Thirteen, one hundred and thirty, thirteen hundred – 13, 130, 1300 – these are all numbers of great importance within the Maya Calendar, and as this trecena begins it is the number 1300 that is of interest as the Maya day 4 Ajaw (on July 13th) marks the 1300 day point (5 Tzolk’in cycles) since the highly significant end of the 13th B’aktun on Dec. 21st, 2012, which was the start of a whole new Great Cycle, the beginning of a new era of time.

As we have previously seen, through its emphasis on “evolutionary” movement this is the trecena that frequently provides opportunites for prodigious change, often on a global scale. Not only is it associated with the opening and closing of major eras, but it is also aligned with re-birth or emergence, which can sometimes manifest as world-shaping beginnings and endings. Both forgiveness and fertility are often involved, representative of the patron dieties of this time frame, which tie in with the overall idea of inspired dynamic motion.

As this trecena gets underway it is still anyone’s guess as to what direction this movement is going to take on the international scene during this next cycle, given the implosion of leadership in the U.K. after the Brexit vote; the instability in Europe, the Middle East, and South America; the “Black Lives Matter” issues and demonstrations in the U.S. and the highly problematic presidential race in that country. Some clues relating to that race will reveal themselves during the last five days of this trecena at the time of the Republican Convention. With so many leading members of that party declining to attend, so many deeply skeptical about the leading candidate, and some even pulling out of the party altogether because of that, the situation is extremely volatile. As Stephen Colbert put it a couple of days ago, this convention could mark “the serious finality of America”.

Indeed, much significant “movement” (the theme of this trecena) seems to take place during this time frame, as seen one cycle ago when contenders for the U.S. presidential race began to pick up the pace of their campaigns. As this was getting underway Republicans were scrambling to find a replacement for U.S. Speaker John Boehner whose reignation took effect during this period. In Canada Justin Trudeau was sworn in as the new Prime Minister after his party’s resounding victory at the polls, which brought Conservative leadership to a crashing halt.

At the present time a major shift is also in the works in the U.K. as the candidates for Britain’s next prime minister have been whittled down to two – both women. So it appears that Britain’s first female prime minister since Margaret Thatcher is also about to step forward.

Even NATO seems to be at a turning point as the summit that just concluded has been placing emphasis on “deterrence” through the positioning of troops and equipment in the Baltic area for rapid deployment wherever they might be needed – an action that has observers speaking about a new “cold war” between NATO and Russia. Major protests against NATO’s militaristic plans have been taking place this weekend. Further, this has been President Obama’s last summit, and as he has been the leader of the Atlantic alliance the question of “who will replace him” – and what will be the consequences – looms large.

In the past, world-shifting events that have manifested under this energy influence have included the departure of Christopher Columbus from Palos, Spain in 1492 en route to the “New World”; the beginning and ending of World War II; beginnings and endings of important space exploration events; the “powering up” and the shutting down (due to issues) of the atom-smashing Large Hadron Collider (in 2008); and the failure of major investment companies in the U.S. which precipitated chaos in world financial markets (also in 2008).

Thirty years ago this trecena opened with an official apology from the United Church of Canada to Canada’s first nations for past wrongs inflicted by the church. Three cycles ago (in the spring of 2014) the beginning of this trecena coincided with NASA’s release of a 3.2-billion-pixel Earth Day Global Selfie photo mosaic made from over 36,000 photos taken of Earth. During the rest of the trecena significant elections were held in the European Union, Ukraine, Egypt, and Syria.

Two cycles ago this trecena opened with the meeting of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande with Vladimir Putin to initiate a peace deal for Ukraine in order to avert “total war”. After further talks over the following days that ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine went into effect on the tenth day. And now with NATO’s extensive military exercises in Poland and their positioning in eastern Europe there is, once again, clear tension between this alliance and Russia.

One never knows what kind of significant “opening” will manifest at the beginning of this trecena, but it is often globally attention getting, and sometimes even fun, as happened last time when over 200 monuments, buildings, bridges, and other landmarks in 60 countries around the world were lit up in blue to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the U.N. This time it opens the day after the NATO summit, so there should be important announcements.

As we go through this current Kab’an trecena we are sure to see significant movement on many fronts. As noted above the all-important Four Ajaw comes in on July 13th at which time we reach the completion of the fifth Tzolk’in cycle since Dec. 21, 2012. While it is not difficult to see correlations between these energies and major world events, it should be kept in mind that these energies are also impacting personal lives. With this in mind this would be a good time to review one’s 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 important time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Kab’an (July 10th) – the “initiation of evolutionary movement”, a key 52-day “shift-point” in the trecena that begins the sixth Tzolk’in cycle of the new era, this time in conjunction with the 76th anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Britain, and the huge Euro2016 soccer final in France. In the Maya Calendar this particular One Kab’an coincides with the beginning of the Maya month of Xul, symbolized by both a dog and a baby jaguar, but also traditionally associated with Kukulcan (aka Quetzalcoatl, the great Feathered Serpent who was thought to descend from the heavens to collect offerings at the end of the month.) Xul can also translate as “end” which suggests that some world-shaping endings might also be emphasized during the 20 days that this Maya month is in place.

2 Etz’nab’ (July 11th) – a dynamic “knife-edged” type of energy that can dazzle and/or divide and separate, this time in conjunction with the day when a postal strike is set to come into effect in Canada. Also the 80th anniversary of the dedication of the Triborough Bridge system in New York (now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge), once referred to as the “biggest traffic machine ever built”.

3 Kawak (July 12th) – “activating storm” that can manifest as a “storm” of compassion or emotion, as happened under this influence two years ago at the time of the worldwide March Against Monsanto as rallies were held in hundreds of cities to protest against GMOs and the issue of dead bees as a result of pesticide use. On that day a 6.9 earthquake shook northern Greece and western Turkey

4 Ajaw (July 13th) – 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”. It was also a 4 Ajaw day that brought forth the signing of the unconditional documents of surrender by German forces in 1945. At this time this day completes the fifth cycle since the end of the 13th B’aktun, making it 1300 days since the start of this new era. At this time this energy coincides with the Obon (Festival of Souls) in Japan. This is also the day when Theresa May becomes the  new British Prime Minister.

5 Imix (July 14th) – the “blessing of birth”, representative of both “the realm of all potential” and chaos; symbolic of the primordial realm, which contains “all possibilities”; a return to the energy that was in place on VE day in 1945, when the world jubilantly celebrated the end of World War II in Europe and the beginning of peace.

6 Ik’ (July 15th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with wind, breath, and spirit, this time in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of Boeing Airlines by William Boeing in Seattle on 11 Kab’an in 1916. World War II officially ended under this “6 Wind” influence in 1945, after the unconditional surrender on 4 Ajaw. In 2004 this was the energy in place when Venus made its transition across the face of the sun – an event watched by millions. At this time this energy coincides with celebrations of Rembrandt’s 410th birthday.

7 Ak’b’al (July 16th) – a “self-generating” type of energy, often referred to as a “temple” or “house”, but also darkness. On its last appearance this energy coincided with the going into effect of U.S. Speaker John Boehner’s resignation. At the present time this day marks the beginning of three days of mourning in France for victims of the terrorist attack in Nice on 5 Imix.

8 K’an (July 17th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with germination and even opulence, this time in conjunction with the popular Yamaboko Junko (grand parade) in Kyoto with its massive Gion Matsuri floats and the last day of the Calgary Stampede. Maya birth energy of French President François Hollande.

 9 Chikchan (July 18th) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” lifeforce, 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. Also in place at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, at the beginning of World War II when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, and again on the day in 1944 when Paris was liberated by the Allies. As this time this energy coincides with the beginning of the Republican National Convention in the U.S. and the opening of the 21st International AIDS conference in Durban, South Africa.

10 Kimi (July 19th) – a double “absolute foundations” type of energy that is represented by the death god in both the number and daysign positions; traditionally seen as a “lucky” type of energy due to its association with spiritual foundations, this time in conjunction with the Full Moon, aka the Buck Moon at this time of year. British actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s 40th birthday.

11 Manik’ (July 20th) – “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, coinciding at this time with the 47th anniversary of the first moon landing, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon and the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Long Island in 1776.

12 Lamat (July 21st) – a double Venus type of force; in combination with the “grouping together” influence of the number 12, this is a strong “heralding or signalling” type of energy, at the time of the closing of the Republican National Convention and the opening of Comic-Con International 2016 in San Diego (the longest continuously-run comics and popular arts convention in the U.S.)

13 Muluk (July 22nd) – “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. HRH Prince George’s 3rd Gregorian birthday. Last day of the International Aids Conference.

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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.]