A national display of Independence and Defiance, massive displays of weaponry, the launch of a colossal rocket on a moon mission, dreams unleashed and unfettered on an expanse of desert, a nationwide reminder of women’s rights, and both civil and criminal investigations (including one relating to violations of the Espionage Act) relating to a former president – all are representations of robust purpose and concerted self determination and all are unfolding within the framework of this B’en (personal authority oriented) time frame.

Over the past few days a large display of destroyed Russian tanks and other captured vehicles and weapons has been set up on Kyiv’s main street in preparation for the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence from the USSR. Thousands of residents are in the process of leaving the city in fear of the possibility of an intensification of Russia’s attacks, as the first day of this trecena (One B’en) marks six months since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. President Zelensky has called for Ukraine’s blue and yellow flog to be raised everywhere, including in occupied regions.

On the other side of the planet, in response to increased North Korean missile tests (more than 30 launches so far this year), the U.S. and South Korea are engaging in their Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, the biggest joint military drills in five years. In the past this has involved tens of thousands of troops and large numbers of warships, aircraft, and tanks. This, of course, does not sit well with North Korea which sees these actions as being “hostile”, so there could be considerable tension between these nations during much of this trecena as major powers try to stare (and perhaps shout) each other down.

But then, these kinds of actions might be seen as par for the course for this particular trecena. Indeed, it seems that just before this current trecena began the Russian dictator was already feeling this energy as he lauded Russia’s flag and spoke about “military glory”, Russia as “a strong, independent world power”, and “the desire to live according to one’s will, to choose one’s own path and follow it”, as he once again tried to justify his assault on Ukraine.

Indeed, in the past, Putin has often engaged in chest-pounding around the time when these energies return, as he did back in 2014 at the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics, 12 cycles ago. That glitzy extravaganza opened on the first day of this B’en oriented time frame. At a cost of over $50 billion, it was the most expensive Olympics ever, attended by athletes from 88 countries, with a record worldwide broadcast of 2.1 billion people. As much as it was intended to highlight the achievements of 21st century Russia, it was also a Putin-arranged powerplay, a kind of shell game, meant to divert attention away from what he was orchestrating elsewhere, as his military forces were preparing to invade the Crimean peninsula. Then, one cycle ago (last December), just as this was coming into place, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy was warning that his country’s intelligence service had discovered that Russia, again, was planning some sort of coup or attack against Ukraine – a kind of horrific echo from previous cycles.

Note that as these echoes reverberate, we are once again returning to the influence of One B’en (aka One Reed), which is representative of the “initiation” of “self determination”. This is the powerful force that marks the beginning of the second 52-day period within the 260 day Tzolk’in cycle. This is a force that often presents itself in bold ways, picking up the banner of authority, so to speak, and pointing towards new kinds of action that will play out over the next 52 day period (4 trecenas).

Generally represented by robust growing corn, symbolic of strong self determination and “personal authority”, that sense of “vigorous energy pushing through”, is highly representative of both the B’en daysign and this period as a whole. Many “pillar-like” symbols tie in with this idea, as could be seen in 2020 during this trecena when the symbolic nature of statues became the focus of attention during Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

During this period it is not unusual to see strong statements from Mother Earth, as in volcanic eruptions such as that of Mount Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2018, and the Fagradalsfjall volcano, near Reykjavik in Iceland, that drew worldwide attention last year, and several others that have coincided with this time frame. Tornadoes and typhoons also have a tendency to appear during this period.

And, unfortunately, new phases of the pandemic have also had a tendency to appear during this period, as it did one cycle ago when the Omicron variant began its rapid spread, just as the Delta variant had done one cycle before that. Now, it seems that it is monkeypox that’s picking up steam. As before, it seems that a whole new set of combat measures may need to be implemented to deal with this new threat. And, given that the US alone has again nearly doubled its coronavirus case numbers, and other countries have more than doubled theirs over the past 260-day cycle, it’s not as if that worry is behind us. Indeed, some dashboards are showing that over 600,000,000 cases have now been recorded globally, with well over 95 million being in the U.S.  Japan continues to lead the way with over 200,000 new cases nearly every day. The issue of “how to stop the spread in largely unvaccinated populations” globally still looms large.

The “self determination” aspect associated with this time frame often shows up quite vividly during this period as well, with individuals often stepping forth to “claim” authority. Often this can be seen from the perspective of leadership, associated with the idea of “standing up for justice and equality” – an idea which has often manifested through the “stepping forward” of individuals who reveal themselves to be very much aligned with justice and human rights. Indeed, it was the first day of this trecena in early January of 1960 when John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy and initiated his campaign for the US presidency. This was also the energy in place in 2011 when President Obama announced that he would be running for a second term as U.S. president. Abraham Lincoln was not only born during this trecena, but the final phase of his funeral events, followed by his interment, also took place during this time period.

One cycle ago the reins of power in Germany were handed over to Olaf Scholz who replaced Germany’s long-serving chancellor Angela Merkel, and this time, on the last day of this trecena, the UK’s new Prime Minister will be announced.

On the other side of the coin we find that much attention during this time frame will be given to a situation that involves the “hair-on-fire former guy”, and many of his chronies, attempting to turn “justice and equality” on its head as he tries to defend and deflect from the fact that 26 boxes of presidential records, including hundreds of highly classified documents, were uncovered by the FBI at his resort in Florida, including top secret national defense information. This volatile, high-profile situation involving the Espionage Act is just one of several investigations currently underway, and may be one of the cases where his blustery “personal authority” finally runs out of steam.

Historically many huge shifts in the balance of power have taken place during this time frame, as when Hernán Cortés and his conquistadores began pushing into the interior of Mexico just over 500 years ago during this period, fomenting the devastating events that dramatically changed the whole of Mesoamerica.

In 2007 this trecena was in place when Nancy Pelosi made history by becoming the first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the highest ranking female lawmaker in American politics.

Traditionally the patrons of this B’en trecena were seen as being highly oriented around the idea of cleansing and “purification”, which often involves a shifting of energies to clear out stagnation. Indeed the principal patron of this time period was seen as Chalchiuhtlicue, the Goddess of Running Water, associated with the cleansing waters of the earth. She is sometimes accompanied by Tlazoltéotl, the “Great Mother” goddess who not only represents fertility, but also forgiveness and healing. Often some sense of “renewed vitality” can be felt during this time frame.

With so many high stakes altercations underway at this time, these trecena patrons will have their work cut out for them. As we step forward into this new energy zone, here are the energies that will come into play:

One B’en (Aug. 24th) – the “initiation” of personal authority, an important 52-day Shift-point within the 260-day cycle, at the beginning of a time frame that is often associated with some significant form of social or political adjustment, or some important announcement. It is anticipated that this is the day when the US will announce that it will give Ukraine an additional $3bn in military aid, bringing the total up to $10.6bn so far.

The last time this was in place (last Dec.) President Biden spoke with Putin about the buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine’s border in an effort to ease tensions with regard to the suspected forthcoming Russian offensive against Ukraine. Obviously, that was to no avail, as this day now marks six months since the start of Russia’s invasion.

Currently there is major concern not only because of the continuing war, but also because of the continued shelling of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, despite warnings from the G7 and the UN that this could provoke the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

This is complicated even further by the fact that this day marks the 31st Gregorian anniversary of Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence (from the USSR), and President Zelensky is warning that “Russia may try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious” with regard to this anniversary.

In early 1960 this was the energy in place when John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy and initiated his campaign for the U.S. Presidency. In 2011 this was the energy in place when President Obama announced that he would be running for his second term as president.

2 Ix (Aug. 25th) – a dynamic type of energy aligned with “jaguar” earth mysteries and transformation, on the day when a decision will be made regarding the possible unsealing of the affidavit relating to the FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search. It is believed that the affidavit will lay out a case for the possibility of finding “evidence of multiple federal crimes” in that search. If unsealed it is likely to be heavily redacted to protect the integrity of the investigation.

This is the Day of Songun, a national holiday in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The Songun (meaning ‘military-first’. ‘Son’ meaning ‘First’ and ‘Gun’ meaning Military’), system was devised by Kim Jong-il to assign a classification to every citizen based on the socioeconomic background at the time of liberation in 1945. Songun, officially ‘Songun Politics’, prioritises the military in all aspects of Korean society and has boosted the importance of the Korean People’s Army in politics, society and culture.

This marks one cycle since the swearing-in of Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz, who replaced that country’s long-serving chancellor Angela Merkel. This is also the Maya birth energy of António Guterres, the current Secretary-General of the U.N.

3 Men (Aug. 26th) – the “activation of Higher Vision”; a Burner Day oriented around “announcing the fire” at the beginning of the “Eagle” burner sequence, an energy that sometimes heralds the nature of some important forthcoming event or challenge.

This is Women’s Equality Day, celebrating the 102nd Gregorian anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. 19th amendment, which granted all citizens, including women, the constitutional right to vote. With voting rights STILL under severe threat in the US, this will be an important Day of Action, with this year’s theme being “Celebrating Women’s Right to Vote”. Vantage Circle lists a number of different ways to recognize this day.

This is the 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the Women’s Strike for Peace and Equality in 1970 when massive Women’s Liberation demonstrations and marches took place in New York and in other cities across the U.S.

This marks 8 cycles since US intelligence agencies announced that they had overwhelming evidence that Russian hackers linked to the Kremlin were behind the hacking of the 2016 US presidential election, with Putin orchestrating it in an effort to help the dumpster. Four cycles before that (in early 2014) some 70,000 pro-Western Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv’s Independence Square in a major push to oust President Viktor Yanukovych over his alliance with Russia.

Four cycles ago, in 2019, this energy was in place at the time of the enthronement ceremony for Emperor Naruhito, the 126th Emperor of Japan, which was seen as a supreme act of “personal authority” as he officially proclaimed his own enthronement, with dignitaries from over 190 countries and international organizations in attendance for the elaborate event.

Currently this is International Dog Day and the last day of Ghost month in China.

4 Kib’ (Aug. 27th) – a “defining” day associated with the restoration of order; often a “getting down to business” type of force, coinciding at this time with the New Moon, and the installation, by Pope Francis, of the first cardinal of Brazil’s Amazon region. Although this is described as a sign of the Pope’s concern for the rainforest and its indigenous inhabitants, there is concern that, as in the past, this could contribute to undermining or uprooting some of the traditional cultural practises in that region. 21 new cardinals will be appointed at this time in a ceremony known as a consistory, a formal meeting of the College of Cardinals.

In 1989 this was the energy in place when the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act was signed into law, which required the return of Native American human remains and cultural objects by museums and universities.

This is the day when Uvalde families will be leading a rally in Austin, Texas to demand that the government raise the age for buying assault weapons to 21. Which begs the question – why would anyone even feel a need to buy such a weapon, at any age? Given that this is also the 62nd Gregorian anniversary of “Axe Handle Saturday”, when black students participating in an anti-segregation sit-in in Jacksonville, FL were attacked by an angry mob brandishing baseball bats and axe handles, it would seem that a lot of similar questions could be asked about why such violence in the US has been so widespread for so many years.

This was the energy influence in place in 1922 when the treaty was signed on the formation of the USSR, aka the Soviet Union.

5 Kab’an (Aug. 28th) – a “pivotal” type of energy associated with evolutionary movement, coinciding at this time with start of Burning Man in Nevada, with this year’s theme being “Waking Dreams”.

This is the 59th Gregorian anniversary of the (9 Manik’) day when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led 250,000 people on an historic “March on Washington”, when he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Given that voting rights are still a pressing issue, it is likely that there will be another “March On for Voting Rights: The Legacy Continues” event. As noted last year – at that time 48 US states had introduced 389 bills to restrict voting access, and so the call to demand federal voting rights protection continues.

In 2008 this was the energy in place when the Indian Residential Schools Truth and
Reconciliation Commission was established in Canada. The work of that commission was completed in 2015 but many more “truths” in that regard have been revealed since then, and there is much more to be done to fully implement the recommendations that came out of those investigations.

6 Etz’nab’ (Aug. 29th) – a “six directions”, “knife edge” type of energy often associated with “separation” that can often be quite attention-getting, as seen in the past when volcanic eruptions have occurred under this influence. This time this coincides with the launch of Artemis I on a 42 day mission to the moon, a test for a manned 2024 mission – intriguingly, on the Maya birth day of Michael Collins, who piloted the Command Module for the Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969, while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon.

This is also the UN’s International Day Against Nuclear Tests (aka Anti-Nuclear Day).

This is the 17th Gregorian anniversary of the day when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana coast in 2005, triggering severe flooding that brought devastation from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi.

In 1865 this was the energy in place at the time of President Abraham Lincoln’s interment in Springfield, Illinois after a 3-week series of events that included his funeral train “tour” from Washington, D.C. to Springfield. The other important event at that time was the ending of all Confederate resistance east of the Mississippi River, as the Civil War was winding down. Note also that the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford occurred under the influence of 6 Etz’nab’ in 1975.

7 Kawak (Aug. 30th) – “self-generating storm”, an energy that could bring intense weather or potentially manifest as a “storm of compassion” or a “storm of passion” oriented around a cause, coinciding at this time the start of the colourful 10-day Onam harvest festival in Kerala, India, where the ground in front of homes would be decorated with wonderful floral carpets called pookkalams, and people celebrate with feasting, new clothes, games, and snake boat races.

In May of 1865 this was the energy in place when the Confederate government in the US was offically dissolved, prior to the final surrender of Confederate forces.

8 Ajaw (Aug. 31st) – “resurrection” of the sun and “enlightenment”, seven cycles since the sun unleashed two powerful X-class solar flares, with the second being the most powerful in more than a decade, resulting in a “wide area of blackouts” over the sunlit side of Earth. As we are now in another active sunspot period it is possible that more flares might be seen at this time.

This is International Overdose Awareness Day, when candlelight vigils will be held in many areas to bring attention to the opioid crisis and to Overdose Prevention. It is also the 25th anniversary of the tragic death of Princess Diana.

This marks two cycles exactly since 24 world leaders called for a new global settlement to help the world prepare for future pandemics, as they emphasized that a treaty similar to that reached in the wake of World War II was needed to build cross-border cooperation. Currently this is the first day of a 3-day closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Russia’s gas supply to Europe.

This day marks 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, patron of the arts, letters, and knowledge, and Lord of New Beginnings, that spans 11-12 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.

9 Imix (Sept. 1st) – “immortal” birth/the realm of all potential – a force that could have a far reaching influence, as was seen in 2015 when, under this influence, NASA released the first image of Earth from its Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, showing Earth from one million miles away.

This is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s New Fire birthday, and since she is new to the US Supreme Court (as of her confirmation last April), she will certainly be experiencing a “New Fire shift” in her life as she gets down to business in this new position.

This is the final day of the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises in South Korea. Hopefully they make it through without engaging in any way with North Korea. And if that isn’t enough, this marks the start of the Vostok 2022 military drills (involving troops from Russia, China, India, and several other countries) in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan. This will involve over 50,000 troops, 140 aircraft, and 60 warships. In addition, this is the day when more severe water restrictions could go into effect in California, in the context of the severe drought.

This is also the start of National Service Dog Month. Founded 13 years ago, the related organization was established to raise awareness and support for guide dog and service dog schools that do so much to provide assistance for people in need and for the amazing animals that help them.

10 Ik’ (Sept. 2nd) – “foundational wind/breath/spirit” – an energy highly aligned with Source and with things pertaining to the air, to communication, and to things of a spiritual nature.

This is the 77th Gregorian anniversary of the formal signing of the articles of surrender by Imperial Japan at the end of WWII. This is celebrated in the US as V-J Day even though other countries observe this on Aug. 15th. This is also the final day of a 3-day closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Russia’s gas supply to Europe.

This marks two cycles since President Biden announced an historic $2.3tn infrastructure plan, known as the American Jobs Plan, that was seen as “a once in a generation spending plan” that included more than $600bn for such things as modernizing roads, repairing bridges, and tackling climate change. After much debate part of that plan was passed and signed into law last year.

11 Ak’b’al (Sept. 3rd) – “inspirational night” or “inspirational temple of mysteries”, a force often aligned with deep thought – or even “blackness”, but also a good day to enjoy the sanctuary of home or temple, or to give “deep thought” to something of an inspirational nature. This marks 1,000 days since Dec. 8, 2019 when one of the first Covid-19 cases was reported.

This is the day of the funeral for Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the Soviet Union who was so instrumental in the breakup of the Soviet Union, and who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the Cold War. Putin will not be in attendance. This is also Abraham Lincoln’s Maya birth energy, which would have been in place in 1865 just 5 days after his interment.

12 K’an (Sept. 4th) – a “dedicated” type of energy often associated with youthful vitality and the joyful celebration of life’s bounties, on the day when a nationwide plebiscite will be held to vote on Chile’s new constitution. This is taking place exactly one cycle after the election of Gabriel Boric, a leftist former student leader, as Chile’s youngest president after storming to a resounding victory in a run-off vote against his ultra-conservative far-right opponent.

This is the 12th Gregorian anniversary of the Christchurch, NZ earthquake.

13 Chikchan (Sept. 5th) – “transformational lifeforce”; an intense and often impassioned energy, coinciding at this time with Labor Day in the US and Canada, with Teachers’ Day in India, with the UN’s International Day of Charity, and with the final day of Burning Man 2022. This is the Catholic feast day devoted to Mother Theresa who was canonized in 2016. It is also the day when the UK’s new Prime Minister will be announced.

On the first day of 1970 this was the energy in place when the National Environmental Policy Act was signed into law in the US, requiring federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions. After 52 years one might well ask “to what extent has that been implemented?”

This day marks three cycles since the deaths of US Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. C.T. Vivian, both fierce warriors, both indefatigable icons of the civil rights movement. On that same day in the U.K., Captain Tom Moore was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for raising over £32 million for the National Health Service charities.

This would have been legendary rock star Freddie Mercury’s 76th Gregorian birthday.

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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.]