We begin this trecena at the mid-point of the 1 Imix-to-13 Ajaw cycle, a point within the overall 260-day cycle when new directions often begin unfolding. This tends to be a “regrouping” kind of period, and after the high voltage of the last trecena, it would seem that considerable “regrouping” is needed, in multiple areas. The question is: “What kind of regrouping is going to take place?”

By the end of the last trecena the intense truck protest and standoff in Ottawa was over, and Ottawa was clearing away debris and working on resuming some semblance of normality. But a similar demonstration is in the works in the U.S., with some kind of truck convoy due to arrive in DC around the midpoint of this current trecena.

That last trecena began with exceedingly high new daily case numbers of Covid, particularly in Europe, with those numbers dropping considerably towards the end of that time frame, prompting the lifting of coronavirus related restrictions in many regions. But numbers are increasing in other areas so it seems that some kind of shift is underway in that regard.

In the U.S., the last trecena saw the justice system closing in on the dumpster from multiple directions, as more and more evidence of his wide-ranging crimes continued to surface. Not only did his long time accountants terminate their relationship with him, but they told prosecutors that his financial statements should not be relied upon. He has also been ordered to testify as part of the New York investigation into potential fraud within his company. Similarly, the Jan. 6th Committee is amassing considerable evidence regarding his role in the insurrection, and the Supreme Court has formally denied his request to block the committee from accessing his White House records related to those events. So it seems that much more information is about to be released.

And then there is Russia, and the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Indeed, Putin’s dramatic escalation of aggression during the last two days of the last trecena has been called an invasion since that was the uninvited incursion of armed military forces into another country’s domain, and the shelling of some areas, over the objections of that country.

So with these developments bringing us to the completion of the first half of the 260 day cycle, the stage is now set for the “Creation” sequence that comes in at this time – this period of “regrouping” as we embark on the second half of the cycle.

As we go through this Chuwen trecena we are working with the energies that were seen historically (and mythologically) as the “Creation” sequence in the Maya Calendar – when the “world” itself was brought into being. And, as it happened, three cycles ago this trecena was the one that was in place at the beginning of 2020. It was the first full trecena of 2020 – and we all saw rapid “regrouping” during that period as the new virus was identified, its gene sequence was published, and the first tests for the virus were developed, at the same time as “first cases” and “first deaths” were being reported in various parts of the world, including in France.

The first day 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 gets to decide how he’s going to weave together the threads of creation as he orchestrates the proliferation of life. This is the key mid-point within the overall 260-day cycle, marking the beginning of the mythological “Creation” sequence of energies, when 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 with the God of Pulque as the principal patron of this 13 day period, the potential for “reckless abandon” can also be a factor. Certainly that seemed to be the case in January of 2020, when the coronavirus was breaking out. At that time this creation sequence of days called on everyone to think and act differently. It was the beginning of global regrouping, and the world will never be the same.

The last time this was in place – last June – 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. During that period the US Supreme Court rejected the Republican challenge to Obamacare, and millions of low-income Americans maintained access to medical coverage. That same period brought a number of criminal indictments against the Trump Organization. So a sense of positive regrouping and even “healing” seemed to run through this time zone 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.

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”. Currently this is Pink Shirt Day in Canada, with a focus on anti-bullying and finding ways to reduce conflict. The theme this year is “Lift Each Other Up”, which is so badly needed.

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. However, it was the fifth day of this time frame when the opening shots of the U.S. Civil war were fired in 1861. During the summer of 1959 it was the same fifth day of this trecena when the first American soldiers were killed in Vietnam. So this seems to be another critical point.

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. Four cycles ago, in April of 2019, that was what happened when former Vice-President 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. On that day a group of psychiatrists completed a report in which they called for a full evaluation of Trump’s mental state by a non-governmental, independent and non-Partisan panel that would include psychiatrists, neurologists and internists, since they concluded that he was “a danger to the entire nation”. Although that still has not happened, the criminal investigations against him are certainly closing in.

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 two cycles ago (September, 2020) when the global number of deaths from Covid-19 reached over one million, and a very serious second wave of the coronavirus was sweeping through Europe. By then vaccine development was in high gear on a number of fronts and people were beginning to anticipate forthcoming immunization programs. By one cycle after that (last June) millions around the globe had received at least one dose of vaccine, but by then over 600,000 people in the US had been killed by Covid, by far the highest of any country in the world.

As we embark on this current trecena we find that close to 11 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, more than half of which were in high-income countries. Globally close to 430 million cases have been registered, and close to 6 million people have died, including over 960,000 in the U.S., out of the over 80 million registered cases in that country. And yet . . . and yet . . . a small, but loud, minority of people have been vehemently protesting against vaccine mandates. And now a copy-cat truck convoy is making its way to Washington DC, in an effort to be there by March 1st, which will be 7 Kab’an, the day of President Biden’s State of the Union address. Let’s hope there isn’t too much Monkey business!!

Another important 10 Ajaw Burner Day comes in on March 4th. This tends to be intense and consequential as this energy was seen traditionally as being oriented around the idea of “taking the fire”, in conjunction with the force of Ajaw’s “full sun”.

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. This is often a day when important information is revealed.

Thirteen Ak’bal (“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. This could be another nail-biter, as it was four cycles ago (in April of 2019), 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 dumpster White House in response to the release of the Mueller report. One cycle after that, in January of 2020, the dumpster’s first impeachment trial got underway under this influence . . . . and one cycle after that he was in the hospital being treated for Covid.

This time we can only hope that the end of this trecena will bring some sense of a solution to the critical situation that is developing in Ukraine. During this period we will be seeing a great deal of intense negotiation between NATO members and Ukraine as they work to keep Russian aggression against Ukraine at bay.

As events of the past have revealed, this Chuwen trecena can often present the kinds of challenges that require individuals to think differently, to try out new ideas, and to push forward into new, and even unorthodox, directions. Often those challenges begin to appear or are intensified during the previous trecena, as when the first inkling of a deadly coronavirus began to appear just before this Chuwen trecena came into place at the beginning of 2020.

The challenges that were revealed during the trecena that concluded on Feb. 22nd this year include Putin’s move to go beyond threat and into action in Ukraine, and the attempt by a small (but extremely noisy) minority in Canada to bend the government to its demands through belligerant and extremist tactics, that included the misappropriation of national symbols such as the Canadian flag. As has been the situation for the past few years, democracy itself is still in crisis, with the implications of the promulgation of that BIG LIE by the dumpster still playing out. In the US people are in danger of losing their right to vote, and important legislation that could resolve that situation is still being blocked in Congress by those who have bought into that lie. And, as we all know, the pandemic is still not over, and there are increasing calls to ease or abort restrictions.

So, these are the kinds of challenges that will be the focus for much of this trecena. As we saw last time, this planet is still very much in crisis and “all hands on deck” are still needed. But this IS a period where considerable creative forces are in play which could be very helpful in the forging of a “new (and better) world”. Here are the energies that will come into play:

One Chuwen (Feb. 23rd) – the Maya Day of the Monkey, an “initiating” day associated with high creativity and the beginning of an important new time sequence, coinciding at this time with Pink Shirt Day in Canada, with its anti-bullying focus and its focus on finding ways to reduce conflict and foster positive relationships.  This year the theme is “Lift Each Other Up” (or perhaps it could be “Pick Each Other Up” after the horrendous incidents of bullying witnessed during the demonstrations in Ottawa during the last trecena)

In Veracruz, Mexico, this is the opening day for the Carnaval de Veracruz, called “The World’s Most Cheerful” carnival, and the largest in Mexico.

By this point it has been eight 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 election.

As of this day it has been two cycles exactly (520 days) since prosecutors from Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office made it clear that their investigations could encompass potential tax crimes on the part of the dumpster’s company, which would include falsification of business records, insurance fraud, and criminal tax fraud. Since then a considerable amount of evidence has been amassed to reveal the scope of those crimes.

In 1866 this was the energy in place at the time of the official end of the U.S. Civil War. Is it mere coincidence that this is in place now, the day after Russia lawmakers authorized Putin to use military force outside of Russia, as he begins yet another war?

Note that this is also former US President Ronald Reagan’s Maya birth energy.

2 Eb’ (Feb. 24th) – “dynamic animating vitality”, in Maya mythology the energy that was in place when the first “stairway” was created that descended from the heavens “when the world was being created”. This is an energy that can trigger a healing process, coinciding at this time with the UK’s lifting of almost all Covid restrictions, even though Queen Elizabeth herself has tested positive (although with only mild symptoms).

This is the opening for the two-day International Conference on Recent Advances in Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

In 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.

In early July of 1917 this was in place at the time of the establishment of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western front during WWI, under the command of General Pershing. And what do we find now, but U.S. forces heading to Europe to bolster defences in various regions, just one cycle after the second Calendar Round return (ie. 2 x 52 years, + one 260 day cycle) of the energies that were in place at that time.

3 B’en (Feb. 25th) – the “activation” of personal authority, 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”.

The last time this was in place (last June) there was a very special “heart of the sun” astronomical alignment with the Three Hearthstone Place in the cosmos, the place of origin in Maya cosmology. That was just before the start of the G7 meetings of world leaders in Cornwall, England, when President Joe Biden announced that “The US is back and democracies are standing together”, as he and Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a New Atlantic Charter to reaffirm their commitment to work together to realize a vision for a more peaceful and prosperous future. That was when the Pew Research Center reported that America’s image abroad was rebounding significantly with the transition to Biden.

Two cycles ago this was in place when the beloved human rights advocate Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court so that members of the public can pay their respects.

4 Ix (Feb. 26th) – 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, as was in place last June at the the start of the 47th G7 summit, hosted by the UK in St. Ives, Cornwall.

Currently this marks two cycles exactly (520 days) 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 election. However, it wasn’t long after that when it became clear that Republican senators had completely forgotten about that resolution, or made that commitment under pretense, since they have since demonstrated the complete opposite.

This is the Maya birth energy of 95 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.

5 Men (Feb. 27th) – a “targeting” or precision-oriented type of energy associated with the Eagle’s “higher vision”, coinciding at this time with International Polar Bear Day, with the emphasis this year being on “Protecting Moms and Cubs”. This is also the final day of the spectacular Nice Carnival in France.

In early April in 1861, this was the energy in place when the opening shots that started the “main events” of the American Civil War took place at Fort Sumpter.

6 Kib’ (Feb. 28th) – a “stabilizing” type of energy that can force one to “think differently”, often triggering some kind of “restoration of order”; the energy that brought in the “first light” during the creation sequence in Maya mythology – coinciding at this time with the opening of the UN’s Environment Assembly (to Mar. 2nd), with the theme for UNEA-5 being “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals”. This will highlight the pivotal role nature plays in our lives and in social, economic and environmental sustainable development. One of the key issues is plastics pollution.

As of this day it has been 4 Calendar Rounds (4 x 52 years, less 52 days) since Napoléon Bonaparte’s farewell address to the Old Guard in the courtyard at Fontainbleau on April 20, 1814 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.

The last time this energy was in place President Biden met with Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, exactly three cycles after he announced his candidacy for the presidency on April 25, 2019.

7 Kab’an (March 1st) – “self-generating movement”, an energy that, in the past, has accompanied a great deal of Earth-oriented action and movement, coinciding at this time with Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address as U.S. president.

Traditionally this was seen as the day in the Maya mythological creation sequence when honey was first created.

This is the start of Women’s History Month in the U.S., with this year’s theme being “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope”.

This is the final day of the spectacular Carnevale in Venice, and also “Fat Tuesday”, the last day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

This is also human rights activist and actor/singer Harry Belafonte’s 95th Gregorian birthday, and the Maya birth energy of Thich Nhat Hanh, known as the “Father of Mindfulness”, who passed on, on Jan. 22nd

8 Etz’nab’ (March 2nd) – the “resurrection of flint” – a knife-edged energy that can often be quite divisive or decisive, coinciding at this time with the New Moon and Ash Wednesday, the “Day of Ashes”, or day of repentance, prayer, and fasting, when Christians traditionally confessed their sins at the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter.

This marks 9 cycles exactly since Putin conscripted 150,000 troops into the Russian army in 2015 on the second straight day of Russian airstrikes in Syria. One cycle before that conscription Ukrainians were engaged in a fierce battle with Russia-aligned separatists over the Donetsk airport.

In Bali this energy coincides with a ceremony involving the cleansing and purification of sacred objects prior to the start of the traditional new year. Generally a brash, noisy festival day when “evil spirits” (represented by effigies called “Ogoh Ogoh”) are caught, paraded, and then ceremoniously burnt, followed by dancing and feasting in conjunction with the New Moon, prior to Nyepi that follows the next day.

It has now been four cycles, exactly, since April in 2019, when WAPO factcheckers reported that they had found 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 has been promulgating ever since he lost the election. Given all this, and the horrendous fallout from those lies, perhaps this would be a good time to join in with that “Ogoh Ogoh” cacophony with a focus on banishing forever “whatever that force is” that has been causing such disruption to lives, civility, honour, and integrity worldwide.

9 Kawak (March 3rd) – “outward projecting storm”; a possibility for significant weather events or for situations requiring great compassion, coinciding at this time with the UN’s World Wildlife Day, devoted to celebrating and raising awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This year’s theme is “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”, to draw attention “to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species of wild fauna and flora”, and to help people take action to help conserve and sustain wildlife.

This energy also coincides with Nyepi, the Balinese “Day of Silence”, which includes fasting, meditation, and self-reflection, just prior to the Balinese New Year. During Nyepi shops are closed and there is no lighting of fires, no working, no venturing outside, no entertainment, no traveling, and, for some, no speaking. Lights are kept low and Bali’s streets will be empty. The emphasis is on praying for the purification of humanity, Earth, and the universe.

Let’s hope those prayers help to counter the volatile situation in Ukraine, which is now unfolding one cycle exactly after President Biden’s “constructive” meeting with President Putin in Geneva last June, at which time they agreed to “strategic stability” – something that appears to have broken down.

10 Ajaw (March 4th) – “foundational Sun” – an important Burner Day aligned with “taking the fire” in conjunction with Ajaw’s “full sun” energy, coinciding at this time with China’s Blue Dragon Festival (aka the Zhonghe or Longtaitou Festival, or “Dragon Raising its Head” Day), a traditional holiday related to welcoming in the first warming signs of Spring. The dragon was seen as the deity in charge of rain, with this rain festival involving ceremonies that invoke dragons to dispense “just the right quantity” of rain for spring planting. Traditionally this was the day to “wake up” the Dragon King after his long winter sleep. It is thought that cutting your hair on the Blue Dragon festival will get rid of bad luck and align you with the dragon’s dignity and power.

In Bali this is the Hindu Saka New Year, called Ngembak Geni, a day to visit with families and perform religious rituals, to ask forgiveness for past wrongdoings, to start the new year with a clean slate.

On a less traditional note, some see this as “March Forth” or “Do Something” Day.
In 2019 this was the energy in place when Joe Biden kicked off his presidential campaign with a rally in Pittsburg.

11 Imix (March 5th) – “inspirational new birth” (realm of all potential), on the closing day for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  In 1864 this was the energy in place when Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as the U.S. president.

12 Ik’ (March 6th) – 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. This is the National Day of Tolerance and Coexistence in Iraq marking one year since the declaration of this annual national day by Iraq’s Prime Minister last March.

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.”  These efforts led to the establishment of the federal Voting Rights Act several months later.

Maya birth energy of highly versatile veteran actor Al Pacino.

13 Ak’b’al (March 7th) As the last day of this “creation sequence” trecena, this is a powerful transformation-oriented energy aligned with “darkness” and deep esoteric mysteries – a force that can be highly consequential. Translating as “temple”, “house”, and sometimes “darkness”, this 13 Ak’b’al force is a powerful earth-oriented energy, as was 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.

Currently this is the first day of hearings at the International Court of Justice concerning Allegations of Genocide with regard to on-going war crimes committed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.  It is noteworthy that this is the Maya birth energy of Vasili Arkhipov, the Soviet naval officer who was posthumously awarded a “Future of Life” prize for averting global catastrophe, due to his actions in preventing a Soviet nuclear strike during the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. Let’s hope there are more like him “standing guard” to avert nuclear catastrophe during this current crisis.

This also marks the beginning of Women of Aviation Worldwide Week (to Mar. 13th).

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

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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.]