforced. Here is another day which fits into the theme of being part of creating a better world around us, this time by being part of bringing healing into our community. Toj represents payment, and when debts are forgotten, sickness can arise. This sickness can be resolved through making a payment, either physically or through service. Sometimes it is not personal, it is the greater whole that has become unbalanced, which may create a general malaise in society. The day 10 Tijax gives the opportunity to come together to work on the solution to this. It may be that cuts need to be made, or that something has to be severed in order to bring about long term healing. This may be something that is easier to achieve as a group rather than an individual, it may also serve to create greater cohesion and harmony within your community to go through the process together. This is an auspicious day to create a healing circle of friends and neighbours to bring peace and unity into your part of the world, and the greater area.

The nawal Tijax is often thought of as an obsidian blade or knife. How the blade is used depends on the intention of the person wielding it. It can be wielded by a warrior or by a surgeon. These would seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, but where Tijax is concerned the aim is the same – healing.

Tijax is the nawal of the holy warrior. In the Mayan book of creation , the Popol Vuh, the first act of the hero twins was a mission given to them by the Heart of the Sky to rid the world of the false gods Seven Macaw, Zipacna and Earthquake. This is their quest, their crusade, and is represented by Tijax. They then sacrifice themselves in the underworld (Kame) and are resurrected with magical abilities (Ix). By destroying the false gods, the twins brought balance to the world, and helped mankind, they brought healing to the world. They cut out that which caused disease, exactly as a surgeon would do.

Tijax is celebrated as a day of healers, particularly what could be seen as the masculine aspect of healing. It is a day of crusading, of standing up for what is right. It has a tenacity to it, it is sometimes belligerent, it will not be stopped in it’s quest. It is the healer who refuses to give up on finding a cure. Tijax gives powers of discernment and refinement. Just as the surgeons scalpel cuts away disease and the warriors blade dispatches the evil, the sculptors chisel creates beauty by remodelling the base material. It is a day of alchemy, both internal and external, turning the ordinary into the divine.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 Aj (18th October 2023)

17th October 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Putting energy into the sustenance of our home or community benefits both ourselves and those around us. The day 5 Aj brings together these aspects to give a day where this type of work flourishes.

The nawal Aj is related to the spinal column. It holds us upright, brings us the strength and courage to do the right thing. It holds everything in its rightful place. However, it may not have always been like that. It gains strength as it is used, the wisdom it holds comes through experience. Whilst Aj is very much a leadership nawal, it is almost reluctant in stepping forward, preferring to guide gently rather than exercise the authority it also carries. These qualities of Aj are a blessing for all and are achieved through the experience of the work of life.

The day 5 Aj is a great day to be doing some form of work on behalf of your community, your work and your input will bring great nourishment to those around you. It is a day for selfless work, a day within the Toj trecena, where we have the opportunity to pay back the support our families, friends and communities show to us. However, it may also be a day when efforts to guide or lead may be rather more challenging than expected, especially if you feel yourself rushing into things.

The Temple of the Foliated Cross. This small and unassuming temple houses one of the most remarkable and beautiful friezes, the Foliated Cross, the featured image of this article. Together with those of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Cross, this forms an architectural version of a codex, showing both mythic and historical accounts of the ruling dynasty. The three temples together form the cross group, the sacred heart of the beautiful site of Palenque. Picture by Mark Elmy

The nawal Aj is related to many things which generally revolve around leadership on an earthly level. It is sometimes known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, that which allows us to stand tall, proud and brave. As the cornstalk, it has its roots in the Earth, and it’s head in the sky. As we are the people of maize, if we wish to lead in a just manner, we should cultivate our connection with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth.

This is a picture of the carving at the top of one of my favourite Mayan temples, the Temple of the Foliated Cross on the site of Palenque (Bàakʼ) in Chiapas, Mexico. At the top of the tablet you see a bird, which represents the Heart of the Sky, the face with the large rectangular (crossed) eyes at the base of the cross represents the Heart of the Earth. The foliated cross is a stylised maize plant with the heads of humans emerging. This is Aj bringing life to the world. It is the central pillar, that which supports life. It is represented by the staffs carried by the elders of Mayan communities to this day.

The Sacred Mayan calendar is often said to be a calendar of human life, and parts of it can be seen as a microcosm of the human body. The number five is one of these parts. It is representative of the hand with it’s five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn for that work that we pay our debts. Five is also a number that relates to the sacred fire where we pay our debts with offerings and prayers. Five might be so busy working that it fails to remember what it is working for. It can also signify that what it is attached to becomes work, or is “hard work”.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 Kan (10th October 2023)

9th October 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Although the nawal Kan may have a rather chequered reputation, today may see some of its more positive aspects, as the community comes together to share wisdom and power.

Whilst the energy of the nawal Kan can have a dark side, the outcome of the Kan energy really depends on how the energy is wielded. It is a strong energy, a power which can be very seductive to the untrained. When misused, this energy can be used to create illusions and delusions, it can be used to manipulate. These type of uses, however, are usually unsustainable. Eventually the illusion dissolves and the manipulator is revealed.

However, the energy of Kan can be used to empower and to bring wisdom. Here we see it connected with the number representing community and cooperation. This would suggest a day where cooperating with the people around you may bring a greater and more profound effect than usual. Through interaction with your community, you may all gain a greater insight, and your community may become empowered for the good of all. This is a day to honour the teachers within our communities.

An ancestor brings wisdom through the vision serpent. Feathered Serpent Diety, detail of Classic Maya lintel at Yaxchilan, from ''A Study of Maya Art'' by Herbert Spinden, 1913 {{PD-US}} — An ancestor brings wisdom through the vision serpent. Feathered Serpent Deity, detail of Classic Maya lintel at Yaxchilan, from ”A Study of Maya Art” by Herbert Spinden, 1913 {{PD-US}}

Kan is one of the more powerful nawales and it represents just that – power. It is connected to serpents, and serpent symbology is very strong in Maya mythology. In the past, lightning was referred to as sky serpents, and what is seen in the outer world is reflected by the inner world. The power of Kan comes from something which is referred to as itz or coyopa, the lightning in the blood. This is the power which may also be known as Ki, Chi, Prana, kundalini or “the force”. It is life force energy. Kundalini is a sanskrit word actually meaning coiled, like a snake. When working with any of these energies, training must be undertaken in order to understand how to use them. In it’s most positive aspect, the energy of Kan brings great wisdom; in it’s negative aspect, great destruction. A lack of understanding or control of this power can lead to undesirable consequences. The dark side of Kan can seduce with it’s power, and a very sexy power it is too, holding it’s prey in an almost hypnotic grip with it’s allure. It can become the ultimate ego trap.

However, it is also said that the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz (also known as Kulkulkan or Quetzalcoatl) brought wisdom, through the sciences of astronomy and agriculture, to the ancient Maya. Here we see the positive aspect of Kan, where the ability to work with the body lightning brings great wisdom. People born on a Kan day can become some of the greatest healers or psychics, or they can become the darkest sorcerers and manipulators.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 E’ (27th September 2023)

26th September 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The nawal of discovery joins with the number of co-operation and community. This is the day of the joint venture, the communal exploration to new places and new concepts.

The day 10 E’ can be seen as a day to explore your role within your chosen community, to bring clarity and understanding to your life purpose. It can also be a day on which your community may wish to look at the direction it is heading. It should be a great day for an adventure with friends, where you can all expect to learn something profound.

When I call the day E’ in ceremony, I often talk about how our paths have woven themselves together, to bring each person in the ceremony to this point in space, at this point in time, in order to have this experience. The energy of the ceremony is created by the people who participate in it, it is a co-operative collaboration through which we discover something new. Of course this applies to far more than just ceremony, our paths connect and weave with the people around us in this present moment. It is a day to celebrate our path together, how we all cooperate to enrich each others lives through the experiences we provide for each other.

Nawal E’ represents the journey of discovery, the life path in both its physical and spiritual aspects. E’ is the explorer, it craves novelty. It inspires travel to understand different cultures and ways of life, it is a seeker of experience. It can be a thrill seeker, and sometimes will take risks to understand what it is examining. Whilst it gains experience and understanding through physical travel, E’ also drives us to explore our inner world, helping us to understand our own minds and hearts, and those of others. E’ sometimes creates a restlessness, the desire to find new things within the world means that E’ finds it difficult to sit still.

E’ can sometimes cause us to explore simply for the sake of exploration, we seek the new experience because it is there. This can give rise to a lack of direction, aimless wandering. However, even in it’s wanderings E’ is discovering. It may not know exactly where it is going, but it will when it gets there. In it’s best aspect, E’ seeks out knowledge and experience in order to form an understanding which brings wisdom. E’ enjoys sharing the wisdom gained with it’s peers, for the enrichment of the community.

E’ is another of the classic carriers of the year, or year lords. It is said that E’ years tend to be some of the more gentle and favourable years. E’ is seen as a good natured nawal. E’ days are considered to be good days on which to travel and explore, whether that be externally or internally. It is a day to find or remember your path, a day to ask for your path to be cleared of obstructions, and a day to ask for guidance and protection on your path.

The Four Pillars

Tag Archives: Community