11 E’ 0 Nabe Mam – The Seating of the New Mam

The Seating of the New Mam is the moment that the Wayeb has ended, when the period of retreat has finished and we can emerge from our “cave” back into the real world. In some communities, this would be celebrated with feasting and drinking, welcoming in the new grandfather who will guide us through the next revolution of the sun.

This year is governed by the Mam . In addition to 11 E’ carrying the energy of the day, it is also carrying the energy of this new year. The properties and benefits brought by the nawal 11 E’ are discussed in my post for the day of 11 E’ here. The energy of this day is a representative of the energy which we will be living with for the whole year. The general feeling of this year should be about spontaneous movement, discovery and intuitively guided journeys. It has the potential to be a year of great adventure, but it may be that the movements may be very difficult to plan.

The new Mam may take a little while to settle in. This is usually the first 20 days. Whilst it is obvious that the “administration” has changed, it takes a little time for all the promises made in the campaign to be adhered to. Nothing in nature moves in a square wave, it is always a gentle transition more akin to a sine wave. This is the first light of dawn, the day is just beginning, but we are still experiencing a little of the cold of the night. It will not be until midday, the height of the cycle that we will experience the fullest expression of the energy of this year lord. We can expect that in around 140 days or so, 1 E (19th June 2023).

The last time we experienced a E’ year was 2019, which was the year 7 E’. That year could have been seen as coming to the end of the road with certain aspects of our lives, with it lasting from 20th February 2019 through to 19th February 2020. The path to the finish point, the top of the pyramid, then gives us a view of which path we would like to take next, which one we would choose. This time around we will be guided by the Mam 11 E’. I consider this to be the energy of the wanderer. Guided by intuition, it may result in snap decisions over changes of direction, or changes of path. This is a year which cannot be planned! E’ is a nawal of discovery, it encourages us to investigate and to embrace new experiences. When combined with the highly active and unpredictable energy of the number 11, we may not be aware where it is that our intuition is leading us, we just know we have to walk that path until our intuition tells us to change directions. The eventual outcome of the 11 is to put all the experiences we gather together in a masterpiece, but for now, it’s just a time to go with it, relax and enjoy the experience without attachment to knowing where you will be next week, next month or next year.

On a grander scheme of things, the cycle of the year bearers repeats every 52 years. Of course, we do not relive exactly the same experiences, but we may see similarities with the last time this year bearer was in office. That was the year 1971, when Mam 11 E’ would have taken his seat on the Gregorian day 4th March. This gives us the opportunity to understand how to engage with the benefits of, and avoid the errors committed during, the previous incarnation of the Mam 11 E’.  For some ideas on major events of 1971, please click here.

11 E’ (19th February 2023)

11 E'With both 11 and E’ representing the wanderer, today might feel both restless, and directionless. It is a day where energy and drive to explore is strong, as are the distractions along the path.

The strength of the number 11 may lead to some very impulsive urges on normal occasions, and when combined with the nawal E’ this could result in some rather randomised journeys. These are the days when you have a strong desire to turn down that road, the one that you have always wondered where it goes, but never travelled it. You could end up lost or delayed, although this is of little importance, you have to find out what is there. This may be in both the physical and metaphorical sense.

Whilst this energy does not give a great deal of focus, you may find that this random exploration gives rise to experiences or discoveries you had not considered before. In the cross of numbers, the number 11 leads to the number 6, and so it is possible that something that you find through your wanderings today helps to stabilise a greater plan in the future.

Planning your journey down to the last detail may prove a frustrating exercise as the plans may change as soon as they are made. This is the day on which “going with the flow” may be the only reasonable option.

Footprints
Footprints mark the road, from the Dresden Codex

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 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.