Here it comes again – that “echo effect”, but this time the ante is upped. Early last May the end of the Ak’bal’ trecena saw U.S. lawmakers scrambling to pass a spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down, with many of the White House’s key demands being excluded when the bill was pushed through just before this Kib’ trecena began. And now, exactly the same situation is playing out. A federal shutdown was looming yesterday, on the final day of the Ak’bal’ trecena, once again due to major disagreements between lawmakers and the White House, differences so large that even if a bill was passed, the funding would only be in place until mid February. But as the clock struck midnight the bill was not passed, and as this Kib’ trecena comes into place on the first anniversary of Trump’s inauguration, as millions of women across North America and around the globe are gearing up for a huge “anniversary” protest demonstration, the challenges for those trying to get “anything” done are gargantuan.

However, as the Kib’ trecena often revolves around the theme of “practicality”, with Kib’ often providing the impetus to “think differently” in order to address challenges, it is not unusual to see significant changes in direction at this time. During the last appearance of this trecena Republican senators began working on revisions to the House GOP health-care bill. Although the situation was never satisfactorily resolved, many felt hugely relieved at that time to see that lawmakers were “going back to the drawing board” rather than pushing the bill through. Even more significantly, this was the trecena during which U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller assumed office to oversee the Russia investigation. Overall, at that time, it seemed as if some measure of “common sense” had returned.

Being oriented around the “initiation of the restoration of order”, the first day of this Kib’ trecena can often bring some kind of shift towards “new thought”, and “new action”, sometimes involving a revision to an earlier plan. As it happens, the first two days of this trecena at this time will coincide with the first anniverary of the massive Women’s March last year. At this time MARCH ON demonstrations are scheduled to take place across the US and in many other countries. This will be a “weekend of women” who want to “take the country back”. Ultimately March On organizers are working to convince people that every voice and every vote matters, as they work towards a “massive march to the polls” in November. The Las Vegas march, called “Power to the Polls” directly points towards this goal.

Historically there has often been a strong emphasis on “restoring order” or “getting down to business” during this energy frame, as could be seen in 1776 when the first edition of Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was published under this influence. In 1983 the terrifying movie “The Day After” was televised under this influence, which shocked 100 million people (including President Ronald Reagan) into the realization of the consequences of a nuclear war. Exactly five cycles later, on One Kib’ in 1987 President Reagan challenged President Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. In 2009 this was the energy in place when President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mutually agreed to reduce nuclear arsenals, which set the course to replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. And then, of course, there was One Kib’ in 2010, the historic day when The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law by President Obama.

At the present time, with the US government now in shutdown mode, with moral and ethical issues running rampant at the White House, and with Gallop polls showing a record low in terms of world approval of U.S. leadership, the Kib’ trecena has its work cut out for itself.

During this time frame the emphasis is oriented around such things as transmutation, ingenuity, and practicality, which can be triggered, at times, by dramatic events that demand change. During this energy sequence there is often an emphasis on duality, sometimes involving paired events or paired ideas struggling to maintain equilibrium, with one of the most vivid manifestations being the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 2001 when hit by two planes. As everyone is aware, that was a world-shifting event, and massive changes in national and international security have come into being as a result of the fiery forces that were in motion at that time.

Incredibly, an echo of that event was seen precisely 16 Tzolk’in cycles after 9/11, in 2013, when a blast collapsed the lower floors of the headquarters of Petroleos Mexicanos in Mexico City, an iconic 52-storey tower similar in style to New York’s former World Trade Center, originally designed as a pair of 26-storey buildings. (Note: 26 and 52 are key Maya Calendar numbers.) In an eerie replay of the scene from 2001, people covered with dust rushed away from the buildings, as white smoke billowed out.

These kinds of events are suggestive of the “sun close to the earth” or “fire in the earth” kinds of forces associated with the patron energies of this period, energies that have been known to foment havoc for the purpose of transmutation, often as part of a push towards the birthing of a new type of order. And at the present time the duality mentioned above seems to be playing out in the form of two major political parties that seem to be at the center of the struggle.

Indeed, in December of 2015 these were the kinds of forces that were in play at the time of the intense negotiations taking place in Paris as 196 nations worked to develop and approve an historic global accord to fight climate change, signalling an end to the fossil fuel era. This was seen as a decisive point in time as they committed, for the first time, to a universal agreement that has the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and limiting temperature rises. Those talks resumed during the return of this trecena last May as discussions focused on how to implement the Paris agreement, with a much reduced US presence. As of a few weeks ago (in November) all other countries have signed the agreement (including Syria), leaving the U.S. as the only country in the world that is isolated from this critically important initiative.

Overall this trecena can often manifest as a real “work horse” kind of time frame, with strong emphasis on clear thinking and industriousness, as well as “getting down to business”, all oriented around transmutation, as symbolized by the BEES that are so strongly associated with Kib’s energy.

So, once again the challenges at this time are great, on many different fronts. Indeed many regions (including the U.S. deep south) are still dealing with “deep freeze” or severe weather conditions. However, this particular time frame does hold the potential to engender glimmers of light, as old patterns go through the process of transmutation and new imperatives come into view. With its emphasis on such things as illumination, ingenuity, vigilance, forgiveness, and even practicality, this trecena can provide important opportunities for the formulation of viable approaches to dealing with pressing, critical matters. During this current time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Kib’ (Jan. 20th) – the “initiation” of the transmutation force that leads towards the restoration of order, on the day of the MARCH ON demonstrations across the U.S. and around the globe, on the first (and perhaps only?) anniversary of Trump’s inauguration as the U.S. government shuts down.

2 Kab’an (Jan. 21st) – a “dynamic” type of energy related to the earth, or “earth
movement”, coinciding with the second day of the MARCH ON demonstrations

3 Etz’nab’ (Jan. 22nd) – the “activation” of a sparkling, “knife-edged” type of energy that can dazzle, shock, and/or begin a separation process. One cycle since Emmanuel Macron won the election in France with a 65.5% majority, to become the youngest ever French president (at age 39) and the first independent for decades.

4 Kawak (Jan. 23rd) – a “defining” type of energy aligned with “storm”, representative of the sun working together with the energy of intense rain, which can sometimes manifest as a “storm of compassion”. This was the energy in place when UN climate change talks resumed last May, with a focus on how to implement the Paris Agreement. Currently this energy coincides with the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. One of the five important energies at the centre of the Aztec Sun Stone.

5 Ajaw (Jan. 24th) – the “blessing of enlightenment”, coinciding at this time with the
Buddhist oriented Laba Festival in China, a festival that is also seen as “a Day of
Enlightenment”, a good time to pray for good luck in the coming year. In ancient Mesoamerican mythology 5 Ajaw was known as Xochipilli’s birthday, a day associated with the arts, beauty and games. One cycle since the controversial firing of FBI director James Comey, on the same day as Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to protect the Paris Climate Change agreement.

6 Imix (Jan. 25th ) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with “birth”, which can
often bring chaos as some new order of being is manifested, coinciding at this time with Robbie Burns’ Day.

7 Ik’ (Jan. 26th) – “self-generating” wind/breath/spirit, on the opening day for Quebec’s Winter Carnival, on the seventh anniversary of the start of the Egyptian Revolution and the start of anti-government protests in Syria. Closing day of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Maya birth energy of Dr. Michael Newton, the extraordinary hypnotherapist who conducted pioneering research into the “afterlife”, documented in books such as “Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives”, and “Destiny of Souls

8 Ak’b’al (Jan. 27th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with “temple” or “house”, and deep esoteric mysteries; the energy under which the first National Women’s Day was celebrated in the U.S. (in 1909). Currently this energy coincides with the UN’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.  It is also the start of the spectacular Carnevale Di Venezia (Venice), one of the most famous in the world.

9 K’an (Jan. 28th) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” longevity in association with germination, as when the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in 1990 after its launch the day before. As Leonard Nimoy’s Maya birthday, this energy could also translate as “Live Long and Prosper”.

Currently this energy coincides with the closing of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, with the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, and with the seventh anniversary of the
historic “Day of Rage” in Cairo and many other cities in Egypt, at the time of an intense “meltdown” and nationwide revolt as tens of thousands of anti-government protestors took to the streets.

10 Chikchan (Jan. 29th) – a Burner Day associated with “Foundational Lifeforce,
Liberation, and Higher Consciousness”

11 Kimi (Jan. 30th) – “inspirational” new foundations, marking three cycles since 196
nations voted to approve the historic global accord (the Paris Accord) to fight climate change, signalling an end to the fossil fuel era.

12 Manik’ (Jan. 31st) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with
reciprocity, this time in conjunction with a Full Blue Moon/Supermoon, the second
Full Moon of January, at the time of a total lunar eclipse, when the moon will be
entirely eclipsed by Earth’s shadow, visible from western North America to Eastern
Asia. Calendar Round return (New Fire) of the energy in place when the Rolling
Stones made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 13, 1966.

13 Lamat (Feb. 1st) – “transformational star”, an intense “heralding” type of force, this time coinciding with the start of Black History month in the U.S. One cycle since U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller assumed office to oversee the Russia investigation, on the same day as Congressman Al Green from Texas became the first member of Congress to take the floor and call for the impeachment of Trump based on obstruction of justice (after the firing of James Comey).

Maya Calendar anniversary of the energy under which The Dawes Act was passed (131 years ago as of February), which caused American Indian groups to lose a collective 90 million acres of reservation land.

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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.]