Mosques, churches, synogogues, sanctuaries – all of these are temples and houses of worship, and all of these will be fully engaged as we journey through this “Temple/ House” oriented trecena during this contemplative Ramadan/Passover/Easter season. While the Ak’b’al trecena might normally be considered to be a favorable period for reflection, prayer, and meditation, the fact that this trecena is in place at the same time as these events are overlapping makes this period seem particularly auspicious – especially when prayers and positive thoughts are so badly needed in the world.

As this trecena opens on One Ak’b’al the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is at about its mid-point. This is coinciding with the first full day of Passover, a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt during biblical times. This is followed immediately by Christian Easter celebrations, relating to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Apparently it has been three decades since the last time this kind of overlap occurred related to these celebrations, and this is putting some strain on Jerusalem’s Old City as tens of thousands of Israeli, Palestinian, Christian, and Muslim worshippers attempt to make their way to contested sacred sites. Clashes, unfortunately, have already begun in the Temple Mount area.

But even beyond the parameters of these important faith-oriented observances, there are other events taking place during this period that are also placing emphasis on reflection, remembrance, and commemoration, including events such as The Invictus Games, to help with the rehabilitation of wounded veterans; Anzac Day, a war remembrance observance; Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day; and International Workers’ Memorial Day, an International Day of Mourning. And, as this trecena begins, this will mark 52 days since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, with four trecenas having passed since Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine in February. Since then more than 10 million people have been displaced in Ukraine, with close to half of them having crossed into neighbouring countries. It is estimated that about 12 million affected by the fighting are either trapped or unable to leave, millions who are likely existing in “darkness” at this time, praying to be rescued, praying for some form of “light” or hope or escape.

And then there is Shanghai, where 25 million people are now into their third week in lockdown as that city tries to curtail the spread of the coronavirus – shades of what Italy and many other countries were going through during this same trecena three cycles ago. We remember it well – it was early March of 2020, middle of this trecena, when doors began shutting and states of emergency began to be declared. On the eighth day of this trecena the US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan $8.3bn bill to help in the fight against the coronavirus, which included funding for research and development for vaccines, for treatments and tests, and for badly needed equipment (although the Senate delayed its passage). Schools, museums, and entertainment venues began closing worldwide; airlines were grounding their fleets, and passengers were stranded on cruise ships. By the end of the trecena several hundred cases had been identified in the U.S. and the whole of Italy was quarantined.

By the start of this trecena in November of that year, one cycle later, the number of cases in the U.S. had risen to over 10 million, with the overall death toll over 248,000. Over 160,000 new cases a day were being reported in that country – a figure that, even now, is still being approximated in countries such as Germany and South Korea.

By one cycle after that (last July) the global number of cases had reached nearly 198 million, with over 35 million in the U.S. where the deaths had climbed to well over 600,000.

And now, as this current trecena begins, we see a sixth wave creeping in, in several areas. Half a billion cases have been registered globally since that terrifying beginning, over six million people have lost their lives to it, including a million people in the U.S., and the WHO reminds us that those numbers, in actuality, are likely much higher.

So it seems that this Ak’b’al trecena is functioning like a major “marker” in this regard, as it has for a nunmber of other key events aligned with the general idea of “darkness”, “deep mysteries”, and challenges associated with ethics and morality that often tie in with this time frame.

As noted before, the Aztec depicted the overseer of this period 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.

Fifty years ago it was the first day of this trecena when the whole Watergate subterfuge began unravelling, after the arrest of the Watergate burglars in the early morning of One Ak’b’al in mid June, which eventually led to the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon. Three cycles later this trecena 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.

Four cycles ago, in June of 2019, a massive #Impeach Trump National Day of Action took place near the beginning of this time frame, in more than 100 cities and towns across the US, which was a precursor to the hearings that led to his impeachment in early 2020. 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.

It was two cycles ago, in November of 2020, when it became clear that the very sore loser of the U.S. presidential election 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.

By the time this trecena came into place one cycle ago, last July, the tide was finally turning. The Select Committee to investigate the coup attempt was well underway and holding hearings, and more and more information was being brought forward regarding the machinations associated with that conspiracy to overturn the election. On the first day of this trecena at that time ABC News reported on the “Smoking Gun” notes that revealed that the dumpster attempted to pressure the DoJ into declaring the election corrupt, in his “frantic efforts to cling to power at all costs”. As the trecena proceeded the U.S. Justice Department ordered the Internal Revenue Service to hand over 6 years worth of the dumpster’s tax returns to a House of Representatives committee, information that had long been withheld, and the word “criminal” was starting to be used with regard to the dumpster’s overall activities.

Now, as this trecena returns, we see that the Jan. 6th Committee has amassed a huge amount of evidence and is holding hearings related to coup-related activities at the highest rungs of the former administration, and the Department of Justice has expanded its investigation in this regard considerably. It is likely that much more will be revealed pertaining to these matters during this current period.

So now, with this particular trecena providing many opportunities for reflection, for meditation, and for prayer, as well as for questioning and soul-searching with regard to past events and to the dire crises that are still playing out, it seems to be providing a strong frame of reference for not only solitary action but for global “dreaming”, prayer, and action aligned with finding solutions to our very pressing existential problems. With that kind of global focus, Russia would have no choice but to pack up its monstrous war machine and slink back to its lair.

Keep in mind that the idea of finding the spark of light within the darkness – as in early dawn, the flickering of light that will begin a “new day” – is also part of this energy sequence. Here are the energies that we will be working with:

One Ak’b’al (April 16th) – the “initiation” of “darkness” (or “contemplation”), in association with deep mysteries, coinciding with the Full Pink Moon, aka the Paschal Full Moon (the first full Moon of  Spring), on the first full day of Passover, a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt in biblical times. In the early pre-dawn sky, this energy is ushering in Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Saturn in a gorgeous diagonal straight line.

This is also the opening day for of The Invictus Games, an international sporting competition founded by Prince Harry to help with the rehabilitation of wounded veterans, in Dusseldorf. In addition this is also the start of China’s spectacular Weifang International Kite Festival.

This was the energy in place in May of 1992 when The Lisbon Protocol relating to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed in Portugal by representatives of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, recognizing these four states as successors of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Last summer the second day of this trecena marked the 30th Gregorian anniversary of the signing of that 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) by President George W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev. All of that now appears to be in shreds.

Fifty years ago this was the energy in place at the time of the early morning arrest of the Watergate Burglars, an event that ultimately led to impeachment proceedings against President Nixon, and to his resignation in 1974, three cycles + 3 days later. June 17th this year will be the 50th Gregorian anniversary of that break-in. Paralleling this in many ways, it has now been one cycle exactly since ABC News reported the “Smoking Gun” notes that showed that the dumpster attempted to pressure the DoJ into declaring the 2020 election corrupt. Since then the Jan. 8th committee has been working feverously to pull together a much broader picture of the overall scheme.

2 K’an (April 17th) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with the germination of new possibilities, coinciding at this time with Easter Sunday.

This is the Maya birth energy of Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, the first foreign journalist to be killed in Ukraine while reporting on the war. He was well known for making documentaries about urgent moral issues, focusing on human suffering around the world. This is also the Maya birth energy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who put forth passionate calls for freedom, justice, and equality during the 1960’s.

Last summer this energy coincided with the completion of a 4-day, 27-mile Georgetown to Austin “March for Democracy” direct action endeavor to put pressure on the U.S. Senate to pass sweeping federal legislation to boost or safeguard access to voting. That was the same day as the “March for Truth and Justice” in Ottawa, calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to initiate criminal investigations into what went on in Canada’s residential schools, and calling for related church documents.

3 Chikchan (April 18th) – “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 Easter Monday, the second annual World Artisan Day, and World Heritage Day, aka the 40th anniversary of the International Day for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), with this year’s theme being “Heritage and Climate”.

This marks three cycles exactly since the incompetent loser in the 2020 election, 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 (April 19th) – 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. This was the energy in place on that memorable August day in 1969 when the American music Festival known as Woodstock attracted an audience of more than 400,000 people to Bethel,
New York.

It has been three cycles since Joe Biden began a huge comeback as he won the South Carolina primary on the same day as laboratories and hospitals in the US were finally allowed to conduct their own Covid-19 tests to speed up the process.

Now eight cycles since fifty of the most senior Republican national security officials signed an open letter declaring that Trump “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’ (April 20th) – a “blessing” or “precision” type of energy associated with reciprocity, three cycles exactly since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in New York, and four cycles since that June, 2019 National Day of Action in more than 100 cities and towns across the US that called for an impeachment inquiry against the dumpster.

6 Lamat (April 21st) – a “structuring” type of energy associated with the heralding of new ideas, coinciding at this time with UN’s World Creativity and Innovation Day. As noted on the UN’s website, creativity and innovation, at both individual and group levels, have become “the true wealth of nations in the 21st century”.

This is Queen Elizabeth’s 96th Gregorian birthday, and the third anniversary of the day when Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine in 2019, with 73% of the vote.

7 Muluk (April 22nd) – a “self-generating”, pivotal, shape-shifting type of energy associated with water, coinciding at this time with the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, and Earth Day, with this year’s theme being Invest in Our Planet.

This is the Maya birth energy of historian Tim Snyder, the author of “On Tyranny”, one of many who warned that the dumpster would attempt to take control of the government. Three cycles ago, as of this day, Nancy Pelosi called the dumpster “the most dangerous person in the history of [the US]” – and that was well before the coup attempt.

8 Ok (April 23rd) – a “double sun” type of force, symbolic of the “resurrection of love, guidance, and loyalty”, coinciding at this time with World Book Day, and the final day of Passover.

9 Chuwen (April 24th) “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. Currently this is when the second round of voting takes place in the French presidential election.

This is the start of World Immunization Week, with this year’s theme being “Long Life for All”.  This is the UN’s International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, oriented around reaffirming the UN Charter and its principles of resolving disputes and conflicts among countries through peaceful means, through multilateral decision-making and diplomacy – at a time when concerted efforts are being made to find a solution to the horrific crisis in Ukraine.

This is the 106th Gregorian anniversary of the Easter Rebellion in Ireland, which began the push for Irish Independence. It is also the Maya birth energy of Dr. Jonas Salk, the American virologist who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines, and Shirley Maclaine’s 88th Gregorian birthday.

10 Eb’ (April 25th) – “foundational animating vitality”, coinciding at this time with Anzac Day, the national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates those who served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. Anzac Day ceremonies will be held throughout those countries, and in many other countries, on this day.

This is also World Malaria Day, highlighting the need for continued commitment to malaria prevention and control. The emphasis this year is on “harnessing innovation to reduce the malaria disease burden and save lives” – a reminder that malaria is not only preventable, but is still of concern, even though the pandemic has been the main focus of attention during the past two years.

In addition, this is Military Foundation Day in North Korea, an annual public holiday that commemorates the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army in 1932. This public holiday often involves a large military parade.

It has now been three cycles (780 days) since the dumpster signed the $8.3 billion coronavirus bill in March of 2020 and then used a “free-wheeling press conference” to lash out at Democrats and CNN. This was when it was revealed how “wildly unprepared” the US was for dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. One cycle later (in November of that year) the U.S. was registering over 172,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day. Thankfully the daily new case numbers have shrunk considerably since then, but daily numbers still tend to be in the tens of thousands in the U.S., and much higher in countries such as Germany and S. Korea, so it isn’t over yet.

11 B’en (April 26th) – “inspirational personal authority”, the day when UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meets with Putin in Moscow. This is the new date for the SpaceX Crew-4 launch. One of the crew members will be NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins en route to becoming the first Black woman to undertake a long-term mission aboard the International Space Station. In the US this is National Help a Horse Day.

It is also the 48th Gregorian anniversary of the resignation of President Nixon after the Watergate scandal (which now seems relatively mild in comparison with the unconscionable scandals and atrocities associated with the dumpster and his administration over the past few years).

This is the Maya Calendar birth energy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the highly ranked 32nd US 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 (April 27th) – a “gathering together” type of energy oriented around earth forces, deep mysteries, and the power of transformation, at the time of a Jupiter-Venus conjunction. Sunset brings the beginning of ceremonies associated with Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, which continues into the following day.

This is the energy that was in place in 2010 when the historic Health Care Reform Bill – “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” – was passed by the US House of Representatives.

13 Men (April 28th) – 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. Currently this is the day when UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to meet with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

In March of 2020 this was the energy in place when Italy’s first nationwide lockdown began, when the entire country was put under quarantine. Note that this is an energy that has the potential to be “dangerously intense”, as it was last August when an all-time heat record for Europe was set under this influence, as temperatures soared to 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sicily.

This energy also tends to be highly cause-oriented, as it is on this current International Workers’ Memorial Day, oriented around raising awareness regarding hazards in workplaces, with the emphasis at this time being “to make health and safety at work a fundamental principle and right”. This is an International Day of Mourning, when global tributes are dedicated to workers who have died, or were injured, or were made ill from their work. This Day of Mourning is observed in some 100 countries around the world, and flags are flown at half-mast. It is recognized as International Workers’ Memorial Day by the International Labour Organization and the International Trade Union Confederation.

This is also coinciding at this time with the full day of Yom HaShoah, aka Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Day, Israel’s day of commemoration for the approx. 6 million Jews who perished during the second world war’s holocaust. At 10:00 am an air raid siren will signal the start of two minutes of silence across the country. At that time cars stop, and people stand at silent attention in remembrance. One of the traditions associated with this is the lighting of special yellow candles that include Star of David logos. Given the attack, on March 1st, by a Russian missile, near the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial park in Kyiv, Ukraine, this will likely be a focal point for special ceremonies at this time, assuming that Kyiv is NOT under another attack.

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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.]