Tag Archives: Life

9 Aq’ab’al (22nd September 2026)

21st September 2026 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

If you have an idea hidden in the shadows, today’s energy can brings it into the light. Bringing a new concept to life or creating a new concept which becomes an important part of your life is a beneficial focus.

Today we see an interesting progression, all within the trecena of Tz’ikin, the trecena of the new vision. Two days ago, 7 Imox brought us the multitude of possibilities, of dreams, to choose from. Yesterday, on 8 Iq’, we breathed life into those dreams. However, today the dream begins to make a transition into the physical world. This might not be the day you start a new life, or make a massive change regarding your life path. Nonetheless, it is a solid day to start the ball rolling towards a change which will take effect in the future. In this way, it is still hidden in the darkness, but its passage towards the light of reality has begun.

The Nawal Aq’ab’al

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The word aq’ab is translated as night. The suffix -al changes the meaning slightly, alluding transition 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. Consequently, 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 Nine

The number nine 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. It is a day on which women may wish to give thanks for their gifts.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

8 Iq’ (21st September 2026)

20th September 2026 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

New and old words combine to bring the whole message. The nawal Iq’ governs communication and change and today it is combined with the number of wholeness, the number 8.

The eighth day of the trecena is the most widely recognised day of ceremony, and the ceremonies today are to give thanks for the many qualities attributed to the nawal Iq’. First and foremost, they are for the breath of life. It is the nawal Iq’ which breathes life into us. The celebration of nawal Iq’ is a celebration of life itself. Offerings are made to give thanks for every breath taken.

It is also a day to recognise what the passing of the breath of life through our throats brings, that is communication. Iq’ days are wordy, days to receive and transmit messages, especially when they are of deeper meaning. These are days when your words are empowered by the divine breath, sometimes you might not even recognise the words you utter. They are messages for others, not from you but through you. These messages bring change and therefore life, and today is a day to show gratitude for them.

The day 8 Iq’ can be seen as a day of communication, where inspiration may come to you in a truly useful, practical way. It can also be a day where challenging subjects that need to be discussed may be communicated in such a way that the point gets across without conflict. Changes might happen, but they happen with a particular grace and ease that helps to embrace life rather than turn it upside down. The effect of these changes will wholly depend on your attitude towards them.

The Nawal Iq’

Nawal Iq’ is another strong nawal. It represents communication and particularly divine inspiration. It is the wind, the breath of life, that which brings the change in seasons.

The communication brought by Iq’ can be enlightening and inspiring. It is the breath of the divine which flows through us all the word for soul is Saq Iq’ – white breath. When our breath stops, our divine essence leaves our physical body. When we engage ourselves with the divine breath we can create, and manifest with our words, to inspire those around us. However, Iq’ also has a destructive side. It can blow like a hurricane and may level everything before it. It is the angry words which cut down everything in their path.

Hurricane is one of the few English words which is derived from a Mayan word- Junrakan, meaning “one footed”. Junrakan is another name for the Heart of the Sky, one of the creator deities. Once again it seems that certain patterns follow through the sequence of the nawales which are interrelated. Imox, the female creative principle, or egg, is fertilised by Iq’, the male principle. Their combination results in Aq’ab’al, the conception and a change in the state, bringing the dream into reality.

Iq’ is a day of communication, a day of inspiration. It can be a great day to express yourself through written or particularly verbal means. It is also a day on which changes happen. You can either embrace those changes or resist them. However, be aware that the wind blows forcefully and resistance to change requires a great deal of energy. Embracing change helps you to learn to dance like a leaf in the wind.

The Number Eight

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 became whole. The eighth day of the trecena 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

9 No’j (27th August 2026)

26th August 2026 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 9 No’j can be seen as a day of feminine thought. It is a day to pay attention to ideas inspired by life, and a day when realistic resolutions of life’s problems may emerge.

This may particularly come through a feminine channel. It is most certainly a day to ask for practical solutions from the women around us. It is a marriage of the masculine, square, logical No’j, with the feminine, rounded, artistic nine.

Today might be a day when feminine problems may be resolved with masculine logic and masculine problems resolved with feminine intuition. It can be seen as the union of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. 9 No’j brings a day of particular inspiration, with the possibility for the emergence of true genius. This is enlivened with the energy of the number 9 with its connection with the divine feminine and life energy. This would also bring in the energy of the heart. I have heard this referred to as the holy trinity, left brain, right brain and heart working together. In turn, this can create the best possible solutions, bringing sustainable, compassionate, beautiful ideas into practicality. This is the ideal day for an ideas circle within your community.

Lunar Eclipse

Lunar (and solar) eclipses were both recorded and calculated as evidenced by documents like the Dresden Codex. They were generally seen as challenging times where the sun and the moon were fighting. Either the the moon was taking a bite out of the sun or vice versa. Sometimes a lunar eclipse would be attributed to the moon being attacked by either a jaguar or ants. Loud noises, for instance banging on pots and pans, are made to this day to drive away the monsters attacking the moon.

It is also interesting to note that the mother of the hero twins, Ix K’ik is often known as Blood Moon, possibly suggesting the conception of a new era (represented by the hero twins) occurring on a lunar eclipse.

This eclipse will be visible over Europe, Africa and the Americas. In the Americas, this partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the evening of 27th August, with the maximum at 22:12 Guatemala time.

The Nawal No’j

The nawal No’j is the nawal of thought, of intelligence and intellect. Within the count of days, there are two geniuses. B’atz is the creative genius, and No’j is the intellectual one. No’j is an energy of masculine, logical thought. As the problem solver, it gives ideas and solutions which work in the real world. No’j gives a different way of understanding situations, and through this ability comes innovation. Thus, it is thought, but also understanding and, indeed, knowing. As such, No’j is also a day associated with divination.

This energy is not necessarily social, it can lead to becoming absorbed into one’s work, lost in one’s thoughts. The influence of No’j can create ideas which may be very much ahead of their time. Do not be surprised if ideas you have on this day take a little time to catch on. The people you express the ideas to may need a little time to process, to see the genius within the idea. No’j is also one of the classic year-bearers or year lords. As a year bearer, it is thought to be one of the more beneficial and benign energies.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Ajpu (2nd May 2026)

1st May 2026 Mark Elmy 2 Comments

Seeking the higher purpose in life is a key ability, and objective, for the nawal Ajpu. Today that is compounded further by its combination with the number 9, the number of life and the divine feminine.

The energy of the nawal Ajpu may have an effect on us seeing life through “rose-tinted glasses.” Some things are illusions, they are not all that they seem. It is equally important not to be blind to them. However, in general, society could benefit from remembering that we are all part of one source, we all carry part of the divine with us. When we choose to engage with that part within us, it comes out in others. All Ajpu days carry the energy to inspire us to seek out divinity. However, the energy of 9 Ajpu highlights the holiness of life, and the divinity of women, the givers of life.

In this trecena of E’, we are on a new path. The energy of 9 Ajpu shows us the wonders that life’s journey can bring to us. It is the excitement of seeing all that is good about a new place, or your journey. Equally, seeing the old place with new eyes. It is a day to find the joy in everyday life and allowing that enthusiasm to radiate from you. Engage your highest state and inspire others to do the same.

The Nawal Ajpu

Nawal Ajpu is once again a nawal with a multitude of meanings and translations. In the Yucatec language it is known as Ahau, in Kiche is is also known as Junajpu. These are variously translated as lord, hunter, blow gunner, flower and sun. Each one of the translations has its merits, and represents an aspect of this auspicious nawal.

Within the ancient Mayan society, the royals were not just political leaders of their particular city-states, they were priest-kings and priest-queens. They served as the conduit to the divine, deriving their wisdom for guiding their people through their connection with the Hearts of the Earth and the Sky. This wisdom enriched both the ruling dynasty and their people, as they would be working in harmony with the gods. The ruler of the city was also the physical embodiment of the divine, and Ajpu is closely related to this. Likewise it represents our potential, the state of divinity to which we may aspire.

Ajpu represents the holiness in life, the divinity in the physical world, and our search for it. It is the search for underlying meaning, understanding that each person is a part of the whole. Whether we like it or not, and however we judge it, we are all a part of creation.

Every action of ourselves and others gives an opportunity to explore ourselves and our reaction. Sometimes we are attracted, sometimes repelled by the action of others. Occasionally Ajpu can lead us to become immersed in the other world, to lose sight of reality. It is important to remember to stay in touch with the Earth as we reach to the Sky.

The Number Nine

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Q’anil (11th March 2026)

10th March 2026 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Today should be a celebration of the fruits of our labour and a celebration of the women in our lives. 9 Q’anil should bring a happy and prosperous day and a great day for working with plants.

With both the fertile nature of Q’anil and the good fortune seen in the number 9 we can expect this day to be really rather pleasant. This is possibly a welcome relief after the strength of the last few days.

There are many phrases that we could associate with this day. “The light of life”, “seed of life” and “the light of the feminine” are just a few. It feels like a delicious golden energy we would all love to bask in, the reward after the hard work we have been carrying out recently. It is a day to enjoy the bounty that the fruition of your projects has brought to you.

However, 9 Q’anil is also a great day for working with plants, planting the seeds for your next harvest. Both 9 and Q’anil are linked to fertility. Q’anil is also strongly linked with the herbalist’s art and creates a very powerful day to plant or harvest medicinal herbs.

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 Nine

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Iq’ 0 Tz’apin Q’ij – The First day of Tz’apin Q’ij

12th February 2026 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Tz’apin Q’ij is seen as a time of introspection. We are allowed to take stock of what has happened over the previous year. In some communities, it is seen as a time when public ceremony is avoided. Some people do not wash or comb their hair, many do not leave the house. It is a time when the energies of the days are unsupported and misfortune may occur.

The posts that I write every day concern the Chol Q’ij. This is the Maya sacred calendar, which consists of 260 days. However, this is not the only calendar used by the Maya people. One of the other calendars is known as the Macewal Q’ij. This has been called a civil or agricultural calendar, it is the solar calendar. There are ceremonies associated with certain days of the Macewal Q’ij, particularly the arrival of the new Mam or Year Bearer. This is the first day of the new Solar year. Kenneth Johnson wrote an excellent first-hand account of his experience in Momostenango of the arrival of the new Mam here

However, the new year is not here just yet. We first pass through the Tz’apin Q’ij, the closing days. These are the five days at the end of the 365-day count. They are thought of as an unpredictable time when the energy is directionless. The final five days of the solar year are overseen by the previous Mam of the same nawal. 9 Iq’ was the Mam for 2021. If we imagine time as a ship and the Mam as the captain, it is as if the captain has died and been replaced by the ghost of the previous captain. Maybe this is why this period of time is thought of as being so unpredictable.

The First Day of Tz’apin Q’ij

The introspection of the first day of Tz’apin Q’ij is used to review the previous year. Its combination here with the day 9 Iq’ suggests a review of the words and changes during the previous 360 days. This is during the period of the current year, 13 Iq’, which began on 18th February 2025.

9 Iq’ can be seen as the breath of life. It can also be seen as the strong, feminine word. Iq’ can be highly inspiring when channelled correctly, and highly destructive when it isn’t. It gives the opportunity to breath life into what we wish to grow. We can use our words to bring things to life. What have you brought to life through your words in this past cycle?

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days