11 Tz’i (4th December 2021)

11 Tz'iWith the unconditional love and loyalty carried by the nawal Tz’i combined with the uncertainty and strength of the number 11, today may prove to be a rather confusing day of split loyalties.

The nawal Tz’i can be your best friend. The energy it gives is that of the unconditional, guiding and protecting you through thick and thin. It is devotion, whether to a person or a cause. However strong it may be, the number 11 can be directionless, or try to go in all directions at once. Today that could lead to divided loyalty. It is a day when you may find yourself trying to be all things to all people. Of course this is a very noble ideal, but not only may you find it difficult to accomplish, you may find that you end up with some conflicts of interest. Your loyalty may end up spread too thinly and, as a result, fail to achieve your intended goal in any of the areas you applied it to.

The energy of the nawal Tz’i is also known for its impulsive nature, particularly when it comes to matters of a more sensual nature. When this energy is combined with the equally impulsive energy of the number 11, desires and urges may be very difficult to control. As the nawal Tz’i is also the nawal which represents our guidance, the combination with the number 11 could suggest that there may be a strong and undeniable feeling of being guided towards something. It will be important to really apply some perspective to this guidance. The strength of the drive may be irresistible, however is it really in your long term interests? Today it will be important to find a direction to focus your devotion before you apply it, and once you find that direction, keep with it. This may very well be THE day of temptations.

The dog sits by the cauldron, from the Madrid Codex
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, and 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 its 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, but be aware that your loyalty may be tested by temptation.

The number 11 is a high and odd number. This gives it some rather challenging properties, although it can come good in the end. Imagine you visit Ireland and are transfixed by the green of the hills, then you go to Morocco and are awed by the red of the buildings, then you go to the Caribbean and are moved by the turquoise sea. You return home and paint a beautiful picture using those colours. When you were in Ireland you didn’t know you were going to paint that masterpiece, you may not have even known why you were there.  This is how 11 works. You are sure you need to be doing something, but unsure why. You are collecting experience through many wanderings.

10 Toj (3rd December 2021)

10 TojThis is a day of service to your community. It is the payment that you make to keep your place in harmony, to keep your place in balance, which in turn keeps you nourished and healthy.

Whether you pay your energy through making ceremonies for your community or through physical work within the community, today is a day when gathering people together may help to really get things done. If you are able to co-ordinate a community spring clean, litter pick, or general tidy up of your neighbourhood, you could not find a better day for it. Many hands will certainly make light work today, in both the physical and the more esoteric sense. Hand in hand it is possible to make a huge difference to the world, and when we care for our community and surroundings, we can bring peace and healing to it. This in turn enriches our own lives.

Today is a day to show that we care for those around us, to give freely of our time and energy in gratitude to the community that sustains us. In turn this burns away any debts we have in this realm or another.


The nawal Toj represents offerings and payment. It is part of the name Tojil, a Mayan god who gave fire to the people, although this was not a free gift. Tojil asked in return for sacrifice to be made. This is a day of payment and sacrifice, a day to resolve debts, both in the physical and spiritual realms. Toj is the nawal of the sacred fire, and it is to the fire that we make offerings in order to burn away what would commonly be known as karmic debts. In this way we restore balance, we bring our accounts back to zero.

Toj carries with it a form of divine protection, which is enhanced through selfless acts. These acts might involve a sacrifice of our time or energy in order to strengthen our community. We can choose to act or we can choose to ignore, but be aware – ignoring an opportunity to make a payment on a Toj day might bring a ill fortune, the removal of the protection. Payment should be made with an open heart, thanks might not be quickly forthcoming, and may not come at all. Your sacrifice could be  something as simple as picking up litter in your neighbourhood, it doesn’t have to be something elaborate.

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 people acting in harmony with each other.

9 Q’anil (2nd December 2021)

9 Q'anilWith both the fertile nature of Q’anil and the good fortune seen in the number 9 we can expect this day to be really rather pleasant. This is possibly a welcome relief after the strength of the last few days.

There are many phrases that we could associate with this day. “The light of life”, “seed of life” and “the light of the feminine” are just a few. It feels like a delicious golden energy we would all love to bask in, the reward after the hard work we have been carrying out recently. It is a day to enjoy the bounty that the fruition of your projects has brought to you.

However, there is also work to be done, and 9 Q’anil is a great day for working in the fields and garden, planting the seeds for your next harvest. Both 9 and Q’anil are linked to fertility. Q’anil is also strongly linked with the herbalist’s art and creates a very powerful day to plant or harvest medicinal herbs.

All in all, 9 Q’anil should be a happy and prosperous day, a celebration of life itself, and a celebration of the women in our lives. However, be careful not to overdo it, or Q’anil‘s other side of intoxication may make its presence known.

Nawal Q’anil represents the ripening of the seed, the crop coming to maturity. The K’iché word Q’an means yellow, and the -il suffix is rather like the English -ing. Q’anil represents the golden head of maize at its perfection of ripeness, ready to be picked. In the Mayan creation story, humans were fashioned from maize dough, we are Ixim Achi, the people of the corn. The maize in this part of the world has a 260 day growth season between planting (conception) and harvest (birth.) This connects maize with both the sacred calendar and with the period of human gestation.

It is in the fields and gardens that Q’anil’s light shines particularly brightly, it is the nawal of farmers, gardeners and herbalists. But just as it is at home around plants, Q’anil has the possibility to shine anywhere. Q’anil has talent, its beautiful golden light illuminates that which it comes into contact with, Q’anil people light up the room with their presence. Q’anil is about achieving full potential, and this relates to all of our activities. It does have an affinity to the arts, but in general is a day of bounty for all life projects.

However, when an energy is so fertile and prosperous, life can become too easy. Q’anil also appreciates the rewards of its talent – sometimes a little too much. Q’anil is prone to overindulge in the sensual, in particular with regards to intoxication.

The number nine is very special indeed. It is the number of lunations in the human gestation period and in the sacred calendar. The sacred calendar is known as a calendar of life, and it is women that give life. As such the number nine is seen as the number of life and the number of the divine feminine. It gives all that it is attached to a strong feminine presence and is a day on which women may wish to give thanks for their gifts.