This trecena comes in on the heels of the amazing “Captain Tom” phenomenon that has been sweeping through the UK, reaching a crescendo at the end of the last trecena as Captain Tom Moore celebrated his 100th birthday by raising over £32 million for the NHS to help with Covid-19 relief efforts by completing 100 laps around his garden, using a walking frame. He also recorded “You’ll Never Walk Alone, along with singer Michael Ball and the NHS Voices of Care Choir which quickly shot to the top of the music charts in the UK, putting him in the top position by his birthday on April 30th. It was a stunning example of what one person can achieve when their heart is in the right place, and a tremendous inspiration to the millions who are currently feeling helpless and trapped during this pandemic.

The timing for this is also intriguing as we are now heading into the final trecena in the current 260-day Imix to Ajaw cycle, which is a period which calls for particular alertness, as this is associated with Venus, the great celestial “signaller”.

[Click here for the Podcast for this trecena]

One of the major patrons of this trecena was known to the Aztec as Xipe Tótec, the ancient Lord of Renewal and Liberation. The other was Xiuhtecuhtli, the Lord of Fire and Time – a deity connected with time-related change, as in cycle endings. Both of these entities are oriented around the idea of setting the stage for new beginnings. Sudden and dramatic change is not unusual at this time, particularly with regard to individuals in leadership positions. This trecena also has a penchant for conjuring up hurricanes and other strong weather systems.

As always it is informative to reflect back on events that have occurred at other times under the same influences as “energy echoes” are common within this system. And currently the energies that are in place are exactly the same as those that brought forth the intense civil unrest in France in 1968 that lasted for several weeks and involved hundreds of students and millions of workers who were all calling for radical change. At that time the Lamat trecena was one of the key turning points that led to the implementation of major reforms.

At this time the forces of the Lamat trecena are particularly strong as Venus is currently very prominent as the evening star, loudly (and beautifully) proclaiming its presence. And it certainly seems to be saying “Pay Attention!”.

The very first day of this trecena is coinciding at this time not only with the beginning of a Gregorian month, but also with the seating (a new beginning) of another important (but often overlooked) cycle within this calendrical system as a whole – a cycle of 819 days that always correlates with the beginning of a trecena, and is generally associated with the idea of “emergence”. So it will be interesting to see what will be “called forth” at this time. Traditionally this longer cycle was seen as having a strong connection with Jupiter. Since Lamat tends to serve as a “signaller” or “herald” even on its own, this special alignment at this time suggests that this could be a particularly important marker point.

There is often a connection with war as well (as in the ancient Maya often using Venus as a “signaller” for war related events), and during this current trecena there are a number of important 75th anniversary events associated with the conclusion of the Second World War.

There are often a large number of events relating to world leadership at this time as well, as seen five cycles ago, in October of 2016, when this trecena sent out all sorts of warnings to the world to “get ready” for the monumental changes that were about to unfold with the forthcoming U.S. presidential election. This included (on the final day of this trecena – the last day of the cycle) a massive internet cyber attack that involved the weaponization” of internet-connected everyday devices, which knocked out access to many of the top internet sites such as Amazon, Twitter, Paypal, and Netflix.

Four cycles ago, during that summer of 2017, massive protest demonstrations took place in dozens of US cities during this trecena, in a huge call for Trump’s impeachment, with marchers’ signs signalling sentiments such as “Illegitimate, Corrupt Puppet”, and “Worst President Ever”. Given the current pandemic large scale protests are no longer taking place, even though it is obvious that those sentiments from four cycles ago are felt more than ever, given the appalling events associated with this presidency. However, with anti-lockdown protests popping up in many places in the US at the same time as the number of Covid-19 cases is skyrocketing (to well over a million cases in the US and over 63,000 deaths), this has the potential to become significantly problematic on many levels. Some of these demonstrations are set to begin on the first day of this time frame.

Since Trump has been sending conflicting messages with regard to this many feel that he is encouraging these actions. Similarly, the US Justice Department has also been showing signs of support for those who are trying to resist health care guidelines. However, it has also been reported that even 82% of Republicans agree that social-distancing and stay-at-home restrictions are still needed in order to save lives, particularly since the US has the world’s highest number of cases, with those numbers still rapidly climbing.

There have been a number of reports of escalating tensions in the White House relating to this crisis and to the actions by the new chief-of-staff, so it is likely that more developments will be seen in that regard as well during this time frame. Three cycles ago (in early 2018) there were a number of departures associated with the White House on the very first day of this trecena, which including the firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and three of his close associates, on the same day as Paul Manafort was put under house arrest. Others who lost their jobs during this period included national security advisor H.R. McMaster who had concurred with Tillerson that Russia was responsible for such things as the attacks on spies in the UK; FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe; and John Dowd, the head of Trump’s legal team.

There were also a number of huge demonstrations, such as National School Walkout Day, a nationwide protest that saw students, teachers, school administrators, parents, and others take part in walkouts, sit-ins, and other related actions on school campuses across the U.S. as they called for tougher gun control laws.

During that same period Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an assassination attack in Gaza, Peru’s President Kuczynski resigned on the eve of an impeachment vote, and Vladimir Putin won Russia’s presidential election by a wide margin, giving him Russian leadership for another six years.

When this trecena returned in November/early December of that year, just after the mid-term elections, Democrats were starting their preparations to resume control of the US House of Representatives, with 102 newly-elected women. During that time several significant lawsuits against Trump were cleared to proceed, including the one against the Trump Foundation in New York. At the same time more and more information was coming out about the situation along the southern border, as it was learned that over 2300 migrant children were still being held in a huge tent city in Tornillo, with no known end in sight, and that more than 6000 bedraggled (mostly Honduran) men, women, and children were holed up in a filthy, overcrowded sports complex in Tijuana, waiting for help. At that time there was a change of leadership in Mexico as Andrés Manuel López Obrador became Mexico’s 58th president. At that time this trecena also saw the death of former US President George H.W. Bush.

In the deeper past this is the trecena that was in place in 1918 when Russia’s Czar Nicholas and his family were executed by Bolshevik troops after being removed from Imperial power and held in captivity for several months. Thirty-five years later this energy brought forth the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, on the first day of the same trecena that saw the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 (the two coronations were only five Maya calendar days apart). Seven years after Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1960 that same One Lamat energy saw John F. Kennedy give his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention after winning the Democratic nomination for president. Fast forward to 2013 and we find the inauguration of Pope Francis I on One Lamat, in an open air mass under blue skies in St. Peter’s Square with heads of state and religious leaders from 132 international governments or organizations, and some 200,000 people in attendance.

In terms of this trecena as a whole, this is a time period that has precipitated a number of important “world shifting” events in the past, including the discovery of gold in California in 1848; the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, followed by the unconditional surrender of Japan at the end of World War II; the passage of the Civil Rights Act in the U.S. in 1957; the first major Greenpeace event, in 1975; the completion of the deconstruction of the Berlin Wall in 1990; the storming of Baghdad by U.S. forces in 2003; the approval of the sweeping Wall St. reform bill in the U.S. in 2010; and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

As always this is a particularly good time to set the stage for personal new beginnings, an excellent time to work with the trecena’s energies to “signal” your intentions as you work to create any needed changes that may better serve you. This is a great time to work with the “deities of renewal” who will be laying the foundations for the changes that will come, and a good time to be open to (or ready for) the “unexpected”. Here are the energies that will be in place at this time:

1 Lamat (May 1st) – the “initiation of leadership”, a heralding type of energy that can point towards change or new directions, in place at the same time as an 819-day cycle restarts within this calendrical system, making this a particularly important “marker” point. At this time this energy coincides with May Day and with Global Love Day, a celebration of unconditional love and compassion, which is so very needed at this time.

This is also International Workers’ Day, and the Calendar Round (New Fire) anniversary of the energy that was in place in 1968 at the start of sit-down strikes across France when workers began occupying factories and locking out management to protest against poor working conditions and inadequate pay. In the US at this time this is the day when many anti-lockdown protests will take place, with more to follow.

This is the fourth Gregorian anniversary of the start of the wildfire that began just south of Fort McMurray in Alberta in 2016, and swept through the community two days later, forcing 88,000 people from their homes. The fire became the costliest disaster in Canadian history. Sadly nearly 13,000 people have been forced to evacuate once again and more than 1200 structures have been damaged, as the floodwaters cover much of the town (and a large number of vehicles) due to flooding from the blocking of nearby rivers by huge ice jams. In that area this trecena will be devoted to monitoring that flooding prior to dealing with recovery. Some of that love and compassion around Global Love Day could surely be sent their way at this difficult time.

And speaking of difficult situations . . . it was on the last appearance of this energy (last August) when a federal appeals court in California ruled that migrant children detained by US immigration authorites must be provided with edible food, clean water, and basic hygiene items. Given the developments on various fronts since then, one is left to wonder about when, how, and if this ruling has been enforced, and to query about the current plight of all the immigrants who have been waiting to be processed at the southern US border, and all those who have been detained and/or separated by US officials. News on these fronts has not been forthcoming recently.

At the other end of the US justice system spectrum this is the day when Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen is due to be released from prison to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement, due to Covid-19 concerns, with the whole question of “coronavirus release rules” being a whole other topic of debate during these unprecedented times. If he is released, who else will be pushing for early release under these conditions?

2 Muluk (May 2nd) – the “dynamic shape-shifting” energy of water, on the day of the Kansas Democratic primary, the first to use all-mail ballots, due to Covid-19 concerns. This is also World Labyrinth Day, which is highlighting “Walk as One at 1:00”; Spring’s Astronomy Day; the 75th Gregorian anniversary of the day in 1945 when the German surrender in Italy in 1945 came into effect; and International Harry Potter Day (the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts when Harry defeated the Dark Lord).

This was the Maya calendar energy that was in place 43 years ago at the time of the sudden death of Elvis Presley, which came as a great shock to a whole generation of his admirers. This is also the energy that was in place at the time of the death of cosmologist Stephen Hawking, three Tzolk’in cycles ago, on the same day as thousands participated in the National School Walkout Day protests across the US to spur action on gun control.

3 Ok (May 3rd) – a Burner Day representative of the “activation of fire” (or heart-fire), which was Nelson Mandela’s Maya birth energy. Currently this is actor Robert De Niro’s 76th Gregorian birthday. As of this day it has been eleven cycles since the announcement in 2012 that CERN had discovered the Higgs-Boson particle (aka the “God particle”), one of the fundamental forces in the building blocks of matter.

4 Chuwen (May 4th) – a “defining” day associated with play (and sometimes mischief); a “time-weaver” type of energy that can be quite eventful, as was in place in 2011 at the time of the “March of the Millions” to protest against President Mubarak in Egypt. Currently this energy is in place on the UN’s offical International Anti-Bullying Day (but this is observed in some places in February) and the start of Teacher Appreciation week in the U.S. (to May 8th). With all the at-home and virtual teaching happening right now this will be a great time to celebrate and appreciate teachers.

This is the day when Congress is to reconvene in Washington DC and the US Supreme Court will begin hearings on three cases associated with the release of Trump’s financial records to Congress and to New York prosecutors. The hearings will be conducted through teleconferencing on six days through this trecena, finishing on May 13th, the final day. These cases are seen as a key test of the limits of presidential privilege and immunity.

This Four Chuwen “Star Wars Day” (“May the Fourth be With You”) is David Bowie’s Maya birth energy and the New Fire birth energy of the prolific German composer and musician Richard Strauss. This was to be the day of the irrepressible Met Gala where celebrities try to outdo one another with their extravagantly opulent outfits. Although this has now been postponed indefinitely, some virtual events will take place aligned with this year’s theme of “About Time: Fashion and Duration” . Billy Porter has set up a challenge for people to choose an iconic look from past years, then recreate the look from things found at home and post it on Vogue’s Instagram. It begs the question: What might David Bowie have done with this theme?

5 Eb’ (May 5th) – the “blessing” of restorative vitality, coinciding at this time with Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo, National Astronaut Day, and the 75th Gregorian anniversary of the surrender of German forces in NW Germany, Bavaria, Denmark and the Netherlands in 1945, ending the war in those regions. This is the peak of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.

6 B’en (May 6th) – representative of “personal authority everywhere”, three cycles since Putin was re-elected in Russia, for his fourth term. At that time most of Putin’s opponents had to battle hard to even qualify as candidates. Little did they know at that time that Russia, like every other country, would be facing a pandemic at this time. It has been four cycles since Hong Kong’s new leader was sworn in under this influence, at which time Chinese President Xi issued a stark warning that Beijing would not tolerate any challenge to its central authority (but it seems that Covid-19 wasn’t listening). That warning also went unheeded by the residents of Hong Kong as pro-democracy activists have continued calling for Hong Kong’s independence, even though the fierce street clashes have subsided due to the stay-home orders related to the pandemic.

Five cycles ago a monumental climate change deal was finalized under this influence by nearly 200 countries at the UN’s 24th Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland (in 2016). In the US this is the beginning of National Nurses Week.

7 Ix (May 7th) – a “self generating transformation” type of energy, in place at the time of the Full Flower Moon, aka the Corn Planting Moon, the last of this year’s three supermoons – exactly four cycles since protestors across the U.S. in dozens of cities held huge impeachment rallies, calling for Trump’s impeachment. Three cycles ago it was reported that Facebook lost more than $50 billion in value due to a huge data breach related to unethical tactics that had been used to spread misinformation among politicians and influence elections around the world. Something to keep in mind as this is World Password Day

This is the 75th Gregorian anniversary of the final signing of the unconditional documents of surrender of the German forces to the Allies in Reims, ending the war in 1945. It is also Vesak Day (Buddha Day) in India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, a major Buddhist festival oriented around the celebration of the birth, enlightenment (nirvana), and death of Buddha.

8 Men (May 8th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with the high vision of the Eagle, on the 75th Gregorian anniversary of VE Day (the frenzied, chaotic celebrations at the end of WWII, including the end of the Battle of the Atlantic, which was Canada’s longest military engagement). The commemoration of this important anniversary will be virtual rather than in-person due to the coronavirus crisis. It has been two cycles since the funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral for former president George H.W. Bush, with five US presidents in attendance.

9 Kib’ (May 9th) – an expansive, “restoration of order” type of energy, sometimes associated with making “adjustments”, often with long term implications, coinciding at this time with World Fair Trade Day; Europe Day; World Migratory Bird Day, with this year’s theme being “Birds Connect Our World”; and the 70th Gregorian anniversary of the day in 1950 when French foreign minister Robert Schuman presented his proposal for the creation of an organized Europe (known as the “Schuman Declaration”, the precursor to the European Union).

This was to be the day when the Moscow Victory Day Parade would take place in Moscow’s Red Square, but in mid-April Vladimir Putin announced that due to the pandemic the parade will be postponed. Russia and several other countries celebrate the end of World War II on this day rather than the day before.

10 Kab’an (May 10th) – a foundational type of energy associated with the earth and evolutionary movement, coinciding at this time with International Mother’s Day. Like everything else at this time major adjustments will have to be made regarding how this celebration will be done. This is also the final day of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week.

11 Etz’nab’ (May 11th) – an “inspirational flint” type of force that can be quite decisive, dazzling and attention-getting, as it was on May 24th, 1968 (one Calendar Round ago, precisely) when the worst fighting of the May 1968 crisis in France took place, as students calling for radical change took over the Paris Stock Exchange, raised a communist flag over the building, and tried to set it on fire.

In 1325 this energy was in place at the time of the founding of Tenochtitlan, the axis of the Aztec empire. In 1944 an attempt was made to assassinate Hitler under this influence (one of three such attempts that year); and in 1955 a young Elvis Presley gave his first professional performance under this influence in his hometown of Tupelo.

During the summer of 2012 Venus achieved her greatest brilliance under this influence in conjunction with an “extreme” X1.4 solar eruption. Currently this is the start of the Canadian Nursing Association’s National Nursing Week.

12 Kawak (May 12th) – the “gathering storm/catalyzation” type of energy that can provide a final big PUSH toward enlightenment, coinciding at this time with a conjunction between the Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon. It has been three cycles since the massive “March for Our Lives” demonstrations in Washington and other major cities in the spring of 2018, and five Calendar Rounds (5 x 52 years) since the calendar change reforms took place in England in 1752 as that country switched to the current Gregorian system.

This is the day when the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear, by teleconference – for the first time ever, two of the cases associated with the release of Trump’s financial records. The timing for this is particularly interesting since tomorrow it will be one cycle precisely since Deutsche Bank revealed that it had a “vast trove” of these records pertinent to the subpoenas that were issued by the House Intelligence and Financial Services Committees. House Oversight Committee chairman Elijah Cummings had also issued a subpoena to the tax firm Mazars USA for a decade of Trump’s financial records. Lower courts have already ordered the release of these records so these are the final hearings.  The Nebraska presidential primary is also scheduled for this day.

This is Florence Nightingale’s 200th Gregorian birthday, and International Nurses Day, on the final day of National Nurses Week in the US.  It is also the Maya birth energy of rock superstar Prince. The “Let’s Go Crazy” Grammy Salute to Prince took place on Jan. 28th and aired just a few days ago on April 21st (4 Etz’nab’), on the 4th anniversary of his death.

13 Ajaw (May 13th) – “transformational Full Sun”, a day often filled with high drama and great change – and sometimes even great light (enlightenment), at the conclusion of the Imix to Ajaw cycle. This day marks 105 cycles since the jubilant celebration of VJ Day in 1945 at the end of World War II after the unconditional surrender of Japan. It is also a Tzolk’in anniversary of the awarding of the contract for construction of the Space Shuttles Atlantis and Discovery in 1979. On this day the US Supreme Court will hear a case related to the Electoral College and the “faithless electors”.

It has been 13 cycles exactly since the great “moment of transition” in Egypt in 2011 when hundreds of thousands waited for the president to step down, and six cycles since more than $13b was raised at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London, to address the needs of Syrian refugees. The amount pledged at that time was the largest ever raised for a humanitarian cause.

Two cycles ago (in 2018) President Macron declared a state of emergency in France under this influence and agreed to a wide range of concessions, in response to massive protests that had been taking place, including a minimum wage rise and tax cuts. This time this 13 Ajaw energy coincides with the 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the union-led general strike across France in 1968.

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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.]