Power, mystery, stealth, adaptability, sheer “awesomeness” – all qualities of the Jaguar, the force that leads us through the thirteen days of this Ix trecena. Traditionally seen as a “warrior” type of power related to things of the earth, this jaguar-oriented energy is aligned with high magic and even mastery over things of an unseen nature. It is not unusual to see a lot of “political maneuvering” (and even evidence of secrecy) during this period, reflective of the Jaguar’s significance as a major symbol of authority in Maya mythology.

[Click here for the Podcast for this trecena]

During this time frame there is often an emphasis on significant transformation from one state of being to another, as the mythological Jaguar was able to travel through all realms. S/he was at home in the thick underworld of the jungle, but her/his pelt was also representative of the star-studded heavens. The jaguar was the muse for individuals who, having “reached their limit” in one way or another would be compelled to become “jaguar warriors”, fearlessly heading into “battle” for particular causes. These days there must be many, many jaguar warriors on duty in the world – anyone born on an Ix day or born within this trecena would be good candidates. Such warriors would be also be working under the auspices of Quetzalcoatl, the life-force oriented “twin” to the Jaguar, who serves as the patron energy for these thirteen days. This is an energy combination that can bring forth high drama and head-spinning change.

During this period people are often “called to battle” to deal with things of an earthly nature in the interest of regaining stability after the “chaos of birth” that is often associated with the previous trecena. During the last trecena, which was aligned with just that – the reopening of businesses and public places in the midst of a pandemic – there was a great deal of chaos. And a great deal of life-threatening foolishness. During that time people learned that it is not just the coronavirus that is a threat to public health – the attitudes of those who don’t comprehend the gravity of the situation also has to be factored in. So here are the “unseens” that everyone now has to watch for – the virus itself, which can be hidden anywhere, and the attitudes of those who seen unwilling to help themselves or others in the fight against this disease.

In this sense, the call to be a jaguar warrior at this time is stronger than ever, as the reopening process will still be going on during this trecena as schools and other places that might normally be filled with people struggle to find new ways to carry on with life under new guidelines.

Keep in mind that the Jaguar was seen as a master of navigation, a creature of great strength and agility that had dominion over the “tangle” of the underworld. Through its emphasis on high magic and even mastery over things of an unseen nature, the Jaguar was a peerless survivor, lord of the earthly domain and emblematic of authority, rulership, and ultimate triumph. Many lives could be saved if we take on some of these jaguar-like qualities at this time.

In world history the very first day of this trecena has often been a pivotal turning point in terms of the fate of nations, as seen during the French Revolution in the 18th century when some of the most significant events of that era took place under that “initiation of transformation” influence of One Ix.

In 2016 the Paris Climate Change Agreement officially became international law on One Ix at the same time as things were fluctuating dramatically in the last few days leading up to the US presidential election. And now, just as this Ix trecena is coming in, news reports are again using that phrase – “a turning point”, particularly after the collapse of so many health and safety guidelines near the end of the last trecena due to “superspreader” events, particularly in the U.S. As it takes about two weeks for symptoms of Covid-19 to show up after exposure, this would mean that the end of this current trecena could be the time when new cases and deaths could spike again in the U.S. – and that day will be 13 Kimi (“transformational death”) on June 8th. Not a happy prospect but that is likely what will happen.

In U.S. history this has very often been a highly consequential trecena. Looking back four hundred years we find that this was the trecena in place in 1619 at the time of the first arrival to British North America of enslaved Africans. In 1989 the first day of this trecena brought forth a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area, killing 63 people and causing some $6 billion in damage. And over the last three years in particular this trecena has brought massive changes to the U.S. political arena.

Elsewhere many great shifts have occurred during this period, as in the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917, the start of the London Blitz in 1940, the massive Tibetan uprising against Chinese aggression in Llasa that began under this influence in 1959, and the mass exodus from the city of Aleppo, Syria in July of 2012 when fierce fighting forced thousands of people to flee for their lives. In 2014 this trecena saw the start of the coalition air strikes against terrorist groups in Syria, major climate change rallies, and the historic Scottish referendum vote that resulted in Scotland remaining as part of the UK.

In 2016 it was the disastrous U.S. election, with this trecena coinciding with the four-day lead-up to the election, the election itself, and the many days of massive anti-Trump protest demonstrations that followed. The crucial day during that time frame was 5 Etz’nab’, a “knife edge” type of force that holds the potential to bring things to a definitive conclusion, as in the official surrender of Japan at the end of World War II in 1945. Indeed, in the past many significant events “fateful” to nations have occurred under this 5 Etz’nab’ influence, including the massive “Mobilization Peace” demonstrations in Washington, D.C in 1969 where hundreds of thousands protested against the Vietnam War, the attempted assassination of President Nixon in 1974, and the assassination of Lebanese cabinet minister (Minister of Industry) Pierre Gemayel in 2006.

During the last appearance of this trecena, last September, the U.S. Congress was reconvening after summer recess and a great deal of “damage control” had to be undertaken with regard to U.S. politics. Hearings were underway in preparation for the impeachment vote, with the “whistleblower” issue being high on the agenda. After all the shootings that summer, gun control was also high on the agenda. In the UK the Brexit crisis had reached a critical stage, Parliament was suspended, and Speaker John Bercow had announced that he would be soon stepping down. It was pretty much a mess at that time, and that was before the pandemic set in.

That period brought the start of the Global Week for Future youth climate action strike, beginning with some 300,000 people protesting across Australia, even as far as the outback, in the largest demonstration in Australian history; an estimated 4 million students, encompassing more than 150 countries, participated in this worldwide walkout. In New York more than a million students were involved, and some 300,000 – 350,000 took part in more than 200 demonstrations across the UK. The trecena concluded with the UN’s two-day Youth Climate Summit, with Greta Thunberg participating as a key speaker.

So, as we work our way through this often highly eventful trecena once again it might be helpful to keep in mind that it is not unusual for major shifts from one state of being to another to occur at this time. With everything so volatile at the moment, and new points of Covid-19 concentrations springing up in various parts of the world, alertness and adaptability will be needed everywhere. We can learn from the Jaguar here. The stress of uncertainty will continue as people work on how to move forward economically during this pandemic, and work through new ways of getting on with “everyday life”. Transformation will be the name of the game as adjustments are being made.

Through these energy influences there is no doubt that many personally transformative and world shifting events will take place. As we journey through this volatile, Jaguar-governed, highly charged zone of change, here are the energies that will be in play:

One Ix (May 27th) – the initiation of the Jaguar’s power of transformation, on the day when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch, at 4:33PM from Kennedy Space center in Orlando, Fla., astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on SpaceX’s first crewed launch in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. They will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon (a privately owned spacecraft) as part of the Demo-2 mission, embarking on the first manned US space mission since NASA’s space shuttle program ended in 2011; it will dock at the ISS the following day. Due to the pandemic, however, NASA is urging the public NOT to attend the launch in person.

This event takes place precisely 88 cycles after Russia’s Pravda published a small story about the launch of Sputnik 1 the day before, in October of 1957, which was picked up by media around the world, fueling US cold war paranoia. At this present time this launch takes place the day after astronaut Behnken’s Maya birthday. As of this day it has been 13 cycles since the launch of the space shuttle Discovery on its 39th (and final) mission in 2011.

As of this day it has been five cycles since the 2016 Paris Climate Change Agreement officially became international law on One Ix in Nov. 2016, and exactly ten cycles since Justin Trudeau won the leadership of Canada’s Federal Liberal party with 80% support in 2013.

2 Men (May 28th) – the “generation” of the Eagle’s “higher vision”, on the day when the SpaceX Crew Dragon is due to arrive at the ISS, where the two astronauts will stay for one to four months (duration still to be determined).

Three cycles ago this energy was in place when the FBI raided the home, office and hotel room of Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen, who subsequently became the first member of Trump’s inner circle to be jailed (for lying to Congress, campaign finance violations, and tax evasion). He was given a three year prison sentence but was released to home confinement a few days ago, due to the pandemic. It has been four cycles since some 200,000 protestors took to the streets of Seoul, South Korea to demand the resignation of President Park Geun-hye over corruption within her government. She went to trial and was found guilty of bribery and abuse of power, and then sentenced to 24 years in prison.

3 Kib’ (May 29th) – an activation energy often associated with the “restoration of order”, as was in place two days before the US election in 2016 when James Comey reported that there was nothing new or incriminating about Hillary Clinton’s emails (but by that time it was too late for damage control). Three cycles ago Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the US Senate judiciary and commerce committees that were questioning the harvesting of personal information from more than 87 million unsuspecting Facebook users by Cambridge Analytical, the data collection agency that worked for Trump’s 2016 election campaign. It has now been one cycle exactly since the House Judiciary Committee in the US held its first formal hearing on whether to recommend a formal impeachment inquiry.

4 Kab’an (May 30th) – a “defining” energy associated with evolutionary movement, the powerful energy carved into the centre of the Aztec Sun Stone, an energy that often brings forth highly dramatic events, as when Senate Republicans in the US voted to advance their health care bill to floor debate in 2017, while thousands of people staged a massive protest. That was the day when John McCain returned to the Senate (after brain surgery several days earlier) and told the senate that he would not support a bill to reject Obamacare, as he reminded everyone that they are NOT subordinate to Trump. Bernie Sanders called the bill “the cruelest, most destructive and irresponsible piece of legislation ever brought to the US Senate in the modern history” of the U.S. On that same day Ram Nath Kovind took the oath of office as the 14th President of India.

5 Etz’nab’ (May 31st) – a “pin pointing” type of energy symbolized by “flint”. This is a “knife edge” type of force that can be quite dazzling and attention-getting, an energy that also contains the potential to bring things to a definitive conclusion, as in the official surrender of Japan at the end of World War II in 1945.

In 1969 this was the energy in place at the conclusion of the trial conducted by Jim Garrison that focused on the conspiracy behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Five years later this same energy brought an attempted assassination of President Nixon. Ten cycles ago the city of Boston was completely shut down under this influence to allow for a massive manhunt for the Boston marathon bombers.

Five cycles ago it was this “shock and awe” energy that brought the “death of America” as journalist/historian Neal Gabler put it, at the time of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. As Gabler wrote in his article titled “Farewell, America”, published two days after the election, “America died [on that day] not with a bang or whimper, but at its own hand via electoral suicide. We the people chose a man who has shredded our values, our morals, our compassion, our tolerance, our decency, our sense of common purpose, our very identity – all things that, however tenuously, made a nation out of a country”. And that was BEFORE the 1300 harrowing days that have transpired since then, as nary a day has gone by without some additional horror being perpetuated by the current occupant of the White House.

It was precisely one cycle after the election – one cycle exactly – when the US Senate rejected that proposal from Republicans to repeal Obamacare, without a viable replacement. That was the day when armed FBI agents conducted a large scale raid on former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s home, which ultimately led to his arrest and guilty plea pertaining to witness tampering and conspiracy to defraud the U.S., and finally to his disbarment, sentencing and imprisonment.

6 Kawak (June 1st) – a “storm everywhere” force; an energy that often has more to do with the triggering of a “storm of compassion or emotion” than a weather related event, coinciding at this time with the official start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, with many experts predicting that the season will be above average. This is International Children’s Day, on the day when children will be allowed to return to school in B.C., on a voluntary basis. It is also the start of National Indigenous History Month in Canada, and the beginning of World Oceans Week.

In India this is the start of the auspicious Ganga Dussehra festival, at which time it is said that one can get salvation from sins or achieve Moksha (liberation) by taking a dip in the Ganges River, which is seen as the incarnation of the Goddess Ganga. However, many Ganga Dussehra celebrations have been cancelled due to the pandemic as it would be highly problematic for thousands to descend on this river at this time. (Conducting some other form of purification would be a safer alternative.)

It has been five cycles since, right after the 2016 election, major anti-Trump rallies took place across the US and in many other locations around the globe.

7 Ajaw (June 2nd) – “self generating” full sun, a traditional great Aztec feast day devoted to Xochipilli, the “Flower Prince”, the god of flowers, games, music, and dance. With the sun frequently symbolized as a four-petalled flower there is a strong solar aspect to this in conjunction with fertility and maize. This energy is coinciding at this time with the 67th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation and the reopening in Rome of a supershow at the Scuderie del Quirinale, to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Renaissance master artist Raphael (120 works) that was forced to close on March 9th after just three days due to the Covid-19 lockdown in Italy; it runs through to Aug. 30.

Super Tues. primaries are being held in the US on this day, including in DC, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Maryland – where there will be a special general election for Elijah Cummings’ legacy seat. This was to be the start of a two-day Social Innovation Summit in Washington D.C., which will now be a virtual three-day summit, representing “a global convening of black swans and wayward thinkers”. Maya birth energy of former United Nations Secretary General, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (more about this in the podcast).

Update as of June 1st: It looks like Xochipilli will not be “feasting” as he normally would at this time, but instead  will be bowing his head with millions of others as he participates in Blackout Tuesday, a “day of reflection and meaningful action” as the music industry suspends normal business in order to “reconnect with community”, to “provoke accountability and change”, in support of all those who have been suffering from racial discrimination.

8 Imix (June 3rd) – the “resurrection” of birth, this time coinciding with Venus at inferior conjunction as it transitions from Evening Star to Morning Star. Two cycles since Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she was considering a presidential run.

9 Ik’ (June 4th) – the “outward projection” of wind, breath, spirit – the calendrical daysign of Ehécatl/Quetzalcóatl, the “feathered serpent” traditionally seen in Mesoamerican cultures as being symbolic of spirit, breath, culture, the arts, and things of a life-giving nature’; this is a very important energy both mythologically and historically. Symbolic of far-reaching communication, 9 Ik’ is also representative of the winds that can “blow” in multiple directions to bring about change. Tornadoes have often manifested under this influence, as well as major protest demonstrations. At this time Mercury is reaching its greatest eastern elongation.

This is the day for the private funeral for George Floyd in Minneapolis. It is the first of several services being held over six days. See 13 Kimi  (June 8th) for the service that will be held in Houston.

At this time another virtual Global Vaccine Summit will be held to mobilize additional resources to help with vaccine research and development.

It has been two cycles since the inauguration of Bolsonaro (the “Trump of the Tropics”) as the 38th president of Brazil at the beginning of last year, amid wide-spread protests. This turned into another horror show as that ‘so-called” leader has completely downplayed the pandemic as the number of Covid-19 cases in that country rapidly escalates.

10 Ak’b’al (June 5th) – a combination of the foundational energy of “Source” (the number 10) in conjunction with “darkness”, as in the Temple associated with deep esoteric mysteries at the time of a Full Moon and a Penumbrial Lunar Eclipse. The Jaguar energy that runs through this trecena is very much connected with this earth-oriented force which coincides at this time with the UN’s World Environment Day. This is also National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the US, dedicated to honouring the lives of Americans affected by gun violence. 13 Kimi on June 8th is an important Tzolk’in anniversary related to this issue.

This day marks 2 Calendar Rounds (2 x 52 years, less 26 days) since the exact “day + month” energy that was in place at the beginning of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, a battle fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire in France. Over 3 million men were involved in that 140-day horror, one third of whom were wounded or killed. As the world continues to wage war against the coronavirus those same energies will be in place once again, exactly mirroring the energies associated with that horrific conflict. The very first day of that conflict (which would have been 10 Ak’b’al) has been referred to as the single most disastrous day in British military history, due to the thousands of soldiers killed or wounded at that time.

On a more positive note, this is the Maya birth energy of Sir Nicholas Winton, the British humanitarian who has been credited with rescuing 669 children just before the outbreak of World War II. He lived to be 106, and was honoured with a Google Doodle on what would have been his 111th birthday on May 19th (more on this in the podcast).

It has also been just over 530 years since the 10 Ak’b’al day in 1489 when a comet (regarded as an ominous omen) appeared over Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), a few years prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores.

11 K’an (June 6th) – an “inspirational” type of energy associated with youthful vitality. On this day there will be a private service for George Floyd in North Carolina where he was born.

It has been one cycle since the start of the Global Week for Future climate action strike last September when an estimated four million students, encompassing more than 150 countries, participated in a worldwide walkout, at the start of a week of climate change actions. One cycle before that, in early 2019, Nancy Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker of the US House of Representatives, and more than 100 women were sworn in as Democrats took over control of the House.

This is also the Calendar Round return of the exact energies that were in place in mid June of 1968 at the time of the Poor People’s March on Washington, when a multiracial crowd of impoverished Americans gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King, Jr., was the keynote speaker at the rally.

This is the 76th Gregorian anniversary of D-Day, when allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy during World War II in the largest land, sea, and air operation ever undertaken. It is also the Maya birth energy of Anandibai Joshi, first woman from India to graduate with a degree in western medicine. More information about her is included in the Podcast.

12 Chikchan (June 7th) – “dedicated” lifeforce – a powerful force that represents a doubling of the intensity of the lifeforce-oriented Quetzalcóatl energy – a type of influence that can significantly draw people into action for a common cause. This is the day when Barack and Michelle Obama will participate in a global virtual commencement celebration, delivering messages to graduating students around the world. They will be joined by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lady Gaga, and Alicia Keys (rescheduled from the day before).

One cycle since the opening of the UN’s two-day Youth Climate Summit last September. In 1974 this was the energy in place when a federal grand jury indicted seven of President Nixon’s aides on charges of conspiracy related to Watergate, when Nixon was named as an unindicted co-conspirator, which led to his impeachment.

Parallelling all this, this is not only the Maya birth energy of Paul Manafort who was jailed for witness tampering and conspiracy (among other things) but it was also the energy in place on the day in 1776 when the first of Thomas Paine’s American Crisis pamphlets was released, with the opening lines being:

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

Another line from it reads: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

13 Kimi (June 8th) – “transformational death” (or “transformational foundations”) – a powerful “return to Source” type of force that can often pack a huge punch, as seen in the intense weather systems and even volcanoes that have occurred in the past under this influence. It has been 140 days since a 35- year old man in Washington state became the first person in the US to be diagnosed with Covid-19.

This is the day when a memorial service will be held in Houston for George Floyd, whose “murder by police” near the end of the last trecena became a flashpoint for the massive peaceful protests, the destructive rioting, and the “shredding” of the national fabric of the US (as several commentators have put it) by the destructor in the White House and his cronies.

This is World Oceans Day, with the 2020 theme being: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.  At this time this movement is calling for world leaders to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030. This critical need is called 30×30, with the idea being that by safeguarding at least 30% of our ocean through a network of highly protected areas we can help ensure a healthy home for all! They point to the report by the World Economic Forum that states that if we continue on our current path with regard to pollution “there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by 2050”.

Precisely four cycles ago a grand jury was impanelled to hear evidence in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the election and possible coordination with the Trump campaign, evidence that led to several high-level criminal prosecutions. It has been three cycles since the massive National Day of Action to Prevent Gun Violence in Schools demonstrations across the U.S.

Two cycles ago The New York Times ran a scathing and very “to the point” article written by opinion columnist David Leonhardt titled The People vs. D. J. Trump, and subtitled “He is demonstrably unfit for office. What are we waiting for?” This was a 3000 word summation that highlighted the pressing need to remove Trump from office, during which this columnist highlighted whole categories of issues that reveal why “The U.S. has never had a president as demonstrably unfit for the office as Trump.” Published at the beginning of last year, the writer pointed out that “it’s becoming clear that 2019 is likely to be dominated by a single question: “What are we going to do about it?” Although he said that voters could wait it out until 2020, he emphasized that “waiting is too dangerous. The cost of removing a president from office is smaller than the cost of allowing this president to remain.” Two cycles (520 days) after the publication of that article we are now back at 13 Kimi (“transformational death”) and the cost of Not removing him is now incalculable. This Jaguar-related trecena brought him into power in 2016 (see 5 Etz’nab’ above) and 148 days from now, on Maya date 5 Ix, a Jaguar-related force may well turn around and get him out of power. It seems that the fate of the world, once again, will tie into the whims of the Jaguar. We can only pray that the jaguar will be merciful.

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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.]