As this Kab’an (Earth/Movement) trecena begins, thousands of people will be in the midst of “red light” skies or noticing intense red sunsets. In some places even the sun and the moon will appear red, due to the density of the smoke being spewed forth from raging wildfires. In many, many places Mother Earth is on fire and particles of whatever is being incinerated are being hurled into the air.

This is a hugely transformative situation that is triggering a great deal of movement and necessitating rapid action to deal with life-changing crises. The lives of hundreds of people are being upended as the earth itself is being scorched and reshaped. And even in non-fires zones, there are huge areas still under severe, and even record-setting, heat alerts.

All this is in motion as this trecena comes into place, with the first day of this time frame coinciding with the start of the fourth 52-day period within the 260-day cycle, an important shift-point within the overall sequence of days. One cycle ago, exactly, the first day of this trecena coincided with the opening of the COP15 summit, as thousands of government officials, scientists, and activists representing 196 countries gathered in Montreal for the world’s most important biodiversity conference. Issues associated with supporting and safeguarding the health and wellbeing of the planet as a whole were the focus of discussions. This time the BRICS summit, involving leaders of Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, and many other countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, is meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, with topics related to global concerns again being on the agenda. While this is taking place the justice system in the US is clicking into high gear in its efforts to safeguard democracy as it works to hold accountable many who have attempted to subvert it. So again, this will be a highly consequential period, with many people addressing significant global and Earth-oriented issues.

In terms of world history, this trecena has often been pivotal in terms of major conflicts, as seen in 1939 with the assembling of German troops in preparation for their invasion of Poland just after Germany and the USSR signed a 10-yr. non-aggression pact. One cycle later, Germany began its blitzkrieg on Europe through its invasion of Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, the first stage in the Battle of France, on the first day of this trecena. At that time the British government was in disarray. On what has been seen as one of the most dramatic days in British history, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned and Winston Churchill was appointed as Prime Minister. Several years later, this trecena brought forth the signing of the unconditional documents of surrender of the German forces, finally bringing World War II to an end, in May of 1945. The horror of that global conflict had spanned seven Tzolk’in cycles.

More recently we see that it was exactly 12 cycles ago, as of the tenth day of this period, when an unconditional ceasefire went into effect in Ukraine, in 2015, after the signing of the Minsk II agreement three days earlier, relating to the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line and pertaining to constitutional reform in Ukraine. But that was then, and the start of this current trecena is marking Day 546 of the terror being inflicted on Ukraine by the callous Russian dictator and his cohorts, so this brutal conflict has already spanned more that two Tzolk’in cycles since it began in February of 2022. Although Ukraine’s counteroffensive seems to be slow-going, there are signs that a number of countries are now stepping forward with more equipment, and other types of support for Ukraine. It is possible that this trecena could bring some important new developments in this regard.

Keep in mind that even though this trecena has sometimes seen the beginning of wars, it has also brought an end to wars. The Aztec hieroglyph for this energy (known as Ollin), with its interlocked elements, reflects the ability of this energy to “switch over” through its alignment with the idea of “movement” – often “evolutionary” in nature. This is a time when “consequences” from earlier events can play out on new levels as opposing forces swing into action. And it is now looking like this kind of “switch over” will be readily apparent during this current time frame, on a number of fronts.

The overseer of this Kab’an trecena was seen in Aztec mythology as Tlazoltéotl, the “Great Mother Goddess”, known as the “Eater of Filth”, who was associated with forgiveness and purification. She was seen not only as a fertility goddess who worked with major generative forces, but also as an entity who conducted confessional rites. These “confession” + “life generation” aspects can be seen in the tendency for events within this period to be, oftentimes, world-shaping in nature, in terms of both major endings as well as the emergence of new beginnings in association with issues that are often of an “earth-shaking” nature.  As we have seen, the period leading up to this has been a major “time of testing”, on many levels, including both political and environmental. Many things that had previously been “unseen” or long hidden were suddenly exposed, jolting people into new realizations.

Back in 1492 this was the trecena that saw the departure of Christopher Columbus from Spain en route westward across the Atlantic, following the dictates of the Catholic “Doctrine of Discovery” that stated that any land not inhabited by Christians was available to be “discovered”, claimed, and exploited by Christian rulers. Thus began the events that led to the promulgation of the BIG LIE that Columbus discovered a “New World”, filled with “savages”, that was there for the taking. Although that doctrine was rescinded on the first day of this trecena in 1537, it appears that the message did not reach many people as the atrocities continued on for centuries after that. But at the current time this trecena opens on UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, in remembrance of the uprising in Haiti in 1791 that played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, so here we have another example of opposing perspectives coming into greater realization.

Keep in mind that this is a trecena that often places strong emphasis on issues associated with the planet itself, often serving as a kind of check-point with regard to global evolution. As seen in the past, the beginning of this trecena is one of the most important “trigger points” that seems to bring key issues into focus as it sets the stage for critically important actions that can have significant implications for large numbers of people. Aligned with Earth itself, this Kab’an trecena often coincides not only with radical shifts in world order, but with significant Earth-oriented shifts, so expect a great deal to be “in motion” during this period.

During this period information will be forthcoming with regard to the lunar landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar rover, which is taking place essentially one cycle after the return of the Orion spacecraft last December, after its historic journey around the moon. As history reveals, this is a trecena that has brought beginnings and endings of important space exploration feats, the beginning and ending of World War II, and many other “turning point” events in world history.

Even in politics such turning points can be detected, and one appears to be unfolding at the present time, as accountability events begin to click into high gear in the US. As it happens, the defendants in the Georgia election interference case (including Trump) are having to turn themselves in almost exactly five cycles after the dumpster was first acquitted by Republicans, in early February, 2020 for “appalling abuses of public trust” and an “abusive and destructive violation of [his] oath of office”, as Senator Mitt Romney (the only Republican to vote against acquittal) then put it. And, to emphasize the point, the very first hearing in the Jan. 6th case, related to the coup attempt and the conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election, will take place exactly five cycles after that voting day in Trump’s first impeachment trial, in early February of 2020. At the time of this first hearing Judge Chutkin will announce the date for the trial in the Jan. 6th case.

As always this would be an auspicious time to review one’s own personal journey in order to set the course and intent for the next 260 days. What will be your next “evolutionary leap” and how will you facilitate it? During this very critical time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Kab’an (Aug. 23rd) – the “initiation of evolutionary movement”, the start of the trecena that begins the sixteenth Tzolk’in cycle of the new era (since December 2012). As a key 52-day “shift-point” within the 260 day cycle, this is a point that often initiates dramatic and/or consequential movement with planetary significance – with emphasis on “planetary”. Given the intensity of the last trecena, one may need to take a deep breath at this point before ploughing on, as this will be a busy start to an important trecena.

With this trecena opening on the second day of the BRICS summit, involving leaders of Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, and many other countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, in Johannesburg, South Africa, it is anticipated that a number of broader economic and political partnerships will be announced on this day and the next. As the leaders of over 60 other countries have been invited to attend the summit, it is also anticipated that a number of new countries may be welcomed as new members of this BRICS group.

One cycle ago in the US this was the energy in place on the day when Raphael Warnock won the heated runoff election in Georgia, to decide Georgia’s representative for the U.S. Senate. His win helped Democrats to solidify their Senate majority. And Georgia will certainly be in the spotlight again over the next couple of days as defendants (including the dumpster) in the Georgia election interference case, many of whom face multiple felony counts, surrender and go through booking procedures at the Fulton County jail. Currently this is start of the Republican primary season, with the first official GOP presidential debate, which the dumpster will not attend.

This is also the day when India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar rover, which was launched 40 days ago, on July 14th (13 Kab’an), is due to touch down on the Moon’s surface, as India becomes the first country to perform a controlled “soft landing” near the lunar south pole. (Russia’s Luna-25 lander attempted this a few days earlier, but crash landed on the lunar surface).

In addition this is UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, in remembrance of the uprising in Haiti in 1791 that played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

2 Etz’nab’ (Aug. 24th) – a dynamic “knife-edged” type of energy that can dazzle and/or divide and separate, on the day when Trump will be turning himself in, to be booked at the Fulton County jail in Georgia, after being indicted there on Aug. 15th . He has already signed a $200,000 bond on racketeering charges that explicitly limits his ability to attack witnesses or his co-defendants in this case, including on social media. The restriction also prohibits him from making any “direct or indirect threat of any nature against the community or to any property in the community”.

This is the final day of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. This day also marks the 32nd Gregorian anniversary of Ukraine’s Declaration of Independence (from the USSR).

This is the day when Japan will start releasing treated radioactive water from the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, after the UN’s nuclear watchdog approved the plan. Apparently some 1.34 million tonnes of water, which has accumulated since the destruction of the plant by the tsunami in 2011, will be released over 30 years after being filtered and diluted.

3 Kawak (August 25th) – an “activating storm” or “activation of compassion” type of influence that can manifest as a true weather storm or a “storm” of compassion or emotion. It would seem that some sort of “storm” might be in the works on this day as this is the day when any of the 19 defendants in the Georgia election interference RICO case who have not already surrendered for booking are due to turn themselves in. A small “historical echo” can be seen here, as 4 Calendar Rounds ago (4 x 52 years, Maya day 3 Kawak 7 Mol, same as today), in October of 1815, the deposed and disgraced ex-emperor Napoléon Bonaparte arrived at the remote tropical island of St. Helena, where he began his final exile before dying 6 years later.

In 2008 this was the energy in place when it was announced that the Lehman Bros. investment bank had run out of cash, triggering a massive financial meltdown over the next few days, referred to at that time as “the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression” in the US.

In North Korea this is the Day of Songun, a national holiday. The Songun (meaning ‘military-first’. ‘Son’ meaning ‘First’ and ‘Gun’ meaning Military’), system was devised by Kim Jong-il to assign a classification to every citizen based on socioeconomic background at the time of liberation in 1945. Songun, officially ‘Songun Politics’, prioritises the military in all aspects of Korean society and has boosted the importance of the Korean People’s Army in politics, society and culture.

4 Ajaw (Aug. 26th) – a “defining” energy associated with the full light of the sun, symbolic of renewal and enlightenment, the same “defining” Burner Day energy that coincided with Long Count 13.0.0.0.0, the end of the 13th B’aktun on Dec. 21st, 2012, the day in which a whole new Great Cycle of Time was “seated”. Currently this day marks the completion of the 15th Tzolk’in cycle since that date, and the beginning of the 16th cycle.

It has now been two cycles (520 days) since March of 2022 when an extraordinary meeting of NATO leaders was held in Brussels at which time members reaffirmed their “unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, and resolved “to counter Russia’s attempts to destroy the foundations of international security and stability”. But still the war careens on.

In 1945 this was the energy that brought forth the signing of the unconditional documents of surrender by German forces, that put an end to the “big lies” that Hitler had been promulgating in Germany.

Currenly this is Women’s Equality Day, celebrating the 103rd Gregorian anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. 19th amendment, which granted all citizens, including women, the constitutional right to vote. With voting rights STILL under severe threat in the US, this will be an important Day of Action, with this year’s theme being #EmbraceEquality. This is the 53rd Gregorian anniversary of the Women’s Strike for Peace and Equality in 1970 when massive Women’s Liberation demonstrations and marches took place in New York and in other cities across the U.S.

In the past, many space-related events, such as the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969, have taken place under this energy influence. This was also the energy in place when the Space Shuttle Atlantis spent its final day in space, in 2011, marking the end of the space shuttle era.

Currently this is also International Dog Day.  Click here for an amazing story about one man’s mission to save the world’s street dogs.

5 Imix (Aug. 27th) – the “blessing of birth”, representative of both “the realm of all potential” and chaos; symbolic of the primordial realm, which contains “all possibilities”, coinciding at this time with the start of the Burning Man gathering in Nevada, with this year’s theme being “Animalia”, which should bring forth some very, very interesting attire! Note, however, that there was flooding at the site at the end of the last trecena, after Storm Hilary hit, so there are a number of environmental concerns this year.

This is the energy that was in place on that historic day in 1969 when Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon after landing the day before.

In 1945 this was the energy in place on VE day, when the world jubilantly celebrated the end of  World War II in Europe and the beginning of peace. Currently this marks six Tzolk’in cycles (two Mars cycles) since the inauguration of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the president of Ukraine on May 20, 2019.

At this point it has been five cycles exactly since the coronavirus outbreak aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, early in 2020, which led to the ship, with 2,666 mostly Japanese passengers aboard, being quarantined in the Port of Yokohama, the beginning of the shutdown of the entire cruise ship industry due to Covid.

6 Ik’ (Aug. 28th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with wind, breath, and spirit, coinciding at this time with the first hearing in the Jan. 6th case, the day when Judge Chutkin will announce the date for the trial. Significantly, this is taking place exactly five cycles after voting day in the dumpster’s first impeachment trial, in early February, 2020. On that day Senator Mitt Romney spoke on the Senate floor, indicating that he planned to vote for Trump’s conviction, since the dumpster’s actions were a “most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office”. During that speech Romney pointed out that the dumpster, for his own personal and political purposes, had asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival, withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so, and delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders. As Romney put it: “what Trump did was wrong – grievously wrong” – he was “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust”. Romney’s vote denied the dumpster unanimous GOP support for his acquittal, an acquittal that has been disastrous for  democracy as those “appalling abuses of public trust” continued to escalate and infect that entire party.

This is also the date for the court hearing that will review Mark Meadows’ request to move the Georgia election racketeering case against him to federal court rather than state court. It appears likely, however, that his request will be denied.

This is the 60th Gregorian anniversary of the (9 Manik’) day when Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led 250,000 people on an historic “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”, when he delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Another “March On for Voting Rights: The Legacy Continues” event was held in Washington DC two days ago, on 4 Ajaw, when civil rights activists highlighted the loss of voting rights, and many other current social issues, but other events will take place on this day. Earlier this month more than 100 leaders and visionaries gathered in Georgia for TIME’s Honoring the March: An Impact Family Dinner, to commemorate this 60th anniversary of that march.

As noted in 2021 – at that time 48 US states had introduced 389 bills to restrict voting access, and so the call to demand federal voting rights protection continues.

In 2015 this was the energy in place when a marathon meeting took place between Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia that laid the groundwork for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, to bring an end to the conflict that had been raging in its eastern regions. In 1945 this was the energy in place when World War II officially ended, after Germany’s unconditional surrender on 4 Ajaw.

7 Ak’b’al (Aug. 29th) – a “self-generating” type of energy associated with the concept of “temple” or “house”, but also darkness or “sanctuary”, the energy that was in place at the time of Richard Nixon’s presidential win in 1968. In 2015 this was the energy in place when the Minsk II agreement was signed between Russia and Ukraine, that set out the parameters for the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front line, and for constitutional reform in Ukraine.

This is the UN’s International Day Against Nuclear Tests (aka Anti-Nuclear Day). It is also the most auspicious day within India’s Onam festival sequence, celebrated in Kerala.

This marks the 18th Gregorian anniversary of the day when Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana coast in 2005, triggering severe flooding that brought devastation from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi. Currently it is anticipated that Hurricane Idalia will be approaching West coast of Florida by this time, which could wreak havoc in that state for the next couple of days.

8 K’an (Aug. 30th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with germination and even opulence, coinciding at this time with the Full Blue Moon, the second full moon in August.

In China this is the day of the Hungry Ghost festival, in the middle of Ghost month, when many people carry protective amulets as they pay tribute to ancestors.

In 1969 this was the energy in place when Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific after 8 days in space. Exactly one Calendar Round later (on July 11, 2021) this was in place at the “Dawn of a New Space Age” when billionaire Richard Branson reached the stars aboard his own Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo spacecraft.

In March of 2022 this was the energy in place when delegates from the AFN, Métis, and Inuit Nations, and residential school survivors, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, at the same time as two large coronal mass ejections (CMEs) blasted out from the sun.

It has now been five cycles since the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, the doctor who, on Dec. 30th, 2019, issued the first warning to colleagues that there were 7 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

9 Chikchan (Aug. 31st) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” lifeforce, this is a powerful force that can spawn major weather events such as typhoons, and even push forth “evolutionary” events that can significantly impact the world, as happened when the First Women’s Rights Convention convened in New York in 1848. Currently this marks the 26th Gregorian anniversay of Princess Diana’s shocking death.

This is International Overdose Awareness Day, when candlelight vigils will be held in many areas to bring attention to the opioid crisis and to Overdose Prevention. This is also the final day of the 12-day Onam harvest festival in Kerala, India.

This was the energy that was in place at the beginning of World War II when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, and again in 1944 when Paris was liberated by the Allies. In 1863, this was in place at the beginning of the horrific Battle of Gettysburg, seen as a turning point during the U.S. civil war, as the Confederate army was forced to retreat.

Eight cycles ago (Dec. 2017) the GOP shoved a massively unpopular tax bill through Congress, with no hearings, no Democratic support, no expert testimony, and no advance planning, in order to slash tax rates for corporations and provide huge benefits for the wealthy. It was a bill that provided the top 1% of Americans with 83% of the tax benefits and was projected to add $1.46 trillion to the U.S. debt over a decade.

10 Kimi (Sept. 1st) – a double “absolute foundations” type of energy that is represented by the death god in both the number and daysign positions, now marking 10 long cycles (2600 days) since the dumpster was officially nominated as the Republican candidate for president at the RNC, in 2016. This is also marking the 84th anniversary of the start of World War II, and is the 100th anniversary of the “Great Kanto Earthquake” and fire, a 7.9 earthquake that was one of the worst in history. It devastated Tokyo, Yokohama, and the surrounding region, killing an estimated 105,000 people. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed.

On this day, in Texas, a barbaric law that eliminates local rules mandating water breaks for construction workers goes into effect. What??? In a state known for extreme heat!! File that one under the heading of “unfathomable”.

Five cycles ago (in February of 2020) this was the energy in place when the Antarctic registered a temperature of more than 20C (68F) for the first time, prompting fears of climate instability in the world’s greatest repository of ice. Now, 1300 days later, thanks to the midset of the type of people who would come up with “eliminate water breaks” types of laws, much of the planet is, quite literally, on fire!

This is the start of National Service Dog Month. Founded 14 years ago, the related organization was established to raise awareness and support for guide dog and service dog schools that do so much to provide assistance for people in need and for the amazing animals that help them.

11 Manik’ (Sept. 2nd) – “inspirational deer”, a change-oriented day aligned with the idea of reciprocity and new possibilities, although there can be a sacrificial aspect to it. This is an energy that can be somewhat “fiery” since Manik’ is a “carrier” of the sun on Earth, with the number 11 also being highly Earth-aligned. Situated in a position of intensity near the end of this “earth-movement” trecena, this energy is representative of solar power in tandem with strong Earth-aligned forces, now coinciding with the 78th Gregorian anniversary of the formal signing of the articles of surrender by Imperial Japan at the end of WWII. This is celebrated in the US as V-J Day even though other countries observe this on Aug. 15th.

Five cycles ago (Feb. of 2020, just as the pandemic was ramping up) this was the energy in place when a new, and terrifying, facet of the madness that still has a chokehold on too many people in the US was revealed, when the dumpster White House rolled out a budget that called for $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act over a decade. This “plan” also sought to halve US funding for the World Health Organization, in addition to calling for deep cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and to the Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund.

12 Lamat (Sept. 3rd) – a double Venus type of force representative of the “grouping together” influence of the number 12 in combination with Lamat’s “heralding” type of energy, which often “signals” some critical development, suggesting the possibility that some kind of significant announcements could be made at this time.

This is the Maya birth energy of E. Jean Carroll, who has already won a $5 million jury verdict against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation. As she continues with her battle for justice in her long, protracted lawsuit against the dumpster, relating to further defamation, another trial is scheduled for mid January.

13 Muluk (Sept. 4th) – “transformational water” – an energetic, often dramatic, type of energy that can trigger strong feelings and stir environmental forces which have, on occasion in the past, developed into floods, tornadoes, and even hurricanes. Currently this is coinciding with Labour Day in the US and Canada, and the final day of Burning Man 2023.

It has now been 10 full cycles since the July 2016 Wikileaks release of documents stolen by Russian hackers from the DNC (and called for by the dumpster), intended to hurt Hillary Clinton, which triggered the torrent of speculation that ultimately resulted in Clinton’s loss in that 2016 election – and all the political chaos that has happened ever since.

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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.]