9 Kej (29th February 2024)

28th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The combination of the feminine number 9 with Kej can result in a perfect balance of masculine and feminine energies. It should give rise to an excellent day for the empowerment of women.

There are some combinations where the properties of the nawal and the number reinforce each other. For example, with 4 Kej, 5 Toj or 12 K’at, the meanings of the nawales and numbers are very similar. The day 9 Kej is interesting for the reason of the nawal and number carrying the energy of opposites. Kej can be seen as being one of the most masculine of the nawales, representing “traditionally” masculine traits. Today this is combined with the number 9, the most feminine of numbers. This creates a combination whereby those “masculine” traits may be especially prevalent in women. It can result in a perfect balance of masculine and feminine energies.

Today a possibly more familiar archetype is that of the forest huntress. She is the strong, empowered, independent woman, deeply connected with the forest and the divine. It can also be seen as the day of the High Priestess, the female spiritual leader. With that in mind, it would be an excellent day to seek counsel from women in your life.

Be aware that the strength of Kej does sometimes create rather domineering situations. This could potentially create some conflict within groups of women.

Feminine empowerment is to be found in the wilderness today. Take a walk in the forest and allow the inspiration of the natural world to remind you of your true strength and divinity. From the masculine side, this is an empowering day where nature reminds you of strength through compassion. Today brings a balance between the masculine and feminine energies, all can benefit from the union of the polarities.

The Nawal Kej

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 Nine

The number nine 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. It is a day on which women may wish to give thanks for their gifts.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Kame (28th February 2024)

27th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

As the days go, there can hardly be a more representative energy of the cycle of life and possibly the cycle of the soul. Ceremonies are made to honour the ancestors today, those who are walking their path in the other world.

Today we remember our ancestors. We are here because of them, we carry their DNA forwards. They taught us things both through their actions and their words. It is for all of these things that we thank our ancestors, we show our love, and we keep their names alive. We hold them in our hearts, and in our memories they live on. This is a day to embrace joy and allow Kame to burn away our grief.

The number 8 can be seen to represent birth (1) and death (7) brought together. Combined here with Kame, the nawal of transformation, this day strongly represents the turning of the wheel of life. It is not just the physical death of the body. Every change we go through is a death or end of something. Even birth is the end of a cycle of gestation. It is the beginning of parenthood, and the beginning of a new life. This is a day to celebrate those changes.

It is a day when we embrace the changes which happen through the emergence of the new (1) and the death of the old (7) all together in one place. In this Kawok trecena, as we go through our rebirth process, today is the changing point where we become that which our process has brought us to, we step through the veil into our new self.

Nawal Kame

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. They 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 Eight

The number 8 is considered to be several wholeness. It can be seen as birth (1) and death (7) combined to represent the whole cycle of the soul. Also, it can 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 became whole. The eighth day of the trecena is the most common day for ceremonies to be made. Therefore, it is still in the balanced range of numbers and is an even number, which is also considered fortunate. 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 the ceremony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Calendar Page – March 2024

26th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Here’s a quick link to direct you to the March 2024 calendar page. As usual, you can see the days of the Chol Q’ij plotted onto the Gregorian month and the major astronomical events of the month! Click here to navigate to the page.

12 No’j / 2024 Calendar

My 12 No’j (2024) calendar is now available. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar. This year it is available electronically as a PDF in both English and Spanish. Printed versions, in English, are available locally here in Guatemala, from Palo Santo and Lava Love Cacao in San Marcos. It is also available at the candle shop of Nana Maria Feliciana, opposite Banrural in San Juan la Laguna. See this link for details on how to get your pdf.

Google Calendar Plugin

For the more technically minded I have also created a plugin for Google Calendar. This enables you to track the days of the sacred calendar on your smartphone. Thus, you can ensure that your activities are aligned to the most conducive energies! I have also added a description to every day, just click on the day name. It is available for purchase here.

Calendar Workshop

If you would like to dive deeper into the sacred calendar, I will be running a workshop via Zoom from 10 am – 2 pm (Guatemala Time, UTC -6) from 1st – 5th April 2024. There are currently some spaces available. For more information, please go to https://thefourpillars.net/?page_id=1120

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

7 Kan (27th February 2024)

26th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

How will you choose to engage your power? Today you may have to choose between the self-serving side and the selfless side of Kan.

The energy that flows through us brings us power, how we choose to use power is up to us. Today’s energy suggests that whatever we have been using it for will finally reveal its wisdom to us. If we were using it to heal and connect our community, it may reveal one type of wisdom. If we have been using its power to manipulate and distract, it may reveal a different type of wisdom. Today we reach a pinnacle of power, and learn whatever lesson our use of it has brought.

From our vantage point at the top of the pyramid, we can see in all directions. This is a day which may bring the end to a certain illusion or manipulation. Those who use their power to deceive are revealed, as we can see past what their illusions.

With the number 7 being in the middle of the range, we can also understand this day as being one on which power is held in equilibrium with wisdom. Maybe there is a way you have been using your power that no longer serves you. Equally, perhaps you could bring peace to your family and community if you choose to use your energy in a particular way. You have the ability to tap into the wisdom you have gained from your experiences so far to guide your decision. Which way will you decide to engage your power?

The Nawal Kan

Lady Xoc demonstrates the correct direction of energy — 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.

Training must be undertaken when working with any of these energies, 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, holding its prey in an almost hypnotic grip with its allure. therefore, it can become the ultimate ego trap.

However, it is also said that the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz 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. However, they can also become the darkest sorcerers and manipulators.

The Number Seven

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.

However, it is also 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. As such it can be a great number on which to finalise or end something.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 K’at (26th February 2024)

25th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This is an inspired day to gather that which creates stability in our lives and those of our families. Knowing what to hold on to and what to let go of is an important part of that.

It is said that the nawal K’at multiplies all it comes into contact with. This is probably a reference to its association with Ixk’ik who magically filled her net with corn from the barren milpa of Ixmucane. The corn was planted by Jun Junajpu, the son of Ixmucane, which proved Ixk’ik was carrying his children. She was then accepted as part of the family. This day, 6 K’at, particularly emphasises that sort of experience. Not just an abundance that appears from nowhere, but its ability to stabilise your family.

Of course, we don’t all plant food, but we do receive sustenance from the seeds of ideas or plans we plant. Today, check the progress of your plans. How are they coming along? Are they coming to fruition or do they need a stabilising influence? It is possible that if you are not taking the harvest today, the energy put in today may bring stability to the abundance you gather at a later date. Will one of the properties of the four directions – strength, wisdom, spirit or healing – help to stabilise your plan? Perhaps it will take inspiration from the Heart of the Sky or compassion from the Heart of the Earth instead? All are available to assist you and today you can gather all six qualities together and reap the benefits.

Today is the day to gather your abundance in preparation for the new journey ahead. If you are planning a trip, this is an ideal day to ensure you have what you need, and to gather your travelling companions.

The Nawal K’at

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. 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. This could mean gathering your harvest, collecting ideas 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 and merchants.

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 Six

The number six is said to be the number of ultimate stability. It is the first of the three middle numbers of the cycle, the balance point. Thus, ceremonies are often made on six days thanks to their conducive energy.

The number 6 carries the qualities of the number 4, but has an extra axis. If we think of the number four representing the cardinal points, the number six adds a vertical axis to these. It brings in the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth. The number six has the stability of the number four embellished by the masculine and feminine principals. If the number four represents the physical world and the number 6 represents the physical world animated by the life force energy.

Thus, it also represents family, relating to the six qualities which hold families together – health, understanding, property, employment, friendship and actions.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 Aq’ab’al (25th February 2024)

24th February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

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”.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

4 Iq’ (24th February 2024)

23rd February 2024 Mark Elmy 1 Comment

Communicate your ideas to others today. Even if the ideas are rather esoteric, today they can be grounded and expressed easily.

The beneficial properties of the number 4 bring stability and a touch of gentleness to the strong and unpredictable energy of the nawal Iq´. Today might prove to be very suitable for implementing inspired changes.

Iq´ days can be difficult. Sudden changes challenge us, and blustery words can cause arguments. When we have high winds here, many people in the village get sick shortly afterwards, usually due to the extra dust in the atmosphere around them, so the wind is blamed as a bringer of sickness too. In general Iq´ days tend to have a bad reputation, although the without the wind there would be no change in seasons and therefore no life.

However, the energy of Iq’ today can really be rather different. When channelled correctly, the energy of the wind can be dynamic and productive, and the energy of the number 4 brings the degree of stability required to tame its erratic nature. Inspiration comes through on the divine breath supported by the qualities of the four directions – vitality, wisdom, spirit and healing.

If you have been waiting for inspiration to voice some ideas, today could be the day to express them. The stability of the 4 gives the ability to bring this inspiration into the physical world. It allows us to manifest our words into a solid reality. It is also a day to make changes, particularly in your physical world. The changing energy of the wind fills your sails. It helps you move forward as the calm predictability of the number 4 puts you in control of your direction.

The Nawal Iq’

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. However, 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 Four

The number 4 is very important within Mayan mythology. Four represents the cardinal points, the four colours of maize, the four carriers of the year, the two equinoxes and two solstices, as well as midnight, sunrise, midday and sunset. The number four is representative of the four first men. It was said to be they who raised the sky from the sea to create the world we live on. In Mayan myth it is four pillars that support the sky from the Earth. As you can imagine, four is a number which represents stability, a good, down-to-Earth number.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

3 Imox (23rd February 2024)

22nd February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today is a day to celebrate your individuality. It is a day to look inside yourself and identify your dreams by detaching from society’s images.

The fertile nature of the energy of the nawal Imox gives rise to creation if it can separate from the inspirational dreams. Today the energy of the number 3 may assist with that separation, creating an internal focus.

Nawal Imox represents the visionary world and without it, there would be no creation. However, it also has some very challenging aspects. Sometimes we connect too strongly with the collective consciousness, bringing out the herd mentality. Today the introverted energy of the number 3 may dampen the connection to the collective consciousness. This in turn helps the visionary energy of Imox to become more focused than usual.

We like to be a part of a tribe, we like to belong. We understand the “rules” of what we grew up with. Whilst we might rebel against these norms, there is sometimes a nostalgia around them for us. They fed us as a child and then we moved away from them. Sometimes we yearn for that nurture again. The energy today may highlight your separation from birth culture. In our birth process, as we progress through the trecena of Kawok, we can see this as separation from the collective consciousness, or separation from our mother culture. It allows our individuality to emerge.

The energy of the day 3 Imox has the potential to allow us to become independent. It allows us to dream for ourselves, our own thoughts rather than cultural biases guiding us.

The Nawal Imox

Nawal Imox represents the collective consciousness, the great ocean. It is the moment before the “big bang”, when all that existed was the dream of the creator. It is everything and nothing in one place, the ovum from which reality was conceived. Imox is still very much in the other world, requiring another component to physically manifest the dream into reality.

Imox is considered to be a feminine nawal. Sometimes called water lily, sometimes crocodile, it is an embodiment of the primordial. It was from the great ocean that the four first men raised sky to create the world which we inhabit. Imox can also be seen as the Darwinian swamp from which all life emerged. It is fertile and creative, the mother that gave birth to our entire reality.

Imox is our common origin, and as such links us all together. It is the place of dreams, the collective conscious we delve into on our nightly voyages. It may also relate to the place that certain plant medicines take us to in order to bring us wisdom. However, as the font of all of creation, Imox harbours the dark as well as the light.

Imox is a day to celebrate the spirit of the times, to understand the collective mind. It is a day to dream your creations, your art, your music. Imox helps us all feel connected, when the psychic field between us may be particularly strong. Discernment may be called for, to understand when to dissociate from the collective. It is important to remember your individuality.

The Number Three

There are various myths about the creation which link with the number 3. One is that at the time of creation, three stones 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 lacks stability and can represent challenges and obstructions. The number three brings up internal/external dilemmas. 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 yourself.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

2 Ajpu (22nd February 2024)

21st February 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Video – The Trecena of Kawok (21st February – 3rd March 2024)

20th February 2024 Mark Elmy 1 Comment

The trecena of Kawok brings the opportunity to birth something new or to be reborn ourselves.

12 No’j / 2024 Calendar

My 2024 calendar is now available. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar. This year it is available electronically as a PDF in both English and Spanish. Printed versions, in English, are available locally here in Guatemala, from Palo Santo and Lava Love Cacao in San Marcos. It is also available at the candle shop of Nana Maria Feliciana, opposite Banrural in San Juan la Laguna. See this link for details on how to get your pdf.

Google Calendar Plugin

For the more technically minded I have also created a plugin for Google Calendar. This enables you to track the days of the sacred calendar on your smartphone. In this way you can ensure that your activities are aligned to the most conducive energies! I have also added a description to every day, just click on the day name. It is available for purchase here

Konojel

When I mention programs within my videos, it is because I personally know the people involved and can vouch that your donations will actually go towards helping the people for which they are intended. During the video I mention the Konojel program and their work in San Marcos la Laguna. They have turned from a basic, “let’s make sure bellies are full” program to one of much more social development. You can check out their programs and make a donation here https://konojel.org/

Odim

Within the village of San Pablo la Laguna, there is an organisation doing great work. They are called ODIM and are specialising in medical and educational services. During the pandemic restrictions, they helped feed many people, but this is in addition to their regular, long term work there. You can find out more about them through this link http://www.odimguatemala.org/donate

Popol Jay

Popol Jay is an ancient name to define the House of the Council of Elders, among the Maya of Guatemala. These were places of wisdom where sacred knowledge about medicine, the calendars, music, spiritual practice and more was kept and passed to future generations. They were all burnt down during the Conquest and subsequent Colonization periods. Today, the Q’eqchi’ Maya Council of Elders Releb’aal Saq’e has joined forces with many supporters to rebuild the Popol Jay of the North, in the lowlands of the Petén region, heart of the Maya culture of the Classic Period. The Elders have worked hard to acquire land and co-design this Center of Knowledge to share ancient wisdom with the World. To donate to the Elders of Peten to fund the Popol Jay, please use this link https://www.popoljay.org.gt/donaciones

Calendar Workshop

If you would like to dive deeper into the sacred calendar, I will be running a workshop via Zoom from 10am – 2pm Guatemala time, from 1st – 5th April 2024. There are currently some spaces available. For more information, please go to https://thefourpillars.net/?page_id=1120

Trecena Video

You can see the Kawok trecena video here:

https://youtu.be/t9oIpvA9Vu8

The Four Pillars

Monthly Archives: February 2024