The conventions in the U.S. have run their course, and all that is left now is the hand-to-hand combat that will eventually decide the outcome of the U.S. presidential race. And as this countdown period gets underway the “darkness” that has plagued this campaign continues to descend. As millions continue to be bomarded by the unfathomable babble that has taken over the networks a great percentage are shaking their heads and asking “How did this situation come about? How did it get to be so bad?” Perhaps we should be grateful that we are now entering the realm, energy-wise, of Itzpapálotl, the Obsidian Butterfly, the overseer of a period that is often marked by darkness, earth traumas, and challenges related to ethics and morality.

Sometimes appearing as a seductress but more often with a skeletal visage and knife tipped wings, Itzpapálotl is a fearsome warrior on the search for truth. And this time her work is cut out for her.

Specializing in monitoring the “war within the heart that leads to truth”, this deity is emblematic of the struggles of the soul as it strives to overcome the trials and tribulations of life. She was seen as being associated with the subconscious, with moral and ethical issues, and with the sacrifices that often must be made to navigate through the earthly realm. At times like this, within the context of this trecena, she is making herself available to offer assistance as an ally. Given what is at stake this time, and the need to bring sanity into the arena, the need for a ferocious defender of ethics and morality is blatantly evident.

And then there is Rio – with the Olympics falling completely within the parameters of this trecena it would not be surprising to see significant attention being given to such things as drug issues, crime problems, widespread poverty, and even water contamination issues in that area, not only as such things relate to the area at large, but also as they impact visiting athletes. Several countries have already expressed dismay over the state of facilities and accommodations for their athletes, and the Russian doping scandal that led to the banning of 30% of its athletes from the games is affecting credibility on many levels. And then there is the whole issue of security, with the company that was to handle security at the games being fired just five days before the opening of the games, local law enforcement agencies are having to scramble with the issue of how to protect the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area. It seems to be a toxic mix that could foment turbulence on many fronts, particularly with the Olympics running throughout this trecena.

On the last appearance of this trecena the world was in mourning for the 130 people killed in the Paris attacks, and two million people on the Crimean peninsula were without electricity after two transmission towers in Ukraine were damaged by explosions.

Historically this energy sequence has brought a number of “hidden secrets” into the open, as in the exposing of the Watergate incident during the early 1970’s that led to President Nixon’s impeachment, and the exposing (by WikiLeaks in 2010) of a cache of more than 250,000 diplomatic cables and classified documents pertaining to correspondence between U.S. diplomats and their allies and partners around the world. In May of 2012 this trecena saw tens of thousands of Occupy Wall Street activists clash with police in protest demonstrations across the U.S. and around the world as people vented their frustrations concerning austerity measures, tax hikes, and high unemployment.

In early January of 2013 aboriginal communities across Canada engaged in Idle No More protests during this trecena to bring attention to the urgent need for improvements in government implementation of aboriginal rights and agreements. Important indigenous issues will again be in the spotlight as this trecena currently gets underway as the National Inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women was launched in Canada just two days ago.

Late that year issues associated with morality and ethics became so acute within U.S. Congressional chambers that the U.S. government was actually shut down. By the end of the trecena the Senate Chaplain felt it necessary to scold lawmakers for their “shameful” behaviour. He publically offered prayers for members of Congress to be delivered from transgressions, smugness, selfishness, “stubborn pride”, and “from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable.” And now, two years later, the Republican party is in such disarray that their own candidate for president is being seen as unfit and many members of that party are actually declaring that they will vote for the Democratic nominee. Indeed, even President Obama is calling upon the Republicans to de-endorse their candidate as the situation is so dire at the moment. So it is a very dicey point in time, with all sorts of things up in the air.

Once again we can look to the past, as it seems quite significant that both the American and French revolutions began on the ninth day during this energy sequence. In the spring of 1775 (241 years ago) Paul Revere made his midnight ride under that energy influence and “the shot heard ‘round the world” kicked off the American Revolution. One cycle later one third of New York burned to the ground during this trecena. Precisely 20 cycles after the first battle of the American Revolution the people of Paris said “enough” on that same ninth day and stormed the Bastille. So what will 9 Chuwen bring this time – perhaps a call for an overhaul of a political party or a political system that has become dysfunctional?

As usual, what is needed at this time is courage, resolve, and considerable soul-searching by many in order to work through the darkness so that truth will prevail. New alliances will need to be formed in order to open the way to better possibilities. And yet, in all of this, there IS hope, and there are many examples of groups that have been formed to attend to pressing needs. At this time there are several important international days falling within this time frame oriented around such things as education, eradicating poverty, and caring for animal welfare. And even some “fun” events, such as the Red Dress Run in New Orleans that is devoted to charitable causes. It is within the context of these kinds of endeavors that the light can be found – the “light before dawn” that is representative of the Ak’b’al influence.

So again let us recall that being representative of both “Temple” and “House” as well as darkness, Ak’b’al is often associated with “dreaming”, and with the exploration of deep mysteries. So again this would be a great time for reflection, for good old-fashioned “soul-searching”, and for the unburdening and cleansing of “old issues” to make room for new possibilities. During this period these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Ak’b’al (Aug. 5th) – the “initiation” of “darkness” (or “contemplation”), in association with deep mysteries at a time when Jupiter makes a close approach to the three day old New Moon – so even the moon is still quite dark at this time. At this time the opening of this trecena coincides with the opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Rio. At this time Belize is struggling with extensive flooding triggered by Hurricane Earl as that same system heads towards Guatemala and Mexico.

2 K’an (Aug. 6th) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with new possibilities. Maya birth energy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who put forth passionate calls for freedom, justice, and brotherhood during the 1960’s.

3 Chikchan (Aug. 7th) – “the activation of lifeforce”; an important Burner Day oriented around the idea of “announcing the fire”, the type of energy that can sometimes “charge” people to take action, particularly if pressing issues suggest the need for consciousness raising. Last day of the Star Trek 50th anniversary convention in Las Vegas.

4 Kimi (Aug. 8th) – a “defining” force associated with “absolute foundations” representative of the sun in combination with “death” or the point at which “all is revealed” so that regeneration can begin

5 Manik’ (Aug. 9th) – a “blessing” or “precision” type of energy associated with reciprocity, this time in conjunction with the UN’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, with this year’s theme being “Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Education”. (That could be extended to emphasize “the right to education relating to their own culture and history”!) It will interesting to see how this plays out in the context of the Rio games.

6 Lamat (Aug. 10th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with the heralding of new ideas, this time in conjunction with World Lion Day (see also World Animal Protection)

7 Muluk (Aug. 11th) – a “self-generating”, pivotal, shape-shifting type of energy associated with water, as was in place in 1968 when Senator Robert F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Six years ago this was the energy in place when Yale astronomer Pieter van Dokkum and Harvard astrophysicist Charlie Conroy made public their findings that there could be some 300 sextillion stars in the universe (3 trillion times 100 billion or 3 + 23 zeros). At the present this is transitioning into the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower.

8 Ok (Aug. 12th) – a “double sun” type of force, symbolic of the “resurrection of love, guidance, and loyalty, this time in conjunction with the peak of the Perseids Meteor Shower, World Elephant Day , and the UN’s International Youth Day, with its theme this year being “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production”. Given that the Rio Games are situated in a region that has widespread poverty, it will also be interesting to see how this plays out in that context.

8 Ok is also a Maya anniversary of the energy in place when William the Conqueror was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey 950 years ago. It is also the day of the U.S. release of the film titled Florence Foster Jenkins (starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant), on a day that is the exact Maya birth energy of the subject of the film.

In addition this is the Maya birth energy of the much loved, and greatly missed, Alan Rickman who was not only known as a great actor, but also as a dedicated philanthropist who assisted many charitable organizations, such as the International Performers Aid Trust, which helps developing and poverty-stricken countries through the arts.

9 Chuwen (Aug. 13th) “outwardly projecting creativity” – the energy in place in 1775 at the start of the American Revolution and in 1789 when the Bastille was stormed in Paris, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. In January 2013 this energy was in place when U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden were sworn-in for the second time. This time this energy coincides with The Red Dress Run in New Orleans, an amusing “red dress” foot race dedicated to raising funds for charities.

10 Eb’ (Aug. 14th) – “foundational animating vitality”, as was in place when the sizzling 25 ton Aztec Calendar Stone was found by workmen repairing Mexico City’s Central Plaza (the Zócalo) in 1790. At this time this falls on a Tzolk’in anniversary of the 1776 Great Fire of New York, 240 years ago.

11 B’en (Aug. 15th) – “inspirational personal authority”, as was in place in 2011 when the 30 ft. tall memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was unveiled in Washington D.C. On the last appearance of this energy hundreds of thousands of people marched in more than 2500 demonstrations worldwide in one of the largest ever days of protest to call for action to deal with climate change, on the eve of the UN Climate Change conference. This time this energy correlates with the 69th anniversary of India’s independence.

12 Ix (Aug. 16th) – a “gathering together” type of energy oriented around earth forces and deep mysteries, marking 80 years since the closing of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, the final Olympic Games for 12 years due to WWII. This was the energy in place last November at the opening of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

13 Men (Aug. 17th) – transformational high vision; a high-energy type of force that can be world- shaping, as was in place last December during the largest ever gathering of world leaders.

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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.]