leadership begins with self-sacrifice

3 Kej (20th March 2024) – Equinox 03:06 UTC

3 KejToday is a day to connect with your inner wilderness, your inner nature, to find your strength and determination there. The power of today lies in the internal process, within the home, both of your body and soul.

There are two leadership nawales, one is Aj and the other is Kej. I tend to see Aj as the “mayor” in his role as the head of the community making sure the community flourishes. Kej, on the other hand, functions more as the “priest,” attending to the spiritual needs of its community. Both have their strengths, although Aj is more passive than Kej. Aj is a representative of the home and Kej the wilderness. Both are equally important opposites to create balance within society.

The strength and determination of Kej can give rise to situations where Kej may try to use force to make things happen. Even if the door is marked pull, Kej will keep pushing if it believes that is the way it should happen. This is an example of where determination might get you nowhere today. It is important to look around and read the signs before applying the action in the physical.

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. It is a day to bring that essence into your home, through connection with the spiritual leader, the teacher, inside of you.

Equinox 

Additionally, today is the day of the equinox, a day of equal light and darkness. We are moving out of one cycle and into the next within the Earth’s cycle. This gives an extra sense of equilibrium. This is the time of the year that changes are happening the most rapidly. In the Northern hemisphere, the dead world is coming back to life rapidly as the days lengthen with the greatest rate of change. In the Southern hemisphere the reverse is true, yet the rate of change is just as great. Of course the counting of time relies very heavily on the movement of the sun. This can be both through the sky and along the horizon.

This could bring even greater meaning to a sense of retreating to your inner wilderness. Today, as the dark and light are balanced, could be a good time for reflection. A day to truly engage with the cycles of nature and draw them into yourself.

The Nawal Kej

Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex
Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex

Kej is possibly the strongest of the nawales, it is powerful, but in a different way to Kan. Kej is energetic, lively and determined. It is the nawal of nature, of the wilderness and it is this power that it draws on. The animal totem of Kej is the deer, but if you have fragile, new-born Bambi in mind, think again. This is the majestic stag, standing on the mountain surveying his domain. Whilst most nawales are not necessarily engendered, Kej is most definitely masculine. Both men and women that carry Kej as their nawal have great strength, although the men tend to hide their strength more. Kej women are particularly driven, resourceful and brave, sometimes to the point of being rather dominant. All radiate an aura of nobility, people tend to look to them to lead.

Kej is the nawal of the Mayan “religion”, a day of spiritual leaders, of shaman and of priests. It is these leaders who understand how to read the messages from the natural world, who help to keep our existence in balance with nature. It is a day to connect with the wilderness and draw the power of the natural world into you, to harmonise and replenish.

The Number Three

There are various myths about the creation which link with the number 3. One is that at the time of creation, three stones jumped out of the fireplace and formed the new world. These three stones are called the hearthstones and are still seen in many Maya homes today, on the fire supporting the tortilla griddle. From an astronomical point of view, the stones are the stars Alnitak, Saiph and Rigel in the constellation we call Orion, and the Smoky Fireplace is the Great Orion Nebula (M42)

The Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula by Mark Elmy

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.

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