Who could have ever imagined a quarantine of the whole of Italy? Who could have anticipated thousands of people trapped on cruise ships that are not allowed to dock? Who could have fathomed the mandatory shutdown of Chinese factories for an extended period of time, or the recommended “do not travel” directive that is currently impacting transportation industries? Who could have ever envisioned a global shutdown of schools, theatres, sporting events, and community gatherings?

Who can conceptualize billions of locusts descending on whole nations in Africa, devastating harvests in regions where millions are already going hungry? Who can find justification for the fact that millions of women are still treated abominably, especially in countries such as Mexico where they had to stage “A Day Without Women” strike right after their massive International Women’s Day march in order to further draw attention to the horrors they have been facing?

But that is where we are at the moment, and, as the Kib’ trecena gets underway the question on everyone’s mind is “Where do we go from here?”

As always, it seems, the Kib’ trecena has its work cut out for it. With regard to the US, with the number of Covid-19 cases increasing daily and lockdowns expanding, it seems noteworthy that ten years ago it was the opening of this trecena that saw President Obama sign into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a law that has been constantly under attack by the present administration – an administration that, two years ago, dismantled the process and apparatus for dealing with situations such as contagions, and whose handling of the coronavirus imperative has been downright pathetic.

As reflected by that very important event on the very first day of this trecena in 2010, a day representive of the “initiation of the restoration of order”, this is a time frame often oriented around the idea of “getting down to business” in order to resolve problems. Tied in with this is Kib’s symbolic association with a vulture that is tasked with “cleaning up” after some kind of carnage. The emphasis during this period tends to be on fomenting “new thought” and shifting towards “new kinds of action” in order to find solutions. Intriguingly we find that this time the Jewish celebration of Purim, with its emphasis on deliverance, is coinciding with the “initiating” energy at the beginning of this period this time through, so perhaps we will see some badly needed “miracles”.

Miracles on multiple levels would be very helpful in the midst of all this, as it has now been two cycles since the release of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel’s “final call” Climate Change report in October of 2018. That was when the first day of this trecena brought the most extensive warning yet on the risks of global warming and the need to limit warming to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial level. Since then we have seen massive calls for action from young people around the world but very little real commitment on the part of world leaders.

Shortly after this trecena began during that October some 160 frightened and desperate people embarked on the hazardous journey north to get away from the crime-ridden city of San Pedro Sula in Honduras as they set out in search of a better life. Thousands more joined them along the way until they hit the U.S. border, which is where most were stopped, and where many still remain awaiting some sign of hope that will they will be given a chance for a better life.

As happened in 2010 with the signing into law of the PPACA, the first day of this time frame has brought forth a number of events in the past that have helped people to see things in “a new light”.

Twenty-six years ago it was the airing of a terrifying movie called “The Day After” that shocked millions of 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 same energy was 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.

What often happens is that various issues that may have surfaced in the past suddenly become imperatives that need to be dealt with during this time frame, so that the push tends to be towards practicality, ingenuity, and concerted “getting down to business” in order to “restore order”. Due to this strong push, this can be a time when important transmutations take place, often triggered 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 or overcome obstacles.

Often there is a kind of “teetering” between two polarities, reflective 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. In the past one of the most vivid manifestations of this duality in action was the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 2001 when hit by two planes. That world-shifting event brought massive changes in terms of national and international security practices.

In December of 2015 these were the kinds of forces that were in play at the time of the intense negotiations that took 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. The fact that the US continues to be the lone hold-out to this agreement remains unfathomable in today’s world.

As we have seen in the past this trecena can often manifest as a real “work horse” kind of time frame, with strong emphasis on industriousness, practicality, and learning to “think differently”. This will certainly be the situation this time as the world as a whole grapples with the implications of this contagion.

During this period there will also be opportunities to revisit past matters of importance in order to review and re-evaluate earlier actions. During this trecena one focus of attention will be on re-visiting events associated with the civil rights march in Alabama in 1965, as this trecena will bring the 55th anniversary of the day of President Lyndon Johnson’s historic “We Shall Overcome” speech, where he addressed a joint session of Congress and presented a strong argument for the passage of a Voting Rights Act that would allow African Americans to vote. This was a speech that precipitated the ruling that the Civil Rights march from Selma to Montgomery could legally take place. This trecena also brings a return of the exact energies that were in place in 1968 at the time of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As we venture through this period it may be helpful to keep in mind that even though considerable effort may be required to deal with the issues at hand, this trecena offers a strong potential for illumination, forgiveness, and the formulation of new approaches to problem solving. Here are the energies that are coming into play:

1 Kib’ (March 10th) – the “initiation” of the transmutation force that leads towards the restoration of order, coinciding with Purim, 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.

India’s Holi festival is also in full swing at this time after the burning of fires the evening before to drive away evil spirits.

This was to be the opening day for the huge London Book Fair, that normally would have drawn attendance from people from more than 135 countries, but it was cancelled on March 4th due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent withdrawal of publishers. In the US six more primaries relating to the 2020 election will be held, which will include  Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, and Washington.

It has now been three cycles since the massive MARCH ON demonstrations across the US and around the globe in January of 2018, to demand political change, with that same initiative gearing up now for the 2020 US elections; two cycles since the release of the UN’s “final call” Climate Change report that emphasized the imperatives associated with the current state of global warming.

2 Kab’an (March 11th) – a “dynamic” type of energy related to the earth, or “earth movement”; Maya birth energy of US “Founding Father” Thomas Jefferson and Amy Klobuchar, who recently withdrew from the US presidential campaign and threw her support behind Joe Biden

3 Etz’nab’ (March 12th) – the “activation” of a sparkling, “knife-edged” type of energy that can dazzle, shock, and/or begin a separation process, coinciding at this time with World Kidney Day. In China this is the birthday of Guanyin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, the most revered of Buddhist Bodhisattvas. Given the huge challlenges faced by China and the rest of the world at the present time, due to spread of COVID-19, this Goddess (sometimes depicted with “a thousand arms”) will surely be the recipient of millions of prayers at this time.

Hopefully this Goddess of Infinite Compassion will be merciful enough to lend her support to the eradication of this contagion. A description of some of the legends associated with this deity can be found here.

This is the Maya birth energy of Boyan Slat, the young inventor who is the founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, an organization developing advanced technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.

One cycle since the first day for the Democratic campaign debates in the US last June.

4 Kawak (March 13th) – 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 the UN climate change talks resumed in 2017, with a focus on how to implement the Paris Agreement. Currently this energy coincides with the World Sleep Day. This is one of the five key energies at the centre of the Aztec Sun Stone.

5 Ajaw (March 14th) – the “blessing of enlightenment”, coinciding at this time with the 33rd annual Pi day, on the 141st Gregorian anniversary of Albert Einstein’s birthday. (Einstein was born on 11 Ajaw in 1879). It has been two years since the death of legendary scientist Stephen Hawking.

In 1940 this was the energy in place when France signed an armistice with Germany after France fell to the Germans. In 1972 this energy was in place when North and South Korea signed a Joint Statement that established principles of working towards peaceful reunification. Three cycles 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.

In ancient Mesoamerican mythology this is the energy associated with Xochipilli’s
birthday, a day associated with the arts, beauty and games. (A wonderful drawing of Xochipilli by Richard Balthazar can be found here: Xochipilli, Prince of Flowers)

6 Imix (March 15th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with “birth”, which can often bring chaos as some new order of being is manifested, currently marking the Ides of March, the ninth Gregorian anniversary of the beginning of the 2011 Syrian Uprising, and the completion of 26 Tzolk’in cycles since the terrorist attack on, and demolition of, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. One cycle since the death of Luis Alvarez, a former New York City police detective and first responder who spent three months in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. He was a tireless leader in the fight for proper support for the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund, testifying along with Jon Stewart and others before the US House Judiciary committee just 18 days before his demise.

Currently this is 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. Perhaps it will be red noses over masks this year! This is also the 23rd International Day against Police Brutality, and the day of the one-on-one debate between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden in Washington, DC.

In addition, this is Chief Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 87th Gregorian birthday, on the 55th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s historic “We Shall Overcome” speech to a joint session of Congress, that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act.

At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s unending search for freedom . . . . These are the enemies: poverty, disease, and ignorance . . . . we shall overcome.       (President Johnson on Mar. 15th, 1965)

Two cycles since the beginning of the migrant caravans from Honduras in which people walked for days to reach the Mexican, and then U.S., borders. And now, 520 days after that desperate beginning, thousands of people are still waiting in squalid camps for their turn to be “processed”.

Three cycles since January of 2018 when, due to nuclear threats, climate change, and related issues associated with the Trump administration, scientists moved the “Doomsday Clock” forward by 30 seconds, to 2 min. to midnight, the closest its been to catastrophe since 1953 when the US and the Soviet Union detonated their first thermonuclear bombs. And that was long before the start of the coronavirus contagion!

7 Ik’ (March 16th) – “self-generating” wind/breath/spirit, coinciding at this time with National Panda Day

8 Ak’b’al (Mar. 17th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with “temple” or “house”, and deep esoteric mysteries, coinciding at this time with St. Patrick’s Day. However, as even Ireland has cancelled St. Patrick’s Day parades this year the nature of the celebrations at this time will likely be highly scaled down.

This is the 55th anniversary of the day in 1965 when Judge Johnson ruled to allow the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march, which then took place four days later. Currently this is day of the primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. In Israel this is the day when Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trial on corruption charges begins. He was indicted last year on fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. His leadership in Israel is slipping as it now appears that Benny Gantz is working to form a coalition government.

This is also a Maya Calendar anniversary of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s extravagant wedding in February of 1840, which was seen as a pivotal moment in British history. This is also the energy under which the first National Women’s Day was celebrated in the U.S. (in 1909).

9 K’an (Mar. 18th) – 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. Last June this energy coincided with the “Great South American eclipse”, a total solar eclipse at the time of the New Moon. Currently this coincides with a conjunction of Venus and Uranus, and a close approach of the Moon, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, with Mercury at its highest point in the morning sky. As Leonard Nimoy’s Maya birthday, this energy could also translate as “Live Long and Prosper”.

10 Chikchan (March 19th) – a Burner Day associated with “Foundational Lifeforce, Liberation, and Higher Consciousness”, currently coinciding with the Spring Equinox, with Venus at perihelion. This is the the 12th annual National Native HIV/AIDS
Awareness Day dedicated to increasing awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS on First Nations populations.

It is also 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.

In 1800 this was the Maya Calendar energy in place when Beethoven hired the Burgtheater (the Austrian National Theatre) to stage the premier of his First Symphony.

11 Kimi (March 20th) – “inspirational” new foundations, coinciding at this time with
the UN’s International Day of Happiness, the UN’s French Language Day, and with 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 “Voyages”. This is also the closing day for the 64th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN.

It has been two cycles since cannabis became legal in Canada and six cycles since 196
nations voted (in December, 2015) to approve the historic global accord (the Paris Accord) to fight climate change, signalling an end to the fossil fuel era. As of today it has been one Calendar Round (52 years less 13 days) since the 1968 release of Kubrick’s “A Space Odyssey”, seen as “one of the seminal movies of the early Space Age”. At this time there is a conjunction of Jupiter and Mars.

12 Manik’ (March 21st) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with reciprocity, on the 55th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights march, where marchers were protected by 1,900 members of the Alabama National Guard under federal command, and many FBI agents and federal marshals. The marchers averaged 10 miles (16 km) a day along U.S. Route 80, arriving in Montgomery on March 24th, and going on the next day to the Alabama State Capitol. Thousands joined the campaign along the way in support of voting rights.

Significantly, this is the Calendar Round energy of the exact 12 Manik’ 15 Kumk’u energy that was in place in 1968 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable “I’ve been to the mountain” speech the day before his assassination.

Currently this is the UN’s International Day of Forests and the UN’s World Poetry Day. There is also a conjunction of the Moon and Mercury, with the moon coming into perihelion.

13 Lamat (March 22nd) – “transformational star”, an intense “transformational heralding” type of force, as was in place at the time of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, exactly one Calendar Round ago. This 13 Lamat force was also in place at the end of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, when the last remaining U.S. combat soldiers left Vietnam in 1973, and when Robert Mueller was appointed as Special Council to oversee the Russia investigation in 2017. This was also in place when The Dawes Act was passed in 1887 which caused American Indians to lose a collective 90 million acres of reservation land.

Currently this energy coincides with the UN’s World Water Day. World Water Day advocates for the sustainable management of fresh water resources.  The emphasis this year is on Water and Climate Change. It comes in just before the start of the Muluk (Water) trecena.

Note that this trecena will be in place twice this year – with the second appearance coming in during late November to early December.

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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.]