At the opening of the Ajaw trecena we return once again to the Maya “day of flowers”. Traditionally this was a very festive time when dancers, singers, song-writers, drummers, storytellers, artists, orators, feast makers, gift-givers, banner-bearers, and flower-bedecked revelers would have been fully engaged in welcoming in the auspicious and joyful One Ajaw (aka One Flower), representative of the initiation of “Full Sun” or “Full Enlightenment”. It was seen as a day to extol the virtues of creativity in all its diverse forms.

 There is also an important connection between Venus and One Ajaw as this is one of the important Tzolk’in dates associated with the completion of a Venus Round (a 37,960 day cycle), as when Venus rose as the Morning Star on the One Ajaw Sacred Day of Venus in the spring of 2001. Thus, this day was an important “marker” day to Classic era Maya timekeepers. In the past such events as the landing of Hernán Cortés at Veracruz in 1519 (the beginning of the Spanish conquest) occurred on One Ajaw, as did the defeat of Napoléon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

On this particular Tzolk’in day in 2012 (four cycles ago) Venus as the Morning Star was in exactly the same position as it has been in the past at the time of two historic hurricanes. It was also within two degrees of the position it was in at the birth of First Father (aka Father Sun) in 2360 B.C. On the occurrence of One Ajaw, in May of 2013, Venus was just beginning its rise as the Evening Star – at the same time as a 408 ft. spire was being installed atop One World Trade center, bringing it to a height of 1776 feet. On that same day an annular solar eclipse could be seen from Australia. On its last appearance One Ajaw arrived just before the Superior Conjunction of Venus. And this time it is coming in just as Venus is going into conjunction with Jupiter, in what has been called a spectacular “Star of Bethlehem” conjunction.

Major events that have occurred during the Ajaw trecena include the adoption of the U.S. constitution in 1787; Abraham Lincoln’s delivery of the Gettysburg address in 1863; the discovery of gold in the Klondike, in 1896; the opening of Sun Records, that give birth to Rock ‘n’Roll, in 1950; the putting into operation of the first computer produced for commercial use, in 1951, and the stoppage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. This year U.S. Independence Day celebrations will take place in the middle of this time frame.

In keeping with the nature of this solar energy, this trecena has often been associated with intense heat, as occurred in 1936 when the most severe/intense heat wave ever recorded in the U.S. and Canada manifested under this influence, with a similar situation happening in parts of the UK during this time frame in 1990. Two cycles ago a catastrophic heat wave hit parts of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, with temperatures climbing as high as 45° C within this energy zone. Current weather forecasts suggest that conditions in many areas at this time will continue to be very hot.

Within this trecena there are several days of particular importance, including the conjunction between Jupiter and Venus on the second day. Tied in with this is 9 Lamat (on July 7th), an “outward projection” type of energy aligned with Venus. In 2013 that was the energy in place when the sun sent forth a magnificent X1.7 solar flare – a long whip-like solar filament extending half a million miles in a long arc above the sun’s surface which triggered many spectacular aurora borealis displays on Earth over the next few days.

On July 6th the energy of Eight Manik’ will be in place. This is the Day of the Lord Deer, a “resurrection” type of energy aligned with sacrifice and reciprocity. While this could be seen as a “doubly harmonious” type of influence, representative of a doubling of solar energy, there is yet another strong “fire”/heat aspect to this. This ties in with the mythological link to the ancestral lineage of the Quiché Maya, as this day in the Tzolk’in was seen as the day when one of the ancestral forefathers left the people a “bundle of flames” as a reminder of his continuing presence.

Overall, this is a trecena that has brought forth many important shifts or changes in the past, often through the introduction of new ideas or through the taking of some form of positive action, perhaps triggered by all this extra input from the sun. As this current trecena unfolds, these are the energies that will come into being:

1 Ajaw (June 29th) – the “initiation of Full Sun/Enlightenment”, an important Classical “marker” day

2 Imix (June 30th) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with “world-making” at the time of the “Star of Bethlehem”  conjunction between Jupiter and Venus

3 Ik’ (July 1st) – the “activation of Wind/Breath/Spirit”, this time in conjunction with Canada Day

4 Ak’b’al (July 2nd) – a “defining” day associated with night, darkness, and deep esoteric mysteries, this time aligned with the full moon and World UFO Day

5 K’an (July 3rd) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with youthful vitality and prosperity, but can also involve “recklessness” (on its last appearance this energy brought a Cazimi, Mercury’s “heart of the sun” alignment that can signal a “new birth” type of situation, and often initiation into a new way of being). Opening day for the Calgary stampede.

6 Chikchan (July 4th) – a “six directions” type of energy associated with Lifeforce and Higher Knowledge, this time coinciding with U.S. Independence Day celebrations

7 Kimi (July 5th) – “self-generating death” or “self-generating foundations” – a “return to Source” type of force that can draw attention to “absolute foundations”

8 Manik’ (July 6th) – the Day of the Lord Deer in Maya tradition, a “resurrection” type of energy aligned with reciprocity. Maya birthday of Naheed Nenshi, the mayor of Calgary, who (last Feb. 2nd, his Gregorian birthday) won an award for being as the world’s best mayor. Good timing for him as this ties in with the Calgary stampede.

9 Lamat (July 7th) – the “outward projection” of leadership (in alignment with Venus), on the day of the Tanabata Star Festival in Japan; Ringo Starr’s 75th birthday

10 Muluk (July 8th) – “foundational water”, often a powerful “shape-shifting” force

11 Ok (July 9th) – “inspirational love (or guidance)” – a Burner Day representative of heart, love, fire, and passion

12 Chuwen (July 10th) – “dedicated” play; a “timeweaver” type of energy than can have a kind of “anything is possible” aspect to it; this time in conjunction with the opening of the Pan Am games in Toronto

13 Eb’ (July 11th) – “transformational vitality”; a powerful stream-of-consciousness type of energy reflective of the sun’s intense vitality, a vitality that can sometimes “let loose” at this time (and at this point, on July 11th, nearly 60,000 people have been evacuated as Typhoon Chan-hom bears down on eastern China, including Shanghai)

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[Please note that the brief descriptions of the days provided above are only “thumbnail sketches”. Much greater detail can be found in Manual for the Soul: A Guide to the Energies of Life.]