Do you remember how you felt at the beginning of this year – with Christmas behind you and the darkness of early January closing in? Many people just wanted to “hunker down” and rest, recuperate from the holidays, and regroup. That was 260 days (one Tzolk’in cycle) ago, and here we are again, working with the same energies for the second time this year.

And while these energies are certainly conducive for reflection, they also tend to provide important opportunities for addressing and working through “deep, dark” challenges – particularly as they pertain to ethics, morality, and some of the “shadier” facets relating to the human condition.

One of the ancient Mesoamerican symbols and translations associated with the first day of this period is “House” or “Temple” – a “looking inward” place associated with darkness and mysteries, a place suited to retreat and contemplation, particularly when comfort or direction is needed.

And, as it happens, various forms of “House” will be drawing considerable attention during this period, not the least of which is the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where many high-level meetings will take place at this time, including the global Climate Ambition Summit and the UN’s General Debate.

In Washington DC, the US House of Representatives will draw much attention, as issues associated with ethics and morality will be writ very large as Speaker McCarthy and others battle to find some way to prevent Republican right-wingers from shutting down the government. At the same time other significant actions associated with the same kinds of issues will bring court houses in the US into the spotlight as judges and prosecutors continue with their plans to bring the dumpster and his cohorts to justice.

Coming up in the middle of this trecena is Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which ties right in with the nature of these contemplative energies. And then, towards the end of this period, the Judeo/Christian Feast of the Tabernacles, aka Sukkot, will begin, which involves reflection on things of a spiritual nature in temporary foliage-covered dwellings known as sukkahs – also very much in keeping with the nature of this period.

From the ancient Mesoamerican perspective, the Aztec depicted the overseer of this period as a deity known as Itzpapálotl, aka 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, indeed, this trecena has been known to “stir things up”, and bring things into the light, often exposing a cauldron of issues that need to be addressed, as was the situation just over 50 years ago when the Watergate scandal was brought to light in Washington DC. And these days issues of that nature seem to be running rampant.

Fortunately, as this trecena gets underway, world leaders will be gathering in New York, to put heads together to address such pressing concerns as climate change, world health, world security, and how to provide assistance for millions of refugees who have been left homeless due to wars, earthquakes, floods, or other such disasters. Within the context of this trecena, the Russia-Ukraine war will reach its 600th day, with still no resolution to a conflict that is causing widespread misery, at the same time as authoritarian forces are trying to form alliances. Reflection and “thoughful action” are needed more than ever as leaders work towards finding solutions.

Indeed, it seems that this Ak’b’al trecena often serves as a major “marker” with regard to some of the major issues that humankind has to grapple with – as happened five cycles ago when the first cases of coronavirus in the US were reported. At that time the dumpster was insisting that Covid-19 was a Democratic hoax, but progress was eventually made when US laboratories and hospitals were finally allowed to conduct Covid-19 tests, and lawmakers began working on a bipartisan $8.3bn bill to help in the fight against the coronavirus.

Back in 1971 issues pertaining to ethics and even criminality were definitely being stirred up when the whole Watergate subterfuge began unravelling on the first day of this time frame, with the early morning arrest of the Watergate burglars, which kicked off a major investigation that led to the impeachment proceedings against President Nixon, and his eventual resignation. This trecena’s emphasis on shedding light on “hidden secrets” was clearly observable at that time.

Six 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.

Four cycles ago, in November of 2020, it became clear that the very sore loser of the U.S. presidential election was going into meltdown mode. That was when 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. . . . and everyone is aware of what happened a few weeks later.

By the time this trecena came into place three cycles ago, in July of 2021, the Select Committee to investigate the coup attempt was holding hearings, and a great deal of 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 six years worth of the dumpster’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means committee, information that had long been withheld, and the word “criminal” was starting to be used with regard to the dumpster’s overall activities.

The fourth day of this current trecena marks one 260-day cycle exactly since Special Counsel Jack Smith returned to Washington to lead investigations into the multiple offences that have been swirling around the dumpster. These investigations officially confirmed the criminality of many of those actions. Included in the current tally of 91 criminal counts against him are 44 federal felonies and 47 state felonies, spanning four major indictments. And so the stage seems to be set for the next cycle, which will focus on trials and prosecutions. As we journey through this current “darkness before dawn” trecena, it is likely that some glimmers of light will begin to flicker. To guide us onwards, we can see Venus as a bright morning star at this time, hopefully heralding the promise of light to come.

And on that note, we can look to India to remind us that one of that country’s most auspicious celebrations will be running concurrently with this trecena at this time. That is the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in honour of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, giver of good fortune, patron of the arts, letters, and knowledge, and Lord of New Beginnings. So as we journey through the current darkness, let’s call in Lord Ganesha as we are taking this opportunity for reflection. We can use all the help that is available to clear away the obstacles and work towards brighter days ahead. Here are the energies that we will be working with:

1 Ak’b’al (Sept. 18th) – the “initiation” of “darkness” (or “contemplation”), in association with deep mysteries, coinciding at this time with the gathering of Heads of State and Government at the UN Headquarters in New York to review implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As this energy also translates as “House” or “Temple”, this also fits well with the idea of world leaders “hunkering down” for contemplation inside the large “house/temple” built for that purpose (the UN headquarters).

This is also Independence Day in Chile, Respect for the Aged Day in Japan, International Equal Pay Day, and Day 592 of the Russia-Ukraine war.

It has now been one cycle since Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took over as president of Brazil when he began what had been termed the “herculean task” of sorting out all the damage caused by the mismanagement of the outgoing Bolsonaro government.

This energy marks four cycles exactly since US election security officials rejected the dumpster’s claims of fraud, as they called it “the most secure in American history”, with no evidence whatsoever that voting was in any way compromised. It also marks three cycles exactly since it was reported that handwritten notes were found that revealed that the dumpster, in the final days of his presidency, had directly instructed the DoJ to take steps to overturn a free and fair election.

Back in June of 1972, this One Ak’b’al energy was in place at the time of the Watergate burglary, and the early morning arrest of the burglars, that ultimately led to impeachment proceedings against President Nixon, and to his resignation in 1974, three cycles + 3 days later.

2 K’an (Sept. 19th) – a dynamic type of energy often aligned with the germination of new possibilities, as Venus reaches its greatest brightness in the dawn sky, at the time when the general debate begins at the United Nations. On this second day of the SDG (world leaders summit), this is is the day Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy is expected to address the UN.

This is the Maya birth energy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who put forth passionate calls for freedom, justice, and equality during the 1960’s. It would have been the New Fire birthday of the 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.

In the summer of 2021 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.

Cuurently this is the start of the highly anticipated Ganesh Chaturthi festival in India and elsewhere, a popular Hindu festival in honour of Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, giver of good fortune and prosperity, patron of the arts, letters, and knowledge, and Lord of New Beginnings, that spans 10-11 days each year. This is one of the most important festivals in Hinduism. Lord Ganesha’s birth is celebrated on this first day of the festival, as people set up statues decorated with flowers, garlands, and lights to welcome Ganesh into their homes and temples.

3 Chikchan (Sept. 20th) – “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. It is often a “marker” day for consequential events, as it will be at this time when the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit  will be held at the UN’s headquarters in New York.

 

Activists have been urging President Biden to commit to phasing out fossil fuels at this time. They are also asking for the declaration of a climate emergency to halt fossil fuel exports and investments abroad, and turbocharge the buildout of more just, resilient distributed energy such as rooftop solar. A high-level dialogue on financing for development, and a high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response will also take place at the UN at this time. This is Day 2 of the General Debate.

It has now been one cycle exactly since Congress went through a large re-shuffle in the US, as Republicans assumed “control” of the House of Representatives. However, the outcome of that has been one full cycle of chaos, with a huge amount of dissension within that party that began with Kevin McCarthy’s struggle to win the Speakership. And now, with a government shut-down looming, due to all that chaos and incompetence, McCarthy is again struggling to get the consensus needed, by the end of this month and the end of this trecena, to fund the government before that shut-down clicks in. However, after one full cycle of trying to appease the right-wing faction of his party, he finally mustered up a molecule of courage and told them: “We’re going to get this done. Nobody wins in a government shutdown.”

As it happens, this marks four cycles exactly since the incompetent loser in the 2020 election, aka the super-spreader-in-chief, and now defendant in multiple criminal and civil cases, 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.

On this day the legendary Sophia Loren celebrates her 89th birthday.

4 Kimi (Sept. 21st) – 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, as was in place in the summer of 1974 when President Nixon stepped down after the release of the proof of his covert involvement in the Watergate scandal.

It has now been ten cycles (2600 days) since fifty of the most senior Republican national security officials signed an open letter declaring that the dumpster “lacks the character, values, and experience” to be president and would put the national security and well-being of the U.S. at risk. They warned that not only would he be “the most reckless president in American history” but that he would weaken the moral authority of the country. They couldn’t have been more right, as there has been much commentary on the “failure of moral courage” on the part of high-ranking members of the GOP, in light of the havoc wreaked by their so-called leader over the last few years. It appears that far too many of them have forgotten President Reagan’s impassioned speech given to the British parliament on a 4 Kimi day in 1982, in which he warned against totalitarian forces and “their barbarous assault on the human spirit”. In his words: “If history teaches anything it teaches self-delusion in the face of unpleasant facts is folly”. In that speech he extolled the importance of freedom to vote and emphatically emphasized that

“ . . . . democracy is not a fragile flower. Still it needs cultivating. If the rest of this century is to witness the gradual growth of freedom and democratic ideals, we must take actions to assist the campaign for democracy.”       Ronald Reagan

No doubt Reagan would have been appalled to see what has happened to his party and his country over the past few years. Click here for the speech as a whole. Note the objective that he proposed:

“to foster the infrastructure of democracy, the system . . .  which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means”.    Ronald Reagan

Note, as well, that this day marks one cycle exactly since Special Counsel Jack Smith returned to Washington (in January) and began his investigations into the dumpster’s criminality. So that was nine cycles exactly after that warning issued by those senior Republicans about the perils that would lie ahead if the dumpster was ever elected.

Currently this is UN’s International Day of Peace, with this year’s theme being Actions for
Peace: Our Ambition for the #GlobalGoals.

It is also World Alzheimer’s Day, associated with raising awareness about Alzheimer’s and dementia, and World Gratitude Day.

On this day there will be a high-level meeting at the UN on Universal Health Coverage and on preparations for next year’s Summit of the Future.  Day 3 of the General Debate.

This is also the day when US Senators will meet with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, and President Biden will meet with him at the White House. Biden is seeking a further $24bn in aid for Ukraine’s war effort from Congress. Zelenskyy’s last visit was just over one cycle ago.

5 Manik’ (Sept.22nd) – a “blessing” or “precision” type of energy associated with reciprocity, coinciding at this time with the Fall Equinox (at 11:49 Pacific Time). This is Native American Day in California and Nevada, and Elephant Appreciation Day.
At the U.N. in New York, this is Day 4 of the General Debate, and the second high-level meeting pertaining to the global fight against tuberculosis.  Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy will visit Canada and address Canada’s Parliament.

At this point it has been five cycles exactly (5 x 260 days) since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in New York in March of 2020, and six cycles since that massive June, 2019 National Day of Action in more than 100 cities and towns across the US that called for the first impeachment inquiry against the dumpster. And now Speaker McCarthy has called for an impeachment inquiry relating to President Biden, just to appease the far right coup-supporting members of the House, even though there is no foundation for such an inquiry. How low House Republicans have sunk since the democracy-upholding days of President Reagan!

On this day there will be a hearing in New York relating to the civil case brought by New York’s attorney-general pertaining to the alleged widespread fraud connected to the Trump Organization, with that trial scheduled for Oct. 2nd.

6 Lamat (Sept. 23rd) – a “structuring” type of energy associated with the heralding of new ideas, coinciding at this time with the UN’s International Day of Sign Languages, on Day 5 of the General Debate. This is the first day of the two-day sixth Annual Canadian Walk for Veterans event, to provide support for veterans who suffer from PTSD.

In 1815 (Feb. 26th) this was the energy in place when Napoléon Bonaparte snuck away from exile in Elba and returned to France in an effort to regain control. Three months after this return attempt he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo. Shades of things to come for many Republicans as the dumpster meets his Waterloo during the forthcoming trials?

This is also Bruce Springsteen’s 74th birthday, when New Jersey will celebrate Bruce Springsteen Day.

7 Muluk (Sept. 24th) – a “self-generating”, pivotal, shape-shifting type of energy associated with water, coinciding at this time with World Rivers day, a global celebration of the world’s waterways, with emphasis on the importance of keeping them clean, particularly since it has been found that some of the world’s best-known rivers (including the Thames and the Danube) have been contaminated with dangerously high levels of antibiotics.

Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins in the evening.

This is the Maya birth energy of historian Timothy Snyder, author of the bestselling On Tyranny, one of many who warned that the dumpster would attempt to take control of the government. Five cycles ago, as of this day, Nancy Pelosi (who will not use his name) called the dumpster “the most dangerous person in the history of [the US]” – and that was well before the coup attempt.

8 Ok (Sept. 25th) – a “double sun” type of force, symbolic of the “resurrection of love, guidance, and loyalty”, coinciding with the full day of the Jewish Yom Kippur, which ends at nightfall. Opening day for the three-day Infosec World (Business of Security) Conference in Florida.

It has now been two full cycles since 61-year old Igor Pedin left his home in the beseiged port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, with his dog Zhu-Zhu, to begin a treacherous 140-mile journey by foot, often through Russian-occupied territory, to get to safety in Zaporizhzhia. His remarkable story has been featured in The Guardian and in the London exhibition entitled “What Would you Take? – Ukraine: Stories of Escape” that opened on June 1st this year. And still that war rages on!

9 Chuwen (Sept. 26th) “outwardly projecting creativity”, on Day 6 of the UN’s General Debate, on the UN’s International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. This also marks Day 600 of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The evening brings the start of Mawlid al-Nabi, the observance of the birthday of the prophet Muhammad in the Muslim calendar.

This is the publication date for Cassidy Hutchinson’s book titled “Enough”. She was a pivotal witness in the Jan. 6th Select Committee’s hearings, as she bravely provided testimony about key behind-the-scenes events at the White House during the Jan. 6th coup attempt. No doubt many more “secrets” will be revealed as she describes her experiences from an insider’s perspective.

This was the energy that was in place in January of 2013 when then U.S. President Barack Obama and then Vice-President Joe Biden were sworn-in for the second time. In 1775 this was the Maya Calendar energy in place at the start of the American Revolution, and in 1789 when the Bastille was stormed in Paris, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. In 1815 this was the energy in place when Napoléon Bonaparte landed back in southern France after leaving exile in Elba a few days earlier, on his quest to regain control.

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

10 Eb’ (Sept. 27th) – “foundational animating vitality”, coinciding at this time with the full day of Mawlid al-Nabi, which ends at nightfall. This is also World Tourism Day.

It has now been five cycles 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.

This was also the energy in place when the sizzling 25 ton Aztec Calendar Stone was found by workmen repairing Mexico City’s Central Plaza (the Zócalo) in 1790, 233 years ago.

11 B’en (Sept. 28th) – “inspirational personal authority”, with many significant events on this day. This is the UN’s International Day for Universal Access to Information, which aims “to raise public awareness of the critical role that newsrooms and journalists play in helping people make sense of — and improve — the rapidly changing world around them”. It is also World News Day, in support of journalists and their audiences who work together, using facts and understanding, to make the world a better place.

In addition this is World Maritime Day, with the theme MARPOL at 50 – Our Commitment goes on.  It is also Confucius’s birthday, sometimes called “Teacher’s Day” as Confucius is known as China’s “First Teacher”.

In India and elsewhere this is Anant Chaturdashi, the day of the biggest spectacle of the Ganesh festival that began on Sept. 19th. This is the day when Ganesh statues are submerged in bodies of water, so that Ganesh can “become formless” once again and people can ask him to return next year. Ganesh “assumed form” on the first day of the festival, and returns to formlessness on this final day, symbolically representing an endless cycle. The teaching is that all things change but “Source” (the “Supreme Truth”) remains the same.

And for animal lovers everywhere – this is Remember Me Thursday, a focal point for a global campaign to increase awareness of pet adoption organizations around the world, a campaign to help orphaned pets to find forever homes. There is no doubt there continues to be a great need for assistance in this area.

Two cycles ago (in April of 2022) this was the energy in place when leaders from over 40 nations met in Germany to discuss ways and means to provide support for Ukraine. In 2015 this was in place when hundreds of thousands of people marched 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. Currently, as noted above, the UN’s Climate Ambition Summit took place on Sept. 20th , so the results of that will be known by this time.

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.

12 Ix (Sept. 29th) a “gathering together” type of energy oriented around earth forces, deep mysteries, and the power of transformation, coinciding at this time with the Full Harvest Moon, with World Heart Day, and with Michelmas, the feast of the Archangels, aka the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel.

This is also the day of the Chinese Moon Festival (aka the Mooncake Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival), one of the largest festivals in mainland China and East Asia.

This marks the beginning of the Judeo/Christian Feast of the Tabernacles, aka Sukkot, an eight-day Jewish holiday that begins five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection the creator provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. The celebration of Sukkot involves dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a sukkah) and use of the “Four Kinds” (arba minim), four special species of plants, in ceremonies. During the first one or two days when work is forbidden, candles are lit in the evening, and festive meals are preceded with a Kiddush blessing and include a special bread called challah, dipped in honey.

In Las Vegas the official opening of the 366-foot tall Sphere will take place. This amazing structure features a staggering 580,000-square-foot fully programmable LED screen, named the Exosphere, that displays constantly changing images, including of things such as Earth, the Moon, and various planets.

In 2010 this was the energy that was in place when the historic Health Care Reform Bill – “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” – was passed by the US House of Representatives. In 2021 this was in place when the US Senate passed the massive $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, following months of intensive negotiations.

Currently this marks the Calendar Round return of the energy that was in place in 1971 at the start of the glitzy celebration of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, seen at that time as “the most expensive party ever”.

13 Men (Sept. 30th) – transformational high vision, a high-energy type of force that tends to be highly cause-oriented, and is often world-shaping, now coinciding with the end of the fiscal year for the US government. Hundreds of government agencies would be unable to continue normal operations without approval of new spending bills after this date, and a potential government shutdown would loom the following day. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be furloughed without pay and a wide range of services could be disrupted, from passport applications to trash pickup at national parks.

Two cycles ago this was in place when UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy in Kyiv, in April of 2022, at the same time as five rocket strikes hit that city. That was the day when President Biden announced that the U.S. would provide $33bn in aid for Ukraine. Currently, as President Biden and the US Senate are meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on the fourth day of this present trecena, it is possible that an additional $24bn in aid will be announced by this time.

Currently this is the third 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 commemoration 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.

This 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 is also International Podcast Day and International Rabbit Day.

In 1971, one Calendar Round ago, a magnificent parade was staged at Persepolis, as part of that celebration of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. That also seemed to be the “last hurrah” for Iran before everything started to crumble. Click here for a description of that grand event.

Note that this is an energy that has the potential to be “dangerously intense”, as could be seen ten cycles ago, in 2016, when the dumpster was given his first intelligence briefing as the Republican nominee for president, even though the FBI and CIA were becoming aware of contacts between his campaign and Russia. As scarey as that seemed at the time, could anyone had imagined that he would eventually blatantly contravene the Espionage Act to the point where he would cart off and squirrel away boxes and boxes full of classified documents – the subject of one of the DOJ current cases against him?

At this point the New York attorney-general’s major fraud case trial against his company is due to start in three days.

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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.]