Monthly Archives: February 2022

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Ajmak (8th February 2022)

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12 AjmakThe energy of the day 12 Ajmak may give rise to some form of life review. You may find that your past experiences help you to understand how to bring the sweetness to life today.

When the day Ajmak is called during ceremony, it is referred to as the nawal of redemption and it is seen here combined with the number representing all of life’s experiences bundled together. This can be understood as having an energy of both redeeming and asking for redemption for the past in this lifetime. Every day, we hopefully grow a little wiser and understand our less-wise decisions and actions of the past. At the time we made those decisions, we often acted on the best information we had, with our best intentions. However, looking back the result may not have been a choice we would make now.

Today is a day about dropping past regrets, and helping others to drop theirs. It is a day to embrace yourself for all you are, and everything that has shaped you throughout your life, a day of acceptance of the human nature of us all. We can use our past experience to understand why others around us may have committed errors, perhaps they are errors we too have committed in our past. Understanding this can help us to forgive them and in turn help us to release any residual burdens we carry. Allow any bitterness about past events to leave so that the sweetness can come in.

I’m sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you 

I love you

When the creators fashioned the four first men, the Bacab’ob, they created them as equals. These four first humans had superhuman abilities, including the ability to see through space and time. As equals were not desired, the gods smoked the mirror of perception, giving us our human set of senses. When we lost the ability to see through time, we lost the ability to see the true consequences of our actions and thus we needed to start asking for forgiveness. Sometimes even well meaning actions can cause problems at a later date. Ajmak represents this ability to forgive others, the ability to forgive ourselves and the ability to accept forgiveness.

Ajmak is a sensual energy, which creates some of the reasons for its needing to be forgiven. It is kind and very lovable, but irresponsible. It can be a very talented energy, with great ideas. However it can also be very easily distracted, especially by anything that makes it feel nice. This often leads Ajmak to failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

The number 12 is the penultimate number. In some ways it can be seen as the last Earthly number, the number 13 representing the spirit world. We travelled through the mortal world with 1 through 6, then the other world with 7 through 12. In this way 12 can be seen as a point of bringing all of the experiences into one bundle for presentation to the spirit world as we step into 13. As such, the number 12 brings a wealth of experience into one place, it is rather like writing an autobiography. It is totality, all that is, brought together.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 Tz’ikin (7th February 2022)

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11 Tz'ikinThe vision given by the nawal Tz’ikin may be extremely strong today, but the high number 11 may lead to a lack of focus. This is a day to see the bigger picture in life.

“All that glisters is not gold,” but today the energy of Tz’ikin lead you to being be caught by many “shiny” distractions. These distractions may be new ideas, especially ones which lead to prosperity. Even if they are not of instant interest, they may be something to come back to later on, after all Tz’ikin is a visionary.

The energy of Tz’ikin is also extremely sociable, and while this can be very useful, it sometimes leads to a great deal of acquaintances without very much substance within the relationships. As Tz’ikin is known for its vocal ability, this gives rise to a great deal of chatter, although you may find something truly valuable within seemingly light conversation. Once again, the energy of the day suggests that today might be a very interesting day to meet new people who may become an important part of life further on in time.

This is a day of great potential, even if that potential is initially more confusing than immediately useful. This is not a day to focus on details, a breadth of vision may lead you to the eventual perfection of your ideas.

Bat Falcon sitting on top of Temple 216 at Yaxha. Photo by Mark Elmy

Nawal Tz’ikin is the nawal of prosperity, which sometimes seems odd to people seeking “higher knowledge”. It is not quite seen the same here. If your family is starving, you are more likely to fall off the good road, perhaps into dishonesty or criminal activity. By asking nawal Tz’ikin for prosperity in your life, you are more likely to be relaxed, to be able to help others and to be more constructive within your community. That is not to say that your own input of hard work will not be necessary, just that it is hard work that will pay off.

Tz’ikin has the ability to give visions, it helps people to see the bigger picture within life. It also helps people to focus on details. It has grand aspirations and helps people to rise to the top of their abilities, which of course brings them prosperity.

Just as Tz’ikin can focus, its broad vision can occasionally cause distraction. Sometimes, just when it is heading towards its goal it can be distracted by something “shiny.” This energy gives an ability to create great social networks, but sometimes spends too much time trying to maintain them.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 Ix (6th February 2022)

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10 IxToday sees the nawal representing the Mother Earth combining with the number representing community and cooperation, this is a day to join hands with those around you and show your gratitude to her.

Our environment suffers a great deal just through our existence. While many of us care about the planet we live on, we also have to deal with the issues created by those who don’t. However, we are not powerless, especially when we join together.

Industrialised societies tend to see the Earth as an inanimate source of material wealth. Non-industrialised societies see her as a living entity with whom we can interact, and she carries the nawal Ix. So, it is on Ix days that prayers are offered at her places, the shrines and altars, her ears, to ask for what we need in our world.

When we consider the spirit of Mother Earth, we realise that she just keeps on giving, keeping us alive. We throw trash, we live unsustainably, we keep taking. Ix days give us the opportunity to give back by showing that we care about her. Today in particular is a day to join forces with those close to you to make this happen, it’s a great day for a environmental community project. Perhaps you could show your gratitude by clearing up your village, by repairing some of the imbalances caused by humans.

The nawal Ix also helps us understand our potential – the “magic” that flows through us, our ability to engage with that higher side of existence. Showing gratitude to Mother Earth engages us with our true potential, and working with your community today may help remind you of the magical experiences that come through that channel. She will repay your efforts tenfold.

A dancing shaman transforms himself into a jaguar. From a late classic era vase found at Altar de Sacrificios. Source http://shortstreet.net/Maya/mayapaintedvases.htm

 

Ix is possibly the most feminine of the nawales. It represents the spirit of Mother Earth and could easily be seen as a Mayan representation of Gaia. Ix can be seen as a mothering energy, nurturing all things, but this should not be confused with weakness – the animal totem of Ix is the jaguar and it is as the jaguar that Ix is often known. The jaguar is, of course, powerful and stealthy. Ix also embodies these qualities. The jaguar is an animal of the night, slipping magically through the darkness, the spots of her back a representation of the milky way. She carries the sun on it’s nightly journey through the underworld.

The connection Ix has with the Earth gives it the ability to manifest material wealth. In the Mayan cross astrological configuration, Kame evolves to Ix. In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, the Hero Twins sacrificed themselves in the underworld (Kame) and then were resurrected as a pair of catfish, later to become travelling magicians (Ix.) They cut the heads off animals, then resurrected them, they even cut off each others heads and brought each other back to life. In these scenes they are shown with patches of jaguar skin on their clothing, a symbolism denoting that the wearer is a shaman. Thus through the symbolic death or sacrifice, the shamanic power emerges.

Whilst Ix has the power to engage with the magic of the Earth, it also has a tendency towards illness. This is particularly strong when the vain, ungrateful side of Ix emerges. The magic that runs through this nawal comes so easily, that sometimes it forgets that everything really comes from the Earth and it is to the Earth that we must show our gratitude. Ix is also the nawal of natural shrines and altars, the places where fire ceremonies are made to give thanks. A spirit of gratitude and humility keeps Ix healthy. Ix is of course deeply connected with the natural world and it is here that they find their wisdom, power and wealth. This is a day to give thanks, to remember gratitude, and a day to engage with your magic.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Aj (5th February 2022)

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9 AjToday we see a combination of masculine energy of Aj with the feminine energy of the number 9 bringing forward some very interesting and beneficial properties.

Aj represents a number of properties associated with the masculine energy within traditional societies. These include leadership, strength and courage, the typical qualities of the wise old grandfather. Today these qualities are combined with the number of the divine feminine, and of life itself. The energy of nawal Aj is seen as a benevolent and helpful energy, after all it represents the sustenance of society. When we take that energy in combination with the more feminine compassion and nurture from the number 9, it can be seen that this day has a very pleasant potential.

The number 9 also brings an independent streak. It represents the divine feminine and this energy is also strong, after all it is the representation of life itself. With this strength and independence combining with the nawal of the spinal column, this can be seen as a day where the energy supports you to stand up for yourself. The additional feminine properties of the nine soften this beautifully to give a compassionate, yet self assured energy. It is a day to nurture the leader within.

This is a day to look to the female leaders within your community, the mothers and the grandmothers, for their support and guidance. It is a day to engage both compassion and authority in leadership.

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 its 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.

Foliated crossThis 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. 

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 its people, that keeps everything in its 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 E’ (4th February 2022)

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8 E'E’ days are usually considered fortunate, especially when travel is involved and today it is combined with the number of wholeness. This could be a day where physical travel and life path become one.

This is the day of the sacred journey, the day of the pilgrimage. E’ is empowered by the strength, wisdom, spirit and abundance from the four directions in both the masculine and feminine aspects. It contains both the beginning and the end of the journey, representing the constant cycling of the path.

Today should be an excellent day to start a physical journey of special significance, the day of the ceremonial journey. It is a day to give thanks for all the experiences of your journey that have helped to enrich and inspire your mind, body and soul. It is also a day on which ceremonies are made to ask for the path ahead to be cleared from obstructions, to bring the smooth road for our journeys. In this way the days carrying the number 8 bridge the final energy of the 7 and the initialising energy of the 1, bringing together both past and future journeys.

It is from your journey that you derive your wisdom and your story, and it is these things that you can pass on to the next generation to help them along their life path. Today is a celebration of all we have learned in life.

 

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 its 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 its 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 number 8 is considered to be a number of wholeness. It can be seen as birth (1) and death (7) combined to represent the whole cycle of the soul. It can also be seen as the point where the four first men who raised the sky from the sea were joined by their wives and the world become whole. It is the most common day for ceremonies to be made, it is still in the balanced range of numbers and is an even number, which is also considered fortunate. As this wholeness represents every aspect of the energy of the day with which it is coupled, it is the wholeness of the nawal that is addressed in ceremony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

7 B’atz (3rd February 2022)

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7 B'atzThe finality represented by the number 7 is combined with the nawal representing creativity and gestation. Today is a day to put the finishing touches to your “weaving.”

The energy of the nawal B’atz bestows so much creative energy, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. It brings the ability to weave concepts together, and when combined with the number 7 these concepts could be from many different sources. It is as if the whole spectrum of colourful threads is at your disposal and you can see the beauty of each colour. The question will be which colour to choose. With B’atz representing the master artisan, it is unlikely that you would make the wrong choice. B’atz will help you to bring our the exquisite in your work, so it is time to choose which of these colours or concepts you will use to finish your creation.

Whether you are literally creating art, or apply the idea of weaving as a metaphor for life, today would seem to be a day to make some final choices about what you wish to weave into your creation. The day 7 B’atz is a great day to complete creative projects.

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

B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which 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, then of course 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.

It 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. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

Number Sequence.jpg
The sequence of numbers as they appear with each appearance of a nawal. Here we see that the sequence begins with 1 and ends with 7, giving 7 as a number of finality.

The number seven is the mid-point of the range of numbers. It is known as a number of death and endings, which would seem strange as it is only half way through. It is another representation of the change of state of the soul, showing half of the journey (1-6) in the mortal world and half (8-13) in the otherworld.

The numbers of the days set out as a pyramid.
The numbers of the days as they appear through the trecena. Here they can also be set out as a pyramid, reaching the peak is also the end of a journey.

If we imagine the numbers 1 through 13 as a pyramid, the number seven would be at the top. Seven is the number of balance, it gives the ability to weigh up situations and see all points of view. While this may be very noble, it may lead to indecision.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Tz’i (2nd February 2022)

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6 Tz'iWith the nawal Tz’i representing faith and loyalty and the number 6 representing stability, events of today may go some way to stabilising your faith in your world.

As the nawal of unconditional love, Tz’i has the potential to be one of the most altruistic. It is a friendly and helpful energy, which guides and accompanies us on our journeys. Tz’i is instinctual, which is why it sometimes gets into trouble, however, it is those instincts which can also bring out its best aspect. These are also the instincts which bring loyalty through the ability to see past the current surface issue and remain faithful.

Today brings the balanced and stable number 6 together with these qualities. Sometimes life brings moments when we wonder why we are putting our energy into a situation, why we continue to support particular people or ideas. Today can be a day when a wavering doubt becomes stabilised, when your ability to trust your instincts is confirmed. It is a day when your faith in life receives input from not just the physical properties of the four directions, but the divine properties of the Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Earth.

The legal aspect of Tz’i would also suggest that this is a favourable day for matters of justice and the law. The 6 brings a solid and dependable balance, suggesting  that legal matters may be resolved in to a stable outcome. The bridging of Heaven and Earth seen within the properties of the number 6 could result in the Earthly laws being stabilised with divine justice.

The number 6 also represents the family, and 6 Tz’i helps you to remember the qualities of  loyalty and unconditional love within your family. If your faith in life or trust in your instinct has been shaken, it may be stabilised today through interaction with your family.

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 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 neither too strong nor too weak. It is a day frequently used for ceremony thanks to its conducive energy. It represents the four directions with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth. It also represents family, relating to the six qualities that nourish and hold families together – health, understanding, property, employment, friendship and actions.

The cross at the top of the central hill, Paclom, in Momostenango. Paclom is known as "the six place" and the two armed cross represents the four directions combining with the Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This picture was taken on Wajxakib B'atz, February 2010.
The cross at the top of the central hill, Paclom, in Momostenango. Paclom is known as “the six place” and the two armed cross represents the four directions combining with the Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This picture was taken on Wajxakib B’atz, February 2010.