Tag Archives: Ajmak

New Video – The Trecena of Ajmak (25th November – 7th December 2020)

The trecena of Ajmak brings an opportunity to forgive, to turn over a new leaf and embrace the sweetness of being human, leading to the ultimate reward of 13 Q’anil – maturity of spirit!

A couple of weeks ago the communities in Northern Guatemala suffered a tragedy as the tropical storm Eta brought flooding and landslides. Our friends at Utopia Eco Hotel created an emergency fund to help some of the people affected by these events. If you wish to donate, please follow this link.

The effects of the pandemic are still affecting the people of my local villages too. If you wish to help relieve the current food crisis, please check out these links:

To help the people of San Pablo la Laguna, please follow this link https://tinyurl.com/yb4l3rux

To help the people of San Marcos la Laguna, please follow this link https://tinyurl.com/yd8ax34q

My 2021 calendar is now available. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar. This year it will be available electronically as a pdf in both English and Spanish. Printed versions will be available locally to me in Guatemala on request. See Here for more detail.

We named our upcoming retreat The Junajpu (One Hero) Retreat. It is designed to help understand and connect with the hero, the divine essence, that each of us carry. We have decided to plan for a future despite the current restrictions and relaunch the retreat for the next Ajpu trecena beginning March 9th 2021. For more information on the retreat, please visit our new site https://fourpillarsretreats.com/

 

1 Ajmak (25th November 2020)

1 AjmakToday begins the trecena of Ajmak, which can be seen as a period of redemption and reconciliation. It brings the possibility to bring happiness, the sweetness, into the world through forgiveness.

The day 1 Ajmak can represent a day of turning over a new leaf. It is a day to start a process of peace, to make the first move in resolving any issues with others, particularly long standing ones. However, this process may require some encouragement from others before it becomes realised.

With Ajmak accompanied by the number 1, we also see the internal process highlighted. We carry a seed within us, the first spark of pardon for both others and, perhaps more importantly, ourselves. Ajmak days give us the opportunity to resolve issues through forgiveness, and here there is also a suggestion to dig deep within yourself to see if there is anything you are holding onto which can now be released. It may be easier to forgive others once you have brought the sweetness into your life, by first forgiving yourself and your own actions. Today is an excellent day to start that process.

I am sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you

I love you


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

The number 1 is representative of the seed, of unity. It represents birth and beginnings. It is a low and odd number, which usually represents something challenging. However, the seed can grow into a mighty tree, it is full of potential. It just needs the correct nutrients and conditions to germinate and develop, just as sometimes we need encouragement to develop our ideas.

7 Ajmak (5th November 2020)

7 AjmakToday, the nawal Ajmak, signifying pardon and forgiveness combines with the number 7 representing finality and closure. This is the day to draw a line under past issues.

There comes a point in time when we just have to “drop it.” We cannot continue to walk our path if we are laden down with burdens of guilt or blame. We are humans, we make mistakes, some of us make more than others. These mistakes are how we learn, they are part of why we are here. We have to learn to accept ourselves and each other for who we are, in all our glorious humanity. Ajmak highlights the power of redemption, the ability to be forgiven and to forgive, but is it done in totality, or is it just lip service to an idea. Can you really reset to neutrality, or will there always be something hanging around?

Today gives us the opportunity to do just that, to finally forgive, both others and ourselves. It is the day to let any harmful feelings go. This may not be easy, the number 7 is also said to represent the seven shames, and when in combination with Ajmak may truly represent the greatest of affronts.

If there is a day to muster your energy, to take a deep breath, and to forgive and forget, this is it. After all we are within the trecena of Tz’i, the time to embrace the state of unconditional love and trust. Let it go and enjoy the sweetness that returns.

I’m sorry

Please forgive me

Thank You 

I love you


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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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.

13 Ajmak (16th October 2020)

13 AjmakThis is a very powerful day of redemption both from, and of, the ancestors. This can relate not only to the living ancestors, but those in the spirit world.

Sometimes the karma we carry is not only our own, it is that of our society. It is an energy which persists through generations, patterns which are passed through families long after the initial event. This creates something that we ourselves are so far removed from, we may not even realise that 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, in order to learn this, of course we have to fall, how to make mistake. The strength of the energy of today may bring some strong lessons from 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


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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

The number 13 is the final number on the pyramid. It represents the spirit world. It is said that on Halloween, the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. However within the sacred calendar, this thinning happens every 13 days. This connection with the spirit world creates a powerful day, where both the positive and negative aspects of the nawal it is attached to come through strongly. It is a very good day for activities such as divination, however, ceremonies on 13 days are generally only carried out by experienced Aj Q’ij who understand how to work with that strength of energy.

6 Ajmak (26th September 2020)

6 Ajmak
Today Ajmak, the nawal of forgiveness and ancestors, combines with the number representing the stability and family. This could be one of the most important days to settle any family issues. As humans move through life, things happen. We make choices and decisions, some of which we may have made differently with the benefit of hindsight. The results of our decisions have impacts on others. Some it may bring some people closer, or may drive others further away. If they are mere acquaintances, they may come and go at different points through life, however, if they are family there is a much closer bond. You may be lucky enough to have a family that stick by you through thick and thin, that support your decisions. Sometimes they may support you while not agreeing with your decisions or actions. If you are really unfortunate, you may be at odds with your ancestors, such are the differences in your values. The trecena of B’atz has a theme of creation, of weaving things together. Support from our ancestors can bring us great strength on our journey, and bring the sweetness into our lives. With the number 6 highlighting the family, today brings the energy of resolution of differences within your family. If there are outstanding matters causing friction with your ancestors, today is the day to sort them out. Whether forgiveness is what you need to ask for, or what you need to give, great stability can be created today through this action.
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you

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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself. 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.
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.

12 Ajmak (6th September 2020)

12 AjmakThe energy of the day 12 Ajmak may give rise to some form of life review. You may find that your past experiences help you to understand how to bring the sweetness to life today.

When the day Ajmak is called during ceremony, it is referred to as the nawal of redemption and it is seen here combined with the number representing all of life’s experiences bundled together. This can be understood as having an energy of both redeeming and asking for redemption for the past in this lifetime. Every day, we hopefully grow a little wiser and understand our less-wise decisions and actions of the past. At the time we made those decisions, we often acted on the best information we had, with our best intentions. However, looking back the result may not have been a choice we would make now.

Today is a day about dropping past regrets, and helping others to drop theirs. It is a day to embrace yourself for all you are, and everything that has shaped you throughout your life, a day of acceptance of the human nature of us all. We can use our past experience to understand why others around us may have committed errors, perhaps they are errors we too have committed in our past. Understanding this can help us to forgive them and in turn help us to release any residual burdens we carry. Allow any bitterness about past events to leave so that the sweetness can come in.

I’m sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you 

I love you

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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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.

5 Ajmak (17th August 2020)

5 AjmakWorking on being a better human might seem like a good theme for any day, but today this is strongly highlighted. Today this work is about embracing everything that makes us human, our joy, our mistakes and our ability to forgive.

When we consider the numbers within the Mayan sacred calendar, there is a general rule of thumb that even numbers are considered more fortunate than odd numbers. Whilst this generally holds true it can be a little more subtle than that sweeping statement and certainly every number has its own overriding properties. However, it can also be seen that odd numbers and even numbers may also represent introvert and extrovert, or internal and external processes. If we try to apply the external properties of a nawal on a day which highlights internal work, we are unlikely to get the desired outcome. Therefore, the day will seem unfortunate, whereas it is just the inappropriate application of principle.

Whilst the number 5 represents work, and we say that these days can represent hard work, this would be particularly the case if we are looking at the external world. These days are more appropriate for internal work, and here we see the number 5 appearing with the nawal of redemption and forgiveness, Ajmak.

Our modern world rewards success, punctuality, perfection and correctness. Sometimes it drives us outside the boundaries of human reality. It is as if the perfection sought after, particularly by the corporate world which cascades into society in general, seeks to dehumanise us. Ajmak is here to restore our balance, to bring us back to being human.

Ajmak is us, it is our humanity. It represents our frailties, our errors, our failures and our imperfection. Today as I pasted the glyph for Ajmak into this post I saw that it was crooked. At first I thought to correct it, but it seemed so appropriate that Ajmak was a little imperfectly aligned. In fact it brought a smile to my face and that is what Ajmak is all about, relaxing, being human and bringing the sweetness into life.

If we choose to look at the 5 representing the internal work, 5 Ajmak would suggest that we work with our inner humanity. Bring out that joyful human, that one that dances through life making the odd mistake. Embrace and work with your “imperfection”, it is what makes you human, and the ability to forgive is perhaps one of the most essential traits for all humans. So, allow your humanity to forgive yourself for making mistakes, for the imperfections in your life, and allow that forgiveness to extend to those around you who are asking for it.

I’m Sorry

Please forgive me

Thank you

I love you


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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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”.

11 Ajmak (28th July 2020)

11 AjmakThe playful and lovable energy of Ajmak sometimes forgets its responsibilities and finds a need for forgiveness. It is a day about being human and acknowledging our mistakes, and knowing how to mend them.

We are here on Earth to be human, to embrace and enjoy our humanity, both the higher and the lower aspects of life. Of course, we aspire to great things, to be “good” people, but even when we are doing what seems like the right thing, sometimes it ends up causing problems for ourselves or others. Sometimes we also do sneaky things that we know are not in the best interests of ourselves or those around us, hoping that we won’t get found out. We get seduced by the sensual into falling off our path.

This is all a part of our humanity, it is our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. In fact, if we make the journey without ever making a mistake, we miss out on the experiences we started the journey for in the first place. These experiences are what help us to grow, but we also need to know when the experience is done. We need to understand how to keep the lesson and release the attachment, particularly the emotional attachment, to the experience. Guilt, shame and blame can act as signposts, they help us remember the consequences of our actions. They were markers along the way, pointing out the direction of our journey, how we move towards our destination. The signpost is a useful guide, but if we choose to carry on our back, it will burden us and slow us down.

As we move though this trecena of 1 Kame, this period of spiritual transformation, we have to rid ourselves of this excess baggage of guilt or blame. We can do this through the practice of forgiveness.

The number 11 also highlights past, present and future. It gives strong manifestations of the energy of the nawal it is attached to, often in surprising directions. Today we might find ourselves having to face things from our past that we may have wanted to forget rather than forgive. If we want to move on to our future, we have to be at peace our past. Are you ready to really forgive and transform?


I am sorry

Please forgive me

I love you

Thank you


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 failing to fulfil its true potential, although due to its lovable nature it is easy to forgive. One of the lessons with regards to the Ajmak energy is learning to forgive oneself.

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.

The Inferior Conjunction of Venus Begins – 13 Ajmak

The cycle of Venus was of great importance to the ancient Maya, and often used to time ritual activities including warfare and sacrifices. Venus was generally seen to have an unsettling influence, particularly during the time of the heliacal rising of Venus.

Today is the first day of the inferior conjunction of Venus. Venus is passing between the Earth and the Sun, and as such will not be visible in our night sky. Since the day 10 Kame (19th July 2016) Venus has appeared in the west, just after sunset each night. From January onward it became a little lower each night and tonight it will be lost in the glare of the sunset for 8 days.

The inferior conjunction of Venus has coincided with some societal upheavals including the downfall of leaders occurring during or soon after. According to Bruce Scofield in his book How to Practice Mayan Astrology:

“Newsworthy events occurring at, or just after, the inferior conjunction are often characterized by impulsive human errors the lead to a levelling or crash of some sort.”

Today, the first day of the inferior conjunction happens on 13 Ajmak, a day very much associated with “human error”. The energy of the day 13 Ajmak gives a great potential for forgiveness, but this may ultimately be required as the energy of 13 Ajmak may also give rise to some of the greatest errors of all.

The phases of Venus 2017/2018, Starting at the inferior conjunction on 13 Ajmak (26th March 2017). By Mark Elmy