Monthly Archives: June 2022

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

2 Toj (21st June 2022) – Solstice

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2 TojIf there was ever a day of selfless acts it would be 2 Toj, as both Toj and energy of the number 2 have elements of self sacrifice. Whilst Toj implies payment on behalf of the community, the 2 particularly highlights relationships.

The nawal Toj can act as a barometer of our energy. If we fall out of harmony, within our family, relationships and community, it is sometimes the nawal Toj which brings us a message in the form of an illness to remind us that we have debts to pay. These debts may be a stagnation of energy, where we have taken something without exchange, and may be resolved through simple acts within our community which keep us healthy and keep the cycle of energy moving. In this way, Toj can be seen as one kind of healing day, where that healing may be effected through our selfless actions, or through our offerings within ceremony.

The number two can highlight polarities, in one way representing relationships, but in another, also drawing on polar aspects of the nawal it is attached to. This generally makes the days carrying the number 2 stronger than would be expected. The polarities of Toj may be both paying back, and collecting debts. Collection of debts may not be the most pleasant of activities, but it allows others a channel to bring themselves back into balance. This could be a day to remind others of what may be owed, as well as paying back our own debts. We keep the wheel of energy turning and as a result keep ourselves healthy.

On the most pleasant side of this energy, it could be a great day to spend time doing something special on behalf of someone you love, especially if you need to restore balance in a relationship. That said, especially today, random acts of kindness towards your family, community or even complete strangers may go a long way to paying off any karmic debt you might have incurred. If in doubt, give freely and unconditionally, even if the recipient is unaware of your actions.

To help the people of San Pablo la Laguna, please follow this link https://odimguatemala.networkforgood.com/…/96314-crisis-cam…

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 2 is representative of duality, of polarity. Although it is a low number it has surprising strength as it is said to be able to call upon both aspects or polarities of what it is attached to. It is said to be the number of lovers, it signifies relationships and self-sacrifice. Whilst it can lend itself to mediation, seeing both sides of the story, it also can be indecisive.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Video – The Trecena of Q’anil (20th June – 2nd July 2022)

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The trecena of Q’anil can be seen as the final trecena of our current evolutionary cycle. It gives us the opportunity to plant the seeds we wish to mature as we move into the new dream of the coming cycle, and begin the final ripening which takes us up to the next level.

To donate to ODIM, as mentioned in the video and help the people of San Pablo and San Juan la Laguna, please follow this link https://tinyurl.com/yb4l3rux

If you are the more technically minded I have created a plugin for Google calendar which will enable you to track the days of the sacred calendar on your smartphone. I am currently updating it so that it will also give a summary of the energy of the day. In this way you can ensure that your activities are aligned to the most conducive energies! It is available for purchase here.

I’ll be running a Maya Astrology workshop from 18th – 22nd July from 10am -2pm. This workshop will be limited to six participants and will be over Zoom. For more information on the scope of the workshop, please follow this link https://thefourpillars.net/?page_id=1120

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

1 Q’anil (20th June 2022)

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1 Q'anilThe nawal of ripening combines with the number of novelty to begin a new trecena today. This brings a window of opportunity to ripen your crops and projects, to bring them to abundant brilliance.

It could be said that both the number 1 and the nawal Q’anil have some very strong links to seeds. The glyph for the nawal Q’anil is often drawn in sugar on the ceremonial fireplace, regardless of the day, as the foundation for the sacred fire. It is the seed that we put onto the Earth. The seed represents both the beginning and the end, it is from which the plant grows, and what the plant ultimately leaves behind. It represents the whole cycle of life, from birth to death,  and what happens in between, day by day, is maturing. The seed is the ultimate goal of the ripening process, passing on the spark of life to the next generation. Of course, days carrying the number 1 are often the beginning of a process, and here that process is the payback for the hard work, the maturing process bringing with it the abundance reaped from the harvest. This is the beginning of the multiplication of the seed, where one planted seed becomes many offspring.

This is the day to begin to bring things to their final state. If there are projects that just need a little more input to finish, this is certainly a day to make them, although the following 12 days may also carry a similar energy. It can also be seen as planting the new seed to be harvested in the future, or even preparing the ground for a future project.

Another way to look at this cycle is through the cycle of ceremonies. Ceremonies are often performed on the “1” day, the first day of the trecena. They are also often performed 20 days later on the “8” day of the same nawal. The day 1 Q’anil sets up a 20 day path to the day 8 Q’anil, the day where we give thanks for our ripening, for our crops and our abundant harvest. During ceremonies, I am often calling on the energy of each of the other 19 nawales to bring its properties to the process which is associated with the nawal of the “1” day. For example, the 20 day period which begins 1 Q’anil will end on the day 7 Kej. So I might ask that nawal Toj blesses the maturing crop with good health in return for an offering, or that the nawal B’atz brings its creative genius to the ripening process, and so on until I have invoked all 19 of the other nawales, and reached the nawal Kej. This is like energetically weaving a path, and asking for the support of each of the nawales along that path. Of course, during this time another path will start, the trecena of 1 Imox will start during the 20 day period between 1 Q’anil and 8 Q’anil. There is always more than one path occurring at any time. The 20 days from 8 Q’anil (celebration of ripening) will take us to 1 Kej (new connection to the natural world), again laying an energetic path to take us to next line of the weaving we are creating.

Therefore, the day 1 Q’anil can be seen as the beginning of the finalisation of our projects, a time when that which we have been patiently tending is getting close to the point where we can reap our abundance from it. It can also be seen as the day on which we plant the new seeds that we wish to bring to maturity, as a time when you may introduce a new brilliance into your life, the seed of an idea that allows you to truly shine.

The beginning of the ripening, the true beauty is coming - by Mark Elmy
The beginning of the ripening, the true beauty is coming – by Mark Elmy

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 1 is representative of the seed, of unity. It represents birth and beginnings. It is a low and odd number, which usually represents something challenging. However, the seed can grow into a mighty tree, it is full of potential. It just needs the correct nutrients and conditions to germinate and develop, just as sometimes we need encouragement to develop our ideas.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 Kej (19th June 2022)

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13 KejThe combination of the nawal Kej representing strength with the number 13 can bring about an extremely powerful day. This is a day of strengthening from the spirit of the natural world.

Kej can have the tendency to ride roughshod over anything or anyone that stands in its way, and today it has the power of the spirit world behind it. It can be a great day for achieving your goals, although remember to exercise temperance when dealing with those who you may perceive as obstructing your path. A little force goes a long way today.

That said the other aspect of this day can be truly enlightening. The connection of Kej to the wilderness and the strength of spirit in 13 could give rise to an epiphany should you choose to connect with nature today. It is a day to find your answers during a walk in the woods, to energise yourself in the life force of the natural world, as the otherworld provides a bridge through the wilderness.

This day, 13 Kej, represents the beginning of a new month within the solar calendar, the month of Rukab’ Pach, translated as the second season of hen hatching. It marks the time of the year in the northern hemisphere, where the sun is present for the longest period, the growing season is at its greatest potential. Sometimes we can look as cycles as learning and then implementation, often the first or upwards part can be the learning part. If we apply this to the idea of the year lords, perhaps it is the first 140 days that we are learning to adjust to the energy of the new Mam, and here we have reached the pinnacle. It is time to “hatch out” the lesson and use the fullness of the solar energy to propel us forward in our new work.

Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex
Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex

Kej is possibly the strongest of the nawales, it is powerful, but in a different way to Kan. Kej is energetic, lively and determined. It is the nawal of nature, of the wilderness and it is this power that it draws on. The animal totem of Kej is the deer, but if you have fragile, new-born Bambi in mind, think again. This is the majestic stag, standing on the mountain surveying his domain. Whilst most nawales are not necessarily engendered, Kej is most definitely masculine. Both men and women that carry Kej as their nawal have great strength, although the men tend to hide their strength more. Kej women are particularly driven, resourceful and brave, sometimes to the point of being rather dominant. All radiate an aura of nobility, people tend to look to them to lead.

Kej is the nawal of the Mayan “religion”, a day of spiritual leaders, of shaman and of priests. It is these leaders who understand how to read the messages from the natural world, who help to keep our existence in balance with nature. It is a day to connect with the wilderness and draw the power of the natural world into you, to harmonise and replenish.

The number 13 is the final number on the pyramid. It represents the spirit world. It is said that on Halloween, the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. However within the sacred calendar, this thinning happens every 13 days. This connection with the spirit world creates a powerful day, where both the positive and negative aspects of the nawal it is attached to come through strongly. It is a very good day for activities such as divination, however, ceremonies on 13 days are generally only carried out by the most experienced Aj Q’ij who understand how to work with that strength of energy.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Kame (18th June 2022)

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12 KameToday, 12 Kame, may bring the possibility of a great transformation in life. It is possible that the reason for many life experiences will suddenly fall into place today.

The energy of the nawal Kame helps us to face the greatest challenges on our lives, sometimes even provoking us to do so. Facing these trials promotes our development, we have two options, we either tackle the issue or we avoid it. If we avoid it we are really just postponing the inevitable, it will come around again, perhaps next time we will have the strength or understanding to deal with it. Of course the other option is to take a breath, summon our courage and face the adversity head on, embracing that which frightens us and overcoming it. Doing so helps us to progress on more than just the physical level, this can provoke profound change. Today, we see this energy combined with the number 12, representing the bundling together of life’s experiences.

Facing our challenges will always be a noble exploit, but doing so without preparation would be foolhardy. The energy of 12 Kame allows us to reflect on all that we have learned through life and all we have been taught, to understand how these have helped us to transform ourselves. In this way we can enter the trials with confidence and understanding, knowing the way to overcome each obstacle in our path. This parallels the story of the hero twins, Junajpu and Xbalanque in the Popol Vuh. Their father, Jun Junajpu and uncle, Wucub Junajpu descended to the underworld, Xibalba, having been summoned by the Lords of Death. They were unprepared and failed the challenges set for them. Junajpu and Xbalanque, however, used their experience and understanding to overcome each challenge set for them, eventually evolving through their own sacrifice into a higher state of being.

Therefore, today is a day to gather the experience and understanding you have gained through life and apply them to the obstacles in your path. It is a day to go fearlessly, but wisely, into your challenges and transform yourself towards your higher state.

Kame relates to death, which often makes people nervous. However, this nawal is seen as an extremely positive day. Birth is the gateway into the mortal life, death the gateway into the eternal. In many shamanistic traditions, the initiate goes through several death experiences during training. This can be through the use of particular herbs, or sometimes through accident or illness. In these experiences the density of the mortal realm falls away and the greater understanding emerges. It can often be described as a spiritual transformation. In the Popul Vuh, the Mayan book of creation, the Hero Twins descend to the underworld, Xibalba, to confront the Lords of Death. They pass the many challenges set for them, but eventually end up being tricked by the Lord of Death. Instead of giving in, the Hero Twins choose to sacrifice themselves. They give instructions to a pair of seers to convince the Lords of Death to grind the Twins’ bones to dust and throw the dust in the river. Everything went according to plan and five days later the twins appeared as catfish in the river, then transformed into vagabond “magicians”. In this way we see a literal transformation from the crusader (Tijax) through death (Kame) to the higher self (Ix). This is the potential of the Kame day, to face ones fears and attain a higher perspective, to advance the journey of your soul. This is also a day to remember your ancestors and friends that have passed into the other realm, to remember what they taught you, and to thank them for their wisdom that helped you to grow.

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 Kan (17th June 2022)

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11 KanToday sees the energy of the powerful and wise nawal Kan combined with the strong, meandering energy of the number 11. This is a day where the importance of correctly directing your energy may be highlighted.

11 Kan is a high numbered, and therefore high powered, day combined with a powerful nawal. So much power without definite direction can cause big problems. It is an unpredictable day, when surprising, powerful events may happen. It is possible that these events will eventually bring wisdom, although they may also cause damage along the way. Imagine a bottle rocket without the stick to balance it. It can fly off in any direction without warning, but with a great deal of force. Whilst it may be difficult to focus, it is essential to set a firm direction and put your energy into that. That way it is possible that you can truly derive the wisdom from the day rather than be carried along on the wild ride. If you happen to see the rocket heading in your direction, don’t wait around to see what happens, get out of the way.

Lady Xoc pierces her tongue and receives wisdom for her people from her ancestor emerging from the mouth of the vision serpent. From http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/maya-lintels.htm
Lady Xoc pierces her tongue and receives wisdom for her people from her ancestor emerging from the mouth of the vision serpent. From http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/maya-lintels.htm

Kan is one of the more powerful nawales and it represents just that – power. It is connected to serpents, and serpent symbolism 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 its most positive aspect, the energy of Kan brings great wisdom; in its 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 its power, and a very sexy power it is too, holding its prey in an almost hypnotic grip with its 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.

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 K’at (16th June 2022)

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10 K'atThe 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, which could result in abundance for all.

There is a certain image that comes with this combination of number and nawal for me, and that is a community coming together to bring in the harvest. The time to gather is here and leaving the crop in the field could cause some of it to be lost. Bringing together a task force of your nearest and dearest to help you complete this work brings benefit to 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 may well bring you 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, and here we can see it in combination with the number which represents society. Whilst living up to the commitments you have made to your community, you may find yourself over burdened. It is important to pace yourself today as you might become over-committed, leaving little time or energy to take care of 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 the society around you. Are there certain parts of your social network 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 of it 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.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, 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, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions 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.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’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.

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 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 Aq’ab’al (15th June 2022)

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9 Aq'ab'alThe day 9 Aq’ab’al can be seen as a very special day indeed. It can be seen as bringing dreams to life, creating a new concept which becomes an important part of your life.

Today we see an interesting progression, all within the trecena of Tz’ikin, the trecena of the new vision. Two days ago, 7 Imox brought us the multitude of possibilities, of dreams, to choose from. Yesterday, on 8 Iq’, we breathed life into those dreams and today the dream begins to make a transition into the physical world. This day of conception can be seen as the planting of the seed of new life. This might not be the day on which you start a new life, or make a massive change regarding your life path, but it is a very strong day to start the ball rolling towards a change which will take effect in the future. It is still hidden in the darkness, but it’s passage towards the light of reality has begun.

 

In the K’iche language, the word aq’ab means night. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, to hint at change and alludes to the dawning of the day, the time between darkness and light, night and day. Just as birth is the beginning of the mortal journey, Aq’ab’al is the beginning of the day, although the detail of the day may still be obscured. Aq’ab’al is representative of new things, things which are not yet fully formed. While in Santiago Atitlan one day, a friend explained to me the different parts of a weaving in process 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, and 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. Thus, the design has passed from being just an idea, to the beginnings of a woven reality, although it still 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. It is also a perfect day for starting new projects, or at least bringing them into the world of light from the world of dreams and ideas.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

An update to my Google calendar plugin

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As many of you are aware, in 2017 I created a Google calendar plugin, so that you can see the days of the Chol Q’ij on the calendar you carry with you on your phone or tablet, as well as on your pc. The calendar goes on indefinitely, although it does not go back beyond 2017.

It was a rather laborious task to create the plugin, yet I always wanted to develop the idea further. Today I started that development. I am now beginning to add a text of my interpretation of the energy of each day to the calendar. It is a work in progress, and will be completed over the next few months. For those of you who have already bought the plugin, you can click on the name of the day on the calendar and it should open another window with the text (as you can see from this screenshot)

If you haven’t already checked out the plugin and think that it might make a useful addition to your phone, you can find more information about it here https://thefourpillars.net/?page_id=4420

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Iq’ (14th June 2022)

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8 IqThe nawal Iq’ governs communication and change and today it is combined with the number of wholeness, the number 8. The words of the young combine with those of the old to bring the complete message.

The eighth day of the trecena is the most widely recognised day of ceremony, and the ceremonies today are to give thanks for the many qualities attributed to the nawal Iq’. First and foremost, they are for the breath of life. As this wind fills our lungs we live and we move, the continual change from inhale to exhale representing life itself. In some ways, we can see life as a constant state of change and when change stops, so does life. It is the nawal Iq’ which breathes life into us. Therefore, in many ways, the celebration of nawal Iq’ is a celebration of life itself. It is also a day to recognise what the passing of the breath of life through our throats brings, that is communication. Iq’ days are wordy days, days to receive and transmit messages, especially when they are of deeper meaning. These are days when your words are empowered by the divine breath, sometimes you might not even recognise the words you utter. They are messages for others, not from you but through you. These messages bring change and therefore life, and today is a day to show gratitude for them.

The day 8 Iq’ can be seen as a day of communication, where inspiration may come to you in a truly useful, practical way. It can also be a day where challenging subjects that need to be discussed can be communicated in such a way that the point gets across without conflict. Changes might happen, but they happen with a particular grace and ease that helps to embrace life rather than turn it upside down. The effect of these changes will wholly depend on your attitude towards them.

Wind God 1

Nawal Iq’ is another strong nawal. It represents communication and particularly divine inspiration. It is the wind, the breath of life, that which brings the change in seasons.

The communication brought by Iq’ can be enlightening and inspiring. It is the breath of the divine which flows through us all, in fact the word for soul is Saq Iq’ – white breath. When our breath stops, our divine essence leaves our physical body. When we engage ourselves with the divine breath we are able to create, to manifest with our words, to inspire those around us. However, Iq’ also has a destructive side. It has the ability to blow like a hurricane and may level everything before it. It is the angry words which cut down everything in their path.

Hurricane is one of the few English words which is actually derived from a Mayan word- Junrakan, meaning “one footed”. Junrakan is another name for the Heart of the Sky, one of the creator deities. Once again it seems that certain patterns follow through the sequence of the nawales which are interrelated. Imox, the female creative principle, or egg, is fertilised be Iq’, the male principle. Their combination results in Aq’ab’al, the conception and a change in the state, bringing the dream into reality.

Iq’ is a day of communication, a day of inspiration. It can be a great day to express yourself through written or particularly verbal means. It is also a day on which changes happen. You can either embrace those changes or resist them, but be aware that the wind blows forcefully and resistance of change requires a great deal of energy. Embracing change helps you to learn to dance like a leaf in the wind.

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.