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

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Tijax (1st March 2026)

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12 TijaxUse your experience to bring healing in your world today. It is a day to use your discernment to cut through injustice, lies and disharmony.

The next two days may be considered as two turbulent days of the sacred calendar. However, there is certainly another side that can be seen with both of these days. Of course, I will deal with 12 Tijax first. The energy of the nawal Tijax has a reputation for its warlike nature, although I have rarely seen that expressed. What I have experienced is a desire for refinement. Whilst there might be a degree of ruthlessness, Tijax knows just where and how to make cuts. It is not afraid to make the cut that others shy away from. It does so to bring truth, beauty or healing into the world.

The number 12 can represent bundling together our life experience. We can think of this being our autobiography. Thus, today can involve editing out the stories which are no longer relevant. It is a great day to release those memories which withhold you from your truest expression. Use the experience you have gathered as a guide to what to save and what to release.

When you cut away the excess you are able to move freely on your journey. Experiences in our lives mould us into who we are. However, we cannot move further if we don’t break free of the mould. We don’t have to regret or live in our past. Today heal those experiences, and cut yourself free, even if, some deep cuts of the blade are involved. Surgery is never painless. This is a day to use your life experience to cut through injustice, lies and disharmony in order to bring healing to your world.

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 12

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 No’j (28th February 2026)

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11 N'ojInformation from many different sources may bring confusion. However, if a focused train of thought can be achieved, novel solutions to issues may present themselves. Intuitive thinking may bring innovation.

Most days which carry the number 11 can be a little confusing, to say the least. The strong energy of the 11, combined with its lack of true direction, can lead to situations where you don’t know where you are, or where you are going, although you are sure you are in the right place.

However, the energy of the nawal No’j may bring some stability to this through its logic. It may be a day of many thoughts and ideas which seem to form some kind of cohesive structure from a certain point of view. You may need to patiently observe your thoughts until the end of the day to understand where the trail is leading. In fact, today you might come up with the rather left-field thoughts that were the missing pieces of your master plan.

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 11

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 Ajmak (27th February 2026)

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10 AjmakForgiveness within the community may be a good focus today. If you get the opportunity to act selflessly to help others today, grab it with both hands.

When we are calling the days during a fire ceremony, Ajmak is often referred to as the nawal of redemption, and this is a key element in the energy of this particular day.

When we combine this with the energy of the nawal Ajmak with the number 10, we can see two very important ideas emerging.

The first is asking for forgiveness from our community.  Sometimes we might have acted with less integrity than we normally would, or made a mistake which impacts our community or our peer group. Our first instinct may be to try to cover this up without actually addressing the issue. However, at some level, this issue may still be causing disharmony. Often the thought of addressing the issue is more intimidating than the actual process itself. Today provides beneficial conditions for the process of redemption within your community.

The second is our ability to forgive society. There is great discontent in our current society. Issues have divided communities and families, and driven wedges between friends. We must fix these situations within yourself and forgive the failings of society. It is not possible to come to equilibrium through enmity, only side by side can we work together to resolve the situation. To initiate this process, forgiveness must take place. It could be seen as extending a hand to help those who have fallen get back up again. By choosing to take this action, we start to release our burden.

Nawal Ajmak

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

Ajmak is the nawal of pardon and forgiveness, the nawal of redemption. It is the energy of being human, of falling 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 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 fail to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regard to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

The Number Ten

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 acting in harmony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

NOT an Actual Planetary Alignment (and what you will see)

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Pop culture or “Facebook” astronomy has once again flooded the internet with disinformation and I find that rather sad. It creates an unrealistic expectation, and misunderstandings. “Once in a lifetime” “alignments” are popularised encouraging people to go out and look at the skies, which is a great thing; I feel we should all spend more time watching the wonders of our night sky. However, often they return disappointed.

Headlines like “6 planets visible in the sky” really require some caveats. For a start, even I, as an amateur astronomer with a telescope, have never seen Uranus or Neptune. Maybe I haven’t tried hard enough, but they are exceptionally difficult to spot, especially with the naked eye. If you are in an area with very dark skies, something which is becoming rarer by the day, you might have a chance. However, in general, you will see Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. If you are lucky, and particularly if you are at lower latitudes like Guatemala, you will see Mercury too. The inclination of the ecliptic at 15 degrees North means that there is a greater separation between the planet and the horizon. The rather flat inclination of the ecliptic in higher latitudes makes Mercury very difficult to spot.

The “sweet spot” will be around 6.40pm local time. It should be just dark enough after sunset. However, Venus and Mercury will be just about 2 degrees above the horizon, so you’ll need to be somewhere very flat to be able to see them. Saturn should be easy to spot and Jupiter will be plainly visible, but it will actually be high above and in the eastern sky. Mars is not currently visible (it’s behind the Sun)

NOT an alignment
Saturn, Venus and Mercury 32 minutes after sunset on 28th February 2026

“The planets will be in a line in the sky”  they said.

A misconception is being made regarding the event of February 28th 2026. It was widely published as being an alignment, before being reworded as a “planetary parade”. Unfortunately, sensationalist internet sites had propagated the misinformation so that many people believed it was an alignment of some kind.  The planets do form (or follow) a line in the sky, but it’s not actually rare. The planets roughly follow the line of the ecliptic, the path of the Sun through the sky. It is the plane of the solar system. To simplify the understanding of this we could think of balls on a plate. From our viewpoint on Earth they might appear to be in a line in the sky, but the reality of their positions within the solar system was a bit more like the diagram below.

It becomes very apparent that this probably is not much of an alignment! Looking up from East to West it will be possible to see  Jupiter (almost overhead), then Saturn with Venus and Mercury close to the horizon just after sunset, if you’re really lucky! You have to really look from one side of the sky to the other to see it.

Not an alignment
Rough positions of the planets within the solar system on 28th February 2026

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Tz’ikin (26th February 2026)

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9 Tz'ikinYour life vision may come to the fore today. Are you focussed on it or distracted? If you haven’t got one, today is a good day to ask for it.

The day 9 Tz’ikin combines the fortunate and prosperous day of Tz’ikin with the number of life and the divine feminine. This, therefore,  gives the potential for a very beneficial day, especially concerning prosperity.

As the bird soars high in the sky it can see the path ahead, giving an understanding of both possible future complications and the best route to take to avoid them. This is metaphorically part of the essence of the nawal Tz’ikin. It gives us the ability to perceive the most prosperous direction in which to put our energy. This may be why of Tz’ikin days, and the people who carry this nawal, are naturally endowed with good fortune. They carry the foresight to make beneficial decisions.

Of course, an important point to note is that the prosperity mentioned here is not just a material thing. It is not about a big bank balance on a dying planet. To attain true prosperity, it is vitally important that all systems thrive – us, our families, our communities and the nature which supports it all. As the number 9 represents life itself, this could be a good day to ask for a vision which brings prosperity to all forms of life, which helps us and our environment to thrive.

The number 9 represents both life and the feminine, so perhaps today is a day to seek guidance from the women in our lives in order to bring sustainable prosperity to ourselves, our families, our community and our environment.

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”. However, this is not the same as the greed of capitalist consumerism. If your family is starving, you are more likely to fall off the road, perhaps into dishonesty or criminal activity. Thus, 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.

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

The Number Nine

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

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Ix (25th February 2026)

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8 IxGratitude ceremonies for Mother Earth would be appropriate today. It is a day of wholeness, where we give thanks for everything we receive from her.

A week ago, the trecena of Kej began, which gave us the possibility of drawing our strength from nature. Today, we feel the wholeness of connection with the spirit of the Earth. It is a day of celebration, where we give thanks to the Earth for all that she provides. We also recognize the “magic” in our lives, as our ability to work in harmony with the Earth sustains ourselves, our families, and our communities with what she provides.

Moreover, Ix is the nawal of natural shrines and altars, the “ears” through which the Earth receives our prayers. We often make ourselves heard, asking for what we need in our lives, and today allows us to give back. You can show your love for the Earth by using your time to help clear up a local natural environment of debris left behind by humans. Bring a little of your magic to her, show a little love, and she will return it to you magnified.

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 considered to be the most feminine of the nawales because it embodies the spirit of the Heart of the Earth. It can be seen as a representation of Mother Earth or the Maya version of Gaia. Ix is known for its nurturing energy, as it takes care of all things. However, this nurturing should not be mistaken for weakness, as Ix also embodies the power and stealth of the jaguar, which is its animal totem. The jaguar is a powerful jungle cat that moves stealthily through the darkness of the night with spots on its back representing the milky way. Ix carries the sun on its nightly journey through the underworld.

In industrialized societies, the Earth is often seen as an inanimate source of material wealth. However, non-industrialized societies view her as a living entity that we can interact with, and she carries the nawal Ix. Therefore, on Ix days, people offer prayers at her shrines and altars to ask for what they need in the world. To keep Ix healthy, it is important to approach her with a spirit of gratitude and humility. Ix is deeply connected with the natural world, where it finds its wisdom, power, and wealth. Therefore, it is a day to give thanks, remember gratitude, and engage with your magic.

The Number Eight

The number 8 is considered to be a number of wholeness. It can be seen as birth (1) and death (7) combined to represent the whole cycle of the soul. Also, it can be seen as the point where the four first men who raised the sky from the sea were joined by their wives and the world become whole. The eighth day of the trecena is the most common day for ceremonies to be made. Therefore, it is still in the balanced range of numbers and is an even number, which is also considered fortunate. As this wholeness represents every aspect of the energy of the day with which it is coupled. It is the wholeness of the nawal that is addressed in ceremony.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

7 Aj (24th February 2026)

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7 AjChoices for a harmonious community may be highlighted today. Additionally, issues of leadership could be concluded with the correct choices, bringing benefits for all.

The upstanding nature of the nawal Aj and the balance of the number 7, should create a good day to tackle issues in your home or community through firm and decisive leadership.

The nawal Aj has the energy of benevolent authority. It seeks to provide guidance and direction, or leadership, to ensure harmony within the home and community. Aj relates to the cane, or baston, of authority carried by the elders within the village. It is their job to guide the community in the correct direction through their wise counsel. However, sometimes they may need to exert their authority and use the stick, rather than the carrot, to achieve this. When Aj is respected, and its guidance is adhered to, no further action is necessary.

It is a day to calmly seek the resolution of disputes by seeing all sides of the debate. The point to this is to bring peace and prosperity back to the community or home. If there is any conflict around you or in your life, today is a good day to seek mediation through an authority in order to reach a final resolution.

The Nawal Aj

The Temple of the Foliated Cross, Palenque
The Temple of the Foliated Cross. This small temple houses one of the most remarkable and beautiful friezes, the Foliated Cross. Together with those of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Cross, this forms an architectural version of a codex. It shows both mythic and historical accounts of the ruling dynasty. The three temples together form the cross group, the sacred heart 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 also 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 its head in the sky.

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.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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Calendar Page – March 2026

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

As I write this I feel a great sense of excitement for what will be a very active period for me. I will be once again leading a trek to El Mirador, this time for the Ajpu Trecena. I always like to include celestial events into the journey, and this one begins on 1 Ajpu, 3rd March 2026, with a lunar eclipse. The maximum eclipse will be visible in North America, Australia and Asia. In Guatemala we will enter totality at 05:04, with the maximum occurring at 05:33 local time (UTC-6)

Of course, with it being March, we will also be passing through the time of Equinox, which will occur this year at 14:14 UTC on March 20th, 08:45 Guatemala time.

The Jun E’ Journey

The Jun Ajpu journey has filled up, but I was approached to see if it would be possible to make another journey in spring of 2026. I checked the calendar and found another auspicious trecena, the trecena of E’, would fall within the trekking period. The Jun E’ journey will take place between April 23rd and May 4th 2026. For more information, please visit https://thefourpillars.net/the-jun-e-journey/

Readings

If you would like to know what your nawal brings to your lifepath, please follow this link to get a reading with me https://thefourpillars.net/maya-lifepath-reading/

1 Kej / 2026 Calendar

My 2026 calendar is now available. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar. Currently it is available electronically as a PDF in both English and Spanish. See this link ‎for details on how to get your pdf  https://thefourpillars.net/2026-calendar/

Printed versions, in English, are available locally in Guatemala in San Marcos La Laguna at Lava Love Cacao and Palo Santo and in San Juan la Laguna at the candle shop of Nana Maria Feliciana, opposite Banrural, across from the flete parking. . They will also soon be available in the USA through Soul Lift Cacao through this link https://soulliftcacao.com/

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/

Gregorian dateDay Name (Clickable)Keywords, ideas, concepts
March
112 TijaxHealing life experiences, cutting the outworn
213 KawokThe birth process empowered by spirit
31 AjpuThe new divinity, new quest for holiness
42 ImoxPartnership dreaming
53 Iq'Inner communication, challenging changes
64 Aq'ab'alIllumination of the physical world
75 K'atHard work brings in the harvest/abundance
86 KanStabilising wisdom and power
97 KameEnd of the transformation
108 KejCelebration of nature, Initiation of priests
119 Q'anilThe brilliance of the feminine, ripening of life
1210 TojPayment brings the health of the community
1311 Tz'iFaith through many experiences
1412 B'atzLife experiences bring beauty to your art
1513 E'The spirit path, ancestral understandings
161 AjThe new leader emerges
172 IxMagic in relationship, duality of Mother Earth
183 Tz'ikinInner vision, challenges to prosperity
194 AjmakPhysical acts of forgiveness or redemption
205 No'jWorking on ideas
216 TijaxPhysical healing from divine sources
227 KawokEnd of the storms, finalising the new birth
238 AjpuBeginning and end of the light
249 ImoxLife emerges from the primordial
2510 Iq'Community communications
2611 Aq'ab'alMany strong new concepts
2712 K'atGather life experience to collect abundance
2813 KanThe power and wisdom of the spirit world
291 KameThe beginning of transformation
302 KejStrength through partnership
313 Q'anilInner light, external challenges to growth
Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 E’ (23rd February 2026)

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6 E'Today is the day to stabilise your path. Just as the combination of nawal and number can create challenges, it can also create perfect conditions. The combination of the number of stability with the nawal of the path should give an excellent day for exploration.

The energy of the nawal E’ takes us on a voyage of discovery, whether that involves actual physical movement or not. It seeks adventure and can be known as both a thrill seeker and a risk taker, although E’ is usually known as a benevolent energy. E’ is certainly a restless energy, and may show up today as a desire for new experiences.

However, the combination with the stabilising energy of the number 6, can be particularly useful when combined with the energy of the nawal E’. The properties of the number 6 bring stability to the wandering energy of E’, bringing purpose and direction. This is not just a physical journey, there is much more behind it. It brings the inspiration from both heaven and Earth into the physical realm in order to set its course. Not only is it guided by a higher perspective, it is also blessed by it, and as such today should be a particularly beneficial day for travel. This too applies to learning and research, all which moves into new areas of understanding and experience.

The Jun E’ Journey

Are you feeling ready for a new adventure? Perhaps some time trekking intentionally in the jungle of northern Guatemala would satisfy your need for a disconnection from the modern world. The JunAjpu journey has filled up, but I was approached to see if it would be possible to make another journey in spring of 2026. I checked the calendar and found another auspicious trecena, the trecena of E’, would fall within the trekking period. The Jun E’ journey will take place between April 23rd and May 4th 2026. For more information, please visit https://thefourpillars.net/the-jun-e-journey/

The Nawal E’

Footprints
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. A 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.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 B’atz (22nd February 2026)

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5 B'atzWorking creatively can beautify the world around you. With a little more input you might achieve a great deal more in your project than you expected today. Get weaving!

 

The energy of B’atz days is thought of as being very favourable, especially for the arts – after all, they are always full of creative potential. Even when coupled with the energy of a more challenging number such as 5, they can still be beneficial.

If you need to get working on a creative project, today will prove very useful. The energy of B’atz is interwoven with the number 5, bringing an industrious impulse to the day, although that does not have to take away from the artistic feeling. On some days it is difficult to get started, and yet other days the creation flows from you. The only way you could be more productive would be if there were more hours in the day.

However, the energy of the number 5 can occasionally throw up an obstruction, and you might still find parts of your creative experience hard work. Perhaps a touch of writer’s block, a power failure on the stage, or an unexpected interruption to the creative process.

The Nawal B’atz

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

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar 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, 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.

B’atz 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.

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”.