Tag Archives: Creativity

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

3 No’j (14th April 2025)

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3 N'ojThis is a day to focus on inner knowing rather than looking for external solutions. The nawal of the brain, thought and inspiration combines with the number of home and inner creativity.

Day 3 No’j can present challenges around the ability to think clearly. This may manifest as some kind of block, but also it might lead to inappropriate action. If a problem needs to be solved logically, it would be better to put it off to another day with a more conducive energy. This may be a day where the ideal tasks will be the more mundane ones which don’t require too much thought.

However, there is a positive side to the energy of the number three and this has to do with creation. It gives rise to a time to go inside, to focus the creative thought process within. Choosing to focus on solutions around your home may be more conducive trying to solve problems in the outer world. Be gentle on those around you who seem to be acting thoughtlessly, you might be just as lost as them today. This is a perfect day for retreat and meditation, to focus on the knowledge you already hold within you. It is from this inner work that the answers may come.

The Nawal No’j

A depiction of the Earth Lord, the patron of the day Caban (N'oj). He makes a sacrifice of his own blood so that the maize, sustenance of the people, will sprout. Representative of fertility and abundance through the cycle of life, death and resurrection. From the Dresden Codex.
A depiction of the Earth Lord, the patron of the day Caban (N’oj). He makes a sacrifice of his own blood so that the maize, sustenance of the people, will sprout. Representative of fertility and abundance through the cycle of life, death and resurrection. From the Dresden Codex.

 

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, No’j 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 to understand 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 Three

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 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 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 is possibly the most troublesome of the numbers to deal with, it lacks stability and represents challenges and obstructions. The number three brings up internal/external dilemma. 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 of yourself.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 B’atz (8th April 2025)

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Ten B'atz This could be seen as a day of creativity within the community. It is a day on which innovation and creation with other members of your group help to strengthen the fabric that holds your community together.

There are many types of days, each with different attributes. Some are weak, some are strong, some are challenging, and some are beneficial. Some are truly sweet, allowing the memorable to happen.

Whether it is a social event or a community project, the creative juices should be flowing for everyone today. A collective which gathers to create something beautiful should be particularly successful. This will, in turn, strengthen the bonds within the collective. If you are creating something on your own, be aware of its power to bring you closer to your community through the quality of your work.

We could see the warp and the weft, masculine and feminine, within society coming together today to create a greater whole. It is a day of creation through cooperation and agreement when the polarities are brought together as one new masterpiece. It’s time to get weaving!

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down-to-earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this Nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than himself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun-loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

The Number 10

The number 10 is another number which demonstrates the connection between the sacred calendar and the human body. As five represents one hand, ten represents two hands coming together. This can be seen as the shaking of hands creating agreement between people. It is a number of community and the laws of society, of people acting in harmony with each other.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Q’anil (24th February 2025)

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6 Q'anilThe prosperity and brilliance of Q’anil, and the stability of the number 6 give the potential for an excellent day which brings your crops, plans and projects to full stable maturity.

The energy of the nawal Q’anil is that of ripening. Just as our crops ripen, so do we. Our souls become brighter the more they are polished through our experiences and transformations. Today, the ripening process is blessed by the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth, inspiring the process. It could be seen almost as some kind of divine intervention or assistance to stabilise the physical journey to maturity. This is a day which brings stability to your abundance, for the benefit of yourself and your family. If you have an opportunity to get your hands dirty, working around plants should prove highly beneficial.

I see the day 6 Q’anil as a hugely positive day. The energy of Q’anil can be seen as very beneficial and the number 6 brings things into balance. If there were any cautions with Q’anil it might be excesses or intoxication, but the number 6 creates an equilibrium. It can be the perfect day to both work on, and enjoy, the fruits of your labour.

This can be a very light-hearted day of good humour and fun. Let your light shine and embrace your talents, it is time to demonstrate them to the physical world. Today they may be enhanced with a little more guidance than usual.

The Nawal Q’anil

Nawal Q’anil represents the ripening of the seed, the crop coming to maturity. The K’iché word Q’an means yellow, and the -il suffix is rather like the English -ing. Q’anil represents the golden head of maize at its perfection of ripeness, ready to be picked. In the Mayan creation story, humans were fashioned from maize dough, we are Ixim Achi, the people of the corn. Q’anil also represents human beings coming to their greatest point of perfection, their ripeness.

It is in the fields and gardens that Q’anil’s light shines particularly brightly. It is the nawal of farmers, gardeners and herbalists. But just as it is at home around plants, Q’anil can shine anywhere. Q’anil has talent, its beautiful golden light illuminates that which it comes into contact with. People carrying Q’anil energy can light up the room with their presence. Q’anil is about achieving its full potential, and this relates to all of our activities. It does have an affinity to the arts, but in general is a day of bounty for all life projects.

However, when an energy is so fertile and prosperous, life can become too easy. Q’anil also appreciates the rewards of its talent – sometimes a little too much. Q’anil is prone to overindulge in the sensual, in particular with regard to intoxication.

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 principles. 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

3 Kan (21st February 2025)

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3 KanToday may prove to be an excellent day for introspective searching, finding and listening to your inner wisdom. It is a day to look for empowerment within, nurture it and bring it into your home.

However, the number 3 can also represent challenges. It can be seen as unstable and is not necessarily the easiest number to work with. When combined with the energy of the nawal Kan, this may be rather problematic. It may be a day of power struggles, of challenges to wisdom. It could be a day on which big decisions are best avoided as wise decision-making may be obstructed.

This is certainly not a day to attempt to use power to push through any obstacles. Even if it worked, the consequences may be undesirable. However, everyone will experience the same issue. You may start to see behind any hypnotic facades that have been projected towards you by those trying to deceive you or hold power over you.

The power of Kan can be very seductive and illusory. Sometimes these can be our own creations. These may be about ourselves or others. Is the world and our place in it really what it seems or are we empowering a seductive illusion. Maybe this is something we use to have power over others, consciously or unconsciously? 3 Kan may ask us to look to the illusions we hold within and find the wisdom to see through them.

A positive way to work with the energy of this day may be to direct the power and wisdom of Kan internally, both towards the home of your body and the home of your soul. With Kan representing teachers, this is truly a day to look for the teacher within.

The Nawal Kan

Lady Xoc demonstrates the correct direction of energy
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.

Training must be undertaken when working with any of these energies, 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, holding its prey in an almost hypnotic grip with its allure. therefore, it can become the ultimate ego trap.

However, it is also said that the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz  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. However, they can also become the darkest sorcerers and manipulators.

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

8 B’atz (18th January 2025)

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8 B'atz

Wajxakib B’atz

Today is one of the most important days in the sacred calendar. It is the beginning of the new ceremonial cycle. The nawal B’atz represents the thread of time. The sacred calendar is a representation of how that thread is woven to create reality. It is the nawal B’atz that brings the creativity to our world, re-creating and renewing all around us.

Both the number 8 and the nawal B’atz have a connection with gestation. It is said that the umbilical cord has 8 strands to it. This brings the nourishment to the new life being brought into being. Here, within the Maya cross, we see 8 B’atz sitting between 13 Aq’ab’al (the conception from the ancestors) and 3 Kawok (the day of the midwife/birth process). These precede the day 4 Ajpu (the first day of the new world). It is on 8 B’atz that the new world receives its nourishment within the womb of creation. This comes from the prayers and offerings made in the ceremonies.

We all have some talent to create, through words, music, food or images. We also have the ability to shape the world around us, our homes, our families, our communities. This is the day that we give thanks for our creative abilities, the day to gather inspiration from what you have created before and combine it with a new concept or method. Today we put all our love and energy into nurturing the new world soon to be birthed into being. It is the day where we embrace, and are empowered by, the wholeness of creation.

Initiation

This is the day of initiation of new Aj Q’ij’ab, where the baton is passed from the old to the new. It is the day of celebration of the Chol Q’ij, the sacred calendar. The calendar brings our ability to navigate through life using the cycles of time effectively. From the dawn of this day, the shrines and altars within the Maya lands will be packed with Aj Q’ij’ab making offerings and prayers on behalf of not just their communities, but the world as a whole. They are imparting the  love and wisdom of the old world into the new world which is being woven. This is the day where the seam is created joining the previous weaving of creation, completed on 7 B’atz (40 days ago), with the new weaving started in 1 B’atz (20 days ago). Here, the past and the future are joined.

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

The Number Eight

The number 8 is considered to be several wholeness. It can be seen as birth (1) and death (7) combined to represent the whole cycle of the soul. Also, it can 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 became whole. The eighth day of the trecena is the most common day for ceremonies to be made. Therefore, it is still in the balanced range of numbers and is an even number, which is also considered fortunate. 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 the ceremony.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 Imox (8th January 2025)

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11 ImoxChoose wisely who you let into your consciousness today as you may not realise whose thoughts you are thinking. Disconnect from the media, in particular, get out into nature and allow your creative side to be inspired.

Whilst this combination may lack direction, both the number 11 and the nawal Imox are highly creative. It may be a day to embrace the creativity found in your more non-linear dreams. Possibly the most effective use of this day would be as a creative retreat.

Imox does have some positive qualities with regards to creation and nurture, but it is also associated with insanity. It can be seen as the eccentric artist able to beautifully interpret their dreams or sentiment of society through their preferred medium, but who find great challenge living in the physical world. This generally comes as a result of their level of receptivity, they feel everything the collective feels, the joy and the grief.

Imox days are intimately connected with the spirit of the times, but this can also break down to a herd mentality. The energy of Imox days may sometimes make it difficult to think clearly. This is especially relevant when it comes to breaking free of the collective.

When combined with the powerful and directionless energy of the number 11, a very potent mix may arise. All that strength combined with so much creative potential could give rise to a work of genius, or it could give rise to an angry mob looking for direction to release the frustration of the collective.

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 11

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.

 

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Video – The Trecena of B’atz (29th December 2024 – 10th January 2025)

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The trecena of B’atz is a great time to begin a new creative project. Whether you are launching your new art form, or beginning to weave something, this is the day to get started.

13 Iq’ / 2025 Calendar

My 2025 calendar is now available. The calendar shows the days of the Chol Q’ij, formatted onto the Gregorian calendar. Currently it is available electronically as a PDF in both English and Spanish. See this link ‎for details on how to get your pdf  https://thefourpillars.net/2025-calendar/

Printed versions, in English, are available locally in Guatemala in San Marcos at Lava Love Cacao and Palo Santo, and in San Juan la Laguna at the candle shop of Nana Maria Feliciana. They are also now available in the USA through Soul Lift Cacao through this link https://bit.ly/4etcGZl

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

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/

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

You can see the B’atz trecena video here:

https://youtu.be/rV4eVmwdu9w

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

1 B’atz (29th December 2024)

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1 B'atzThis is the day of the creative spark, the time to start weaving. The new trecena starts today, a new cycle of 13 days with the nawal B’atz putting its emphasis on creation.

There are two aspects significant to B’atz, one is creation and the other is gestation. In the form of gestation, we can imagine different layers of the human being woven. This process has to begin at some point, the first thread begins to consolidate the pattern. The day 1 B’atz is “conceived” on the day 6 Aq’ab’al. This could be seen as the day when the new concept is brought into the physical. In this, we can imagine that the warp was set on the loom on 6 Aq’ab’al. The finishing touches to the idea are consolidated through to the end of the Tijax trecena. Now comes the first passing of the weft and the new cloth begins to form.

On 7 B’atz we experienced the end of the old creation, now 1 B’atz is the beginning of the new creation. The next occurrence, 8 B’atz, can be seen as the joining of the old weaving with the new.

Today is a potent day to begin any creative project. Nawal B’atz gives the touch of creative flair required to bring out the true beauty of that which it is applied to. The number 1 is, of course, representative of the new birth, the beginning. However, the newborn the most nurturing. It may be that you need a little encouragement to begin work on your masterpiece. Perhaps others around you see the true potential of your creativity more than you do. This is a day to accept their support to get your new creation started.

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

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

7 B’atz (9th December 2024)

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7 B'atzWhether you are creating art, or applying the idea of weaving as a metaphor for life, today is a day to put the finishing touches to your “weaving.”

The finality represented by the number 7 is combined with the nawal representing creativity and gestation. The energy of the nawal B’atz bestows an abundance of creative energy. This can sometimes make it difficult to decide where to begin. It brings the ability to weave concepts together. When combined with the number 7 these concepts could be from many different sources. It is as if the whole spectrum of colourful threads is at your disposal and you can see the beauty of each colour.

The question will be which colour to choose. With B’atz representing the master artisan, it is unlikely that you would make the wrong choice. B’atz will help you to bring out the exquisite in your work, so it is time to choose which of these colours or concepts you will use to finish your creation. The day 7 B’atz is a great day to complete creative projects.

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

The Number Seven

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.

However, it is also 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. As such it can be a great number on which to finalise or end something.

7 the final step

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.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 B’atz (19th November 2024)

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13 B'atzToday you may gain inspiration from ancestral creations. Your distant ancestors may communicate something vital to incorporate into your new weaving through their ancient patterns.

The energy of the nawal of creativity combines with the influence of the ancestors to bring forth a powerful day for creative activities, especially when they bring in elements from the past.

We all draw our inspiration from somewhere as we create our beauty into the world. Today very much highlights communication with our ancestors, or receiving inspiration from them that you weave into your creation. It may be the words or ideas of our grandparents, or even further back in time that we hear today, which bring the final touches to our masterpiece.

We often have the idea that the new ideas are the most important, but each idea and each new thing is built on the foundation of the old. When we make ceremony, we call in all the altars and shrines we have worked at before, each ceremony builds on the energy of the previous ones. Each ceremony is different, but they share the same foundation.

Of course the creation of beautiful art or your reality can be seen as a serious business, but the energy of nawal B’atz can often make light work of it. The creative energy flows so easily that it is a happy and fun experience,  you might find yourself remembering granddad’s jokes or grandma’s laugh as you work on what you are creating.

This is not just a day about creating art, B’atz represents the weaving of  time to create the sacred calendar. This was the legacy of the ancestors here in Central America, and we may expect some intuition to pass from them through their work, through their creation, to illuminate our understanding of the movement of time itself.

The Nawal B’atz

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow genius talents, one of which is B’atz, the other being No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers. This is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. It weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar. The calendar could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time.

If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

B’atz is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation.

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.