Category Archives: Chol Q’ij – The Energies of the Days

7 Ajpu (29th October 2026)

7 AjpuIn the Popol Vuh, there are two sets of heroes that travel into the underworld. The first pair fail at the first challenges. They are solar lords and they fail to understand the concept of deception. It is within this pairing of Jun Junajpu (1 Ajpu) and 7 Junajpu (7 Ajpu) that we find this day. These can be seen as being the new sun (1 Ajpu) and the old sun (7 Ajpu). Therefore, this could represent an old social construct or regime dying, as the old sun descends into the underworld and is never seen again. The day 7 Ajpu suggests the end of a time, the end of an era. The old world has reached the end of its time.

When standing on top of a pyramid, you can see all around you. The combination of Ajpu with the energy of the 7 may lead to seeing the holiness all around you. At least it may appear to be. However, it might be an artificial reality, on closer examination you would not include it in your reality. Making choices on your spiritual path may be a theme today. Learning to see the good in all things is a great idea, but sometimes it can become a distraction.

The lesson of 7 is to make decisions and its other aspect is that of death and finality. Every time we make a decision it results in the death of the other possibilities. Examine carefully what you hold holy, and make the choice as to whether to keep it in your reality or not. Correct identification can lead to the pinnacle of divinity, an illusion may lead to an uncomfortable fall. This may be something that needs to be addressed today.

The Nawal Ajpu

Kinich Ahau, the solar deity, lord of space and time. From the Dresden Codex.
Kinich Ahau, the solar deity, lord of space and time. From the Dresden Codex.

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 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.

Number Sequence.jpg

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.

The Heliacal Rise of Venus, 7 Ajpu (29th October 2026)

Today Venus returns to the morning sky. If you go out before sunrise today, you may be rewarded with a fleeting glimpse of Venus. Venus will briefly appear on the eastern horizon, just before disappearing into the Sun’s glare.

Heliacal rise of Venus
Heliacal rise of Venus, October 29th 2026, screenshot from Stellarium

The cycle of Venus was of great importance to the ancient Maya, and often used to time ritual activities including warfare and sacrifices. This depended on whether it happened in the dry season or rainy season. Venus was generally seen to have an unsettling influence, particularly during the time of the heliacal rising of Venus.

Today we enter that period of potential turbulence, the first rising of Venus as the Morning Star. This is said to be the time when the influence of Venus “spears” certain victims. Although these victims are often leaders, this turmoil is affecting all of us on the planet. That said, whoever holds “high position” would do well to avoid rushing into impassioned decisions  or judgement during the first few days of the Morning Star.

The Dresden Codex

Heliacal Rise of Venus on Ajpu Day

Here is the particular page in the Dresden Codex which refers to the heliacal rise of Venus on an Ajpu day. In the top left hand portion of the page, you can see the glyphs E’, Iq’, E’ and then Ajpu. These positions relate to superior conjunction, rise as evening “star”, inferior conjunction and then rise as morning “star”.

 

 

In the page pertaining to this Venus event, the top panel (above) shows the Corn god standing before the Death god (Kisin or Ah Puch). These are the Lords of the Heliacal rise. The Venus warrior in the second panel  spears the victim in the lower panel. The victim in this panel is said to be Tzul, a foreigner.

It is interesting to note that the panels are arranged so that the final date is the heliacal rise. If the figures on the left are seen as presiding over a period, does that period begin with the disappearance of the morning star? For example, this fifth page began on 10 E’ (15th November 2025) with beginning of the superior conjunction phase. It continues for 584 days until the beginning of the next superior conjunction on 9 Ajmak (22nd June 2027). Could it be seen that the Maize lord and Kisin have been governing this time from November 2025 through to October 2026? Perhaps the time as the evening star could be seen as the gestation for what is birthed as the morning star. When the morning star rises, that which has been hidden in the darkness emerges?

The last time that Venus would have gone through the heliacal rise in the Autumn would have been 2018. Perhaps we can get an insight into possible events by looking at the events between 31st October of 2018 and 24th June 2019.

 

6 Kawok (28th October 2026)

6 KawokToday’s energy balances the storm to stabilise novelty. It brings just the right amount of rain to nourish the new flowers without damaging them. Today could prove to be very beneficial for bringing the new into the world.

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

Even looking at the destructive aspect of Kawok, this day could be beneficial. The stability of the 6 would suggest that it is a day when the storms are quelled, when the force of the torrent is sufficient to wash away the debris without destroying the useful.

It is a day when the new born receives the blessings from all around. This will apply to new life, in all its guises, and to new projects. The energy of this day could be hugely supportive of the ideas that you brought into being on the day 4 No’j. It is the day to flesh out new things, to physically bring them into the world. It is a wonderful “launch day” for the physical aspect of your plan.

Just as this day represents midwives, we can also see it as a representation of female healers in general, or those who heal the feminine. Today we celebrate their abilities to soothe the emotions, to bring calm to life’s storms. They may do this through traditional healing channels such as energy work or massage, but also through counselling or music.

If you need to calm your emotions, or bring healing to a situation, this could be a very good day to do it. Allow Kawok to wash away emotions that are  no longer necessary to hold on to, and allow the new to emerge into the world. Use the supportive and stable energy of the day to calm the troubled waters.

The Nawal Kawok

Ixchel empties the water jar, washing away the old world in order to bring in the new. From the Dresden Codex
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 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. Six days are frequently used for ceremony 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.

It also represents family, relating to the six qualities which hold families together – health, understanding, property, employment, friendship and actions.

New Calendar Page – November 2026

Here are the days of the Chol Q’ij mapped onto the Gregorian month of November 2026.

Events

The day of 5th November 2026 will be 1 Kej. It will be the second appearance of the Mam, 1 Kej, who took on the burden of time on 18th February 2026. One way this could be seen is that the first 260 days are the days when the corn is grown under the full light and power of the Mam. Now as the dry season approaches, his power wanes. This 105-day period will end when the new Mam, 2 E’, takes his seat on 18th February 2027. This is known as the seating of the Mam (the Maya Solar new year.)

One of the important cross-quarter days within archeoastronomy is Samhain. This does not fall on 31st October as some might believe, but on 7th November (09:37 UTC). To me, it is far more important to tie such an event to solar and celestial events rather than the Gregorian calendar. It is seen within the Celtic calendar as the first day of winter. In Guatemala this day corresponds with the acronycal rising of the Pleiades, this important star cluster rising on the eastern horizon at sunset. It is possible that this event was taken as an important indicator of the beginning of the dry season by ancient Maya astronomers.

This month also brings us two meteor showers, the Taurid meteor shower on the 4th/5th and the Leonids on the 17th/18th.

Calendar Workshop

If you would like to dive deeper into the sacred calendar, I will be running a workshop via Zoom from 10 am to 2 pm (Guatemala time, UTC -6) from 30th November – 6th  December 2026. There are currently spaces available. For more information, please go to https://thefourpillars.net/maya-calendar-workshop/

The El Mirador Trek 2027

As many of you know, I have made the El Mirador trek 8 times now, taking a small group with me each time. In 2026 I made two journeys which were very much retreat type journeys. In 2027 my focus will be more on exploration and adventure as I extend the time trekking in the jungle from 6 days to 10 days, and the distance to 150km. Of course, there will always be ceremony involved, but next year’s trek will take us deeper into the jungle to the remote sites of La Muralla and Naachtun.

If you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, please check out the details here!

November 2026

Gregorian dateDay Name (Clickable)Keywords, ideas, concepts
November
110 Aq'ab'alNew concepts in society
211 K'atAbundance from many directions
312 KanWisdom from life experience
413 KameThe spirit of the ancestors empowers transformation.
51 KejThe origin of strength, new vitality and determination
62 Q'anilSelf sacrifice brings abundance
73 TojThe inner ceremony, paying ourselves
84 Tz'iStabilising the plans into the physical
95 B'atzWorking to bring the beauty to the world, creative work
106 E'Bringing Earth and Sky to the physical path
117 AjBalance achieved through harmony
128 IxCelebration of the altars and Mother Earth
139 Tz'ikinProsperity of life, visions from women
1410 AjmakForgiveness of, or from, society
1511 No'jMany strong ideas
1612 TijaxHealing life experiences, cutting the outworn
1713 KawokThe birth process empowered by spirit
181 AjpuThe new divinity, new quest for holiness
192 ImoxPartnership dreaming
203 Iq'Inner communication, challenging changes
214 Aq'ab'alIllumination of the physical world
225 K'atHard work brings in the harvest/abundance
236 KanStabilising wisdom and power
247 KameEnd of the transformation
258 KejCelebration of nature, Initiation of priests
269 Q'anilThe brilliance of the feminine, ripening of life
2710 TojPayment brings the health of the community
2811 Tz'iFaith through many experiences
2912 B'atzLife experiences bring beauty to your art
3013 E'The spirit path, ancestral understandings

5 Tijax (27th October 2026)

5 TijaxThe day 5 Tijax can be see in its best aspects as working on purification, healing and unity. While all Tijax days are known for healing, this is particularly the day to get down to business. It is time to focus on removing the diseased or unbalanced. Likewise, any work to bring divinity or beauty into the world today may bring a beneficial outcome.

Tijax days can be very dualistic, representing both days of conflict and division, and days of healing and unification. Today we see this energy combined with the number 5 suggesting that either option may be hard work.

The energy of the nawal Tijax gives rise to a day of decisive action, where the obsidian blade is wielded in the hand. Herein lies a problem. This blade is double edged, and just as one side brings healing, the other brings war. Tijax has an argumentative side and today could be a day when its quarrelsome nature may emerge, particularly regarding work.

If you decide to set your mind on achieving something, the chances are that you will succeed in your quest. Just remember that this sharp blade lends itself to a sharp tongue too. By using the discerning nature of Tijax, you can ensure that you pick your targets carefully to avoid collateral damage. Your goal is to bring the divine to the world. This does not have to involve a trail of destruction.

The Nawal Tijax

Sacrificial Death God 1

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, but 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 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”.

4 No’j (26th October 2026)

4 NojThis is a day to materialise your plans and to bring ideas into the physical plane. The energy of thought and knowledge is manifested in the material world.

The nawal No’j can represent knowledge and our thought processes. We may come across knowledge that is new to us on No’j days, bringing us new ideas or solutions. No’j days are great days for problem solving and today suggests getting back to basics. The combination of the nawal No’j with the number 4 can bring very down-to-earth solutions. It is a day to employ the principles of Occam’s razor, where the simplest, most basic solution or answer is probably the correct one.

The nawal No’j is the flash of brilliance, the inspiration we receive. The number 4 is seen as representative of physical stability and physical form. When we combine the two, we get a rather beneficial day when we are able to materialise our ideas into the physical world. We may have been sitting on them for some time, waiting for the right moment. Now is the time to ground them.

These ideas may bring you sustenance. They have the fertile mind of the Earth Lord behind them, and the Earth Lord presides over all that comes from the Earth – crops, jade, silver. The four suggests that the ideas are not quite complete yet. It is a day to get your plans out into the open and allow them to start to bring their benefits into your life.

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, No’j 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 to understand 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 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, 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.

3 Ajmak (25th October 2026)

3 AjmakThis is a day to forgive and accept yourself. Look inside yourself, to where forgiveness begins, within your own heart. Looking for forgiveness for external sources may be an unrewarding task today. The day 3 Ajmak may be one best spent at home, or in seclusion.

Ajmak days are not always easy to negotiate. They are days on which we may experience the best, and worst qualities of human nature. They remind us of what it is to be human, both through the ways of compassionate forgiveness, and through errors. These are how we learn, but we do not need to keep running the same program once we have learned what we need to.

For example, an action gives rise to a reaction. That reaction may be desirable or undesirable. We may wish to repeat the desirable one and not repeat the undesirable one. However, holding on to guilt about the action which gave the undesirable reaction rarely serves any purpose. In the Maya cross, Ajmak evolves to K’at, the net. The future of Ajmak can be abundance, one aspect of K’at, or it can bind. This ensnarement may be a result of guilt, the inability to move on from an action which produced undesirable consequences.

Of course, this is highly simplified, but we often do choose to hold onto our guilt for longer than we need to. It becomes a burden, stifling our creativity and preventing us from achieving our full potential. It can be something which stops us from living the lives we are able to live, filling us with regret.

What you create internally, you project out to the world. Today you have the potential to truly bring the sweetness into your home, particularly through acts of self forgiveness.

Nawal Ajmak

Ajmak is the nawal of pardon and forgiveness, the nawal of redemption. It is the energy of being human, of falling down 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 it’s 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 it’s true potential, although due to it’s lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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 stone 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 Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula, M42 by Mark Elmy (c) 2026

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. The number three brings up internal/external dilemma. 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 of yourself.

2 Tz’ikin (24th October 2026)

2 Tz'ikinThis can be seen as a day to observe duality. It helps us to put our sacrifices into perspective and see the benefits they bring. It can also help to see where we are focussed and what distracts us from our vision.

2 Tz’ikin is a day that brings focus to relationships. It may help to see and understand elements of self-sacrifice required within a relationship to bring prosperity. Tz’ikin has a rather light-hearted nature and gives the ability to see the bigger picture. In matters of business, a partnership formed today should be rather beneficial, cooperation bringing the vision into reality.

However, there are other much higher aspects associated with the nawal Tz’ikin. Tz’ikin days are indeed used for prosperity, but really what do we mean by prosperity? Of course, we could see the surface level of financial matters and Tz’ikin days are said to be good for business. However, the prosperity that the nawal Tz’ikin guides us to is on a deeper level. It brings us the visions which help our environment, families and communities to thrive, which help them to truly prosper and multiply.

Here, the combination with the energy of the 2 perhaps helps us to see both sides of the story. Both the number 2 and the nawal Tz’ikin can act as mediators, occasionally sitting on the fence, but generally able to resolve situations. It is when we can see the issues through the eyes of others that we can understand their point of view. This is not to say that we have to abandon our own causes, but by seeing the views of “the opposition” we can arrive at a resolution which brings prosperity to all.

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”. It is not quite seen the same here. 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.

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 Two

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

1 Ix (23rd October 2026)

Today is an important day to reconnect with the spirit of the Earth. If you have found yourself feeling disconnected from the magical side of life, today is the day to make your offerings to restore your connection.

On 1 Ix we can begin to learn the potential of our connection with the spirit of the Earth. She is vast and sustains us all. Ix gives us the ability to communicate with her, to ask her for help, to ask her for what we need. Yet some of us don’t see it. We fail to thank her, or even abuse her, our idea of human importance and power being greater than that of the Earth.

Ix days are the patron days of natural shrines and altars, the places where offerings are made to the spirit of the Earth. This day could be seen as an excellent day for the renovation of such places, or initiating new shrines.  The number 1 also represents Sac Ixik, the maiden moon deity, whose places were springs and streams. These places are also associated with the nawal Ix which could therefore be seen as both the source of life and the protector of water sources. 1 Ix is, therefore, a very feminine day, full of life, beauty, energy and of potential for magic, a day to show gratitude for all that you might become.

It is a day when we can make our petition to the Earth, and thank her for what she has brought to us. When we can see the benefits of living in harmony with the Earth, we can begin to understand where engaging with her magic might lead us.

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
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 the Heart of the Earth. We could see this as what we might call Mother Earth or a Maya representation of Gaia. Ix can be seen as a mothering energy, nurturing all things. However, 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. This jungle cat is an animal of the night. She slips magically through the darkness, the spots of her back a representation of the milky way. She carries the sun on its nightly journey through the underworld.

Industrialised societies tend to see the Earth as an inanimate source of material wealth. Non-industrialised societies see her as a living entity with whom we can interact, and she carries the nawal Ix. So, it is on Ix days that prayers are offered at her places, the shrines and altars, her ears, to ask for what we need in our world. 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 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.

New Video – The Ix Trecena (23rd October – 4th November 2026)

The Ix Trecena gives us a new opportunity to connect with the spirit of the Earth, to find new ways to protect her, and to find the magic within each one of us as we connect with the sacred places, the altars and shrines.

Other Media

You’ll find the YouTube link at the bottom of this page. However, I am still making these recordings available as a podcast! You can find it on Spotify, Amazon Music, Castbox and iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts and Deezer too!

Calendar Workshop

If you would like to dive deeper into the sacred calendar, I will be running a workshop via Zoom from 10 am to 2 pm (Guatemala time, UTC -6) from 30th November – 6th  December 2026. There are currently spaces available. For more information, please go to https://thefourpillars.net/maya-calendar-workshop/

The El Mirador Trek 2027

As many of you know, I have made the El Mirador trek 8 times now, taking a small group with me each time. In 2026 I made two journeys which were very much retreat type journeys. In 2027 my focus will be more on exploration and adventure as I extend the time trekking in the jungle from 6 days to 10 days, and the distance to 150km. Of course, there will always be ceremony involved, but next year’s trek will take us deeper into the jungle to the remote sites of La Muralla and Naachtun.

If you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, please check out the details here!

Readings and Divinations

For many years I have made readings of people’s nawal to help them understand their lifepath, talents and challenges. I also make readings for partnerships and Tz’ite seed divinations on questions. If this is of interest to you, please click this link to book a reading or divination.

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

Great Programs to Support!

When I mention programs within my videos, it is because I know the people involved and can vouch that your donations will go towards helping the people for which they are intended.

Water4Life Global – Bringing Water Stability to Families

A wonderful, highly active project to bring water stability to families is Water4Life Global. Jenna MacEwan and her team have been making a difference to peoples’ lives since 2018. They provide water filters to local families throughout Guatemala, thereby giving direct access to clean drinking water. Additionally, they are directly involved in action which helps to clean up the local sources of water. This is achieved through greywater treatment projects, reforestation and education. To learn more or donate, please visit: https://water4lifeglobal.org/donate/

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 donate 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 specialise in medical and educational services. However, 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

You can watch the video on YouTube here:

https://youtu.be/c64EE3j9B2w

[https://youtu.be/c64EE3j9B2w]