The day 5 Kan may see an opportunity to gain wisdom, but this may not come without some hard work. It may take some use of power, or the challenges that come from it, to bring out the true wisdom.

As we continue to move through the trecena of Imox, we now see the first sign of sentient life. Kan, representing the lightning in the blood, the life force energy, appears and brings this life force to the new embryo. This can be thought of as a spark of life being received by the vessel, the cluster of cells. This is not to say that it was not part of life before, but now that it has implanted in the womb, it is fully ready to be empowered. This process happens time and time again throughout our lives, empowering us, enlivening us and ultimately bringing us wisdom.

Today, the combination with the energy of the number 5 suggests that the ability to capture that spark of life may require a little work. Perhaps this work can be thought of as the effort put into spinning a dynamo, charging the capacitor to create the spark which in turn empowers us and those around us. The energy of the number 5 often focuses our attention on those around us more than ourselves, which when it comes to the energy of Kan may actually be rather a blessing. This could be seen as using your power for the good of all around you, one of the ultimate benevolent faces of Kan. However, despite the power to do so, it may be important to remember to keep some of this life force energy for yourself. Perhaps, setting the boundaries on how much of your energy you can safely give away to others is part of the wisdom brought by the energy of this day. Allow the energy to flow through you, rather than from you, by connecting to the Heart of the Sky, Junrakan, at the beginning of the day.

The other aspect of the number five represents blockages, and that what it is attached to becomes hard work. It may represent some challenge to your energy today, a power struggle where you lose sight of your wisdom. This may lead to you possibly being manipulated or seduced. If a challenge to your power arises, remain calm and avoid excessive use of force. Overt displays of power rarely achieve the desired effect and often demonstrate a lack of wisdom. Remember that the ultimate example of this nawal is that of the wise protector.

Kan is one of the more powerful nawales and it represents just that – power. It is connected to serpents, and serpent symbology 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. When working with any of these energies, training must be undertaken 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, and a very sexy power it is too, holding its prey in an almost hypnotic grip with its allure. It can become the ultimate ego trap.

However, it is also said that the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz (also known as Kulkulkan or Quetzalcoatl) 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, or they can become the darkest sorcerers and manipulators.

The Sacred Mayan calendar is often said to be a calendar of human life, and parts of 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 it’s five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn for that work that 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”.