Tag Archives: Ajpu

2 Ajpu (1st August 2020)

2 AjpuThe energy of the number two is said to represent relationships and lovers, and Ajpu represents the search for divinity, so there is a rather obvious area highlighted by the energy of this day. However, there is another aspect.

The number 2 also represents duality. We judge what is around us, we discern between what we consider to be “right” and what we consider to be “wrong”. However, all of creation came from unity, came from oneness. Sometimes it is very difficult to see the divine plan in all things. The energy of the combination 2 Ajpu helps us to understand the bigger plan, to see that behind our judgement a longer term plan is in motion. For example, certain situations can be so “wrong” in many peoples’ eyes, that they cause people to make a choice. Before that situation occurred, the people could not be bothered to make a choice, they sat idly around complaining. The situation pushed the boundaries and reached the limit of peoples’ tolerance so that they stood up and learned something about themselves. In this way duality helps to evolve our higher aspect, by bringing out the hero within us to confront the shadow.

This can also be seen as a day to find the divine within your relationship, to remember what it is in your partner that you love about them. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we forget to look for this, we lose sight of who we really are, our own divine side, and as a consequence, that of our partner. The energy of the nawal Ajpu sends us on a quest for the divine in the physical world, it helps us to see the love put into the world. Here in the second aspect, it gazes back at us.

The trecena of Kawok is birthing us into our new world, and here we see with the wonder of a newborn, marvelling at the beauty of the world around us. This beauty may be enhanced by the choice of another soul to share that journey with us. We are choosing to see the divinity in duality, to embrace and celebrate our differences as part of the one.

The number two can also represent self sacrifice, putting the needs of your companion ahead of your own. Today, willingly sacrificing your time or needs on behalf of your partner may bring you especially close, it may bring a new radiance into your relationship. Whilst relationships are highlighted, freely giving your time or energy to someone today may help you to embrace your higher aspect.

The Queen of Spain, by Mark Elmy

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 in turn variously translated into English as lord, hunter, blow gunner, flower and sun. Each one of the translations has it’s 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 Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This wisdom enriched both the ruling dynasty and their people, as they would be working in harmony with the gods. Thus the ruler of the city was also the physical embodiment of the divine, and it is to this that Ajpu is so closely related. 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 that moment when you look closely at a flower to see the beautiful detail, the moment when you see the magnificence of the landscape you live within, the beauty in your child’s eyes or in those of your partner. It is the random act of kindness that restores our faith in humanity. It is the search for the underlying meaning in all situations, 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. Our every action, and every action of others gives us the opportunity to explore ourselves and our reaction, whether we are attracted or repelled by the action of others. However, sometimes 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 Heart of the Earth as we reach to the Heart of the Sky.

The number 2 is representative of duality, of polarity. Although it is a low number it has surprising strength as 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.

8 Ajpu (12th July 2020)

8 AjpuThe nawal Ajpu helps us to recognise the divinity in all that surrounds us, it sends us on our quest to understand the holiness of life. Today it shows us that we have to look in wholeness, in every aspect.

The nawal Ajpu is representative the heroes of the Popol Vuh, Junajpu, Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu. They were the ones who descended to the underworld to Xibalbans, the lords of the place of fright. Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu failed in their task and were killed, but Jun Junajpu’s severed head magically impregnated the maiden Blood Moon with his twin sons, Junajpu and Xbalamque. Where the father and uncle failed, the second generation were victorious and the Xibalbans were defeated, bringing peace to those who dwell in the earthly realm.

With Ajpu representing the sun we can see this interplay as representing the victory of light over darkness. The days numbered 8 are commonly used for ceremony, and today this ceremony could celebrate and honour the heroes that bring the light into our lives, and the divinity that surrounds us in the world. However, without their opponents, heroes would not exist and neither would the legendary stories we celebrate whatever our tradition. The challenges we confront are what bring out the divinity within us, without them there would be no quests, no progress. It is a day to celebrate our failures as well as our victories, all the things which have brought out our the hero from within us.

It is easy to see the beauty in what we have been taught is divine, but can you see it within the mundane, or even in what is considered to be ugly? Can you find the divinity in what you judge to be a negative situation? It is a day to see that all has come from oneness, everything is part of the divine.

Itzamna emerges from the mouth of the serpent, from the Dresden Codex
Itzamna emerges from the mouth of the serpent, from the Dresden Codex

We have decided to set an intention, to relaunch our retreat which will begin in 240 days time on 1 Ajpu, March 9th 2021. We understand there is great uncertainty in the world right now, but the hero has to have an objective! The retreat is based around the hero’s journey to discover the higher aspect of ourselves, to understand our potential. You can find out more about it here.

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 in turn variously translated into English as lord, hunter, blow gunner, flower and sun. Each one of the translations has it’s 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 Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This wisdom enriched both the ruling dynasty and their people, as they would be working in harmony with the gods. Thus the ruler of the city was also the physical embodiment of the divine, and it is to this that Ajpu is so closely related. 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 that moment when you look closely at a flower to see the beautiful detail, the moment when you see the magnificence of the landscape you live within, the beauty in your child’s eyes or in the face of your partner. It is the random act of kindness that restores our faith in humanity. It is the search for the underlying meaning in all situations, 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. Our every action, and every action of others gives us the opportunity to explore ourselves and our reaction, whether we are attracted or repelled by the action of others. However, sometimes 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 Heart of the Earth as we reach to the Heart of the Sky.

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.

The Junajpu (One Hero) Retreat

We have finally done it! After many people have asked for it we created a retreat, an adventure on the physical and spiritual levels.

On 26th February 2020 (1 Aq’ab’al) we begin a 13 day journey in Peten, including the 6 day hike around El Mirador, Nakbe and La Florida, to find your inner hero. Using the hero’s journey as a template, and the nawales as guidance we will take you through various shamanic journeys to help you to find and recover the highest aspect and purpose within you.

All the details are here: https://fourpillarsretreats.com/

We look forward to welcoming you on to this journey!

 

The Inferior Conjunction of Venus – 12 Ajpu (31st October 2018)

Since the day 9 Tz’i (23rd February 2018) Venus has appeared in the west, in the evening sky. From August onward it became a little lower each night until it became lost in the glare of the sunset. Today, according to the Dresden Codex, is the first day of the inferior conjunction of Venus. Venus is passing between the Earth and the Sun, and as such is not visible in our night sky.

Venus as the evening star can be seen to represent the obsidian mirror, the dark mirror within us showing us the parts of our ego we would rather hide from the world. There has been a particularly strong cycle this time around, one which takes place every 8 years. The dark mirror has been intensified by the power of the year lord, which reached its peak intensity around mid-summer, the light of the sun illuminating not only the things we wish to hide from the world, but possibly the things we wish to hide from ourselves. It has the power to illuminate the half truths that we occasionally tell ourselves, stripping away the false support which comes from them and in turn replacing them with truth. It is on this truth that we can then build when Venus returns as the morning star, and we can move into a time of advancement and enlightenment.

In this cycle within the codex, the first day of the inferior conjunction happens on 12 Ajpu. This can be seen as the day on which we use our life experience to make a judgement between what is divine and what is not.

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.”

 

 

Superior Conjunction of Venus Begins – 10 Ajpu (25th November 2017)

The cycle of Venus was used by the ancient Maya to time many ritual practices, including war and sacrifice. The heliacal rising of Venus, when Venus is seen to rise with the Sun, was seen as a particularly destructive and unsettled time.  Venus has been rising heliacally since 8 K’at (3rd April 2017). The period since the beginning of the heliacal rise of Venus seems to have been a great turmoil for many.  It was at its peak brightness on April 29th 2017 (8 Tz’i) and reached its greatest height (western elongation) on June 3rd 2017 (4 Kan), which could be seen as the height of its influence.

It is said that the light of the morning star illuminates that which has been hidden, it is an exposer of cover-ups, particularly those of a sexual nature. Additionally it is said that when Venus rises heliacally on a K’at day, the Venus deities spear  the old men, the rulers and kings. Has this morning star period seen older men in powerful positions falling from grace due to sex scandals?

On the day 10 Ajpu (25th November 2017), according to the Dresden codex, Venus will cease to be a feature in our morning sky. The morning star will disappear to the underworld, only to reappear as the evening star on 9 Tz’i Kame, 23rd February 2018.

This is a time that could be seen as a respite from the disturbing influence that Venus has. It can be a time to look at what went wrong and see how to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. It is a time to evaluate ourselves, and the leaders of our society, a time to address our values and the values of the society we live in, and a time to redress the balance.

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