11 Imox (23rd April 2024)

22nd April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Choose wisely who you let into your consciousness today as you may not realise whose thoughts you are thinking. Disconnect from the media, in particular, get out into nature and allow your creative side to be inspired.

Whilst this combination may lack direction, both the number 11 and the nawal Imox are highly creative. It may be a day to embrace the creativity found in your more non-linear dreams. Possibly the most effective use of this day would be as a creative retreat.

Imox does have some positive qualities with regards to creation and nurture, but it is also associated with insanity. It can be seen as the eccentric artist able to beautifully interpret their dreams or sentiment of society through their preferred medium, but who find great challenge living in the physical world. This generally comes as a result of their level of receptivity, they feel everything the collective feels, the joy and the grief.

Imox days are intimately connected with the spirit of the times, but this can also break down to a herd mentality. The energy of Imox days may sometimes make it difficult to think clearly. This is especially relevant when it comes to breaking free of the collective.

When combined with the powerful and directionless energy of the number 11, a very potent mix may arise. All that strength combined with so much creative potential could give rise to a work of genius, or it could give rise to an angry mob looking for direction to release the frustration of the collective.

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 11

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 Ajpu (22nd April 2024)

21st April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today’s energy suggests that we look for the positive elements of our community. By extending our love and friendship into our communities, we have the possibility to create something greater than the sum of its parts and more divine than we can create alone.

Isolation may have its beneficial moments, for reflection and introspection. However, for humans to flourish, being part of a bigger community usually benefits all within it. It is often not a perfect solution for all within the community, nothing is one size fits all. There will always be a certain amount of discontent. It is easy to focus on problems. They tend to be the things which cause immediate discomfort and so attract the most attention. They sometimes draw our focus so much that we lose sight of the original reasons for joining a community. Our dreams were of being at peace with our neighbours, and of acting in unity to create a more prosperous environment for future generations.

The nawal Ajpu can represent the search for divinity, the highest form of good. However, this search can begin just by remembering to see the everyday good in what is around us. Today, the number 10 brings this focus onto community. Whilst we may see problems within our communities, the energy of Ajpu helps us look for the good side today.

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 Ten

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 acting in harmony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Kawok (21st April 2024)

20th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

It is the day to celebrate the healing abilities of women in our lives. The energy of 9 Kawok has a distinctively feminine tone as the nawal of midwives and female healers combines with the number of the divine feminine.

Chak sends the fire serpent (lightning) from the sky, from the Dresden Codex

This is an important day for any women engaged in forms of healing. It is a day which maximises and highlights these abilities, a wonderful day for women’s healing rituals. The number 9 also represents life, so this day can be truly seen to bring in new life. This could also represent re-birthing with the assistance of healing women.

The energy of 8 Tijax may have helped some rather drastic changes to happen. However, it can also leave us feeling a little tender after the “surgery.” Now the most compassionate aspect of Kawok enters to help to soothe and comfort. However, it should be remembered that Kawok has the power of the rainstorm behind her. She brings the new life, but she also has the power to wash away the old. She may do this in a compassionate way, and with the overall goal of bringing in the new. Nonetheless, she will do so with vigour.

This is a day to ask women for their assistance in your healing, but also in helping you to move forward. If something is restricting your progress, ask your female friends for their wisdom or guidance with regards to breaking through this blockage.

The Nawal Kawok

Ixchel empties the water jar, washing away the old world in order to bring in the new. From the Dresden Codex

While most healing roles do not seem to be gender specific, one is. Both women and men may be healers, prayer makers, herbalists and diviners, only women will become midwives. Kawok is the energy of the midwife. It helps to clear the obstructions from the birth process, in some ways it actually represents the birth process. Kawok brings the new into the world. In the Mayan cross, Kawok, the birth process finishes the sequence which starts with Aq’ab’al (conception) and moves through B’atz (gestation.) In the sequence of the calendar, Kawok precedes Ajpu. Ajpu represents the resurrection of the maize lord, also the creation of the world. Kawok creates the conditions for that to happen, the rain which brings forth the sprouting of the maize.

In its storm aspect, Kawok can be destructive, although it is a destruction which allows a new creation to happen. Kawok energy can give rise to some tempestuous situations, it can be a day which can give people a rough ride, although this may be for the eventual good. It is a day to ask for the gentle rain to bless your crops, and for the harsh rain to stop. It is a day which washes away the old and outworn in life, so that the new growth, life and divinity may emerge.

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 Tijax (20th April 2024)

19th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This day is celebrated as the day of the healer. It is a potent day to deal with any aspect of healing to restore balance. Ceremonies are held in gratitude for those who bring healing to our communities.

Tijax can be a powerful nawal, the razor-edged discernment crafting the mundane into the holy. Today it is empowered by the balanced wholeness of the number 8. The masculine and feminine aspects of the qualities of the four directions, steadying and guiding the cutting edge. It is a day to recognise what can be healed in life, and what must be cut away. Today we can bring order through compassionate action.

All aspects of Tijax are embraced today. Within the Tijax ceremony, we give thanks for our ability to heal and those who bring healing. We ask for pardon for when we become over-enthusiastic in our quests and it drives us into belligerence. Lastly we ask for healing to come where it is needed. This may be in our physical bodies or within our society.

As we travel through the B’atz trecena, we are weaving in the new reality, ready to mesh it with the old on 8 B’atz. Here on 8 Tijax, we are cutting away the superfluous. Parts of the old pattern which no longer serve are trimmed away and the new cloth is shaped to weave it seamlessly into the old. Tijax discerns and removes the false.

It is a day to heal divides, to ask for the restoration of unity and balance. This may come through analysing both sides of the disagreement and using the discernment Tijax brings to cut away the excesses of either, to cut through to the truth.

The Nawal Tijax

The nawal Tijax represents an obsidian (or flint) blade. How the blade is used depends on the intention of the person wielding it, a warrior or a surgeon. These would seem like opposite ends of the spectrum. However, where Tijax is concerned the aim is the same – healing and purification.

Tijax is the nawal of the holy warrior. In the Mayan book of creation , the Popol Vuh, the first act of the hero twins was a mission given to them by the Heart of the Sky to rid the world of the false gods Seven Macaw, Zipacna and Earthquake. By destroying the false gods, the twins brought balance to the world, and helped mankind, they brought healing to the world. They cut out that which caused disease, exactly as a surgeon would do.

Tijax is celebrated as a day of healers, particularly what could be seen as the masculine aspect of healing. It is a day of crusading, of standing up for what is right, the healer who refuses to give up on finding a cure. Tijax gives powers of discernment and refinement. Just as the surgeons scalpel cuts away disease and the warriors blade dispatches the evil, the sculptors chisel creates beauty by remodelling the base material. This is a day of alchemy, both internal and external, turning the ordinary into the divine.

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

7 No’j (19th April 2024)

18th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The energy of the day 7 No’j may see knowledge and theories from different sources coalescing to form one combined idea as the plan is finalised. Today, the nawal No’j combines with the number 7, the number of endings and finality. This suggests that now is the time to finalise plans. These plans may be coming from many directions. This may lead to some confusion as to which ones to develop. This is the day to make the decision. From this vantage point, you can see them all for what they are. The problem-solving intellect of No’j and the balance and finality of the number 7 should give rise to extremely practical solutions for conclusion. Within the cycle of the year are many sub-cycles. I often mention the cycle of the trecenas, but here is another, the 20-day cycle. The theme of this 20-day cycle, from 7 No’j to 1 No’j, should be finishing off one plan or set of ideas so that new ideas can be born in the future. Therefore, the energy of today should bring a drive to get things finished off. This drive should continue for the next 20 days.

Veintena Nab’e Toqik

7 No’j will also see, this solar year, the beginning of the month Nabe’ Toqik. This is associated with the first harvest of the Cacao. It is the fourth month of the solar calendar since the new year began on 12 No’j, back in February.

The Nawal No’j

A depiction of the Earth Lord, the patron of the day Caban (N'oj). <yoastmark class=

The nawal No’j is the nawal of thought, of intelligence and intellect. Within the count of days, there are two geniuses. B’atz is the creative genius, and No’j is the intellectual one. No’j is an energy of masculine, logical thought. As the problem solver, it gives ideas and solutions which work in the real world. No’j gives a different way of understanding situations, and through this ability comes innovation. It is thought, but also understanding and, indeed, knowing. As such, No’j is also a day associated with divination. This energy is not necessarily social, it can lead to becoming absorbed into one’s work, lost in one’s thoughts. The influence of No’j can create ideas which may be very much ahead of their time. Do not be surprised if ideas you have on this day take a little time to catch on. The people you express the ideas to may need a little time to process, to see the genius within the idea. No’j is also one of the classic year-bearers or year lords. As a year bearer, it is thought to be one of the more beneficial and benign energies.

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 Ajmak (18th April 2024)

17th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This could be one of the most important days to settle any family issues. Today Ajmak, the nawal of forgiveness and ancestors, combines with the number representing stability and family. As humans move through life, things happen. We make choices and decisions, some of which we may have made differently with the benefit of hindsight. The results of our decisions have impacts on others. Some it may bring some people closer, or may drive others further away. If they are mere acquaintances, they may come and go at different points through life, however, if they are family there is a much closer bond. You may be lucky enough to have a family that stick by you through thick and thin, that support your decisions. Sometimes they may support you while not agreeing with your decisions or actions. If you are really unfortunate, you may be at odds with your ancestors, such are the differences in your values. The trecena of B’atz has a theme of creation, of weaving things together. Support from our ancestors can bring us great strength on our journey, and bring the sweetness into our lives. With the number 6 highlighting the family, today brings the energy of resolution of differences within your family. If there are outstanding matters causing friction with your ancestors, today is the day to sort them out. Whether forgiveness is what you need to ask for, or what you need to give, great stability can be created today through this action.

Nawal Ajmak

Raw honey, fresh from San Juan la Laguna by Mark Elmy

Ajmak is the nawal of pardon and forgiveness, the nawal of redemption. It is the energy of being human, of falling and getting back up again and giving those chances to others. When the creators fashioned the four first men, the Bacab’ob, they created them as equals. These four first humans had superhuman abilities, including the ability to see through space and time. As equals were not desired, the gods smoked the mirror of perception, giving us our human set of senses. When we lost the ability to see through time, we lost the ability to see the true consequences of our actions and thus we needed to start asking for forgiveness. Sometimes even well-meaning actions can cause problems at a later date. Ajmak represents this ability to forgive others, the ability to forgive ourselves and the ability to accept forgiveness. Ajmak is a sensual energy, which creates some of the reasons for its needing to be forgiven. It is kind and very lovable, but irresponsible. It can be a very talented energy, with great ideas. However, it can also be very easily distracted, especially by anything that makes it feel nice. This often leads Ajmak to fail to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regard to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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 Tz’ikin (17th April 2024)

16th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today could be seen as an important day to focus your energy on your vision. Gather your enthusiasm and get to work on whatever this might be, it is likely to bring a prosperous outcome.

The nawal representing prosperity is combined with the number representing work. We could, therefore, imagine that your effort will be well rewarded today. However, you might have difficulty seeing it for what it is.

The nawal Tz’ikin brings the opportunity to prosper through the vision it brings. It endows both the ability to focus and the ability to see the big picture. Whilst these are both extremely important qualities. Their application at the appropriate time is also something that Tz’ikin helps us to learn. Whilst Tz’ikin is generally seen as a very positive nawal, its challenge is to avoid distraction. We must learn to truly focus when it is required of us.

When combined with the number five as it is today, the ability to focus may require a little more work than usual. Whilst the visionary aspect that it carries may still lead to a fortunate conclusion, removing yourself from a distracting environment may make this easier.

Nawal Tz’ikin

Bat Falcon sitting on top of Temple 216 at Yaxha. Photo by Mark Elmy

Nawal Tz’ikin is the nawal of prosperity, which sometimes seems odd to people seeking “higher knowledge”. However, this is not the same as the greed of capitalist consumerism. If your family is starving, you are more likely to fall off the road, perhaps into dishonesty or criminal activity. By asking nawal Tz’ikin for prosperity in your life, you are more likely to be able to help others. You can be more constructive within your community. That is not to say that your own input will not be necessary, just that your hard work will pay off.

Tz’ikin has the ability to give visions, it helps people to see the bigger picture within life. It also helps people to focus on details. It has grand aspirations and helps people to rise to the top of their abilities.

Similarly, just as Tz’ikin can focus, its broad vision can occasionally cause distraction. Sometimes, just when it is heading towards its goal it can be distracted by something “shiny.” Thus, this energy gives an ability to create great social networks, but sometimes spends too much time trying to maintain them.

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 Ix (16th April 2024)

15th April 2024 Mark Elmy 1 Comment

The day 4 Ix is a day to give thanks for what has manifested into your physical world. Therefore, it is a good day to show your gratitude by physically restoring your balance with the Earth.

The stability of your connection to the spirit of the Earth and the abundance that comes from her is highlighted today. It is a day to manifest this into the physical realm.

The nawal Ix enables us to call on the Earth for the materials we require to walk our path. We can do this simply by asking. We use our words, particularly at special places such as shrines or altars. With this day carrying the number 4, the energy of Nawal Ix is empowered by the qualities of the four directions. These are strength, wisdom, spirit and healing and these qualities stabilise what they are attached to. Hence, asking for what you need in life is likely to yield a positive result.

The nawal Ix also had a deeply esoteric side. However it is termed the simplest word to describe its gift is magic. We may shy away from the use of such words, but Ix enhances our ability to co-create with our surroundings. It reminds us that the power to shape our environment is in our hands, as is the responsibility. The energy of 4 Ix suggests that our ability to co-create. Our “magic”, may be quite apparent in the physical realm today. In fact, today it may be easier than usual to manifest our desires into the physical. Be aware of what you are creating and be prepared to take responsibility for your creation.

Nawal Ix

A dancing shaman transforms himself into a jaguar. From a late classic era vase found at Altar de Sacrificios. Source http://shortstreet.net/Maya/mayapaintedvases.htm

Ix is considered to be the most feminine of the nawales because it embodies the spirit of the Heart of the Earth. It can be seen as a representation of Mother Earth or the Maya version of Gaia. Ix is known for its nurturing energy, as it takes care of all things. However, this nurturing should not be mistaken for weakness, as Ix also embodies the power and stealth of the jaguar, which is its animal totem. The jaguar is a powerful jungle cat that moves stealthily through the darkness of the night with spots on its back representing the milky way. Ix carries the sun on its nightly journey through the underworld.

In industrialized societies, the Earth is often seen as an inanimate source of material wealth. However, non-industrialized societies view her as a living entity that we can interact with, and she carries the nawal Ix. Therefore, on Ix days, people offer prayers at her shrines and altars to ask for what they need in the world. To keep Ix healthy, it is important to approach her with a spirit of gratitude and humility. Ix is deeply connected with the natural world, where it finds its wisdom, power, and wealth. Therefore, it is a day to give thanks, remember gratitude, and engage with your magic.

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 Aj (15th April 2024)

14th April 2024 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

While the nawal Aj is the quintessential energy of stability, its combination with the number three may see it knocked off its usual balance today. This day may bring challenges to leadership in particular.

The staff tipped with silver carried by Maya elders in their villages is a mark of authority. It is Aj, and both their authority and their leadership spring from many sources. Whilst it is not necessarily a political position, although in the modern world it may have become more so. It is a position of respect, achieved through wisdom and dedication to the ongoing life and prosperity of the community. This is the essence of the energy of Aj, leadership through quiet devotion to the people rather than self serving power.

However, the energy of the number 3 brings a challenge to that. It brings a day when even the altruistic efforts of leadership may be challenged, certainly if they are applied externally. The energy of the three brings the focus back to the home and the internal process. As a number of creation, it could be suggested that today is a good day to employ the newfound creativity felt in the B’atz trecena within the home, bringing the harmony as you do so.

Aj is also seen as the nawal of harmony in the home and, together with the number 3, as such this could be seen as very potent place to focus your wisdom and strength today. On a day where the external values of leaders are questioned, looking inside yourself for the courage to stand up and wisdom to do the right thing is the most beneficial course of action.

The Nawal Aj

The Temple of the Foliated Cross, Palenque — The Temple of the Foliated Cross. This small temple houses one of the most remarkable and beautiful friezes, the Foliated Cross. Together with those of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Cross, this forms an architectural version of a codex. It shows both mythic and historical accounts of the ruling dynasty. The three temples together form the cross group, the sacred heart 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 also known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, which allows us to stand tall, proud and brave. As the cornstalk, it has its roots in the Earth, and its head in the sky.

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. 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 its people, that keeps everything in its rightful place. It is a day when we ask for the courage and bravery to stand up straight and tall, to do the right thing.

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

Superior Conjunction of Venus Begins – 2 E’ (14th April 2024)

14th April 2024 Mark Elmy 9 Comments

According to the Dresden codex, the superior conjunction phase of Venus begins on 2 E’ (14th April 2024). Venus will cease to be a feature in our morning sky. The morning star will disappear into the underworld. It will reappear as the evening star on 1 Iq’ (13th July 2024).

The cycle of Venus was used by the ancient Maya to time many ritual practices, including war. When Venus is seen to rise with the Sun, was seen as a particularly destructive and unsettled time. Venus has been rising heliacally since 13 Ajmak (22nd August 2023). The period since the beginning of the heliacal rise of Venus has been a great turmoil for many. It was at its peak brightness on September 19th 2023 (2 K’at). It reached its greatest height (western elongation) on October 23rd 2023 (10 Tijax). This could be seen as the height of its influence.

It is said that the light of the morning star illuminates that which has been hidden. This time is an exposer of cover-ups, when leaders may fall from power. It could be a time when leaders are brought to account for their deeds. Additionally, when Venus rises heliacally on an Ajmak day, the Venus deities are said to spear the rain. Has this morning star period brought drought? It would certainly seem to have been the case here in Guatemala. Hopefully, as we move into this time the rains will return, just in time for planting season.

This is a time that could be seen as a respite from the disturbing influence that Venus has. It is said that Venus represents a warrior and that his return to the darkness gives him time to make new spears. Perhaps this will also bring some calm to areas of conflict?

What’s Next?

Where the morning rise of illumination may highlight the issue externally, the evening phase represents the dark mirror of introspection. This may represent a time when we look within ourselves and ask how we ever allowed this to happen in the first place. It can be a time to look at what went wrong and see how to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. It is a time to evaluate ourselves, and the leaders of our society, a time to address our values and the values of the society we live in, and a time to redress the balance.

The Four Pillars

Monthly Archives: April 2024