There can be no whitewashing of the fact that the world is in a precarious place. We are now entering our third year of a global pandemic at the same time as millions of people are fleeing for their lives as they are being attacked by a “superpower”. It is a dreadful situation with no clear solutions in sight. But the calendar wheels keep turning, offering some insights into where we have been and the nature of the path ahead. And when we look back we can see, in retrospect, some glimmers of hope for the future.

When looking at where we have been we can see that there is both good news and bad news with regard to the pandemic. The bad news is that it is not over yet. Over six million people have died from the coronavirus globally, and it is still hitting some countries very hard (such as South Korea, with over a million new cases in the past few days). The good news is that the numbers of new cases and daily death totals are dropping considerably in many areas. The higher vaccination rates seem to be making a significant difference.

With regard to the war, and the fact that it is a megalomaniac who is behind the atrocities being committed in Ukraine, we can see a parallel back in 1804 with this being the trecena in place when Napoléon Bonaparte proclaimed himself as Emperor of France. Similarly, this was the trecena in place when Hitler acquired dictatorial powers in 1933, and then in place again the following year when he became Führer of Germany. But for both of these oppressors this trecena later brought a turn of the tide, as Napoléon was exiled to Elba during this trecena in 1814, and Hitler died at his own hands during this trecena in 1945. Two days before that happened, the fascist dictator Mussolini was executed by Italian partisans fighting for their freedom. Immediately thereafter the Fascist armed forces in Italy surrendered, and Dachau was liberated by U.S. soldiers. The unconditional surrender of the German forces in Italy took place near the end of the trecena at that time, along with the end of the Battle of Berlin and the surrender of German forces in Berlin. We can hope and pray that a similar kind of “tide turning” towards the defeat of tyranny will be brought about as these trecena energies return.

As we go through this sequence of 13 days we are working with a time frame that is still part of the mythological “creation” sequence, tied in with the previous trecena, but with an emphasis that leans more towards Germination – the early stages of sprouting new possibilities. This trecena opens with One K’an, an energy tied in with the young Maya corn god who represents exuberance for life and the bounties of the earth. Although this opens up all sorts of possibilities, the trecena overall can often manifest as a time of “testing”, as new ideas or ventures begin to take shape and the process of nurturing new endeavors begins.

In ancient Mesoamerica this trecena was seen as being under the patronage of a formidable deity known as the Itztlacoliuhqui, the God of Frost, often associated with coldness, punishment, and even blindness, sometimes seen as representing “blindness to the implications” of what others might have to suffer through harsh treatment. In some ways this type of influence may have prompted those earlier dictators towards those extremes of self-aggrandizement, and could even increase the coldheartedness of Putin’s actions, so that could be an ominous element. But on another level this concept provides a reminder of the need to keep caution in mind as we proceed through this period.

There is a potential here for great bounty (in one form or another) to unfold. But there is also the potential for things to be jeopardized by “frost” or “blindness to realities” (metaphorical or “real”). We could see that very clearly four cycles ago (early in 2019) in the context of a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 election, when Congressman Adam Schiff laid out strong evidence regarding contacts between Russians and the dumpster’s election campaign. We could see it three cycles ago (December, 2019) at the start of the dumpster’s first impeachment trial for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. We could see it two cycles ago (October of 2020) when the “super-spreader-in-chief” was either denying that there was a problem (even though over a million people had already died globally from Covid-19, and other countries were shutting down), or making extremely dangerous claims as he ended all negotiations for a Covid relief stimulus package in the U.S. There were no vaccines in sight, the mental instability of the lunatic-in-chief was a topic of much discussion, and the presidential election was looming. In each of those scenarios the dumpster’s Republican colleagues stood by and did nothing, “blindfolds intact and earplugs in place”, or actively worked to support the lies.

In some images this “the God of Frost” patron deity is shown holding a broom, generally symbolic of the idea of “sweeping clean” whatever might endanger Germination, in order for new life to emerge. The general idea with regard to this patron deity is to carefully nurture, but not endanger, new opportunities, because if caution is not exercised, there could be disasterous results.

The second patron aligned with this time frame (shown in the trecena image above), was known as Black Smoking Mirror, representative of the mysteries of the cosmos and “the fate of the earth”. And it is not difficult to see how key events that have happened during this period, such as those noted above, have set trajectories for “the fate of the earth”. Other key events during this time frame that have strongly influenced trajectories have included the “Saturday Night Massacre” related to Watergate in 1973, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla’s election as Pope John Paul II in 1978, Mikhail Gorbachev’s election as Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party in 1985, and Barack Obama’s acceptance as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in 2008.

So it seems that many leaders in the past have intuitively aligned themselves with that key idea of Germination that is characteristic of this period – jumping in and opening up all sorts of new possibilities. BUT there is always that danger of jumping into action “blindfolded”, or in a reckless or irresponsible manner. And along these same lines, we are now hearing that many Russian soldiers who have been directed to bombard civilians in Ukraine had been fed a great deal of misleading information as to why they were there. Feeling shame, deep remorse, and fear, they are calling for Russians to wake up to the realities concerning what has been going on, in essence to “lift their blindfolds” and do everything possible to bring an end to the fighting.

Keep in mind that this is a period where “big”, VERY BIG, things can happen – sometimes so big that they are almost incomprehensible. The last time this trecena was in place (last summer) major discoveries were revealed about gross atrocities inflicted on indigenous children at Catholic-run residential school in Canada; US troops began their withdrawal from Afghanistan, with disastrous consequences; and BC was under an historic heat dome that was so intense that the entire town of Lytton was destroyed by fire. All of these were major eye-openers. At the same time, in the US, criminal indictments and other legal consequences began to take shape against many in the upper echelons of power who “thought they could get away” with atrocities, so new directions for action were beginning to be cultivated in that regard as well.

As we move through this period, the energies of particular importance include 3 Kimi (March 10th) that includes several important marker points, and 8 Chuwen on March 15th, the most auspicious festival day for K’iche’ Maya daykeepers. This is a sacred day oriented around the renewal of calendar traditions and the initiation of new daykeepers, but is also a special kind of force aligned with “weaving together” past and future to help the “new entity” (associated with the fate of the world) gain a foothold on the road of life, with that “road” being represented by the 9 Eb’ energies that come in the following day. Note how Putin, Julius Caesar, and President Zelenskyy all factor into this. Several festival days come in towards the end of this time frame.

As we journey through this energy sequence keep in mind that whatever happens will be “planting the seeds”, and providing the groundwork for what is to follow. This is a period when sacrifices will have to be made to make room for new growth and new life. This may well require the abandonment of old ideas in favour of something new, fresh, and life-enhancing. As this trecena holds the potential to bring forth surprises it would be a good idea to exercise caution, care, and prudence with regard to anything that one might want to “germinate” at this time. Certainly, with vigilance, anything “planted” and carefully tended at this time could easily “sprout” into something strong and robust, and fortunately there are a number of renewal-related festivals (noted below) taking place during this period, one of which is associated with miracles. Coldness and recklessness, on the other hand, could be problematic – hopefully problematic for Putin.

Here are the energies that will come into play:

1 K’an (March 8th) – an “initiating” energy associated with germination (or even the creation of new abundance), coinciding at this time with International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality, with this year’s theme being #BreakTheBias.

This is the second day of hearings at the International Court of Justice concerning Allegations of Genocide with regard to on-going war crimes committed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.

Two cycles ago (in October, 2020) a group called Covid Survivors for Change (a network of coronavirus survivors and victims’ families) set up 20,000 empty chairs on the lawn facing the White House to represent the 210,000 people who had died by then from coronavirus in the US. This was marked as a national day of remembrance. Now, 520 days later, the number of registered deaths from Covid in the U.S. alone is almost one million, with over 6 million deaths globally.

2 Chikchan (March 9th) – “dynamic lifeforce”, marking two years since Italy’s first nationwide covid-related lockdown began (which lasted for over 2 months)

3 Kimi (March 10th) – the “activation of death/absolute foundations”, seen in Maya creation mythology as the day when “the first death” was “invented”. This marks one cycle exactly since the horrific announcement, by the Cowessess First Nation, that 751 unmarked graves had been discovered at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.

It has now been three cycles exactly since January 2020 when a 35-year old man in Washington state, who had recently returned home after visiting family in Wuhan in China, became the first person in the US to be diagnosed with Covid-19. At that time the first confirmed case was reported in South Korea and China began warning the world about the coronavirus. Exactly one cycle later, in October of 2020, the dumpster ended all negotiations for the Covid relief stimulus package until after the elections, even though 30-40 million people across the U.S. were in danger of being evicted.

This day also marks two Calendar Rounds (2 x 52 years) since the 3 Kimi 4 Kumk’u day in 1918 (same energy as this day) when a U.S. public health report informed officials of the 18 severe cases of influenza (Spanish Flu) that had broken out at the Camp Funston army base in Kansas several days earlier. By this time three people had died from it. Within two weeks thousands more were sick in barracks in that camp where men were being trained for combat in World War I. Not long after that, tens of thousands were sick, with some  carrying the disease overseas. The outbreak became the deadliest pandemic in human history.

In 1934 Hitler became Führer of Germany under this influence, and in January of 2020 this was in place on the eve of the start of the dumpster’s impeachment trial in the US Senate. This was also in place five cycles ago at the time of the death of Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General (the world’s top diplomat for 10 years from 1997-2006) and Nobel Peace prize laureate who was well known for quietly reminding world leaders that they needed to put their duty to their citizens above their own political careers.

Currently this is World Kidney Day, which emphasizes communication on how to prolong longevity and live well through effective management of the disease, with this year’s theme being “Kidney Health for All”.

This is also the beginning of a kind of transitional, “laying low” type of period in Northern India known as Holashtak, leading up to the colourful Holi festival on March 18th. In that region this pre-Holi period is thought to be inauspicious for engaging in new ventures. But this day is considered ideal for alms giving and prayer offerings are encouraged.

4 Manik’ (March 11th) – a “defining” energy associated with reciprocity and the energy of deer – a kind of harmonizing energy connected with the natural world, but there is also a strong “sacrificial” aspect to it. In combination with the solar energy of the number four this is a “double sun” type of force, as the deer was seen as an embodiment of the sun – an auspicious day for the swearing in of former student activist Gabriel Boric as Chile’s new left-wing president. He has already announced that 14 of his 24 new cabinet ministers are women, and several are former student protest leaders. Boric has pledged to be a president “for all Chileans”.

This marks the second Gregorian anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration of a global pandemic over the coronavirus, when it called for governments to take “urgent action”. This is also the 11th Gregorian anniversary of the day in 2011 when a 9.0 earthquake struck Japan off the coast of Sendai, NE of Tokyo, triggering a devastating tsunami.

This is the opening day for the SXSW (South by Southwest) conference and festivals in Austin, Texas – a diverse conglomerate of events dedicated to “helping creative people achieve their goals”, through a multi-track conference and festivals that “celebrate the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture”.

This is the Maya birth energy of both George Floyd, whose death sparked such widespread Black Lives Matter protests last year, and Robert Mueller, the Special Counsel who oversaw the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, but failed to adequately “follow the money” as many hoped he would.

5 Lamat (March 12th) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with Venus, which can serve as a beacon or herald, at the time of a close Venus-Mars conjunction in the morning sky. Morning Star Venus will be shining brightly at this time (much brighter than Mars) at the same time as the crescent Moon will be seen close to the Pleiades star cluster. This marks the second Gregorian anniversary of the day in 2020 when the United States and many other countries began shutting down and stocks began plunging.

Five Lamat was the energy in place in 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic speech about being a “drum major for peace”, and it returns now on the day when civil rights activist Andrew Young celebrates his 90th Gregorian birthday. He was one of Martin Luther King Jr’s close confidants.

At this point it has been three cycles since the dumpster made his first public comment regarding the coronavirus when he said that they had it “totally under control”. It has also been three 260-day cycles since the bombshell New York Times report that began with the headline: Decade in the Red: Trump Tax Figures Show over $1Billion in Business Losses.

6 Muluk (March 13th) – the energy of the six directions in conjunction with the purifying or shape-shifting energy of water, coinciding at this time with the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, on the second Gregorian anniversary of the day when Canada first went into lockdown.

This marks precisely three Tzolk’in cycles since the city of Wuhan in China, the most populous city in Central China, was put under quarantine lockdown (in the biggest lockdown in world history at that point) in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. It is also the last day of the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

7 Ok (March 14th) – translating as “self-generating” love, guidance, and/or loyalty, coinciding at this time with Commonwealth Day, observed by the 54 diverse member countries in the Commonwealth of Nations who cooperate within a framework of common values and goals.

This is also the opening day for the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN (CSW66), with this year’s theme focusing on achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes, and women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work.

It has now been seven cycles since the dramatic hearing before the US House Intelligence Committee in early 2017 when former FBI Director James Comey told that committee for the first time that the FBI was investigating the possible collusion between the dumpster’s campaign and Moscow – the first time a seated president had been under FBI investigation.

This also marks 4 Calendar Rounds (4 x 52 years, less 52 days) since the 7 Ok 8 Kumk’u day (same as today) when Napoléon Bonaparte began his exile on the island of Elba.

8 Chuwen, aka 8 Batz’ (March 15th) a “resurrection” type of energy associated with play, creativity, and “time weaving” – a highly auspicious day for the Maya, as this is the time when K’iche’ Maya daykeepers celebrate the renewal of their sacred calendar traditions and initiate new daykeepers.

At this time this energy coincides with World Social Work Day and the 25th International Day against Police Brutality. It marks the 11th Gregorian anniversary of the beginning of the 2011 Syrian Uprising, and would have been Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 89th Gregorian birthday.

In Roman times this day was known as the Ides of March, and was seen as a day for settling debts. In 44 BC this was the Gregorian day when Roman general Julius Caesar was assassinated at a meeting of the Senate. It was said that as many as 60 conspirators were involved in the plot, with the assassination taking place not long after Caesar was declared “dictator in perpetuity” of the Roman Republic.

Fears among the Senate that Caesar planned to claim the title of king, overthrow the Senate and rule as a tyrant, were thought to be the principal motives for his assassination. Seen as a skilled but ruthless military commander, he had greatly expanded the reach of the Roman Empire, but had many enemies. Given that there is some speculation about Putin being the reincarnation of Julius Caesar, all things considered, this might be a consequential day for him, particularly with the whole world protesting against his brutal attacks on Ukraine. Given, as well, that this is the Maya birth energy of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and that 8 Chuwen is a creative “time weaving” type of force, this seems to suggest that there are some interesting “cards on the table” at this time.

9 Eb’ (March 16th) – “outward projecting stream of consciousness”, or “outward projecting road”, an energy that could also translate as “immortal healing”, coinciding with National Panda Day

10 B’en (March 17th) – “foundational personal authority”; symbolic of the full authority of maize, this is a strong “pillar” type of energy representative of strength, inner power, and self determination, coinciding at this time with St. Patrick’s Day, and (in the evening) with the start of Purim, one of the most joyous holidays in the Jewish calendar. This is a Jewish celebration of deliverance that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman, a official who was planning to kill all Jews in the Old Persian Empire. This festival is in honour of the “miracles” of Purim that were involved in the saving of the people. Wouldn’t it be SOMETHING if those same kinds of miracles clicked in to save the people of Ukraine from the horrors being inflicted on them by Putin and his Russian war machine!

This is the Maya birth energy of celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, whose organization is currently on the Polish border serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing from Ukraine, and in other areas that have been hit by disasters. Last year (the year of his New Fire birthday, when the energies of his birth perfectly realigned) Chef Andrés was a recipient of Jeff Bezos’ Courage and Civility Award, which awarded him $100 million, which is helping to support this food relief program for refugees. This is also the Maya birth energy of Nostradamus, the 16th century seer whose predictions helped to fuel speculations about the “end times”.

In the spring of 1945 this was the energy in place when Hitler committed suicide, two days after the fascist dictator Mussolini was executed by firing squad. In 1973 this was the energy in place at the time of the “Saturday Night Massacre” related to Watergate, and three cycles ago (in January of 2020) the sham of an impeachment trial was taking place in the US. Again, this seems to be a key energy to watch.

11 Ix (March 18th) – “inspirational magic” in conjunction with the jaguar and the mysteries of the earth, coinciding at this time with the Full Worm Moon, the full day of Purim, which ends in the evening, and (in the evening) the beginning of India’s highly revered Holi festival.

Sometimes referred to as a “festival of love” or “festival of colours”, Holi is a time when people get together to play with vibrant colours in the interest of fun, healing, fertility, and renewal, as they forget about resentments and bad feelings from the past and symbolically celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Again wouldn’t it be something to see Putin’s evil being driven out of Ukraine by this time! During this evening large bonfires will be lit across India to drive away evil spirits – no doubt many prayers will be said for Ukraine at this time.

One cycle ago (last year) this was in place when tax related indictments were unsealed against the Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg. Currently this is coinciding with World Sleep Day and Red Nose Day in the UK, a major fund raising day through comic relief, at which time people wear red noses, give special performances, and raise funds for charity.

12 Men (March 19th) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with the high vision of the Eagle – three cycles exactly (780 days) since that day in January of 2020 when the head of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme said that the “whole world needs to be on alert”. At that point entire cities in China were under shutdown. In the US a memo was circulated at the highest level warning the White House about the risks of a pandemic but the dumpster continued downplaying it.

Currently India’s Holi festival will be in full swing at this time after the end of Holashtak. Fires will be burning to drive away evil spirits, ending in the evening.

13 Kib’ (March 20th) – a transformation-oriented energy aligned with the ability to “fly high”, survey, and ultimately restore order, coinciding at this time with Spring Equinox, with Venus at her greatest elongation. This is the day of Nowruz, (meaning “new day”), the Persian New Year, a festival celebrated by Iranian peoples and many others worldwide to mark the first day of the first month in the Iranian calendar. This is also the UN’s International Day of Happiness, the UN’s French Language Day, and World Storytelling Day, when live storytelling events take place worldwide in a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling, this year around the theme of “Lost and Found”.

This is also the 16th annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness day, dedicated to increasing awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on First Nations populations.

Note that Kib’ is an energy that can often force people to think differently, with 13 Kib’ often pushing particularly hard, often compelling people to take some kind of direct action.

That was certainly the case three cycles ago, at the end of January 2020, when the WHO declared a global health emergency with regard to the coronavirus outbreak. By that time, from the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan, the virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally, including Thailand, France, the US and Australia. It was the beginning of a global catastrophe that has since taken the lives of over 6 million people, one-sixth of whom lived in the U.S. By this time the total number of cases registered will have reached over 450 million.

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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.]