It seems that there are times, when the world seems to have lost all sense of reason, all sense of rationality, that mythology can step in to offer other ways of thinking, other ways of envisioning that can extend beyond the realm of mere mortals, taking us into the dreamtime or into the realm of deities so that we can learn to see with new eyes and perhaps find solutions to earthly problems. Given the horrific events unfolding in the Middle East at this time, and the continuing war in Ukraine; the senseless hurling of more and more missiles into civilian-inhabited regions; and the lack of human wherewithall, so far, to find solutions to such horrendous conflicts, perhaps it’s time to look to the mythic. And fortunately, there are important clues being presented during the thirteen days of this current time zone that come from deep traditions within two different mythological realms.

The first, of course, is the realm of the Maya, whose calendar tells us that this is the Muluk, or Water, trecena.

While it has been known to foment floods, dramatic water rescues, and even some of the world’s largest hurricanes, this trecena has also been known to bring forth developments that have been significantly “healing” or transformative in positive ways. Keep in mind that water is the ultimate shapeshifter, and as much as it can be turbulent at times, it can also be calm, tranquil and highly supportive of life. It can also be significantly cleansing, with the capacity to “wash away” stagnation and disorder.

But while this may be too much to hope for, given the dire nature of the strife in so many places, we can see an impressive form of mythological “reinforcement” coming in, in the context of the vibrant and propitious Navratri festival taking place in India and in many other parts of the world throughout most of this period. This is the highly auspicious Hindu festival associated with the dazzling 10-armed warrior Goddess Durga, who comes in (in multiple manifestations) to battle against the dark forces that threaten peace and prosperity – and, as she is ultimately victorious, this festival is a celebration of her great triumph over evil.

This is a rare alignment where such a powerful “force for good” from one cultural tradition is coinciding with a strong “purifying” force from another tradition, so it will be interesting to see what effect they might have on actual world events. To boot, this trecena begins with an energy that functions as a strong “Shift-point” within the overall 260-day cycle, a point that often brings forth dramatic shifts in state, when new courses of action can suddenly appear, signaling the start of the final 52 days before the current 260 day cycle is completed. Add to this the New Moon and annual solar eclipse that are coinciding with the first day of this trecena, and it would seem that these many overlapping factors could be working together to bring forth important changes.

From the perspective of ancient Mesoamerican mythology, this trecena was seen as having the potential to be massively life-changing through the infusion of an often “electrifying” energy sequence that was seen traditionally as being under the patronage of a deity known as Chalchiuhtolin, the jade or “jewelled” turkey, a symbol of magic, abundance, ultimate authority, and even sorcery. This complex deity has been associated with darkness, disease, and even the plague, but in his turkey form, as overseer of this time frame, he also has the power to cleanse and to eradicate pestilence.

The great “watery” Feathered Serpent also provides support, so this creates a generative “firewater” kind of force representative of the original creation forces that sparked life. These forces have been known to open the door to many new and exciting possibilities. They have also been known to trigger major shifts in direction, even to the point of significantly altering personal lives or changing the world, like they did in the spring of 2020 when an estimated one-third of the world was in lockdown mode, and people everywhere were scrambling to sort out how to deal with the rapidly changing situations being triggered by the global pandemic.

Then, by the end of that year, one cycle later, another major shift took place and suddenly vaccine programs were underway, with the very first day of this trecena being V-Day in the UK, the start of the biggest ever vaccination program. That was the day when Joe Biden pledged to distribute 100 million vaccine shots in the first 100 days of his presidency. That was one Gregorian year after one of the first cases of coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China. One cycle after the start of that UK program Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine program was picking up steam after receiving full approval from the US FDA – the first one to be fully licensed in the US (although, as noted below, emergency use had been granted one cycle earlier). Note, as well, that the first day of this trecena in 2010 was when President Obama signed his Affordable Care Act into law in the US.

As we embark on this current trecena, the situation in the Middle East remains dire, the war in Ukraine is nearing its 600th day, and the chaos in the US House of Representatives continues to cripple the workings of Congress as fractious Republicans, engaged in their own internal “civil war”, continue to demonstrate their gross incompetence and inability to govern, even to the point of being unable to agree on a Speaker. Nevertheless, the forces in play during this period offer tremendous potential for “breakthroughs”.

Four cycles ago the 538 members of the electoral college in the US cast their ballots to officially confirm Joe Biden’s win as President-elect. Two cycles ago a US $39.4 bn bill was passed and signed to provide assistance for Ukraine. And the last time this was in place (earlier this year) the EU pledged to double its aid to Ukraine, and the process of sending battle tanks to Ukraine from the various countries got underway.

Indeed, many inspirational events have occurred within this period, with 4 Eb’ (the 4th day) often figuring prominently. This energy, representative of a solar force in combination with Eb’s “animating vitality”, tends to manifest as an uplifting, refreshing type of force marked by a sense of the opening up of new possibilities. This is what was in place in June of 1965 when the first spacewalk took place, and then again in 1968 when the “Earthrise” photo was taken from Apollo 8, becoming the iconic first photograph taken by a human of Earth from Deep Space. Four cycles ago (Dec. of 2020) this was the energy in place when the US FDA granted emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine, which enabled widespread vaccination programs to begin in the U.S. That was the day when the U.S. Supreme Court denied the GOP’s effort to block election results in four states, with that effort to block the results seen by many as being representative of the “moral and ethical bankruptcy of the Republican party”, the “death-knell of decency”. While it has been a continuous downward spiral for Republicans ever since, that particular decision on that 4 Eb’ day was highly consequential in terms of the saving of democracy. That was the day when Congressman Jamie Raskin hit the nail on the head when he described the Republican party as being “like a massive religious cult surrounding an organised crime family headed by a deranged narcissist”. And that was before the insurrection!

Twelve years earlier, in 2008, it was the Maya energy of 4 Eb’ that was in place when Barack Obama became the first African-American to win the U.S. presidential election. In April of 2015, this same energy brought forth the historic nuclear reduction agreement with Iran, which was seen as a significant political breakthrough, the most important foreign relations negotiation of the Obama presidency up to that point.

In December of 2015 it was the first day of this trecena that brought the release of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, on the findings from several years worth of investigation into the residential school abuses inflicted on tens of thousands of indigenous children in Canada. That was when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would work with leaders of First Nations, the Métis Nation, Inuit, provinces and territories, and other key partners, to design a national engagement strategy for developing and implementing a national reconciliation framework, informed by the Commission’s recommendations. Since then a number of important legislative actions have been taken, including support for many justice-related and community-led initiatives, and work is proceeding on the creation of a permanent facility for this long term work.

So as we go through this period, many generative, life-enhancing forces will be in play, “battling” against the darkness, and opening up new avenues to bring forth purification and refreshment. As always, this would be a great time to go to a river or a lake or an ocean and give thanks for the waters of this earth, and pledge, once again, to protect them. During this watery, shapeshifting, purifying – and potentially even electrifying – time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

One Muluk (Oct. 14th) – “the initiation of water (purification)” – a kind of “double water” day associated with the Moon Goddess (symbolic of water and the Number One) in conjunction with the refreshing shape-shifting energy of water, in conjunction with a rare “ring of fire” Annular Solar Eclipse, and a New Moon.

This marks four cycles exactly since Covid-19 vaccination programs began in England, Scotland, and Wales and several other countries. That came precisely one cycle after the UK and many other countries began nation-wide lockdowns in March of 2020. That was when António Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, appealed for an immediate global ceasefire, calling for an end to all armed conflicts so that the world could instead focus on fighting the rapidly advancing coronavirus. Obviously that appeal fell on deaf ears, and now, 1300 days later, he is urgently calling for a ceasefire in Israel-Gaza, and calling for urgent humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands who are trapped and helpless.

Within the 260-day cycle, One Muluk is an important 52-day Shift-point that often brings forth dramatic shifts in state and sometimes even a sense of relief, as new pathways for action begin opening up, as could be seen two cycles ago when thousands of people were being rapidly evacuated from Kabul airport in Afghanistan. As that was happening the Jan. 6th committee in the US Capitol was getting down to business with its investigation of the Jan. 6th attack.

Currently this is election day in New Zealand, and the day of the “Indigenous voice to parliament” referendum in Australia. A four-day International Association of Chiefs of Police conference also opens on this day in San Diego, CA.

2 Ok (Oct. 15th) – a dynamic yin/yang type of force relating to love, warmth, guidance, and loyalty (symbolized by the Maya glyph for Dog), coinciding at this time with Navratri, the Nine Nights of Devi, at the start of the start of India’s big festival season.

This is Shardiya Navratri, an auspicious Hindu Masik Durgashtami day associated with the arrival of the dazzling 10-armed warrior Goddess Durga, who comes in to battle against the forces of evil that threaten peace and prosperity. This Hindu deity represents the positive female forces of the universe, and is generally seen as the great divine mother whose name translates as “the one who eliminates sufferings”. Durga is seen as the protector of all that is good and harmonious in the universe. Traditionally this would be the day of her arrival on an elephant, at the beginning of a ten-day day festival that involves colourful processions, performance arts, pagentry, prayers and traditional songs and dances dedicated to the goddess.

This marks five cycles exactly since the US Surgeon General strongly urged everyone to stay at home as the pandemic was firmly taking hold.

In 1815 this was the energy in place when Napoléon re-entered Paris and briefly resumed power, before his final defeat three months later, at Waterloo.

3 Chuwen (Oct. 16th) – the “activation” of creativity; an important “time-weaving” type of energy that can often bring forth powerful shifts, coinciding at this time with the UN’s World Food Day, one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. As it happens, the theme this year, which is “Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind”, fits in perfectly with the nature of this water-oriented trecena.

Hundreds of events will take place globally at this time to promote worldwide awareness and action with regard to global hunger and food-related needs – needs which are profound in places such as Gaza where some two million people are under seige, and in war-torn parts of Ukraine, now marking the 600th day of that grinding war.

This is also World Anesthesia Day, to commemorate the first successful use of anesthesia in 1846 and honour the work done by anesthesiologists, and the beginning of Anti-Slavery Week.

The Walt Disney Company commemorates its 100th anniversary on this day. Click here for a lovely dance in honour of this 100th birthday. Pure fantasy, of course – would that everyone could feel this kind of delight, rather than having to fight constanly for their very existence.

In 1929 this was the energy in place on Black Tuesday, when investors traded some 16 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day at the time of the Wall Street crash. In 2011 this was the energy in place when the action thriller called Contagion was released, depicting the rapid spread of a virus to cities around the globe.

Currently this is the day for the hearing on a more extensive gag order to curtain the dumpster’s assaults on people involved in the election interference case.

4 Eb’ (Oct. 17th) – the “defining of animating vitality” – an uplifting, refreshing type of energy that often brings a sense of new possibilities, often highly eventful. This is coinciding with the UN’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, with this year’s theme being “Dignity for All in Practice”.

This is also the release date for Rachel Maddow’s Prequel book.

Back in 1968 this was the energy in place when the “Earthrise” photo was taken from Apollo 8 as it orbited the moon. That was the first photo of Earth from the perspective of the moon – one of the most famous photos ever taken, which, according to Al Gore, kicked off the modern environmental movement. Five cycles earlier, in 1965, Ed White made the first space walk by a U.S. astronaut under this same energy influence. In 2009 this was in place when a particularly special Solar Eclipse took place, due to its totality. In 2014 this energy brought forth an agreement on the framework for an historic nuclear reduction agreement with Iran, seen as the most important foreign relations negotiation of the Obama presidency.

Currently this marks one cycle since New York prosecutors began presenting their case to a grand jury with regard to the dumpster’s hush money payments. This trial is scheduled for March 25th. That was the day (last January) when the WHO said that the coronavirus still remains a global health emergency.

5 B’en (Oct. 18th) – the “blessing of personal authority”, coinciding at this time with National Doctor’s Day in Brazil, with Healthcare Aide Day in Manitoba and British Columbia, and with Persons Day in Canada, in commemoration of the historic day in 1929 when women were included in the legal definition of “persons”.

Unfortunately not everyone has the freedom to fully experience the “blessing of personal authority”, a situation which is the focus for the work of Anti-Slavery International, whose extensive website highlights many of the forms of slavery that still exist in the world today.

Click here for information on the work being done in the fight towards freedom. Click here for actions that can be taken in many different areas to help in this battle for equality.

It has now been five cycles since U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke at the first joint video briefing for the 193 U.N. member nations, at the launch of the U.N.’s COVID-19 Communications for Solidarity Initiative to rapidly inform people about facts and science, “and promote and inspire acts of humanity around the world.” This also marks five cycles since Congress in the US passed a $2 trillion stimulus package to help people in the US affected by the pandemic.

This is the Maya birth energy of Dr. Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who issued the first warning about the coronavirus in the early days of the outbreak, who later died of it. He is now honoured as one of the Heroes of the pandemic.

Fifty years ago, in 1973, this was the energy in place at the time of the overwhelming approval of the Endangered Species Act by both the US House and Senate.

6 Ix (Oct. 19th) – the energy of the six directions in conjunction with the jaguar (and Jaguar Warrior) and the fate of the earth, coinciding with UN’s Conflict Resolution Day. Wouldn’t it be “something” if all (or even some) of our global conflicts could be resolved on one day?

This is the day for the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills in B.C. and worldwide.

This 6 Ix energy, which is now marking four cycles exactly since Covid-19 vaccines first arrived in Canada, is the Maya birth energy of Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett – the immunologist who played a key role in developing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

7 Men (Oct. 20th) – a “self-generating” type of energy associated with the Eagle’s “higher vision”, marking four Tzolk’in cycles since the Electoral College in the US voted to formalize Joe Biden’s win as President-elect. That was the day when coronavirus vaccines began to be distributed and administered in both the US and Canada. It has now been three cycles since President Biden declared the end of the Afghan war that had cost “$300 million a day for 20 years” and the lives of 2,448 US service personnel.

Currently this energy is coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House, and the official release of the Rolling Stones’ first studio album in 18 years, titled Hackney Diamonds, which was launched on Sept. 6th (2 Chuwen)

8 Kib’ (Oct. 21st) – the “resurrection” of the transmutation oriented force that can lead towards the restoration of order, marking three cycles exactly since Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first met with President Biden at the White House, and two cycles since Sweden and Finland officially applied to join NATO. Finland became a member on a 3 Kib’ day in April of this year, and 28 out of 30 countries have now ratified Sweden’s application.

This is also the peak viewing time for the Orionids meteor shower which was created from debris from the famous Halley’s comet.

9 Kab’an (Oct. 22nd) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” longevity in connection with the earth and evolutionary movement, where there can be long range implications for actions, on the National Day of Protest known as The October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation.

This is the Maya birth energy of Mark Angelo, founder of World Rivers Day.

10 Etz’nab’  (Oct. 23rd) – foundational “flint”; an intense sparkling, “knife-edged”, “flash-point” type of energy that can either dazzle or divide and separate, coinciding at this time with Venus at its greatest elongation west, on the opening day for the first trial in the Georgia RICO case, focusing on the fake electors scheme to subvert the results of the 2020 election. This is also the publication date for Mitt Romney’s new book, titled Romney: A Reckoning.

In China, and for Chinese communities elsewhere, this is the day of China’s Double Ninth
(Chongyang) Festival, aka Height Ascending Festival or Chrysanthemum Festival, aka Seniors’ Day – 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.

This was the energy in place five cycles ago when UN Sec-General Guterres said that the Covid-19 outbreak was the biggest challenge for the world since World War II and could bring a recession that “probably has no parallel in the recent past”.

11 Kawak (Oct. 24th) – inspirational “storm of compassion”, coinciding at this time with Dussehra, the final day of Shardiya Navratri, one of India’s most significant Hindu festivals that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. In Indian mythology this was associated with the killing of the King of Demons by the dazzling 10-armed warrior Goddess Durga. In legend the Gods (including the trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu) pooled their divine energies to give birth to this great Goddess Durga, who was given the power to destroy evil. This is the final day of the festival that began on Oct. 15th. During this trecena she has had her work cut out for her.

This is the 78th Gregorian anniversary of the day when the UN’s Charter came into force, coinciding with World Development Information Day, oriented around the idea that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of world problems and help to promote international cooperation in the search for solutions.

This is marking five cycles precisely since early April of 2020 when the global number of Covid-19 cases passed the one million mark. Since then, according to the WHO’s tally, the global number of cases has soared to just over 771 million, with close to 7 million deaths.

12 Ajaw (Oct. 25th) – a “gathering together” force aligned with the full sun and “enlightenment”, a day that often sheds light on human conditions, coinciding at this time with International Artist Day. In the Maya Long Count calendar this is a Tun Shift day, as the Long Count clicks over to 13.0.11.0.0

It has now been two cycles since the day-long Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Le Estcwicwéy (The Missing) memorial commemoration in Kamloops that marked the first anniversary of the discovery of the graves of 215 indigenous children at the former Kamloops Indian residential school, triggering further investigation and more searches across the country. The searches are still on-going.

It has now been four cycles since the head of the IMF called the coronavirus epidemic “humanity’s darkest hour” as we witnessed the world economy grinding almost to a standstill.

13 Imix (Oct. 26th) – “transformational birth”, another force that can be highly intense, coinciding at this time with the first day of a two-day European Council meeting, with discussions continuing to focus on topics such as immigration issues and the process of EU enlargement.

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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.]