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

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Iq’ (16th October 2025)

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6 Iq'This is a day for balanced and inspired communication, a day to get your point across and to hear that of others. If there is something you have been struggling to say, today you might be able to find the words.

In addition to its connection with communication, the nawal Iq’ also governs change. Change can be unsettling, especially when the wind blows wild and the changes happen suddenly and without warning. However, the stabilising influence of the energy of the number 6 may bring some stability to the changes which have been occurring. This could be seen as a day where the energy  is more in line with bringing balanced, measured and stable changes. If you have changes to make, you could find the powerful energy of the wind assisting you today.

However, the movement of the divine breath, inspiring our words, is one of the key aspects of the day. This is a day when it flows gracefully, not too strongly and not too weakly. It empowers our words with sufficient strength to have an impact, yet balances them with a gentle calmness. Its combination with the number 6 draws on the properties of the four directions – vitality, wisdom, spirit and healing – and combined with the inspiration of Sky and the compassion of Earth.

This gives rise to an extremely conducive energy for any form of communication, but, of course, verbal communication is where the greatest potential occurs.

The number 6 also highlights family, and bringing the family into balance, this may be where your communication may be greatly effective and appreciated.

Veintena Pariche’

Within the Solar calendar, today marks the beginning of a new month as we travel through the solar year. Today is the first day of Pariche translated as the season of blankets. The rainy season is coming to an end and the nights begin to grow colder as the ripened corn begins to die back. The next time that the nawal Iq’ will appear will be as 13 Iq’ the second appearance of the bearer of this year. We have been under the influence of the Mam 13 Iq’ for 240 days (since 18th February 2025).

The Nawal Iq’

Wind God 1

Nawal Iq’ is another strong nawal. It represents communication and particularly divine inspiration. It is the wind, the breath of life, that which brings the change in seasons.

The communication brought by Iq’ can be enlightening and inspiring. It is the breath of the divine which flows through us all, in fact the word for soul is Saq Iq’ – white breath. When our breath stops, our divine essence leaves our physical body. When we engage ourselves with the divine breath we are able to create, to manifest with our words, to inspire those around us. However, Iq’ also has a destructive side. It has the ability to blow like a hurricane and may level everything before it. It is the angry words which cut down everything in their path.

Hurricane is one of the few English words which is actually derived from a Mayan word- Junrakan, meaning “one footed”. Junrakan is another name for the Heart of the Sky, one of the creator deities. Once again it seems that certain patterns follow through the sequence of the nawales which are interrelated. Imox, the female creative principle, or egg, is fertilised be Iq’, the male principle. Their combination results in Aq’ab’al, the conception and a change in the state, bringing the dream into reality.

Iq’ is a day of communication, a day of inspiration. It can be a great day to express yourself through written or particularly verbal means. It is also a day on which changes happen. You can either embrace those changes or resist them. However, be aware that the wind blows forcefully and resistance of change requires a great deal of energy. Embracing change helps you to learn to dance like a leaf in the wind.

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. Thus, ceremonies are often made on six days 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.

Thus, 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 Imox (15th October 2025)

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5 ImoxPut your energy into the dreams you wish to manifest. Spending some time by water may enhance this process. Today is an ideal day for working on what you what to bring into the world.

The combination of the number of hard work and Imox, the nawal of the collective consciousness, may give rise to more difficulty than usual in connecting with the collective consciousness of society today.

Sometimes the dreamworld may be difficult to navigate. Illusions turn our perception upside down, time seems to run differently and events occur very differently to our expectations. For these reasons, Imox is sometimes seen as the nawal of craziness. This world is the one which joins us all together, the collective, where all inspiration and nurture comes from. It is the unseen feeling between all of us, the unspoken words that we hear. It is the pool to which we are all connected.

The number 5 can represent obstructions and blockages. When this is applied to our connection to the group consciousness, it could result in isolation. More effort than usual may be required to understand what is going on around you, where events may seem more alien than usual. You may have a feeling that you have moved into a alternate reality, where events in society do not seem to make sense.

The Nawal Imox

Nawal Imox represents the collective consciousness, the great ocean. It is the moment before the “big bang”, when all that existed was the dream of the creator. It is everything and nothing in one place, the ovum from which reality was conceived. Imox is still very much in the other world, requiring another component to physically manifest the dream into reality.

Imox is considered to be a feminine nawal. Sometimes called water lily, sometimes crocodile, it is an embodiment of the primordial. It was from the great ocean that the four first men raised sky to create the world which we inhabit. Imox can also be seen as the Darwinian swamp from which all life emerged. It is fertile and creative, the mother that gave birth to our entire reality.

Imox is our common origin, and as such links us all together. It is the place of dreams, the collective conscious we delve into on our nightly voyages. It may also relate to the place that certain plant medicines take us to in order to bring us wisdom. However, as the font of all of creation, Imox harbours the dark as well as the light.

Imox is a day to celebrate the spirit of the times, to understand the collective mind. It is a day to dream your creations, your art, your music. Imox helps us all feel connected, when the psychic field between us may be particularly strong. Discernment may be called for, to understand when to dissociate from the collective. It is important to remember your individuality.

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”.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

0.0.13.0.0 4 Ajpu 18 Yax – A New Tun Begins (14th October 2025)

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The Gregorian date of 21st December 2012 held great significance for many people. Here in the Maya lands, a great many people had gathered to participate in ceremonies. These marked the completion of a very long cycle of time of 13 baktun in the long count calendar (1,872,000 days or 5125.26 years). It was the beginning of a new baktun within the long count calendar.

The long count calendar was used to calculate much greater cycles of time than could be recorded by the Chol Q’ij (260 days), the solar calendar (365 days) or the calendar round (52 years less 13 days). Through extension it can be used through periods of time up to thousands, and even millions, of years. In general, long count dates are given using five numbers. These numbers represent periods known as baktun, katun, tun, uinal and kin. The smallest unit is kin, which represents 1 day. The next unit, which could in a way be seen as a month, is a uinal consisting of 20 days. Moving into a larger scale, the next number represents the tun. 1 tun is made up of 18 uinal, a period of 360 days, and so is seen as a vague year. From there, the long count moves on in factors of 20. 20 tuns (7200 days) are equal to a katun, which will be 20 Gregorian years less 100 days. Finally, the greatest unit here, a baktun, a period of 20 katuns (144000 days), or roughly 394 Gregorian years. Other units extended this by further factors of 20.

Stela C at Quirigua which shows a creation date of 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ajpu 8 Kumku. Photo by Mark Elmy

Reference is made to the beginning of an age, a time of creation approximately 5125 years before 2012. This is seen on Stela C at Quirigua, which shows a date of 13 baktun, 0 katun, 0 tun, 0 uinal and 0 kin, often written 13.0.0.0.0, followed by the day 4 Ajpu (Ajaw) 8 Kumku. This correlates to a date of 13th August 3114BC, although another correlation is 11th August 3114BC. For one reason or another it became a belief that a great cycle of time consisted of 13 baktun, so the completion of a 13 baktun period was seen as having special significance. Regardless of theories or ideas with regards to that significance, the completion of a cycle such as a katun or baktun was seen as a time to be marked with ceremonies to welcome a new period. When the thirteenth baktun was completed in 2012, the corresponding long count date would have read 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ajpu 3 Kankin, although it is sometimes also represented as 0.0.0.0.0. One day later, 22nd December, would then be 0.0.0.0.1, twenty days later the first uinal is complete, giving 0.0.0.1.0 and then 360 days later, 16th December 2013, would mark the completion of the first tun, giving a long count date of 0.0.1.0.0

These periods have continued through the years in the following sequence:

Gregorian DateLong Count DateChol Q'ij and Ha'ab
21/12/20120.0.0.0.04 Ajpu 3 Kankin
16/12/20130.0.1.0.013 Ajpu 18 Mak
11/12/20140.0.2.0.09 Ajpu 13 Mak
06/12/20150.0.3.0.05 Ajpu 8 Mak
30/11/20160.0.4.0.01 Ajpu 3 Mak
25/11/20170.0.5.0.010 Ajpu 18 Sej
20/11/20180.0.6.0.06 Ajpu 13 Sej
15/11/20190.0.7.0.02 Ajpu 8 Sej
09/11/20200.0.8.0.011 Ajpu 3 Sej
04/11/20210.0.9.0.07 Ajpu 18 Sak
30/10/20220.0.10.0.03 Ajpu 13 Sak
25/10/20230.0.11.0.012 Ajpu 8 Sak
19/10/20240.0.12.0.08 Ajpu 3 Sak
14/10/20250.0.13.0.04 Ajpu 18 Yax

A new period begins today. We completed the 13th tun after the beginning of the new baktun, yesterday on 3 Kawok. The new tun will always begin on an Ajpu day, and today on 4 Ajpu we mark this new tun. The long count date will become 0.0.13.0.0 (4 Ajpu 18 Yax). Once again we see the turning over of a cycle, and should be seen as a great time for a renewal. Perhaps we can understand the theme of the next tun to be carried by the properties of 4 Ajpu. I see this as a time of bringing the divine into the physical realm. I like to think of it as a time to rebuild the temples, and remember to find the holy aspect of everyday life.

If a stela was carved for today, this would be how it would look. 0.0.13.0.0 4 Ajpu 18 Yax Image created using Bob Makransky’s Mayan Astrology Program
Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

4 Ajpu (14th October 2025)

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4 AjpuThe world may have been turning for many millions of years, but our cycles of creation and destruction happen repeatedly throughout time. Yesterday one era was swept away, today a new era is stabilised.

The Maya calendars work in cycles which range from short to very long. The short cycles may be 1, 13 or 20 days. The longer ones are 260 days, 52 years or much longer. Each small cycle is a fractal of the larger ones. Over the 20 days of the sacred calendar, we can see the whole story of creation and the evolution of human consciousness.

new era is stabilised
Stela C at Quirigua which shows a creation date of 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ajpu 8 Kumku. Photo by Mark Elmy

New Eras

One of the longer cycles is the 13 Baktun era. The start of one of these is recorded at Quirigua on Stella C, as 13.0.0.0.0 4 Ajpu 8 Cumku. This is thought to equate to August 12th 3114 BCE. It is said to be a creation day for our era. Each 4 Ajpu day marks a day when we re-create. This one is special as it marks the beginning of a new Tun, a 360 day vague solar year. You can read more about that here https://thefourpillars.net/a-new-tun-begins/

A new Tun Begins
This is how a stela carved for today’s date would look. It shows the date 0.0.13.0.0 4 Ajpu 18 Yax Created using Bob Makransky’s Mayan Astrology program

Today leadership may be stabilised into the physical world after a period of destruction or loss. It is what was conceived through the ancestors on the day 13 Aq’ab’al. We may start to see the beginning of a new era. Perhaps we need to look with new eyes and look for the signs of goodness within it. When we can see it around us, we become able to see it within us.

The Nawal Ajpu

journey to your highest potential

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 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. It was said to be they 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

3 Kawok (13th October 2025)

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3 KawokThis is a day to call on the energy of the nawal Kawok to wash away your internal obstacles to the emergence of new growth in your life. Breath through the birthing process to bring the new era into the world.

Within the Maya calendars we see a microcosm reflection of life and creation cycles. The day 3 Kawok can represent the birth of a new era, which may involve both pain and joy.

Within the Maya cross, the day 3 Kawok represents the future of the day Wajxakib (8) B’atz. Kawok represents the midwife’s energy and the birth process. Today is particularly strong as what it is birthing is the day 4 Ajpu. This is the day of the creation of a new world, and 3 Kawok is the midwife who brings it forth.

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 seen in many Maya homes supporting the tortilla griddle. The stones are the stars Alnitak, Saiph and Rigel in the constellation we call Orion. The Smoky Fireplace is the Great Orion Nebula (M42)

M42, The Orion Nebula. Photo by Mark Elmy

Another creation story is that the goddess Ixchel tipped over the water jar and caused a great flood which washed away the old world. If the new era comes into being on 4 Ajpu, 3 Kawok represents that great flood, washing away the old society. Here we see the storm aspect of the day Kawok strongly highlighted. This may not be the easiest of days to negotiate, especially if you are trying to hold on to what is being washed away. Perhaps it is time to let go and ride the wave instead.

 

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 Three

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 lacks stability and can represent challenges and obstructions. The number three brings up internal/external dilemmas. 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 yourself.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

2 Tijax (12th October 2025)

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2 TijaxThis is a day to bring decisive healing through love and understanding. Today would be a good day to cut yourself free of something which may be causing an imbalance in your relationship.

The number 2 can also represent self-sacrifice and relationships. Today we might ask ourselves what we can cut away from ourselves in order to strengthen our relationships. Tijax can represent the purification that comes through sacrifice.

Today would seem to be an ideal day to seek peace through mediation. The energy of today brings an interesting combination of the number which represents duality with the nawal which resolves it. It could also suggest that the resolution of conflict, that Tijax drives towards, comes through seeing both viewpoints. Whilst this may be rather obvious, today it is something to really keep in mind as it is strongly empowered.

However, Tijax does have its warlike reputation. It can be argumentative, although this is usually with good reason. In its quest for truth,  the obsidian blade skillfully cuts away the dishonest, illegitimate and deceitful. It is preparing the way for the arrival of Ajpu, clearing the unholy to bring the divine into the world. Although the outcome of this brings about a more harmonious world, the process may be harsh.

Tijax can be seen as a precision instrument. It cuts with the skill of a surgeon, seeing precisely what to remove. When coupled with the number 2, this can make things very clear. The day 2 Tijax may bring things into stark contrast. There is a clarity of what is to be kept and what is to be cut away. It is a day when we may have to choose our side, to draw our line in the sand. There is no middle ground on a 2 day.

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. However, 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 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.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

1 No’j (11th October 2025)

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1 N'ojNew worlds need new ideas and solutions. This is very much the essence of both today and the thirteen-day period (trecena) that we move into today. It is a time of inspiration, which may come from sudden events.

Today we are starting a new trecena. However, we are still within the influential period of the Maya cross of 8 B’atz. In two days, we move into its future sign of 3 Kawok, and the next day of 4 Ajpu can represent the beginning of a new world. It was seen as the creation day, noted on Stela C at Quirigua. This re-creation brings great opportunity for reinvention and resetting, it can also bring challenges to our accepted worldview. Sometimes this may be precipitated by an event, and here No’j acts in both its aspects.

No’j is sometimes associated with earthquakes, also sometimes with lightning. Both of these are energetic events which arrive without warning. They are sudden and sometimes decisive. They might call for quick action, a swift resolution to the effects of the event. This also comes through No’j, the nawal of the brain and the problem solver, bringing us the inspiration to solve problems and think on our feet.

We see it here connected with the number 1, representing birth, the seed of something new. The energy of this combination may bring the new solutions to the issues we face in the world. It may also bring about a whole new way of thinking. A sudden revelation may bring clarity to begin seeing a situation from a different perspective. This is just the first formation of an idea. Although it is possibly more than a concept, it will need time and careful nurturing to develop. We begin to see a clear solution to the problem through new inspiration.

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, and No’j is 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 of understanding 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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

The No’j Trecena (11th – 23rd October 2025)

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The No’j Trecena is a time to bring forward new ideas and new solutions, new ways of putting your knowledge into practice.

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

For those of you who prefer a short format daily video, you can also find the trecena video divided into 13 shorter versions on TikTok. You can find me here https://www.tiktok.com/@mark.elmy or as @mark.elmy on the app.

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 Monday 20th – Friday 24th October 2025. There are currently spaces available. For more information, please go to https://thefourpillars.net/?page_id=1120. 

Readings

Update I have also added other readings that I do to the page. These include partnership readings, Tz’ite consultations and path of the plumed serpent 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/

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/

Worthwhile Recipients of Your Donations

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.

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

Here’s the link for the No’j trecena video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/mS7XkaGSWkI

[https://youtu.be/mS7XkaGSWkI]

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 Ajmak (10th October 2025)

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13 AjmakThis is a very powerful day of ancestral forgiveness. It can relate to both living ancestors, and those in the spirit world and goes both ways. Forgive and be forgiven.

Sometimes the burdens we carry are not only our own. They are those of our society.  Energies persist through generations, patterns are passed through families long after the initial event. Something was created that we are so far removed from, we may not even realise we are carrying it. The day 13 Ajmak gives us an opportunity for absolution, not only for ourselves but for our ancestral past.

As the nawal of “being human”, sometimes the energy of Ajmak teaches us how to get back up on our feet after we have “fallen.” However, to learn this we have to make a mistake. The energy of today may bring some strong lessons in this regard. This day has the potential for some of the greatest acts of forgiveness, but it also has the potential for some almighty mistakes to be made. It is certainly a day to exercise caution in your decision making process.

Ajmak brings us the opportunity to “bring the sweetness into life” and we do this through true forgiveness. This is the day to make peace, particularly with those who are now in the other world. If there is an unresolved issue, a broken promise or apology to make, today is a day to resolve it, even if that is at a graveside. It is a day to exonerate guilt, blame, shame and remorse, and to release the associated burden so that we can move freely into the creation of the new world.

I’m sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you

I love you

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 Thirteen

The number 13 is the final number. It represents the spirit world. It is said that on Samhain, 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. Both the positive and negative aspects of the day come through strongly. It is a very good day for activities such as divinations. Ceremonies on 13 days are best left to experienced Aj Q’ijab who understand how to work with that energy.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

12 Tz’ikin (9th October 2025)

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12 Tz'ikinUse your life experience to focus your vision today. As we near the close of the K’at trecena, decide what life experience helps you to reach your goal and what distracts you from it.

Tz’ikin is the nawal related to prosperity. It brings this through both giving the vision to create opportunity and its vocal manifestation abilities. Tz’ikin days are generally seen as fortunate, as long as they don’t become too distracting.

The energy of the nawal Tz’ikin should always be seen from the understanding of long-term perspective. The further we can see the more we can understand how to bring true prosperity. Tz’ikin gives us that ability. The energy of Tz’ikin is not about short-term gain at the expense of the future. It is more about a vision of a sustainable future for our families, our children and the environment we all exist in. It helps us to understand how we can all thrive together.

The number 12 gathers together previous experiences, it bundles them together into one collective. When combined with the nawal Tz’ikin, we can see many positive possibilities for this day.

The energy of this day brings into focus past prosperity, and suggests that it can be collected and brought into the now. This could bring an unexpected windfall from a forgotten bank account, or savings box. This is a day where a look through the attic may prove to be a highly profitable experience, although this is also where distractions may arise as objects bring back vivid memories.

It also suggests that previous visions may be combined into a new and highly prosperous idea. This is a day to collect together entrepreneurial flashes into a bundle to see how they might be able to help our family, our community and our environment thrive.

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. 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.

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 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.