Tag Archives: Offerings

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

3 Toj (26th February 2021)

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3 TojOccasionally a day will carry what could be thought of as a double “negative” energy and turn out positive, but then there are the exceptions. 3 Toj is possibly one of the exceptions, and could be very challenging.

In principle, making offerings to pay off our debts is a good thing. We give something back to the community that sustains us through the sacrifice of our time, our energy or our resources. The wheel turns, we give and take, and usually end up in balance. However, today is a day where the wheel may have become stuck. It may seem today that nothing is good enough. The sacrifices or payments made today may be challenged, blocked or obstructed. Ceremonies made today may have unintended consequences, or may just fail to give the desired result. It is just a day to do something else. Service to your community may be ineffective, you might find the work you do undone soon afterwards. It is a day to tread carefully, avoid making debts and leave the payment for another day.

Days which carry the number 3 highlight inner work, both within the home and within the self. This is a day to avoid the external transactions and focus on what you owe to yourself. Take some time to give yourself what you need, to replenish what has been spent and acknowledge what you owe to your own spirit.

The nawal Toj represents offerings and payment. It is part of the name Tojil, a Mayan god who gave fire to the people, although this was not a free gift. Tojil asked in return for sacrifice to be made. This is a day of payment and sacrifice, a day to resolve debts, both in the physical and spiritual realms. Toj is the nawal of the sacred fire, and it is to the fire that we make offerings in order to burn away what would commonly be known as karmic debts. In this way we restore balance, we bring our accounts back to zero.

Toj carries with it a form of divine protection, which is enhanced through selfless acts. These acts might involve a sacrifice of our time or energy in order to strengthen our community. We can choose to act or we can choose to ignore, but be aware – ignoring an opportunity to make a payment on a Toj day might bring a ill fortune, the removal of the protection. Payment should be made with an open heart, thanks might not be quickly forthcoming, and may not come at all. Your sacrifice could be  something as simple as picking up litter in your neighbourhood, it doesn’t have to be something elaborate.

M42 (and M43) The Orion Nebula

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 "El Tigre" at the El Mirador site. Photo and montage by Mark Elmy
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

8 Ix (30th September 2019) – Venus Returns as Evening “Star”

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8 IxThe nawal of the spirit of Mother Earth combines with the number of wholeness on this day of gratitude, when we give thanks for everything we receive from her.

Seven days ago, we started the trecena of Kej, giving us the possibility of drawing our strength from nature. Today we feel what that brings us – the wholeness of connection with the spirit of Mother Earth. This is a day of celebration, a day when we give thanks to Mother Earth and all she provides for us. It is a day to recognise the “magic” in our lives, our ability to work in harmony with Mother Earth to sustain ourselves, our families and our communities with what she provides.

Ix is also the nawal of the natural shrines  and altars, the “ears” through which Mother Earth hears our prayers. We often make ourselves heard, asking for what we need in our lives, and today gives us an opportunity to give back. Whether you have a natural altar near you or not, today brings an opportunity to show Mother Earth your gratitude by making an offering. This could be using your time to help clear up a local natural environment of the debris left behind by her ungrateful human offspring. Bring a little of your magic to her and she will return it to you magnified.

A dancing shaman transforms himself into a jaguar. From a late classic era vase found at Altar de Sacrificios. Source http://shortstreet.net/Maya/mayapaintedvases.htm
A dancing shaman transforms himself into a jaguar. From a late classic era vase found at Altar de Sacrificios. Source http://shortstreet.net/Maya/mayapaintedvases.htm

Today is also the day within the Dresden Codex on which Venus returns to the sky as an evening star. Astronomically speaking, Venus has been a theoretically visible for a few days now. Tonight Venus should be the first time when it is clearly visible as an evening “star” for a few minutes, appearing from the glare of the Sun, only to set a few minutes after the Sun.

According to Bruce Scofield in the book How to Practice Mayan Astrology, Venus can represent the rise and fall of leaders. They describe the rise of a great leader, seen as a bright shining light who becomes so bright he gets lost in hedonism. This leads to his downfall and eventual exile, the rise and fall of the morning star. The superior conjunction is seen as a time of judgement and redressing the balance before the leader is born again, this time humble, mortal and obeying the laws of society as the evening star. Eventually he is sacrificed, the inferior conjunction, and once again is born as the rising light in the world.

With the energy of 8 Ix combining with the reappearance of Venus, it could signal end end to the trials which began on 9 K’at (2nd July 2019) with the superior conjunction of Venus. The light travelled through the underworld as the planet Venus disappeared behind the Sun, from the point of view from Earth. Now, the light returns, in the wisdom place of the west, possibly signifying the emergence of a steadying influences as society goes through a profound change. The trials during the preceding 80 days have humbled the false leaders, and now the need to look after Mother Earth  takes precedent. The evening star apparition can also be seen as a time when we take a long look at whatever we hold inside of ourselves, especially the dark places we may not wish to explore. Only by examining and understanding this darkness can we hope to transform it, before resurrecting as the brilliant morning star.

Ix is possibly the most feminine of the nawales. It represents the spirit of Mother Earth and could easily be seen as a Mayan representation of Gaia. Ix can be seen as a mothering energy, nurturing all things, but this should not be confused with weakness – the animal totem of Ix is the jaguar and it is as the jaguar that Ix is often known. The jaguar is, of course, powerful and stealthy. Ix also embodies these qualities. The jaguar is an animal of the night, slipping magically through the darkness, the spots of her back a representation of the milky way. She carries the sun on it’s nightly journey through the underworld.

The connection Ix has with the Earth gives it the ability to manifest material wealth. In the Mayan cross astrological configuration, Kame evolves to Ix. In the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, the Hero Twins sacrificed themselves in the underworld (Kame) and then were resurrected as a pair of catfish, later to become travelling magicians (Ix.) They cut the heads off animals, then resurrected them, they even cut off each others heads and brought each other back to life. In these scenes they are shown with patches of jaguar skin on their clothing, a symbolism denoting that the wearer is a shaman. Thus through the symbolic death or sacrifice, the shamanic power emerges.

Whilst Ix has the power to engage with the magic of the Earth, it also has a tendency towards illness. This is particularly strong when the vain, ungrateful side of Ix emerges. The magic that runs through this nawal comes so easily, that sometimes it forgets that everything really comes from the Earth and it is to the Earth that we must show our gratitude. Ix is also the nawal of natural shrines and altars, the places where fire ceremonies are made to give thanks. A spirit of gratitude and humility keeps Ix healthy. Ix is of course deeply connected with the natural world and it is here that they find their wisdom, power and wealth. This is a day to give thanks, to remember gratitude, and a day to engage with your magic.

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.