Tag Archives: K’at

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

4 K’at (19th October 2021)

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4 K'atThe grounded, physical stability of the number four combines with the nawal K’at to gather together your physical abundance today. It is a day of collection, but also a day to release physical burdens and attachments.

One meaning which is occasionally attributed to K’at is that of the planting of the seed. It is possibly the planting aspect that differentiates the energy of K’at from the ripening seed energy of Q’anil, although there seems to be quite an overlap between them. Here, in association with the physical energy of the number 4 highly signifying the earthly plane, we could see another good planting day. Once the crops are planted, they will then need tending, which is perhaps the burden that is implied. However, there can be no multiplication of the seed, no harvest and no abundance, without this physical preparation and attachment. If we see Aq’ab’al as the conception point, perhaps we can see K’at as the point of implantation of the blastocyst into the uterine wall, the beginning of the development of a new life, the physical planting of a new human being.

After the possible confusion and disruption of the past couple of days, today things start to settle down again. In fact things may come together very well today. The dreams, potential and energy start to be held together by a binding force, that of the nawal K’at. The brief images and ideas that may have appeared to you are gathered together within the net, and what is more, they are grounded into this reality by the association with the number 4. Yesterday I suggested waiting for a more conducive day if you wish to start a project. Today is the day when the jumbled pieces you were looking at start to fit together to form a coherent picture. Now that you have things straight, you can proceed.

In the Mayan Cross form of astrology, the day 4 K’at transitions to the day 12 E’. E’ is seen as the path of life, the journey of discovery, and the 12 represents all of life’s experiences. If we take this from an almost literal standpoint, 4 K’at is the day that we make our preparations and pack our bags for the journey. These preparations are what sustain our journey, and in this way the day 4 K’at provides a stable foundation. Just make sure that your attachment to this solid foundation does not hold you back from setting out on your journey.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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 solar number. Even though it is still low, it is thought of as a good number.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 K’at (29th September 2021)

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10 K'atThe day 10 K’at can be seen as an excellent day to gather your community together. Whether it is a town meeting or a social event this would be a perfect day for it, which could result in abundance for all.

There is a certain image that comes with this combination of number and nawal for me, and that is a community coming together to bring in the harvest. The time to gather is here and leaving the crop in the field could cause some of it to be lost. Bringing together a task force of your nearest and dearest to help you complete this work brings benefit to all. This is a day to ask for help from those around you to finish a project. Equally, lending a hand to help friends and family complete a task may well bring you an unexpected bonus. This is a day to fulfil your commitments to your community.

However, it is important to know when to break away too, before it holds you back from progress. K’at is the nawal of the burden, and here we can see it in combination with the number which represents society. Whilst living up to the commitments you have made to your community, you may find yourself over burdened. It is important to pace yourself today as you might become over-committed, leaving little time or energy to take care of your own or your family’s needs.

This could also be a day to take a look at where you have become trapped by the expectations of the society around you. Are there certain parts of your social network that hold you back from achieving what you could? K’at helps to highlight these issues, it shows us where the net which entangles us is, and helps us to break free of it if we choose. This is the day to ask for help to be released from that within society which holds you back from fulfilling your true potential.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’ik, Blood Moon, who was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu.  Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon. She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

However, K’at also has it’s more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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. Ten is seen as a good number, 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

3 K’at (9th September 2021)

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3 K'atThe energy of the nawal of gathering, abundance and ensnarement combines with the number of external challenges. This may be a day when what you try to catch slips through your net.

The day 3 K’at might be a rather difficult day on which to get things together, in whatever form. It could be seen as a day on which your burdens may really slow you down. The number 3 can represent obstructions and blockages in the outer world and, when combined with the challenging side of the nawal K’at, could lead to some potential stumbling blocks in life, particularly when it comes to collecting things together. The harvest is not yet ready, and you may find that your effort reaps little reward.

Perhaps a better use of energy would be to focus on what is holding you back internally. This could be an excellent day for an introspective analysis of the beliefs and concepts which no longer serve a purpose. It is a day to look inside for the bounty, for the true abundance which resides within you. Allow your net to gently release that which no longer serves you, so that changes, new life and new creation may emerge.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’ik, Blood Moon, who was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu. Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon. She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

However, K’at also has it’s more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire, with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us. These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

Picture by Mark Elmy

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)

A (slightly crude) montage showing a proposed correlation between the constellation of Orion and the triadic structure of Maya pyramids. This one is
A (slightly crude) montage showing a proposed correlation between the constellation of Orion and the triadic structure of Maya pyramids. This one is “El Tigre” at the El Mirador site. Photo and montage 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.

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 is possibly the most troublesome of the numbers to deal with, it lacks stability. 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 K’at (20th August 2021)

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9 K'atToday we experience the energy of the nawal of gathering together with the number of the divine feminine and life. This is a potent day for bringing together life’s abundance.

This is another harvest day, a day on which we can collect that which we have been propagating through life. This may be our physical harvest, from our fields and gardens, or the bounty which comes from our ideas. Whilst this might be true of any K’at day, today the number of life is highlighted, which could give a suggestion that what is gathered today is the harvest from your life’s work. This is bigger than just one growing season.

The nawal K’at also represents merchants – those who understand what is of value and what to release from our nets. This could be a great day to liberate yourself from the things which are stopping you from really living, the things which are filling your net and stifling the entry of new abundance. It’s a great day to release yourself from attachments that life may have brought you at some point, yet are no longer relevant. It could also be seen as a day on which you may use your discernment to choose exactly what to keep in your bundle, and what to let go of. What do you really need in your life?

With the 9  representing the feminine, and the women in our lives, it is particularly a day on which to appreciate the bounty brought to us by the women around us. This should be a great day for gatherings of women, abundance may come from a collaboration of female energy.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’ik, Blood Moon, who was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu.  Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon. She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

However, K’at also has it’s more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

The number nine is very special indeed. It is the number of lunations in the human gestation period and in the sacred calendar. The sacred calendar is known as a calendar of life, and it is women that give life. As such the number nine is seen as the number of life and the number of the divine feminine. It gives all that it is attached to a strong feminine presence and is a day on which women may wish to give thanks for their gifts.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

2 K’at (31st July 2021)

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2 KatWith the nawal K’at representing both abundance and burdens and the energy of the number two representing duality, today could be a day to make decisions about what to embrace and what to release.

The energy of the nawal K’at is usually seen as rather favourable, particularly when it comes to collecting things. When these are the things that sustain us, this is of course highly beneficial. However, it is bundling, bringing things together and holding them tightly in one place. For this reason it is also the nawal of prisons, burdens and ensnarement, where we become ensnared in the nets of others. Whilst all the energies of the days have both beneficial and challenging aspects, K’at can be particularly extreme.

The number 2 is said to represent duality and polarity, and here we see it combined with those aspects of K’at. The number 2 is also said to represent lovers, relationships and self sacrifice, and it is those areas that the energy of K’at which may be highlighted today. This may be a day to look at the sacrifices you make in life and what they represent to you. Are you viewing something which brings you abundance as a burden? Is it time to cut the net and release it?

With the dualistic aspects of the energy of the number 2, we also get to see from opposing points of view. The nawal K’at helps us to gather these different points of view, which can give a more rounded idea of situations, which may in turn result in abundance and sustenance for all involved.

As we move through the trecena of Aq’ab’al, which does have its romantic aspects, this could be a day to focus on your lover and to truly hold them close. Alternatively, if you are looking for a new love, this might be a good day to see who you are drawn to and who is drawn to you.

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K'at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.
Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’ik, Blood Moon, who was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu.  Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon. She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

However, K’at also has it’s more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 K’at (11th July 2021)

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8 K'atThe eighth day of the trecena is the most prevalent day for ceremony, and today it is combined with the net that gathers the harvest. It is a day to be grateful for your abundance, and for your liberty.

With the bundling energy of the nawal K’at, this can be a day to draw things together. Its combination with the number 8 brings the sense of wholeness to this, it can be seen as a day on which to bring things together with the support of the masculine and feminine aspects of the qualities of the four directions. If we see the 8 as representing the 1 of beginnings and the 7 of endings, they are not only combined in the number 8, but then fully embraced by the nawal K’at. It is a day of gathering, of seeds, of people, of ideas, and celebrating the abundance that these things bring to your life.

The nawal K’at also represents capture, whilst the positive aspect represents harvest and abundance, the darker side represents entanglement and prisons. This is not just those outside of ourselves, but our ability to get caught in our own nets. This is a representation of our own attachment to the physical things which sustain us within our physical body. Whilst this abundance might serve us well, over attachment to physical goods may distract us from our true life path. The same may be true for situations or people, it does not just have to be physical objects that create the net which holds us back. K’at days give us an excellent opportunity to understand what is stopping us from achieving our dreams, and setting ourselves free of it.

Every day is a good day to be grateful for the abundance you receive in life, but today is of greater importance. It is a day on which ceremonies will be made to celebrate harvest and all that comes from it, to give thanks for the ability this gives us to fill the bellies of our families. It is also a day to give thanks for your freedom and to release anything which is holding you back. Wholly embrace it or set it free.

Featured photo credit: Marybel Iriondo

The goddess and the yellows. Here she sits with the glyphs representing (from top to bottom) E’, K’at, Ajmak, Q’anil and Ajpu. This is the progression in which they appear when arranged in the “Maya Cross” form of divination. From the Dresden Codex

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

New Video – The Trecena of K’at (21st June – 3rd July 2021)

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The Trecena of K’at gives us the opportunity to reassess what we wish to keep, and what we wish to let go of, in order to grow. It contains one of the most important days of the calendar, Wajxakib (8) B’atz, the day of initiation, the first day of the ceremonial cycle.

My apologies for the poor quality of the sound in this video. A power failure to the villages here meant I had to improvise with connectivity and it created some interference on the sound channel.

Within the village of San Pablo la Laguna, there is an organisation doing great work. They are called ODIM and are specialising in medical and educational services. 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 https://tinyurl.com/yb4l3rux

 

 

 

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

1 K’at (21st June 2021)

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1 K'atWhilst K’at does represent the net which gathers the harvest, it also has an association with what it contains, the seeds. Here, on the day 1 K’at, we see the new seed planted for the next harvest.

In the cycle of re-creation, the soil of the field has been turned and the tilled, infused and fertilised by the wisdom of the ancients. The threads of creation are being gathered ready to join the new to the old on the day Wajxakib B’atz.

The nawal K’at is associated with Ixq’ik, Blood Moon, who, in the Popol Vuh, was magically impregnated in Xibalba (the underworld) by the spirit of Jun Junajpu.  Jun Junajpu and his brother Wucub Junajpu were summoned by the Lords of Death to Xibalba to face the challenges after they disturbed the Lords by playing the ball game too noisily. Unfortunately this first pair of heroes went unprepared and were tricked and sacrificed by the Lords of Death. After their deaths, the head of Jun Junajpu was hung in a calabash tree, where it eventually blended in with the wizened fruit on the tree. However, it was known to speak and the news of this dis-incarnate voice in the tree reached Blood Moon. She decided to go an visit the tree where she was asked to hold out her hand. The head spat into her hand and she became impregnated with the Hero Twins, Junajpu and Xbalamque. She was banished from Xibalba and went to meet the mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu, Ixmucane. At first Ixmucane did not accept that Blood Moon was carrying her grandchildren, and set a task to fill a net with corn from the garden. When Blood Moon arrived, there was only one stalk, but by pulling the corn silk, the plant magically produced an abundant harvest and Blood Moon was accepted as telling the truth.

In this story we see the relationship between Blood Moon and the nawal K’at, the creator of magical abundance and a bountiful harvest. This was the gathering, the bringing together of the family through this harvesting, we also see the seeding.

When combined with the number 1, new births and new beginnings are signified. This is the beginning of something new, new growth all around. The previous day, 13 Aq’ab’al, could be seen as a spiritual conception, and here the new process begins. This conception will be gestated through Wajxakib (8) B’atz, until finally the birth process assisted by 3 Kawok leads to 4 Ajpu, the new world, the resurrection of the maize, the birth of Junajpu.

The energy of 1 K’at can be seen as being about gathering together and embracing the new time. Life is a continual cycle of birth, death and rebirth. We have the possibility to reap an abundant harvest, but right now in order to do that we need unity. It is time to put aside differences and work together to plant the new field if we are to enjoy abundance on the future.

Main photo credit: Marybel Iriondo

Orchard Orb Weaver Spider, by Marybel Iriondo

 

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

7 K’at (1st June 2021)

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7 K'atThe number of completion combines with the nawal of gathering and harvest. This could be an excellent day to gather the fruits of your labour, but also to finally release old burdens.

The energy of the nawal K’at brings us the ability to bring things together in one place. This may be indeed be your produce or harvest, but K’at also helps to bring together thoughts and people. K’at days are great days to create bundles, and from these bundles abundance naturally follows. Whether we see it as a day of merchants taking the produce to market, of social gatherings or brainstorming sessions, K’at has a tendency to multiply what it comes into contact with. This is how it creates abundance, just as planting one kernel of maize results in one or more cob of 600 kernels.

Additionally, the number 7 represents finality, the end of whatever it is associated with. Here we can see this as representing the final gathering, the end or outcome of something that was planted 260 days ago. This is the day to finalise deals and projects you have been working on for some time and reap the benefit. However, from the vantage point of the top of the pyramid, the question might be where to start the harvest. It will not matter, the possibility of gathering abundance on this fortuitous day is so high that you may find your net full before you have finished. Just ensure that you know how to move forward once you have collected your harvest, you might find it too easy to overfill your net and your abundance may become a burden.

With that in mind, the other side of K’at comes forward, the power to release yourself from that which ensnares you. The finality of the number 7 also suggests that this is a very appropriate day to release yourself from that which holds you back once and for all, as truly befits our journey through the Tijax trecena.

 

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

Number Sequence.jpg
The sequence of numbers as they appear with each appearance of a nawal. Here we see that the sequence begins with 1 and ends with 7, giving 7 as a number of finality.

The number seven is the mid-point of the range of numbers. It is known as a number of death and endings, which would seem strange as it is only half way through. It is another representation of the change of state of the soul, showing half of the journey (1-6) in the mortal world and half (8-13) in the otherworld.

The numbers of the days set out as a pyramid.
The numbers of the days as they appear through the trecena. Here they can also be set out as a pyramid, reaching the peak is also the end of a journey.

If we imagine the numbers 1 through 13 as a pyramid, the number seven would be at the top. Seven is the number of balance, it gives the ability to weigh up situations and see all points of view. While this may be very noble, it may lead to indecision.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 K’at (12th May 2021)

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13 K'atK’at brings with it the suggestion of abundance, of reaping our harvest and today we have the assistance of the ancestors in this task. However, will it come at a price?

K’at is usually associated with physical abundance and quite rightly so. It is the nawal of the harvest which is physically gathered. The calendar is strongly linked to the life cycle of maize in Guatemala. If you plant on a K’at day, you will harvest on that same K’at day 260 days later. When we look at the sequence of numbers, we see the first appearance as being 1 and the final being 7, the start and the end. The penultimate number is 13. If 1 is planting and 7 is the final harvest, then perhaps the 13 day is where the ancestors add their input to the crop, give their blessing.

Number Sequence.jpgSo, today is a day when we can ask for the spirit world to bless our future harvest, in whatever form that might take. It is a day when we might ask for the input of our ancestors to help us bring something to its conclusion. If you are wondering how to finish something, it is a day to ask for a divination on the final steps of a venture, how to bring it all together.

There is another aspect to it. K’at also represents the burden, the net in which we become entangled. Today it is linked with the spirit world and suggests something more than physical attachment which may slow down our progress. Our ancestors provided both our material and cultural foundations, we exist because of them and we are deeply grateful for both their wisdom and our worldly goods. However, sometimes patterns which they started are no longer relevant and sometimes we cling to those traditions too. For example, tribal rivalry may have been useful when we were hunter gatherers, but now it holds back our progress. The day 13 K’at could also represent the karmic burden passed on to us from our ancestors. Today is a day to recognise how we are held by those old patterns and break free of the ones which  no longer serve us.

Many of our ancestral traditions also serve us well. There are certain ways that our ancestors knew to increase the yield of our harvest and keep us in abundant health. Today is the day to embrace ancestral traditions, and to remember to thank your ancestors for their blessings which bring your current abundance.

Main photo credit: Marybel Iriondo

Blood Moon, mother of the Hero Twins being sent away from Xibalba after becoming pregnant. She goes to see Ixmucane, Mother of Jun Junajpu and Wucub Junajpu and is set a challenge to fill a net with corn. which she achieves and is taken in as family. She is seen here holding the K’at glyph in her hands. From The Dresden Codex.

 

K’at signifies a net and represents gathering together or bundling. Here, in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, to this day many crops are harvested and carried in nets – oranges, lemons, avocados to name but a few. Through this we see one of the positive meanings of this nawal, that of abundance and harvest. K’at is a great day to draw things together, whether this means gathering in your crops, collecting ideas and opinions for your projects, or inviting people to a social event. It is a day of prosperity and the bounty which comes from the Earth, a day of gardeners, but also of merchants.

However, K’at also has its more challenging side. An abundant crop will fill the net, but it will also slow you down. K’at is also the nawal of prisons and burdens, as the net which gathers, can also ensnare us. When candles are purchased for the fire ceremonies, they come in bundles held together by little strings. When the nawal K’at is addressed during the fire ceremony, these strings are put in to the fire,  with offerings, to ask K’at to help us release ourselves from our burdens, from the ties which bind us.  These ties can also be seen as excessive attachment to material things.

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