As this trecena opens much in the northern hemisphere is still buried under snow. And even where the snow has melted much is looking brown and battered and lifeless after the harsh winter. But if you look closely the signs are there – the small buds waiting to burst forth, the small flowers trying to push through, the robins reappearing. As it happens, the return of Spring at this time is coinciding nicely with the return of the Eb’ trecena, which is all about refreshment and the restoration of life, after what may have seemed like a time when “all was lost”.

Symbolically, Eb’ was often represented as a jawbone with grass growing out of it, which might seem curious as one might wonder how something that looks “dead as a doornail” could produce life. But the core idea is that deep within there is still a vital essence that, given the right conditions, has the capacity to spring back into being. Given the right conditions that essence will do everything it can to find the “path” to “renewed vitality”. Both “Road” and “Grass” are often used in conjunction with Eb’, for this reason. Tying in with this, the Eb’ trecena has a tendency to be generally oriented around finding pathways that will open up new possibilities, ultimately towards healing. And this time, as this trecena develops, all sorts of renewal-oriented events and festivities will be taking place.

Included in this are the Spring Equinox, India’s celebrated Holi festival, Nowruz (Persian New Year), the Jewish festival of Purim, and St. Patrick’s Day.

But even with such festivals not in play, the Eb’ trecena has had a tendency to inspire people to push towards action, as seen three cycles ago (in Jan. 2017) when massive numbers of people began banding together during this time frame to make known their objections to the results of the 2016 U.S. election and the subsequent inauguration. At that time the historic Women’s March on Washington D.C. where some 500,000 women and their allies rallied to protest the Trump presidency and stand in solidarity in support of equal rights and humanitarian principles took place on One Eb’, the very first day of this trecena. Concurrently over 670 “anti-Trump” sister marches took place in other U.S. cities and around the world, with some five million people participating. It was seen as the largest single-day protest in the U.S. and one of the largest worldwide human rights demonstrations in history. This worldwide event became the inspiration for a whole new era of resistance not only against the current presidency and its agenda but also against other human rights issues. Indeed, thoughout the entire Eb’ trecena at that time many different protests took place, involving a variety of issues such as resisting and rejecting Trump’s climate denial, protesting his rejection of Obamacare, and pushing back against his travel bans.

Two cycles ago (late 2017) further protests took place against issues such as the lack of White House support for the hurricane related disaster in Puerto Rico. The MeToo Movement against sexual harrassment was also gaining momentum at that time.

Then early last summer, as this same trecena was getting underway, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history when she defeated high-ranking congressman Joe Crowley in the New York primary, at the start of her fast track towards infusing new life into the US House of Representatives after her consequent win in the mid-term elections. A week after that initial win the US Senate Intelligence Committee released their bipartisan report in which they concluded that the Intelligence Community Assessment was sound and that Russia had indeed interfered in the 2016 election, with the approval of President Putin.

What often happens with this particular 13-day period is that a new sense of possibility often starts to be felt. Often this is a time when people say “enough is enough” and begin to find ways to address specific problems. With the first day being an initiating energy associated with opening up a new “road” or a new flow of energy, this often ushers in a new sense of hope or inspiration. Intriguingly, the opening of this Eb’ trecena at this time coincides with the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, in celebration of the day when Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist working at CERN, submitted a proposal for a new way of sharing information on linked computers. [Note that the energy that was in place at the time that proposal was first submitted was 3 Men (an “activation of high vision” type of force), which was certainly in keeping with the nature of this phenomenally consequential vision.]

Generally speaking Eb’ is a healing and “refreshment” type of energy, the type of force that represents new life springing forth. Traditionally this was accompanied by celebration and feasting, making it a “heady” kind of time often aligned with both expectation and abundance. It is a trecena that often has been associated with strong generative powers, the kind of powers that can forge new pathways and open up many new possibilities. And with all the spring-oriented events and festivals happening at this time, this very much ties in with the traditions of this energy period.

And on the more practical end of things, with multiple investigations underway at the highest levels in the US this trecena could add energy to the many developments that are likely to take place during this period that could help to clean out much of what has been “stagnating”. The so-called “national emergency” will be addressed during this period as Congress continues its debate on this situation, and all its related issues such the diabolical separation of immigrant children from their parents at Mexican-U.S. border crossings and the lack of a plan or system for helping to reunite those that have already been caught in this quagmire. Six Kab’an (March 17th) will mark one cycle since the massive “Families Belong Together” protests (some 750 of them) took place across the U.S. against that child separation policy and the treatment of immigrants last summer, with thousands braving extreme heat as they voiced their opposition to what was going on. Hopefully progress will be made at this time towards remedying the issues that are still outstanding in this regard.

And then there is Venezuela, with the blackout situation going into its sixth day as this trecena begins, with food and water scarce, transportation and communication systems crippled, and the entire country in crisis and in dire need of humanitarian assistance, it would appear that “something” has to give before order can begin to be restored or, as Bolivia’s former president put it, “the surreal dystopia of Mad Max will be released”.

As always the Eb’ trecena has its work cut out for it. And while this is an energy frame that can be unpredictable at times, with the traditional patrons of this trecena sometimes warning of discord that can be brought about through “excess”, it can offer a lot of hope through this resurgence of vitality.

As noted above, much will be unfolding at this time, with 9 Ajaw-10 Imix (March 20-21) being particularly important. Nine Ajaw is an influential day of “enlightenment” that will bring in the Spring Equinox and a Full moon, among other things, with 10 Imix coinciding with Nowruz, with its emphasis on “light” and renewal. It is particularly interesting that Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is taking place during the Eb’ (Grass) trecena as the growing of wheatgrass is one of the symbolic observances at the time of Nowruz. During this thirteen-day period these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Eb’ (March 12th) – the “initiation” of “animating vitality”, the refreshing stream-of-consciousness, “find your own path” type of force, which is coinciding at this time with Arbor Day in China and with the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, in celebration of the day when Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist working at CERN, submitted a proposal for a new way of sharing information on linked computers. To celebrate this anniversary CERN will host a celebrational event in partnership with the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and the World Wide Web Foundation.

Suppose all the information stored on computers everywhere were linked. Suppose I could program my computer to create a space in which everything could be linked to everything.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web

Three cycles since the massive Women’s March in Washington D.C. and in hundreds of other cities in the U.S. and around the world, in January of 2017.

2 B’en (March 13th) – a dynamic type of energy aligned with the “generation” of personal authority, on the day of Paul Manafort’s Washington D.C. sentencing. One cycle since then-28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history when she defeated high-ranking congressman Joe Crowley in the New York primary before going on to win again in the mid term elections. She is currently the youngest member ever to serve in the U.S. Congress.

3 Ix (March 14th) –the “activation” of transformation, this time coinciding with the beginning of Expedition 59 at the International Space Station with the docking of the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft, at the time of Mercury’s inferior conjunction with the sun. This is also World Kidney Day, the 32nd annual Pi day, and the opening day for the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi, UAE. On this 140th anniversary of Einstein’s birthday, this marks one year since the death of legendary scientist Stephen Hawking.

Three cycles since the US National Day of Climate Action during which students from over 50 universities participated in nationwide demonstrations to demand that their institutions resist and reject Trump’s climate denial by divesting from the fossil fuel industry and reinvesting in solutions to the climate crisis. Currently this is the day when the US Senate will vote on the resolution to block Trump’s national emergency declaration.

4 Men (March 15th)– a “defining” energy related to the “high vision” of the Eagle; a double solar “Burner Day” associated with “running with the fire”, an energy that can sometimes bring a great deal of “firepower”, coinciding at this time with a Global Climate Strike known as Youth Strike 4 Climate – a global walkout of students worldwide in a coordinated effort to call for political action regarding climate change.

This is also the “Ides of March”, National Panda Day, the 22nd International Day against Police Brutality, the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the 2011 Syrian Uprising, and Red Nose Day in the UK, a major fund raising day through comic relief, at which time people wear red noses and raise funds for charity. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 86th birthday.

5 Kib’ (March 16th) – a “blessing” or “precision” type of energy associated with the “Vulture’s” high-flying ability to survey and its ability to “clean things up”, coinciding at this time with World Sleep Day. Pablo Picasso’s Maya birth energy.

6 Kab’an (March 17th) – a “movement (or earth movement)” type of energy combined with the “all directions” force of the number six, coinciding at this time with St. Patrick’s Day. Global Giving was founded under this energy influence in 2002. Opening of China’s huge International Floriculture and Horticulture Trade Fair in Guangzhou.

One cycle since the nationwide “Families Belong Together” protest in the US against Trump’s family separation policy.

7 Etz’nab’ (March 18th) –“self-generating flint” – a “knife-edge” type of energy associated with the power of discrimination, the energy that was in place last summer when Lopez Obrador (a “progressive reformist”) won a landslide victory in Mexico’s presidential election.

This is the force that sparked major solar flares in 2005, and coincided with the Global Day of Action that involved anti-war demonstrations in cities across the U.S. and in many other countries in 2007. In 2014 this was the energy influence in place when 53 international delegates met in the Hague to discuss the reduction and security of nuclear supplies (particularly against terrorism).

This seems to be a particularly potent mid-trecena marker point as four cycles ago this energy brought an impeachment vote against the president of Brazil; similarly two cycles ago in the US publisher Larry Flynt placed an ad offering $10 million for information leading to the impeachment of Trump. Three cycles ago precisely Trump’s travel ban against seven Muslim nations started a backlash across the U.S. that has included lawsuits and protests around the world, at the same time as George Papadopoulos lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials, a key event in the overall Russia scandal. Given all the investigations currently taking place regarding the White House this will be another important energy to watch at this time.

8 Kawak (March 19th) – “resurrecting storm”, sometimes associated with strong weather and other upheavals. One cycle since the missing boys were found in Thailand, after being lost for 9 days, and rescue efforts began.

9 Ajaw (March 20th) – an “outwardly projecting”, double-fire type of force associated with the full sun and “enlightenment”, correlating at this time with Spring Equinox and the Full Worm Moon, aka the Sap Moon in Libra, the time when maple sap begins to flow. The day the Sun enters Aries. This coincides with the eleventh annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day dedicated to increasing awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on First Nations populations.

This is also the UN’s International Day of Happiness, the UN’s French Language Day, and World Storytelling Day, when live storytelling events take place worldwide in a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling, this year around the theme of “Myths, Legends, and Epics”. Celebrated author C.S. Lewis, who was born under the influence of 9 Ajaw in 1898, would fit right in with this with his Space Trilogy novels and with his epic Chronicles of Narnia.

During the evening, India’s highly revered Holi festival begins. Sometimes referred to as a “festival of love” or “festival of colours”, Holi is a time when people get together to play with vibrant colours in the interest of fun, healing, fertility, and renewal, as they forget about resentments and bad feelings from the past and symbolically celebrate the triumph of good over evil. [Now wouldn’t it be SOMETHING if this tradition found its way into the US Congress and other such arenas??]  During this evening large bonfires will be lit across India to drive away evil spirits. At the same time Purim, one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar, will begin at sunset.

10 Imix (March 21st) – a “source” based energy aligned with birth, coinciding at this time with Nowruz (meaning “new day”), the Persian New Year, a festival celebrated by Iranian peoples and many others worldwide to mark the first day of the first month in the Iranian calendar. This is the full day of Purim in the Jewish calendar, and the full day of the Holi festival in India, both of which end in the evening. Holi is not only celebrated in India, but in many other countries as well.

This is also the UN’s World Poetry Day and the day when Michelle Obama offers “A Conversation with Michelle Obama” at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

11 Ik’ (March 22nd) – “inspirational” wind/breath/spirit; the energy that was in place on January 1, 2000 when millions of people celebrated the coming new millennium. Currently this is World Water Day.

World Water Day advocates for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. The theme this year is “Leaving No One Behind”. Click here for PlanCanada’s “Clean Water for Families” campaign. Closing day of the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN (CSW63).

12 Ak’b’al (March 23rd) a “grouping together” type of energy associated with darkness, as was in place at the time of the 2004 Sumatra tsunami and again in 2011 when the ash cloud from the Grimsvötn volcano grounded about 500 flights in the U.K. Currently this is International Puppy Day (founded in 2006, as a day to help save orphaned puppies around the globe) and the 9th Gregorian anniversary of the day when President Obama signed his Affordable Care Act into law. Currently this is the day when hundreds of thousands will participate in the Peoples Vote March in London to call on the government to revoke Article 50.

13 K’an (March 24th) – transformational “generative vitality”; a powerfully exuberant force that can instigate a great deal of action on many fronts, as in 1992 when a massive fire broke out at Windsor Castle, damaging or destroying over 100 rooms and many priceless treasures, and in October of 2012 when Hurricane Sandy churned off the coast of Florida en route to the New York/New Jersey coast. Currently this energy is coinciding with back-to-back cyclones that are pummeling Australia, and also coinciding with Thailand’s elections.

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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.]