Now that the angst and dreariness of November are behind us, transition is in the air – a sense of regrouping as signs of December’s end of the year festivities begin to make their presence known. And during this period two ladies in particular (one in Paris and one in Vancouver) will be drawing the attention of millions, even if only through televised glimpses. One of these ladies (Notre Dame de Paris) will be rising like a phoenix from ashes as she breathes in new life through ritual and song while marking her official reopening. The other will be celebrating with hordes of adoring fans who are arriving from near and far to catch the final performances of a her monumental world tour.

This trecena begins with the energy of One Chikchan, an important shift-point within the overall 260-day cycle. This is an “initiating” energy associated with the great Feathered Serpent, aligned with Liberation, Awakening, Cyclical Renewal, and Justice, marking the start of the third 52-day period within that cycle. One Chikchan often brings that sense of change, the turning of a tide, along with a sense of new possibilities. Sometimes it can feel like an emergence; sometimes it can feel like an energy surge; sometimes it can feel like a celebration; and sometimes it can even spin into intense weather events or into some significant change in direction.

Often the energies at the start of this period can be felt as an infusion of vitality, possibly a renewal of determination to pursue particular goals. As this is a time frame that can push people into action in significant ways, great passion, and even bravery, often comes into play at this time, particularly if people are in pursuit of justice. And at this time it seems that the country of Georgia is feeling this infusion, as tens of thousands of people are taking to the streets to push back against their ruling party’s decision to suspend the start of a process to join the European Union. This is very similar to what happened during Ukraine’s Orange Revolution twenty years ago, as they pushed back against corruption.

With regard to the trecena energies, the Aztec saw the principal “patron” of this time frame as a deity known as Xiuhtecuhtli, the Lord of Fire and Time, who often “kicks things up a notch” in order to foment change. His companion in this effort is a deity representative of Venus as the Morning Star, who serves as a herald – signalling that this is a time to really “pay attention”.

In early December of 2019 this was the trecena in place when “a new viral outbreak” (later called Covid-19) was first detected in China. At first this outbreak was downplayed, but near the end of the trecena it was learned that a “cluster” of patients with “pneumonia of an unknown cause” had been identified, and then a huge planetary change took place – at lightning speed!

Two cycles later, towards the end of the third Covid wave, things began changing in the opposite direction, as mask mandates began to be lifted in some areas, theatres began reopening, case numbers were trending downwards, and people began to slowly emerge, feeling a new sense of freedom as they began to interact and reconstruct their lives post-pandemic.

Historically, the beginning of this trecena had brought many radical changes, as seen in 1914 when Germany declared war against France, and in 1918 when the German Weimar Republic was founded just as World War I was coming to an end. In 1990 Germany became unified at the start of this trecena. In 1521 this had been in place when the Aztecs surrendered to the Spaniards, sealing the fate and future direction of Mexico. When this was in place during the summer of 2023 it was blistering hot during this period. Large parts of Texas were hotter than 99% of the planet, and temperature records worldwide were broken due to extreme heat. Then, as this trecena came into place this past spring, a research station on the east Antarctic plateau recorded the largest jump in temperature ever measured at a meteorological centre on this planet, which was a cause for great concern as it was yet another significant indicator of the need to address climate change issues in a much more concerted manner.

And then there are the wars . . . with still no end in sight to the Russia-Ukraine war, and catastrophic suffering taking place in Gaza, it is long past time for solutions to be found. While this trecena has brought some positive developments in the past in this regard (such as humanitarian aid to Gaza and reinforcements for Ukraine), this would be an opportune time to greatly revitalize these kinds of efforts, particularly before winter sets in. And indeed, German chancellor Olaf Scholz is in the process of doing just that, with his new announcement of €650m in military aid for Ukraine, speedy arms deliveries, and his pledge to “remain the strongest supporter of Ukraine in Europe”.

Tied in with all that, of course, is the issue of Justice, which is generally one of the major themes that tend to play out during this period. And with all the re-shuffling taking place at this time it is possible that a number of new tactics or new directions could open up. Could we dare to hope that the new documentary titled “The Bibi Files” (to be released on Dec. 13th), which highlights the purported link between Netanyahu’s 2019 corruption indictment and the Israeli-Gaza war, might play a role in this?

Indeed, many significant developments related to this theme have played out over the past few years, as seen three cycles ago when the January 6th committee in the U.S. was uncovering considerable evidence regarding the plotting that went into the fomenting of the Capitol riot. At that time this trecena brought the beginning of the New York trial relating to the Trump Organization’s felony tax evasions, which resulted in the company being ordered to pay a $1.6 million fine and prison time for its ex-CFO Allen Weisselberg. Three cycles before that the dumpster was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, two of the most serious abuses of power ever alleged against a sitting president. Note, as well, that the impeachment action took place two cycles after that infamous meeting between the dumpster and President Putin in Helsinki in 2018 when Putin blatantly admitted to directing his officials to help Trump win the 2016 election.

Over the past few cycles this trecena has carried a great deal of weight with regard to the push for accountability – and within that process the US justice system has been under considerable stress. Most astonishing of all is the fact that even though the Trumpian “wizard of oz” has been exposed, again and again, as a gross fraudster, criminal, and even an insurrectionist, his “teflon” nature seems to have protected him from prosecution. But will it hold going forward? And will it hold for the bizarre (to the point of being terrifyingly dangerous) array of picks that he has been making for key governmental positions during 2.0? With pushback against many of those choices already gaining strength, this trecena will surely be a testing period once again as the battle for truth, accountability, and justice continues.

As always, this trecena serves as a pivotal energy sequence within the overall 260 day Tzolk’in cycle, beginning with an often transformative force that is oriented around justice, freedom, higher knowledge, world-shifting actions, and cyclical renewal. This is the energy field of the Plumed Serpent, a metaphor for “reaching for the sky”, towards Life and Light and Liberation, and the realm of new possibilities. With the “Lord of Fire and Time” as the patron energy, this provides a reminder that great shifts can happen during this period. Let’s hope they are positive ones. Here are the energies that are coming into play:

1 Chikchan (Dec. 3rd) – the “initiation” of Lifeforce/Higher Wisdom at the start of the third 52-day period within the 260-day cycle, an intense and highly influential position within the  cycle as a whole. Currently this is coinciding with Giving Tuesday, “the world’s largest generosity movement”, the global day of giving that “unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world”. This is also the UN’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The UN indicates that there are some one billion people with disabilities worldwide, 80% of whom live in developing countries.

This is the kind of force that often brings an energy surge in new directions, but it is not necessarily predictable as to what those new directions might be. During this summer of 1521 this energy triggered a dramatic change in direction as this was in place at the time of the Fall of Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital now known as Mexico City, when the Aztecs surrendered to Hernán Cortés and his hundreds of Spaniards, after a 2 1/2 month battle during which the conquistadoes were aided by thousands of Indigenous allies, who were enemies of the Aztec. That surrender, which took place just two years after the Spaniards’ arrival in the Yucatan, sealed the fate and future direction of Mexico.

One Chikchan was also in place in 1914 at the time of Germany’s declaration of war against France. Then, in 1918, six cycles later, it came in on the eve of the armistice ceasefire at the conclusion of World War I. In 1960 this was in force at the time of John F. Kennedy’s  victory speech, after he narrowly won the US presidential election the day before.

Seven cycles ago (in December 2019) this energy was in place when Democrats unveiled two articles of impeachment against the dumpster – for abuse of power (by putting his own personal interests above the interests and security of the US) and for obstruction of Congress, the most serious abuses of power ever alleged against a sitting president. Since then 91 felony charges (both state and federal) were brought against him, including many relating to fraud, obstruction of justice, and for violations of the Espionage Act. He was also found guilty of massive fraud, rape, and defamation, and ordered to pay more than $500 million. Indeed, it was exactly one cycle ago (this past March) when Trump’s team reported that they could not find a private company to guarantee the funds that he had been ordered to pay in the New York civil fraud case. He had been ordered to either pay the full amount in cash or secure a bond in order to continue his appeal. After much more stalling, payment of that judgment is just one of the issues left “hanging” as he now, unthinkably, prepares for a second term as president. One is left to wonder if justice and
accountability will ever kick in, in this regard.

While this energy can often signal the beginning of a major change in direction, at this point it seems to be marking the start of a four-trecena “testing period” during which Congress will have to decide on whether to confirm or deny the dumpster’s highly questionable choices for key positions in the forthcoming government, with each decision being highly consequential.

2 Kimi (Dec. 4th) – a dynamic type of energy aligned with the “return to source”, coinciding with CNN’s 4th annual Call to Earth Day, celebrating “Connected Generations”. This is a worldwide call for people to get involved, to do something personally to protect the planet. This is the day when CNN will use its global presence for special coverage of “a day of action to raise awareness of environmental issues and to engage with conservation education”. As CNN puts it, “on this day schools, individuals and organizations across the world will take action through a series of trash clean-ups, in a collective effort to improve the planet they’ll one day inherit.” Similarly, this is also the World Wildlife Fund’s Wildlife Conservation Day.

This energy often manifests as a push-pull type of force that can shake things up and set new foundations for action, as it did in 1914 when Germany invaded Belgium and the UK declared war on Germany. But keep in mind that on Nov. 11, 1918, this was also in place as World War I came to an end.

3 Manik’ (Dec. 5th) – the “activation” of reciprocity, symbolized by a deer that “embodies” the sun on Earth, a kind of harmonizing, “hands-on” type of energy connected with the natural world, coinciding at this time with International Volunteer Day. In France this is the start of the city of Lyon’s glorious Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières) – this year celebrating its silver jubilee as it continues its tradition of infusing light and joy into the darkness of early December.

This also marks six cycles since that huge “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” Commitment March (in August 2020) that called for police reform, criminal justice reform, and racial equality in the U.S.. In 1913 a massive Woman’s Suffrage parade was held under this same 3 Manik’ influence.

4 Lamat (Dec. 6th) – a “defining” energy associated with Venus (representing the sun and Venus working together), often serving as a beacon or herald, coinciding at this time with White Ribbon Day in Canada, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, in remembrance of the 14 women who were killed at Montreal’s École Polytechnique in 1989. At this time an annual shoe memorial is often placed on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery, in downtown Vancouver, in memory of murdered women.

Note that this IS a “heralding” type of energy, so often there is some kind of significant announcement at this time, as occurred in 2017 when President Xi Jinping was declared “all powerful” in China, after a new body of political thought carrying his name was added to the Communist party’s constitution. Currently this is St. Nicholas Day, with Saint Nicholas being the originator of the “gift-giving” traditions now associated with Father Christmas and Santa Claus.

In Vancouver this is the opening day for Taylor Swift’s final 3-day Eras Tour concert, which is expected to have a $157 million impact on the city as fans arrive from all over the world. In many parts of the city  Taylor-themed light displays and other special preparations will also be on view.  This is also the opening day in the UK for a new film called Porcelain War that highlights art, and porcelain specifically, as being symbolic of Ukraine  during the war: “easy to damage, hard to destroy”. This is an award-winning film that was released in the US on Nov. 22nd. Here is a review.

5 Muluk (Dec. 7th) – a “precision” (or “blessing”) type of energy associated with the shape-shifting energy of water, coinciding at this time with National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the 83rd Gregorian anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In addition, this is the UN’s International Civil Aviation Day, which celebrates the impact that civil aviation has had on the world. This year’s theme is: “75 Years of Connecting the World”.

This is the day of the official reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (although there was an unveiling on Nov. 29th), just over 5 ½ years after the April 15, 2019 fire. Dec. 24th will mark 8 cycles since that event. About 50 heads of state are expected to attend the ceremonies that will include religious rituals as well as musical performances.

This is also marking 52 years exactly since the release of the “Blue Marble” photo that was taken on Dec. 7th, 1972 by NASA astronauts Eugene “Gene” Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt aboard Apollo 17 as it circled planet Earth.

6 Ok (Dec. 8th) – a “shine the light in the darkness, everywhere” type of force, coinciding with the Catholic Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at the time of the inaugural Mass and consecration of the new Notre Dame Cathedral altar. Nearly 170 bishops from France and other countries will join the celebration, as well as priests from all 106 parishes in the Paris diocese. The Mass will be followed by a “fraternal buffet” for the needy. Some 40,000 people will be able to follow events related to these opening ceremonies from public viewing areas on the Seine’s southern bank.

In Japan this is “Secular” Bodhi Day, aka rohatsu, a day wherein Zen monks conduct ceremonies to commemorate the historic Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment (there is also a lunar Bodhi Day in early January – on the 7th). This is also the last day of Taylor Swift’s final Eras Tour show, in Vancouver. This completes her world tour that began in March of 2023 and consisted of 149 shows that spanned five continents. Clearly there will be “Love, everywhere”, in keeping with this 6 Ok energy, as fans immerse themselves in this acclaimed event.

Currently this is the 33rd Gregorian anniversary of the signing of the Belovezha Accords in 1991, an agreement that declared the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It also marks five years since one of the first cases of coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China, and four years since the UK began its Covid-19 vaccine program, the first country to launch this type of program in response to the pandemic.

It has now been five cycles since the New York Attorney-General’s office announced that it had opened an investigation into the dumpster’s company, an investigation that resulted in a finding of massive fraud and a fine of close to half a billion dollars.

7 Chuwen (Dec. 9th) –“self-generating play”, a highly creative “time weaving” (and sometimes trick playing) type of energy that can sometimes conjure up things of an unusual nature. This is the UN’s International Anti-Corruption Day, this year focusing on the theme of “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, a hefty task given the current political environment.

And speaking of “trickery” and corruption – this is marking one cycle since the dumpster was due to pay that humungous fine, after being found guilty in the New York fraud case. While this might be a good time to collect, the fact that the case has been “frozen”, due to the election, makes one wonder about the overall effectiveness of the US justice system in this current era. Similarly, with regard to the other fraud case – related to the hush money payment – this is the due date for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to respond to the dumpster team’s dismissal motion. Dismissal??

This marks eight cycles since the 2019 election of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the new president of Ukraine. Exactly one cycle later the House Judiciary Committee released a 650-page impeachment report related to the dumpster’s attempt to coerce Ukraine into helping to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election.

This is also Dame Judi Dench’s 90th Gregorian birthday. Happy birthday Dame Judi!

8 Eb’ (Dec. 10th) – the “resurrection” of the pathfinding energy of vitality, associated with the “dew of life”; a day which the Maya traditionally devoted to the Celebration of Personal Life. At this time this is coinciding with International Animal Rights Day, and the UN’s Human Rights Day on the 76th Gregorian anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations. This is also the day of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, banquet, and Torchlight procession in Oslo, Norway, and the start of the 6-day Transforming Trauma Global Summit, focusing on strategies for healing.

It has now been five cycles exactly since a state ceremony (“lying in honour”) was held at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC. for slain police officer Sicknick, who had died as a result of injuries sustained during the Jan. 6th insurrection. After the ceremony a long procession carried his remains to Arlington National Cemetery. It has been two full cycles since the disgraced, twice-impeached, multiply-indicted, criminally convicted, and now “unfathomably re-elected” ex-occupant of the White House began his re-election campaign-of-vengence by delivering a violent rhetoric in Waco, on the 30th anniversary of the Waco seige, “one of the deadliest law enforcement altercations in US history”.

9 B’en (Dec. 11th) – the “outward projection” of “personal authority” (or “long lasting personal authority”), coinciding with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Oslo, and the UN’s International Mountain Day, with this year’s theme being “Mountain solutions for a sustainable future – innovation, adaption, and youth”.

This is the intrepid Rita Moreno’s 93rd birthday. Her career as an entertainer has spanned 8 decades, and she has won Emmy, Oscar, Grammy, and Tony awards as well as being given the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2010. She received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2014. This is also the 93rd Gregorian anniversary of the establishment of the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1931, through an act of the Parliament in the United Kingdom. It’s also the 83rd Gregorian anniversary of the Nazi declaration of war against the US, and the US declaration of war against Nazi Germany in 1941. In 1918 these were the energies in place at the completion of the last major action on the Eastern Front near the end of World War I, with the Bolshevik capitulation.

Currently this is marking nine cycles since the hair-raising “day of infamy” during the summer of 2018 when the dumpster met with Putin in Helsinki and basically threw U.S. intelligence agencies “under a bus” by siding with Putin rather than honouring the work done by US defence organizations. It has also been seven cycles exactly since the dumpster was formally impeached (for the first time) by the US House of Representatives.

10 Ix (Dec. 12th) – a “source” based energy associated with the jaguar and the mysteries of the earth, coinciding at this time with the Feast Day for Tonantzin, Our Lady of Guadaloupe (patroness of the Americas), which is celebrated in Mexico and in many other Latin American communities. Many churches in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere honour this feast day as a National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. Millions of people make pilgrimages to the Virgin of Guadalupe basilica in Mexico City, the most visited Catholic shrine of the Americas, which was constructed next to a hill in the north of the Mexican capital where Catholics believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared to an Aztec man in 1531, a decade after the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

When this energy was in place in July of 2023 NATO allies agreed to a three-part package designed to ease Ukraine’s path to membership, which included ratification of a wide-ranging security pact with Ukraine, to include defence equipment, training, and intelligence sharing. At the same time several countries agreed to train the Ukrainian air force in the use of F-16 fighter jets, some of which are now being used by Ukraine. On that same day tens of thousands of protestors in Israel held another major Day of Resistance against Netanyahu’s latest attempt to reintroduce his highly controversial judicial overhaul bill, which the people saw, rightly so, as a grave threat to democracy. Since then, over 45,000 people have died, and millions have been displaced in the Israel-Hamas war, where Gaza is still facing unrelenting bombardment.

This is the UN’s International Day of Neutrality, as well as the UN’s International Universal Health Coverage Day, dedicated to promoting collective action to build more equitable health systems for everyone on the planet. This day marks five years since “a new viral outbreak” of the coronavirus was first detected on Dec. 12, 2019 (but not broadcast in China for several more weeks).

This was the energy that was in place in early 2017 when the dumpster met with nuclear power developers at the White House about sharing nuclear technology with countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, which raised grave concerns among many lawmakers. Three cycles ago this energy brought the start of jury selection in that New York civil trial against the Trump Organization and ex-CEO Allen Weisselberg. Charges included tax fraud, grand larceny, falsifying business records, and scheming to defraud the government. That was the one that concluded with the order for him to pay $354.8 million, plus interest, after the jury found him guilty as charged. Currently this is E. Jean Carroll’s 81st birthday. Although she won her rape and defamation cases against the dumpster, the question remains . . . has she actually received any of the funds that were awarded to her in this regard or are those funds still tied up in the $91.6 million bond that he paid?

11 Men (Dec. 13th) – “inspirational Eagle” – a Burner Day that can bring about change or a new form of Higher Vision, coinciding at this time with the peak of the Geminids meteor shower, known as the “king of meteor showers”, associated with the 3200 Phaeton asteroid – named after Phaëton, the son of the Greek-named sun god Helios – that travels closer to the sun than any other asteroid . . . going into the early morning of the following day. This is the day when the Crown of Thorns, a sacred relic for believers, will be returned to Notre Dame de Paris to be installed in the heart of a new 4-metre high reliquary.

This is the American Horse Council’s National Horse Day, a day to celebrate the economic, historic, and cultural contributions made by horses over hundreds of years. It is also Kenya’s 61st anniversary of its independence from Britain.  In addition, this is the release day for the documentary titled “The Bibi Files”, which highlights the purported link between Netanyahu’s 2019 corruption indictment and the Israeli-Gaza war.

It has now been four 260-day cycles since it was reported that the National Archives and Records Administration had transported 15 boxes of presidential records from Mar-a-Lago to the National Archives – boxes full of documents that the dumpster had illegally taken. That was before it was discovered that even more documents (including highly sensitive top secret documents) had been hidden at that resort, in violation of the espionage act. Those were the ones seized by the FBI in August of 2023. While it seems incomprehensible that the US justice system has been so inefficient that they have not been able to hold the dumpster accountable for this gross violation, it is more unfathomable that this is only one (of many) issues that have been allowed to slide. While many have commented on this enormous problem, US District Judge Reggie Walton (a sitting federal judge) put it succinctly one cycle ago (last March), when he provided the reminder that maintaining the rule of law is central to the preservation of democracy. As he put it: if we don’t have a viable court system that’s able to function efficiently, then we have tyranny. He also noted that the rule of law can only function effectively when we have judges who are prepared to carry out their duties without the threat of potential physical harm. As retired Judge Michael Luttig echoed the following day, with regard to the dumpster: never in history has any person leveled such attacks and been met with such passivity, acquiescence, and submissiveness by the nation. And, given the results of the election, it appears that “acceptance” by a large portion of that country can be added to the infamous mix. However, acquiescence and acceptance of this situation is NOT acceptable to half the voting populace, and so the situation in the US has become an almost incalculable problem, which both the US and the rest of the world will now have to grapple with. Let’s hope some “high visionaries” come forth soon with some solutions before tyranny takes over completely.

It has been two cycles exactly since the inaugural session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body established to upgrade relations between Kyiv and the now-32-member transatlantic military alliance. At that session NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate as an equal. While NATO has not fully engaged in the pushback against Russia, member nations have contributed significantly to Ukraine’s defense. Nevertheless, Ukraine is still being mercilessly bombarded by Russia, and it seems clear that much more support will be needed in order to secure peace and stability in that region.

12 Kib’ (Dec. 14th) – a “gathering together” type of energy, associated with the ability to “survey”, clean things up, and ultimately restore order, now coinciding with National Energy Conservation Day, with its emphasis on raising awareness about energy efficiency and conservation. This is also marking three cycles since the release of those first stunning images taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most complex observatory ever sent into space, launched in 2021.

This marks seven cycles since the first cluster of patients with “pneumonia of an unknown cause” was first identified in China in December of 2019, when the world was getting a “head’s up” with regard to the pandemic that was coming. It is also marking four years since coronavirus vaccines began to be distributed in the US and Canada, but that was also the day when the Delta variant was identified in the UK. That was the day when the 538 members of the electoral college in the US cast their ballots to confirm Joe Biden’s win as President-elect. A $908 billion bipartisan Covid-19 relief plan was introduced into Congress on that same day.

Currently this is International Monkey Day, a celebration of “all things simian”. It is also the day scheduled for the Presidential elections in Georgia, which would be the first indirect vote to take place in that country whereby a president is elected through a 300-member College of Electors rather than a direct vote. Given the intense protest demonstrations that have been taking place there, this could be a significant flashpoint.

13 Kab’an (Dec. 15th) – transformational movement (or earth movement), a powerful force that can bring either heavy weather conditions, or significant “movement” of a consequential nature, as it did three cycles ago when Elon Musk completed his $44bn takeover of Twitter, becoming the “Chief Twit”. Since then he has certainly shown himself to be just that! Currently this is coinciding with the Full Cold Moon, on the final day of the 8-day solemn celebrations marking the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris.

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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.]