Wind, breath, spirit, medicine, communication, and even high magic – these are the forces that will be threading their way through this first full trecena of the new Maya year that began a few days ago. As mentioned at that time this is a year oriented around far- reaching “evolutionary” movement so we can expect many highly consequential events to unfold.

   The podcast for this trecena is now available here:  https://mayacalendararts.com/podcast/episode-one-wind-breath-spirit-trecena-april-7-17-2020

The fact that this Ik’ trecena is the first full trecena of this 9 Kab’an year seems significant as this is the trecena associated with Ehécatl, the “Wind/ Breath/Spirit” form of the great Feathered Serpent that was often seen as a portal to the heavens. Although this energy is often associated with very high winds, at this time is seems that “Breath” and “Spirit” will be the main emphasis, along with communication.

Significantly, one of the most prominent symbols associated with Ehécatl was a duck billed mask, representative of the wind that blows in all directions. And at this time protective masks are in high demand globally, with medical staff constantly pleading for replenishments of masks and other protective supplies. Millions of people are currently wearing various forms of face coverings (even bandanas and homemade masks) whenever they leave their homes. During this trecena it is likely that a wide variety of approaches to the use of masks will start to appear as people become more and more creative in this regard.

The fact that Ehécatl is a variant of the great Feathered Serpent known as Kukulcan (Quetzalcoatl) is also significant at this time since serpentine energy has long been associated with medicine. In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius is a serpent-entwined staff wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicinal arts. This staff is used as a symbol for many health oriented organizations, including the WHO, although sometimes is confused with the caduceus on the staff of Hermes/Mercury. In both cases the serpent is representative of the healing arts. The serpent’s ability to shed its skin and “renew” itself is a key concept here, in addition to its ancient connection with alchemy.

Due to some early misunderstandings concerning the nature of these symbols the caduceus of Hermes, with two serpents wound around a winged staff, has been adopted by many medical organizations, including the US Army Medical Corps.

The connection of this symbol with Hermes, the winged messenger, ties it in with its original association with trade, negotiation, and alchemy. It is also expressive of the dual nature of the work of the physician, who deals with the dualities of life and death, sickness and health.

So here we are with the Ik’ trecena coming into play, with its forces deeply aligned with many of the ideas associated with healing, communication, alchemy, life and death situations, and even negotiation, at a time when rational dialogue and careful negotiation are greatly needed as various countries scramble to acquire critically needed medical supplies.

Among the abominable directives coming from the White House at this time is the blocking of the 3M company’s exportation of US-made N95 respirator masks to Canada and Latin America, at the same time as the US diverted a shipment of 200,000 masks that were designated for Germany. This kind of move has grave implications for those in dire need of these supplies. Based on that directive the Canadian branch of that same company, based in London, Ontario, is now looking at ways to meet Canadian needs.

At this time, as most are aware, the entire planet is “on pause” and health care workers worldwide are risking their own lives to save others as the coronavirus pandemic continues to skyrocket. Streets and highways are deserted as all but the most essential vehicles remain parked or out of service. Planes sit in eerie silence outside deserted airport terminals. Billions of people are anxiously monitoring their electronic devices for news about the progress of the pandemic, as they await word on when and in what manner life “as we once knew it” can continue.

Many are now realizing that, in fact, the world is shifting significantly as this crisis unfolds, with no one able to project, with any kind of confidence, what the ultimate outcome will be. It’s a surreal and highly disquieting (and lengthy) moment as the global number of Covid-19 cases surpasses 1.2 million, with the global death toll over 65,000 as this trecena gets underway. At the current rate those numbers will increase hugely before this trecena is over. It’s almost as if the planet as a whole is “shedding its skin” and no one yet knows what will emerge once that process is complete.

If this crisis had not occurred, this trecena would have brought forth many wonderful events related to Easter and Spring, and various celebrations and festivals of renewal associated with this time of year. Most of those events, as well as an untold number of major conferences and gatherings, have been either cancelled or postponed. Some have been reorganized so that people can meet through electronics, and many events have been scaled right down to the bone, forcing people to find highly personal (rather than group) ways to honour the occasion. In Thailand, for example, the Thai New Year water festival (Songkran) is postponed until further notice.

As it happens, World Health Day comes up on the third day of this time frame, with this theme being “Support nurses and midwives”, but this is also a great time to give support to all the tens of thousands of health care workers and support personnel who are at the forefront of the coronavirus battle. As it happens this will be the time when the biggest and brightest Full Moon of the year will be in place.

At this time the Jewish celebration of Passover will span a large portion of this trecena, beginning on a 4 Chikchan “Burner” Day and concluding near the end of the time frame. The timing for this is quite intriguing because this is a celebration associated with a time in deep history when Moses was attempting to free the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It refers to the idea of the angel of death “passing over” Jewish homes during a great plague, at a time when Egyptian soldiers were ordered to slay first borns. Ultimately the people were allowed to go free, and shortly thereafter came the exodus from Egypt through the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea as Moses and the people made their escape. So this is the story of a great plague and a monumental escape to freedom. It would seem that this passover period would be a good time to offer prayers for another “monumental miracle” that could help us all to escape from the horrors of this current plague. Click here for some resources that might help.

As this is an energy frame that traditionally (for the Maya) has been associated with “high magic”, inspiration, and communication, this would be a good time to look towards finding and sharing things that can be spiritually uplifting. As difficult as that may seem for many at this time, it is something greatly needed, so anything along the lines of music, the arts, humour, and storytelling would help in this regard.

Hopefully Ehécatl’s wind forces will not kick up at this time, as they have so often in the past – as when “one of the most complex meteorological situations of the past 50 to 60 years” left 160,000 customers without power in northern Italy two cycles ago at the opening of this time frame, as fierce winds and driving rains inundated towns and devastated thousands of hectares of forest. Similarly, in the fall of 2016, Super Typhoon Meranti, one of the most powerful ever recorded, strengthened from a Cat. 1 to a Cat. 5 in just 36 hours at the beginning of this period as it knocked out power to some 500,000 households in Taiwan, before wreaking havoc on mainland China. Four cycles before that, in 2013, under exactly the same “One Wind” influence, Cat. 5 Super Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda) devastated the Philippines. In addition to the first day of this time frame, the seventh day (7 Lamat) has also brought forth some significant wind events, particularly tornadoes.

In 1934, this was the trecena that saw the first flight of the twin- engine all-metal Lougheed Model 10A Electra (the type flown by Amelia Earhart on her ill-fated final trip). The first day of this trecena (“the initiation of wind/ breath/spirit”) is also the Maya birth energy of Charles Lindbergh, the aviator who made the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight, from New York to Ireland in the “Spirit of St. Louis”, in 1927. It is also the Maya birth energy of the pioneering Sophie Blanchard (aka Madame Blanchard), the first professional woman balloonist, who not only made a career of ballooning but also was appointed as Napoleon Bonaparte’s “Aeronaut of the Official festivals”.

In 1788 the first day of this time frame saw the publication of Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist No. 68 essay titled “The Mode of Electing the President”, within which he laid out the electoral college system which is now seen by many as both irrelevant and dangerous, particularly given what happened in 2016.

Along the lines of working with “Spirit”, this trecena has a tendency to be aligned with important “energy pushes” as people rally behind particular causes, as happened two cycles ago when a national call to action accompanied this time frame in the US, in an initiative to get people out to vote during the midterm elections. That was very successful as Democrats took back the US House of Representatives and 102 women were newly elected. During that period many events took place worldwide pertaining to the 100th anniversary of the 1918 armistice at the end of World War I.

Traditionally this is the trecena that was thought of as being under the patronage of Chantico, the Goddess of Terrestrial Fire. She can often help to provide balance through the warmth and nourishment of her hearth fire.

It looks like Chantico will be very, very busy at this time as she helps people to “shelter at home”. She is also associated with “high magic”, earthy treasures, and domesticity. The sense of comfort she provides may help to explain why, under more “normal” circumstances, this time frame has been known to be quite energizing, in the sense of highlighting new possibilities or “breathing new life” into things that might have seemed hopeless or problematic in the past. Since this, traditionally, has been seen as a time frame where almost “anything” is possible, this is still an opportune time to focus on those higher powers, a good time to turn towards things that can inspire and uplift. Perhaps if enough people keep this as their focus, as they channel their thoughts and energies towards finding ways to get through this pandemic, some “breakthrough” moments or moments of high magic may occur.

As always, communication is important, particularly if it is “solution” oriented, inspirational in tone, and aligned with the light that is so greatly needed to overcome this widespread darkness. These are the energies that we will be working with:

1 Ik’ (April 5th) – the “initiation of wind/breath/spirit”, coinciding with Palm Sunday at the beginning of the Christian “Holy Week” at a time when over 1.2 million people around the globe are struggling for breath as they battle the COVID-19 virus, with medical supplies, including masks and ventilators, in short supply at many hospitals.

During this evening (UK time) Queen Elizabeth will address the British nation with regard to the pandemic.

On the last opening of this trecena (last summer), there was an intense heat wave in place across the central and Northeast U.S., with close to 200 million people under an “excessive heat” warning. At that time many would have welcomed the “breath” of cooling wind.

As of this day it has been 7 Calendar Rounds (7 x 52 years) since the birth of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, the King of Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia, and Archduke of Austria who was known as a great patron of the arts, collector of curiosities, and a devotee of “occult arts” such as astrology and alchemy, which helped seed the scientific revolution. It is also the Maya birth energy of Sophie Blanchard (aka Madame Blanchard), noted above, the first professional woman balloonist.

Currently this is the 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the first of two funerals held for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, after his shocking assassination in early April of that year.

2 Ak’b’al (April 6th) – a “dynamic” type of energy associated with the temple or “house” of deep esoteric mysteries, coinciding at this time with the direct payout of $250 billion to US citizens promised as part of the emergency package for coronavirus relief that was passed by the US Senate on Mar. 18th. As this is an International Pillow Fight Day this might be a good time to relieve a little “confinement stress” by having a pillow fight – but at a distance, of course.

This day marks the 500th Gregorian anniversary of the death of the High Renaissance artist Raphael Sanzio da Urbino in 1520 at the young age of 37. He excelled at creating exquisite portraits, altarpiece paintings, and large murals.

It has been three cycles now since Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 13 Russians for election interference (for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for aggravated identify theft),

3 K’an (April 7th) – an “activation” type of energy associated with both germination and opulence, coinciding at this time with the biggest and brightest Full Moon of the year [the Full Pink Moon, a Perigee Full Moon (aka Supermoon, the closest of the year, around 28,000 km closer to the Earth than average, according to the weathernetwork); aka the Libra Full Moon]. This is World Health Day, and although this year’s theme is “Support nurses and midwives”, this is a very good time to give as much support as possible to all the tens of thousands of dedicated and hardworking health care workers who are on the front lines of the coronavirus battle, risking their lives on a daily basis to care for those who have been hospitalized. An Advocacy Toolkit can be found on the WHO’s website.

In Canada this is the first Gregorian anniversary of the launch of Green Shirt Day relating to Organ Donor Awareness, which is commemorated in Canada by the donning of green hockey shirts and providing support for the organ donor campaign.

In the US, the Wisconsin primary is going ahead despite the pandemic.

This is both the Maya birth energy of Queen Elizabeth II and the Gregorian birthday of China’s God of Wealth. In Taiwan this is seen as the birthday of the God of Medicine.

4 Chikchan (April 8th) – the “defining” of Lifeforce, a Burner Day associated with “running with the fire”, in conjunction with Quetzalcoatl’s connection with Liberation and Higher Consciousness, coinciding at this time with the beginning (in the evening) of the Jewish celebration of Passover. Four cycles ago (in June 2017) this was in place when thousands of protestors took part in March for Truth rallies in more than 150 cities across the US and around the world.

5 Kimi (April 9th) – a “precision” type of energy associated with “absolute foundations”– often a “game changer, marking 100 days since China alerted the WHO to several pneumonia cases (later identified as Covid-19). Currently this is the day when the Expedition 63 crew will launch to the ISS aboard the Soyuz MS-16 crew ship. The crew includes NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner who are embarking on a 195-day ISS mission.

Last summer another “game changing” moment came when all-time high temperature records were shattered in many European countries, and scientists warned that the speed and extent of current global warming was exceeding any similar event in the past 2000 years. They emphasized that the period from that date (July, 2019) to the end of 2020 would be critical in terms of dealing with the global heating crisis and other environmental challenges, and announced that a series of critical UN meetings would take place during this period. At that time no one had any idea that the year 2020 would also bring a global pandemic.

One cycle before that, on 5 Kimi in 2018, history was made when Democrats won back the US House of Representatives in the midterm elections and a record number of women won seats in Congress. Currently this is the 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the second of two funerals held for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 on the day of his burial in Atlanta.

6 Manik’ (April 10th) – the energy of the six directions in conjunction with the reciprocity-oriented (but sometimes “sacrificial”) energy of the deer (traditionally seen as a “carrier for the sun” on Earth), coinciding at this time with Good Friday.

7 Lamat (April 11th) – “self-generating star” or beacon; a strong “heralding” type of energy, as well as a force that has been historically associated with strong winds (often hurricanes) – correlating at this time with the International Day for Street Children

8 Muluk (April 12th) – the “resurrection” of water; strongly aligned with rebirth and “purification”. The Maya birth energy of Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, and Betty White.

9 Ok (April 13th) –an “outwardly-projecting” type of energy associated with love, loyalty, and guidance that can have long lasting influence; a “double-fire” type of energy often aligned with “hearth-fire” or even “heart-fire”, coinciding at this time with Easter Monday. This was to be the day when Songkran – the Thai New Year water-throwing festival (representing purification and the washing away of bad luck) was to be celebrated but it has been postponed until further notice. China’s 3-day Water Splashing Festival was due to begin at this time as well. This is a traditional festival celebrated by the Dai people to mark their lunar new year and exchange wishes for good luck, health, and happiness. While it is unknown as to whether this will take place at this time it is possible that variations of these events may take place on a smaller scale.

10 Chuwen (April 14th) – “foundational play”; a creative time-weaving type of force.
Two cycles since commemorations worldwide marked the 100th anniversary of the 1918 armistice at the end of World War I, on the opening day of the first Paris Peace Forum.

11 Eb’ (April 15th) – inspirational “animating vitality”, aligned with change and new possibilities, on what was the original date for the opening of the 2-day World Humanitarian Summit (in London), now postponed. This is the Maya calendar anniversary of the energy that was in place in 1920 at the time of the ratification of the 19th U.S. amendment, which gave the right to vote to all citizens, including women.
In North Korea this is the scheduled day for the public holiday known as The Day of the Sun, an anniversary of the founder and first leader of North Korea, which is generally celebrated with a large military parade. However, whether this will happen this year is unknown, as very little information has been forthcoming with regard to Covid-19 in that country.

12 B’en (April 16th) – a “dedicated” type of force aligned with personal authority, a double-Quetzalcoatl type of force, coinciding at this time with the end of the Jewish celebration of Passover, at a time when Mars is close to the crescent moon. It has been thirteen cycles since the beginning of the revolutionary wave (in January 2011) that became known as the Arab Spring.

13 Ix (April 17th) – “transformational Jaguar” – a double transformation type of energy associated with the Jaguar and earth mysteries, as was in place last August when a massive US spending bill was passed. This is the day when NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka return to Earth after several months aboard the ISS. It is also the 50th anniversary of the splashdown of Apollo 13 after its aborted mission to the moon in 1970.

Note that this trecena will be in place twice this year – with the second appearance coming in at the end of December.

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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.]