Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Christmas – this Wind-Breath-Spirit time frame will be working hard to bring the joys of the season into the final days of a particularly bleak and distressing year. In the Northern hemisphere the “Wind” aspect of this energy will be felt in many places as a blustery polar vortex threatens to bring forth major snowfalls and a very big chill. But on the bright side this could mean a white Christmas for many, which could add to the spirit of the season.

It is not unusual for strong winds to factor prominently within this time frame, just as they did last spring, when they accompanied the Maya New Year, at the same time as they brought freezing rain and an ice storm to Ontario, and thunderstorms and heavy rains to many regions in the U.S. The mid-point of this time frame is particularly prone to tornadoes. During this current period, it is likely that the “winds of protest” will continue to blow furiously as people continue their push towards accountability in governance in many regions, and battle against formidable odds in efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to those in dire need, as in war-ravaged Gaza and Sudan.

In addition, with so many “hurricanes” relating to change and protest taking place in the U.S. and globally, the emphasis during this period will definitely be on “breath and spirit” – as the battle for human rights and freedoms continues to rage in many parts of the world.

From the perspective of this calendar, this is the trecena that is traditionally associated with Ehécatl, the “Wind/Breath/Spirit” form of the great Feathered Serpent that was often seen in ancient Mesoamerica as a portal to the heavens. One of the most prominent symbols associated with Ehécatl was a duck-billed mask, representative of the wind that blows in all directions. The fact that Ehécatl is a variant of the great Feathered Serpent, known as Kukulcan (Quetzalcóatl), is also significant since serpentine energy has long been associated with medicine, alchemy, and the healing arts. As shown in the trecena image, the duck-billed Ehécatl represents the first day of this period, which is thought to influence all the rest.

Another overarching influence during this time frame is symbolized by Chantico, the Goddess of Terrestrial Fire, associated with the warmth and nourishment of the hearth fire, and protection of the “home fires”, who serves as patron of this time frame. Associated with “high magic”, earthly treasures, and domesticity, Chantico provides the reminder that this would be an opportune time to look towards things that can inspire and uplift, to watch for the miracles that will unfold even within the worst possible contexts. With more than a million households without electricity in Ukraine, after the latest barrage of Russian drone and missile strikes that targeted Ukraine’s energy and industrial infrastructure, Chantico will have her work cut out for her this time through. This patron force will also have much to do to help people to muster the kind of spirit that will be needed to hold back the onslaught of repression and depression that has a grip on so many at this time.

Most assuredly, large numbers of people will not have much to celebrate during this season, and much seems to be at a stalemate in terms of negotiations to stop wars and deliver aid to people. Much is in a shambles after all the destruction that has taken place this year, but much of that destruction appears to have bottomed-out. People are waking up, gathering their resources, and banding together to push back in a multitude of ways. People are finding their voices, strengthening their backbones, and preparing to exact accountability on multiple fronts. Brazil appears to be leading at the present time, in showing what is possible. Brazil’s former president Bolsonaro has been tried and convicted for crimes such as attempting to stage a coup, involvement in an armed criminal organization, attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law, damage characterized by violence and a serious threat against the state’s assets, and deterioration of listed heritage. Bolsonaro is now IN PRISON and the people of Brazil are demanding that he stay there!! As Brazil’s supreme court justice Cármen Lúcia Antunes Rocha stated bluntly with regard to authoritarianism:

“Dictatorship kills.” “Dictatorship lives off death – not just the death of society and of democracy, but of human beings made of flesh and bone who are tortured, mutilated and murdered.”

Millions in Brazil agree and have been celebrating the fact that justice in that country is finally gaining the upper hand. It’s not only a great start, but also a bright light of hope at the end of a year that has revealed the very, very cruel, debilitating, destabilizing, and outright destructive nature of authoritarianism. Ukrainians, as well, have shown extraordinary resilience and adaptability as they continue to push back against the tyranny from the East, despite enormous losses and continuous bombardment, and their European allies are standing strong as they bolster defences.

At this time of great darkness, as the Winter Solstice begins to come in and light gradually begins returning, it seems perfectly fitting that the Wind-Breath-Spirit time frame is also coming into play as the final full trecena of 2025. As before, it will be another period of high intensity for millions of people. Many forces aligned with wind, breath, spirit, communication, healing, alchemy, and perhaps even the traditional “magical arts” will be activated, and the winds of change and protest continue to blow strong. Here are the energies that are coming into play:

One Ik’ (Dec. 15th) – the “initiation of wind/breath/spirit”. In ancient Mesoamerica this was seen as a day when offerings were made to the great Feathered Serpent deity Quetzalcóatl, representative of the winds, whirlwinds, and life itself. Currently this is first full day of Hanukkah, the Jewish “festival of lights”, featuring the lighting of menorahs over eight consecutive nights, beginning the evening before. This is a good time to remember that, as everyone is aware, world leaders do not always represent or carry out the will of the people. It is the people themselves who generally carry the light of humanity.

This is the Calendar Round return (aka New Fire) of the signing into law of the Endangered Species Act by President Nixon in December of 1973. Sadly, the ESA, like so many other things, has been under attack by the thugs in the current White House. Click here for information on an appeal to stop the assault.

Over the past 13-14 years many severe weather events have taken place under this influence, including many tornado warnings, two Cat. 5 hurricanes, and other forms of damaging winds. That trend certainly followed suit when this energy was in place last March, when millions in the U.S. were dealing with large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes, and an ice storm was pummeling Eastern Canada. Currently, however, it’s the water that was brought in by the last trecena that is problematic, as thousands of people are dealing with the widespread flooding that devastated communities across northern Washington state, and B.C.’s Fraser Valley. More than 800,000 people in Gaza are also at risk, as flood waters from Storm Bryan have inundated many areas. At this time of year, of course, there is always a risk of ice, snow, and storms of various kinds, with the Pacific West Coast currently under a Pacific Storm watch, and many other regions under winter storm warnings..

And, in addition to this potential for strong wind events, there is no doubt that “communication storms” will be in full bluster at this time, as congressional representatives in the U.S. struggle with a multitude of scandals and issues that will likely impact hundreds of millions of people in 2026. On this day Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy will be meeting with many European heads of state in Berlin for further talks on ending the war in Ukraine.

On this day we can also wish the delightful Dr. John Scharffenberg a happy 102nd birthday. Click here to see this long-lived nutrition specialist share some of his secrets of longevity.

2 Ak’b’al (Dec. 16th) – a “dynamic” type of energy associated with the temple or “house” of deep esoteric mysteries, which has sometimes manifested as “darkness” – as in power outage, often from a strong wind event the day before – or even in the revealing of “deep, dark secrets” or actions. With the deadline for releasing the infamous Epstein files looming in the U.S., there will be much discussion along these lines at this time.

This is the 68th Gregorian anniversary of the opening of the first NATO meeting, in 1957, involving 15 countries. There are now 32 countries in the NATO alliance, with the current focus being on the protection of Ukraine and the rest of Europe from Russian aggression.

This is also Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, after a year-long series of festivals in the UK to celebrate her special anniversary year. Click here for an article on Jane’s “radicalism”.

The last time this energy was in place more than 1,900 members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine signed an open letter warning Americans about the “danger” of the Trump administration’s attacks on science. The letter cames amid the administration’s relentless assault on U.S. scientific institutions which has included threats to private universities, federal grant cancellations and ideological funding reviews, mass government layoffs, resignations and censorship.

When this energy was in place three cycles ago, some 2.3 million people in Gaza were in darkness after most electricity was cut off and fuel for generators ran out. The loss of communication dealt a further blow to the aid system that was already on the brink of collapse. The dire situation continues as Israel repeatedly violates the so-called ceasefire and continues to restrict humanitarian aid.

3 K’an (Dec. 17th) – an “activation” type of energy associated with both germination and opulence, marking one cycle since Senator Cory Booker delivered a marathon filibuster in the U.S. Senate, where spoke for over 25 hours straight, in an effort to “capture the moral imagination of the nation”. This was monumental effort to help people find the courage and strength to push back against the atrocities taking place at the highest levels of government, such as the thousands of cuts to Health and Human Services (HHS) across the country. It seems that he was successful as millions have been involved in massive push-back campaigns over the past nine months.

On the same day as Booker’s impressive speech, Susan Crawford won the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, which was seen as a significant victory and “turning point” in favour of Democrats as it enabled Wisconsin’s highest court to retain its liberal majority.

Currently this is the 235th Gregorian anniversary of the discovery of the massive Aztec Sun Stone in the main plaza in Mexico City. While this is widely thought to represent the Maya Calendar, it is not Maya. This is an Aztec monument, with the days of the Aztec calendar, which also follow the 260-day count, arrayed around the central image.

4 Chikchan (Dec. 18th) – the “defining” of Lifeforce, a Burner Day associated with “running with the fire”, in conjunction with Quetzalcóatl connection with Liberation and Higher Consciousness, now marking twelve cycles since June 2017 when thousands of protestors took part in March for Truth rallies in more than 150 cities across the U.S. and around the world, calling for a fair and impartial investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. This also marks one full cycle since the start of what the Wall St. Journal called “dumbest trade war in history”, after Trump’s pronouncement that the U.S. was placing “reciprocal tariffs on countries throughout the world”. As the WSJ and many others pointed out, “Tariffs are Taxes.”

Three cycles ago this energy was in place when an unprecedented trial began in Colorado to examine the “pivotal” legal question of the investigation and enforcement of the 14th Amendment’s disqualification clause, which bars anyone from office who took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution but then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or [has] given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” If integrity, honour, and courage had prevailed, and that clause had been upheld, the U.S. (and the world) likely would be in a much better state than it is today.

This was the Maya energy in place in 2011 when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the U.N. to recognize a state for the Palestinians and submitted an official request to the U.N. for full membership. Currently, the State of Palestine has been recognized as a sovereign state by 157 of the 193 member states of the United Nations. Problematically, the United States has consistently blocked Palestine from becoming a full member.

Currently this is legendary rock star Keith Richards’ 82nd Gregorian birthday and New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Maya birth energy.

5 Kimi (Dec. 19th) – a “precision” type of energy associated with “absolute foundations”, an energy that can sometimes be seen as a “game changing” force, as it can bring things right down to the barest of essentials, prior to regeneration. But that can also mean bringing things down to “pure spirit”, which can be that “game changing” turning point.

The last time this was in place a coalition of 19 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that a recent executive order seeking to overhaul the nation’s elections was unconstitutional. The lawsuit accused the president of overstepping his authority with that action, which, they said, amounted to an ”unconstitutional, antidemocratic, and un-American attempt to impose sweeping voting restrictions across the country”. That was the day when the New York Stock Exchange closed on the worst one-day fall since June 2020, during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, on that same day, The Bulwark published a scathing article titled “The American Age is Over – Emergency Triad. The United States commits imperial suicide.”

And currently, this is the day that millions have waited for, for a very long time – the deadline date for the DoJ to release the infamous Epstein files. Key questions include: Will they actually release the files? Will the files be intact? What happens after that?

6 Manik’ (Dec. 20th) – 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 the UN’s International Human Solidarity Day, which celebrates unity in diversity – a worthy celebration if world leaders actually supported this and acted upon it. In Panama this is a National Day of Mourning to commemorate the hundreds of Panamanians who died during the 1989 U.S. invasion of that country. Considering the current aggressiveness of the U.S. in the Caribbean, there can be little doubt that Panamanians could again be feeling quite nervous about U.S. intentions.

Note that, in 2019, this was the energy in place when the “notorious” phone conversation between the dumpster and then-new Ukraine president Zelenskyy took place in which Zelenskyy was pressured to investigate Hunter Biden’s involvement in Ukraine. This became a focal point for the first impeachment trial against Trump, on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Three cycles ago this was in place when the world’s first global artificial intelligence safety summit was held in the UK, to examine the existential threat that many feel is posed by AI. Is anyone feeling any safer in that regard these days?

7 Lamat (Dec. 21st) – “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 tornadoes and hurricanes), and other forms of severe weather. Currently this is coinciding with the peak of the Ursids Meteor Shower and the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year for sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, with the lowest noonday sun, at the start of the winter season. On this day many will be journeying to special places to participate in Solstice ceremonies and events.

This is the 13th Gregorian anniversary of the highly auspicious Maya Calendar Period Ending in December, 2012, at the start of whole new “great cycle” of time. At that time many people were mistakenly thinking that the world was going to end, as they really did not understand the cyclical nature of the calendar. Unfortunately, much has truly come to an end for many over the past few years, as the world has been faced with many monumental challenges – including Covid. Indeed, this day is now marking six Gregorian years since the first cluster of patients with “pneumonia of an unknown cause” was first identified (later labelled as COVID-19). The following April (of 2020), this was the energy in place when, for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus, all 50 U.S. states were under disaster declarations as the number of cases in the U.S. kept climbing. By the time this Ik’ trecena began in May of 2022 the global number of Covid cases was reaching 530 million. Fotunately, by then some 500 million people had recovered.

The last time this was in place, last April, millions of people across all 50 states and in many European cities participated in massive “Hands Off” protest demonstrations against the Trump regime, in the biggest day of demonstrations yet seen up to that point. The rallies were awash with signs such as: “Make American Normal Again”, and “Morons are Govering America (MAGA)”.

Right in there was actor-activist Jane Fonda, who celebrates her 88th birthday on this day. Happy Birthday Jane!

8 Muluk (Dec. 22nd) – the “resurrection” of water; strongly aligned with rebirth and “purification”, on the final day of Hanukkah, the Jewish “festival of lights”, which began on Dec. 14th. This is the Maya birth energy of Kokichi Akuzawa who climbed Mr. Fuji at age 102, reaching the summit (12,388 ft.) on Aug. 5, this past summer.

9 Ok (Dec. 23rd) – 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”. Historically this was seen as the birth energy of Chantico, the Aztec Goddess of Terrestrial Fire, associated with the warmth and nourishment of the hearth fire, and protection of the “home fires”, who serves as patron of this time frame.

Currently this is Kisan Diwas, National Farmer’s Day in India, in celebration of the birth of Chaudhary Charan Singh, the “Champion of Indian Peasants” who became the fifth prime minister of India, the establisher of farmer-friendly policies and welfare programs.

10 Chuwen (Dec. 24th) – “foundational play”; a creative time-weaving type of force, now in place on Christmas Eve, when many will be involved in activities that will be perfectly in tune with this force.

11 Eb’ (Dec. 25th) – inspirational “animating vitality”, aligned with change and new possibilities, coinciding at this time with Christmas Day, including in Ukraine.

This is the 34th anniversary of the official declaration of the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., when leaders of the USSR signed an agreement to end the USSR in Dec. of 1991. It is also the fourth anniversary of the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which has been providing stunning images of deep space.

In 1917 this was the energy in place when, reportedly, the Virgin Mary made her sixth and final appearance to three children at Fatima, supposedly in front of 70,000 people. This event included the “Miracle of the Sun” during which many people saw the sun go through an unusual zigzag movement, at which time (so the story goes) many were cured of afflications.

12 B’en (Dec. 26th) – a double-Quetzalcóatl, lifeforce-oriented type of force aligned with personal authority, now coinciding with Boxing Day in many British Commonwealth countries. This is also Martin Cooper’s 97th birthday. Martin is the pioneering wireless communications engineer who invented the cell-phone. Happy birthday, Martin.

This marks five cycles since a new forward to political reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein’s landmark 1974 book All the President’s Men was released. In it, the writers summarized the Watergate scandal and compared the corruption and deceit employed by Nixon to Trump’s first term, particularly his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Ultimately, the reporters surmised that Trump’s corruption “exceeded even Nixon’s imagination”, as they pointed out that the actions of Trump and his allies leading up to the Capitol riot were “clearly seditious”, making him “the first seditious president in our history”. And all of that was before he went on to authorize or commit atrocious acts on almost a daily basis, after becoming the First Convicted Felon in that same office. Click here for a catalogue of some of these dark deeds, associated with his first 100 days in office during the second term. The list would be much, much longer by now.

It has now been two cycles (520 days) since Israeli prime minister Netanyahu delivered a scathing speech to the U.S. Congress as he defended Israel’s war in Gaza and condemned American protesters. That was when he vowed to press on with the war until “total victory”. Senior Democratic House member Jerry Nadler then issued a withering denunciation of the speech, calling Netanyahu “the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who invited the Romans into Jerusalem over 2100 years ago”.

13 Ix (Dec. 27th) – “transformational Jaguar” – a double transformation type of energy associated with the Jaguar and earth mysteries, now making one cycle since Ukraine’s European allies announced a record €21bn (£18.2bn) in additional military support for Kyiv as they strengthened their commitment to pushing back against Russian aggesssion. Over the past 260 days they have worked tirelessly in efforts to bring about an end to that war. Just prior to the start of this current trecena the EU agreed to indefinitely freeze €210bn (£185bn/$247bn) of Russian central bank assets held in Europe in order to “keep Russian assets immobilised until Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates for the damage caused”. Let’s hold the thought that by the time that next December’s 35th anniversary of the official declaration of the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. comes around, Russia will have finally given up on its campaign of terror, so that Ukraine and its allies, and even Russia itself, can regain some sense of stability.

This is 19th century poet Emily Dickinson’s Maya birth energy. Emily once said that “Hope is the thing with feathers”.  Let’s surround ourselves with light and feathers this winter and push on . . . .

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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.]