Tag Archives: Weaving

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

9 B’atz (7th August 2021)

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9 B'atzThe day 9 B’atz is considered a very special day for women, as it is a celebration of their creativity and their ability to create life. This is the day of women, the day to honour them.

The nawal B’atz is the nawal of creativity and is seen very much as a representative of all the arts. In the Maya world this would include painting, sculpture, music, writing and importantly weaving. Weaving appears to be predominantly a female pastime, it is also seen as one of the most important. It is a physical representation of the creation of the world through bringing together the male warp and the female weft to create the fabric of reality. Women may choose to physically weave in the external world, yet they are also the weavers of life itself, as the gestation process which takes place within them is considered to be the weaving of a new human life. Here we see the specific reference to the number 9 – the number of life and the lunations of gestation – and B’atz – the process of gestation. This is, of course, the most sacred and essential of all of our activities, furthering our existence, and this is the realm of the women in our world.

This is a day for women to honour who they are, to embrace their femininity and creativity. It is a day of celebration of female Aj Q’ij, Maya day keepers. It is a day when men have the opportunity to honour the women, particularly their wives, mothers and daughters. Whilst this day may be a day of the women, it is also a day to embrace the feminine creativity, to allow the women in our lives to inspire our art.

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (18th July 2021)

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2 B'atzThe energy of the master artisan, the nawal B’atz, combines with the number of polarities and duality today. This can be seen as a day of weaving different energies together to create beauty.

If there is a nawal with the energy to inspire us to create beauty, it is the nawal B’atz. It brings the energy to create, and what it creates, it usually does so with great talent. It is the weaver, not just of the everyday material, but of reality itself. Today it is combined with the number 2, representing opposing principles. They may be male and female, light and dark, horizontal and vertical, fire and water, but today comes the opportunity to create something exquisite from them.

This could also be seen as creation through the combination  of the right brain and left brain working together, the artistic and the logical. This may take a little sacrifice, perhaps not all of the original inspiration fits into the structure, or the original structure has to change in order to accommodate the artistic. In whichever way it is put together, it is possible that the end result will truly be marvel.

This could also be seen as a rather romantic day. B’atz is another marriage day, the weaving together of two people, and here we see it combined with the number which also represents lovers and relationships. It is an auspicious day to begin to weave something beautiful together with another person. After all, this is also the trecena of Tz’i, the nawal of unconditional love.

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the creative genius, the other No’j, the intellectual genius. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (28th June 2021)

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8 B'atz

Wajxakib B’atz

Today is one of the most important days in the sacred calendar. It is the beginning of the new ceremonial cycle, the day of initiation of new day keepers, the day where the baton is passed from the old to the new. It is the day of celebration of the Chol Q’ij, the sacred calendar, which brings our ability to navigate through life using the cycles of sacred time.

The nawal B’atz represents the thread of time, and the sacred calendar is a representation of how that thread is woven to create reality. It is the nawal B’atz that brings the creativity to our world, re-creating and renewing all around us.

Both the number 8 and the nawal B’atz have a connection with gestation. It is said that the umbilical cord has 8 strands to it, and of course this brings the nourishment to the new life being brought into being. Here, within the Maya cross, we see 8 B’atz sitting between 13 Aq’ab’al (the conception from the ancestors) and 3 Kawok (the day of the midwife/birth process) preceding the day 4 Ajpu (the first day of the new world). It is on 8 B’atz that the new world receives its nourishment within the womb of creation, and this comes from the prayers and offerings made in the ceremonies. From the dawn of this day, the shrines and altars within the Maya lands will be packed with Aj Q’ijab making offerings and prayers on behalf of not just their communities, but the world as a whole. They are imparting the  love and wisdom of the old world into the new world which is being woven. This is the day where the seam is created joining the previous weaving of creation, completed on 7 B’atz (40 days ago), with the new weaving started in 1 B’atz (20 days ago). Here, the past and the future are joined.

We all have some talent to create, through words, music, food or images. We also have the ability to shape the world around us, our homes, our families, our communities. This is the day that we give thanks for our creative abilities, the day to gather inspiration from what you have created before and combine it with a new concept or method. Today we put all our love and energy into nurturing the new world soon to be birthed into being. It is the day where we embrace, and are empowered by, the wholeness of creation.

Featured photo credit: Jay Rasmussen

A dawn ceremony at the Nima Sabal altar in Momostenango on Wajxakib B'atz (11th July 2011)
A dawn ceremony at the Nima Sabal altar in Momostenango on Wajxakib B’atz (11th July 2011)

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the creative genius, the other N’oj, the intellectual genius. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (8th June 2021)

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1 B'atzThe new trecena starts today, a new cycle of 13 days with the nawal B’atz putting its emphasis on creation. This is the day of the creative spark, time to start weaving.

There are two aspects significant to B’atz, one is creation and the other gestation. In the form of gestation we can imagine different layers of the human being woven, tissues being created during the time within the creation place, the womb. This process has to begin at some point, the first thread begins to consolidate the pattern. The day 1 B’atz is “conceived” on the day 6 Aq’ab’al, the day when the new concept is brought into the physical. In this we can imagine that the warp was set on the loom on 6 Aq’ab’al, and the finishing touches to the idea consolidated through the end of the Tijax trecena. Now comes the first passing of the weft and the new cloth begins to form.

On 7 B’atz we experienced the end of the old creation, now 1 B’atz is the beginning of the new creation. The next occurrence, 8 B’atz, can be seen as the joining of the old weaving with the new. We are entering the overlap, almost like a seam between the two cloths, recreating and weaving the new world continuing from the old.

Today is a potent day to begin any creative project. Nawal B’atz gives the touch of creative flair required to bring out the true beauty of that which it is applied to. The number 1 is, of course, representative of the new birth, the beginning, but it is the newborn which needs the most nurturing. It may be that you need a little encouragement to begin work on your masterpiece. Perhaps others around you see the true potential of your creativity more than you do. This is a day to accept their support to get your new creation started.

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the creative genius, the other N’oj, the intellectual genius. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (19th May 2021)

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7 B'atzThe finality represented by the number 7 is combined with the nawal representing creativity and gestation. Today is a day to put the finishing touches to your “weaving.”

The energy of the nawal B’atz bestows so much creative energy, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. It brings the ability to weave concepts together, and when combined with the number 7 these concepts could be from many different sources. It is as if the whole spectrum of colourful threads is at your disposal and you can see the beauty of each colour. The question will be which colour to choose. With B’atz representing the master artisan, it is unlikely that you would make the wrong choice. B’atz will help you to bring our the exquisite in your work, so it is time to choose which of these colours or concepts you will use to finish your creation.

Whether you are literally creating art, or apply the idea of weaving as a metaphor for life, today would seem to be a day to make some final choices about what you wish to weave into your creation. The day 7 B’atz is a great day to complete creative projects.

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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.

The number seven is the mid-point of the range of numbers. It is known as a number of death and endings, which would seem strange as it is only half way through. It is another representation of the change of state of the soul, showing half of the journey (1-6) in the mortal world and half (8-13) in the otherworld.

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.

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.

Chol Q'ij - The Energies of the Days

13 B’atz (29th April 2021)

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13 B'atzThe energy of the nawal of creativity combines with the influence of the ancestors to bring forth a powerful day for creative activities, especially when they bring in elements from the past.

We all draw our inspiration from somewhere as we create our beauty into the world. Today very much highlights communication with our ancestors, or receiving inspiration from them that you weave into your creation. It may be the words or ideas of our grandparents, or even further back in time that we hear today, which bring the final touches to our masterpiece.

We often have the idea that the new ideas are the most important, but each idea and each new thing is built on the foundation of the old. When we make ceremony, we call in all the altars and shrines we have worked at before, each ceremony builds on the energy of the previous ones. Each ceremony is different, but they share the same foundation.

Of course the creation of beautiful art or your reality can be seen as a serious business, but the energy of nawal B’atz can often make light of it. The creative energy flows so easily that it is a happy and fun experience,  you might find yourself remembering granddad’s jokes or grandma’s laugh as you work on what you are creating.

Today you may gain inspiration from the ancestral creations of your region. Your distant ancestors may communicate something vital to incorporate into your new weaving through their ancient patterns. This is not just a day about creating art, B’atz represents the weaving of  time to create the sacred calendar. This was the legacy of the ancestors here in Central America, and we may expect some intuition to pass from them through their work, through their creation, to illuminate our understanding of the movement of time itself.cropped-Nawales-in-a-ring.png

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (9th April 2021)

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6 B'atzThe energy of the combination of the nawal B’atz with the number 6 could give rise to a very auspicious day. It is a day to bring your creation together in the physical, while drawing on the forces of Earth and Sky.

B’atz days are nearly always considered to be fortunate, and B’atz is one of the most revered days within the sacred calendar. It should be no surprise that when this is combined with the stable number 6, a great opportunity arises. The four directions, Heart of the Earth and Heart of the Sky all join forces today to empower the creativity endowed by the nawal B’atz. This could be seen as the day on which masterpieces are created, with some divine assistance.

What kind of masterpiece you create will be up to you. B’atz gives the ability to turn your hand to anything from weaving or writing to singing and dancing. B’atz loves to entertain, it also love to joke around and play the fool, especially in the role of the fool that could get away with telling the truth to the king. It is important not to confuse the fun loving nature of B’atz with a lack of intelligence, B’atz is a holder of great wisdom.

It is not just the arts that B’atz assists with, it is the creation of reality itself. Today is a powerful day for stabilising the reality you choose for yourself. The B’atz energy is conducive to weaving your ideas into existence, and today especially bringing them into the physical.

So, go out and engage with your creative potential, play and have fun making your masterpiece.

Monkey god 1
The ancient Monkey god, one of the creator deities. The nawal B’atz is related to both the thread of time and the monkey artisan. From the Dresden Codex

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the other is N’oj. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (20th March 2021) – Equinox 09:37 UTC

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12 B'atzEverything we do can be seen as weaving. Our art, our reproduction, it all comes down to the same thing – combining threads, strands and essences in order to create. Today these threads come from our life experiences.

The energy of the nawal B’atz brings a highly creative day, the day of the arts and performances. The number twelve carried by this day is significant of wrapping things up, bringing things together and creating a bundle. Usually these are life’s experiences, and here we can see them as the flavours and colours you may have experienced in your life. However, this time around, instead of just creating a bundle, we are weaving these things together. You are able to bring inspiration from your past into your new pattern and create something truly beautiful from it.

It is an excellent day to weave your stories, to entertain through tales of your past. It is a day to use your life experience to create an exquisite tapestry, whether it is of words, colours, threads or other materials. Allow your creative expression to flow, empowered by the inspiration of your experiences.

Additionally, today is the day of the equinox, a day of equal light and darkness. We are moving out of one cycle and into the next within the Earth’s cycle. This gives an extra sense of equilibrium. This is the time of the year that changes are happening the most rapidly. In the Northern hemisphere, the dead world is coming back to life rapidly as the days lengthen with the greatest rate of change. In the Southern hemisphere the reverse is true, yet the rate of change is just as great. This could be a particularly powerful day to bring to the light a creative project drawing of the threads formed by your life experience.

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the other is N’oj. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (28th February 2021)

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5 B'atzThe energy of B’atz days is thought of as being very favourable, especially for the arts – after all they are always full of creative potential. Even when coupled with the energy of a more challenging number such as 5, they can still be beneficial.

If you really need to get working on a creative project, today will prove very useful. The energy of B’atz is interwoven with the number 5, bringing an industrious impulse to the day, although that does not have to take away from the artistic feeling. On some days it is difficult to get started, and yet other days the creation flows from you. In fact the only way you could be more productive would be if there were more hours in the day.

However, the energy of the number 5 can occasionally throw up an obstruction, and you might still find parts of your creative experience hard work. Perhaps a touch of writer’s block, a power failure on the stage, or an unexpected interruption to the creative process.

All the same, today is a day when you really might achieve a great deal more in your project than you expected. The hard work you put into your creation pays off as you beautify the world around you. Get weaving!

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid Codex

There are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the other is No’j. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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 B’atz (8th February 2021)

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11 B'atzSo many ideas and so little time! This might be the feeling of the day, as the creative potential of B’atz merges with the highly charged, but meandering energy of 11.

As we progress through the trecena of Imox, the time of first creation, this essence is reflected in each step. Here, the limitless potential of the nawal Imox is reflected within the capacity to create of the nawal B’atz.

You may feel overwhelmed by the strength of your desire to create beauty around you today. Whether it is a physical creation that you are weaving, performance of some kind or even a seemingly mundane presentation, the energy of B’atz brings a sparkle of creativity that helps you to shine. It brings a confidence in your work and in your delivery of your words. However, you may find that your creative passion gets the better of you, and it may be difficult to stick to tasks assigned to you without getting side-tracked. If you have the latitude to create freely, this can be a very productive day. If you have a schedule to follow, you might find yourself testing its boundaries.

Images of weaving using a backstrap loom, from the Madrid CodexThere are two nawales which bestow incredible talents, one of which is B’atz, the other N’oj. B’atz is the nawal of artisans and of weavers, but this is not just creation and weaving on the Earthly level. B’atz weaves the threads of time together to create reality. B’atz is the nawal of the sacred calendar, which could be considered to be the fabric created from these individual threads of time. If B’atz is clever enough to weave time into order, then of course it is clever enough to create more down to Earth trinkets. B’atz is the master artisan, creating whatever it chooses, at will. It is just as comfortable painting, as it is playing music or writing. The arts come naturally to this nawal. However, this can lead to issues when B’atz has to deal with those less talented than itself. This can lead to a certain arrogance around those who fail to achieve their standard of excellence.

Their talent draws attention, which is something B’atz craves. It is the nawal of the born entertainer, who can sing, dance and play all at once. This nawal is the life and soul of the party, it also makes excellent teachers, who hold the attention of students through entertaining them. It is a particularly fun loving nawal that feeds on the adoration of the crowd that it pleases.

It is a day to create, especially within the fields of the arts. It is also a day to weave your reality the way you see fit. Where Aq’ab’al was the conception, B’atz is the gestation. Now is the time to incorporate what you wish into the pattern before it is birthed.

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.