Tag Archives: Midwife

8 Kawok (9th October 2022)

8th October 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The eighth day of the trecena is traditionally the day most celebrated through ceremony and today we see it in conjunction with the nawal of the midwife and the birth process. It is a day to honour the female healers in life.

Chak sends the fire serpent (lightning) from the sky, from the Dresden Codex

When we look at the calendar through the perspective of the Mayan cross, we see cycles of conception and birth. What we call the past sign is seen as the day of conception, 8 days (or rather 268 days) before the birth day. When we apply this to the cycles of the calendar, we can see that the eighth day of the trecena was conceived on the thirteenth day of the trecena before. We could consider this to represent a conception from the spirit world, or a conception of the ancestors. Today, we see the number 8 connected with Kawok, and so the conception of this day falls on 13 B’atz. Today we are experiencing a day of birth which was woven by the ancestors, which lead to some rather auspicious properties.

Kawok days are sometimes given a difficult reputation from their storm aspect. We can think of this as very much like the midwife and the birth process, it is not the midwife who is experiencing the turmoil, but she is overseeing and assisting with it. Kawok is very much like this, a helpful energy that clears the way for the new birth. However, once in a while more action if called for and Kawok employs its more forceful side to wash away obstacles to new birth. This can involve a degree of destruction in order to clear the way for the advancement.

8 Kawok embraces both of these aspects. It gives a balanced energy which can help to bring the new into the world using a combination of the two. Today is the day to ask for the compassion and understanding of Kawok to combine with the sufficient force required to birth our new projects into being. It is the day to make thanksgiving ceremonies for the work of the midwives and female healers, for the safe arrival of the newborn children and the protection of their mothers during birth. As we are also reminded here on a daily basis, to ask for sufficient rain to nourish the crops, yet not too much to wash them away.

Ixchel empties the water jar, washing away the old world in order to bring in the new. From the Dresden Codex

Nawal Kawok is in some ways a counterpart to the nawal Tijax. Where Tijax has masculine aspects of healing, Kawok has the feminine aspect. Kawok is sometimes referred to as rain or storm. It is this rain that washes away that which has been cut out by Tijax.

While most healing roles within the Maya world do not seem to be gender specific, one is. Both women and men may be healers, prayer makers, herbalists and diviners, only women will become midwives. Kawok is the energy of the midwife. Kawok helps to clear the obstructions from the birth process, in some ways it actually represents the birth process. Kawok brings the new into the world. In the Mayan cross, Kawok, the birth process finishes the sequence which starts with Aq’ab’al (conception) and moves through B’atz (gestation.) In the sequence of the calendar, Kawok precedes Ajpu. Ajpu represents the resurrection of the maize lord, also the creation of the world. Kawok creates the conditions for that to happen, the rain which brings forth the sprouting of the maize.

In its storm aspect, Kawok can be destructive, although it is a destruction which allows a new creation to happen. Kawok energy can give rise to some tempestuous situations, it can be a day which can give people a rough ride, although this may be for the eventual good. It is a day to ask for the gentle rain to bless your crops, and for the harsh rain to stop. It is a day which washes away the old and outworn in life, so that the new growth, life and divinity may emerge.

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

1 Kawok (19th September 2022)

18th September 2022 Mark Elmy 1 Comment

We have been through the inner alchemy, the transformation of the Kame trecena and now emerge fresh and newborn. The trecena of Kawok acts as the midwife assisting our birth into a new phase of life.

Today we begin our rebirth process. Kame changed us, with Tijax finally cutting away what was holding us back. Now Kawok is here to sooth us and to wash away any debris. The midwife aspect of the energy of the nawal Kawok gently guides us, helping us move through our rebirth process and into the world. The healing feminine energy of this day brings compassion to our process, and creates a graceful and beautiful experience of rebirth.

Both Kawok and 1 have strong connections with birth and new life. The number 1 representing potential may give rise to us needing a little assistance to realise the potential within our opportunity. We may be ready to grow and walk, but sometimes we need a little help to get on our feet as we take our first tottering steps. Kawok is there for us, ready to hold our hand, gently but firmly guiding us as we emerge into our new world. She is a representative of the healing woman and the wisdom of the grandmothers. Today we may choose to seek out those women who support us through our process of rebirth or re-invention. The compassion and wisdom shown to us by the women around us helps us to move forward into new areas. This day is the very beginning of the new life, or a new direction, which has all the potential to be whatever we choose it to be.

While most healing roles within the Maya world do not seem to be gender specific, this one is. Both women and men may be healers, prayer makers, herbalists and diviners, only women will become midwives. Kawok is the energy of the midwife. Kawok helps to clear the obstructions from the birth process, in some ways it actually represents the birth process. Kawok brings the new into the world. In the Mayan cross, Kawok, the birth process finishes the sequence which starts with Aq’ab’al (conception) and moves through B’atz (gestation.) In the sequence of the calendar, Kawok precedes Ajpu. Ajpu represents the resurrection of the maize lord, also the creation of the world. Kawok creates the conditions for that to happen, the rain which brings forth the sprouting of the maize.

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 Kawok (30th August 2022)

29th August 2022 Mark Elmy 1 Comment

The rain may fall but how it affects you is your choice. Will you choose to fall victim to the storm allowing the torrent to wash you away, or will you dance in the rain giving thanks for the gift of life? Today it is very much up to you.

Like all things, the nawal Kawok seems to have two faces, one benevolent and one malevolent. However, this is actually just our perception and our experience. If our house gets flooded in a great storm, we may feel like cursing the rain. If we live in a desert, the rain falling may seem like a miracle, new life falling from the sky. The rain would fall whether we were there or not, and if there was no rain, there would be no life. In reality, there is no polarity.

Just as in the natural world, the rain brings new life, sometimes the storms within our lives also bring the potential for new growth. Today, with nawal Kawok combining with the number 7, it is very much our choice as to how we deal with the storms we see going on around us.

Sometimes we have to endure storms within our lives, and sometimes we lend our umbrella to our families and friends as we help them to endure their own storms. Today we have the opportunity to finally heal and decisively wash away the obstacles to growth, to allow the flow to take us towards novelty within our lives. This could be seen with the finality of the number 7 representing one final push to bring the new energy into our lives. Of course we can resist it if we wish, but we might find that the current is too strong and that resistance only causes exhaustion, the new life is coming in on its own schedule. Allow the rain to heal you, to cleanse you and to soothe you, as you move forward into the novelty of life.

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.

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.

The number seven is the mid-point of the range of numbers, as we would see them, but it is also known as a number of death and endings. This which would seem strange as it is only half way through the journey. However, another representation of the change of state of the soul, showing half of the journey (1-7) in the mortal world and half (8-13) in the other world. 7 Is the final number that appears in the bottom row before we move to the top row, suggesting the transition between realms. The numbers 1 and 7 embrace all other numbers as they appear in the sequence of nawales, and thus give a suggestion of beginnings and endings.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 Kawok (10th August 2022)

9th August 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This is potentially one of the most turbulent days within the sacred count of days, but my own experience of these days has rarely seen that aspect. In fact, it has usually fully embraced the new birth aspect.

The day of the storm sent from the spirit world could be one interpretation of the combination of the nawal Kawok with the number 13. It certainly has the power to be intimidating. The ultimate day of the rain god where all might be washed away by the flood, where all is destroyed.

However, new creation can only happen where there is space for new growth, and if everything is covered with the outworn, the new growth cannot emerge. Here the spirit world lends a hand in the birth process, bringing its strength to the delivery. In fact we might consider that which comes in to the world today to have been birthed from spirit. As such we can see an auspicious nature of the energy of today. This does not necessarily mean it will be a gentle day. If there is anything hanging around that you should have cleaned up, you might find yourself pushed into confronting it for clearance today. The debris of many years may be washed away, and whilst the process may bring some fleeting pain, the end result will be worth it. If there is something blocking your new growth, today is the day to ask for the assistance of the spirit world to wash it away. It is a day when healing may come from another realm.

While most healing roles do not seem to be gender specific, one is. Both women and men may be healers, prayer makers, herbalists and diviners, only women will become midwives. Kawok is the energy of the midwife. Kawok helps to clear the obstructions from the birth process, in some ways it actually represents the birth process. Kawok brings the new into the world. In the Mayan cross, Kawok, the birth process finishes the sequence which starts with Aq’ab’al (conception) and moves through B’atz (gestation.) In the sequence of the calendar, Kawok precedes Ajpu. Ajpu represents the resurrection of the maize lord, also the creation of the world. Kawok creates the conditions for that to happen, the rain which brings forth the sprouting of the maize.

The number 13 is the final number. 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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

6 Kawok (21st July 2022)

20th July 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 6 Kawok could prove to be a very beneficial day to bring the new into the world. The birth process is supported by the energies of the four directions, together with the Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Earth, bringing stability to the delivery.

Even looking at the destructive aspect of Kawok, this day could be beneficial. The stability of the 6 would suggest that it is a day when the storms are quelled, when the force of the torrent is sufficient to wash away the debris without destroying the useful.

It is a day when the new born receives the blessings from all around. This will apply to new life, in all its guises, and to new projects. The energy of this day could be hugely supportive of the ideas that you brought into being on the day 4 No’j. It is the day to flesh out new things, to physically bring them into the world. It is a wonderful “launch day” for the physical aspect of your plan.

Just as this day represents midwives, we can also see it as a representation of female healers in general, or those who heal the feminine. Today we celebrate their abilities to soothe the emotions, to bring calm to life’s storms. They may do this through traditional healing channels such as energy work or massage, but also through counselling or music.

If you need to calm your emotions, or bring healing to a situation, this could be a very good day to do it. Allow Kawok to wash away emotions that are no longer necessary to hold on to, and allow the new to emerge into the world. Use the supportive and stable energy of the day to calm the troubled waters.

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

12 Kawok (1st July 2022)

30th June 2022 Mark Elmy 2 Comments

The day 12 Kawok may again prove to be a rather intense day. Whilst Kawok can represent the midwife, it can also represent the birth process. This birth process can be easy, if we allow it to be, or painful if we resist.

I have an image of the nawal Kawok as a wise and loving, but firm, midwife. She has seen many new children brought into this world and knows what she is talking about. She is here to assist with the birth process. At this point there is no going back, there is only one way and that is to move past the pain to allow the new life to emerge. She is here to comfort and encourage, and occasionally to push you forwards when the process feels too hard. The flow that she brings cannot be stopped, if resistance is encountered the storm intensifies until her waters wash away the obstruction. It is, therefore, better to heed her advice, grit your teeth, and move through the process before the full power of the storm is unleashed.

This is the penultimate day of the trecena of ripening, and some would say the penultimate day of a cycle of 260 days. Tomorrow, 13 Ajpu, can be seen as the rebirth of the Sun from the spirit world, a day that the final ripening has been preparing us for. It is today, 12 Kawok, that assists this day to come forward. As it is such an important day that is being birthed, it is one of the most experienced of midwives which is called upon. Here the analogy is that of bringing together all of your life experience in order to birth into being your own true ripeness.

This birth process is about bringing the new into the world, including a “new you.” It can be seen as a re-birthing process, and this time around it is hugely powerful. The number 12, carrying all of the energy of your life experience, combined with Kawok, gives the opportunity to finally wash away “stubborn stains” from the past, should you allow the process to happen. You have the power to confront and overcome that which stands between you and your new life today. The energy of the day is conducive to clear the obstructions and allow your blossoming, your new growth to occur.

Nawal Kawok is in some ways a counterpart to the nawal Tijax. Where Tijax has masculine aspects of healing, Kawok has the feminine aspect. Kawok is sometimes referred to as rain or storm. It is this rain that washes away that which has been cut out by Tijax.

While most healing roles do not seem to be gender specific, one is. Both women and men may be healers, prayer makers, herbalists and diviners, only women will become midwives. Kawok is the energy of the midwife. Kawok helps to clear the obstructions from the birth process, in some ways it actually represents the birth process. Kawok brings the new into the world. In the Mayan cross, Kawok, the birth process finishes the sequence which starts with Aq’ab’al (conception) and moves through B’atz (gestation.) In the sequence of the calendar, Kawok precedes Ajpu. Ajpu represents the resurrection of the maize lord, also the creation of the world. Kawok creates the conditions for that to happen, the rain which brings forth the sprouting of the maize.

In its storm aspect, Kawok can be destructive, although it is a destruction which allows a new creation to happen. Kawok energy can give rise to some tempestuous situations, it can be a day which can give people a rough ride, although this may be for the eventual good. It is a day to ask for the gentle rain to bless your crops, and for the harsh rain to stop. It is a day which washes away the old and outworn in life, so that the new growth, life and divinity may emerge.

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 Kawok (11th June 2022)

10th June 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The energy of days carrying the number 5 always suggests that hard work will be rewarded. This is a day to work on your renovation, the effort you invest clears your path to the new.

Kawok energy is known for its softness and compassion, even in its storm aspect, often the storms in its life are those of others around it. It is the guiding hand, keeping the boat steady as the storm rages all around it. It brings an energy of helping each other through the storms of life with compassion and love. Whilst Kawok has a connection to Chak, the rain god, it also has a connection to Ixchel, she of the rainbows. She is grandmother, and it is this caring energy of a grandmother which is manifested through Kawok. She is the goddess of medicine, and a midwife goddess, fulfilling the other aspects associated with Kawok.

Kawok helps us navigate through our problems by washing away the things we no longer need in our lives. Nothing can resist the strength of her current as it clears our path of debris. This can seem destructive, but it is purely to allow the new growth, the new birth to emerge.

The day 5 Kawok is a day to focus your energies on bringing new growth into your world. Whether it truly is bringing a new life into the world, or a project you have been working on, the energy of today is conducive with working to clear the way to allow its smooth passage from the darkness into the light. That is not to say that this process will be entirely free of resistance, some work may be required to ensure a safe arrival, but the results should be worth the effort.

The Sacred Mayan calendar is often said to be a calendar of human life, and parts of 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 it’s five digits. It is with our hands that we work, and with what we earn for that work that 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 Kawok (22nd May 2022)

21st May 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 11 Kawok may bring many strong opportunities for the emergence of new growth into the world. The strong and vital will weather the storm, that which is worn out might not.

Following the powerful group healing of 10 Tijax, the 11 Kawok day is even stronger. Kawok certainly has both a healing, compassionate face and a destructive face. The rather turbulent and unpredictable energy of the number 11 may result in the strong expression of either and possibly both faces. This could certainly give rise to a rollercoaster day of ups and downs. When faced with this type of potential, it is even more important than usual to remain grounded and focussed, like a ship’s captain guiding the vessel towards its destination. Fix your focus on what you choose to achieve, and allow yourself to alter course according to the conditions you encounter. This way you can make it to the new ground and new life on the opposite shore. Allow that which is no longer necessary to be washed away.

In it’s storm aspect, Kawok can be destructive, although it is a destruction which allows a new creation to happen. Kawok energy can give rise to some tempestuous situations, it can be a day which can give people a rough ride, although this may be for the eventual good. It is a day to ask for the gentle rain to bless your crops, and for the harsh rain to stop. It is a day which washes away the old and outworn in life, so that the new growth, life and divinity may emerge.

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

4 Kawok (2nd May 2022)

1st May 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 4 Kawok is a day to bring material stability by flushing away that which no longer serves you, or obstructs you, and allowing the birth of the new into your world.

The energy of Kawok certainly has a power to it, as the hard rain or the wild storm, but sometimes this energy is needed to break through tough obstacles. Kawok energy helps us to do just that, to bring forth the energy of the flood, washing away the things that impede our progress. Of course the degree to which we engage with the energy will determine its destructive power, and it is certainly not something for a high numbered day. This could certainly lead to undesired and avoidable situations where the power of the storm is more destructive than healing.

However, today is different. The number 4 brings stability to this stormy energy, directing it very definitely in the Earthly realm. This is a day to breakthrough physical obstructions in order to bring new growth into your life. This can be achieved with compassion, coming from the energy of the female healer, bringing stability to your new ideas, projects or direction.

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 Kawok (12th April 2022)

11th April 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The energy of the number 10 highlights cooperation, and today it is combined with nawal Kawok which brings a caring, feminine energy. This can be seen as a particular day of caring and healing within our communities.

The nawal Kawok is the nawal of the female healer. Yesterday, we saw the masculine aspect of healing , Tijax, combined with a feminine energy. Today, the female aspect of healing combined with the number of community and cooperation.

Today we see this energy combined with the energy of the number 10, that of two hands coming together in friendship and cooperation. It represents community and, as much as agreement through shaking of hands, the offer a hand to those in need. It is a friendly and helpful energy. We see this within the Tz’i trecena, and once again this shows us an essence of unconditional love for those around us, holding their hand as they pass through their storms, providing emotional support.

This is a day of both giving and accepting help, once again particularly from women. This is a day to both offer and ask for a helping hand to steady the passage through the storms of life, bringing new life and growth both personally and to your community. Compassion and understanding bring healing to our communities and allow the new born, or our own rebirth, to emerge and flourish.

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.

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