Tag Archives: Ripening

12 Q’anil (17th December 2022)

16th December 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 12 Q’anil may prove to be a day of great abundance as the “crop” you have been ripening over time finally is gathered. The completed project bears fruit.

Q’anil days are nearly always favourable, they often carry a light and happy energy, and quite rightly so. They represent the ripening, the point where all the hard work comes to fruition. They are days of abundance, of light and eventually celebration too. Today Q’anil is combined with the number 12, the energy of bundling, of gathering things together. The energy of the 12 can represent the entirety of life, so it may not just be a recent project or one that has been happening in the last 260 day that is coming to ripeness. Today things which may almost have been long forgotten may finally come to light.

This is certainly a day to complete any outstanding business, even if it has been waiting a long time, as it should produce beneficial and abundant results. It is important to celebrate these achievements, however, be careful not to overdo it. The number 12 does carry a very strong energy and when combined with the energy of Q’anil may lead to over-celebration, especially if intoxicants are involved.

Bird of paradise flower, open and shining after it’s long ripening period – by Mark ElmyNawal 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. The maize in this part of the world has a 260 day growth season between planting (conception) and harvest (birth.) This connects maize with both the sacred calendar and with the period of human gestation.

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, Q’anil people 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 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 Q’anil (27th November 2022)

26th November 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The energy of the day 5 Q’anil combines the number of work with the nawal of ripening and abundance. This combination gives an excellent day to put extra effort into your project, it will be rewarded.

There are some days where using additional energy results in exhaustion as the energy of the day is not conducive. It might just feel that you are pushing against a brick wall, wasting your time or energy on something of no benefit. Today has the exact opposite energy. Today the energy put into your work or your project will be magnified by the fruitful and productive nawal Q’anil, bringing about the possibility of a great harvest in the future.

However, some reserve is required. Sometimes we become impatient with our process, impatient with our crops. This can lead us to taking our harvest before it is ready, losing out on our future abundance for a want or need of more immediate gratification. Be aware that the effort you put in to your work may not bring immediate results, you are setting a larger ripening process in motion. This is a day to enjoy the process, to look to the future abundance and allow nature to take its course. After all, the next appearance of the nawal Q’anil, in 20 days time, will be 12 Q’anil suggesting the gathering of the ripened crop.

From another point of view, Q’anil represents the bright shining light within the world, something often demonstrated by the people who carry this nawal. The day 5 Q’anil suggests that it may be a little challenging to be that light today, to be the light in the darkness. It is a day to work on brightening the world around you. Whilst your effort may not be immediately rewarded, it will be multiplied as time progresses.

20151108_092006_Richtone(HDR) — As beautiful as it is now, a little patience to allow the natural ripening to occur will bring out its true radiance.

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. The maize in this part of the world has a 260 day growth season between planting (conception) and harvest (birth.) This connects maize with both the sacred calendar and with the period of human gestation.

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 Q’anil (7th November 2022) – Samhain 10.36 UTC

6th November 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

This may be a day where many ways to maturity may exist. In harmony with the recent 7 K’at day, 11 Q’anil may also bring visions of the ripe harvest all around.

There are some nawales where their combination with the number 11 would cause rather a few issues. The strength and lack of direction applied to forceful energies may be rather challenging. However, the energy of Q’anil is known for its soft and jovial nature, after all, its association with the perfection of ripeness should be cause for celebration. The main confusion of the day may come from deciding which path to follow to lead to this abundance when all around seems golden. The key will be to pick a path and follow it.

The energy of 11 Q’anil should lead to an extremely potent day for garden work. It is rather like today being gifted with “the golden touch” when it comes to working with plants. The challenge will be channelling that energy into a cohesive direction, as the 11 may cause it to wander. This is a day when Q’anil‘s light might shine so brightly that it distracts from the original course of action towards maturity.

At the end of this highly constructive day you may feel a sense of completion, a gratitude and joy as you look over the golden abundance you have harvested. Whilst a celebration of sorts may be in order, be aware of Q’anil‘s attachment to intoxication. With the strength of the 11 behind it, things might get a little out of hand!

Today marks the astronomical cross quarter day of Samhain. This point of the year is exactly midway between the Equinox and the Solstice, and was considered the first day of winter in the Celtic calendar. It is seen as the death of the Sun god, the sun descending into the underworld, where it will remain until Imbolc (Feb 4th 2023). It is well known that the Maya were expert astronomers, and their much of their timekeeping was based on archeoastronomical alignments, so it would be unsurprising to find this day marked by their structures too.

Regardless of the hemisphere and whether it is seen as the beginning of winter or the beginning of summer, there is a particular alignment which is happening, which is said to be an opening of portals to the otherworld. Perhaps rather than just seeing it as where the sun shines on the Earth, we could think of it as how the sun interacts with our magnetosphere. This in turn could be the reason as to why the veil is seen as being so thin at this time. As a day of receiving our blessings from many different sources, this would be an excellent day to make ceremony to give thanks for the abundant harvests in our lives and give thanks for the abundance our ancestors have provided for us.

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, Q’anil people 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.

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 Q’anil (18th October 2022)

17th October 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

A combination of elements today leads to an auspicious day to be working in your garden. The ripening talent of Q’anil is augmented by the number 4, bringing physical stability to what you plant.

Q’anil days are always good days to be working with the plant kingdom. Different numbers will give rise to different aspects of how to work, some days might be better for harvesting, some for planting. Whatever you “plant” today is infused with the energy to come to a stable fruition, to ripen beautifully into a stable source of abundance.

This day could be seen as a day of material wealth, of material abundance. Of course, this would mean that there is something missing. The stability of the four creates a good, solid foundation, and if we look at the glyph for Q’anil, we can see that the number four is well represented within it. But there is another aspect to Q’anil which would suggest waiting a little before full maturity. Perhaps what we harvest today might be enough to bring stability, but not yet enough to incorporate the full potential that could be achieved. The position of the number four within the cycle of the trecena shows that the energy is still growing, it is nowhere near its peak. As we journey through the Kan trecena, the day 4 Q’anil shines its light on developing wisdom, on knowing through experience when to wait in order to reap a more abundant harvest. This could be seen as a good day to plan the future harvest, to create a framework within which the abundance can be gathered, and possibly have a trial run.

If the needs really cannot wait, harvest what will sustain you for now, but waiting a little longer will bring a greater abundance from a more mature crop.

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 beneficial number.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

10 Q’anil (28th September 2022)

27th September 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Getting some help from the people around you today may bring your plans to fruition, as Q’anil, the nawal of ripening combines with the number 10 representing cooperation and community.

The energy of 10 Q’anil is a beautifully powerful combination. Q’anil is strongly associated with abundance, it bestows a talent with the plant kingdom whether it is associated with food crops or with medicinal herbs. A way with plants is not the only benefit though, Q’anil has much more to offer. Outside of an agrarian society, our abundance comes from our ideas and plans and Q’anil brings these to maturity too.

Abundance brings a lightness to our lives, it helps us to relax as our day-to-day needs are satisfied. When we are relaxed our mood and spirit is lifted and this is certainly something we see with Q’anil, it is a day of joy and pleasure. Today that could be particularly enhanced through interaction with your community. It is possible that working together not only increases the speed your project comes to readiness, it may also enhance the yield you receive. When a community comes together to work, this also helps to ripen the community itself, it brings out the best in people and reminds us of what we are capable of when we cooperate. It reminds us of how much we all benefit from each others light.

With so much abundance available, and the community gathered around, you may find the desire to celebrate equally strong. Whilst celebrating achievements and bonding with your community is always a great idea, be aware of Q’anil‘s love of intoxication. It might be all to easy to get really carried away if alcohol is involved, the energy of the following day 11 Toj might see you paying for the consequences.

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 Q’anil (8th September 2022)

7th September 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

With the nawal Q’anil representing the ripening, maturity, fertility and abundance, we usually expect beneficial Q’anil days. However, with the number 3 representing possible obstructions, today could be slightly more challenging than most Q’anil days.

Q’anil days, much like the people who carry Q’anil as their nawal, very rarely fail to shine. They often feel like bright, happy-go-lucky kind of days, and with the properties of Q’anil, this is exactly what we would expect. However, today they might lose a little of their lustre. Growth and the passage towards ripeness may be a little obstructed, Q’anil may not be quite as prosperous as usual. Even the usual connection to the plant world may be obstructed today. The usual blessings of Q’anil enjoyed in the garden may not be quite as fruitful as normal. The harvest is on its way, but full abundance cannot be reaped at this time, full ripeness has not yet been reached.

As we age, Q’anil helps us to mature, we ripen from children into elders. Today might bring some setbacks with that process. It might give rise to a less than mature response from yourself or from those around you. This may lead to some frustration, it could lead to some lapses in responsibility. Q’anil may then even lead you into drunkenness.

We are passing further into the trecena of Kame, and once again we see a potential for challenges in the energy of today, although what we learn from these challenges may truly help our souls to ripen. The inner alchemical process we undergo during the trecena of Kame is highlighted as the light of Q’anil turns inwards bringing maturity to hidden depths of our creativity. Although this may not be easily expressed in the outer world, it is possible that the brightness of Q’anil illuminates something in ourselves which is normally unseen, a hidden talent.

However, it could also add some lightness to the day – Q’anil is a fun loving nawal after all. If we take into account the other aspect of the number 3, that of the home, this could be where the light of Q’anil truly comes out today. By bringing this lightness into your home, it could be an excellent day for a play day with your children, just don’t expect anyone to act too much like an adult!

20160406_171539 — They are ripening, but are not yet displaying their full brightness. 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 "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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 Q’anil (19th August 2022)

18th August 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

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, there is also work to be done, and 9 Q’anil is a great day for working in the fields and garden, 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.

All in all, 9 Q’anil should be a happy and prosperous day, a celebration of life itself, and a celebration of the women in our lives. However, be careful not to overdo it, or Q’anil‘s other side of intoxication may make its presence known.

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 Q’anil (30th July 2022)

29th July 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

Q’anil days are generally known for their pleasant energy, and this should certainly be one of them. It is a day of abundance, a day of illumination and the associated number 2 highlights relationships.

Q’anil is also known for its love of intoxication. This is perhaps the only downside of the energy of today. This could be a day where sensuality can carry you away, you might get lost with your lover. Whilst this might not be a bad thing, it may be a distraction from a more pressing issue.

In general, today is a day when it is possible for you to gain abundance through your self sacrifice. Spend some time tending your seeds, whether they are physical or metaphorical, and you will reap the benefits. Equally spending time and energy on your relationship may lead to you and your partner having the opportunity to bask in a beautiful golden light.

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 Q’anil (10th July 2022)

9th July 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The nawal of ripening combines with the number of wholeness today to bring the possibility of a day of true brilliance. This is a day of celebration of the abundant harvest, both from our fields and our projects.

Today is a balanced day, a great day to work with plants. The energy is neither too strong, nor too weak and it is particularly conducive for most horticultural and agricultural activities. If you have the opportunity to get your hands into the Earth today, take it. You should find that your effort will be abundantly rewarded.

On 7 Q’anil, the ripening process of last season’s crop completed, on 1 Q’anil, the new crop was sown. Today brings both of these together in wholeness, the cycle of life and death together in one place. It is a day of celebration, a day when we give thanks for the ripening of our harvests, and make our offerings to invite blessings for abundance from the crop we have just planted. Of course we don’t all grow our abundance in fields anymore, we gain our abundance from our projects and from our work. Today is a day to pour your brilliance into that which sustains you, and to give thanks for the abundance you receive.

Q’anil days are also rather renowned for their carefree and fun feeling, after all, such blessings of abundance should give rise to feelings of contentment and happiness. However, sometimes this urge for merriment might get taken too far and may lead to intoxication. Possibly the energy of the 8 brings balance to this, suggesting a celebration which should be thoroughly enjoyable, whilst staying within reasonable limits.

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, Q’anil people 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.

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

13 Ajpu (2nd July 2022)

1st July 2022 Mark Elmy Leave a comment

The day 13 Ajpu is a very special day. It is the flower finally opening, the creation of the divine manifesting into the physical world, direct from the spirit world.

This can be seen as what we have been waiting for appearing, nine months of gestation leading to this day. It is the rebirth of the Maize Lord, the resurrection and ascension to the spirit world all in one. It can be seen as the ascension point to the next level or the point where the holiness of the spirit world is revealed on Earth. Personally, it is a day when we see ourselves and the true selves of those around us, a day which allows us to resonate with who we truly are. We may judge those around us based on our values, but what we may see in them today is the truth of who they are.

It may be a day when the feeling of divinity in the world is intoxicating, when you notice the extraordinary around you. It is essential, then, to stay well grounded. Ajpu has a penchant for spiritual intrigue. It draws people towards the overly mystical, they become lost in its charms, bewitched by its words, and with the otherworld power of the 13 attached, this may result in an intense experience.

Make your art today, bring the essence of the divine into the physical world. If you look for inspiration in the natural world, the spirit world will guide you to create exceptional beauty.

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 in turn variously translated into English as lord, hunter, blow gunner, flower and sun. Each one of the translations has it’s 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 Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky. This wisdom enriched both the ruling dynasty and their people, as they would be working in harmony with the gods. Thus the ruler of the city was also the physical embodiment of the divine, and it is to this that Ajpu is so closely related. 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 that moment when you look closely at a flower to see the beautiful detail, the moment when you see the magnificence of the landscape you live within, the beauty in your child’s eyes or in the face of your partner. It is the random act of kindness that restores our faith in humanity. It is the search for the underlying meaning in all situations, 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. Our every action, and every action of others gives us the opportunity to explore ourselves and our reaction, whether we are attracted or repelled by the action of others. However, sometimes 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 Heart of the Earth as we reach to the Heart of the Sky.

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.

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