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

1 Tz’ikin (22nd February 2023)

21st February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The nawal of vision and prosperity combines with the number of novelty and birth to bring an auspicious day, and new trecena. This is a day of inspiration, a day to begin work on a new vision.

The nawal Tz’ikin is also a nawal of manifestation, and one way it does this is through the voice. The relatively low power of 1 Tz’ikin suggests that while this manifestation is possible, it is likely to need a little encouragement. You may need a little nudge to speak up for what you wish to bring into your life, but once you do so, the potential for it to manifest is strong.

If you are looking to start a new business venture, in particular, this is the day. However, you might find that it is not yet fully formed and input from your friends or advisers may help to define it further. Perhaps you are guided to start something new, perhaps today is the day on which to ask for a vision on how to proceed. Tz’ikin energy is seen as lively and sociable, occasionally to much so for its own good, but today this may be slightly muted and may be very useful. It is a perfect day to ask your associates to help you to clarify your vision. It may also be a time to bring several ideas together into one, clear unified image.

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 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 Ix (21st February 2023)

20th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

If there was ever a day to expect magical things to happen, it would be 13 Ix. It is a day when the energy of the spirit world is listening, and so prayers made at natural shrines and altars may prove very fruitful.

The nawal Ix is particularly associated with shrines and altars, and with the energy of the number 13 associated with it suggests ancestral places. This suggests a focus on the ancient sacred places, and it is likely that words spoken at these places may have very strong effects. This day also finishes off the Iq’ trecena, this time of change and possible upheaval. However, Iq’ is also the nawal of communication, and we see here on the final day of the Iq’ trecena, the divine breath put into practice at the ancestral shrines as Ix, the prayer giver, makes the flower words. This is a day to call on the spirits of the ancestors to help us better understand our relationship with Mother Earth.

It is a day to ask the spirit of Mother Earth for that which you require in your life path. Of course when she gives you exactly what you need, it is important to thank her, and this day is an excellent day for demonstrating your gratitude to Mother Earth. This may be through some act of caring for your local area. The manifestation energy today is very strong, it should be noted that the phrase “be careful what you wish for” is particularly applicable.

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.

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.

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 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 should only be carried out by the most experienced Aj Q’ij who understand how to work with that strength of energy.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Aj (20th February 2023)

19th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The energy of the nawal Aj is associated with the home and leadership within the community. Today it associates with the energy of the number 12, bringing your life experience to support those around you.

The nawal Aj brings with it a solid and dependable energy, it is helpful and supportive. As the nawal of the spinal column, it can be seen as the one which holds everything together, keeping everything in its rightful place. It holds the person straight and channels the energy of communication from above and below. We also use the the word backbone to represent honour, integrity and courage to do the right thing, all of which can be summed up in the energy of Aj.

The day 12 Aj can be seen as a day on which you draw on all of your life experience in order to nourish your community, your family and your home. Your past experiences can bring you strength and courage, and help you to stand up for what is right should you need to. They also provide examples that you can pass on to others within your community to help them to grow. This is a day where your life experience clearly shows you how to do the right thing, and how to support those around you, bringing harmony into both home and community.

The Temple of the Foliated Cross. This small and unassuming temple houses one of the most remarkable and beautiful friezes, the Foliated Cross, the featured image of this article. Together with those of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Cross, this forms an architectural version of a codex, showing both mythic and historical accounts of the ruling dynasty. The three temples together form the cross group, the sacred heart of the beautiful site of Palenque. Picture by Mark Elmy

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 it’s roots in the Earth, and it’s 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.

This 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 it’s people, that keeps everything in it’s 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 E’ 0 Nabe Mam – The Seating of the New Mam

18th February 2023 Mark Elmy 4 Comments

The Seating of the New Mam is the moment that the Wayeb has ended, when the period of retreat has finished and we can emerge from our “cave” back into the real world. In some communities, this would be celebrated with feasting and drinking, welcoming in the new grandfather who will guide us through the next revolution of the sun.

This year is governed by the Mam . In addition to 11 E’ carrying the energy of the day, it is also carrying the energy of this new year. The properties and benefits brought by the nawal 11 E’ are discussed in my post for the day of 11 E’ here. The energy of this day is a representative of the energy which we will be living with for the whole year. The general feeling of this year should be about spontaneous movement, discovery and intuitively guided journeys. It has the potential to be a year of great adventure, but it may be that the movements may be very difficult to plan.

The new Mam may take a little while to settle in. This is usually the first 20 days. Whilst it is obvious that the “administration” has changed, it takes a little time for all the promises made in the campaign to be adhered to. Nothing in nature moves in a square wave, it is always a gentle transition more akin to a sine wave. This is the first light of dawn, the day is just beginning, but we are still experiencing a little of the cold of the night. It will not be until midday, the height of the cycle that we will experience the fullest expression of the energy of this year lord. We can expect that in around 140 days or so, 1 E (19th June 2023).

The last time we experienced a E’ year was 2019, which was the year 7 E’. That year could have been seen as coming to the end of the road with certain aspects of our lives, with it lasting from 20th February 2019 through to 19th February 2020. The path to the finish point, the top of the pyramid, then gives us a view of which path we would like to take next, which one we would choose. This time around we will be guided by the Mam 11 E’. I consider this to be the energy of the wanderer. Guided by intuition, it may result in snap decisions over changes of direction, or changes of path. This is a year which cannot be planned! E’ is a nawal of discovery, it encourages us to investigate and to embrace new experiences. When combined with the highly active and unpredictable energy of the number 11, we may not be aware where it is that our intuition is leading us, we just know we have to walk that path until our intuition tells us to change directions. The eventual outcome of the 11 is to put all the experiences we gather together in a masterpiece, but for now, it’s just a time to go with it, relax and enjoy the experience without attachment to knowing where you will be next week, next month or next year.

On a grander scheme of things, the cycle of the year bearers repeats every 52 years. Of course, we do not relive exactly the same experiences, but we may see similarities with the last time this year bearer was in office. That was the year 1971, when Mam 11 E’ would have taken his seat on the Gregorian day 4th March. This gives us the opportunity to understand how to engage with the benefits of, and avoid the errors committed during, the previous incarnation of the Mam 11 E’. For some ideas on major events of 1971, please click here.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 E’ (19th February 2023)

18th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

With both 11 and E’ representing the wanderer, today might feel both restless, and directionless. It is a day where energy and drive to explore is strong, as are the distractions along the path.

The strength of the number 11 may lead to some very impulsive urges on normal occasions, and when combined with the nawal E’ this could result in some rather randomised journeys. These are the days when you have a strong desire to turn down that road, the one that you have always wondered where it goes, but never travelled it. You could end up lost or delayed, although this is of little importance, you have to find out what is there. This may be in both the physical and metaphorical sense.

Whilst this energy does not give a great deal of focus, you may find that this random exploration gives rise to experiences or discoveries you had not considered before. In the cross of numbers, the number 11 leads to the number 6, and so it is possible that something that you find through your wanderings today helps to stabilise a greater plan in the future.

Planning your journey down to the last detail may prove a frustrating exercise as the plans may change as soon as they are made. This is the day on which “going with the flow” may be the only reasonable option.

Footprints mark 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 B’atz (18th February 2023)

17th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

There are many types of days, each with different attributes. Some are weak, some are strong, some are challenging, some are beneficial. Some are truly sweet, giving an opportunity for the memorable to happen.

10 B’atz is one of these days, the combination giving the ability to create something beautiful within your community, and perhaps more so, it is a day on which innovation and creation with other members of your group helps to strengthen the fabric that holds your community together.

Whether it is a social event, or community project, today is a day when the creative juices should be flowing for everyone. A collective which gathers with the intention of creating something beautiful should be particularly successful today, and will strengthen the bonds within the collective. If you are creating something on your own, be aware of its power to bring you closer to your community through the quality of your work.

We could see the warp and the weft, masculine and feminine, within society coming together today to create a greater whole. It is a day of creation through cooperation and agreement, when the polarities are brought together as one new masterpiece. It’s time to get weaving!

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 B’atz 4 Wayeb – The Final Day of Wayeb

17th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The fifth day of Wayeb completes these days of introspection and retreat. In some ways, whilst this is the day when we can see the dawn of the new year coming, it may also be the most difficult day. It is the day when we start the process to emerge from the chrysalis.

There may be a crystallisation of the process which has been taking place though the days of Wayeb. Here it is combined with the auspicious day of 10 B’atz, the day of community arts. This is a wonderful day to be making any artform with your community. Community arts festivals would be highly signified by this day, even though it is in Wayeb. Perhaps the crystalisation of the process is the beauty which comes out when we come together as a community to combine our creative forces. What a wonderful way to bid farewell to the Mam 10 Kej and welcome teh Mam 11 E’.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Tz’i (17th February 2023)

16th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Whilst the nawal Tz’i may have a colourful reputation, it also encompasses some of the most desirable traits we can exhibit. It is an energy of faith, loyalty, justice and guidance. Today all of those traits are brought into focus with the energy of the number 9, the energy of life and particularly the feminine aspects of it. As we move through this trecena of Iq’, highlighting changes and communication, this is a day to seek out guidance for your life path, which may come especially from women.

The day 9 Tz’i can be seen as a day about having faith in life. Sometimes in order to strengthen that faith, it may be tested. It is a day of loyalty to the women in your life and a day to show your unconditional love for them. It may also be a day to seek justice, particularly for women or issues affecting them.

The dog sits by the cauldron, from the Madrid Codex

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 it’s 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Tz’i 3 Wayeb – The Fourth Day of Wayeb

16th February 2023 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The fourth day of introspection during the Wayeb is associated with definition, and in this solar cycle it is combined with the energy of a day which has some very profound meanings.

We have passed through the three previous days and identified where we are. This time has you helped to identify your strengths and your weaknesses, and asked of you to accept all this as a part of who you are. Now with the experience, knowledge and understanding of yourself, it is time to start charting your course for the coming year of 11 E’.

The day 9 Tz’i is a very interesting day, especially highlighting faith in life. As we have passed through the year 10 Kej, no doubt our faith has taken a few knocks. Maybe we have been tempted by our vices, especially the ones we have carried through our lives. Each of these moments could be seen as a test. Perhaps in our reflection today, we could consider the moments when our faith in our life path has faltered, or when we have succumbed to familiar vices. As we venture into the intrepid exploratory year of 11 E’, we will need to carry our faith with us, and of course, walk this bold path in a spirit of unconditional love. It is a perfect day to ask for a guide or guardian to accompany us on our journey ahead.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Toj 2 Wayeb – The Third Day of Wayeb

15th February 2023 Mark Elmy 3 Comments

The third day of Wayeb focuses on acceptance. When we combine this with the day 8 Toj, we can understand that it can be about accepting any debts we need to be cleared in order to move forwards.

8 Toj is a highly ceremonial day, and here falling in Wayeb is particularly interesting. 8 Toj could be seen as the ceremony of ceremony. It is a great day to make a ceremony to clear all debts, but here in the middle of Wayeb we can see it as really clearing out any lingering energies from the year 10 Kej. It is a great day to be finalising any payments so that you can move into the next solar year free of any burdens. As the third day of Wayeb represents acceptance, this could signify that maybe some of these debts may be things you didn’t want to accept. Maybe you feel that there are things which are not “officially” your responsibility to pay, but you can see the benefit to all should someone step in and pay them. This could be an excellent opportunity to create some goodwill before we move into the energy of the new solar year.

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