Monthly Archives: June 2024

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

1 Aq’ab’al (4th June 2024)

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1 AqabalThe day 1 Aq’ab’al is an excellent day for starting new ventures, for getting your ideas out into the world and for receiving the encouragement we need for new projects.

When we consider the nawal Aq’ab’al as the dawning of the new day, the energy of 1 Aq’ab’al can be seen as the very first moment of realisation that a new day is coming. It is far from light it is only just distinguishable. Somewhere in the darkness, light begins to make its presence known. This is the beginning of beginnings, it is the first spark of the fire. The first spark needs tending, gentle use of breath and material in order to grow it into the fire it will become.

The spark may represent a new idea that you have, but this is the first thought of this idea. It is something that comes in the waking moment, fresh from the dream world. It has started to emerge into this world but is still uncertain, hidden and yet to take much form. This is the moment where it needs support and tending, just as the spark, or the newborn needs care and attention. This is where the input and encouragement of family, friends and community can help that spark to become the fire, or that newborn to grow.

Aq’ab’al can also represent relationships, so this day may be the first glimmer of something new, or the rekindling of an existing relationship in order to start a new “day.” Either way, this should be a rather joyful day of new possibilities.

New Cycles

Today marks an interesting milestone for me, and for my site. I began writing about the energies of the days on 1 Aq’ab’al, 19th November 2015. I have now completed 12 cycles of the calendar, 3120 days, posting pretty much every single day! Sometimes this has proved a challenge when I’m trekking to El Mirador or suchlike, but I do my best to be consistent. Thank you for reading my work, thank you for the encouragement which you have given.

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 One

The number 1 is representative of the seed, of unity. It represents birth and beginnings. It is a low and odd number, which usually represents something challenging. However, the seed can grow into a mighty tree, it is full of potential. It needs the correct nutrients and conditions to germinate and develop its potential. We also may need encouragement to develop our ideas.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Video – The Trecena of Aq’ab’al (4th – 16th June 2024)

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Somewhere in the darkness, light begins to make its presence known. This is the beginning of beginnings, it is the first spark of the fire. The first spark needs tending, and gentle use of breath and material to grow it into the fire it will become. The spark may represent a new idea that you have, but this is the first thought of this idea. It is something that comes in the waking moment, fresh from the dream world. It has started to emerge into this world but is still uncertain, hidden and yet to take form. This is the moment where it needs support and tending, just as the spark or the newborn needs care and attention. This is where the input and encouragement of family, friends and community can help that spark to become the fire, or that newborn to grow.

12 No’j / 2024 Calendar

My whole 2024 / 12 No’j calendar is also available as a pdf. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar for the entire year through to February 2025. It also includes astronomical events and my brief interpretation of the energy of each day. It is available electronically as a PDF in both English and Spanish. See this link for details on how to get your pdf https://thefourpillars.net/2024-calendar-is-now-available/

If you are in the USA and would like a physical copy of the 2024 /12 No’j Calendar, you can also find them for sale with Soul Lift Cacao. Follow this link https://soulliftcacao.com/products/mayan-calendar-english-2024

Printed versions, in English, have been available in Guatemala but are now running low. However, you may be able to still find a copy in Lava Love Cacao in San Marcos.

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 https://thefourpillars.net/google-calendar-plugin/ 

Worthwhile Recipients of Your Donations

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.

The Midwife Project

In their words: “Our Mission is to offer safe, dignified and culturally appropriate health care to women in Guatemala by empowering indigenous midwives through education. We focus on revaluing the Mayan ancestral knowledge while integrating modern medical practices. With the creation of Holistic Clinic(s) & Birthing Center(s) as a meeting ground and model project. Our Vision is that every woman  has access to humane, respected and safe birth care. The midwives and women are empowered to lead the creation of a thriving community where those who are most vulnerable have their needs met, and men support the women in creating this healthy and vibrant family and community structure.”

You can check out their site and donate here: https://www.midwifeproject.net/donate 

Konojel

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/donate

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

Trecena Video

You can see the Aq’ab’al trecena video here:

https://youtu.be/LJj2qNqiF3s

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 Iq’ (3rd June 2024)

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13 Iq'This may be a day when important messages come through loud and clear, from this world or the other. The question will then be whether you choose to listen.

The energy of the nawal Iq’ is strong and can be unpredictable. It can bring change into our lives. This may be sudden and unexpected, changing our direction or blowing something at us without warning. When this energy is combined with the number 13, the strongest of the numbers, this may result in great changes. The power of the spirit world may be behind them.

Iq’ days are great days on which to make announcements, as your words are empowered and carry more weight. If you have something big to say, today would be an excellent day for it. It is important to recognise the extra force with which your words may arrive today. One of the shadows of Iq’ is anger and today angry words may be far more destructive than you intended. Whilst it is important to express yourself, this is certainly a day count to ten before you react. Today words may carry the energy of a hurricane with them.

Today is a powerful day to receive important messages from the spirit world or from your ancestors. This would be an excellent day to ask questions of the ancestors, through divination or a medium. However, the strength of this day may mean that the messages come through whether you are asking or not. It is important to be alert for these, although it is likely that they will be so obvious that you will not miss them.

The Nawal Iq’

Wind God 1

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 Thirteen

The number 13 is the final number. It represents the spirit world. It is said that on Samhain, the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. However within the sacred calendar, this thinning happens every 13 days. This connection with the spirit world creates a powerful day. Both the positive and negative aspects of the day come through strongly. It is a very good day for activities such as divinations. Ceremonies on 13 days are best left to experienced Aj Q’ijab who understand how to work with that energy.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Imox (2nd June 2024)

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12 ImoxThis has the potential to be very light, but also very dark. It is a day of gathering together the dreams, but whose dreams are they? Imox teaches us how to embrace our individuality and escape from the herd.

The nawal Imox connects us with the dream world, that place of visions and creation from which all things come. It is where we all exist together, as do all polarities. Sometimes when we dream we receive inspiration, sometimes we might have a nightmare. When we go to sleep we don’t necessarily know to which aspect we will journey.

Connected with the number 12, it can be seen as a day of powerful experiences within the group consciousness. The 12 can represent the gathering together of all of life’s experiences. Today we can imagine that the hopes, fears, dreams and nightmares of an entire generation are gathering. It can be easier than ever to be caught in strong media images and dragged to the depths of despair, feeling everything from those around you.

One way to help navigate Imox days is to take some time alone. Get away from people, and especially the media. In its most positive aspect, the day 12 Imox can be seen as a day to gather together all the dreams that you have had throughout your life in one fertile and creative bundle. This bundle can then be used to nurture and inspire, yourself and others as you feed it back to 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 12

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.