Monthly Archives: February 2023

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Aj (20th February 2023)

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12 AjThe energy of the nawal Aj is associated with the home and leadership within the community. Today it associates with the energy of the number 12, bringing your life experience to support those around you.

The nawal Aj brings with it a solid and dependable energy, it is helpful and supportive. As the nawal of the spinal column, it can be seen as the one which holds everything together, keeping everything in its rightful place. It holds the person straight and channels the energy of communication from above and below. We also use the the word backbone to represent honour, integrity and courage to do the right thing, all of which can be summed up in the energy of Aj.

The day 12 Aj can be seen as a day on which you draw on all of your life experience in order to nourish your community, your family and your home. Your past experiences can bring you strength and courage, and help you to stand up for what is right should you need to. They also provide examples that you can pass on to others within your community to help them to grow. This is a day where your life experience clearly shows you how to do the right thing, and how to support those around you, bringing harmony into both home and community.

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 it’s 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.

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

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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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 E’ (19th February 2023)

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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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 B’atz (18th February 2023)

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10 B'atzThere 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.

10 B’atz is one of these days, the combination giving the ability to create something beautiful within your community, and perhaps more so, 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.

Whether it is a social event, or community project, today is a day when the creative juices should be flowing for everyone. A collective which gathers with the intention of creating something beautiful should be particularly successful today, and will 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!

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

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz. 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.

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

10 B’atz 4 Wayeb – The Final Day of Wayeb

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The fifth day of Wayeb completes these days of introspection and retreat. In some ways, whilst this is the day when we can see the dawn of the new year coming, it may also be the most difficult day. It is the day when we start the process to emerge from the chrysalis.

There may be a crystallisation of the process which has been taking place though the days of Wayeb. Here it is combined with the auspicious day of 10 B’atz, the day of community arts. This is a wonderful day to be making any artform with your community. Community arts festivals would be highly signified by this day, even though it is in Wayeb. Perhaps the crystalisation of the process is the beauty which comes out when we come together as a community to combine our creative forces. What a wonderful way to bid farewell to the Mam 10 Kej and welcome teh Mam 11 E’.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Tz’i (17th February 2023)

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9 Tz'i

Whilst the nawal Tz’i may have a colourful reputation, it also encompasses some of the most desirable traits we can exhibit. It is an energy of faith, loyalty, justice and guidance. Today all of those traits are brought into focus with the energy of the number 9, the energy of life and particularly the feminine aspects of it. As we move through this trecena of Iq’, highlighting changes and communication, this is a day to seek out guidance for your life path, which may come especially from women.

The day 9 Tz’i can be seen as a day about having faith in life. Sometimes in order to strengthen that faith, it may be tested. It is a day of loyalty to the women in your life and a day to show your unconditional love for them. It may also be a day to seek justice, particularly for women or issues affecting them.

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 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, but be aware that your loyalty may be tested by temptation.

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

9 Tz’i 3 Wayeb – The Fourth Day of Wayeb

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The fourth day of introspection during the Wayeb is associated with definition, and in this solar cycle it is combined with the energy of a day which has some very profound meanings.

We have passed through the three previous days and identified where we are. This time has you helped to identify your strengths and your weaknesses, and asked of you to accept all this as a part of who you are.  Now with the experience, knowledge and understanding of yourself, it is time to start charting your course for the coming year of 11 E’.

The day 9 Tz’i is a very interesting day, especially highlighting faith in life. As we have passed through the year 10 Kej, no doubt our faith has taken a few knocks. Maybe we have been tempted by our vices, especially the ones we have carried through our lives. Each of these moments could be seen as a test. Perhaps in our reflection today, we could consider the moments when our faith in our life path has faltered, or when we have succumbed to familiar vices. As we venture into the intrepid exploratory year of 11 E’, we will need to carry our faith with us, and of course, walk this bold path in a spirit of unconditional love. It is a perfect day to ask for a guide or guardian to accompany us on our journey ahead.

Another representation of Pawahtuun, the god of the Wayeb, this time from the Paris Codex. From http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/codex/page6.html

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Toj 2 Wayeb – The Third Day of Wayeb

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The third day of Wayeb focuses on acceptance. When we combine this with the day 8 Toj, we can understand that it can be about accepting any debts we need to be cleared in order to move forwards.

8 Toj is a highly ceremonial day, and here falling in Wayeb is particularly interesting. 8 Toj could be seen as the ceremony of ceremony. It is a great day to make a ceremony to clear all debts, but here in the middle of Wayeb we can see it as really clearing out any lingering energies from the year 10 Kej. It is a great day to be finalising any payments so that you can move into the next solar year free of any burdens. As the third day of Wayeb represents acceptance, this could signify that maybe some of these debts may be things you didn’t want to accept. Maybe you feel that there are things which are not “officially” your responsibility to pay, but you can see the benefit to all should someone step in and pay them. This could be an excellent opportunity to create some goodwill before we move into the energy of the new solar year.

Pawahtuun2

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Toj (16th February 2023)

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8 TojThe day 8 Toj is one of the most important days of ceremony, with the nawal Toj representing the fire ceremony itself. This is a day to make your payments in order to sustain life and good health.

Life proceeds through energetic interactions. We consume energy in one form or another and then we return it, often in a different form. Even when it comes down to the air we breathe or the water we drink, there is some form of exchange going on. To come to a state of harmony within the world that we live, balance must be achieved. In this modern world, sometimes we defer these debts, whether they are financial or not. We take something, often with the intention of resolving the imbalance as soon as we can, but then end up forgetting these debts, especially the small. Individually this is not always too much of a problem,we can proceed with a small imbalance, but many small items eventually cause us to fall out of harmony. This in turn may lead to a state of disease and an illness may occur.

Toj days remind us to keep our promises, to make our payments in whatever form they might take. They might be physical or financial, or they might be words of gratitude, whether to our physical providers or to our environment. These simple acts help to keep us healthy, it is in our own interests to make these exchanges, to return what we have used.

The day 8 Toj is a day about resolving all debts in whatever form they take. It can be a day when we ceremonially make offerings to the fire on behalf of ourselves and our families. It is a day on which we can make a payment for future goodwill, by acting in service to our community. If there was ever a day to do a good deed, it is today, although don’t expect to be thanked for it. The reward will come in its own time.

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

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 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 Q’anil (15th February 2023)

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7 Q'anilThe day 7 Q’anil can be seen as an excellent day to bring a project to completion. It is the perfection of ripeness at the point of balance, the point of transition. Creativity has reached a pinnacle and has presented an opportunity to reap abundance.

There may be a hint of indecision over whether the time is right or not, whether a little more time may lead to greater abundance. In this case it is likely that the peak has been reached and the final ripening has happened. If Q’anil is the bright light, it has reached the highest point in the sky and now may begin to recede. Indecision should be avoided if possible.

Whether you choose to work in the garden, or on a creative project, the energy of 7 Q’anil may help you to finish perfectly. However, as the creative energy flows, try to keep focused on one thing at a time.

 

Q’anil represents the ripening of the seed, the crop coming to maturity. The Kiché word Q’an means yellow, and the -il suffix is rather like the English -ing. Q’anil represents the golden head of maize at it’s 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, it’s 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 it’s talent – sometimes a little too much. Q’anil is prone to overindulge in the sensual, in particular with regards to intoxication.

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.