Tag Archives: Creativity

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 B’atz (4th March 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.

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

3 Imox (23rd February 2024)

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3 ImoxToday is a day to celebrate your individuality. It is a day to look inside yourself and identify your dreams by detaching from society’s images.

The fertile nature of the energy of the nawal Imox gives rise to creation if it can separate from the inspirational dreams. Today the energy of the number 3 may assist with that separation, creating an internal focus.

Nawal Imox represents the visionary world and without it, there would be no creation. However, it also has some very challenging aspects. Sometimes we connect too strongly with the collective consciousness, bringing out the herd mentality. Today the introverted energy of the number 3 may dampen the connection to the collective consciousness. This in turn helps the visionary energy of Imox to become more focused than usual.

We like to be a part of a tribe, we like to belong. We understand the “rules” of what we grew up with. Whilst we might rebel against these norms, there is sometimes a nostalgia around them for us. They fed us as a child and then we moved away from them. Sometimes we yearn for that nurture again. The energy today may highlight your separation from birth culture. In our birth process, as we progress through the trecena of Kawok, we can see this as separation from the collective consciousness, or separation from our mother culture. It allows our individuality to emerge.

The energy of the day 3 Imox has the potential to allow us to become independent. It allows us to dream for ourselves, our own thoughts rather than cultural biases guiding us.

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 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 B’atz (13th February 2024)

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6 B'atzToday is a powerful day to stabilise the reality you choose for yourself. The B’atz energy is conducive to weaving your ideas into existence, and today especially bringing them into the physical.

The energy of the combination of the nawal B’atz with the number 6 could give rise to a very auspicious day. It is a day to bring your creation together in the physical, while drawing on the forces of Earth and Sky.

B’atz days are often considered to be fortunate. It is one of the most revered days within the sacred calendar. Therefore, it should be no surprise that when this is combined with the stable number 6, a great opportunity arises. The four directions, Hearts of the Earth and the Sky join forces to empower the creativity of B’atz today. This could be seen as the day on which masterpieces are created, with some divine assistance.

What kind of masterpiece you create will be up to you. B’atz gives the ability to turn your hand to anything from weaving or writing to singing and dancing. B’atz loves to entertain. It also loves to joke around and play the fool. This includes the role of the fool that could tell the truth to the king. Thus, it is important not to confuse the fun loving nature of B’atz with a lack of intelligence. B’atz is extremely clever in its ways.

It is not just the arts that B’atz assists with, it is the creation of reality itself.  So, go out and engage with your creative potential, play and have fun making your masterpiece.

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 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 principals. 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 Q’anil (10th February 2024)

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3 Q'anilThe light of Q’anil turns inwards bringing maturity to hidden depths of our creativity. Although this may not be easily expressed in the outer world, the brightness of Q’anil may illuminate something in ourselves which is normally unseen, a hidden talent.

We are passing further into the trecena of Kame, and once again we see a potential for challenges in the energy of today, although what we learn from these challenges may truly help our souls to ripen. The inner alchemical process we undergo during the trecena of Kame is highlighted.

Q’anil days, much like the people who carry nawal Q’anil, rarely fail to shine. They often feel like bright, happy days, and with the properties of Q’anil, this is exactly what we would expect. However, today might not have quite the same lustre. Growth and the passage towards ripeness may be a little obstructed. Therefore, Q’anil may not be quite as prosperous as usual.

As we age, Q’anil helps us to mature, we ripen from children into elders. Today might bring some setbacks with that process. It might give rise to a less-than-mature response from yourself or those around you. This may lead to some frustration; it could lead to some lapses in responsibility. Q’anil may then even lead you into intoxication.

However, it could also add some lightness to the day – Q’anil is a fun-loving nawal after all. If we take into account the other aspect of the number 3, that of the home, this could be where the light of Q’anil truly comes out today. By bringing this lightness into your home, it could be an excellent day for a play day with your children. Just don’t expect anyone to act too much like an adult!

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 has the possibility to 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 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 regards to intoxication.

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 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 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

12 B’atz (24th January 2024)

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12 B'atzToday is an excellent day to create with threads of experience. It would be the perfect day to work on an autobiographical project.

Everything we do can be seen as weaving. Our art, our reproduction, it all comes down to the same thing – combining threads, strands and essences to create. Today these threads come from our life experiences.

The energy of the nawal B’atz brings a highly creative day, the day of the arts and performances. The number twelve carried by this day is significant for wrapping things up, bringing things together and creating a bundle. Usually, these are life’s experiences, and here we can see them as the flavours and colours you may have experienced in your life. However, this time around, instead of just creating a bundle, we are weaving these things together. You can bring inspiration from your past into your new pattern and create something truly beautiful from it.

It is a day to use your life experience to create an exquisite tapestry, whether it is of words, colours, threads or other materials. Allow your creative expression to flow, empowered by the inspiration of your experiences.

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 12

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

5 B’atz (4th January 2024)

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5 B'atzWith a little more input you might achieve a great deal more in your project than you expected today. Your creative work can beautify the world around you. Get weaving!

 

The energy of B’atz days is thought of as being very favourable, especially for the arts – after all, they are always full of creative potential. Even when coupled with the energy of a more challenging number such as 5, they can still be beneficial.

If you need to get working on a creative project, today will prove very useful. The energy of B’atz is interwoven with the number 5, bringing an industrious impulse to the day, although that does not have to take away from the artistic feeling. On some days it is difficult to get started, and yet other days the creation flows from you. The only way you could be more productive would be if there were more hours in the day.

However, the energy of the number 5 can occasionally throw up an obstruction, and you might still find parts of your creative experience hard work. Perhaps a touch of writer’s block, a power failure on the stage, or an unexpected interruption to the creative process.

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 Five

The Sacred Mayan calendar is said to be a calendar of human life. 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 its five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn 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”.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

11 B’atz (15th December 2023)

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11 B'atzSo much creativity and so little time! This might be the feeling of the day, as the creative potential of B’atz merges with the spontaneous energy of the 11.

As we progress through the trecena of Imox, the time of first creation, this essence is reflected in each step. Here, the limitless potential of the nawal Imox is reflected within the capacity to create of the nawal B’atz.

You may feel overwhelmed by the strength of your desire to create beauty around you today. Whether it is a physical creation that you are weaving, performance of some kind or even a seemingly mundane presentation, the energy of B’atz brings a sparkle of creativity that helps you to shine. It brings a confidence in your work and in your delivery of your words. However, you may find that your creative passion gets the better of you, and it may be difficult to stick to tasks assigned to you without getting side-tracked. If you have the latitude to create freely, this can be a very productive day. If you have a schedule to follow, you might find yourself testing its boundaries.

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 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

3 Aq’ab’al (7th December 2023)

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3 Aq'ab'alLook for the new light, the new concept within. This is, after all, what could be considered to be the dawn of creation.

 

When a newborn enters the world, the first few days must be rather confusing. As I have mentioned, it could be said that we have just entered a new cycle of the Chol Q’ij.

Whether we take this to be the full new 260-day count, or the new trecena is unimportant. The outcome is more or less the same.
With 1 Imox, we had the seed of the new dream. It was pure potential without direction. Then 2 Iq’ breathed life into the potential, the first moment of creation through the word. In 3 Aq’ab’al, we see the results of the energies of the previous two days. This could be a new concept. However, there are too many uncertainties to be sure of the outcome. In these early moments, things are still hidden in the darkness.

A possible phrase to associate with this day could be “false dawn”. You may think you can see the first light of the sun, but it may turn out to be the light of Venus. (I have seen the light of Venus bright enough to cast a shadow!) This is a day when things might not quite be what they seem. If you are waiting to start something, it is not quite the time. You might be ready to go, only to be confronted by an unexpected challenge. Proceed with caution, or wait for a more conducive day.

On a more positive note, the 3 could represent the home. In order to direct your energy in the most constructive way. Planning a new project around your home may be a beneficial way to spend the day.

The Nawal Aq’ab’al

The word aq’ab is translated as dark. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, alluding transtition and the dawning of the day. It is the time between darkness and light, night and day. Probably our best way to translate it would be as twilight. Birth is the beginning of the mortal journey. Aq’ab’al is just the beginning of the day and of things which are not yet fully formed.

In Santiago Atitlan one day, a friend explained to me the different parts of a weaving 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. 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. The design has passed from being just an idea, to the beginnings of a woven reality. Thus, concept 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. Also it is a perfect day for starting new projects. It is the time to bring them into the world of light from the world of dreams and ideas.

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 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 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

1 Imox (5th December 2023)

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1 ImoxThis is a day to begin a new dream. It brings new inspiration to develop over the coming 260 days. Today we begin a new a new trecena, and some would say a whole new cycle of the calendar.

For me, the day 1 Imox has the words “in the beginning” very firmly attached to it. The Popol Vuh tells how before the creation event “only the sea alone pooled under the sky; there is nothing whatever gathered together. It is at rest. Not a single thing stirs”. As Imox represents the great ocean, 1 Imox could very well be seen as this moment before creation.

Imox is pure potential, limitless and directionless. Likewise, the number 1 also represents potential. Today is a day to dream, and dream big. It may be confusing, the initial images might not make sense to begin with, as so often with dreams. Now might not be the best time to attempt to fit them together. Just allow the ideas to come and grasp their energy for use later on.

Today may be for delving deep into the collective consciousness, to see what dreams are possible. It is the seed hidden deep in the dark moistness, with the ability to become whatever you wish it to. It is yours to grow, yours to guide, but today a little encouragement from others, to start to grow this dream seed, may prove very helpful. They may also help you to pull yourself out of the depths and come up for air once in a while.

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 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

4 B’atz (25th November 2023)

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4 B'atzThe day 4 B’atz is a wonderful day to weave your ideas into the physical world. It can be a light-hearted fun day, a day to embrace the creative joy in life and ground it into the world around you.

As the creative genius of nawales, the energy of B’atz certainly brings the ability to bring that extra sparkle top whatever it touches. As both entertainer and performer, it has the ability to hold attention and create something impressive for all around. Today, we see it connected with the very down-to-Earth, practical energy of the number 4. However, far from this practicality taking the shine off the energy of the nawal B’atz, it is more about the nawal B’atz bringing its shine to the mundane world. This is the day to bring out the beauty within the everyday world, to weave true creative beauty in the most physical of worlds.

It is a day that brings stability to your creations and your art forms. If there is an idea that you have been sitting on for a little while, waiting for the right time to bring it out in the open, today is the day to bring it into physical reality. This is the day to decorate the world, to weave your beauty into your physical surroundings.

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 Four

The number 4 is very important within Mayan mythology. Four represents the cardinal points, the four colours of maize, the four carriers of the year, the two equinoxes and two solstices, as well as midnight, sunrise, midday and sunset. The number four is representative of the four first men, who raised the sky from the sea to create the world we live on. In Mayan myth it is four pillars that support the sky from the Earth. As you can imagine, four is a number which represents stability, a good, down-to-Earth number.