Tag Archives: Leadership

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

2 Aj (14th August 2020)

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2 AjToday the nawal Aj brings harmony to our home, our relationship or our community. However, the number 2 highlights duality suggesting we may need to make a choice about something which challenges this.

The nawal Aj represents the cornstalk which joins the Heart of the Sky to the Heart of the Earth. It is this connection which helps Aj to sustain the home and community through its masculine aspect of authority and feminine aspect of compassion. Today it is combined with the number 2, enhancing this ability to draw on both sides of the polarity and strengthening this connection. It connects the mother with the father to bring harmony into the home.

Aj is also known for its fairness. Traditional leaders of the community are valued for their ability to make wise decisions. Before politics, village elders would be sought after to sort out disputes, their experience, authority and compassion guiding them. In this they would have to make a choice, a judgement between two sides. This is also something we can see in the energy of today. This is a good day for decision making as both aspects of a situation may be highlighted. The fairness and honesty of Aj may help you to make a decision which will help to bring harmony into your life, and the life of those around you. With the nawal Aj representing physical (rather than spiritual) leadership, this may be a good day to assess the pros and cons of leaders. Is there a way to bring harmony by embracing both sides or points of view? The wise leader would find it and use it to strengthen the community as a whole.

The Temple of the Foliated Cross. This small and unassuming temple houses one of the most remarkable and beautiful friezes, the Foliated Cross, the featured image of this article. Together with those of the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Cross, this forms an architectural version of a codex, showing both mythic and historical accounts of the ruling dynasty. The three temples together form the cross group, the sacred heart of the beautiful site of Palenque. Picture by Mark Elmy

The nawal Aj is related to many things which generally revolve around leadership on an earthly level. It is sometimes known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, that which allows us to stand tall, proud and brave. As the cornstalk, it has its roots in the Earth, and its head in the sky. As we are the people of maize, if we wish to lead in a just manner, we should cultivate our connection with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth.

Foliated crossThis is a picture of the carving at the top of one of my favourite Mayan temples, the Temple of the Foliated Cross on the site of Palenque (Bàakʼ) in Chiapas, Mexico. At the top of the tablet you see a bird, which represents the Heart of the Sky, the face with the large rectangular (crossed) eyes at the base of the cross represents the Heart of the Earth. The foliated cross is a stylised maize plant with the heads of humans emerging. This is Aj bringing life to the world. It is the central pillar, that which supports life. It is represented by the staffs carried by the elders of Mayan communities to this day. 

Aj is an authority, it is gentle, yet noble. It works quietly for the community it leads. It does not seek the limelight. This is a day that seeks sustenance for its people, that keeps everything in its rightful place. It is a day where we ask for the courage and bravery to stand up straight and tall, to do the right thing.

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

9 Kej (8th August 2020)

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9 KejThe combination of the the number of the divine feminine with Kej, the nawal of spiritual leadership, should give rise to an excellent day for the empowerment of women in particular.

There are some combinations where the properties of the nawal and the number reinforce each other, such as 4 Kej, 5 Toj or 12 K’at, where the meanings of the nawales and numbers are very much the same. The day 9 Kej is extremely interesting for the reason of the nawal and number carrying the energy of opposites. Kej can be seen as being one of the most masculine of the nawales, representing strength, vitality and determination, which are “traditionally” seen as masculine traits. Today this is combined with the number 9, the most feminine of numbers, creating a situation whereby those “masculine” traits may be especially prevalent in women. It can result in a perfect balance of masculine and feminine energies.

Today there is a possibly more familiar archetype which so accurately fits the energy of the day, it may give a further understanding of the feel of the energy, that of the Greek goddess Artemis. She is the strong, empowered, independent woman, the huntress deeply connected with the forest and, of course, divinely connected. Whilst she could be seen in general as the archetype aptly describing the energy of the number 9, today more than any other truly fits the bill, with the connection to the wilderness of Kej. This can also be seen as the day of the High Priestess, the female spiritual leader. With that in mind, it would be an excellent day to seek spiritual counsel from women in your life.

Today is a day to allow women to take the lead as this should be one of the most empowered days of the calendar for them. Be aware that the strength of Kej does sometimes create rather domineering situations, so you may not have much choice in the matter! This could potentially create some conflict within groups of women.

If you are woman looking for a empowerment, you might find this in the wilderness today. Take a walk in the forest and allow the inspiration of the natural world to remind you of your true strength and divinity. From the masculine side, this is also an empowering day where nature reminds you of the strength which can come through compassion. For everyone involved the energy of today brings a beautiful balance between the masculine and feminine energies, all can benefit from the union of the polarities.

Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex
Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex

 

Kej is possibly the strongest of the nawales, it is powerful, but in a different way to Kan. Kej is energetic, lively and determined. It is the nawal of nature, of the wilderness and it is this power that it draws on. The animal totem of Kej is the deer, but if you have fragile, newborn Bambi in mind, think again. This is the majestic stag, standing on the mountain surveying his domain. Whilst most nawales are not necessarily engendered, Kej is most definitely masculine. Both men and women that carry Kej as their nawal have great strength, although the men tend to hide their strength more. Kej women are particularly driven, resourceful and brave, sometimes to the point of being rather dominant. All radiate an aura of nobility, people tend to look to them to lead.

Kej is the nawal of the Mayan “religion”, a day of spiritual leaders, of shaman and of priests. It is these leaders who understand how to read the messages from the natural world, who help to keep our existence in balance with nature. It is a day to connect with the wilderness and draw the power of the natural world into you, to harmonise and replenish.

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

8 Aj (25th July 2020)

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8 AjA celebration of gratitude for our home and family would be the theme of a ceremony made for today. A solid foundation gives us the strength to stand tall and a harmonious home and loving family give this foundation.

The energy of the nawal Aj is about doing the right thing. It is fair and just, and this is why is represents the true leader. The true leader might not even be recognised at first. They do not need to prove their authority to anyone, but they are the one that is sought, when problems arise, for their wise counsel. The true leader has compassion and love perfectly balanced with authority and strength. They carry a blend of what we would call yin (compassion) and yang (strength) energies which make them complete. Today we are able to draw on both the masculine and feminine aspects of the qualities of the four directions – vitality, wisdom, spirit and healing – creating a balance of energy and bringing it into our homes and communities. This is all in addition to the connection that Aj has to the Heart of the Earth and Heart of the Sky. Allow the wise counsel of the wholeness of the nawal Aj to arbitrate in disputes and seek resolution. This in turn will bring strength and harmony to all who are involved.

A true leader also has experience, and here we see the 8 incorporating the 1 and the 7, the birth and the death, the highs and the lows of life. We draw our wisdom and strength from both aspects, so that we can sustain others through their dark times. It is also a day on which we may ask Aj to bring this strength to us should we be in need of it at the moment.

As we continue to travel through the Kame trecena, this day highlights the physical requirements for a true spiritual transformation. The ability to work with the otherworld through meditation and ceremony is of course important, but transformation cannot take place if this is not grounded into the physical. The experiences in this world give us the backbone to undergo true transformation. Whilst the earlier days of the trecena may have been rather challenging, the latter days bring the reward for passing the challenges.

This is a day to enjoy with your family and your home. We sustain them and they sustain us. It is a day to bring harmony into your home, using your experiences from your past, but also your connection to the Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Earth, the wholeness of existence.

This 8 Aj ceremony was held on 24th April 2011 to introduce ourselves to the spirits of the land here before we started to build. It was a way to start with the energetic level, the unseen world before moving in to the physical.
This 8 Aj ceremony was held on 24th April 2011 to introduce ourselves to the spirits of the land here before we started to build. It was a way to start with the energetic level, the unseen world, before moving in to the physical. Picture credit: Unknown
The very first fire ceremony we made on our land here, 8 Aj in the year 12 E' (24th April 2011). Picture credit
The very first fire ceremony we made on our land here, 8 Aj in the year 12 E’ (24th April 2011). This is the same circle that we use for ceremony to this day. Picture credit: Unknown

 

The nawal Aj is related to many things which generally revolve around leadership on an earthly level. It is sometimes known as the cornstalk, sometimes the staff of life. It represents the spinal column within the body, that which allows us to stand tall, proud and brave. As the cornstalk, it has its roots in the Earth, and its head in the sky. As we are the people of maize, if we wish to lead in a just manner, we should cultivate our connection with the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth.

Foliated crossThis is a picture of the carving at the top of one of my favourite Mayan temples, the Temple of the Foliated Cross on the site of Palenque (Bàakʼ) in Chiapas, Mexico. At the top of the tablet you see a bird, which represents the Heart of the Sky, the face with the large rectangular (crossed) eyes at the base of the cross represents the Heart of the Earth. The foliated cross is a stylised maize plant with the heads of humans emerging. This is Aj bringing life to the world. It is the central pillar, that which supports life. It is represented by the staffs carried by the elders of Mayan communities to this day. 

Aj is an authority, it is gentle, yet noble. It works quietly for the community it leads. It does not seek the limelight. This is a day that seeks sustenance for its people, that keeps everything in its rightful place. It is a day where we ask for the courage and bravery to stand up straight and tall, to do the right thing.

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

2 Kej (19th July 2020)

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2 KejThe energy of the nawal Kej is known for its strength and sometimes its stubbornness. However, its pairing with the number 2 may bring more gentleness to this day.

It is said that one of the qualities of the number 2 is to double the strength of whatever it comes into contact with. It enhances both aspects of the nawal. This may give the energy of Kej a softer edge than we might normally expect of a Kej day, as the energy of nawal Kej can be domineering and certainly determined. It is the nawal known to stand up first against what it perceives as injustice, and here we see it combined with the number which relates to self-sacrifice and relationships.

We could expect that today this energy may give rise to situations where we give our strength to causes dear to our hearts. It is a good day to bring new, fresh and vital energy into relationships through a connection with nature, allowing the raw beauty of the wilderness to inspire and revitalise. It is also a great day to put your energy into projects to protect the wilderness.

The nawal Kej is the representative of leadership, especially where it takes on a spiritual aspect. Perhaps it is an aspiration that may be held by some, to be a leader within the community. There is always a price to pay when in a position of leadership, and today this is exemplified through the energy of the number 2. It reminds us that true leadership begins with self sacrifice, the willingness to give freely of our time and energy on behalf of our communities. Today, this sacrifice may lead to strength and vitality coming to the people we care about.

Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex
Xbalamkiej, patron of the day Kej one of the hero twins from the Popol Vuh. From the Dresden Codex

 

Kej is possibly the strongest of the nawales, it is powerful, but in a different way to Kan. Kej is energetic, lively and determined. It is the nawal of nature, of the wilderness and it is this power that it draws on. The animal totem of Kej is the deer, but if you have fragile, new-born Bambi in mind, think again. This is the majestic stag, standing on the mountain surveying his domain. Whilst most nawales are not necessarily engendered, Kej is most definitely masculine. Both men and women that carry Kej as their nawal have great strength, although the men tend to hide their strength more. Kej women are particularly driven, resourceful and brave, sometimes to the point of being rather dominant. All radiate an aura of nobility, people tend to look to them to lead.

Kej is the nawal of the Mayan “religion”, a day of spiritual leaders, of shaman and of priests. It is these leaders who understand how to read the messages from the natural world, who help to keep our existence in balance with nature. It is a day to connect with the wilderness and draw the power of the natural world into you, to harmonise and replenish.

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

The Junajpu (One Hero) Retreat

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

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

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

We look forward to welcoming you on to this journey!