Maya Count Of Days Horoscope

Maya Calendar Energies At Work In The World

Blue hyacinth, a symbol of spring, often found on Nowruz altars. Photo by Changku88, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A new season, a new trecena, new year celebrations in many parts of the world, and the beginning of a new 260-day Maya Calendar cycle – new beginnings are lining up perfectly as we welcome in Spring. As we begin this trecena please note the many special events that are all aligned with the very first day of this time frame (see below), with one of those celebrational events (Nowruz, the Persian New Year) continuing on through the entire trecena.

The beginning of this 3,000 year old festival is now celebrated as the United Nations’ International Day of Nowruz, due to its focus on “peace and solidarity between generations and within families”. During this period there is an emphasis on reconciliation, neighborliness, and friendship among diverse peoples and communities, and the giving of gifts to those in need. In addition to participating in many different festivities during this time, many people use this period to do deep spring cleaning, buy fresh clothing, bring in fresh spring flowers, and generally “refresh”, as they celebrate “victory over darkness”.

Waterlilies are emblematic of this trecena, through their symbolic connection to primordial Cosmic Ocean

As always, the first trecena of this new cycle is associated with birth, symbolized by the nourishing waterlily. And although this “realm of all potential”, or birth-oriented “generative nucleus”, can be quite chaotic at times, it also contains within itself myriad possibilities. The emphasis tends to be on “world-making”, in the sense of setting the stage for new initiatives or opportunities.

As always, the first day is symbolized by the Moon Goddess (aligned with the “initiating” energy of the Number One and the power of birth) working in tandem with Imix, the birth-oriented “generative nucleus” that begins and carries forward this initiatory 13-day period. The patron of this time frame was known to the Aztecs as Ometeotl, a dualistic “creator” deity who was often shown as a male and female pair, a “Lord and Lady of Our Sustenance” known as Tonacatecuhtli and Tonacacihuatl. This is a rare binary deity that was seen as the ultimate progenitor, a generative kind of force that suggests that “anything is possible”.

Adaptation of the Imix (Birth, Waterlily) trecena from the pre-Columbian Codex Borgia by artist Richard Balthazar (used with permission). The first day (One Imix) is represented by the little head of a crocodile at the bottom right corner (within the border). Note that this is the Aztec version. The Maya depicted this daysign as an abstraction of a waterlily. Each of the remaining days proceed around the edge from there towards the left, ending with 13 B’en (depicted as a Reed) at the upper left corner. In the centre on the right is Tonacatecuhtli, a “Supreme Creator” deity who is also seen as part of a progenitor pair, known as Ometeotl, associated with the dualities that drive life forward. Click here for an overview of Richard’s various other versions of this same trecena.

During this trecena there is often a focus on the cosmos (the “cosmic abyss”) and, indeed, many pioneering space-related events have occurred during this period, as when the astronomer Edwin Hubble chose this trecena in 1925 to announce the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way, which greatly expanded our awareness of the universe. In 1931 the first human ascent into the stratosphere took place during this period. And then in 1957 the launch of Sputnik I (on the final day of this trecena) kicked off the space race. In 2013 this was the trecena that saw the launch of the European Space Agency’s Gaia probe on a 5.5 year observational campaign to map this Milky Way galaxy. In early 2016 we saw the historic beginning of gravitational wave astronomy during this time frame. Three cycles ago it was the Mars missions that were claiming the spotlight, and two cycles ago space tourism was the hot commodity as billionaires tried to outdo one another in their efforts to get off the planet. But our eyes were really opened the last time this trecena was in place when the first images taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope were released, giving us our first glimpses of deep, deep space.

The Cosmic Cliffs, the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Located approximately 7,600 light-years distance, NGC 3324 was first catalogued by James Dunlop during 1826. Photographed by NASA’s James Webb Telescope. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Back here on Earth, in the realm of humans, we often see new beginnings during this period, as happened three cycles ago, in late January of 2021, when the newly minted Biden/Harris administration in the US began launching widescale administrative reforms, putting into action a comprehensive plan to tackle the raging coronavirus pandemic. Other major initiatives included a sweeping economic rescue plan, measures related to environmental protection and climate change, and measures to address ethics issues, human rights issues, and the deep divisions in that country. It was a well-thought-out agenda, which was fantastic to see after four years of pandemonium. It was a plan that also included stabilizing relationships with the rest of the world, after four years of severe erosion, but it did not foresee Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine, and it could not completely turn back the clock with regard to “demons” that had already been released – such as the coronavirus pandemic, the continuing sycophantic machinations of those trying to cling to the Big Lie, and the poisonous outpourings of social media outlets and media networks such as Fox that put much more emphasis on “entertainment” and income than truth.

Fortunately, as we have seen in the past, the forces in play during this trecena often tend to favour actions associated with amelioration and “course correction”, often along the lines of “new starts” or changing the course of action. Indeed, in 1974, it was the second day of this trecena when the impeachment process against President Nixon was formally initiated, and in early Feb. of 2021 this was the time zone for the initiation of the dumpster’s second impeachment trial. And now, with the legal process tightening its grip in terms of criminal investigations and prosecutions associated with the insurrection and widespread political wrongdoings, it is possible that a number of significant developments in this regard could take place during this period.

But keep in mind that this Imix trecena represents the “realm of all potential”, so anything is possible. “Expect the unexpected”, as the saying goes.

Fortunately, this Imix trecena has a tendency to prompt people to think “beyond the box”, to embark on new adventures, and even find solutions to long simmering problems. It can be an exciting and even adventurous time frame – a period that can offer opportunities for people to make life-enhancing adjustments, if needed. Here are the energies that we will be working with:

1 Imix (March 20th) – the initiation of the “realm of all potential” as a new 260-day cycle begins, perfectly in tune with the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Imix is often “cosmos” oriented, related to the “birth” of new possibilities, so combined with the energy of “One” this can be seen as “initiating” (or giving birth to) new directions.

At this time some 300 million people will begin celebrating Nowruz, (meaning “new day”), the Persian New Year, a universal celebration of new beginnings, marking the first day of the first month that begins the year 1402 in the Persian calendar.

Table set for Nowruz, Persian New Year, which marks the beginning of Spring. Photo credit: Firoozg [creator:Safoura_Zoroofchi] CC-BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

This joyfilled day is the first of 13 days (covering this entire trecena) of “merriment”, involving family gatherings, special foods, and many different kinds of festivities. “Haftsin” tables or altars will be festooned with seven symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter “S.” This will include herbs, dried nuts and fruits, wheat grass, vinegar (for wisdom, age, and patience), candles (representing fire and light), mirrors, and coins, all of which relate to hopes for the new year, such as health, wealth and abundance. The Holy Quran or poetry books are often placed on the table to represent education and enlightenment, and goldfish are frequently included for good luck.

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 “Together We Can”. This is also the 17th annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness day, dedicated to increasing awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on First Nations populations.

Looking back we see that three cycles ago (in January of 2021) this energy initiated Joe Biden’s first full trecena as the new U.S. president, after his inauguration 9 days earlier. By that time he had already signed 42 Executive Orders, reversing many of those made by the “former guy”. By then more than 270 Congressional staffers had signed onto a letter asking US Senators to convict the former guy in the forthcoming impeachment trial to try to prevent him from ever running again.

That was the day when Vladimir Putin signed the extension to the New Start nuclear arms control treaty into law – a treaty that limits the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads each – a preposterous notion from every perspective. But now, not only has that treaty fallen apart, but Putin is now seen internationally as an alleged war criminal, with a warrant out from the ICC for his arrest for war crimes related to Ukraine. Nevertheless, it seems that he is getting some support from China, as this is the day when Chinese President Xi is scheduled to meet with Putin in Moscow, on his first visit to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, for discussions about “a comprehensive partnership and strategic co-operation”.

At the same time, it seems that the US is on the brink of a whole new chapter in the dumpster saga, as at least one indictment appears to be imminent, as he again tries to rev up his minions to interfere with law enforcement. With so many charges pending against him, this entire 260-day period is likely to be pockmarked with rantings and flailings as prosecutors close in on him from multiple directions. Whatever the opening arrest warrant happens to be, it is likely to be the first of many as the long arm of the law continues to constrict around him.

Looking 520 years back, we see that this was the energy in place when Montezuma II
(Motecuhzoma Xocoyotzin) took the throne of the Aztec Empire in the summer of 1503, prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Little did they know at that time that their world would soon radically change.

2 Ik’ (March 21st) – a “dynamically balancing” energy associated with “wind, breath, and spirit” – an energizing force that is coinciding at this time with the colourful “Ogoh Ogoh” festivities in Bali when large “Ogoh Ogoh” effigies are “caught”, paraded through the streets, and then ceremoniously burned, followed by dancing and feasting in conjunction with the New Moon, prior to Nyepi that follows the next day. This coincides with a ceremony involving the cleansing and purification of sacred objects prior to the start of Bali’s traditional new year.

In China this is the birthday of Guanyin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, the most revered of Buddhist Bodhisattvas. Given the global challenges, this Goddess (sometimes depicted with “a thousand arms”) will surely receive the prayers of millions at this time.

Currently this energy is coinciding with World Social Work Day, with the UN’s 75th anniversary of its International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with the UN’s International Day of Forests (with this year’s theme being “Forests and Health”), and with UNESCO’s World Poetry Day. (Also see 13 B’en below re National Poetry Month in the US).

In 1974 this was the energy in place when the impeachment process against President Nixon was formally initiated.

3 Ak’b’al (March 22nd) – the “activation of darkness”, associated with deep mysteries and sometimes the unexpected, coinciding at this time with Nyepi, the Balinese “Day of Silence”, which includes fasting, meditation, and self-reflection, in conjunction with Bali’s 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.

In some parts of India the New Year’s festival of Yugadi (aka Ugadi or Samvatsaradi, meaning “beginning of the year”) will be celebrated at this time, and the evening brings the start of Ramadan, the most sacred month in Islamic culture.

Currently this is the UN’s World Water Day, which celebrates water and advocates for the sustainable management of fresh water resources. The goal of this day is also to raise awareness of the global water crisis, with this year’s theme being “Accelerating Change”

This is also the first day of the UN’s three-day Water Conference.

4 K’an (March 23rd) – a “defining” energy associated with the resurrection of youthful vitality, coinciding at this time with the first full day of Ramadan. This is a time for prayer, for fasting from dawn to sunset, for personal introspection, for charity-giving, and for attending to traditional Muslim spiritual practices, which continue for 30 days. In Bali this is the Hindu Saka New Year, called Ngembak Geni, the day after Nyepi, 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.

This is the UK’s 3rd National Day of Reflection, marking 3 years since the first UK lockdown. Hundreds of groups and organizations will observe a minute of silence at noon in remembrance of all those in the UK who had died due to the pandemic. On first Day of Reflection (in 2021) landmarks were lit up and millions lit candles from their doorsteps and shone lights from torches and phones to create a “beacon of remembrance” across the UK. Many special events will be held at this time, with many English cathedrals involved in special events.

In addition, this is the first day of the European Summit in Brussels, and the first day of President Biden’s visit to Canada. This is also National Puppy Day, a day to raise awareness about such things as puppy mills, to help save orphaned puppies around the globe, and to help puppies to find good homes.

5 Chikchan (March 24th) – associated with the “blessing of lifeforce”, coinciding at this time with the second day of the EU Summit and the second day of Joe Biden’s visit to Canada. This marks one cycle since Boris Johnson formally resigned as PM in the UK, and one cycle since UK and US security services issued an unprecedented warning about China being a threat to our economic and national security.

This is the Maya birth energy of ground-breaking astronomer Harlow Shapley who is credited with being the discoverer of the dimensions of our Milky Way galaxy, and of finding the location of its centre.

Earth Hour logo, launched in 2023. Image credit: Joe dixign, CC-BY-CA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

6 Kimi (March 25th) a “foundational” type of energy that can often manifest as a kind of “equalization everywhere” type of force, which can often bring a sense of “release”; sometimes oriented around the setting of foundations for restructuring or for “regeneration”. This is Earth Hour day, when households and businesses around the world are encouraged to switch off non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30-9:30 pm as a sign of commitment to the planet.

This is Lady Day, Feast of the Annunciation, a Christian holiday commemorating the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, announcing that she would give birth to Jesus. This is also the start of National Physicians Week in the U.S.

It has now been three cycles exactly since a state ceremony (“lying in honour”) was held at the Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC. for slain police officer Sicknick, who had died as a result of injuries sustained during the Jan. 6th insurrection. After the ceremony a long procession carried his remains to Arlington National Cemetery.

When this was in place in May of 2020 more cases (106,000) were reported to the World Health Organization than at any time since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the most in a single day. However, that was well before cases skyrocketed to hundreds of thousands per day in several countries.

7 Manik’ (March 26th) – a “self-generating” type of energy generally associated with the idea of reciprocity, symbolized by the Deer – often a good energy for “generating sustenance”, for being involved in humanitarian activities, or for working through negotiations or joint ventures.

Traditionally it was recognized that there could be a strong sacrificial aspect to 7 Manik’ as well, as happened nine cycles ago, in October of 2016, when FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to Congress indicating that he was “reopening” the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, an action that had catastrophic consequences for the US and the world.

This is the first day of the “bridging” month in the Maya Calendar known as the Wayeb’. It was seen as the “seating” of the Wayeb’, the first of five transitional (or “bridging”) days leading to the start of the Maya New Year. Although some traditionally saw this liminal period as “dangerous” or at least a time zone that required special vigilance or caution, others saw these five days as transitional days or “days of rest”, a good time to fast, meditate, and purify to eliminate toxins and cleanse one’s spirit in order to prepare for the new year. In general this is a good time for “cleansing”, for shedding the “burdens” of the past in order to prepare for a new cycle. Traditionally it was thought that the world was “suspended” during this liminal period.

This is U.S. House of Representatives’ former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 83rd Gregorian birthday.

8 Lamat (March 27th) – a “resurrection” type of force associated with Venus as a “heralding” energy, aligned with leadership; traditionally a Maya “Celebration of Abundance” day, this energy was known as “Rabbit” in some ancient Mesoamerican regions, and was seen as a symbol of prosperity and proliferation. When this was in place three cycles ago (January, 2021) the US Senate passed a budget resolution that allowed for the passage of President Biden’s $1.9tn Covid-19 relief package in the coming weeks without Republican support – one of the few important bills they were able to get through without being blocked by Republicans.

This is the Maya birth energy of the renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

9 Muluk (March 28th) – representative of “the outward projection of water”, this is a path-finding and often “shape-shifting” type of force, coinciding at this time with a Mercury-Jupiter conjunction.

10 Ok (March 29th) – a Burner Day representative of “foundational” fire (or “heart fire”), often associated with love, protection, guidance, and justice, marking one cycle since the release of those first stunning images taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope, launched just over a year ago, is the largest and most complex observatory ever sent into space.

Traditionally 10 Ok would have been seen as an energy that “takes the fire”, as in the sense of setting something up for action. This energy can also provide a “course correction” if some significant adjustments are needed to a course of action.

In 1968 this is the energy that was in place when Senator and prominent civil rights activist Robert F. Kennedy was mortally wounded (shortly around midnight) during the California Primary convention. He died some 26 hours later.

This is also the Maya birth energy of Ales Bialiatski, a Belarusian pro-democracy activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2022. It is also the Maya birth energy of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

11 Chuwen (March 30th) – a “change” oriented, “timeweaver” type of energy, coinciding with a Venus-Uranus conjunction on the final day of the Wayeb’, just prior to the “seating” of the Maya New Year. This tends to be an energy that can prompt us to have fun, but can also remind us to “be on our toes”. Currently this coincides with National Doctors’ Day in the U.S., in recognition of the contributions of physicians to individual lives and communities.

In 1920 this was the energy in place when the Treaty of Versailles came into force after the first world war, formalizing the end of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. In 1984 this energy brought forth the first untethered space walk. This is also the Maya birth energy of Stanley Kubrick, the filmmaker whose 2001: A Space Odyssey has been seen as one of the world’s most influential motion pictures. It is also the Maya birth energy of the beguiling super sleuth Mata Hari.

12 Eb’ (March 31st) – a “gathering together”, “stream-of-consciousness” type of energy that can be quite intense, often containing within it a “spark” or “essence of revitalization” that hints at refreshing new possibilities. At this time this energy coincides with the “seating” of the Classical Maya New Year . This is National Indigenous Languages Day in Canada, the International Transgender Day of Visibility, and the last day of National Physicians Week in the U.S.

It has now been three cycles since the start of the dumpster’s second Senate impeachment trial, associated with his “incitement of insurrection”, and one cycle exactly since the release of a 72-page report categorically rebutting each of the claims made in court by the dumpster and his supporters over the 2020 election results. The report, put together by a group of conservatives, including prominent lawyers and retired federal judges, titled “LOST, NOT STOLEN: The Conservative Case that Trump Lost and Biden Won the 2020 Presidential Election,” looked at more than 60 court cases Trump and his supporters filed and lost in six key battleground states. It reached the “unequivocal” conclusion that all the claims were unsupportable.

13 B’en (April 1st) – “transformational personal authority”, an energy under which many strongly transformative events have taken place in the past, as in the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603, the inception of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the launch of Sputnik I by the USSR (signalling the beginning of the Space Age) in 1957, the toppling of the monarchy in Iran in 1979, the election of Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006, and the arrival of China’s Tianwen-1 mission at Mars in early 2021.

Four cycles ago (in May of 2020) this energy was in place when the U.S. erupted with widespread protests and rioting after the horrible death of George Floyd the evening before during his arrest by a police officer. This marked a major “turning point” that rapidly escalated the Black Lives Matter protest movement for racial equality and justice. One cycle before that, in 2019, this was the energy in place when the House Judiciary committee laid out its procedures for their first impeachment investigation of the dumpster. Two cycles after those BLM protests, in February of 2021, this same energy was in place at the time of his second impeachment trial, for “incitement of insurrection”. This can be seen as one of those “energy echoes”, that often reverberates from cycle to cycle.

Given that the last time this energy was in place (last July) there was considerable attention being focused on the New York attorney general’s investigation into criminal wrongdoings in the Trump family business, one of a number of criminal investigations associated with the dumpster, it is likely that this echo will come through once again, possibly in the form of one or more indictments by the time this trecena draws to a close.

April is National Poetry Month in the US. Artwork by Marc Brown. Click here for further info.

This intense transformation-oriented energy, associated with self determination, is coinciding with the start of National Poetry Month in the US at this time – a great time to “let loose a little” and either engage in some expressive wordsmithing around this year’s theme of JOY, or give yourself a treat and find some other way to incorporate some poetic lyricism into your life. A great time to tap into and celebrate the sentiment expressed in this year’s National Poetry Month Official poster: “. . . . we were all meant for something.”

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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.]

  • Manual for the Soul: A Guide to the Energies of Life

    Manual for the Soul, A Guide to the Energies of LifeAn in-depth analysis of the energies encoded in the Sacred Maya Calendar and the impact of those energies on daily life. Click here for more info.

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