The end of the old year and the beginning of the new, as the world braces itself for . . . who knows what? At this highly unstable point in time, with people still trying to recover from the shock of the 2024 election in the US, whereby a slippery convicted felon managed to evade justice (on multiple counts) and become the president-elect, the road ahead looks murky, to say the least. With the turbulence of 2016-2020 as a preview, and his bizarre and dangerous choices and proposals for how to start the year triggering significant push-back even before the year begins, all signs are pointing towards an extremely rocky year ahead. And with wars still raging and the environment under attack, the question becomes: In the midst of all this storminess, chicanery, and instability how do we “keep on keepin’ on”?

As always, the Maya Calendar can provide us with clues as to how to navigate through the quagmire, beginning with the Chuwen trecena that takes us into 2025. This is the trecena that reminds us that a great deal of creativity will be needed, right from the very beginning.

Keep in mind that the first day of this period is the mid-point, the central “pivot point”, within the 260 day calendrical cycle that runs from 1 Imix-to-13 Ajaw, a point where new directions often begin unfolding, as could be seen one cycle ago when the stage was being set for the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. During this 13-day period a considerable amount of scrambling and “regrouping” often takes place as new directions are opened up. Two cycles ago this trecena began just after UN secretary general António Guterres announced that the era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling” had arrived.

The first day of this period is One Chuwen, the Day of the Monkey. You might think of this as a day governed by a playful, inventive, agile, and capricious Monkey deity who sits at the centre of the Tree of Life and weaves together the threads of creation, and time, as he orchestrates the proliferation of life. This key mid-point within the cycle marks the beginning of the mythological “Creation” sequence of events in deep mythology, when the world itself was brought into being and all things of heaven and earth were made.

This tends to be a highly creative time frame, where almost anything is possible. At times it can be highly play oriented, but the potential exists for a certain amount of “reckless abandon” (tied in with the pulque connection to the principal patron of this 13 day period). Certainly that seemed to be the case in January of 2020, as the coronavirus was beginning to make its presence known during this period. That was when this creation sequence of days began to call on everyone to think and act differently. It was the beginning of global regrouping, and the world will never be the same.

When this was in place in June of 2021 (5 cycles ago), world leaders met for the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, at which time President Joe Biden announced that “The US is back and democracies are standing together”. It was the start of the rebuilding of positive international relationships, and there was a sense of positive regrouping and even “healing” at that time, in keeping with the nature of Patecatl, the Aztec God of Medicine who was seen as the principal patron of this period.

That was also the period when a number of criminal indictments were brought against the Trump Organization, which eventually led to that fraud trial and conviction that resulted in that $454 million judgment against him early in 2024, and the sentencing of his CFO to even more jail time.

Historically this has been seen as a very special time frame that encompasses the kinds of extraordinary powers that are able to weave together the threads of time itself. This is the energy sequence that magically created the winal (the 20-day cycle that is a fundamental part of the 260-day Tzolk’in), so it is associated with great artistry and ingenuity. As noted above, the traditional patron deity for this time frame was associated with pulque, which was seen as both medicine and as an intoxicant. So here we have a time frame with an emphasis on “healing through creativity”, but with a caution – the intoxicant aspect could also precipitate a certain amount of “monkey business”.

In Maya mythology the first day of this time frame, One Chuwen (One Monkey), was seen as the day when the Creator “raised himself to his divinity after he had made heaven and earth”.

This is followed by Two Eb’, when, mythologically, the first “stairway” was created that descended from the heavens, followed by three more days (3 B’en through to 5 Men), when more of the “other things” of the heavens, the seas, and the earth were made.

Note that 3 B’en was the energy in place in 1933 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the U.S. His “New Deal” policies greatly helped to pull that country out of the Great Depression. When this was in place at the time of that G7 summit in 2021, President Biden called that day “an inflection point in history” as he and Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a New Atlantic Charter. In April of 2024, one cycle ago, this brought the start of the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president, and this time it is in place on the final day of 2024. Note, as well, that it was the fifth day of this time frame when the opening shots of the U.S. civil war were fired in 1861.

The sixth day of this sequence, known as Six Kib’, is the point where the “first light” came into being during the Maya creation sequence. In April of 2019, that was what happened when Joe Biden announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential election under this influence, when he came to the conclusion that “enough was enough” with regard to the orange menace’s support for extremism. But then, in keeping with the “echoing” effect of these energies, exactly five cycles later, in November of 2022, the dumpster announced another bid for the presidency. At that time that was seen as a gamble, and a bid to avoid federal criminal indictments or even incarceration, because he was in the midst of multiple criminal probes, which eventually did result in multiple indictments.

So after 3 cycles (780 days) of vulgar, non-stop, lie-spewn, court-bashing campaigning all in the interest of avoiding prosecution, he arrives at this point with multiple indictments, several convictions, and . . . an impending return to the presidency. To boot, Jack Smith, the Special Counsel who was appointed (also 3 cycles ago) to lead various investigations into the federal crimes associated with the insurrection and the classified documents case, is now being required to step down since those prosecutions cannot go forward at this time.  All very, very bizarre, to say the least.

The seventh day, Seven Kab’an, was thought of as the day when honey was first created. Translating as “self-generating movement”, this is an Earth-oriented energy that often can be highly action-oriented and even “earth-shaking”, as it was in 2023 when the dumpster was arraigned in a magistrate’s court in Washington DC, two days after his indictment by a federal grand jury on charges associated with his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. One cycle after all that, in 2024, he was in the midst of his first criminal trial.

The 10 Ajaw Burner Day that comes in on Jan. 7th, which is Coptic Christmas Day, tends to be an intense and consequential energy traditionally oriented around the idea of “taking the fire”, in conjunction with the force of Ajaw’s “full sun”. Seven cycles ago, in January of 2020, this was the energy in place when the Russian government resigned after Putin put forward “an entire package of proposed amendments” to Russia’s constitution reform that could see him extend his hold on power. And we all know what has happened since then! When this comes into place this time, this energy will mark four cycles since Russian forces captured Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine. And even now that war continues to rage.

In deep mythology the day known as Twelve Ik’ was seen as the day in which the breath of life was created. This is a “collecting together” type of force associated with Wind, Breath, and Spirit, which can be strongly aligned with communication. Three cycles ago, when this was in place, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy delivered an extraordinary address during which he praised the defiance and determination of the Ukrainian people and said: “We can be left without money. Without gasoline. Without hot water. Without light. But not without freedom. . . . We will hold out. We will endure.”

Thirteen Ak’b’al (“transformational temple or house”), the final day of the trecena, is referred to in the Maya creation legend as the calendrical energy that brought forth the creation of the first humans.

Another very high-powered force, this is an energy that can be highly consequential in terms of the fate of the human race as a whole. In April of 2019 this was the energy in place when what was termed “the worst constitutional crisis since the civil war” unfolded in Washington, tied in with the stonewalling and obstruction of justice on the part of the Trump White House in response to the release of the Mueller report (to do with Russian interference in the 2016 election). One cycle after that, in January of 2020, the dumpster’s first impeachment trial got underway under this influence. One cycle after that the dumpster was in hospital with Covid, with CNN commenting that this situation was symbolic of “his own administration’s failure in its pandemic response”.

One cycle after that a New York judge scheduled a trial date related to Trump’s New York civil case, related to his company’s “staggering” fraud. One cycle later (in 2023) the news was all about how he had destroyed the Republican party, but then one cycle ago (this past April) came the Supreme Court hearing on “presidential immunity”, which ultimately resulted in granting presidential  “immunity’ for a variety of so-called “official” acts. However, that was also the day when a federal judge upheld the verdict in E. Jean Carroll’s civil defamation case against Trump after he called her a liar for accusing him of sexually assaulting her. She was awarded more than $83m after Judge Kaplan denied the dumpster’s motion for a new trial and affirmed that Carroll had suffered harm.

Note that this 13 Ak’b’al energy can be particularly strong, as seen in 2023 when deadly wildfires swept through the town of Lahaina, on the island of Maui, in the worst natural disaster in the history of Hawaii.

So, as we move forward through this trecena, it is entirely possible that there will be echoes from earlier trends and events. Without doubt it will be tense and eventful, with a great deal at stake, particularly as the battle rages over the dumpster’s cabinet choices, and as the issue plays out over who is actually “running the show” – Trump or Musk. And then there are questions about the wars – will there be a ceasefire agreement relating to the Gaza-Israeli war prior to the end of President Biden’s tenure? Will there be continuing support for Ukraine? What will evolve regarding the situation in Syria? How will leadership changes in other countries affect the current world order?

Keep in mind, as we work through this time period, that this is a trecena that often challenges people to think differently, to push forward into new, and even unorthodox, directions. If we are lucky, we may see some unexpected twists in events that may ultimately result in a clearer sense of a workable path forward. Fingers crossed! Here are the energies that will come into play:

1 Chuwen (Dec. 29th) – the Maya Day of the Monkey, an “initiating” day associated with Artistry and High Creativity at the beginning of an important new time sequence, which will include the first days of 2025. This sequence re-envisions the “creation” sequence of days in the Tzolk’in (Sacred Count of Days).

This day marks 12 cycles since it was reported that Russian government operatives had hacked into the DNC in the US in June of 2016, precipitating the Wikileaks release of confidential documents shortly thereafter, which, in turn, triggered the disastrous upset for Hillary Clinton during that November’s presidential election.

While some important historical endings have occurred under this influence, as in the official end of the U.S. Civil War in 1866, and the ending of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in January of 2005, more often it marks beginnings – as seen four cycles ago (February 2022) when Russian lawmakers authorized Putin to use military force outside of Russia, on the eve of his assault on Ukraine, at the same time as a state of emergency was declared in Ukraine. On that day there was a rare moment of unity in the U.S. as lawmakers issued a bipartisan statement in which they pledged to put together an emergency aid package in the face of Putin’s further escalation of hostilities. The dumpster, however, was busy elsewhere – praising Putin.

The last time this was in place (last April) more than 300 cruise and ballistic missiles and drones were launched in a retaliatory attack against Israel, with attacks launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, with Iran seen as the centre of an “Axis of Resistance” against Israel. Dozens of rockets were also launched from Lebanon towards northern Israel.

Currently there are discussions about possible Russia-Ukraine peace talks, potentially to be hosted by Slovakia, and Qatar’s prime minister is still indicating that Gaza peace talks and an agreement are still in the works. Let’s hope that this trecena facilitates positive developments towards those ends.

This is former US President Ronald Reagan’s Maya birth energy, now in place at the time of the passing of President Jimmy Carter, at age 100. It was Reagan who succeeded Carter as president, on Jan. 20th, 1981, after narrowing winning the election. Due to President Carter’s passing, a number of memorial events will take place during this period, in his home state of Georgia and in Washington DC, in his honour.

2 Eb’ (Dec. 30th) – “dynamic animating vitality”, in Maya mythology the energy that was in place when the first “stairway” was formed that descended from the heavens “when the world was being created”. This is an energy that can trigger a healing process, as it did in 2022 when the UK lifted almost all Covid restrictions, after implementing an extensive vaccination program. The last time this was in place (last April) an agreement was reached that paved the way for the Haida Nation in B.C. to retain aboriginal title over more than 200 islands off Canada’s west coast.

Currently the New Moon is marking 5 years since December of 2019 when Dr. Li Wenliang in Wuhan, China issued the first emergency warning to colleagues that there were 7 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the city (he later died after contacting it himself).

When this was in place in the spring of 2019 then-actor/director/comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the presidential election in Ukraine by a landslide (over 70% of the vote), defeating President Poroshenko. Exactly 4 cycles later, on Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched that massive attack against Ukraine. Currently this is the 102nd anniversary of the formation of the USSR, aka the Soviet Union.

In March of 1965 this was the energy in place when President Lyndon B. Johnson gave his historic “We Shall Overcome” speech, when he addressed a joint session of Congress and presented a strong argument for the passage of a Voting Rights Act that would allow African Americans to vote. In that speech he officially recognized the Civil Rights movement and ruled that the Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery could legally take place.

3 B’en (Dec. 31st) – the “activation” of personal authority, coinciding at this time with New Year’s Eve.

This marks 5 years since China officially alerted the World Health Organization about the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the area surrounding a seafood market in the industrial city of Wuhan, which prompted the Chinese government to lock down that area.

Currently this is the 25th anniversary of Putin’s leadership as president of Russia. He started as acting president, after Yeltsin stepped down. His inauguration as president came several months later. It is also the 33rd anniversary of the final day of the Soviet Union on Dec. 31, 1991 after being formally dissolved about 3 weeks earlier. In addition this is the 33rd anniversary of the peace accords achieved between El Salvador’s government and leftist rebels, completed by former UN chief Javier Pérez de Cuéllar during his last minutes in office.

In 1933 this was the energy in place at the time of the first inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt as the 32nd U.S. President, during which he uttered the immortal words:

the only thing we have to fear is fear itself–nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance

 

Currently this is also marking one 260-day cycle exactly since the start of the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president, with jury selection (last April), after the dumpster had made multiple attempts to get it delayed. This was the hush money trial, related to falsifying business records as part of a scheme to suppress damaging stories about him during the 2016 campaign. It was to be the first of Trump’s four criminal trials slated to take place during 2024, but others (including the Jan. 6th case related to the coup attempt, and the classified documents case relating to his hoarding of classified government documents) got siderailed. He was ultimately declared Guilty on all 34 counts, marking the first time that a former U.S. president was convicted on criminal charges. His sentencing has been delayed, and the payments that he is required to make after being found guilty in various civil cases are still hung up in the appeal process.

When this was in place in June of 2021 (5 cycles ago) there was a very special Mercury in the “heart of the sun” astronomical alignment with the Three Hearthstone Place in the cosmos, the place of origin in Maya cosmology, just after a “Ring of Fire” Annular Solar Eclipse. This happened just before the start of the G7 meetings of world leaders in Cornwall, England, at which time President Joe Biden announced that “The US is back and democracies are standing together”. Exactly one cycle later Russia started bombing Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities, NATO activated its Rapid Response Force, and a convoy “full of ammunition” arrived into Ukraine from Poland, to bolster Ukraine’s defences. That was when the Biden administration asked Congress to provide $6.4 billion in funding to assist Ukraine – a request passed by the Democrat-led Senate, but blocked by Republicans in the House of Representatives, at the behest of the dumpster.

So here we are again with this “activation of personal authority” energy, now in place at the end of a heavily litigious year relating to the dumpster, on the eve of a year in which, unfathomably, he will assume the presidency once again. How can this possibly be?? It also begs the question: “What in blazes is actually going on here?” At this point the dominant question seems to be “With the return of Trump to the White House, what is going to happen to the world at large and will democracies continue to stand together?”

This is the Maya birth energy of 98 year old civil rights activist Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth”, who fought so long and hard to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday in the U.S.  President Biden signed the Juneteenth bill into law on the tenth day of this time frame in 2021.

4 Ix (Jan. 1, 2025) –a “defining” energy associated with the jaguar and the mysteries of the earth, one of the four energies at the centre of the Aztec Sun Stone, coinciding at this time with New Year’s Day. In ancient Mesoamerican mythology this was seen as a powerful force, known to the Aztec as Nahui Océlotl, associated with Tezcatlipoca, one of the original creator forces. Because this represents an amalgamation of solar and jaguar energies, it was seen as a Jaguar Sun, aka a Night Sun, aligned with the creation of the Aztec “First Sun”, an era which was seen as lasting for 676 years.

Currently this powerful force, symbolic of Earth-related “transformation” is marking four cycles since worldwide anti-Putin protests, when iconic landmarks (monuments and buildings) were lit up in blue and yellow, the colours of Ukraine’s flag, in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and freedom. In keeping with the nature of this first day of the year, click here to watch a wild jaguar take her first steps into a new future.

This also marks six cycles exactly since the US Senate unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming its commitment to a peaceful transition of power in the wake of the dumpster’s refusal to do so if he lost the 2020 election. However, it wasn’t long after that when it became clear that Republican lawmakers had completely forgotten about that resolution.

And so begins the year 2025, a year of Great Uncertainty that will be filled with dark political machinations that cannot possibly be fully anticipated at this point. Which means that it is time to rally the forces of light, beginning with today’s Global Family Day of Peace and Sharing, which provides a reminder that we are all part of one global village family, on one small planet circling one precious sun.

Note as well that 4 Ix was the energy in place in 1990 when Voyager I took a photo of Earth as a Pale Blue Dot in a sunbeam, from a distance of 6 billion kilometers. It was a photo that radically changed our perspective of Earth – and its fragility. Let’s keep that in mind this year as the pushback against autocracy begins in earnest.

This is the beginning of a Jubilee year for the Vatican (aka a Holy Year), with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”.

5 Men (Jan. 2nd) – a “targeting” or precision-oriented type of energy associated with the Eagle’s “higher vision”, coinciding at this time with the final day of Hanukkah, and the peak of the Quadrantids meteor shower, one of the strongest meteor showers of the year. This marks two cycles exactly since a federal grand jury charged the dumpster with four counts associated with his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. A few weeks ago this one was dismissed, before it could come to trial.

This is potentially a “hang onto your hat” kind of day, as this was the energy in place in early April in 1861 when the opening shots that started the “main events” of the American Civil War took place at Fort Sumpter.

Currently this coincides with World Introvert Day, as some folks begin hunkering down for the duration, and National Science Fiction Day, as this “science fiction” scenario begins to play out in the U.S. and elsewhere. One might ask: how will this drama be defined? Will this be a Mu-mp year? Or a Tr-usk year? Or perhaps even worse – a Tr-usk-Pu year? Whatever it’s about to become, at the moment it seems like an over-the-top James Bond movie is about to unfurl, with some sort of arch villain in the driver’s seat. But unlike 1964’s Goldfinger, “the man with the Midas touch”, with an estimated $6.5 billion at hand, the world’s richest man (who is blatantly pulling so many strings that many are already referring to him as co-president) is said to have over $450 billion.

While the battle over the dumpster’s cabinet picks is looking more like a Star Wars bar scene brawl, the broader picture may play out more like a James Bond scenario on steroids. But then again, it may just implode.

Note that in 1958 this was the energy in place when the first women took their seats in the House of Lords in the UK. Six cycles ago this was in place when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a passionate advocate for women’s rights and civil liberties, became the first woman to lie in state in National Statuary Hall at the US Capitol, in a tribute reserved for the most distinguished government officials and military officers.

6 Kib’ (Jan. 3rd) – a “stabilizing” type of energy that can force one to “think differently”, but sometimes triggers some kind of chaos that ultimately leads towards a “restoration of order”. This is the energy that brought in the “first light” during the creation sequence in Maya mythology.

In 2019 this was in place when Joe Biden announced his candidacy for the presidency.  This time this coincides with the start of a new congressional term in Washington DC, which is sure to be challenging for many.

This is the calendrical energy that was in place in 1814 when Napoléon Bonaparte gave his farewell address to the Old Guard in the courtyard at Fontainbleau after his failed invasion of Russia and defeat by the Allies, and his abdication of the throne two weeks earlier. He was then sent into exile.

7 Kab’an (Jan. 4th) – “self-generating movement”, an energy that, in the past, has accompanied a great deal of Earth-oriented action and movement, marking two cycles since Trump was arrested and arraigned in a magistrate’s court in Washington DC, on four charges relating to the Jan. 6th case, associated with his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, with those charges being: conspiracy to defraud the United States “by using dishonesty, fraud and deceit to obstruct the nation’s process of collecting, counting, and certifying the results of the presidential election”; conspiracy to impede the Jan. 6 congressional proceeding; conspiracy against the right to vote and to have that vote counted; and obstruction of, and attempt to obstruct and impede, the certification of the electoral vote. The case was dismissed “without prejudice”, after the dumpster won the 2024 election. But note that this means that the case can be filed again, later.

Exactly one cycle ago (last April) this was in place at the completion of the jury selection process in the hush money trial. That was the day when the G7 powers pledged to bolster Ukraine’s air defences to counter increasingly deadly Russian attacks, and told China to stop supporting Moscow’s military industry if it wanted good relations with the West.

Currently this is World Braille Day which has been celebrated since 2019 and is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of braille in acknowledgement of rights for the blind and visually impaired. It is also World Hypnotism Day.

8 Etz’nab’ (Jan. 5th) – the “resurrection of flint” – a knife-edged type of energy that often can be quite divisive or decisive, coinciding at this time with Twelfth Night, traditionally a day of “feasting and merriment” as Christmas trees are taken down. In the Christian tradition this is Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, a concept that pertains to the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality, or a sudden revelation, as in the appearance of Christ to the Magi.  In Russia and Eastern Europe this is Orthodox Epiphany, aka The Feast of Theophany, at which time many Christians submerge themselves in ice-cold lakes and rivers – to “wash away their sins” and commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.

And on another “shivery” note – this is the official opening day for the spectacular Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China, the world’s largest of its kind.

This energy is now marking four cycles since the key southern Ukraine city of Kherson was declared “captured” by Russian forces. That was when the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to denounce Russia and demand that Russia stop the invasion of Ukraine and withdraw its forces, an action that was attempting to isolate Russia diplomatically. Unfortunately, that was a futile effort, as the battles continue on, with still no end in sight.

It has now been 8 cycles, exactly, since April in 2019, when WAPO factcheckers in the U.S. reported that the dumpster had made 10,000 false or misleading claims, with that number more than tripling by January of 2021 (30,573 during his 4 years in the White House, with nearly half of those lies told in his final year). Then came the WHOPPER – the BIG LIE that he promulgated continuously since losing the 2020 election, as it became a central ad nauseam theme in his long drawn-out re-election campaign. What is that old adage – “if you repeat something often enough, people will think it’s true”?

9 Kawak (Jan. 6th) – “outward projecting storm”, sometimes associated with significant weather events, or with situations requiring great dedication and compassion, now coinciding with the World Day of War Orphans, to acknowledge and spread awareness about the needs of millions of children who are in desperate need of care as a result of losing families in war zones. Given the major conflicts in so many parts of the world, the need for assistance in this regard is greater than ever.

This is the day when electoral votes are due to be certified in a joint session of the U.S. Congress, IF Republicans can manage to elect a Speaker.  This is the fourth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capital, as investigations and legal actions pertaining to holding people accountable for their actions in that regard officially go into “pause mode” as the transition to a Trump 2.0 administration gets underway. Given the animosity between the two parties in Congress, the extraordinary disfunction within the Republican party itself, and the problems within the justice system that led to delays in prosecution relating to the insurrection attempt in 2021, this is sure to be a tense day in Washington and elsewhere.

This energy is marking three cycles exactly since Jack Smith’s appointment as Special Counsel for the DoJ, to lead various investigations into federal crimes that may have been perpetrated by the dumpster. Although Smith has been working relentlessly to ensure that justice prevails in the highly consequential cases pertaining to both the dumpster’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, and his attempts to maintain government materials, including highly classified documents, he was not able to bring the cases to court before the election deadlines, and will now have to resign from this endeavor. It remains to be seen whether or not those cases will ever be brought to trial.

10 Ajaw (Jan. 7th) – “foundational Sun” – an important Burner Day aligned with “taking the fire” in conjunction with Ajaw’s “full sun” energy, coinciding at this time with the Buddhist oriented Laba Festival, or lunar Bohdi day, when memorial ceremonies are held to pray to ancestors and deities for good fortune. This is also coinciding with Coptic Christmas Day in Egypt and Orthodox Christmas (“Old Christmas Day”), a public holiday in many eastern European traditions, but no longer in Ukraine, at the beginning of what would usually be a festive week. The Coptic Church recognizes Jan. 7th as the day when Jesus was born. However, with the Russia-Ukraine war still raging, this holiday will likely be very sombre again this year.

This is the second of four Ajaw-related “Burner Days” within the Tzolk’in cycle. This particular Burner Day often marks a time who something is “accepted”, in the sense of “taking the baton and running with it”, with regard to some important issue. In 2019 this was in place when Joe Biden “took the baton” and kicked off his presidential campaign with a rally in Pittsburg.

It has now been one cycle exactly since the opening day (after seating of the jury) for Trump’s sleazy hush money trial, where he was charged with 34 count of falsifying business records (and ultimately found guilty). In sharp contrast, that was Earth Day, the day when President Biden announced a $7bn investment in solar energy projects nationwide, focusing on disadvantaged communities, as he unveiled a week-long series of what was termed “historic climate actions”.

This marks four cycles since Russian forces captured Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine, in March of 2022, referred to by analysts as “an act of nuclear terrorism”. Back in 1815, this energy was in place when the “Grand Alliance” was created, linking the monarchist powers of Austria, Prussia, and Russia after the final defeat of Napoleon, at the behest of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The alliance aimed to restrain liberalism and secularism in Europe in the wake of the devastating French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.

Currently, this is the opening day of the gigantic, and highly influential, Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, “The Global Stage for Innovation” in consumer technologies, that will showcase over 2200 exhibitors. This day also marks five years since France confirmed Europe’s first case of COVID-19.

11 Imix (Jan. 8th) – “inspirational new birth” (realm of all potential), coinciding with what would have been Elvis Presley’s 90th Gregorian birthday and David Bowie’s 78th Gregorian birthday.

In 1993 this energy was in place when the Oslo Accords were signed, marking the start of the Oslo process, a cycle of negotiations built around the idea of allowing Palestinians to establish an independent state alongside Israel. This was seen by many as the only hope of ending a century of conflict between Arabs and Jews over control of the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately those negotiations fell apart, and now the situation in Gaza is so dire that the region is in shambles and, according to current reports, “hunger is everywhere”.

This was the energy in place in 1864 when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as the US president.

12 Ik’ (Jan. 9th) – a “dedicated” type of force associated with wind, breath, and spirit – an excellent energy for conferencing or “putting heads together” to develop or share ideas, to “rally round” an idea or issue, and to make voices heard. Seen in deep mythology as the day in which the breath of life was created in the Maya Creation sequence, this is currently a National Day of Mourning in the U.S., the day when President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral will take place at Washington DC’s national cathedral.

This is marking one Calendar Round since the landmark Roe vs Wade decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court on 12 Ik’ 5 Muwan in 1973 to decriminalize abortions in the U.S. (When that was overturned in 2022 by the current Supreme Court, it threw thousands of people’s lives into chaos.)

This is legendary folk singer Joan Baez’s 84th birthday, and the 43rd Gregorian birthday for Catherine, Princess of Wales. It is also the Maya birth energy of the legendary actor Al Pacino.

In 1965 this was the energy in place when some 25,000 civil rights supporters marched to the steps of the Alabama State Capitol, in Montgomery, to deliver a petition calling for voting rights, after many had marched for several days from Selma. At that time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “How Long, Not Long” speech, during which he said “How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” However, millions of disillusioned people are now wondering if that is actually true, after the astonishing events of 2024 that saw millions of dollars being spent on “delay, deny, deflect, dismiss” tactics within the US judicial system, and the failure of that system to prosecute outrageous crimes associated with the Jan. 6th insurrection, among many others. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that Dr. King’s actions on that day led to the establishment of the federal Voting Rights Act several months later.

13 Ak’b’al (Jan. 10th) As the last day of this Maya “creation sequence” trecena, this is a powerful transformation-oriented energy aligned with “darkness” and deep esoteric mysteries – a force that can be highly consequential, as it was one cycle ago when the US Supreme Court held its hearing relating to “presidential immunity”. Their decision regarding presidential immunity has not only had dire consequences in terms of the issue of holding the dumpster responsible for his alleged crimes, but very likely served as the pivot that turned the 2024 election in his favour.

This 13 Ak’b’al force is a powerful earth-oriented energy, as was in place in October of 1973 when US Vice-president Spiro Agnew resigned after investigations showed that he was involved with extortion, bribery, and income tax violations. He pleaded guilty on one count of tax evasion and made a plea deal that ensured he would never run for office again.

This is an energy that often brings forth severe weather conditions.

This was also in place in 1862 when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, exactly one 260-day cycle after the resignation of Robert E. Lee from the Union Army before he become a commander of the Confederate army.

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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.]