This year began with an opportunity – an opportunity to derail someone who managed to tumble into a position of great power (even though grossly unqualified for the job) through the use of reality show hucksterism, the promulgation of porkies the size of mountains, and significant election interference by a foreign superpower. There were many other factors, of course, that led to that tumble/stumble into power in 2016, but those three were central to that power grab, and the consequences have been disastrous. One cycle (260 days) ago an opportunity was presented to pull the plug on all that, through an impeachment trial, but, unfortunately, few had spines enough to carry through the vote to remove him. The key question at the time was: Is corruption in the Senate so deeply imbedded that democracy itself will be trampled into oblivion? The answer quickly became evident, and tens of thousands of people have either lost their lives or suffered enormous hardships because of it. This trecena and the start of the next were critical in this regard. So here we are again, working with the same energies, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

To review again what we are working with here – this is a trecena that, traditionally, was thought of as being aligned with Germination. It opens with an energy tied in with the young Maya corn god who represents exuberance for life and the bounties of the earth. Also tied in with the general idea of abundance, this is a trecena that holds the potential to be highly robust in the sense that it can open up all sorts of possibilities for action. Still part of the traditional creation sequence that began 13 days ago, this K’an initiated time period tends to encompass some vigorous energies associated with the inception of new ideas or the forging of new directions. Significantly, it can often manifest as a time of “testing”, as new possibilities begin to take shape and the process of nurturing new endeavors begins.

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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, which may sound ominous. And – as seen last January – this can, indeed, play out in a highly consequential manner – sometimes associated literally with ice and snow, but more often on a more esoteric level tied in with a need to retain a certain amount of caution if presented with enticing new ideas. There is a potential here for great bounty (in one form or another) to unfold, which could be jeopardized by “frost” or “blindness to realities” (metaphorical or “real”). The idea is to carefully nurture, but not endanger, new opportunities. This deity is often shown holding a broom, symbolic of the idea of “sweeping something clean”, even sweeping away “sins” in order to prepare for the germination of the bounty to come.

Tied in with these ideas there is often an emphasis on working with “the unseen” or the unknown during this period. And as we journey through this particular period we will be working with the unseen and unknown in ways we could never have previously imagined. Not only is Planet Earth under a raging attack from something invisible to the naked eye (ie. the coronavirus), but everywhere we look we find questions and uncertainties. How many more people are going to succumb to this? What happens if key people in key positions succumb? What is likely to happen with regard to the US Supreme Court? How will the US election campaigns be affected by recent developments? Will the White House be put under quarantine? How will this affect global economies? How might all this impact the forthcoming presidential election?

A second patron aligned with this time frame (shown in the trecena image above, on the right) is Black Smoking Mirror, representative of the mysteries of the cosmos and “the fate of the earth”, which – given the current circumstances – seems particularly apropos. Working in tandem, these two patron energies might be seen as formidable taskmasters. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that many new possibilities could open up IF the things that restrict life can be dealt with and “swept away”. A very, very tall order at the current time! Most certainly the events that unfold at this time will set the stage for the highly significant Kab’an trecena that will follow, through the second half of October, right before that election.

Keep in mind that in the past this was the trecena that saw Napoléon Bonaparte declare himself as Emperor of France (in 1804). In 1933 this was the trecena during which Hitler acquired dictatorial powers. It was in place again the following year when he became Führer of Germany, and then back in place in 1945 at the time of his death. In 1978 it was this trecena during which Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was elected as Pope John Paul II. Seven years later this same trecena brought Mikhail Gorbachev’s election as Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party. It was the first day of this trecena back in 2008 when Barack Obama gave his historic and inspirational acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium as the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency. And seven cycles ago (in Oct. 2015) it was this trecena that brought a stunning victory for Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party during the Canadian elections.

So this tells us that many leaders have 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 – and this is a “big but” – there is also great danger of jumping into action “blindfolded”, or in a reckless or irresponsible manner. Let’s keep in mind that this is the trecena that was in place in 1973 at the time of that “Saturday Night Massacre” related to Watergate. At that time there was enormous concern about what was then seen as “the most serious constitutional crisis in [U.S.] history”. (That was well before 2020, of course, well before the ongoing “constitutional crisis” that was been the Trump presidency). But back in 1973 this crisis arose in conjunction with President Nixon’s firing of special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, which eventually led to Nixon’s resignation after the first article of impeachment was drawn up. And it’s this kind of situation that is aligned with the traditional idea that this trecena can very often be “a time of testing”.

Just three cycles ago, Michael Cohen (Trump’s former longtime lawyer), pleaded guilty to eight felony counts related to campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and bank fraud, and Paul Manafort (his ex-campaign manager) was found guilty on eight counts of tax fraud. And this is the trecena when two of the world’s worst dictators (Hitler and Mussolini) lost their lives. And we are currently working with the exact energies that were in place three Calendar Rounds ago, in 1864, when General Sherman began his “scorched-earth” campaign during the US Civil War that led to the defeat of the Confederacy. That was a significant “time of testing”.

The first few days of this K’an trecena are an extension of the creation sequence that began on One Chuwen (on Sept. 21st). Based on past events that have taken place on the first day of this K’an time frame, there is the suggestion that during this period a number of influential energies that are embryonic to major world developments can come into play. This idea of attempting to “germinate” or set the foundations for new ideas can be seen in many key past events that have taken place at this time, as when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic speech about being a “drum major for peace” in 1968. And during this period we are again working with the exact energies that were in place when critical decisions had to be made last January with regard to the pandemic, with a “second wave” seemingly underway in several countries. The question is: Will the same kinds of mistakes be made at the highest levels or will major shifts be made to finally set the course towards healing? Is it time for some divine intervention?

One of the most important days for the Maya comes in on Eight Chuwen (aka 8 Batz’), the most auspicious festival day for K’iche’ Maya daykeepers. This is the sacred day that is oriented around the renewal of calendar traditions and the initiation of new daykeepers. Eight Chuwen represents a kind of “resurrection” of the type of solar energy that can “weave together” past and future to help the “new entity” gain a foothold on the road of life, with that “road” being represented by the 9 Eb’ energies that come in the following day. The UN’s International Day for Disaster Reduction comes in the day after that. With “disaster” being the name of the game this year, a day aligned with disaster reduction seems like it would be heartily welcomed!

So 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. It is a time when sacrifices may 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 (more “October surprises” perhaps?) it would be a good idea to exercise care and prudence with anything that one might want to “germinate” at this time. Certainly with vigilance and care anything “planted” at this time could easily “sprout” into something strong and robust. Coldness and recklessness, on the other hand, could be very problematic. Here are the energies that will come into play:

1 K’an (Oct. 4, 2020) – an “initiating” energy associated with germination (or even the creation of new abundance), coinciding with the start of Mental Illness Awareness Week in several countries. No doubt the mental instability of the lunatic-in-chief in the White House will be a key topic for discussion at many levels, particularly with only 30 days remaining until the election. Since he is in the hospital, after testing positive and exhibiting symptoms for Covid-10, the state of his health is also of national concern as this trecena opens, with the issue of the rampant spread of the coronavirus through the upper echelons of power in Washington D.C. now becoming a national security crisis. So far 11 peole who attended the Rose Garden event on Sept. 26th have tested positive. All courtesy of the “super spreader-in-chief” and his blatant lack of leadership with regard to even basic safety precautions.

It has been three cycles exactly since some 350 media organizations published a “coordinated response” on the dangers of the Trump administration’s assault on journalism and the press; with the core message in all editorials being “the importance of a free and independent press”.

This is the Maya birth energy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg whose recent death has catapulted the issue of appointing her successor to the forefront of US political maneuvering in Washington, igniting a major partisan battle.

On a less volatile note, this is World Animal Day and the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, a time for many Blessing of the Animals events. World Animal Day was initiated in 1931 at a convention of ecologists to highlight the plight of endangered species, and since then has been observed annually as a tribute day for all animals.

2 Chikchan (Oct. 5th) – “dynamic lifeforce”, coinciding with the UN’s World Habitat Day, with the theme of Housing for All: A Better Urban Future , and UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day, with the current theme being Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future  with emphasis on teacher leadership in relation to crisis responses such as the pandemic.

3 Kimi (Oct. 6th) – the “activation of absolute foundations”, seen in Maya creation mythology as the day when “the first death” was “invented”. It has now been one cycle exactly since 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. Those developments coincided with the third anniversary of Trump’s inauguration, an event referred to by many as “one of the darkest days in the history of the U.S.”. In 1934 Hitler became Führer of Germany under this influence and last January this was the eve of the start of Trump’s impeachment trial in the US Senate.

This was the energy in place three 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 political careers.

4 Manik’ (Oct. 7th) – 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, at the peak of the Draconids Meteor shower. 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. This is the scheduled day for the Vice-Presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence.

One cycle since the start of the impeachment trial in the US Senate last January, as Trump downplayed China’s coronavirus warnings at the same time as praising President Xi’s actions in this regard. It has now been two cycles since Michael Cohen began his 3 yr. prison term.

This is the Maya birth energy of both George Floyd, whose death sparked such widespread Black Lives Matter protests this summer, 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 (Oct. 8th) – a “blessing” type of energy associated with Venus, which can serve as a beacon or herald, as was in place in 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his prophetic speech about being a “drum major for peace”. It has been one cycle since Trump made his first public comment regarding the coronavirus (last January) when he said that they had it “totally under control”. Currently this is the World Health Organization’s World Sight Day, with this year’s theme being “Hope in Sight ”.

It has been two 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.  Just a few days ago (on Sept. 27th) The New York Times published a follow-up article that highlighted ways in which the tax-dodger in-chief had avoided paying income taxes over many years, as it detailed the tens of millions that his businesses have lost over the years. It also brought attention the multitude of financial conflicts of interest that have developed during his residency in the White House.

This is the exact energy that was in place in 1864 (three Calendar Rounds ago, or 3 x 52 years) when General Sherman and his 62,000 men began his scorched-earth March to the Sea from Atlanta to Savannah, in one of the most consequential campaigns of the US Civil War, which eventually led to the defeat of the Confederacy.

6 Muluk (Oct. 9th) – the energy of the six directions in conjunction with the purifying or shape-shifting energy of water, precisely one cycle since the city of Wuhan in China, the most populous city in Central China, was put under quarantine lockdown (with no one allowed in or out, in the biggest lockdown in the history of the world) in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus – an effort that worked, since the 76-day lockdown significantly “flattened the curve”.

This is the Calendar Round return (“New Fire”) of the day in 1968 when the Gun Control Act of 1968 was signed into law by President Johnson. Had he not been assassinated by a gunshot in 1980, this would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday.

This is the day when the winners of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced.
At this point 25 days remain until the election.

7 Ok (Oct. 10th) – translating as “self-generating” love, guidance, and/or loyalty, coinciding at this time with World Mental Health Day, on the final day of Mental Illness Awareness Week.

In North Korea this is Party Foundation Day, the celebration of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 1945, an annual public holiday that includes mass events and military parades. As of this day it has been one cycle exactly since Trump again praised China’s efforts and “transparency” regarding the developing coronavirus crisis and thanked President Xi Jinping for China’s response to the situation.

It has been five cycles since the dramatic hearing before the US House Intelligence Committee when former FBI Director James Comey told that committee for the first time that the FBI was investigating the possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow– the first time a seated president had been under FBI investigation. Two cycles ago (last year) a petition was delivered to Congress on behalf of a number of activist groups such as MoveOn, Democracy for America, and the Courage Campaign, that contained 10 million signatures that called upon lawmakers to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.

8 Chuwen, aka 8 Batz’ (Oct. 11th) 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 the UN’s International Day of the Girl Child, and the 33rd annual National Coming Out Day and Human Rights Campaign.

It has been two cycles since some 180 countries reached agreement on a legally binding, globally reaching mechanism for managing plastic waste, in an amendment to the Basel Convention. But that was before the onslaught of Covid, which significantly increased the use of plastic.

9 Eb’ (Oct. 12th) – “outward projecting stream of consciousness”, or “outward projecting road”, an energy that could also translate as “immortal healing”, currently coinciding with Thanksgiving
Day in Canada. In some parts of the US. this is Columbus day, but New Mexico, Oregon, Alaska, and many other states and cities have ditched this altogether and now celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day at this time. In many places this is known as El Día de la Raza (“The Day of the Race”) or Hispanic Heritage Day to highlight the heritage and cultural diversity of Latin Americans wherever they may live and to recognize their resistance to the infiltration of Europeans. In Venezuela it is specifically known as El Día de la Resistencia Indigena (The Day of Indigenous Resistance). In Spain this day is celebrated as Hispanic Day, a national public holiday that commemorates the day when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas.

This is the first of three days for the CyberSpace Edition of the International Astronautical Congress, offered free of charge to the global community at this time.

It is also “possibly” the day for the start of the hearings in Washington regarding the GOP’s nomination for the Supreme Court.

10 B’en (Oct. 13th) – “foundational personal authority”; symbolic of the full authority of maize, this is a strong “pillar” energy representative of strength, inner power, and self determination, this time coinciding with Confucius’ Birthday/ Teacher’s Day, as Mars shines brightly, in opposition to the sun. Maya birth energy of both Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen and famed Swiss psychologist Carl Jung.

Currently this is UN’s International Day for Disaster Reduction – no kidding! Can the disaster known as 2020 be fixed in one day?

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 – on that night The Tonight Show was cancelled so that media could report on what was then seen as “the most serious constitutional crisis in [US] history”. As the US is currently in the midst of a situation that most are now seeing as infinitely worse than that, who knows what will have happened by this 10th day at this time. The last time this was in place the sham of an impeachment trial was taking place in the US.

It is noteworthy that this is also the Maya birth energy of Nostradamus, the 16th century seer whose predictions helped to fuel speculations about the “end times”. What part of the current nightmare might Nostradamus have been seeing? This KQED article speculates on just this topic.

11 Ix (Oct. 14th) – “inspirational magic” in conjunction with the jaguar and the mysteries of the earth, coinciding at this time with what would have been George Floyd’s 47th Gregorian birthday, seven days after his Maya birthday (see above re 4 Manik’). At this point there are just 20 days until the election. Expect more demonstrations?

One cycle ago this was the energy in place on the day when the Trump team made their final arguments in the second week of the impeachment trial – a trial where witnesses were not allowed to testify even though 75% of registered voters (bipartisan) thought witnesses should have been allowed to testify.

That was the day when Israel’s attorney-general filed a formal indictment in court against Prime Minister Netanyahu on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. On that day Trump “entertained” Netanyahu at the White House as they released a Middle East “peace plan”, a plan that was met with protests and condemnations by Palestinians who referred to it as the “opposite of a peace plan” as well as an attempt by both leaders to deflect attention away from their own legal and political scandals.

Maya birth energy of New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, author of 27 books, including The Great Republican Abdication –A party that no longer believes in American values.

12 Men (Oct. 15th) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with the high vision of the Eagle, in place on Conflict Resolution Day. This is also the day for the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills in B.C. and worldwide.

This was scheduled as the day for the second presidential debate, but given Trump’s Covid-related health crisis and the fact that the first “debate” was seen as a “national disgrace”, the likelihood of this taking place is dwindling by the day.

It has been one cycle exactly since the day in January 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. At that time Peter Navarro, the White House trade adviser, circulated a memo at the highest level warning the White House about the risks of a pandemic, at the same time as Trump was downplaying it. And now that the coronavirus has actually penetrated the White House– 260 days after that memo – everyone who works there is at high, high risk of contacting it, if they haven’t already done so. As CNN’s Jake Tapper put it, Trump’s diagnosis is “a symbol of his own administration’s failure in its pandemic response”.

13 Kib’ (Oct. 16th) – a transformation-oriented energy aligned with the ability to “fly high”, survey, and ultimately restore order. As Kib’ is an energy that can often force people to think differently, this 13 Kib’ energy can often push particularly hard, often compelling people to take some kind of direct action.

That was certainly the case one cycle ago, at the end of January this year, 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. More than 170 people had died in China, some 7700 had been confirmed as infected, and another 12,000 were under observation. The White House had been given enough information by this time for action to be taken but Trump continued to ignore it or downplay it.

Two cycles ago, in May of 2019, G7 leaders attended the Christchurch Call to Action summit in Paris where they worked on tightening the rules relating to livestreaming in order to curtail online extremism and restrict the spread of deadly ideas through social media and other online platforms. This summit, attended by companies such as Twitter, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, was seen as a “significant starting point” for changes that would be made to governmental and tech industry policies, as world leaders and the heads of global technology companies pledged to tackle online terrorism and extremism. The US did not sign the pledge due to concerns about freedom of speech. [The ramifications have been clear to see, especially this year.]

Currently this is World Food Day at the time of this year’s closest and largest New Moon, often termed a Super New Moon.

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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.]