It’s summer, it’s the Ajaw (Sun) trecena, and it’s sizzling on many fronts! Expect heat . . . expect artistry. . . expect creativity. . . expect the Full Moon and a meteor shower . . . . expect a lot of LIGHT to be shed on many dark places.

As this trecena comes into place the skies are ablaze as ferocious wildfires roar through parts of Newfoundland, B.C., California, southwestern France, Spain, and many other areas. In Ukraine the war rages on, but there are signs of hope as young people are now banding together and using music and dance to help them rebuild communities, through “clean-up raves”, which tie in perfectly with the energies of this Ajaw trecena.

In the realm of the Classic Maya, this trecena was welcomed traditionally 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.

The patron, or overseer, of this trecena was known as Old Coyote, the God of Dance, who was integrally connected to the arts, particularly music and dance. Although referred to as an “old, old” deity, he was often depicted as an exuberant partygoer, but was also revered for his worldly wisdom, astuteness, benevolence, and even shapeshifting abilities. He provides a good reminder that often much can be accomplished through a little “fancy dancing”.

It is not unusual to see events associated with the arts taking place in the early days of this trecena, as happened one cycle ago with the grand ceremonial reopening of the 3,000 year old Avenue of Sphinxes in the city of Luxor, as Egypt set out to revive an ancient tradition. In an extravagant ceremony, beautifully attired singers, dancers, and musicians made their way down the ancient Sphinx-lined walkway, once named “The Path of God,” that connects the Temples of Karnak in the north with Luxor in the south.

One cycle before that (in March of 2021) millions of Americans were “dancing for joy” during this trecena as President Biden signed his Covid relief bill into law and people learned that they would be receiving Covid-19 stimulus relief cheques from the federal government, along with other benefits. During that period the US reached President Biden’s 100 million vaccinations goal and million of others worldwide were celebrating as they received their first immunizations against the coronavirus. That was also the time frame that brought several important confirmations for Joe Biden’s cabinet, including that of Judge Merrick Garland as the US Attorney-General, and Deb Haaland as Joe Biden’s Interior Secretary, in an historic vote that made her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in US history.

The last time this trecena was in place (last November), this Ajaw trecena came into place just after President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, shortly after the passage of the Build Back Better Act in the House of Representatives, after months of negotiation. Although the BBB Act did not make it through the Senate, we see now that it has made a miraculous recovery, by reshuffling some of its component parts and being renamed the Inflation Reduction Act. It is expected that this bill will be easily passed by the House of Representatives and then signed by President Biden during the first few days of this time period. Expect GREAT celebration at that time, including quite a bit of dancing!

During this period the heat will be on with regard to the dumpster, as many investigative threads are closing in on him. Two cycles ago reports were coming out relating to how Fani Willis, the DA for Fulton County in Georgia who is overseeing the criminal investigation into how the dumpster and his allies tried to manipulate voting results in that state, was assembling a formidable team to pursue that investigation. We are now seeing that a number of high level officials associated with the dumpster’s administration have been subpoenaed in the context of that investigation, so it’s looking like a lot of “fancy dancing” could take place in that regard during this period.

Similarly, the dumpster himself will be squirming, after the court-authorized search of Mar-a-Lago near the end of the last trecena, and the seizing of boxes of official documents (many of which are believed to be of serious national importance) that he had illegally squirrelled away instead of turning them over to the National Archives, as required. This trecena opens two days after a federal appeals court ruled that Congress can gain access to his tax returns, and the day after he declined to answer questions when he sat for that long-delayed, court-ordered deposition in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into his company. And, of course, the January 6th committee is continuing with its investigations into his involvement in the coup attempt, and it is clear that attorney general Merrick Garland is well on his way to ensuring that “no one is above the law”, as high level criminal investigations are underway in that regard. And these are just “some” of the lawsuits and investigations relating to him that are in the works. Whew! Get out your popcorn as we keep an eye on how all of this unfolds!

Keep in mind that at least 884 people have been charged so far with regard to the Capitol insurrection, and it has now been one cycle since a US jury awarded $25m in damages against the organisers of the deadly far-right rally in Virginia in 2017, which sent a strong message about consequences for such vile actions.

In the past this Ajaw trecena has ushered in many events of great significance, including the establishment of a camp at Veracruz by Hernán Cortés and his men in 1519 as they were embarking on their conquest of the Aztec Empire; 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; and the massive March on the Pentagon demonstration in 1967 to protest the US involvement in the Vietnam war.

It was this solar-oriented trecena that touched off “the greatest show in astronomy” during the summer of 2017, an event that signalled “a new era in astronomy”, when 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, as hundreds of astronomers on all seven continents began focusing their instruments on data collection about this distant event (in both space and time). This was seen as “a new Rosetta Stone for Astronomy”. In 2018 this trecena opened with the report that California would become the first state to mandate the use of solar energy in every new home.

Currently, on the war front in Ukraine, we are entering a timeframe that has been predicted to be a “breaking point” in the Russia-Ukraine war (according to the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence back in mid May).  As it has just been reported that up to a dozen Russian warplanes were destroyed in a deadly string of explosions at an air base in Crimea, part of what was speculated to be part of Ukraine’s effort to drive the Russians out of that peninsula, it could well be that the tide is turning there as well.

On the health front it is likely that the global number of registered coronavirus cases will hit 600 million during this trecena, more than doubling over the past 260 days, with many countries going through their seventh wave. Although death rates overall tend to be dropping, thankfully, global death totals are still climbing, and will likely be close to 6.5 million by the end of this time frame. A number of countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the U.S., are still registering tens of thousands (and sometimes even close to 200,000) new cases per day, so this planet is not yet out of the woods with regard to this situation. With all that in mind, and with summer still with us, hopefully Grandfather Sun will help with the recovery of those who have been afflicted.

Keep in mind, as well, that this trecena has a way of bringing significant “gifts”, even in the middle of challenging situations, so hopefully it will again help to shed light on what will be required to diminish the health crises, speed up recovery, and shed greater and greater light on those dark recesses that have been causing so much strife in the world, so that the necessary shifts can be made.

The trecena begins with the bright and beautiful Full Sturgeon Moon, the opening of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, all sorts of celebrations related to the 75th anniversary of India and Pakistan Independence, Japan’s Obon festival, and of course, the major achievements in Washington. Expects lots of singing, dancing, artistry, and outright merry-making on many fronts. These are the energies that are coming into play:

One Ajaw (Aug. 11th) – the “initiation of Full Sun/Enlightenment”, the traditional Maya celebrational “day of flowers”. Through its association with Venus as the Morning Star, One Ajaw was referred to as the Sacred Day of Venus, an important “marker” day in the Classical Long Count calendar. Indeed, at this time, Venus is rising as the Morning Star. There is also a Full Moon at this time – the Full Sturgeon Moon, aka the Red Moon or Green Corn Moon.

This is the start day for the 41st Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, which spans most of this trecena. This is billed as North America’s largest, longest-running Fringe Theatre Festival, featuring artists from around the world – perfect for the Ajaw trecena!

2 Imix (Aug. 12th) – a dynamic “balancing” type of energy often aligned with “world-making”, coinciding at this time with World Elephant Day – a good time to remember these amazing beings that are in need of help in many places on this planet. The World Elephant Day website lists many ways in which people can help. A list of specific things that can be done are shown on their How to Help Elephants page.

This is the day when it is anticipated that the US House of Representatives will pass the hard-fought-for Inflation Reduction Act – the sweeping $740bn tax, healthcare, and climate change legislation that will lower healthcare costs for millions of Americans and provide for significant climate change action. And it is right on schedule, as this is President Biden’s Maya birth energy, which is marking two cycles exactly since the US House of Representatives voted to pass the revised, and highly consequential, Covid-19 relief bill. Even the skies will be celebrating as this is the peak of the Perseids meteor shower, the most anticipated one of the year.

This is also the UN’s International Youth Day, with this year’s theme being Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages, which focuses on the idea that action is needed across all generations, and that no one, regardless of age, should be left behind.

In China this is the day of the Hungry Ghost festival, in the middle of the Ghost month, when many people carry protective amulets as they pay tribute to ancestors.

3 Ik’ (Aug. 13th) – the “activation of Wind/Breath/Spirit”, in place on this first of three days of Obon, the Japanese Buddhist Festival of Souls during which rituals and celebrations are performed to honour the spirits of ancestors. On this first day fires and lanterns are lit to guide spirits home and altars of fruit, incense, and flowers are set up. Ancestral tombs are cleaned and decorated, prayer services are held at temples, and special meals are prepared. As Japan has been registering the highest coronavirus case numbers in the world for at least two weeks – often over 200,000 new cases per day – this festival this year will be highly meaningful once again. [One year ago Japan had registered just over a million cases of covid, which increased to over 14 million during this past year.]

This marks two cycles since President Biden signed the historic $1.9tn coronavirus relief bill into law early in 2021.  It also marks one cycle since the Omicron variant was designated as a Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), due to its “concerning” mutations and because “preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant”. At that time the European centre for disease prevention and control published an assessment that “the probability of further introduction and community spread” in the EU was high and the impact could be “very high”, which is exactly what it turned out to be.

This is the New Fire anniversary (52 years less 13 days) of the energy that was in place in 1970 at the time of the Women’s Strike for Equality, the first massive Women’s Liberation demonstration and march, in New York City and across the U.S., when thousands of women stopped work for a day on the 50th anniversary of women’s suffrage.

4 Ak’b’al (Aug. 14th) – 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. This is the 75th Gregorian anniversary of Pakistan’s independence.

In Japan this is the second day of Obon, referred to as Bon Odori, a day dedicated to dance and performances related to the ancestors. Hopefully there will be a drop in those coronavirus numbers by this time.  Click here for some beautiful images of the Toro Nagashi part of this festival, when thousands of gorgeous lanterns are set afloat.

This day marks six cycles (6 x 260 days) since representatives from the Confederacy of Haudenosaunee, the Assembly of First Nations Canada, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the Yakima nation visited the Vatican (in 2018) to request a retraction of the Doctrine of Discovery. More calls for that retraction could be heard in the context of the Pope’s recent visit to Canada. So far that retraction has not taken place.

In 1865 this was the energy in place at the time of President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral at the White House. Six cycles ago (in 2018) this was in place when Vladimir Putin took the oath of office for his 4th term as Russia’s president. It is “mere coincidence” that this is also the dumpster’s Maya birth energy?

5 K’an (Aug. 15th) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with youthful vitality and prosperity, that, without caution, can also vere towards “recklessness”. This is India’s 75th Independence Day, which will be celebrated in communities around the world. (Some refer to this as the 76th Independence Day, factoring in the first day of independence in 1947).

In India some 200 million Tiranga (Tricolour) flags will be hoisted as part of a grand celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate India’s achievements and milestones in India’s history. Hoisting a Tiranga is seen to be symbolic of personal commitments to the building of India as a nation.

In the words of Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India:

“The Azadi Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence; elixir of inspirations of the warriors of freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges; and elixir of Aatmanirbharta. Therefore, this Mahotsav is a festival of awakening of the nation; festival of fulfilling the dream of good governance; and the festival of global peace and development.”

In Delhi there will be a march past of Armed Forces, followed by a parade of the para military, and a variety of cultural events. Similar events will be held in state capitals throughout India.

This is also the National Liberation Day of Korea (the only Korean public holiday celebrated by both North and South Korea), and the 77th Gregorian anniversary of VJ Day, the great celebration of Victory at the end of World War II after the unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan in 1945.  Wouldn’t it be something if the world could celebrate the end of the Russia-Ukraine war at this time as well?

This is the final day of Japan’s Obon Festival, with the lighting of bonfires and the floating of lanterns (Toro Nagashi) to bid spirits farewell.

In addition, this is the starting day for this year’s International Ornithological Congress, which will be presented virtually, in partnership with South Africa this year. Click here to see some of the endemic birds of South Africa.

6 Chikchan (Aug. 16th) – “Lifeforce Everywhere” – a structuring type of energy associated with Lifeforce, the Arts, and Higher Knowledge, coinciding at this time with National Airborne Day, celebrating the accomplishments of American paratroopers.

Assuming that the Inflation Reduction Act is passed by the House (likely on 2 Imix) this could be the day when President Biden signs it.

It has now been one cycle since the WHO warned that the Omicron variant posed a high risk of infection surges around the globe, and called for a global push to get vaccines to poorer nations. At that time children aged 5-11 in B.C. began getting their Covid-19 shots.

This is the 45th Gregorian anniversary of the sudden death of Elvis Presley in 1977 (on a 2 Muluk day).

7 Kimi (Aug. 17th) – “self-generating death” or “self-generating foundations”, a “return to Source” type of force that can draw attention to “absolute foundations” – one cycle since the publication of David Cay Johnston’s meticulously researched The Big Cheat – which shed light on years of eye-popping financial misdeeds (aka “fleecing” and “lifelong grifting”, as the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author put it) by the dumpster and his family. Given recent developments in this regard, he could well have several new chapters to add to this. And, along the same lines, this is the new date for Rudy Giuliani to testify before the Georgia grand jury investigating election issues (postponed from a week earlier).

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln delivered The Gettysburg Address under this 7 Kimi influence, with this speech being given at the dedication of a cemetary for the more than 7500 men who died in the Battle of Gettysburg. That battle is now seen as a critical civil war turning point as that was when southern forces began their retreat. 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 yet the battle to preserve that freedom still rages on. This also provides a reminder of what this trecena is about – a chance to “return to light”, to “enlighten”.

8 Manik’ (Aug. 18th) – the Day of the Lord Deer in Maya tradition, a “resurrection” type of energy aligned with sacrifice and reciprocity, which 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 this energy, tying in with the mythological link to the ancestral lineage of the Quiché Maya. In that legend this was seen as the day in the Tzolk’in when one of the ancestral forefathers left the people a “bundle of flames” as a reminder of his continuing presence. Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten were married under this influence in late November in 1947.

This is US Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Maya birth energy.

Three cycles ago, in June of 2020, the Cheyenne River Sioux issuing a statement that called for the removal of the carvings of the 4 American presidents from the sacred Black Hills in South Dakota. Currently this is the 102nd Gregorian anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in the US, women’s right to vote. It’s also the opening day for the Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), an annual comic book convention, in Seattle.

9 Lamat (Aug. 19th) – an “outwardly projecting” type of energy associated with Venus and the idea
of leadership, coinciding at this time with the UN’s World Humanitarian Day and the final day of the International Ornithological Congress.

This is National Aviation Day in the U.S. (on Orville Wright’s Gregorian birthday), celebrating the
development of aviation, at the start of National Aviation week. This would have been Gene
Roddenberry’s 101st birthday.

This was the energy in place at the start of the H3N2 flu pandemic in 1968 that killed over a
million people globally. It had first been detected in the summer of that year but spread globally
over the following few months. One cycle ago the Omicron variant had become the dominant
coronavirus variant in the U.S. and in several other countries.

10 Muluk (Aug. 20th) – “foundational water”, often a powerful “shape-shifting” force, marking eight cycles (8 x 260 days) since the CIA revealed their conclusion that Russia had intervened to help the dumpster win the 2016 election. But even though “light was shone” on the situation at that time, no action was taken, and it’s been one long horror story ever since. A CIA echo could be seen three cycles ago when Leon Panetta, a former defense secretary and CIA director, who served in various capacities under nine US presidents, pointed out that the dumpster had essentially “surrendered” to the coronavirus by constantly trying to divert attention from the crisis, thereby abandoning Americans to their fate. As he put it at that time: “We have a president that is not willing to stand up and do what is necessary in order to lead this country during a time of major crisis.” By that time (July 1, 2020 – 3 cycles ago) the number of new daily cases in the US had reached around 50,000 and the US death toll was over 130,000 people.

Currently this is International Homeless Animals Day (IHAD), a good time to transform a homeless animal’s life for the better by giving them a furever home.

11 Ok (Aug. 21st) – “inspirational love (or guidance)” – an “extinguishing” Burner Day
representative of heart, love, fire, and passion, coinciding with the final day of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

It has been one cycle since one of Britain’s most senior scientific figures warned that the emergence of the Omicron variant showed that the world was “closer to the start of the pandemic than the end”, as he lamented a widespread lack of political leadership over Covid. Given that global case numbers have more than doubled since then, and there have been more than a million more deaths globally, it seems that he was correct.

This is the Maya birth energy of Terry Fox, the young Canadian who sparked a movement to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Over $850 million have been raised to date by his Foundation.

12 Chuwen (Aug. 22nd) – “dedicated” play; a “timeweaver” type of energy than can have a kind of “anything is possible” aspect to it. This was the energy in place 4 long cycles ago (in 2019) when retired US Navy Adm. William McRaven, former head of Special Operations Command (the group that oversaw the 2011 raid in which bin Laden was killed), delivered a fierce criticism of the dumpster in an opinion in the New York Times titled “Our Republic is Under Attack From the President”, in which he warned that the dumpster’s policies were a stain on the US and its values. His statement included this: “A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself.” “Your leadership, however, has shown little of these qualities. Through your actions, you have embarrassed us in the eyes of our children, humiliated us on the world stage, and, worst of all, divided us as a nation.” But since that didn’t shift anything at that time, the nightmare (and monkey business) continued . . . . .

But now the tide is definitely turning, and with all the recent accomplishments of the Biden administration, the world is now seeing – in stark contrast – what a good leader can do, and what can be accomplished.

13 Eb’ (Aug. 23rd) – “transformational vitality”; a powerful stream-of-consciousness type of energy reflective of the intense vibrancy at the end of this “sun-oriented” time frame, a vitality that can sometimes “let loose”, often with intense weather systems. At this time this energy coincides with the International day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

This was the energy in place in 1979 at the time of the North American release of  Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This classic has now been remastered, to be released in early September.

This is the Maya birth energy of Karl Marx, the German philosopher, political theorist, and socialist revolutionary 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.]