Tag Archives: Family

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Tijax (10th July 2020)

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6 TijaxWhen you are using the razor edged obsidian blade, it is of the utmost importance to have a steady hand guiding it. Today is that day, the day when the sharp blade of discernment cuts with a stable certainty.

Whether it is a way of creating beauty, or bringing harmony into the world through decisive action, today is an excellent day to be wielding the blade. It has enough power behind it to complete the task with certainty, but not so much so as to cause collateral damage. It is a day which brings the ultimate stability of the number 6 together with the healing ability of Tijax to bring true resolution of duality.

The energy of the nawal Tijax can have a fanatical energy, rushing off on the next quest, determined to rid the world of evil. The energy of the number 6 turns the fanatical crusader into a wiser warrior, helping us to understand when to stop, and which causes are really worth fighting for. It gives us a high degree of discernment, it can guide you to make the right cuts in order to lighten your load. Tijax‘s eye for beauty can be trusted, it can be used to cut away the superfluous and bring out the true divinity. It is also a great day for choosing things which bring beauty to the world.

With the energy of the number 6 also representing family values, this can be seen as a good day for bringing healing to certain areas of family life by cutting away anything which causes imbalance.

Today is a day of editing, a day to bring healing through precise cuts. It is a day to bring stability to your life by gently but firmly removing that which no longer serves you. After all, today the movement of the blade in the physical realm is guided through the connection with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth.

Sacrificial Death God 1

The nawal Tijax is often thought of as an obsidian blade or knife. How the blade is used depends on the intention of the person wielding it. It can be wielded by a warrior or by a surgeon. These would seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, but where Tijax is concerned the aim is the same – healing.

Tijax is the nawal of the holy warrior. In the Mayan book of creation , the Popol Vuh, the first act of the hero twins was a mission given to them by the Heart of the Sky to rid the world of the false gods Seven Macaw, Zipacna and Earthquake. This is their quest, their crusade, and is represented by Tijax. They then sacrifice themselves in the underworld (Kame) and are resurrected with magical abilities (Ix). By destroying the false gods, the twins brought balance to the world, and helped mankind, they brought healing to the world. They cut out that which caused disease, exactly as a surgeon would do.

Tijax is celebrated as a day of healers, particularly what could be seen as the masculine aspect of healing. It is a day of crusading, of standing up for what is right. It has a tenacity to it, it is sometimes belligerent, it will not be stopped in its quest. It is the healer who refuses to give up on finding a cure. Tijax gives powers of discernment and refinement. Just as the surgeons scalpel cuts away disease and the warriors blade dispatches the evil, the sculptors chisel creates beauty by remodelling the base material. It is a day of alchemy, both internal and external, turning the ordinary into the divine.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Kej 0 Nab’e Mam – The Seating of the New Mam

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The Seating of the New Mam is the moment that the Wayeb has ended, when the period of retreat has finished and we can emerge from our “cave” back into the real world. In some communities, this would be celebrated with feasting and drinking, welcoming in the new grandfather who will guide us through the next revolution of the sun.

This year is governed by the Mam 6 Kej. In addition to 6 Kej carrying the energy of the day, it is also carrying the energy of this new year. The properties and benefits brought by the nawal 6 Kej are discussed in my post for the day of 6 Kej here. The energy of this day is a representative of the energy which we will be living with for the whole year. The general feeling of this year should be a greater sense of stability that comes through strong leadership.

The new Mam may take a little while to settle in. This is usually the first 20 days. Whilst it is obvious that the “administration” has changed, it takes a little time for all the promises made in the campaign to be adhered to. Nothing in nature moves in a square wave, it is always a gentle transition more akin to a sine wave. This is the first light of dawn, the day is just beginning, but we are still experiencing a little of the cold of the night. It will not be until midday, the height of the cycle that we will experience the fullest expression of the energy of this year lord. We can expect that in around 182 days or so, 6 Toj (21st August 2018).


The last time we experienced a Kej year was 2014, which was the year 2 Kej. Kej years tend to have the reputation of being strong, forceful years, driven and determined. Kej is a bold energy, drawing its strength from the natural world. Yet it is the nawal of the higher level Maya spiritual guides, those who are truly tuned in to the natural world, and who use this ability to bring true leadership to the people. While it may be extremely determined, sometimes to the point of stubbornness, it has the best interests of its people at heart

This is then combined with the number 6, a number with a reputation for stability. It is in the middle of the range of numbers, bringing a sense of balance with it. This is possibly one of the best combinations for the nawal Kej, the strength and determination being tempered by the balanced and stable energy of the number 6. The number 6 also implies the influence of the upper and lower realms – heaven and Earth – being drawn into our middle realm. Perhaps it is this influence of the divine masculine and divine feminine which bring the particular balance to the energy of the number 6, and as we apply it to the spiritual leadership aspect of the nawal Kej, we can expect stability coming through spiritual leaders during this year. The number 6 is also related to the values of the family, and with Kej representing strength, could be a great year for strengthening your family, bringing balance to their lives.

On a grander scheme of things, the cycle of the year bearers repeats every 52 years. Of course, we do not relive exactly the same experiences, but we may see similarities with the last time this year bearer was in office. That was the year 1966, when Mam would have taken his seat on the Gregorian day 5th March. This gives us the opportunity to understand how to engage with the benefits of, and avoid the errors committed during, the previous incarnation of the Mam 6 Kej.  For some ideas on major events of 1966, please click here.

Old Man Possum drew 4 streaks on the sky and is seen here delivering the new Mam, representing the new solar year. The first column of glyphs on the left hand side of the page, from the top to the representation of possum are all Kej. From the Dresden Codex.