On a 2 Lamat day in early January of 1935 a child was born, destined to sky-rocket to the pinnacle of fame during the mid-20th century to become the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. With the year 2024 beginning with this same 2 Lamat energy as was in place on that day, this seems intriguing, as millions are feeling trepidatious about what lies ahead for this year. In essence this can be seen as the harmonizing (or “polarizing”) energy of the number two in combination with the strong “signalling” force aligned with Lamat, a union of forces that can mesmerize as new directions are being forged.

Lamat is seen by the Maya as the energy of Venus, the dazzler in the night sky that tends to hop around a lot (like a rabbit). Venus was seen as an important beacon for the Maya and important events, including wars, were often timed by the position of Venus in the sky. So here we have a year beginning with that Venus-related energy, and in this case it is specifically Two Lamat, the force that ushered Elvis Presley into the world to help with the creation of a new era in music and entertainment. This is the second day of the Manik’ trecena, with Manik’ being representative of both harmony with the Earth, as well as Sacrifice-and-Reconcilation.

Many Mesoamerican cultures represented this energy as a deer, thought to be an embodiment of the sun. The Maya, however, represented this energy, in hieroglyphic form, as a hand holding the sun, symbolizing the idea of the warmth and nourishment of the sun being brought to Earth, an energy that helps to “shape” things of the earth. And as we look at the the current state of affairs it is evident that a great deal of “shaping” is needed at this time as so much has been falling apart in so many arenas. At times the metaphor even extends to “life or death” situations or issues that require concerted attention, aligned with the idea of an encounter between deer and hunter, with the deer sacrificing itself to provide sustenance for the hunter, on condition that its sacrifice is put towards the greater good.

Indeed, negotiation and compromise are often highlighted at this time as people work towards some sense of harmonization regarding ideologies or courses of action. With the stakes so high in so many areas, particularly with regard to the horrific on-going wars in Gaza and Ukraine, meaningful negotiation is needed more than ever, particularly with a high proportion of Gaza’s population now at risk of famine, and Russia mounting widescale attacks against Ukraine. Even the issue of support has become problematic as toxic political positions have been preventing the delivery of needed assistance in these areas. More than ever, it seems that a considerable amount of “give-and-take” will be required in order to gain any sense of workable equilibrium – and that will necessitate both “sacrifice-and-reconciliation”, those key forces so strongly associated with this energy period.

Fortunately, the ancient deity known as Tlazolteotl was seen as being the patron of this time frame. Known as the “Eater of Filth”, she was a goddess of purification and curing who was oriented around the idea of erasing transgressions, so there is a sense that this trecena can help with the “righting of wrongs”, and finding ways to move forward.

Fortunately, as well, past events have demonstrated how these forces can play out in action, as seen five cycles ago when this trecena began with the first ever UN High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on Universal Health Coverage – a landmark summit where world leaders made an “historic commitment” to improve global health through the most “comprehensive international health agreement in history”. Then, two cycles ago (in 2022), Congress in the US actually worked together to pass the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, a $740bn climate, healthcare, and tax legislation package that was the product of 18 months of intense wrangling. During this period President Biden signed into law the CHIPS and Science Act to boost investment in domestic high-tech research and manufacturing, and the PACT Act to expand and streamline health care for around 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When this was in place last April planes from various countries got together to help people to evacuate from Sudan, as a temporary ceasefire came into effect under this influence. A brief ceasefire in Gaza also came into effect at that time. Also during that period, on the legal front in the US, this trecena brought significant last-minute negotiations between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox, with Fox agreeing to pay $787.5 million to settle Dominion’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against them for false claims about the 2020 election. It was one of the biggest ever financial settlements in a defamation case. Then, towards the end of the trecena, the trial associated with E. Jean Carroll’s rape lawsuit against the dumpster began, resulting in him being found guilty.

As it happens, this trecena has a history of being significantly problematic for “Captain Chaos” (as Michael Cohen refers to him), as could be seen two cycles ago when 30 FBI agents carried out an intensive court-authorized search of Mar-a-lago, during which some 30 or so boxes of documents (including top secret ones) were found. This was the first time a former “president” has ever been the subject of an FBI search, signed off by a federal judge, acting on good evidence that he may intentionally have been involved in a crime. Then, on the last day of the trecena, he appeared for a 4-hour deposition in the New York DA’s office, where he declined (some 450 times) to answer questions because his answers could have been used against him in criminal investigations. And now, two cycles later, closing arguments are due to be presented in that civil fraud trial in New York, just before the second E. Jean Carroll defamation trial begins a few days later. And then there are the appeals cases pending relating to the question of “eligibility” to even be on voting ballots, since he is being found to be in violation of the 14th Amendment, and he has also been pushing “immunity” arguments that could affect several cases. Prosecutors are emphasizing the need for expediency with regard to decisions on both of those issues.

Currently this trecena marks ten cycles since late November of 2016, when people were frantically attempting to sort out how to move forward after the “shocking” U.S. election that brought that unfathomable change in power, with large numbers of high level firings and resignations taking place during that time. In 1962 it was the Cuban missile crisis that had to be negotiated, with the final day of this trecena bringing the highest level of warning regarding the nuclear threat from the Soviets, as Soviet submarines in the mid-Atlantic were making their way to Cuba. That was a “game-changing” moment for President John F. Kennedy as this crisis was averted. Other dissolutions that have taken place during this time frame include the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Note as well that in 1787 this was the trecena in place when the phrase “High Crimes and Misdemeanors” was being drafted and added to the US Constitution, becoming Article II, which provides that “the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” So history tends to reveal that, as much as it is never possible to predict the exact nature of the “Sacrifice and Reconcilation” that may unfold during these 13 days, the weight of action tends to be on the side of justice and “reconciliation”. Clearly Tlazolteotl, the patron of this trecena, has her work cut out for her at this time, as she works to “clear away filth”. Let’s hope that she does a wide sweep so the year can get off to a good start. Here are the energies that will come into play:

1 Manik’ (Dec. 31st) – aka “One Deer”, the “initiation of reciprocity”, symbolized by the Moon Goddess (the Number One) working with the Deer/Stag, the “carrier” of the sun on Earth, coinciding at this time with New Year’s Eve.

This marks 4 years since China officially alerted the World Health Organization about the detection of a “pneumonia of unknown cause” in the area surrounding a seafood market in the industrial city of Wuhan, which prompted the Chinese government to lock down that area.

It has now been one cycle exactly since Germany shut down its three remaining nuclear power plants and President Macron of France signed his  government’s pension reforms into law,
raising the state pension age from 62 to 64. On that same day Canada agreed to pay $800m to settle a land claims dispute with five First Nations, acknowledging that it had failed to honour a treaty signed more than a century ago. This was part of a string of negotiations that have been reshaping the relationship between government and Canada’s indigenous communities. One cycle before that (in 2022) Pope Francis completed his historic visit to Canada, a visit in which he met with indigenous groups and issued an historic apology with regard to residential schools.

Currently on this New Year’s Eve, people worldwide are bracing themselves for 2024.
Widespread speculation will be the theme of the day, as people reflect on past events, on the desperate, unresolved issues that keep wars raging, on the turbulent political landscapes that have everyone on edge, on economic issues, and on ever-worsening climate change issues. At this point the road ahead is murky and trepidatious on many fronts, and many at this time will be speculating on what might be done both individually and globally to shape new directions.

2 Lamat (Jan. 1st) – a “dynamic heralding” (or leadership) type of energy, generally referred to as “Star” by the Maya. As 2 Lamat was seen as the birth energy of an Aztec deity known as Ometochtli (Two Rabbit), associated with pulque, the fermented sap of the maguey plant, this day was seen as having a connection with intoxication. Given that this is New Year’s Day, the day after a night of New Year’s Eve revelry for many, no doubt large numbers of people will be feeling the effects of that condition at this time.

It is likely that intoxication will be the order of the day for many in Russia at this time as this is the day when conscription for men aged 18-30 goes into effect. In Montana, as of this day, the new law banning TikTok from within Montana’s borders goes into effect.

This is also the Maya birth energy of Elvis Aaron Presley.

3 Muluk (Jan. 2nd) – the “activation of water”, often a powerful “shape-shifting” type of force, as was in place at the time of the first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th US president, in 2009.

Two years later this was in place when an enormous 9.0 earthquake struck Japan off the coast of Sendai, NE of Tokyo, triggering a devastating tsunami. It was also in place in 1962 when the U.S. obtained photographic evidence of Soviet missile installations in Western Cuba, which triggered the Cuban missile crisis 2 days later. In 1997 this energy was in place at the time of the tragic death of Princess Diana.

This is the Maya birth energy of both Sir Mick Jagger and Prince Louis, Diana’s grandson, who was born precisely 29 Tzolk’in cycles after the death of Princess Diana. For Harry Potter fans, this would be Harry’s Maya birth energy.

4 Ok (Jan. 3rd) – a “defining” Burner Day representative of fire (or heart-fire), an energy that can often stir the emotions as this is a “double-fire” type of force (the sun plus fire working together), seen as an energy that “runs with the fire”.

This could be seen vividly in the warning given by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on 4 Ok in 2022 when he warned that “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.” His remarks came at the opening of a conference for countries signed up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

This energy is marking four cycles since the US House of Representatives passed Joe Biden’s $1.9tn coronavirus relief bill, and one cycle since Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News reached a last-minute settlement, after the jury was sworn in, as Fox agreed to pay $787.5 million to settle Dominion’s defamation lawsuit against them for false claims about the 2020 election. It was one of the biggest ever financial settlements in a defamation case.

The Quadrantids meteor shower, one of the strongest meteor showers of the year, is predicted to peak late this evening, and into the early morning of the next day.

This is environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s 21st Gregorian birthday. Having taken a “stand with Gaza” stance at recent protest demonstration she is once again serving as a focal point for differing opinions.

5 Chuwen (Jan. 4th) – a “precision” oriented energy in combination with play or even mischief (symbolized by a monkey), coinciding at this time with the New Moon, as the Quadrantids meteor shower continues.

This is the date by which a decision is needed from the Supreme Court with regard to the dumpster’s eligibility to be on the Colorado ballot, as Colorado’s ruling is on hold while an appeals process plays out. During the last trecena both Colorado and Maine ruled that he is ineligible due to his role in the insurrection attempt, in violation of the 14th amendment.

In yet another legal arena, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the dumpster’s attorneys are scheduled to submit filings in the New York fraud case at this time, with the closing arguments to be presented on January 11th. Related to the same case, this marks one cycle exactly since the dumpster’s former CFO Allen Weisselberg was released after serving over three months in the infamous Rikers Island jail in New York after pleading guilty to 15 felony counts related to a tax evasion scheme carried out by the Trump Organization. It is thought that he could face further charges related to the hush money payment case which is also due to go to trial this spring.

This can also be seen as a “timeweaver” type of energy that can bring about change through innovation, as was in place when the historic, bipartisan, $1 trillion infrastructure bill was signed in the US. three cycles ago, in 2021. Then, two cycles ago, the US Senate voted to pass long-sought bipartisan PACT Act bill to expand health care benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service, sending the bill to President Joe Biden to sign into law.

Currently this is World Braille Day which has been celebrated since 2019 and is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of braille in acknowledgement of rights for the blind and visually impaired.

In 1962 this energy was in place at the start of the Cuban Missile crisis, a dangerous 13-day confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union, that came close to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war.

6 Eb’ (Jan. 5th) – generally a “stabilizing” type of energy aligned with “restorative vitality”, coinciding at this time with the official opening ceremony for China’s spectacular 40th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, the world’s largest of its kind.

This is the day when Colorado’s Secretary of State sets the Colorado primary ballot. If the US Supreme Court rules to support Colorado then the dumpster’s name will not be on the ballot. If there is no ruling by this time and it remains (possibly temporarily), he can still be disqualified later if the ruling-to-support-Colorado comes through. As the state of Maine has ruled in the same way, for the same reason, they are also awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision.

7 B’en (Jan. 6th) – a “self generating personal authority” type of energy, coinciding at this time with the third anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capital, as investigations and legal actions continue with their efforts to hold people accountable for their actions in that regard.

In 1974 this was the energy in place when seven of Richard Nixon’s top aides were arraigned in court. This energy was also in place when Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in early April of 1865, signalling the “beginning of the end” of that war.

Currently this is the World Day of War Orphans, to acknowledge and spread awareness about the needs of millions of children who are in desperate need of care as a result of losing families in war zones. Given the major conflicts in so many parts of the world, the need for assistance in this regard is greater than ever.

This is Twelfth Night, traditionally a day of “feasting and merriment” as Christmas trees are taken down. In the Christian tradition this is Three Kings Day, or Epiphany, a concept that pertains to the manifestation of a supernatural or divine reality, or a sudden revelation, as in the appearance of Christ to the Magi. This is Orthodox Epiphany (Russia, Eastern Europe), aka The Feast of Theophany, at which time many Christians submerge themselves in ice-cold lakes and rivers – to “wash away their sins” and commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.

8 Ix (Jan. 7th) “Resurrecting Jaguar” – often aligned with the idea of a “rebirth” of earth-related magic and transformation, this is Santo Mundo, a special Maya day devoted to the Celebration of the Earth and its sacred mysteries. This is coinciding at this time with Coptic Christmas Day in Egypt and Orthodox Christmas (“Old Christmas Day”), a public holiday in many eastern European traditions, but no longer in Ukraine, at the beginning of what would usually be a festive week. The Coptic Church recognizes Jan. 7th as the day when Jesus was born. However, this holiday may also be sombre this year.

This day marks four years since France confirmed Europe’s first case of COVID-19.

This is U.S. astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s Maya birth energy. He is the last surviving crew member of the Apollo 11 Lunar mission, and one of the first two people to walk on the Moon. On Jan. 20th he will celebrate his 94th birthday. In addition, this is Nikki Haley’s New Fire birthday, 13 days before her 52nd birthday. Given that one’s New Fire year can often trigger a significant shift, the direction of that shift for Nikki remains to be seen. However, if she can’t even give a straight answer to the question of “What caused the civil war?” (as demonstrated in late December) this does not bode well. She has also said that she would pardon the dumpster if she was elected. Truly this does NOT bode well!

This marks four cycles since one of the first lawsuits was filed against Trump after the insurrection attempt, the lawsuit filed by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and the NAACP. That was the day (in early March of 2021) when the US House of Representatives passed the HR-1 “For the People Act”, a major voting rights and campaign finance reform package. However, it was later blocked by the Senate. One cycle ago Magistrate judge Bruce Reinhart issued a warrant affidavit to search Mar-a-Lago for classified documents that had been taken from the White House. The search took place three days later, yielding boxes filled with documents, now serving as evidence in the Classified Documents Case.

9 Men (Jan. 8th) – the “outward projection” of vision (as in the high-flying vision of the Eagle – which sometimes manifests as a “warrior” type of energy), as was in place in 1997 at the time of the funeral of Princess Diana, which was watched by millions. Currently this 9 Men day would have been Elvis Presley’s 89th Gregorian birthday and David Bowie’s 77th Gregorian birthday.

It has now been seven long, drawn-out cycles since David Laufman, the former Chief of the DOJ’s Counterintelligence and Export Control section, warned that the dumpster was a “clear and present danger” to the national security of the US. Insight into the nature of that danger is now playing out in multiple forms in many parts of the country, as in Georgia where motions are due to be presented in court on this day for many of the defendants in the election interference case.

10 Kib’ (Jan. 9th) – a “foundational restoration-of-order” type of energy, coinciding at this time with the opening day of the gigantic (and influential) Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, “The Global Stage for Innovation” in consumer technologies (that goes through to Jan. 12th), that will showcase over 2200 exhibitors. This year AI will certainly be a major focus for attention, or as “Wired” put it – a “Tsunami” of AI.

This is legendary folk singer Joan Baez’s 83rd birthday, and the 42nd Gregorian birthday for Catherine, Princess of Wales. It is also the Maya birth energy of long-time civil rights activist Andrew Young, who is now 91. He helped draft the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

This was specifically the energy in place in 1787 when the phrase “High Crimes and
Misdemeanors” was added to the draft US Constitution, becoming Article II, as noted above. Tied in with this, this is currently the day when oral arguments will be given in front of an appeals court related to Judge Chutkan’s refusal to dismiss the Jan. 6th case based on so-called “presidential immunity”. At the same time a “discovery status” report is due in the classified documents case.

Note that this is an energy which can fluctuate between the setting up of important foundations for a “restoration of order” (as in the setting up of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968) to the kind of massive “clean up” that was required in China in 2008 after the Szechuan earthquake.

11 Kab’an (Jan. 10th) –the energy of “change” combined with the force of evolutionary movement, exactly four cycles since the US Senate passed the $1.9tn coronavirus relief bill, clearing the way for it to be signed into law shortly thereafter.

This is the eighth anniversary of the death of David Bowie, and the 104th anniversary of the founding of the League of Nations, the first worldwide governmental organization with a mission to maintain world peace.

Two cycles ago (in August of 2022) this was the energy in place when 30 FBI agents carried out an intensive, court-authorized search of Mar-a-lago, and dozens of boxes of documents (some of which were classified as top secret) were found. One cycle ago (last April) this energy was in place at the start of the trial associated with E. Jean Carroll’s rape case against the dumpster.

12 Etz’nab (Jan. 11th) – a robust “knife-edge” type of force that can bring forth powerful separation (or “sacrifice-related”) events, coinciding at this time with the first hearings in the Hague related to South Africa’s request for an interim measure by the international court of justice to prevent Israel from committing acts of potential genocide against Gaza.

In April of 1865 this was the energy in place at the time of the Ford’s Theatre shooting of
President Abraham Lincoln. This is often a highly consequential (and often “shock-oriented”) energy, as it was at that time. This could also be seen five cycles ago (mid June of 2020) when the dumpster held a rally in Tulsa to try to “re-boot” his campaign. That rally was seen as one of the first “superspreader” events that was held as he tried to downplay (or ignore) the deadly pandemic.

The last time this was in place (last April) E. Jean Carroll gave a searing account in court about having been sexually assaulted by the dumpster. Thirteen days later he was convicted of sexual abuse and defamation. Deemed to be liable on 9 charges, he was   required to pay Ms. Carroll $5 million in damages. Then, after he defamed her again, shortly after the trial, she sued him again. As before, he lost an appeal, and the trial relating to that case is now set to begin on Jan. 15th. Currently this is the day when closing arguments are due to be presented in Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York. Between this case and the E. Jean Carroll case, this could well be a key point in the series of events that will separate him from much of his ill-gained “wealth”.

In addition, this day marks four years since China announced its first Covid-19 death, as scientists in many places were scrambling to develop reliable tests for that disease.

13 Kawak (Jan. 12th) – “transformational storm”, the energy that was in place at the time of the 9.2 earthquake in Alaska in 1964. It was also in place in April of 1865 at the time of the death of President Abraham Lincoln, following his assassination shooting the evening before.

Currently, this is the day when former White House advisor Peter Navarro is due to be sentenced after being found guilty of contempt of Congress last September, relating to his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6th Select Committee, when he refused to give testimony related to Jan. 6th coup-related events.

Two cycles ago this energy was in place when Trump appeared for a 4-hour deposition at the New York attorney general’s office, relating to the fraud case, but declined (some 450 times) to answer questions because his answers could be used against him in criminal investigations. He invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being compelled to be a witness against themselves in criminal cases. And now, two cycles later, like clock-work, the judgment in that case is about to come down upon him!

Note that two cycles ago historian Jon Meacham posted this quote from President Kennedy.

Our Nation is founded on the principle that observance of the law is the eternal safeguard of liberty and  defiance of the law is the surest road to tyranny.           John F. Kennedy

Let’s hope people keep this in mind this year.

One cycle ago (last April), Mike Pence testified for at least 5 hours before a federal grand jury investigating the dumpster’s effort to subvert the 2020 election – an appearance that was referred to as “an extraordinary flashpoint in special counsel Jack Smith’s probe” regarding Jan. 6th.

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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.]