What do you think of when you see a field of strong, growing corn? For one thing, those robust, towering, reaching-for-the-sky, maize-producing plants are impressive! And for many, those stalks are seen as the staff of life – the source of abundance and fruitfulness – symbolic of Earth’s bounty.

They are also a good reminder, at this time, of what can be done when growth-oriented, “like-minded”, entities work together towards a cause. And, as symbolic of this B’en (Reed) energy, they serve as an interesting metaphor, particularly as this B’en (personal-authority related) trecena is the last full 13-day trecena before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, with only 12 days remaining after that.

This is the return of an energy sequence that often calls upon people to tap into their inner wisdom, to muster the strength and drive to stretch upwards and outwards, to expand into the realm of new possibilities. In the US at this time individuals will be called upon to muster the strength to make informed, responsible decisions that have the potential, literally, to shape the destiny of the world. And so the key question becomes: “What kind of world do you want to live in?”

This trecena begins with One B’en, representative of the “initiation” of “self determination”, which kicks off the second 52-day period within the 260 day Tzolk’in. 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), a period that will include both the U.S. presidential election and its immediate aftermath.

Robust growing corn or strong growing reeds, representative of that sense of “vigorous energy pushing through”, are highly symbolic 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.

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, as could be seen two cycles ago when a number of volcanoes became very active, as has happened many times in the past. Although tornadoes and typhoons also have a tendency to appear during this period, this will be a time frame during which some “humanoid” volcanoes are also sure to be rampaging, as the dueling presidential campaigns kick into overdrive.

The “self determination” aspect associated with this time frame often shows up quite vividly during this period, 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, and currently, during this period, former President Obama will be lending his oratory magic and political expertise to the coalition forces that are working to ensure that Kamala Harris gets elected. 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.

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. Several centuries later this same trecena saw the start of the Mexican revolution when the revolutionary Francisco Madero led strikes to denounce the dictator Porfirio Diaz. 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. She went on to spearhead the passage of hundreds of legislative bills.

In early 2014 some 70,000 pro-Western Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv’s Independence Square during this period in a major push to oust President Viktor Yanukovych over his alliance with Russia. Four cycles ago (in December of 2021) the reins of power in Germany were handed over to Olaf Scholz who replaced Germany’s long-serving chancellor Angela Merkel. That was when 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. Two cycles ago Ukraine was preparing for a counteroffensive in an effort to push Russia back further, and President Zelenskyy visited several countries to make a strong case for assistance and support in the conflict, something that he has been doing very effectively on a continuous basis ever since.

Now, after over 960 days of battle, with hundreds of thousands killed or wounded, that war drags on. Just two days before the start of this trecena the US Pentagon reported that Russia has sustained more than 600,000 casualties, more Russian casualties than in all other conflicts combined since WWII, and it also became known that North Korea has recently sent troops to fight alongside Russia. And then there is Gaza – and now Lebanon – with Israel continuing to launch missiles at both, even though Gaza has been almost pulverized. Can we hope that sanity will return on any of those fronts during this period? Is there anyone with enough skill and backbone who can stand up and actually achieve ceasefires?

Currently the first day of this trecena coincides with Dussehra, the final day of a great Hindu festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil, after the warrior Goddess Durga, along with her coalition of deities, defeats the forces of evil. All things considered, this seems like an auspicious sign.

Thanksgiving Day in Canada, Indigenous People’s Day in the US, Anti-Slavery week, and the opening of the UN’s COP16 Biodiversity Conference also fall within this period, as does the Judeo/Christian Feast of the Tabernacles, which celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection of the children of Israel as they left Egypt. Let’s hope the same kind of protection is extended to the children of Gaza and Lebanon, and Ukraine, and Russia, and elsewhere!

There is no doubt that this will be a period during which many persuasive voices will be heard. Let’s hope that they are the voices of reason, sanity, responsibility, vision, respect, and humanity. With early voting underway in the US this trecena is an ideal time for people to keep in mind that every vote counts, and that every individual has a part to play in determining the future direction of that country. Now is the time for any “undecideds” to come to the realization that they have a personal responsibility in this regard – to become properly informed and to vote in a rational, clear-headed manner. Here are the energies that will come into play:

1 B’en (Oct. 12th) – 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.

This is the day when Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), the “comet of the century”, according to the Royal Astronomical Society, due to its brightness, will make its closest near-Earth pass during its current visit to this part of the solar system. Apparently it has been some 80,000 years since it last cruised by this planet. This is the full day of the Jewish Yom Kippur, which ends at nightfall. Inauguration day for the next U.S. president will be exactly 100 days after this.

It has now been one cycle since the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague ordered Israel to refrain from any acts that could fall under the Genocide Convention and also ensure that its troops do not commit any genocidal acts in Gaza, based on South Africa’s request for emergency measures to be taken to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and allow more humanitarian aid into that country. However, as Israel has continued its despicable attacks on defenceless people in Gaza (with its death toll now at more than 42,000), and now Lebanon, it could be asked: “When and how can that order take effect?”

This past January this energy was in place when Senior U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who had been presiding over many January 6 prosecutions, made an effort to “set the record straight, with regard to those who had been trying to downplay the Jan. 6th coup attempt. After hearing from dozens of witnesses, watching hundreds of hours of video footage, and reading thousands of pages of evidence, he said that it was clear that a mob of rioters invaded and occupied the United States Capitol, “. . . interfered with a necessary step in the constitutional process, disrupted the lawful transfer of power, and thus jeopardized the American constitutional order. . . This was not patriotism; it was the antithesis of patriotism.”

On that same day, one cycle ago, Trump, the instigator of that coup attempt, was ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in penalties for his revolting attempts to defame her.

Currently this is 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. With 24 days remaining until the U.S. presidential election, and Kamala Harris building up a significant bipartisan coalition that is intent on ensuring that “the most reckless and repulsive president in American history” (as Bob Woodward notes) never ever returns to the White House, it seems that there are some significant parallels playing out at this time. This is the final day of that festival that began in India on Oct. 3rd.

In Spain this is the day celebrated as Hispanic Day, a national public holiday that
commemorates the legacy of Spain worldwide, particularly the “claiming for Spain” of the Americas. In many places this is known as El Día de la Raza (“The Day of the Race”), a day to highlight the heritage and cultural diversity of Latin Americans wherever they may live and to recognize their resistance to the infiltration of Europeans. In Venezuela it is specifically known as El Día de la Resistencia Indigena (The Day of Indigenous Resistance).

Back in early 1960 the energy of One B’en was in place when John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy and initiated his campaign for the U.S. presidency. It was also in place in 2011 when President Obama announced that he would be running for his second term as president. In 2010 the first official Nelson Mandela International Day was celebrated under this influence.

2 Ix (Oct. 13th) – a dynamic type of energy aligned with “jaguar” earth mysteries and transformation, coinciding with the UN’s International Day for Disaster Reduction. It has now been one cycle since U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and his Israeli counterpart began meeing with Qatari officials for talks on a hostage deal and ceasefire relating to Gaza. And on and on it goes . . .

This marks four cycles since the swearing-in of Germany’s then-new chancellor Olaf Scholz, who replaced that country’s long-serving chancellor Angela Merkel. This is also the Maya birth energy of António Guterres, who has served as the Secretary-General of the U.N. since 2017.

3 Men (Oct. 14th) – 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. When this was in place last January, 25 historians of the civil war and Reconstruction filed a US supreme court brief in support of the attempt by Colorado to remove Trump from the ballot under the 14th amendment, which bars insurrectionists from running for office. This was also the energy in place in December of 2016 when 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. That hacking kicked off the political nightmare that has been playing out ever since.

Back in 2019, this was the energy 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 Thanksgiving Day in Canada, and Columbus Day in the US – a controversial observance, begun in 1792, to commemorate Christopher Columbus’s landing in the “new world” in 1492. Since it has now been estimated that over 100 million people inhabited those regions at the time of that 1492 landing, the absurdity of that “new world” claim can now be seen quite clearly. For this reason this day is now celebrated as Indigenous People’s Day in at least 12 states, as well as in Washington, DC., instead of Columbus day. Indeed, in 2021 President Biden issued a proclamation officially commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day, becoming the first US president to do so.

This is the beginning of Anti-Slavery Week that runs until Oct. 20th. Note that Anti-Slavery International hosts an extensive website that 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.

This is also the opening day for the 75th International Astronautical Congress, the world’s premier global space conference, being held this year in Milan, under the motto of“Responsible Space for Sustainability”.

In early 2014 this was the energy in place when some 70,000 pro-Western Ukrainians rallied in Kyiv’s Independence Square in a major push to oust then-president Viktor Yanukovych over his alliance with Russia.

4 Kib’ (Oct. 15th) – a “defining” type of energy often associated with the restoration of order; often manifesting as a “getting down to business” type of force.

In 1922 this 4 Kib’ energy was in place when the treaty was signed for the formation of the USSR, aka the Soviet Union. In 1947 the UN passed a resolution under this energy influence to divide Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem as an internationalized city. And in 1979 this was the influence in place when the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty was signed after intense negotiations the year before (the 1978 Camp David Accords). Here’s hoping that this day will bring the return of some modicum of sanity, towards the achievement of a ceasefire in those regions!

At the very least, the release of Bob Woodward’s new book titled “War”, in which he “tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency”, will help to shed more light on the dynamics involved.

5 Kab’an (Oct. 16th) – a “pivotal” type of energy associated with evolutionary movement, with 20 days remaining until the US presidential elections.

Currently this is the UN’s World Food Day, one of the most celebrated days of the UN, with this year’s motto being “Right to foods for a better life and a better future”. 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 so profound in places such as Gaza, Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan, and everywhere where people are oppressed or in conflict.

This is also World Anaesthesia Day, to commemorate the first successful use of anaesthesia in 1846 and honour the work done by anaesthesiologists, with the focus this year being on “Workforce Well-being”.

The evening brings 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 the 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. This is an excellent time to contribute to prayers for an end to the conflicts once and for all in the Middle East and elsewhere.

6 Etz’nab’ (Oct. 17th) – a “six directions”, “knife edge” type of energy often associated with decisiveness and even “separation” that can often be quite “sparkly” and attention-getting, coinciding at this time with the Super Hunter’s Full Moon, and the day for Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills. This is the opening day for New York’s Comic Con, billed as North America’s most attended fan convention.

This also marks eight years since Oct. 17, 2016, when the lawyer to two women who had been involved with the dumpster warned him that the “hush money” deal was off if the money wasn’t wired by the end of that day. Trump was eventually found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in that regard, making him the first former president to be convicted of crimes. The sentencing for that conviction is scheduled for Nov. 26th.

This is the UN’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, with this year’s theme being “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”.

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 (Oct. 18th) – “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 with Anti-Slavery day. It has now been seven cycles since the funeral in Baltimore for the much loved Congressman and civil rights advocate Elijah Cummings. At that time eulogies were given by former presidents Clinton and Obama as well as by both Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi.

This is also National Doctor’s Day in Brazil, National Healthcare Aide Day in Canada (first created in Manitoba), and Persons Day in Canada in commemoration of the historic day in 1929 when women were included in the legal definition of “persons”.

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.

Currently this is the date by which Trump’s lawyers have to respond to the prosecutors’ case filings in the election interference case. Prosecutors will then have until Oct. 29th to respond to that.  This is also the start of the Jasper Dark Sky Festival that runs through until Nov. 3rd, which would provide a great time to have a closer look at that comet, which should still be in the vicinity.

8 Ajaw (Oct. 19th) – “resurrection” of the sun and “enlightenment”, coinciding with at this time with the Tun Shift in the Maya Long Count calendar, as the Long Count clicks over to 13.0.12.0.0

Often this tends to be quite a “fiery” energy, as seen when this energy was in place in 2017, the day when 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 currently in another active sunspot period it is possible that more flares might manifest at this time, as they did at the end of the last trecena (the Ajaw trecena).

This was the energy in place in 2014 when the eruption of Mount Kelud in Indonesia sent smoke and ash 10 miles into the air and across the island of Java, forcing 100,000 people to evacuate. The blast could be heard 125 miles away. In 2018 it was Mount Kilauea that was sending forth a lava flow when this energy was in place, as it threatened to cut off the only escape route for about 1,000 residents in Hawaii. Two cycles ago it was Popocatepetl’s turn, as Mexico City was put on high alert as Popocatepetl’s firey activity intensified, with some 25 million people fearing a potential eruption.

This time this is the day for the colourful parade of the giant alebrijes, at the start of the 16-day Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico City. An exhibition of these works will continue in Mexico City from this day to Nov. 3rd.  And for those who prefer to be frightened, the Zombie March will also take place at this time.

This is the Maya birth energy of Vincent van Gogh, who was a master of the use of sunlight in his paintings. No doubt he would have loved the colour and magic of that parade.

9 Imix (Oct. 20th) – “immortal” birth/the realm of all potential – a force that could have a far reaching and long-lasting influence, coinciding at this time with Vice-President Kamala Harris’s 60th birthday, 16 days before the US presidential election. Happy Birthday soon-to-be-president Kamala!

Nine Imix was the energy in place in 2015 when NASA released the first image of Earth from its Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, showing Earth from one million miles away. This is the Maya birth energy of Ketanji Brown Jackson, who became a US Supreme Court Judge in 2022.

This is the peak viewing time (through to the following morning) for the Orionids meteor shower which was created from debris from the famous Halley’s comet. It’s also the final day of Anti-Slavery Week.

10 Ik’ (Oct. 21st) – “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, coinciding with Orionids Meteor Shower, and the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit in Samoa.

This is also the opening day for the UN’s COP16 Biodiversity Conference that runs to Nov. 1st. The COP16 opening ceremony takes place on this day, as thousands of government officials, scientists, and activists representing 196 countries gather in Cali, Colombia for the world’s most important biodiversity conference, as they continue efforts to find ways to stem habitat loss globally and preserve sensitive ecosystems.

This marks five cycles since President Biden announced an historic $2.3tn infrastructure plan, originally 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 in 2021.

11 Ak’b’al (Oct. 22nd) – “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 can be seen as an intense energy associated with the secrets of the earth, now in place exactly two cycles after a large eruption of Italy’s Mount Etna.

Currently this is the National Day of Protest known as The October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. This is also the opening day for the BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa) in Kazan, Russia. Given that the war with Ukraine is still raging, now into its 970th day, the question might be asked: “Just HOW is Russia going to carry through on the stated BRICS goal of promoting partnership and cooperation with regard to “political and security, economy and finance, and . . . cultural and humanitarian ties”?

This is the Maya birth energy of AI “godfather” Geoffrey Hinton, who quit his job in early May, 2023. Acknowledging that he was now regretting his work, Hinton warned about the growing dangers from developments in this field. This was followed shortly thereafter by warnings from public health professionals from the UK, US, Australia, Costa Rica and Malaysia, 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. For his work in this field Geoffrey Hinton won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics.

This is also Abraham Lincoln’s Maya birth energy, which would have been in place in 1865 just 5 days after his interment.

In addition this is the release date for Shirley MacLaine’s new book, titled “The Wall of Life: Pictures and Stories from This Marvelous Lifetime”.

12 K’an (Oct. 23rd) – a “dedicated” type of energy often associated with youthful vitality and the joyful celebration of life’s bounties, coinciding at this time with the final day of the Judeo/Christian Feast of the Tabernacles, aka Sukkot, the Jewish holiday that began on Oct. 16th.

13 Chikchan (Oct. 24th) – “transformational lifeforce”; an intense and often impassioned energy, marking six cycles since the deaths of US Congressman John Lewis and the Rev. C.T. Vivian in 2020, both fierce warriors, both indefatigable icons of the civil rights movement. On that same day in the U.K., centenarian Captain Sir Tom Moore was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for raising over £32 million for National Health Service charities.

This is 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. Indeed, one of the greatest needs at this time is to find ways to help young people (and everyone else) to develop the skills needed to separate fact from falsehood, in this age when the rampant, wilful, and destructive proliferation of disinformation is causing enormous problems in the world at large.

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.

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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.]