9 Iq’ (10th April 2023)

9 Iq'The breath of life combines with the number of life on this auspicious day. However, this may not necessarily make it the easiest of days to navigate. It has the possibility for big life changes.

With Iq’ representing communication, in particular the inspiring, divine word, or flower word, we can always expect the spoken word to be highlighted on an Iq’ day. Today we see those qualities in association with the number that represents life and the divine feminine. This is a day to ask for the counsel of women, to listen to what the women in your life have to say and to draw inspiration from their words.

Changes in the wind are what bring the change from dry to wet, and wet to dry season, here in Guatemala. The change in the wind brings life and here we see this doubled. When life becomes stagnant, decay sets in. Change is what enlivens us, although many of us may try to resist it. Today is a day to breathe the sacred breath and allow the life change to happen. The wind is bringing novelty into your life, are you ready to embrace the adventure that comes with new discovery?

Wind God 1
The wind god, patron of the nawal Iq’, from the Dresden Codex.

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, but 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.

Iq’ is the fourth of the classic Year Bearers, or Year Lords. It gives rise to unpredictable, strong years. This year is the year 9 Iq’.

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.