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

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Kame (18th February 2022)

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9 KameToday brings a very auspicious combination as Kame, the nawal of spiritual change combines with the number of life. Today is a day where overcoming a life challenge may lead to a profound transformation.

Often in life we like to preserve the status quo, we have crafted our life in a certain way and that gives us security. However, life is never still, and even in death there is movement, transformation. We were not born to experience lack of change. In order to grow in all ways, we need change in our lives. New experiences and challenges, even if they scare us when we think about them, are what help us to mature and develop, they help our souls to ripen. The energy of Kame brings us those opportunities to face our fears and gain a great deal of self development through the process of overcoming them.

Today Kame is combined with the number 9 which highlights life and the feminine aspect in particular. This gives an idea that women in our lives may help us transform towards a higher aspect of ourselves. We have a choice with regards to the way we confront challenges and the energy of the day would suggest that compassion and acceptance, the more feminine qualities, will give the required result. An important transformation may occur through integration of the divine feminine aspect.

Kame relates to death, which often makes people nervous. However, this nawal is seen as an extremely positive day. Birth is the gateway into the mortal life, death the gateway into the eternal. In many shamanistic traditions, the initiate goes through several death experiences during training. This can be through the use of particular herbs, or sometimes through accident or illness. In these experiences the density of the mortal realm falls away and the greater understanding emerges. It can often be described as a spiritual transformation. In the Popul Vuh, the Mayan book of creation, the Hero Twins descend to the underworld, Xibalba, to confront the Lords of Death. They pass the many challenges set for them, but eventually end up being tricked by the Lord of Death. Instead of giving in, the Hero Twins choose to sacrifice themselves. They give instructions to a pair of seers to convince the Lords of Death to grind the Twins’ bones to dust and throw the dust in the river. Everything went according to plan and five days later the twins appeared as catfish in the river, then transformed into vagabond “magicians”. In this way we see a literal transformation from the crusader (Tijax) through death (Kame) to the higher self (Ix). This is the potential of the Kame day, to face ones fears and attain a higher perspective, to advance the journey of your soul. This is also a day to remember your ancestors and friends that have passed into the other realm, to remember what they taught you, and to thank them for their wisdom that helped you to grow.

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

8 Kan 3 Wayeb – The Fourth Day of Wayeb

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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 10 Kej.

The number 8 is associated with wholeness, it can be seen as the combination of the number 1 (birth, beginnings, potential) with the number 7 (death, endings, finality.) It can be seen as all things in perfect balance, the acceptance of darkness within the light and light within the darkness. As we see it here  associated with the nawal Kan, representing wisdom, power and teachers, it can be understood to be the bringing together of all aspects in order to bring about true wisdom. As the fourth day of Wayeb focusses on definition, a focus for today could be to define our wisdom by drawing on the wholeness of what we have learned from our teachers. This may include the harsh lessons as well as  inspiring ones, as true wisdom brings everything into balance. It is a perfect day to define what brings out our light and dark sides, and how we can integrate both to truly understand ourselves.

Another representation of Pawahtuun, the god of the Wayeb, this time from the Paris Codex. From http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/codex/page6.html

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Kan (17th February 2022)

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  • 8 KanThe day 8 Kan has a potential to show both the positive and negative aspects of the nawal Kan in their entirety. This may lead to some rather interesting revelations.
An ancestor brings wisdom through the vision serpent. Feathered Serpent Diety, detail of Classic Maya lintel at Yaxchilan, from ''A Study of Maya Art'' by Herbert Spinden, 1913 {{PD-US}}
An ancestor brings wisdom through the vision serpent. Feathered Serpent Diety, detail of Classic Maya lintel at Yaxchilan, from ”A Study of Maya Art” by Herbert Spinden, 1913 {{PD-US}}

Whenever dealing with a serpent, caution should be advised and despite the balanced number attached here, the energy of this day may be rather dramatic. Power, and particularly power over others maybe a strong theme of today. The number 8 allows us to experience both the beginning and the end, the dark and the light, that make up this power, ultimately resulting in balance. The energy of Kan has the possibility of giving a day of political chicanery, of manipulation and illusion. The combination with the number 8, today gives us a real opportunity to engage with our wisdom to see behind this illusion, to see things as they truly are. It is a day when we may learn from both the positive and negative results of the application of power. This may lead to understanding how we can use the wisdom derived to empower our communities as well as ourselves.

The eighth day of the trecena can also be seen as a day of ceremony, a day to celebrate the qualities of the nawal with which it is associated. Kan has the ability to impart wisdom, and to empower, so is seen as a day of our teachers. Therefore, this day can be seen as a day of ceremony to celebrate the teachers in our life.

Lady Xoc pierces her tongue and receives wisdom for her people from her ancestor emerging from the mouth of the vision serpent. From http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/maya-lintels.htm
Lady Xoc pierces her tongue and receives wisdom for her people from her ancestor emerging from the mouth of the vision serpent. From http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/maya-lintels.htm

Kan is one of the more powerful nawales and it represents just that – power. It is connected to serpents, and serpent symbolism is very strong in Maya mythology. In the past, lightning was referred to as sky serpents, and what is seen in the outer world is reflected by the inner world. The power of Kan comes from something which is referred to as itz or coyopa, the lightning in the blood. This is the power which may also be known as Ki, Chi, Prana, kundalini or “the force”. It is life force energy. Kundalini is a sanskrit word actually meaning coiled, like a snake. When working with any of these energies, training must be undertaken in order to understand how to use them. In its most positive aspect, the energy of Kan brings great wisdom; in its negative aspect, great destruction. A lack of understanding or control of this power can lead to undesirable consequences. The dark side of Kan can seduce with its power, and a very sexy power it is too, holding its prey in an almost hypnotic grip with its allure. It can become the ultimate ego trap.

However, it is also said that the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz (also known as Kulkulkan or Quetzalcoatl) brought wisdom, through the sciences of astronomy and agriculture, to the ancient Maya. Here we see the positive aspect of Kan, where the ability to work with the body lightning brings great wisdom. People born on a Kan day can become some of the greatest healers or psychics, or they can become the darkest sorcerers and manipulators.

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. It can also 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. It is the most common day for ceremonies to be made, 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 K’at (16th February 2022)

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7 K'atThe number of completion combines with the nawal of gathering and harvest. This could be an excellent day to gather the fruits of your labour, but also to finally release old burdens.

The energy of the nawal K’at brings us the ability to bring things together in one place. This may be indeed be your produce or harvest, but K’at also helps to bring together thoughts and people. K’at days are great days to create bundles, and from these bundles abundance naturally follows. Whether we see it as a day of merchants taking the produce to market, of social gatherings or brainstorming sessions, K’at has a tendency to multiply what it comes into contact with. This is how it creates abundance, just as planting one kernel of maize results in one or more cob of 600 kernels.

Additionally, the number 7 represents finality, the end of whatever it is associated with. Here we can see this as representing the final gathering, the end or outcome of something that was planted 260 days ago. This is the day to finalise deals and projects you have been working on for some time and reap the benefit. However, from the vantage point of the top of the pyramid, the question might be where to start the harvest. It will not matter, the possibility of gathering abundance on this fortuitous day is so high that you may find your net full before you have finished. Just ensure that you know how to move forward once you have collected your harvest, you might find it too easy to overfill your net and your abundance may become a burden.

With that in mind, the other side of K’at comes forward, the power to release yourself from that which ensnares you. The finality of the number 7 also suggests that this is a very appropriate day to release yourself from that which holds you back once and for all, as truly befits our journey through the Tijax trecena.

 

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

Number Sequence.jpg
The sequence of numbers as they appear with each appearance of a nawal. Here we see that the sequence begins with 1 and ends with 7, giving 7 as a number of finality.

The number seven is the mid-point of the range of numbers. It is 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.

The numbers of the days set out as a pyramid.
The numbers of the days as they appear through the trecena. Here they can also be set out as a pyramid, reaching the peak is also the end of a journey.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

7 K’at 2 Wayeb – The Third Day of Wayeb

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The third day of Wayeb focuses on acceptance. When we combine this with the day 7 K’at, we can understand that it can be about accepting that which we know needs to be released in order to move forwards.

There are several different and complimentary energies present today. We are travelling through the Tijax trecena in addition to being in Wayeb. The Tijax trecena is a purification, an opportunity to use our discernment combined with the sharp obsidian blade, to initiate the healing process through the cutting away of that which needs to leave us. However, the people, ideas and other attachments in our life can be very difficult to let go of, we may be emotionally attached to that which is no longer accessible to us, such as previous relationships. As we travel through the Wayeb, this day brings an excellent opportunity to accept that which needs to be cut away and released, that which were once blessings in our life which have now become burdens, the burdens which have caused us to go out of balance, to become sick or restrained. The healing can begin once we accept the need to release these attachments.

Pawahtuun2

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Aq’ab’al (15th February 2022)

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After the rather wavering energy of the last few days, today is a day where we might expect to see the emergence of a new and stable concept.

 

Aq’ab’al days are generally seen as being fortunate days, days on which the new dawn occurs. They are a bridge between the dream world and the physical, calling the fleeting images from our dreams into our conscious minds so that we can begin to create concepts from them. It is our bridge to the collective consciousness (seen in Imox), connecting the dreaming world and the waking world. It is the fertilised egg, newly implanted in the mother’s womb; it has passed from being the dream of a child in the parents’ mind into a physical presence, but is yet to emerge into the light of the physical world.

 

Through these images we understand the energy of Aq’ab’al days. They are days of new beginnings, where new concepts are brought into existence. They still need work to complete them, they need to be gestate, to be nurtured, before they can stand alone.

 

However, today we see the energy of Aq’ab’al combined with the number 6, the number of ultimate stability.  The new conception is not some vague idea, shrouded in the early light of dawn. The light of the sun is fully on its way, we know for certain that the new day, the new life, is coming. The inspiration of the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth are infused into this concept, bringing something to the physical plane which has a touch of the divine about it.

 

Whilst new concepts may cause some dissent from the people they are introduced to, this is unlikely today. This is an excellent day to unveil your new project to the world, even if it is not fully finished yet. Time and nurture will help to complete the process, but even as a concept it is entirely possible to see its potential.

Dawn over Lake Atitlan. Photo by Mark Elmy

 

In the K’iche’ language, the word aq’ab means night. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, to hint at change and alludes to the dawning of the day, the time between darkness and light, night and day. Just as birth is the beginning of the mortal journey, Aq’ab’al is the beginning of the day, although the detail of the day may still be obscured. Aq’ab’al is representative of new things, things which are not yet fully formed. While in Santiago Atitlan one day, a friend explained to me the different parts of a weaving in process on a backstrap loom. Aq’ab’al is the warp (the vertical threads), B’atz is the weft (the horizontal threads) which creates the whole cloth, and the newly woven cloth is Kawok. In order for the weaver to create, first she has an idea in her head or a dream. She sets out the dream on her loom by setting up the warp. Thus, the design has passed from being just an idea, to the beginnings of a woven reality, although it still requires creative input before it becomes whole. Aq’ab’al can also represent conception, the fertilised egg is far from ready to be born, but has passed from the dream or spirit world into the physical.

 

Aq’ab’al days are great days for the start of new things, particularly new relationships – Aq’ab’al has a strong affinity with marriage. It is also a perfect day for starting new projects, or at least bringing them into the world of light from the world of dreams and ideas.

 

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 neither too strong nor too weak. It is a day frequently used for ceremony thanks to its conducive energy. It represents the four directions with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth. It also represents family, relating to the six qualities that nourish and hold families together – health, understanding, property, employment, friendship and actions.

 

The cross at the top of the central hill, Paclom, in Momostenango. Paclom is known as “the six place” and the two armed cross represents the four directions combining with the Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This picture was taken on Wajxakib B’atz, February 2010.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Aq’ab’al 1 Wayeb – The Second Day of Wayeb

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The second day of the Wayeb is said to represent recognition of yourself, during your introspective period. This is combined with the day representing new concepts and the illumination of what has been in darkness. This is a day to identify the things within you that have been brought to light in the year 9 Iq’.

6 Aq’ab’al represents the stabilisation of new concepts, particularly those pertaining to family. As 9 Iq’ filled our lungs with the breath of life, what part of you was illuminated this year? The concepts that you have had, the dreams you have begun to turn into physical, stable reality, how did you breath life into them, and how did they change your life? Were you able to use them to bring greater stability to your family?

Pawahtuun, also known as Mam and god N. Known as the god of the Wayeb and the number five. An old man that carries a conch shell, who was both a beloved creator and a trickster. From the Dresden Codex

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 Iq’ 0 Wayeb – The First Day of Wayeb

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The posts that I am writing every day concern the days of the Chol Q’ij, the Mayan sacred or ritual calendar, which consists of 260 days. However, this is, of course, not the only calendar used by the Maya people. One of the other calendars used is known as the Macewal Q’ij or Ordinary Days. This has been termed a civic or agricultural calendar, which may seem less grand than the sacred days, but without agriculture, the people would starve. There are ceremonies associated with certain days of the Macewal Q’ij, not least the arrival of the first day, the new Year Bearer. Kenneth Johnson wrote an excellent first hand account of his experience in Momostenango of the arrival of the new year bearer or Mam here

However, the new year is not here just yet, first we have to get through the Tz’ipin Q’ij, the closing days, also known as Wayeb. These are the five days at the end of the 365 day count. They are thought of as a dangerous time, when the energy is confused to say the least. It is interesting to note that the final five days of the solar year are overseen by the previous incarnation of the same nawal. 5 Iq’ was the year bearer for 2017. If we imagine reality as a ship and the year bearer as the captain, it is as if the captain has died and been replaced by the ghost of the previous captain. Maybe this is why this time is thought of as being so unpredictable.

Wayeb is seen as a time of introspection, a time when we take stock of what has happened over the previous year. In some communities, it is seen as a time when public ceremony is avoided, some people do not wash or comb their hair, they may not leave the house. It is a time when the energies of the days are unsupported and misfortune may occur.

The introspection of the  first day of Wayeb is used to review the previous year. Its combination here with the day 5 Iq’ suggests a review of the way you were able to work on our communication, and on our breath during the last 360 days, during the current year,          9 Iq’.  9 Iq’ could be seen as a year reflecting the breath of life, it could also be seen as the voice of the women. It certainly feels like in this time we are now able to breathe more freely having re-established our life breath. There have certainly been some very interesting changes and upsets to the establishment brought through the voices of women. On this first day of reflection, we could ask ourselves “where did I put my energy into change, and what areas still need some work?”

Pawahtuun, also known as Mam and god N. Known as the god of the Wayeb and the number five. An old man that carries a conch shell, who was both a beloved creator and a trickster. From the Dresden Codex
Pawahtuun, also known as Mam and god N. Known as the god of the Wayeb and the number five. An old man that carries a conch shell, who was both a beloved creator and a trickster. From the Dresden Codex
Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 Iq’ (14th February 2022)

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5 Iq'Clear and effective communication is always an important goal, especially if it can become something which transcends the usual level. Today is a day to work towards this ideal, although it might not come easily.

The nawal Iq’ does highlight communication, but it also brings about changes and its most challenging property is anger. These three properties can all be seen working hand in hand. Lack of communication can lead to anger, as can enforced, or unforeseen changes. It is worthwhile remembering this on Iq’ days, as sometimes the energy can make people more sensitive to these things and produce a stronger than expected reaction.

Days carrying the number five have some interesting properties and can lead to some frustration. It all comes down to putting effort into or working on the properties of the nawal to which it is attached.

This can lead to a day where putting a little extra effort into the clarity of your words will certainly help to overcome possible negative outcomes. In fact with suitable attention to detail your hard work may pay off, and your words will be blessed by the divine breath, inspiring those around you.

Today is the first day of the Tz’ipin Q’ij or Wayeb, the closing days of the Mayan solar year. It is the beginning of 5 days of reflection and meditation. 5 I’q was the bearer of the year in 2017, and here we see it come around once more. I have created a separate, special post about the closing days of the year here

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, but be aware that the wind blows forcefully and resistance of change requires a great deal of energy. Embracing change helps you to learn to dance like a leaf in the wind.

The Sacred Mayan calendar is often said to be a calendar of human life, and parts of 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 it’s five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn for that work that 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”.