First came the invasion; then came the fire; then came the reconstruction. It was terror, complete destruction, and then a new beginning – that turned into something bigger, brighter, and stronger than had been previously in place. It happened just over 200 years ago, under the same Maya Calendar energy influence as is in place at the present time. What was it? . . . . . . It was the burning of Washington D.C. by the British, in 1814, exactly four Calendar Rounds ago.

So here we are, back at the beginning of a brand new 260-day Tzolk’in cycle, after not only hearing a great deal over the past cycle about the attempted destruction of Washington D.C. by internal forces over the past few years, but also after the completion of one of the U.S. supreme court’s most destructive and controversial terms in history. Moreover, we have seen that there is great danger that those same kinds of forces are threatening to destroy democracy on many levels, as many state lawmakers are ramping up their efforts to try to exert power over federal election regulations. The last 13 day period provided all sorts of “signals” to warn of the dangers associated with this state of affairs, calling into attention a wide range of critical issues that need to be tackled. The issues are so multidimensional that, as Rev. Al Sharpton commented, they need to be addressed “as a whole”, not in a piecemeal fashion.

But even before this important Calendar Round return, this trecena has had a way of drawing attention to the importance of change, as we could see in 1974 when the impeachment process against President Nixon was formally initiated during this period, and in early Feb. of 2021 when the dumpster’s second impeachment trial was initiated, also within this time frame.

Two cycles ago, in late January of 2021, we were all feeling the shift as things began moving in new directions as the Biden/Harris administration began launching widescale administrative reforms, putting into action a comprehensive plan to tackle the raging coronavirus pandemic, and putting forward such things as 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 freefall. It was a plan that included stabilizing relationships with the rest of the world, after four years of severe erosion – but it did not foresee that Russia would eventually attack 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 “Kool-aid” notions pertaining to the Big Lie, and the CYA machinations of those who had been (or continue to be) involved in seditious plots to overturn democracy.

Nevertheless, wide-scale vaccination programs are still underway, more and more conspirators are being exposed for who and what they are, and legions of prosecutors are working hard to bring indictments against perpetrators. Indeed, it is likely that much more of this will be seen during this new cycle. But during this cycle there is also a time crunch, as mid-term elections are approaching in the U.S., which will come about half-way through the cycle, so a great deal needs to be done before then. Moreover, there are new surges underway with regard to the coronavirus, even though it has been over 900 days since this pandemic nightmare began, so vigilance is still needed in that regard. Over a million people have lost their lives to it over the past 260 days, bringing the global death toll to well over 6 million. And then there is monkeypox . . . . . Note that World Population Day comes in during this trecena, reminding us that this is a very, very crowded place, as we are getting uncomfortably close to 8 billion people on this planet.

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”.

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. Two cycles ago it was the Mars missions that were claiming the spotlight, and one cycle ago space tourism was the hot commodity as billionaires tried to outdo one another in their efforts to get off the planet.

During this current trecena SpaceX will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites, to further clutter up our skies. But on a positive note it looks like the first images taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope will be released during this period, which will give us our first glimpses of its capabilities – a taste of what it may be able to detect wayyy out there, in deep, deep space. – which will certainly stir imaginations and open up a sense of “new possibilities”.

Again, as we embark on this new journey through the Tzolk’in cycle we might ask ourselves what to expect. These days, the answer is always – “expect the unexpected”. But it seems that more and more clarity is being gained these days in terms of “who’s who”. In the U.S., the subversive agendas of those who have “sold their souls” have become much more clear, as people learn more and more about those who have been blocking such things as voting rights legislation, infrastructure legislation, human rights legislation, environmental action, and the democratic functioning of government on multiple levels. The question is: “what will be done with this unfolding information”?

Keep in mind that this is the return of those very same energies that were in place in 1814 when the seat of power in Washington D.C. went up in flames, requiring a complete rebuilding. Figuratively, this is happening again, but in a different manner. When this happened in 1814, the cause was external; this time the cause is internal. Restructuring will have to be done from the inside out.

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-changing adjustments, if needed. Here are the energies that, collectively, we will be working with:

One Imix (July 3rd) – the initiation of the “realm of all potential” as a new 260-day cycle begins just as we are getting into the second half of 2022, nudging in just after Canada Day and just before the fourth of July. 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” new directions. This is the day when NBC and its affiliates will air a program titled “Ukraine: Answering the Call”, to raise awareness and raise funds for those impacted by the on-going crisis in Ukraine.

Two 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 that time more than 270 Congressional staffers had signed onto a letter asking US Senators to convict the former guy in the forthcoming impeachment trial to prevent him from ever running again. (Over the next few days those signatures grew to over 550).

On that same “initiation of a new cycle” day 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.

Now, after more than 520 days of the relentless (and deadly) spreading of “The BIG LIE” by the former guy and his cronies; after months worth of terrifying testimonies collected by the Jan. 6th committee about all the crimes that were committed in that regard; after the proven-to-be corrupt U.S. supreme court has stomped on the rights of millions of people; and after 129 days of the relentless bombarding of Ukraine by Russia, one has to ask: “where do we go from here”? What new directions have to be opened up in order to deal with all of this? Whatever they are, this is an ideal time to put those plans in order.

2 Ik’ (July 4th) – a “dynamically balancing” energy associated with “wind, breath, and spirit”, marking 4 Calendar Rounds exactly since that fateful 2 Ik’ 15 Sek day in 1814 when the British marched into Washington D.C. and set fire to multiple government and military buildings, including the White House and the Capitol.

Currently in the U.S. this is the day when 4th of July celebrations will be held, with very, very few people being even remotely aware of this important energy return. However, given that so many have been trying to set fire to the White House and the Capitol from within, over the past few years, it is blatantly obvious to see the parallels, at least from an energy perspective.

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

Further south, this is the day when the draft of Chile’s new constitution will be formally presented. Apparently this draft enshrines representative democracy, along with a host of social and cultural rights, lays out a path for autonomy for Chile’s Indigenous peoples, and guarantees gender parity across government and public enterprises.

3 Ak’b’al (July 5th) – the “activation of darkness”, associated with deep mysteries and sometimes the unexpected, coinciding at this time with Venezuela’s Independence Day and Armed Forces Day, on the 211th anniversary of its declaration of autonomy from Spanish rule. Unfortunately, the dispute over the leadership of that country continues as Venezuela’s socialist party has continued to hold onto power, while opposition leader Juan Guaidó has been recognized by many world nations as the legitimate president of Venezuela.

It has been four cycles exactly since climate change activist Greta Thunberg and about 1000 young protestors staged a climate change rally outside the UN headquarters in New York in what was seen as a galvanizing moment for America’s climate movement.

It has been precisely 15 cycles since the UN announced (in 2011) that the global population officially hit 7 billion. See July 11th with regard to this year’s World Population Day.

4 K’an (July 6th) – a “defining” energy associated with the resurrection of youthful vitality, coinciding at this time with Kupala Night in Ukraine and other Slavic regions. This has traditionally been a night of dancing, tree decorating, bonfires, special foods, and other forms of celebration associated with the longest day and shortest night of the year (this year celebrated on the night of July 6th, into the morning of the 7th, in keeping with the old Julian calendar). It is one of the biggest summer celebrational events in many European countries, symbolic of the birth of the summer sun (Kupalo), at which time “impure forces” are burned in ritual bonfires. This symbolic “birth” ties in with the ancient idea of fire having “fertilizing power” – an idea that can also be found in ancient Mesoamerica. It was thought that jumping over a bonfire would help to secure good fortune. Let’s hope so, for Ukraine.

This is the Dalai Lama’s 87th Gregorian birthday.

5 Chikchan (July 7th) – associated with the “blessing of lifeforce”, coinciding at this time with World Chocolate Day, Japan’s Star Festival (Tanabata) day, and Ringo Starr’s 82nd birthday. Rituals related to the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, begin in the evening.  On this day 17 individuals, including Gabrielle Giffords, the gun violence survivor who founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of gun violence, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.

This marks 4 Calendar Rounds exactly since a heavy thunderstorm extinguished the fires that had been set by the British in Washington D.C. in 1814. Reportedly, the storm triggered a tornado that passed through the centre of the capital, setting down on Constitution Avenue. Currently this is the day when SpaceX is set to launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites.

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.

6 Kimi (July 8th) 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 the day when former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is due to testify in front of the Jan. 6th committee.

It has been two 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.

As a point of reference with regard to the pandemic – note that 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 since the outbreak began. But for those who might think we are out of this – note that many countries (including the U.S., France, Germany, and Italy) have frequently topped this daily case tally over the past couple of weeks.This is being seen as yet another “wave”.

This is the opening day for the Calgary Stampede.

7 Manik’ (July 9th) – 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 eight 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. Currently, the Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha (“the celebration of the sacrifice”) or Qurbani, will begin in the evening.

In terms of the Mayan calendar, this is the beginning of the Maya month known as the Xul, symbolized by both a dog and a baby jaguar, but also traditionally associated with Kukulcan (known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztec), the great Feathered Serpent, who was thought to descend from the heavens to collect offerings at the end of this Maya month. By extension, the combination of these symbols also suggests that the Classic Maya “Hero Twins” are also aligned with this month. Xul can also translate as “end”.

8 Lamat (July 10th) – 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 abundance and proliferation. When this was in place two 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 82nd Gregorian anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain, and the Maya birth energy of the renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley who was born 230 years ago as of Aug. 4th.

9 Muluk (July 11th) – representative of “the outward projection of water”, this is a path-finding and often “shape-shifting” type of force, coinciding at this time with the 33rd anniversary of World Population Day, which was established through the United Nations Development Program in 1989 when the world’s population was considerably less than it is now. It has now surpassed 7.958 billion, on its way to reaching 8 billion, likely before the end of the year.

10 Ok (July 12th) – a Burner Day representative of “foundational” fire (or “heart fire”), often associated with love, protection, guidance, and justice, marking the 60th anniversary of the inaugural performance of The Rolling Stones, at the time of New York’s Manhattanhenge (Full Sun). The Stones are currently on their 60th anniversary tour.

This is the day when the first images taken by the new James Webb Space Telescope are scheduled to be released, along with spectroscopic data. This telescope, launched last Dec. 25th, is the largest and most complex observatory ever launched 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 Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

11 Chuwen (July 13th) – a “change” oriented, “timeweaver” type of energy, coinciding with the Super Buck Moon, on the final day of the Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha or Qurbani. This is an energy that can prompt us to have fun, but also remind us to “be on our toes”.

As of this day it has been 2 Calendar Rounds (2 x 52 years, less 26 days) since 11 Chuwen 4 Xul (Aug. 8, 1918) at the beginning of the “Hundred Days” counter- offensive” by Allied forces near the end of World War I. This was a three month stretch of victories that ended with the armistice on Nov. 11th (referred to by Canada as “Canada’s Hundred Days”). It had begun with the Battle of Amiens (11 Chuwen to 1 Ix, Aug. 8-11), with the first day seen as “black day of the German army”. 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 1866 this was the energy in place when the Congress of the Confederate States adjourned for the last time, near the end of the US Civil War. At that time President Andrew Johnson cited the end of the insurrection in Texas, and signed a Proclamation—Declaring that Peace, Order, Tranquillity, and Civil Authority Now Exists in and Throughout the Whole of the United States of America. So – it seems they have been going backwards ever since – as could be seen seven cycles ago when Walter Shaub, director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) departed from office. Given how frequently the dumpster’s White House had disregarded his recommendations, Shaub felt that his job was “pointless”. As he left he said that the US was “close to a laughingstock”. It was his assessment that the dumpster’s administration had created an historic ethics crisis (and that was early on). Shaub called for major changes in federal law to expand the power and reach of the oversight office and combat the threat – but, as we all know, that did not happen and the rest is dark, dark history.

12 Eb’ (July 14th) – 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. This is the scheduled launch day for NASA’s SpaceX CRS-25 Cargo Resupply Mission to the ISS, with its cargo including scientific research equipment associated with studies of the immune system amd wound healing. Two cycles exactly since the UAE’s Hope Orbiter arrived at Mars and safely entered orbit, on the same day as the dumpster’s second Senate impeachment trial began, associated with his “incitement of insurrection”.

This is Bastille Day in France (French National Day), the 233rd anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in Paris in 1789, which was a critical turning point in the French Revolution – a significant event that led to the overthrow of the monarchy. This is the Maya birth energy of Edith Cavell, the British nurse who saved so many lives during WWI.

13 B’en (July 15th) – “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.

Three 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” – another one of those “energy echoes”, which appears to be still reverberating. That was when the Lancet Commission on Public Policy and Health in the Trump Era published a scathing report on the dire repercussions of the dumpster’s health-related policies and the failures and social schisms that enabled his election.

As it happens, this time the focus will be on the New York attorney general’s investigation, as this is the day when the dumpster and two of his adult children are scheduled to testify as part of that probe into the Trump family business, related to possible illegal manipulation of the stated valuations of property assets. This is one of a number of investigations underway, all of which hold the potential for indictments.

In the UK this is St. Swithin’s Day, a day which, in British folklore, is a marker for predicting the weather for the subsequent 40 days. All signs seem to be pointing to very turbulent weather coming up in the Palm Beach region of Florida, specifically around and in Mar-a-Lago.

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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.]