Does it seem to you, in many ways, that things are literally “splitting apart at the seams” in the United States? Voting rights under assault in at least 18 states; a highly toxic political environment wherein a large portion of the GOP has lost all sense of decency and honour, and seems primarily interested in supporting lies, subversion, and authoritarianism rather than democracy, truth, and the constitution; and half the country not interested in protecting themselves or others from a deadly virus. It all seems to be spinning out of control and breaking apart after a mere 245 years.

As we ponder this situation and pray that somehow, some way, the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and “level heads” in Congress and elsewhere will manage to pull all this back from the brink, we can stand back and take a look at where we are, energy-wise, as we embark on this “darkness-oriented” trecena.

Click here for the Podcast to accompany this trecena.

As this trecena opens we see that the Maya Calendar Round date is One Ak’b’al One Yaxk’in in the Year 10 Ik’, which is identical to the exact energies that were in place in the year 410 on Maya date One Ak’b’al One Yaxk’in in the Year 10 Ik’.  “So what?”, you might ask – this happens every 52 years.

And yet, that particular One Ak’b’al One Yaxk’in day in late August of that year was a devastating day in terms of the history of the Roman Empire which, by that time, had been in power for over 800 years.

That was the day when the Visigoths (an early Germanic people), led by Alaric, their king, breached Rome’s defences and began three days of ransacking and pillaging. This was seen as a major landmark in the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and one eye-witness to the sacking of Rome at that time wrote the following:

“This dismal calamity is but just over, and you yourself are a witness to how Rome that commanded the world was astonished at the alarm of the Gothic trumpet, when that barbarous and victorious nation stormed her walls, and made her way through the breach . . . . . Every house was then a scene of misery, and equally filled with grief and confusion . . . . everywhere the terror of death and slaughter was the same, unless we may say the fright made the greatest impression on those who had the greatest interest in living.”

Now, doesn’t that sound somewhat like what happened on Jan. 6th, taking the form of a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol, that resulted in 5 deaths and over 140 injuries? And aren’t we now seeing the “so-called American Empire” teetering on the brink, with some people in Congress even downplaying what happened, even though Congress itself was  under attack? Given that Maya Calendar Round returns like this often bring forth “echoes” from the past, it seems more than a little “coincidental” that what is happening right now in the U.S. is marking precisely 31 Calendar Rounds since that sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in 410. Something to ponder?

And tied in with this is the issue of the raging epidemic in that country. For all its resources and access to the best preventative measures, including vaccines, why have so many people, including legislators at various levels, been so grossly irresponsible in this regard, despite the abundant admonitions from health care specialists, that they are now on the leading edge of a fourth wave?

Looking back to the start of this trecena in February of 2020 (two cycles ago), at that time there had been 60 cases of coronavirus reported in the U.S. One cycle later (last November) that number had rocketed up to almost 11 million cases in the U.S., and some 240,000 people had died from it in that country. Now, one cycle after that, the U.S. is still leading the world in this regard, with over 35.5 million cases and over 628,000 deaths. At the current rate of increase the global number of cases will reach over 200 million within the first few days of this time frame.

One of the main problems, of course, has been that the nefarious forces that were dredged up and fomented by the “twice-impeached former guy” have continued to thrash and bash around the country, throwing large numbers of people into states of confusion or outright denial as many outspoken members of the GOP have continued to uphold the lies and support the corruption.

And when did this particular phase of the dumpster’s influence begin? One cycle ago – which was in mid November last year, when this trecena was in place just after the election, as results were coming in to confirm Joe Biden’s win. That was when it became  clear that the very sore loser was going into meltdown mode. At that time White House aides were talking about the “bunker mentality” on display in the White House, as the dumpster was “holed up” with no plans to journey out and no effort being made to facilitate a smooth transition of power. Lawsuits that he had tried to file related to the election were so flimsy that they were being tossed out of one court after another.

It was a dark and scarey period as everyone wondered what was going to happen. But, as always it DID tie in with the nature of the energies that run through this trecena, which was seen traditionally as being oriented around “darkness”, “deep mysteries”, and challenges associated with ethics and morality.

For the Aztec the overseer of this period was seen as Itzpapálotl, the Obsidian Butterfly, who sometimes appears as a seductress but more often is shown with a skeletal visage and knife tipped wings, representative of her role as a fearsome warrior on the search for truth. Emblematic of the struggles of the soul as it strives to overcome the trials and tribulations of life, this deity was often associated with the subconscious, with moral and ethical issues, and with the sacrifices that often must be made in order to navigate through the earthly realm. And that is what this trecena often “stirs up”, often exposing a cauldron of issues that need to be addressed. Most certainly this was what we saw at that time as the dark, dank muck associated with the dumpster and his administration fought to hold on.

But Itzpapálotl is fierce, and completely dedicated to uncovering “truth”. Sorting out “earth traumas” is her specialty, and even though she is “unseen”, her energies tend to be very active at this time. We could see those energies at work in many ways during that period, as in the case of the scathing 37-page opinion written by Pennsylvania’s Judge Matthew Brann (a Republican), who threw out the dumpster’s lawsuit that tried to invalidate millions of votes. In striking down the baseless allegations of voter fraud, Judge Brann wrote that: “This claim, like Frankenstein’s Monster, has been haphazardly stitched together” . . . . the court has been presented with “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” without evidence.

Three cycles before that, in the fall of 2018, many critical issues associated with morality and ethics were on full display during this trecena, particularly with regard to the Ford vs. Kavanaugh hearings related to that Supreme Court nomination. That was referred to as a “searing” moment in the #MeToo movement that fomented a huge backlash from thousands of people across the nation, including the law society and hundreds of lawyers.

Historically, this is a time frame that often brings things that have been “long festering” to a head, with significant consequences. Going all the way back to the Roman Empire again we find that even prior to that sack of Rome in 410 AD, this was the trecena in place at the time of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, again under the influence of One Ak’b’al. That assassination, involving as many as sixty co-conspirators, has been seen historically as a turning point in “the crisis of the Roman Republic”, a crisis that triggered a civil war.

And in more recent history we can see that back in 1968 it was the first day of this trecena when Sen. Robert F. Kennedy made the decision to enter the US presidential race. His official announcement came six days later, and his first campaign speech was given shortly thereafter. Kennedy was less than three months into his campaign when his life was tragically cut short during a campaign event.

In 1972 the whole Watergate subterfuge began unravelling under this same influence, after the arrest of the Watergate burglars in the early morning of One Ak’b’al, which eventually led to the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon two years (and three cycles) later, which brought forth Nixon’s resignation. This trecena’s emphasis on shedding light on “hidden secrets”, particularly as they relate to morality and ethics, was clearly observable at that time. And with the “Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol” holding hearings at this time it appears that we have that very same emphasis in play once again – particularly with regard to government-level corruption. Note as well that it was three cycles ago, in June of 2019, when a massive #Impeach Trump National Day of Action took place in more than 100 cities and towns across the US, which was a precursor to the hearings that led to his impeachment. The resistance by the GOP-held Senate to the endorsement of that impeachment ruling, along with the denier-in-chief’s subsequent behaviour, fomented the very dark times that followed.

Looking back to the role of this trecena during the turbulent days of the late ‘60’s –early ‘70’s, it becomes evident that “push-back” has often been a central theme during this period. During those days hundreds of thousands took to the streets and found their voices as they pushed back against tyranny, racism, and corruption. Indeed, the very nature of this trecena is oriented around “rooting out” immoralities, and “exposing” issues, to help clear the way for the light that is to follow.

With regard to what is happening in Washington in terms of the work of the Select Committee, with its emphasis on exposing the truth for all to see, Congresswoman Liz Cheny put it bluntly a few days ago when she asked: “Will we adhere to the rule of law? Will we respect the rulings of our courts? Will we preserve the peaceful transition of power? Or will we be so blinded by partisanship that we throw away the miracle of America? Do we hate our political adversaries more than we love our country and revere our Constitution?” This is the trecena when many of those questions will be answered.

Note as well that there are many facets to these energies, and many elements in play at this time . There is the “darkness” aspect, noted above; there is the idea of rooting out “deep secrets” or mysteries – including the intentional hiding of secrets; there is the idea of “House” (which may manifest as the rooting out of “deep secrets” associated with the dumpster’s White House – as happened with Watergate); and there is the general idea of “sanctuary”, which may tie in with the idea that more lockdowns or withdrawals or restrictions may be necessary as the fourth wave of the coronavirus rolls through.

As always, this trecena can provide important opportunities for strong questioning, deep soul-searching, and even “dreaming”. And certainly, with regard to the dire crises that are playing out – not only with regard to the pandemic but also with regard to climate change, economics, the food crisis, and so many other concerns, this trecena can re-emphasize the need to hunker down, to self-isolate, to soul-search about ways to contribute to solutions, and to just plain find “sanctuary” as we work collectively to come up with solutions to our common existential problems. But keep in mind that this trecena is also about finding the spark of light within the darkness – as in early dawn, the flickering of light that will begin a “new day”. During this particular sequence note that the numerical powers related to the months are identical to those connecting with the days, giving an extra “kick” to the nature of those powers. Here are the energies that we will be working with:

1 Ak’b’al 1 Yaxk’in (July 30th) – the “initiation” of “darkness” (or “contemplation”), in association with deep mysteries, marking precisely 31 Calendar Rounds since the Sacking of Rome by the Visigoths in 410, a major landmark in the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

In 1972 this was the energy in place in the early morning when the Watergate burglars were arrested, which ultimately led to impeachment proceedings against President Nixon, and to his resignation in 1974, three cycles + 3 days later.

Currently this is the UN’s official International Day of Friendship, but India and Malaysia celebrate it on Aug. 1st

2 K’an 2 Yaxk’in (July 31st) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with the germination of new possibilities, coinciding with the completion of a 4-day, 27-mile Georgetown to Austin March for Democracy, a direct action endeavor led by the Rev. Dr. William Barber to put pressure on the U.S Senate to pass sweeping federal legislation to boost or safeguard access to voting, and preempt the contentious voting rights bill that Texas has been trying to pass. The Voting Rights Rally in Austin that is being held on this day is coinciding with the Maya birth energy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who put forth passionate calls for freedom, justice, and equality during the 1960’s.

This day also marks the 30th Gregorian anniversary of the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) by President George W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, just three days after a first round of nuclear strategic stability talks between the Biden administration and Russia, in Geneva, that are aimed at easing tensions between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers. Those talks will continue in September.

The presidential election in Palestine was to be held on this day, but has apparently been “postponed indefinitely”. It seems that there is much to be sorted out in that regard as well.

3 Chikchan 3 Yaxk’in (August 1st) – “the activation of lifeforce” – an important Burner Day oriented around the idea of “announcing the fire” at the start of a new “Burner” sequence, the type of energy that can sometimes “charge” people to take action, particularly if pressing issues suggest the need for consciousness raising. This is Emancipation Day in Canada, marking the day in 1834 when the Slavery Abolition Act came into effect across the British Empire. This is also Friendship Day in India.

Two cycles exactly since the incompetent loser, aka the super-spreader-in-chief, called COVID-19 “a Democratic hoax”. In 1974 this was the energy in place when President Nixon gave his resignation address before stepping down the following day.

4 Kimi 4 Yaxk’in (August 2nd) – 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, coinciding at this time with B.C. Day, Heritage Day in Alberta, and Terry Fox Day in Manitoba.

It has been one Calendar Round since the opening of Woodstock on Aug. 15, 1969, the famed American music festival that attracted an audience of more than 400,000 people to Bethel, New York.

Two cycles since Joe Biden began a huge comeback as he won the South Carolina primary and
gave a thrilling speech which the Chicago Tribune called “a thundering victory”. That was the day (at the end of February, 2020) when laboratories and hospitals in the U.S. were finally allowed to
conduct their own COVID-19 tests to speed up the process.

At this point it has been seven cycles (7 x 260 days) since fifty of the most senior Republican national security officials signed an open letter declaring that the dumpster “lacks the character, values, and experience” to be president and would put the national security and well-being of the U.S. at risk. They warned that not only would he be “the most reckless president in American history” but that he would weaken the moral authority of the country. They couldn’t have been more right.

5 Manik’ 5 Yaxk’in (August 3rd) – a “precision” type of energy associated with reciprocity, two cycles exactly since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in New York, and three cycles since that June, 2019 National Day of Action in more than 100 cities and towns across the U.S. that called for an impeachment inquiry against the dumpster.

This is the legendary Tony Bennett’s 95th Gregorian birthday. Three years ago he was awarded the US Library of Congress Gershwin prize for his lifetime musical achievements.

6 Lamat 6 Yaxk’in (August 4th) – a “structuring” type of energy associated with the heralding of new ideas, coinciding at this time with Barack Obama’s 60th Gregorian birthday. Happy birthday Mr. President! This is the first Gregorian anniversary of the two massive explosions that rocked Beirut last year.

7 Muluk 7 Yaxk’in (August 5th) – a “self-generating”, pivotal, shape-shifting type of energy associated with water – two cycles exactly since the Super Tues. when Joe Biden won 10 out of the 14 Democratic primaries, including Texas. In 1968 this was the energy in place when Sen. Robert F. Kennedy announced that he would become a candidate in the U.S. presidential race (his decision to do this was six days earlier, on the first day of this trecena).

This is also the Maya birth energy of historian Tim Snyder, the author of On Tyranny, who warned that the dumpster would attempt to take control of the government, and two cycles since Nancy Pelosi called the dumpster “the most dangerous person in the history of [the US]”. At that time even she could not have imagined how bad it would get.

8 Ok 8 Yaxk’in (August 6th) – a “double sun” type of force, symbolic of the “resurrection of love, guidance, and loyalty”, coinciding at this time with the 56th anniversary of the signing into law of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by President Johnson.

This is also the 76th Gregorian anniversary of the Hiroshima bomb attack in 1945.
This is the possible first day of strike action by more than 8,500 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees, just days before Canada opens the border to fully vaccinated U.S. residents.

9 Chuwen 9 Yaxk’in (August 7th) “outwardly projecting creativity”, the energy that was in place in January of 2013 when then U.S. President Barack Obama and then Vice-President Joe Biden were sworn-in for the second time. In 1775 this was the Maya Calendar energy in place 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 1987 this energy was in place when David Bowie played a concert in West Berlin, with East Germans singing along, which seemed to be a trigger for tearing down the Berlin wall.

This day marks the Calendar Round return of the energy in place in 1969 when the Beatles’ made their final recording session at Abbey Roads studios.

Maya birth energy of Dr. Jonas Salk, the American virologist who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines.

10 Eb’ 10 Yaxk’in (August 8th) – “foundational animating vitality”, coinciding at this time with the New Moon and beginning of Ghost month in China, with this day being the Ghost Gate Opens day. Note that this falls between the 76th anniversaries of the U.S. bombing attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, when up to 226,000 people (mostly civilians) were killed.

This marks two cycles since March of 2020 when the dumpster signed the $8.3 billion coronavirus bill and then used a “free-wheeling press conference” to lash out at Democrats and CNN. This was when a survey of U.S. healthcare workers on the “front lines” revealed how “wildly unprepared” the U.S. was for dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. At that time there were cases in more than 90 countries, and global supply chains were breaking down. One cycle later (last November) the U.S. was registering 172,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day.

This was the energy in place three cycles ago, in 2018, when The New York Times published a letter signed by over 2400 law professors that said that Kavanaugh was not fit to sit on the Supreme Court, at the same time as some 300 Stop Kavanaugh vigils took place across the country, including a huge rally in front of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C., as people gave impassioned speeches and demanded that senators reject his nomination. Regardless, these demands were disregarded by the Republican held Senate.

11 B’en 11 Yaxk’in (August 9th) – “inspirational personal authority”, coinciding with the UN’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, with this year’s theme being: “Leaving no one behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract”. This would be a good day to give particular attention to the reconciliation efforts being called for with regard to the abuses that have been heaped upon indigenous peoples worldwide for centuries, such as those pertaining to the horrors of residential schools in Canada that took the lives of so many children.

This is the Calendar Round return of the raising of the first totem pole in Masset, Haida Gwaii in nearly 90 years. The raising of that pole, carved by Robert Davidson, with assistance from his brother Reg, and highlighted in the NFB documentary called “Now is the Time” took place on Aug. 22, 1969 (Maya Calendar day 11 B’en 11 Yaxk’in).

A great overview of the significance on this day and this extraordinary event can be found in this A Fine Day in Masset account, which emphasizes how this was seen as a “crucial moment in the Haida Renaissance”.  In terms of this trecena and its energies, this could stand as a definitive example of the “spark of light within the darkness” that heralds change, and a new dawning. As it happens, the Islamic New Year begins this evening, at the first sighting of the waxing crescent moon.

Currently this is National Peacekeepers’ Day in Canada, in honour of more than 125,000 Canadian peacekeepers who have served in dozens of international efforts over more than six decades (first established in 2008).

This is the day when Canada to set to open its border to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers, although the strike by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) employees may curtail this.

This day also marks the Calendar Round return of the energy that was in place at the time of the Beatles’ last photo shoot, at John Lennon’s countryside estate, in 1969, two days after their final joint recording session. This is also the 76th Gregorian anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing attack by the U.S. in 1945.

This is the Maya Calendar birth energy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the highly ranked 32nd U.S. President (a Democrat), who took office during the Great Depression and brought in a profusion of new programs designed to stimulate reform and economic recovery.

In 2015 hundreds of thousands of people marched under this influence 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.

12 Ix 12 Yaxk’in (August 10th) – a “gathering together” type of energy oriented around earth forces, deep mysteries, and the power of transformation, on World Lion Day  and the full day of the Islamic New Year, also known as the Arabic New Year or the Hijri New Year, the beginning of the first month in the Islamic calendar which is used to calculate significant Islamic events for the year.

This is the energy that was in place last November when the 2020 presidential election results were certified. In 2010 this was the energy in place when the historic Health Care Reform Bill – “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

13 Men 13 Yaxk’in  (August 11th) – transformational high vision; a high-energy type of force that can be world-shaping, as in 2015 when it coincided with the largest ever gathering of world leaders.

This time this energy coincides with the start of the 50th Anniversary celebrations for Creation Entertainment, the 55th Anniversary of Star Trek, and the 20th Anniversary of the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas.  They are also celebrating Gene Roddenberry’s 100th birthday year and William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy’s 90th birthday years. Roddenberry’s actual birthday is August 19th, which is in the next trecena, which is also the trecena that carries the Maya birth energies of both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Seems fitting that this is also the Peak of the Perseids meteor shower, the most anticipated one of the year.

Note that this is an intense energy that has the potential to be “dangerously intense” or cause-oriented at times. Seven cycles ago, in 2016, this was in place when Steve Bannon (whom some saw as “the most dangerous political operative in America”) was appointed as the dumpster’s new campaign chairman, on the same day as the dumpster was given his first intelligence briefing as the Republican nominee. Both of those actions seemed, even then, to be very, very scarey developments. Two years later this same influence saw the U.S. Senate vote to advance Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court despite an AVALANCHE of opposition. Hopefully this strong force will be more positively transformational this time through.

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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.]