Have you been feeling it – the intense pressure and massive amount of energy that has been flying around? It was as if the forces of the past 13 days were acting like laser beams burrowing into long hidden secrets, shaking up ideas, and sometimes even stirring deeply buried issues or emotions, in order to bring them to the surface for examination and release. Although many people have felt this personally, in some places it greatly augmented situations that were already volatile, as in the brutal developments in Iraq.

Although, from the Maya Calendar perspective, all of this could be attributed to the Ak’b’al trecena, I have to thank my astrologer friend Gary Caton, at www.dreamastrologer.com for providing another layer of information about something that is still in effect. As we were comparing notes he mentioned something called a Cazimi, Mercury’s “heart of the sun” alignment that coincided precisely with the last Maya Burner Day, on 3 Chikchan (June 19th). This is a very rare event that can invoke a great “quickening” through the alignment of the Earth, Mercury, and the Sun as they point directly at Betelgeuse, one of the largest and most energetic stars in the cosmos. According to Gary this “quickening” is a “new birth” type of situation that involves intense compression (late May to mid June), initiation into a new way of being (and release of the old) – which coincided with 3 Chikchan – and then integration of that rush of new energy into a “new normal”. The last part of this intense three-stage sequence – the integration into a “new normal” phase – coincides with Maya Date 13 Lamat (July 12th), the final day of this current trecena, which coincides with a Super Full Moon. Intriguingly 13 Lamat is a strong “heralding” type of energy that could translate as “transformational star”.

This explanation of the Cazimi helps to shed further light on how to navigate this particular Kib’ trecena, which has traditionally been oriented around “getting down to business”. In the past many things have occurred at the beginning of this period to draw attention to things that needed to be “shaken up” and “re-thought” so that a new order of being could be created. This time the Ak’b’al trecena that has just finished (with that Burner Day Cazimi) seemed to also play a large role in this regard.

During the Kib’ trecena there is often an emphasis on duality, sometimes involving paired events or paired ideas struggling to maintain equilibrium, with one of the most dramatic manifestations being the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 2011 when hit by two planes that exploded upon impact on the sixth day of this time frame. 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 firey forces that were in motion on that day.

So again, the idea is that often, prior to the creation of a new state of balance, there may be some kind of “shake up” that necessitates a great deal of reassessment or reshuffling of priorities prior to the creation of that “new normal”. Sometimes it involves “revisiting” an older idea to bring it forward in a new way; sometimes it requires a complete shift towards a new direction. The fact that these Cazimi alignments are coinciding with these particular Maya Calendar energies at this time suggest that everything at the moment is being significantly amplified, involving a huge energetic push towards some new state of being. Fortunately this Kib’ trecena can help in this regard as this is a real “work horse” kind of time frame, with a strong emphasis on clear thinking and industriousness, as well as a “getting down to business”, all oriented around transmutation. This is the kind of “business” that can lead, ultimately, to the restoration of order, as symbolized by the BEES that are so strongly associated with Kib’s energy.

Within this current 13 day period there are two points that seem to be particularly important, the first coming in on the fifth day (5 Ajaw on July 4th). Hundreds of years ago in Mesoamerica this day would have been celebrated as Xochipilli’s birthday, a day associated with the arts, beauty, and games. Xochipilli (the Aztec name for meaning “Flower Prince”) was often depicted surrounded by flowers, immersed in the pleasures of life. Aligned with fertility, agricultural abundance, and feasting, this deity knew how to engage in the pleasures of life – sometimes to excess. At this time this special day, associated with the “blessing of enlightenment”, coincides not only with Independence Day in the US, but also with the annual conjunction of our sun with Sirius, the “Dog Star”.

This seems to be particularly important at this time as Sirius is not that far from Betelgeuse and Orion, and this conjunction will occur just eight days before the final Cazimi in this sequence. This 5 Ajaw day is the day before 6 Imix, which was the energy under which “9/11” occurred, as well as an eerily similar situation in Mexico City last year that involved an iconic 52-storey tower. Another parallel can be seen in the fact that one of the key patrons of this time frame was traditionally known as Xólotl, the dog deity that accompanies the sun on its journey through the Underworld at night.

The second highly significant point comes at the end of the trecena on 13 Lamat, which translates as “transformational star”. This is an intense “heralding” type of force that will accompany the Full Moon at this point, as well as the final Cazimi (see above), at a time when Venus and Mercury are near one another in the night sky. In New York at 8:25 p.m. on that day (July 12th) the second (and last) Manhattanhenge of the year will see the setting sun align with the east-west street grid to provide a spectacular show in the context of that city’s skyscrapers. That will also be the day when Malala Yousafzai celebrates her 17th birthday, on the UN’s Malala Day, in honour of her work in calling for world leaders to provide free education for every child. That day will also be a Tzolk’in anniversary of the energy that was in place on Jan. 1, 2001 at the arrival of the true new millennium, and in 1968 at the time of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is also a Tzolk’in anniversary of the day in which the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed in 1949.

So what might be remembered in the context of all this, is that although this particular time frame has propagated its share of world-changing events it also holds 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 time frame has brought forth, for example, the Supreme Court order to desegregate U.S. public schools (in 1954); the world’s largest peace rally (involving millions of anti-war protestors), in 2003; and the signing of a U.S./Russian agreement to reduce nuclear arsenals, in 2009. During this current time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Kib’ (June 30th) – the “initiation” of the transmutation force that leads towards the restoration of order

2 Kab’an (July 1st) – a “dynamic” type of energy related to the earth, or “earth movement”; this time in conjunction with Canada Day

3 Etz’nab’ (July 2nd) – the “activation” of a sparkling, “knife-edged” type of energy that can either dazzle, or divide and separate; 50th anniversary of the signing of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964

4 Kawak (July 3rd) – a “defining” type of energy aligned with “storm”, representative of the sun working together with intense rain, which can manifest in very “attention- grabbing” ways, as in the “Super Tuesday” tornado outbreak in the U.S. in early Feb. of 2008, and both Hurricane Irene (eastern seaboard) and Super Typhoon Nanmadol (Taiwan) in August of 2011. At this time this coincides with the strengthening of Tropical Storm Arthur into a hurricane, off the U.S. east coast.

5 Ajaw (July 4th) – the “blessing of enlightenment”; a Tzolk’in anniversary of the energy that was in place when women were officially recognized as “persons” under British law, in 1929. Conjunction of our sun with Sirius, the “Dog Star”; also Xochipilli’s birthday  and US Independence Day

6 Imix (July 5th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with “birth”, which can often bring chaos as some new order of being is manifested (as in the devastating “9/11” event in N.Y. in 2001)

7 Ik’ (July 6th) – “self-generating” wind/breath/spirit, as seen in 2003 when the world’s largest peace rally, involving millions of people, took place under this influence

8 Ak’b’al (July 7th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with the “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). This time in conjunction with the Tanabata Star Festival in most regions of Japan (some areas celebrate it in early August).

9 K’an (July 8th) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” longevity in association with germination, as when the Hubble Space Telescope was deployed in 1990; strong association with opulence as seen last year during Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations at Windsor Castle. This time this energy is coinciding with the onslaught of Typhoon Neoguri in the Pacific, heading towards Japan.

10 Chikchan (July 9th) – a Burner Day associated with “Foundational Lifeforce, Liberation, and Higher Consciousness”. With the Typhoon in the Pacific and the outbreak of major conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East this could be a highly eventful day.

11 Kimi (July 10th) – “inspirational” new foundations; in the U.K. this was the energy in place last October when a new border pact was signed between China and India, on the same day that HRH baby George was christened

12 Manik’ (July 11th) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with reciprocity

13 Lamat (July 12th) – “transformational star”; this time in conjunction with a Super  Full Moon (the first of three this year), Manhattanhenge, and the Cazimi (see above), at a time when Venus and Mercury are near one another in the night sky; also the UN’s Malala Day

  *********************************

[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.]