Let there be light. Let there be sun. Let there be en-LIGHT-enment!!

After a seriously wild conclusion to the last trecena, that brought torrential rains to many regions, including Nepal, several states in Mexico, and a large swath of the US southeast, it is evident that there are many places that could use some solar “drying out” at this time. And yet, in other parts of the planet, such as Brazil, there is extreme drought. Climate change is pushing everything to extremes, and the world has not yet responded effectively to the situation.

Traditionally, this trecena was always welcomed as a time for celebration. Indeed, in the realm of the Classic Maya, the very first day, One Ajaw, was observed as a highly festive “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. As this trecena begins this time, however, there will be much more emphasis on finding solutions to the many extremely challenging global issues being faced by humanity as a whole.

Traditionally, 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” – but this time more than a little fancy dancing will be needed as the Middle East is on the brink of a significant escalation in the regional conflicts with Israel, and a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine situation has yet to be found.

Over the past few cycles many impressive events associated with the arts have taken place during this trecena, particularly within the first few days, as happened in 2021 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.

In May of last year this trecena began with lead-up events and preparations relating to the lavish coronation of a new king in England, with the coronation taking place on the ninth day. As always, the coronation was a resplendent pageant, complete with a 260-year old fairy tale gold coach, gorgeous Windsor Greys bedecked in glamorous red and gold trappings, and thousands of regally attired guards, troops, and horsemen. Then this past January this trecena saw the formal abdication of Queen Margrethe of Denmark, after 52 years as a monarch, and the coronation of her son Frederik, as well as the swearing in of a new president in Guatemala, and a highly consequential presidential election in Taiwan. Currently this trecena will bring the swearing in of Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City, as Mexico’s first woman president.

As much as solutions are needed for many significantly pressing global problems at this time, it is also possible to see how this trecena has brought many remedies that have turned tides in the past. Indeed, when this trecena was in place in March of 2021, not long after President Biden took office, millions of Americans were “dancing for joy” as 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 Biden’s 100 million vaccinations goal and millions of others worldwide were celebrating as they received their first immunizations against the coronavirus. That was also when there were several important confirmations for President 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.

Three cycles ago (in August of 2022) President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark legislation designed to curb inflation, reduce healthcare costs, cut energy costs, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. It was a time for great celebration as this was the signature legislation of his first term in office.

On the “other” front, it has now been two cycles since a number of overlapping legal proceedings were underway with regard to the multiply-indicted “former guy”. The civil trial brought by E. Jean Carroll against the dumpster for sexual abuse and defamation came to a close during this time frame in 2023, which concluded with the finding that he was liable on 9 charges, and fined $5 million. One cycle later, after he defamed her again, this same trecena brought forth another defamation trial against him, which was again won by Ms. Carroll, as he was fined over $83 million.

As this trecena opens with just over five weeks remaining until the US presidential election, keep in mind that in the past this Ajaw trecena has ushered in many events of great significance. These have included 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; Napoléon Bonaparte’s defeat at the monumental 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.

Back in the summer of 2020 this was the trecena when Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu and his cabinet attempted a land grab of up to 30% of the West Bank, covering Israeli settlements and the rich agricultural lands of the Jordan Valley (a plan backed by the dumpster), but there was severe backlash as this would be “a serious violation of international law”, and something that would “mortally wound the Palestinians”. Jordan’s King Abdullah described annexation as “unacceptable” and threatened to slash diplomatic ties. Hamas militants in Gaza called the plan a “declaration of war”, and that was exactly what has followed. Last January this trecena opened with a global day of action to protest the Gaza war, and it is likely that MUCH more protesting will take place this time, particularly with Israel on the brink of war with Lebanon, and hundreds of thousands of people attempting to evacuate from that region.

Events related to the sun or “the bringing forth of light” often show up during this period as well, as we could see in 2017 when this solar-oriented trecena not only brought forth a particularly strong solar flare, but also touched off “the greatest show in astronomy” during that summer. It was 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”. The last time this was in place (last January) the sun sent forth an extremely rare “sympathetic solar flare”, providing the reminder that we are fast approaching an explosive peak in the sun’s 11-year cycle, known as the solar maximum. Perhaps this time “Father Sun” will send forth “enlightening” flares to help earthlings resolve their many problems.

One thing that we can be sure of during this period is that things will be “hot” as world leaders express their disdain and work even more intently towards the creation of plans that can effectively put an end to the horrific conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. Unfathomably, this trecena marks the first anniversary of the Oct. 7th attack and hostage-taking event in Israel, with the whereabouts of close to 100 hostages still unknown.

As we go through this period it is likely that, indeed, there will be a great deal of “fancy dancing”. But, as much as there are critical issues to deal with, there will also be much to celebrate as well, as there are many special events taking place during this period, including a festival in India aligned with the 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, so she will likely be of great help to all those who are working so hard to help Kamala Harris become the first woman president of the US. Here are the energies that are coming into play:

1 Ajaw (Sept. 29th) – the “initiation of Full Sun/Enlightenment”, the traditional Maya celebrational “Day of Flowers”.

Often aligned with the heliacal rising of Venus, this is an important “marker” day in the Classical Long Count calendar. Currently, however, the situation is quite unusual as the Venus alignment is not currently in place, but there IS an rare celestial event underway, as a temporary mini-moon (asteroid 2024 PT5, about the size of a bus) is being captured by Earth’s gravitational force from now until Nov. 25th, before returning to its normal orbit around the sun.

In addition this is Michelmas, the feast of the Archangels, aka the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel, and World Heart Day, dedicated to raising awareness about how to combat cardiovascular disease

In March of 2020 this was the energy in place when Italy’s first nationwide Covid lockdown began, when the entire country was put under quarantine. This was also the energy in place in 1815 when Napoléon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, which marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. A good time to celebrate the fact that brutal dictators DO get defeated, eventually. This is Day 949 of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The last time this energy was in place hundreds of thousands of people participated in a global day of action to protest against the war in Gaza.

2 Imix (Sept. 30th) – a dynamic “balancing” type of energy often aligned with “world-making”, coinciding at this time with the 4th annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, aka Orange Shirt Day, which was designated as a national statutory holiday in June of 2021.

The creation of this important day, in remembrance of the roughly 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children in Canada who were forced to attend and suffer terrible abuses imposed by church-run residential schools over a period of more than 120 years, and the more than 4,000 children who are believed to have died in those schools, was one of the Calls to Action put forward by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

It is also the UN’s International Translation Day, celebrated on the feast day of St. Jerome, the Patron Saint of Librarians, and the Bible translator who is considered the Patron Saint of Translators. It’s also International Podcast Day.

It has now been three cycles exactly since Democrats in the US House of Representatives passed the monumental Inflation Reduction Act – the sweeping $740bn tax, healthcare, and climate change legislation that lowered healthcare costs for millions of Americans and provides for significant climate change action. This is President Biden’s Maya birth energy, now marking five cycles since the US House of Representatives voted to pass the revised, and highly consequential, Covid-19 relief bill.

3 Ik’ (Oct. 1st) the “activation” of Wind/Breath/Spirit, with many important events taking place at this time, including:

•  the UN’s International Day for Older Persons, coinciding with former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday
• the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum, the former mayor of Mexico City, as Mexico’s first woman president (“La Presidenta”). She is replacing her mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and has promised to continue to build on the “advances” made by Obrador, furthering the human rights programmes that made Obrador so popular. Last June she won the election with a supermajority.
• National Day in China, at the beginning of Golden Week, currently marking the 75th Gregorian anniversary of the proclamation of the founding of The People’s Republic of China. This national seven day holiday can often foment massive traffic jams due to the humungous movement of people.
• the beginning of a new fiscal year for the US government
• the vice presidential debate in the U.S., hosted by CBS News
• the beginning of Women’s History month in Canada, a good time to remember and honour the many women who have contributed so much to this country
• Defenders’ Day in Ukraine, to honour armed forces veterans
• the 66th Gregorian anniversary of the day in 1958 when NASA began its operations
• World Vegetarian Day

This marks five cycles since President Biden signed the historic $1.9tn coronavirus relief bill into law early in 2021.

This was 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 (Oct. 2nd) – 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, and is currently coinciding with the New Moon and an annular solar eclipse. This is World Architecture Day, with the theme of “Empowering the Next Generation in Participatory Urban Design”.

This is marking one cycle since the start of the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial against Trump after a US court of appeals ruled against his claim of immunity in this regard. She had already won one civil trial against him, just over one cycle earlier, where she was awarded over $5 million, and by the conclusion of this second trial she was awarded over $83 million.

Currently this energy is coinciding with the Catholic church’s Feast of the Guardian Angels. The evening brings the start of Rosh Hashanah – meaning “head of the year”, thought to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, and the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Also known as the Feast of Trumpets, this is a Jewish High Holy period that runs from the evening of October 2nd to the evening of October 4th.

In addition this is the UN’s International Day of Non-Violence, always observed on Mahatma Gandhi’s Gregorian birthday.

5 K’an (Oct. 3rd) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with youthful vitality and prosperity, that, without caution, has the potential to vere towards “recklessness”.

Currently this is the full day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. In South Korea this is the Foundation Day public holiday, known as the “Festival of the Opening of Heaven”, Tangun Day or Gaecheonjeol, commemorating the traditional founding of Korea by Tangun in 2333 BC. The holiday is celebrated with ceremonies on the summit of Mount Manisan on Kanghwa Island, about 25 miles west of Seoul. According to tradition, this is where Tangun offered sacrifices to heaven.

In India this is the start of Navratri, the Nine Nights of Devi at the start of India’s big festival season. Specifically 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.

Back in 1815 this was in place when Napoléon Bonaparte abdicated for the second time, before being shipped off into his final exile a few months later.

6 Chikchan (Oct. 4th) – “Lifeforce Everywhere” – a structuring type of energy associated with Lifeforce, the Arts, and Higher Knowledge, coinciding at this time with World Animal Day and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, a time for many Blessing of the Animals events.  World Animal Day was initiated in 1931 at a convention of ecologists to highlight the plight of endangered species, and since then has been observed annually as a tribute day for all animals.

This is also the start of the UN’s World Space Week  and the final day of Rosh Hashanah, which concludes in the evening.

Three cycles ago President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act under this influence, the signature legislation of his first term in office. That was the day when the US Dept of Education announced that it would cancel nearly $4 billion worth of federal student loans for 208,000 borrowers.

7 Kimi (Oct. 5th) – “self-generating death” or “self-generating foundations”, a “return to Source” type of force that can draw attention to “absolute foundations”, currently coinciding with UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day, with this year’s theme being “Valuing teacher voices: Towards a new social contract for education.”

Currently this marks the 171st anniversary of the start of the Crimea War in the mid 19th century, which Russia lost. It also marks four cycles 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.

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’ (Oct. 6th) – 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. Three cycles ago when this was in place the sun spewed forth twin coronal mass ejections.

When this was in place in May of 2023 the WHO declared that the public health emergency of international concern regarding Covid-19 was officially over, but they still warned that it continued to be a global health threat. That was a huge relief in the UK as there was a lot going on at that time, on the eve of the coronation of King Charles III. His parents, Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, were married under this influence in late November in 1947.

Currently this is the opening day for Mental Illness Awareness Week, dedicated to education and increasing awareness about mental health.

At this point 30 days remain until the 2024 election in the U.S.

9 Lamat (Oct. 7th) – an “outwardly projecting” type of energy associated with Venus and the idea of leadership, as was in place in May of 2023 at the time of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. More than 850 community and charity representatives attended the coronation, to mingle with the royals, heads of state, politicians, peers and diplomats at Westminster Abbey. That was the day when then-93-year-old former US astronaut Buzz Aldrin was named honorary brigadier general in the US Air Force.

Currently this energy is coinciding with the Draconids Meteor Shower, at the beginning of “announcement week” for this year’s Nobel Prizes, on the day when the scandal-plagued US Supreme Court begins a new term. This is also marking one year since the Oct. 7th, 2023 attacks on Israel that lit the fuse for the current war in Gaza. It is thought that at least 97 people taken hostage on that day remain in captivity in Gaza. At least 72 did not survive.

This is the UN’s World Cotton Day and World Habitat Day, with this year’s theme being “Engaging youth to create a better urban future”. It is also the 98th Gregorian birthday of Opal Lee, the feisty activist who fought long and hard to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday in the U.S. Happy Birthday Opal!

10 Muluk (Oct. 8th) – “foundational water”, often a powerful “shape-shifting” force, coinciding with the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding, as part of Mental Illness Awareness week. It is marking two cycles since the sun emitted a long-duration M1.5-class solar flare directly at Earth. Three days later the high levels of radiation associated with that event caused minor shortwave radio blackouts on Earth, and triggered supercharged aurora displays.

Currently this is the 83rd Gregorian birthday of political activist and civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. It is also vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz’s Maya birth energy.

11 Ok (Oct. 9th) – “inspirational love (or guidance)” – an “extinguishing” Burner Day representative of heart, love, fire, and passion, on the opening of the Global Summit on Gravitation, Astrophysics and Cosmology in Barcelona, Spain.

This is the Maya birth energy of Terry Fox, the young Canadian who sparked a movement, beginning in 1980, to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Over $900 million has been raised to date by the Terry Fox Foundation.

12 Chuwen (Oct. 10th) – “dedicated” play; a “timeweaver” type of energy than can have a kind of “anything is possible” aspect to it, coinciding at this time with World Mental Health Day, the World Health Organization’s World Sight Day, and the final day of World Space week. This also Party Foundation Day in North Korea, the celebration of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 1945, an annual public holiday that includes mass events and military parades.

Back in 2019 this was the energy in place when retired US Navy Adm. William McRaven, former head of Special Operations Command (the group that oversaw the 2011 raid in which Osama bin Laden was killed), delivered a fierce criticism of Trump in an opinion in the New York Times, titled Our Republic is Under Attack From the President, in which he warned that Trump’s policies were a stain on the US and its values. In McRaven’s words: “A good leader sets the example for others to follow. A good leader always puts the welfare of others before himself or herself.” Addressing Trump directly in the article, McRaven said: “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.”  The fact that, precisely two cycle agos, the dumpster was found guilty of rape (in the first case brought to trial by E. Jean Carroll) clearly added to the overall argument made by Adm. McRaven. The defamation case against Trump, also brought to trial by Ms. Carroll, one cycle ago (and won by her), underscored this once again.

One cycle after Adm. McRaven delivered that warning, former defense secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta, who served in various capacities under nine US presidents, emphasized that Trump had “essentially gone AWOL  from the job of leadership” during the Covid crisis, telling CNN host Anderson Cooper that “rather than bringing together some kind of national strategy to confront this crisis, [Trump] simply resorts to tweeting about vandalism and other things to . . . divert attention from the crisis that’s there. [Trump] . . . is not willing to stand up and do what is necessary in order to lead this country during time of major crisis. I have never experienced a president who has avoided that responsibility.”

Echoing those earlier warnings, just two days before the start of this current trecena, General Stanley McChrystal, the former 4 star commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, made it clear that Kamala Harris was the only one of the two candidates for president whose character was suitable for the position. During the last trecena hundreds of national security and military leaders also formally endorsed Harris.

13 Eb’ (Oct. 11th) – “transformational vitality”; a powerful stream-of-consciousness type of energy reflective of intense vibrancy at the end of this “sun-oriented” time frame, a vitality that can sometimes “let loose”, often with intense weather systems. The many events of importance at this time include:

• Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which begins in the evening.
• National Coming Out Day
• the UN’s International Day of the Girl, marking the 13th anniversary of the celebration of this day that promotes the human rights of the girl child in all areas, and helps to support their development
• 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.
• the release of “The Apprentice” movie on Netflix, which tells the story of how a young dumpster started his real estate business in New York in the 70’s & ‘80s with the help of infamous lawyer Roy Cohn.

It has now been two cycles ago since the journal BMJ Global Health published an article in which doctors and public health professionals from five different countries warned that AI could harm the health of millions and pose an existential threat to humanity, as they called for a halt to the development of artificial general intelligence until it is regulated.

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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.]