It was an address that lasted just two or three minutes, and it was delivered to a group who had gathered at the Gettysburg battlefield in late November, 1863 where over 45,000 men had been killed, injured, captured or gone missing some four months earlier over a three-day period. It was an address delivered after a two hour speech by a previous speaker; it was the 275 word Gettysburg Address delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of a cemetary for the more than 7500 men who died in that battle. It was to become one of the most memorable addresses in American history, and it was delivered on a 7 Kimi day, within the Ajaw trecena, precisely three Calendar Rounds ago. Energetically this meant that everything was the same (same number + day, same number + month) as we are currently experiencing as we feel the echoes of those energies that were in play 156 years ago at the time of the U.S. Civil War.

The Battle of Gettysburg is now seen as a critical turning point in that war as southern forces began their retreat, and this particular address was seen as a point of resolve, that those who died “shall not have died in vain”, that there would be “a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. It was a point of light in the midst of a great darkness, and that is what this trecena is about – the return of light.

In the realm of the Classic Maya, this trecena was traditionally welcomed as a time for celebration. The very first day, One Ajaw, was observed as a celebrational “day of flowers”, during which 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 (or “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.

While it would be wonderful to have all the messes (political and otherwise) sorted out so that such a celebration could take place with wild abandon, this may have to be postponed for another few cycles until the current “battles” are resolved in one way or another, but that doesn’t mean that hope should be abandoned until then. And that doesn’t mean that some form of celebration shouldn’t take place as this trecena begins – after all, there IS a major impeachment inquiry underway, cracks are developing in Trump’s GOP support, and things are changing quickly.

Old Coyote, the God of Dance who is the patron of this trecena, would likely advise that some dancing might help people to “loosen up” and become MUCH more innovative in the way they work to find resolutions. Perhaps something can be learned from the Dussehra festivities that are taking place in India in the early part of the trecena as people send evil packing by burning effigies of a demon-king to celebrate the triumph of good over evil (see 3 Ik’ below on Oct. 8th).

In the past, in addition to President Lincoln’s delivery of the Gettysburg address in 1863, this Ajaw trecena has ushered in many events of great significance, including the adoption of the U.S. constitution in 1787; the defeat of Napoléon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815;  the discovery of gold in the Klondike, in 1896; the opening of Sun Records, that gave birth to Rock ‘n’ Roll, in 1950; the putting into operation of the first computer produced for commercial use, in 1951; the averting of the outbreak of WWIII during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962; the stoppage of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010; and President Obama’s visit to Cuba in 2016, the first visit to Cuba by a sitting president in nearly nine decades.

At the opening of this trecena two cycles ago, in May 2018, it was reported that California will become the first state to mandate the use of solar energy in every new home. One cycle before that, in the summer of 2017, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) system detected simultaneously for the first time both light and the ripple of gravitational waves, thought to be from the collision of two neutron stars, which touched off “the greatest show in astronomy” as hundreds of astronomers on all seven continents began focusing their instruments on data collection about this distant event (in both space and time). As this was seen as “a new Rosetta Stone for Astronomy” this event signalled “a new era of astronomy”. On that same day hundreds of thousands of people were beginning to gather in strategic places to witness (on the fifth day of this time frame) the “Eclipse of the Century”, the first total solar eclipse to span the entire continental United States in 99 years.

In keeping with the nature of this solar energy, this trecena has often been associated with intense heat – seen traditionally as the heat from the Sun God – and certainly many extremely high temperatures have been recorded in many areas under this influence. At the moment, however, the heat is on in terms of the impeachment investigations in the US, and in terms of election campaigning in Canada for the soon-to-be held federal election. Indeed, leadership in many countries is being sorely tested at this time, with leadership in Israel still undecided and Netanyahu’s pre-indictment hearings beginning, with Congress in crisis in India, with Brexit reaching a critical point in the UK, with pro-Democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong being inflamed by new restrictions, and with on-going climate change protests.

Fortunately this is a trecena that has often pushed significant change forward, often through the introduction of new ideas or through the taking of some form of positive actions. The intensity of the energies within this time frame often build up quite quickly. As always, this is a good time to call upon the assistance of “Lord Ajaw”, to bring forth light and warmth and creativity, and even “apply heat” where necessary to foment change. Fortunately there are a number of celebrations in various parts of the world that could help in this regard, including Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement; Dussehra, a major Hindu festival in India; China’s Double Ninth (Chongyang) Festival; Hispanic Heritage Day; Thanksgiving in Canada, and the Maya Day of the Lord Deer. Here are the energies that are coming into play:

1 Ajaw (Oct. 6th) – the “initiation of Full Sun/Enlightenment”, the traditional Maya celebrational “day of flowers”, an important “marker” day in the Classical Long Count calendar.

Last January this was the energy in place at the time of the 2019 Women’s March on Washington, marking “two years of resistance to the Trump presidency [and] . . . two years of building power”. Currently this day will mark the beginning of the 18th week of pro-Democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, with the clashes between protesters and police becoming increasingly aggressive, with tens of thousands of people involved. Over the past day and a half the just-imposed ban on the wearing of face masks in that city has exacerbated the conflict even further so it is likely that there will be a great deal of “heat” in that city as this trecena plays out.

2 Imix (Oct. 7th) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with “world-making”, coinciding at this time with the Catholic Feast of the Guardian Angels, first observed in Spain in the 16th century. This is also the UN’s World Habitat Day, and China’s Double Ninth (Chongyang) Festival, aka Height Ascending Festival or Chrysanthemum Festival, occurring on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. This is also known as Seniors’ Day, and is the day when many will visit the graves of ancestors to pay respects and clean the stones. As chrysanthemums are considered to have cleansing qualities these flowers are also prominent at this time. The Chinese pronunciation for the word “nine” is similar to that for the word “forever”, symbolizing longevity.

Things will really start heating up on the rebellion front on this day as this marks the beginning of a two-week International Rebellion, scheduled to take place in at least 60 cities as a continuing declaration of a “Climate and Ecological Emergency” and push to compel governments to take more action. It is also Senator Joe Biden’s Maya birth energy.

3 Ik’ (Oct. 8th) – the “activation of Wind/Breath/Spirit”, one Calendar Round precisely since the October 1967 March on the Pentagon demonstration to protest the US involvement in the Vietnam war, when some 70,000 people rallied in front of the Lincoln memorial.

Four cycles since Trump broke decades worth of diplomatic precedence, and risked emnity from China when he accepted a phone call from the president of Taiwan, which was at odds with the “One China” policy agreed to by President Nixon more than four decades earlier. Since 1978 this policy recognizes Bejing as the sole government of China, and ties with Taiwan had been broken for almost forty years. This phone conversation (in December 2016) was seen as very problematic as no American president or pres.-elect had spoken to a Taiwanese president since China’s policy had been put in place.

But that certainly wasn’t the first convention that had been breached by the current president, but no doubt was one of the reasons why Senator Kamala Harris announced her candidacy for the 2020 presidential election one cycle ago as of this day. Under the current conditions, with the on-going impeachment inquiry in the US relating to the Ukraine scandal, who knows what kind of “blustery wind” might be forthcoming at this time.

Currently this is Dussehra, a major Hindu festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. This year the world’s tallest Ravana effigy (221 ft.) will be burned in Chandigarh.

The evening marks the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, seen as the “holiest day of the year in Judaism”, associated with repentance and reparation. It is also the start of the two-day World Summit AI in Amsterdam, and the peak of the Draconids Meteor shower.

In the UK parliament will be suspended again to allow for preparations for a new State Opening to take place the following Monday.

4 Ak’b’al (Oct. 9th) – a “defining” day associated with night, darkness, dreaming, and the subconscious. Sometimes referred to as “house”, this is also associated with earth-oriented mystery, secrecy, abundance, and even sorcery.

Two cycles ago Jeff Sessions announced that the U.S. gov’t would separate undocumented parents and children who cross into the U.S. at the southern border, which triggered the separation of more than 2600 children from their families, on the same day as Vladimir Putin took the oath of office for the 4th term as Russia’s president, in an elaborate ceremony staged in a gilded Kremlin hall once reserved to crown czars, despite the protests by thousands leading up to this event.

As of this day it has been 80 Tzolk’in cycles since the day (in 1962) that many thought would mark the start of World War III, during a crisis that was averted by the quick thinking Vasili Arkhipov, the Commander of the Russian submarine flotilla. Under current conditions, however, the fact that this is Trump’s Maya energy makes it a little unnerving , but this is also Yom Kippur – and wouldn’t we like to see him spend the day in a temple genuinely seeking forgiveness for wrongdoings! Dream on!!

Currently this is a Palindrome day (9-10-2019) coinciding with the second day of World Summit AI in Amsterdam and the start of the two-day Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference in Lyon.

5 K’an (Oct. 10th) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with youthful vitality and prosperity, but can also involve “recklessness”, coinciding at this time with the UN’s World Mental Health Day and the UN’s World Sight Day, on the day when 2020 Democratic presidential candidates will participate in CNN’s town-hall-style meeting at UCLA to focus on LGBT rights, on the eve of National Coming Out Day. This is also Party Foundation Day in North Korea, the celebration of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 1945, an annual public holiday that includes mass events and military parades.

One cycle since the nationwide marches in Venezuela that involved tens of thousands demonstrating in Caracas in a bid to topple Maduro’s government, prompting Venezuela’s oppposition leader Juan Guaido (head of the National Assembly) to declare himself to be the country’s interim president.

6 Chikchan (Oct. 11th) – “Lifeforce Everywhere” – a structuring type of energy associated with Lifeforce, the Arts, and Higher Knowledge, coinciding at this time with the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child and the Human Rights Campaign’s celebration of the 31st annual National Coming Out Day. This is the day when the winners of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced.

7 Kimi (Oct. 12th) – “self-generating death” or “self-generating foundations”, a “return to Source” type of force that can draw attention to “absolute foundations” – now three Calendar Rounds precisely since President Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address on a 7 Kimi 14 Yax day in 1863 (so exactly the same day/same month energies are in place at this time as were in place in 1863). Currently this energy coincides with the second World Migratory Bird Day of 2019 (first one was May 11th). Suggestions for how people can contribute to efforts to protect migratory birds from plastic pollution can be found here: https://www.migratorybirdday.org/ and here: http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/

This is also presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s Maya birth energy.

In Spain this day is celebrated as Hispanic Day, a national public holiday that commemorates the day when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas.

8 Manik’ (Oct. 13th) – the Day of the Lord Deer in Maya tradition, 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 a strong “fire/heat” aspect to it. 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.

At this time this energy coincides with the Full Hunter’s Moon (Blood Moon) and the UN’s International Day for Disaster Reduction. In the evening the Judeo/ Christian Feast of the Tabernacles begins.

Maya birth energy of Huston Smith, one of the world’s most influential figures in religious studies, who would have celebrated his 100th Gregorian birthday last May. Also the Maya birth energy of Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India.

9 Lamat (Oct. 14th) – an “outwardly projecting” type of energy associated with Venus and the idea of leadership, coinciding at this time with Thanksgiving Day in Canada and Columbus day in the US, a day that is celebrated in many areas as the El Día de la Raza (“The Day of the Race”) or Hispanic Heritage Day to highlight the heritage and cultural diversity of Latin Americans wherever they may live and to recognize their resistance to the infiltration of Europeans. In Venezuela it is specifically known as El Día de la Resistencia Indigena (The Day of Indigenous Resistance).

Currently this is also the first full day of the Judeo/Christian Feast of the Tabernacles which will continue to October 21st. In the UK this is the day when the Queen’s Speech is due to take place after parliament was suspended for a second time after the Supreme Court ordered MPs back to the Commons.

10 Muluk (Oct. 15th) – “foundational water”, often a powerful “shape-shifting” force, coinciding with the day when the new public-charge rule was set to go into effect in the US which would make many immigrants ineligible for green cards. As many see this as a way to prevent low income migrants from receiving assistance that rule is now being challenged in the courts as federal judges in several states are holding hearings in this regard. This is also the day when the US government plans to increase the tariff rate on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods.

It has now been four cycles since the CIA revealed their conclusion that Russia had intervened to help Trump win the election . . . . and yet the carnage continues.
The fourth Democratic primary debate takes place in Ohio at this time.

11 Ok (Oct. 16th) – “inspirational love (or guidance)” – an “extinguishing” Burner Day representative of heart, love, fire, and passion, coinciding at this time with World Food Day.

12 Chuwen (Oct. 17th) – “dedicated” play; a “timeweaver” type of energy than can have a kind of “anything is possible” aspect to it, coinciding at this time with the deadline for Boris Johnson to go to the EU summit in Brussels to seek an extension to Brexit until the end of January, something he said he would not do . . . . so what now? This is also the day for the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills in B.C., and the UN’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. One cycle since the mass mobilization in the streets of Venezuela, with large numbers of people protesting the current desperate state of affairs and calling for humanitarian aid and for Maduro to step down.

13 Eb’ (Oct. 18th) – “transformational vitality”; a powerful stream-of-consciousness type of energy reflective of the intense vitality at the end of this “sun-oriented” time frame, a vitality that can sometimes “let loose”. This is Anti-Slavery Day and Conflict Resolution Day in the UK. It is also the Maya birth energy of Karl Marx, the German philosopher, political theorist, and revolutionary socialist who wrote the highly influential “Communist Manifesto”, and whose ideas have had a profound impact on world politics and intellectual thought.

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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.]