The energy of today suggests that putting some extra effort into a new project will pay off. However, it might be more work than you expected. A little hard work gets things moving.

When you dream of a new idea or a solution, you might dream of the result rather than the steps towards it. You wake up with a general idea of the direction to move in, but then you have to work out the details of the preliminary moves. This is where Aq´ab´al comes in, helping to turn the dream into a concept that you can ground into reality. You know from the twilight, that the new light is coming, you just have to figure out your way to get to it. Today, the light is not coming to you. If you want to experience it you have to put in the work to get to it.

The energy of this day is the energy of the project initiator. It pulls together all the essential elements into the right place, at the right time, to move towards the goal. It provides the drive and determination to achieve the dream. However, sometimes the work put in may be to the detriment of other relationships. Sometimes the concept looks straightforward, but when you start work you realise it will take more effort than you originally envisaged. You might find yourself so absorbed into a new project that you forget what else is going on around you, or end up working later than usual. That is not to say that the work will not be rewarding, just that imbalance may occur.

The Nawal Aq’ab’al

The word aq’ab is translated as dark. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, alluding transtition and the dawning of the day. It is the time between darkness and light, night and day. Probably our best way to translate it would be as twilight. Birth is the beginning of the mortal journey. Aq’ab’al is just the beginning of the day and of things which are not yet fully formed.

In Santiago Atitlan one day, a friend explained to me the different parts of a weaving 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. 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. The design has passed from being just an idea, to the beginnings of a woven reality. Thus, concept 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. Also it is a perfect day for starting new projects. It is the time to bring them into the world of light from the world of dreams and ideas.

The Number Five

The Sacred Mayan calendar is said to be a calendar of human life. It can be seen as a microcosm of the human body. The number five is one of these parts. It is representative of the hand with its five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn we pay our debts. Five is also a number that relates to the sacred fire where we pay our debts with offerings and prayers. Five might be so busy working that it fails to remember what it is working for. It can also signify that what it is attached to becomes work, or is “hard work”.

Today may show some stark contrasts between the light and dark sides of our path. The hero may have to draw on both sides to overcome the challenges.

The number 2 represents duality. As humans, we judge what is around us and discern between what we consider to be “right” and “wrong”. However, all of creation came from unity and oneness. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the divine plan in all things. The energy of the combination 2 Ajpu helps us to understand the bigger plan. In turn, we see that behind our judgments, there is a longer-term plan in motion.

For instance, certain situations may seem “wrong” in many people’s eyes. However, this can push people to make a choice when they wouldn’t have otherwise. In this way, duality helps to evolve our higher aspect by bringing out our inner hero to confront the shadow.

It’s also a day to find the divine within your relationship and remember what you love about your partner. The energy of the nawal Ajpu sends us on a quest for the divine in the physical world and helps us see the love put into the world.

The trecena of Kawok is birthing us into our new world. Here we see with the wonder of a newborn, marvelling at the beauty of the world around us. This beauty may be enhanced by the choice of another soul to share that journey with us. We are choosing to see the divinity in duality, to embrace and celebrate our differences as part of the one.

The Nawal Ajpu

Nawal Ajpu is once again a nawal with a multitude of meanings and translations. In the Yucatec language it is known as Ahau, in Kiche is is also known as Junajpu. These are variously translated as lord, hunter, blow gunner, flower and sun. Each one of the translations has its merits, and represents an aspect of this auspicious nawal.

Within the ancient Mayan society, the royals were not just political leaders of their particular city-states, they were priest-kings and priest-queens. They served as the conduit to the divine, deriving their wisdom for guiding their people through their connection with the Hearts of the Earth and the Sky. This wisdom enriched both the ruling dynasty and their people, as they would be working in harmony with the gods. The ruler of the city was also the physical embodiment of the divine, and Ajpu is closely related to this. Likewise it represents our potential, the state of divinity to which we may aspire.

Ajpu represents the holiness in life, the divinity in the physical world, and our search for it. It is the search for underlying meaning, understanding that each person is a part of the whole. Whether we like it or not, and however we judge it, we are all a part of creation.

Every action of ourselves and others gives an opportunity to explore ourselves and our reaction. Sometimes we are attracted, sometimes repelled by the action of others. Occasionally Ajpu can lead us to become immersed in the other world, to lose sight of reality. It is important to remember to stay in touch with the Earth as we reach to the Sky.

The Number Two

The number 2 is representative of duality, of polarity. Although a low number, it has surprising strength. 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.