The strong and unpredictable nature of the nawal Iq’ is combined with the uncertain and unstable 3 today, which could cause some challenges today, particularly regarding communication and changes.

There are two ways of writing the numbers in ancient Maya glyphs. One is the dot and bar notation that you see above alongside the glyph for the nawal above. The other is the “god head” notation, where the numbers are denoted by the heads of various deities. Within this notation, the number 3 is denoted by the head of the wind god, and so we see that the day 3 Iq’ could be seen as double the potential of any other Iq’ day.

This extra power could again go either way, but whatever way it goes it is likely to be powerful. The obstructions often represented by the number 3 are connected with the nawal of communication making this a day with the potential for mixed messages to say the least. If you have anything important to communicate it would probably be best to wait for another day, as today your words may become jumbled. Whilst you might get your message across, the energy of today might even lead to your words being completely misinterpreted.

The most positive aspect would be that of divine inspiration, with words flowing like a river of flowers. You may be opening and closing your mouth, but the words may be from somewhere else. If you are looking for inspiring words today you may find that they come not from the outer world, but from your own inner voice.

It may be a day where you are inspired to make great changes, with the power of the wind god behind you. However, as the external application of the number 3 can be challenged, you may find the changes you wish to make in the world rather difficult to achieve today. Once again, the inner world is the place to make the changes, it is a day to make the changes within in order to affect external change. As the number 3 can represent the home, this would be a wonderful day to make these changes within your home. If there was ever a day for a “Spring clean”, this is it, allowing the breath of fresh air to cleanse the atmosphere of your home.

Solar Zenith

Here in Guatemala, at 15 degrees north of the equator, we experience this phenomenon two time per year. The Solar Zenith is when the Sun crosses the hypothetical North – South line (the Meridian) at 90 degrees. If you live outside of the tropics, you will be accustomed to the Sun being at its greatest height in the sky on the solstice (whether that’s in June in the Northern hemisphere or December in the Southern Hemisphere.) Here at 15 degrees North, we can add the Zenith into the mix. On August 13th and April 30th, the Sun will be directly overhead at solar noon, and we will experience what seems to be no shadow! Why is this so exciting? Well, between 13th August and 30th April is 260 days, and  between 30th April and 13th August is 105 days.  Some people have theorised the the sacred calendar may have been developed at this latitude due to this phenomenon.

Many Maya sites have structures that mark the zenith transit, often zenith tubes. One possible reason that the zenith transit was so important was because of the planting of maize. As the rainy season in Guatemala is imminent on 30th April, it is certainly a good time to make sure that the corn has been planted, the Zenith acting as a marker to show what could be seen as the final planting date to ensure the possibility to fit two corn harvests into one growing season. This maximises the productivity of the fields by attuning to the natural cycles, and when there is an abundance of food society prospers. The corn will take about 80 days to grow and ripen, and 80 days from 3 Iq’ (30th April) will take us to 5 Iq’ (19th July). This is a very interesting date as it is the date of the heliacal rise of the star Sirius. The heliacal rise of Sirius heralds the Canicula, the “dog days of summer”, which is a dry period in the middle of rainy season, usually lasting about 40 days. This year Canicula will end around 6 Iq’ (28th August) when the rains will come back again. This gives enough time to dry the corn, harvest and prepare the fields ready for planting, which should take place before the second solar zenith on 13th August (4 Kej).

I was talking with a researcher one time, and she suggested that the start date of the Maya solar year should be 13th August. We both had carried out some work on the names of the months of the Maya solar calendars and found correlations between natural phenomena and month names. The first month of the solar calendar is called Nabe Mam, meaning “the first season of the early aged”. What is said along with this is that corn planted in this time will struggle to reach its full maturity. Here in Guatemala, the rain becomes sporadic by the beginning of November and by mid November, we are often fully into dry season. The corn takes 105 days to grow, and 105 days from 13th August would be around the 26th November. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense to plant the last crop of corn before the second solar zenith transit. Maybe this is why it was deemed so important.

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.

Iq’ is the fourth of the classic Year Bearers, or Year Lords. It gives rise to unpredictable, strong years.

There are various myths about the creation which link with the number 3. One is that at the time of creation, three stone jumped out of the fireplace and formed the new world. These three stones are called the hearthstones, and are still seen in many Maya homes today, on the fire supporting the tortilla griddle. From an astronomical point of view, the stones are the stars Alnitak, Saiph and Rigel in the constellation we call Orion, and the Smoky Fireplace is the Great Orion Nebula (M42)

The number 3 is still in the low end of the range of numbers. It does not have much energy yet, and it is also an odd number. It can represent the home, relating to the three hearthstones laid by the creators, and this is probably a good focus for a 3 day. However, it is possibly the most troublesome of the numbers to deal with, it lacks stability and represents challenges and obstructions. The number three brings up internal/external dilemma. The lack of stability in the physical, external world that it brings suggests that the more appropriate action is to look to the internal world, both of the home and of yourself.

The number 3 is still in the low end of the range of numbers. It does not have much energy yet, and it is also an odd number. It is possibly the most troublesome of the numbers to deal with, it lacks stability. It can represent the home, relating to the three hearthstones laid by the creators, and this is probably a good focus for a 3 day.