Monthly Archives: March 2016

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

5 N’oj – 1st April 2016

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5 N'ojIt has now been 40 days since the beginning of the new Mayan solar year, so hopefully you are beginning to get your ideas into action. Today is a day to put your energy into developing  these plans and ideas.

It is said that maize planted in the first two months of the solar year Nab’e Mam or Rukub Mam will not grow tall, it reaches old age prematurely and does not bear a particularly good harvest. Today we begin the month Likin Ka, the time of the soft earth, when the first rains are due to come, and the time to plant the new crop has arrived. With the correct timing we can be sure that our crop will grow well, it will be strong and vital.

We can see this in combination with the nawal N’oj, only rather than the kernels of the maize, we are talking about our ideas and plans. Where 5 N’oj is concerned, with the 5 representing work (our energy, our effort), it is now time to start putting our effort into our plans. Yes, of course things should always flow with grace and ease, but even a perpetual motion machine needs a little push to set it going. If the 5 was to suggest “hard work” or obstructions it could be seen in combination with N’oj about overcoming obstructions through logical thought, although this may again take effort.

With all the positive signs of the energy of today, it is time to set your plans in motion, to put in that little extra effort. Your hard work should be rewarded as your plans come to a full and fruitful harvest later in the year.

A depiction of the Earth Lord, the patron of the day Caban (N'oj). He makes a sacrifice of his own blood so that the maize, sustenance of the people, will sprout. Representative of fertility and abundance through the cycle of life, death and resurrection. From the Dresden Codex.
A depiction of the Earth Lord, the patron of the day Caban (N’oj). He makes a sacrifice of his own blood so that the maize, sustenance of the people, will sprout. Representative of fertility and abundance through the cycle of life, death and resurrection. From the Dresden Codex.

An additional mention should be made today of the start of the Archaeological new solar year, the Ha’ab. Today is the day 0 Pop in the Ha’ab count which is also used in Mexico by those who follow Mayan calendar systems. It is exactly 40 day behind the Macewal Q’ij used here in most of the Guatemalan highlands. So, I would like to wish our Mexican and archaeologist friends a prosperous new solar year, 5 N’oj.

Old Man Possum draws four streaks in the sky - this relates to the old man (Mam) that brings one of four nawales to carry the year - Kej, E', N'oj or Iq'. Significant of the time of the coming sun, the new day, the new solar year.
Old Man Possum draws four streaks in the sky – this relates to the old man (Mam) that brings one of four nawales to carry the year – Kej, E’, N’oj or Iq’. Significant of the time of the coming sun, the new day, the new solar year.

The nawal N’oj is the nawal of thought, of intelligence and intellect. Within the count of days, there are two geniuses. B’atz is the creative genius, N’oj the intellectual one. N’oj is an energy of masculine, logical thought. N’oj is the problem solver, it gives ideas and solutions which work in the real world. N’oj gives a different way to understand situations, and through this ability comes innovation. It is thought, but also understanding and, indeed, knowing. As such, N’oj 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 N’oj 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.

N’oj 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. This year, 2016,  is the year 4 N’oj.

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”.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

4 Ajmak – 31st March 2016

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4 AjmakToday can be seen as a day to resolve any outstanding issues you may have with family, friends or community. It is a good stable day to clear the air of anything which might have been interfering with your progress.

Any day is a good day to practice forgiveness, but Ajmak days bring a special power with them. It’s easy enough to forgive in words, but is it just lip service to the idea? When the situation arises, or you meet the “offender” again, what is your reaction? Likewise, if there is something you have asked to be forgiven, how do you feel when you meet that person you ask it of? Is there still something hanging about, an energy attached to it?

As we see Ajmak paired with the number 4, the task today is to bring that forgiveness into the physical realm. It is the time to ground it, to sit down with it and buy it a drink. Forgiving and being forgiven can release stagnant energy which may have been holding you back, but today is the day to prove that you are ready to move on. It’s time to rebuild the bridges.

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

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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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, 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 solar number. Even though it is still low, it is thought of as a good number.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

3 Tz’ikin – 30th March 2016

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3 Tz'ikinSometimes a day which carries a usually fortunate nawal can be modified by a number to create a less than fortunate situation. this day, 3 Tz’ikin may work out to be one of those days.

Tz’ikin days are usually enjoyable. They are social, visionary and prosperous, but today it is possible that all of those qualities are reversed as the influence of the number 3 comes into play. The 3 implies doubts, instability and obstructions. Whilst its influence on a highly positive energy such as Tz’ikin may be softened, it is unlikely that this Tz’ikin day will be as spectacular as other Tz’ikin days may be. It could be implied that this would be a challenging day on which to do business, prosperity being blocked by a lack of vision or an inability to focus. It would be better to leave any important business deals for another day.

The most positive aspect of the 3 relates to the home, and perhaps this will be a more fortunate place to focus Tz’ikin’s visionary aspects today.

The Resplendent Quetzal, national bird of Guatemala. From http://themixedculture.com/2013/09/30/the-quetzal-bird/
The Resplendent Quetzal, national bird of Guatemala. From http://themixedculture.com/2013/09/30/the-quetzal-bird/

Nawal Tz’ikin is the nawal of prosperity, which sometimes seems odd to people seeking “higher knowledge”. It is not quite seen the same here. If your family is starving, you are more likely to fall off the good road, perhaps into dishonesty or criminal activity. By asking nawal Tz’ikin for prosperity in your life, you are more likely to be relaxed, to be able to help others and to be more constructive within your community. That is not to say that your own input of hard work will not be necessary, just that it is hard work that 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, which of course brings them prosperity.

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.” This energy gives an ability to create great social networks, but sometimes spends too much time trying to maintain them.

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 is possibly the most troublesome of the numbers to deal with, it lacks stability and represents challenges and obstructions.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

2 Ix – 29th March 2016

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2 IxOur mothers nourish us and attend to our needs, just as our Mother Earth supports our very existence. Today is a day to remember that and give something back, make a little self sacrifice in gratitude to Mother Earth.

We forget that everything around us, all material goods, were once part of Mother Earth. Sometimes we forget that this is a gift and we take it for granted. We may think about the natural things, foodstuffs or wood, to begin with, but even the screen you are reading this on was made from materials which were on or in the Earth. We took the base material and transformed it, from being part of the body of our Mother Earth into something that fulfilled our temporary needs. We see these things as commodities, as our property,  we detach them from what they were, make them shiny and stick a label on them. But they are not forever transformed, like us they break, decay and once more return to the Earth over time.

One of the major lessons attached to Ix is gratitude. In the dazzling brilliance of our “magical” abilities to transform base materials, we lose our humility and we forget to say thank you. Without her we have no home, without her we have no life. Today is a day to not just say thank you, but to take action to show your gratitude. The number 2 is connected with self sacrifice, the gift of your energy and your time are the greatest sacrifice you can make to show your gratitude.

Take some time to show your gratitude to Mother Earth, help to undo some of the damage humans have caused. Perhaps pick up some litter, help to restore some beauty to the natural world around you, and while you do so, make a little prayer of gratitude for all that sustains your life.

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
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 possibly the most feminine of the nawales. It represents the spirit of Mother Earth and could easily be seen as a Mayan representation of Gaia. Ix can be seen as a mothering energy, nurturing all things, but this should not be confused with weakness – the animal totem of Ix is the jaguar and it is as the jaguar that Ix is often known. The jaguar is, of course, powerful and stealthy. Ix also embodies these qualities. The jaguar is an animal of the night, slipping magically through the darkness, the spots of her back a representation of the milky way. She carries the sun on it’s nightly journey through the underworld.

The connection Ix has with the Earth gives it the ability to manifest material wealth. In the Mayan cross astrological configuration, Kame evolves to Ix. In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, the Hero Twins sacrificed themselves in the underworld (Kame) and then were resurrected as a pair of catfish, later to become travelling magicians (Ix.) They cut the heads off animals, then resurrected them, they even cut off each others heads and brought each other back to life. In these scenes they are shown with patches of jaguar skin on their clothing, a symbolism denoting that the wearer is a shaman. Thus through the symbolic death or sacrifice, the shamanic power emerges.

Whilst Ix has the power to engage with the magic of the Earth, it also has a tendency towards illness. This is particularly strong when the vain, ungrateful side of Ix emerges. The magic that runs through this nawal comes so easily, that sometimes it forgets that everything really comes from the Earth and it is to the Earth that we must show our gratitude. Ix is also the nawal of natural shrines and altars, the places where fire ceremonies are made to give thanks. A spirit of gratitude and humility keeps Ix healthy. Ix is of course deeply connected with the natural world and it is here that they find their wisdom, power and wealth. This is a day to give thanks, to remember gratitude, and a day to engage with your magic.

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

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

1 Aj – 28th March 2016

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1 AjToday is the beginning of a new cycle. It is a new trecena, a new 13 day period, beginning with the highly fortunate and noble nawal Aj. It can be seen as an opportunity to develop your strength to enhance your community.

After the potentially dizzying roller-coaster ride of the Ajpu trecena, we are entering into a time of grounded organisation. Starting today is a period of putting what we have learnt from the last trecena into practice on the physical level. The conquering of the fears on 7 Kame and initiation into leadership on 8 Kej have led us to this day.

It is the day when we have a potential to engage with our new found bravery, our renewed strength and courage. However, it might take a few words of encouragement from those around us to help us to realise the abilities we now have.

It is time to begin to stand up straight and tall again, to draw on the strength of the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth, and exemplify this nobility within our homes and the wider community.

The nawal Aj is related to many things which generally revolve around leadership on an earthly level. It is sometimes known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, that 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. As we are the people of maize, 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.

Foliated crossThis is a picture of the carving at the top of one of my favourite Mayan temples, the Temple of the Foliated Cross on the site of Palenque (Bàakʼ) in Chiapas, Mexico. At the top of the tablet you see a bird, which represents the Heart of the Sky, the face with the large rectangular (crossed) eyes at the base of the cross represents the Heart of the Earth. The foliated cross is a stylised maize plant with the heads of humans emerging. This is Aj bringing life to the world. It is the central pillar, that which supports life. It is represented by the staffs carried by the elders of Mayan communities to this day. 

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 where we ask for the courage and bravery to stand up straight and tall, to do the right thing.

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 just needs the correct nutrients and conditions to germinate and develop, just as sometimes we need encouragement to develop our ideas.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

13 E’ – 27th March 2016

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13 E'If you have ever wondered what your spiritual path might be, you may get some insight into it on this powerful day. It is a day to ask for, and receive, guidance on your journey.

“Where am I?”

“Where am I going?”

“What is my purpose?”

These are three of the most important questions we can ever ask of ourselves. With divination highlighted by the number 13, today is a day to ask these questions about your path. They may be asked in meditation, to divination devices such as Tz’ite seeds, cards or I Ching straws/coins, or guides both physical or etheric. The next question would of course be “are you ready to hear the answer?” If you are prepared to listen, this could truly be a day of illumination.

The strength of this day also lends itself to asking for divine guidance on your journeys, both your life path and your physical journeys. If you are guided by a higher force, you will never be let down, if you stay on the path you should not encounter problems.

Even if you do not have the opportunity to ask the questions of your path, keep your eyes and ears open today. Be aware of what is going on around you, you may get some clues as to which direction to take, which journey will benefit you the most.

Chak takes to the path. In the Dresden Codex, Chak appears in 7 positive prognostications and one negative. Chak is thought to be seen as a positive deity, and is seen here on travelling the road. From the Dresden Codex.
Chak takes to the path. In the Dresden Codex, Chak appears in 7 positive prognostications and one negative. Chak is thought to be seen as a positive deity, and is seen here on travelling the road. From the Dresden Codex.

Nawal E’ represents the journey of discovery, the life path in both its physical and spiritual aspects. E’ is the explorer, it craves novelty. It inspires travel to understand different cultures and ways of life, it is a seeker of experience. It can be a thrill seeker, and sometimes will take risks to understand what it is examining. Whilst it gains experience and understanding through physical travel, E’ also drives us to explore our inner world, helping us to understand our own minds and hearts, and those of others. E’ sometimes creates a restlessness, the desire to find new things within the world means that E’ finds it difficult to sit still.

E’ can sometimes cause us to explore simply for the sake of exploration, we seek the new experience because it is there. This can give rise to a lack of direction, aimless wandering. However, even in its wanderings E’ is discovering. It may not know exactly where it is going, but it will when it gets there. In it’s best aspect, E’ seeks out knowledge and experience in order to form an understanding which brings wisdom. E’ enjoys sharing the wisdom gained with its peers, for the enrichment of the community.

E’ is another of the classic  carriers of the year, or year lords. It is said that E’ years tend to be some of the more gentle and favourable years. E’  is seen as a good natured nawal. E’ days are considered to be good days on which to travel and explore, whether that be externally or internally. It is a day to find or remember your path, a day to ask for your path to be cleared of obstructions, and a day to ask for guidance and protection on your path.

The number 13 is the final number. It represents the spirit world. It is said that on Halloween, 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, where both the positive and negative aspects of the nawal it is attached to come through strongly. It is a very good day for activities such as divinations, however, ceremonies on 13 days are generally only carried out by the most experienced Aj Q’ij who understand how to work with that strength of energy.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

12 B’atz – 26th March 2016

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12 B'atzEverything we do can be seen as weaving. Our art, our reproduction, it all comes down to the same thing – combining threads, strands and essences in order to create.

This is a highly creative day, the day of the arts and performances. The number twelve carried by this day is significant of wrapping things up, bringing things together and creating a bundle. Usually these are life’s experiences, and here we can see them as the flavours and colours you may have experienced in your life. However, this time around, instead of just creating a bundle, we are weaving these things together. You are able to bring inspiration from your past into your new pattern and create something truly beautiful from it.

It is an excellent day to weave your stories, to entertain through tales of your past. It is a day to use your life experience to create an exquisite tapestry, whether it is of words, colours, threads or other materials. Allow you creative expression to flow, empowered by the inspiration of your experiences.

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

11 Tz’i – 25th March 2016

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11 Tz'iWith the unconditional love and loyalty carried by the nawal Tz’i combined with the uncertainty and strength of the number 11, today may prove to be a rather confusing day of split loyalties.

Tz’i can be your best friend. The energy it gives is that of the unconditional, guiding and protecting you through thick and thin. It is devotion, whether to a person or a cause. However, the number 11 can be directionless, or try to go in all directions at once. Today that could lead to divided loyalty. It is truly a day when you may find yourself trying to be all things to all people. Of course this is a very noble ideal, but not only may you find it difficult to accomplish, you may find that you end up with some conflicts of interest. Your loyalty may end up spread too thinly and, as a result, fail to achieve your intended goal in any of the areas you applied it to.

Today it will be important to find a direction to focus your faith before you apply it, and once you find that direction, keep with it.

Tz’i is possibly the nawal with the most colourful reputation. Some describe it as the nawal of “sex, drugs and rock and roll” and it has the possibility to live up to that label. One of the functions an Aj Q’ij (Mayan spiritual guide) performs is divination, usually using red seeds called Tz’ite. If a question is asked about a relationship and Tz’i comes up in the reading, it is seen as a sign of  infidelity. Tz’i is instinctual, and closes its ears to reason when it gets an idea, particularly when it is hormonally driven. This is the worst possible aspect of Tz’i and when it falls down, it does so spectacularly, which is why it tends to be remembered for those events.

However, what is sometimes forgotten is the other side of Tz’i, which is the side more frequently displayed. Just as Tz’i can represent infidelity, it also represents faith and loyalty, and just as it can be the trouble maker, it also represents law. It is the nawal of police, lawyers and judges. Tz’i is unwavering faith, unconditional loyalty. The totem animal of Tz’i is the dog, and through the actions of dogs we can understand both the loyalty aspect, and the instinctual. Tz’i is also the guide and protector on life’s path, ensuring that its charge travels safely. It is a day when your faith or loyalty may be tested,  where your instincts are stimulated. The positive traits of this day give rise to to some of the greatest displays of friendship, but be aware that your loyalty may be tested by temptation.

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.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

10 Toj – 24th March 2016

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10 TojThis is a day of service to your community. It is the payment that you make to keep your place in harmony, to keep your place in balance, which in turn keeps you nourished and healthy.

Whether you pay your energy through making ceremonies for your community or through physical work within the community, today is a day when gathering people together may help to really get things done. If you are able to co-ordinate a community spring clean, litter pick, or general tidy up of your neighbourhood, you could not find a better day for it. Many hands will certainly make light work today, in both the physical and the more esoteric sense. Hand in hand it is possible to make a huge difference to the world, and when we care for our community and surroundings, we can bring peace and healing to it. This in turn enriches our own lives.

Today is a day to show that we care for those around us, to give freely of our time and energy in gratitude to the community that sustains us. In turn this burns away any debts we have in this realm or another.

Community working together. Tata Isaias, Nana Isabel, Nana Ingrid and me making fire ceremony at the Harvest Festival. Two women and two men combining Kaqchikel, Spanish and English in a ceremony to bridge the communities living together in San Marcos La Laguna. Picture by Tamila Timm
Community working together. Tata Isaias, Nana Isabel, Nana Ingrid and me making fire ceremony at the Harvest Festival. Two women and two men combining Kaqchikel, Spanish and English in a ceremony to bridge the communities living together in San Marcos La Laguna. Picture by Tamila Timm

The nawal Toj represents offerings and payment. It is part of the name Tojil, a Mayan god who gave fire to the people, although this was not a free gift. Tojil asked in return for sacrifice to be made. This is a day of payment and sacrifice, a day to resolve debts, both in the physical and spiritual realms. Toj is the nawal of the sacred fire, and it is to the fire that we make offerings in order to burn away what would commonly be known as karmic debts. In this way we restore balance, we bring our accounts back to zero.

Toj carries with it a form of divine protection, which is enhanced through selfless acts. These acts might involve a sacrifice of our time or energy in order to strengthen our community. We can choose to act or we can choose to ignore, but be aware – ignoring an opportunity to make a payment on a Toj day might bring a ill fortune, the removal of the protection. Payment should be made with an open heart, thanks might not be quickly forthcoming, and may not come at all. Your sacrifice could be  something as simple as picking up litter in your neighbourhood, it doesn’t have to be something elaborate.

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 people acting in harmony with each other.

Maya Astrology - The Energies of the Days

9 Q’anil – 23rd March 2016

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9 Q'anilWith both the fertile nature of Q’anil and the good fortune seen in the number 9 we can expect this day to be really rather pleasant. This is possibly a welcome relief after the strength of the last few days.

There are many phrases that we could associate with this day. “The light of life”, “seed of life” and “the light of the feminine” are just a few. It feels like a delicious golden energy we would all love to bask in, the reward after the hard work we have been carrying out recently. It is a day to enjoy the bounty that the fruition of your projects has brought to you.

However, there is also work to be done, and 9 Q’anil is a great day for working in the fields and garden, planting the seeds for your next harvest. Both 9 and Q’anil are linked to fertility. Q’anil is also strongly linked with the herbalist’s art and when this is combined with the full moon in Libra, creates a very powerful day to plant medicinal herbs, particularly where the flower of the herb is used.

All in all, 9 Q’anil should be a happy and prosperous day, a celebration of life itself, and a celebration of the women in our lives. However, be careful not to overdo it, or Q’anil’s other side of intoxication may make its presence known.

Nawal Q’anil represents the ripening of the seed, the crop coming to maturity. The K’iché word Q’an means yellow, and the -il suffix is rather like the English -ing. Q’anil represents the golden head of maize at its perfection of ripeness, ready to be picked. In the Mayan creation story, humans were fashioned from maize dough, we are Ixim Achi, the people of the corn. The maize in this part of the world has a 260 day growth season between planting (conception) and harvest (birth.) This connects maize with both the sacred calendar and with the period of human gestation.

It is in the fields and gardens that Q’anil’s light shines particularly brightly, it is the nawal of farmers, gardeners and herbalists. But just as it is at home around plants, Q’anil has the possibility to shine anywhere. Q’anil has talent, its beautiful golden light illuminates that which it comes into contact with, Q’anil people light up the room with their presence. Q’anil is about achieving full potential, and this relates to all of our activities. It does have an affinity to the arts, but in general is a day of bounty for all life projects.

However, when an energy is so fertile and prosperous, life can become too easy. Q’anil also appreciates the rewards of its talent – sometimes a little too much. Q’anil is prone to overindulge in the sensual, in particular with regards to intoxication.

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