What would an eagle be thinking if he soared high above Earth, and spotted thousands and thousands of people fleeing from war ravaged regions that seem to be under continuous fire? Most likely he would keep on flying, drawing upon his prodigious strength and astute perception to search for, and head towards – well, anything that would support life. And here we may see a metaphor for this Men (Eagle) trecena, with the eagle representing strength, bravery, lofty vision, transformative action, and even wide-ranging creativity.

With this trecena beginning just 26 days before the end of the current 260-day Imix-to-Ajaw cycle, it is not unusual to see events of a “high stakes” nature unfolding during this period. This often becomes a “call to action” type of period, oriented around the idea of “taking a stance” or standing up for particular convictions. It is an energy zone that is often oriented around power, high vision, military strength, and determined action, as symbolized by the eagle. Ideas such as “pushing for supremacy”, “sabre-rattling”, and even outright combat are often connected with this time frame. But as much as people often find themselves in positions where they have no choice but to “become warriors” for a cause during this period, there is often a strong call for both courage and greater insight, a call to search for creative solutions to pressing problems.

Traditionally, the Aztec saw this time frame as being under the patronage of two deities, one of whom was Tezcatlipoca, the awesome and often fearsome “smoking mirror” deity aligned with fire, strength, “supremacy”, and transformation. The other was the goddess Xochiquetzal (Flower Feather), aligned with artistry, creativity, household arts, fertility, and female sexual power. As a protector of young mothers and a patroness of childbirth, she was a “warrior” in her own right, aligned with the idea of “women as warriors”, particularly those who died in childbirth who were esteemed for their bravery. So there is a kind of a double layer of “warrior-like” influence during this time zone, with bravery, strength, creativity, ingenuity, and transformation are all tied in with these ideas.

The last time this trecena was in place, in February of this year, all of this was called into play as Ukraine marked one full year of being under attack from Russia. But now, in addition to that continuing war, all hell has broken loose in Gaza and no one seems to know how to put an end to it. It has become evident that the “crime minister” of Israel would rather dismantle his country’s legal system and annihilate thousands of innocent people rather than be held accountable for his malfeasance, even though his own people have spent this entire year staging huge protest demonstrations against him. So the questions become: What else can people do to rally and push back in the face of such horrors? How do people muster the strength and ingenuity needed to regroup and push on? How does one even begin to fortify the spirit and push back against the darkness?

Keep in mind that these calendrical cycles and energies have a way of often bringing things back “full circle” so that “accountability” is eventually brought forward – not always quickly, but eventually. We could see that two cycles ago (June of 2022), which was exactly two cycles after the Jan. 6th, 2021 insurrection, the Jan. 6th Committee began holding their public, telecast hearings after conducting over 1,000 interviews and collecting over 140,000 documents. The first three of those extraordinary sessions took place within this Eagle-related time frame as the committee presented their findings, conducted additional hearings, and presented new and substantial evidence associated with the planning and execution of the insurrection attempt. Around that same time MSNBC legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner said that he believed that the dumpster would be indicted and that during that process would “throw every single person under the bus, including his own family members, if it will reduce his prison term by just one day or one hour.” And now, of course, he has been indicted, many times over, and the process of holding him accountable is well underway.

Keep in mind as well that, on the first day of this trecena in early January 2021, when the deceptor-in-chief held a meeting at the White House with a large group of DoJ officials to try to get them to overturn the election, the meeting backfired as hundreds of DoJ officials threatened to resign en masse if he went through with his scheme. And even though the insurrection attempt took place three days later, it was put down and Joe Biden was quickly confirmed as the new U.S. president. He then immediately got to work to bring an end to the insanity of the previous administration, and instantly set in motion whatever was required in order to subdue the raging pandemic. At that time the 117th US Congress was sworn in on the very first day of this period, and Nancy Pelosi made history once again by securing a fourth term as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

On an individual basis this trecena is now providing a number of opportunities to pull back and regroup – opportunities to realign and push back in non-combative, and yet powerful, ways, as seen in the “Lights of Hope” display in Jesusalem, in solidarity with the captives being held in the Gaza Strip. In India and elsewhere the focus will be on Diwali, a festival of light that celebrates the defeat of dark forces, the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. Remembrance Day is also coinciding with this period, reminding us of the incredible sacrifices that have been made by millions of people for the cause of freedom. The final day of this trecena at this time coincides with Ukraine’s annual Day of Dignity and Freedom, marking the 10th anniversary of the Maidan Uprising in 2013 (which, at that time, had begun on the first day of this period). So there are many rallying points coming in at this time, points of light from which to draw courage and strength and the resolve to continue the push towards the ultimate goal of clearing and healing.

Much will unfold during this period that will require us to be like eagles – to “rise high” and push towards the sun and that light. Let’s remember to take one day at a time; let’s focus on those points of light and allow them to lift us and soothe our souls as we journey through this currently challenging zone. Here are the energies that come into play:

1 Men (Nov. 9th) – the “initiation” of a high-flying (Eagle oriented) solar energy, a kind of “pushing for supremacy” type of force that, in the past, has manifested in the form of declarations of war, major battles, anti-government demonstrations and significant calls for reform, and even aggressive actions that have served to advance select interests. At this time this “eagle warrior” energy marks 14 Tzolk’in cycles exactly since the start of the 2013 Maidan Uprising in Ukraine, the wave of protest reactions that sprung up when the then-pro-Russian government declined to sign association and free-trade agreements with the EU, which outraged the large numbers of people who saw this as “a big step backwards”. Little did they know at that time that they would be brutally attacked by Russia in subsequent years, beginning with the annexation of Crimea by Russia a few months later, in Feb. of 2014.

In 2003 this was the energy in place when the U.S. declared war against Iraq and began that invasion. In 2014 this was also in place when the U.S. launched airstrikes against ISIS groups in Iraq. The last time this was in place (in mid February) 11 Palestinians were killed and over 100 wounded in an Israeli raid on the West Bank. Click here for some perspective on this sad and perplexing situation from the perspective of Palestinians.

More in line with that Xochiquetzal (Flower Feather) patron energy noted above, however, is the celebration of Govatsa Dwadashi (aka Bachh Baras) that is taking place in India at this time, a festival dedicated to offering gratitude to calves and cows for their help in sustaining human life. In Hindu mythology cows are regarded not only as manifestations of the divine, but as symbols of fertility and abundance. On this day they will be adorned with flower garlands and given special attention. This is a day often associated with fasting, the cleansing of sins, and the payment of debts,  just as Diwali celebrations are about to begin.

Currently this marks 11 cycles since the unexpected death of rock icon David Bowie in January of 2016.

2 Kib’ (Nov. 10th) – a “dynamic” type of energy that can “shake things up” but ultimately tends towards being a “getting down to business” type of force that can lead towards the restoration of order, now coinciding with the first of five days of Diwali, the highly popular Hindu festival of light that celebrates the victory of  light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. On this first day of Diwali, known as Dhanteras, the goddess Lakshmi is the focus of much attention. As a goddess of prosperity, good fortune, wisdom, light, and spiritual rejuvenation, Lakshmi is one of the principal deities to preside over this “Day of Fortune”, seen as a good day to purchase gold and other metals. Lord Dhanwantari, a Hindu deity associated with Ayurvedic medicine is also honoured at this time.

In Nepal this is the start of the Tihar Festival of Lights (similar to Diwali), which will be
particularly poignant at this time, given that the people of Nepal are still dealing with the impact of a devastating earthquake in parts of that country, which occcured just a few days prior to this.

This is also UNESCO’s World Science day for Peace and Development, which highlights the work of scientists and their relevence to daily life on this planet, with climate change still of particular concern. This year’s theme is focusing on “Building Trust in Science”.

This is now marking three cycles since the release of the Woodward/Costa book titled Peril, in 2021, that closely examines the tumultuous time at the end of the “former guy’s presidency”, spanning the November 2020 election, the January 6 insurrection, and President Biden’s inauguration, shedding considerable light on what CNN called “one of the most dangerous periods in American history.” This might be worth a re-read, given that the danger has not yet dissipated. In 2021 that was the day when President Biden addressed the UN General Assembly to urge world leaders to commit collectively to vaccinating 70% of the world’s population against C-19 within a year.

3 Kab’an (Nov. 11th) – the “activation” of “movement” or “earth movement”, coinciding with Remembrance Day (the 104th after WWI) in Canada and the Commonwealth, and several other countries, and Veterans’ Day in the U.S.. The No Stone Left Alone Memorial project is one highly meaningful avenue for helping young people to appreciate the significance of this day.

This is the second day of Diwali, known as Naraka Chaturdasi (Day of Knowledge), associated with the triumph of good over evil. In India beautiful rangolis made of materials such as coloured rice, sand, or flower petals are made at this time. In parts of Germany and in several other European countries this day is celebrated as St. Martin’s Day (Martinmas, aka Old Hallowe’en), traditionally a harvest feast day to commemorate the end of the agrarian year.

In China this is Singles’ Day (or Double 11), a celebration for singles, generally celebrated
through games, entertainment, and ecommerce shopping – now seen as the world’s biggest shopping celebration, the “most lucrative online shopping day in the world”.

In San Francisco, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit begins on this day, at which time President Biden will be meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping.

This also marks two Tzolk’in cycles precisely since the start of the Jan. 6th Committee public hearings in Washington D.C. in 2022. On that very first day of testimonies, evidence was put forward to reveal that an “attempted coup” was pre-planned, with that plan being “for all hell to break loose” to prevent Mike Pence from certifying the election results.

This is the Maya birth energy of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to the US Congress – and a true “visionary warrior”.

4 Etz’nab’ (Nov. 12th) – a “defining” type of energy aligned with Etz’nab’s flint-oriented, “knife-edged”, “shock and awe” dazzle, coinciding at this time with the third (and most significant) of the five days of Diwali, the “Festival of Lights” day when festival lanterns and lights are set out everywhere to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of happiness, wealth, and good fortune into homes and other buildings. Lord Ganesha is also honoured at this time.

In addition, this is the day of the Tihar Festival in Nepal, known as the Kukur Puja, the “Day of the Dogs”, when dogs are decked out with garlands, given special treats, and thanked for their faithful service, including their service in helping to provide a safe passage for departed souls on their journey to Heaven. A good day to celebrate your own Kukur Tihar with any four legged friend who specializes in bringing joy to the world.

In Canada this is the start of Métis Week, and in the UK this is Remembrance Day Sunday when members of the Royal Family, political leaders, and current and ex-members of the Armed Forces join World War veterans at the Cenotaph memorial for wreath-laying and a ceremony of remembrance.

This is a “firey” energy that can bring sudden change, as it did four cycles ago, in January of 2021, when that frenzied mob, worked up by a diabolical covey of seditious politicians who were trying to subvert the election results, violently attacked the Capitol building in Washington D.C. at the very time when the Joint Session of Congress was attempting to ascertain and count the Electoral College votes to formally declare the results of the 2020 election.

Two cycles ago Rudy Giuliani was hit with charges of ethics violations over baseless claims he made about the 2020 presidential election being stolen, and former Bolivian president Jeanine Áñez was found guilty of orchestrating a coup that brought her to power during a 2019 political crisis. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Giuliani has also been charged in the Georgia racketeering case.

5 Kawak (Nov. 13th) – the “blessing” of “stormy” compassion; a precision kind of energy that can stir emotions and trigger important events, coinciding at this time with World Kindness Day, the fourth day of Diwali, and a projected date for SpaceX’s second Starship test flight launch. In Kenya this is a special nationwide tree planting day, part of an overall plan to plant 15bn trees by 2032, as a means to save that country from the devastating effects of climate change.

Four cycles ago, in the early morning hours of Jan. 7th, 2021, members of Congress in the U.S. returned to complete their task, even though they had been under attack for hours. That was when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were confirmed as the new U.S. president and vice-president. On that same day Joe Biden announced that he was nominating Judge Merrick Garland to serve as the next U.S. attorney general. That was the day, as the mess from the insurrection was being cleaned up in Washington, when newspapers around the world ran headlines such as ‘Trump blows up US democracy’: the world watches in horror” (The Guardian). And now, after all that, with 91 felony counts against him, and multiple criminal and civil trials on-going and pending, they are still talking about the possibility of him winning a second term? How on earth does this make any sense????

Two cycles ago massive “March for Our Lives” demonstrations took place in some 450 cities across the US, to increase pressure on Congress to act on gun reforms. And yet . . . .

6 Ajaw (Nov. 14th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with full sun and the power of enlightenment, coinciding with the fifth and final day of Diwali, and King Charles’s 75th birthday. In Northern India this is a celebrational day that commemorates Lord Krishna defeating Indra, the god of thunder and rain. Food will be piled high in temples as offerings are made to Krishna.

This is World Diabetes Day, with this year’s theme being “Empowering Global Health”, and Children’s Day in India, a special day for increasing awareness of the rights, care, and education of children.

This is the publication date for Jonathan Karl’s Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party, being released two years after the release of his bestselling Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show book.

It has now been four cycles since Twitter “saw the light” and suspended the dumpster’s account for “severe violations” of their civic integrity policy – until Elon Musk mucked things up by buying Twitter and reinstating that account.

This is the Maya birth energy of Bernard Lyot, the French astronomer who invented the coronagraph to study the sun’s corona and its prominences without having to wait for a solar eclipse.

7 Imix (Nov. 15th) – “self-generating” birth, an energy often asssociated with the envisioning of a “new order of being”. This “mid-point of this trecena” energy was in place when Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquistadores arrived at Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) in 1519, marking the beginning of a “titanic” struggle for power that involved the Spanish siege of Tenochtitlan and its ultimate defeat two years later.

Two cycles ago this (in June of 2022) Queen Elizabeth II became the second longest-serving monarch in history. She was also the longest-reigning Queen.

Five cycles ago (early 2020) the dumpster had “one of the worst days in one of the worst weeks” in his so-called “presidency” under this influence as even his closest allies were backing away from his increasingly inane statements about how to deal with the pandemic. And since then things have only gotten worse for him.

8 Ik’ (Nov. 16th) – the “resurrection” of wind/breath/spirit; symbolic of the Corn God working together with the wind/breath/spirit aspect of Quetzalcóatl, coinciding with UNESCO’s International Day for Tolerance, as well as the UN’s World Philosophy Day, with its emphasis on highlighting the contributions of philosophical knowledge, critical thinking, and thoughtful reflection in addressing global issues.

In Canada this day is commemorated by the Métis Nation as Louis Riel Day, as it is a Gregorian anniversary of Métis leader Riel’s wrongful execution in 1885. Celebrations of Métis culture now coincide with this date. This is also the 33rd Gregorian anniversary of the signing into law of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

This was the energy in place at the time of the March 2013 election of Pope Francis.

9 Ak’b’al (Nov. 17th) – an “outwardly-projecting” type of force often aligned with the idea of “temple” or “house”, deep esoteric mysteries, and even “darkness”, coinciding with Guinness World Record Day, and the deadline (again) to renew the US federal budget before another possible shutdown.

In 2016 this was the energy in place at the beginning of a 4-day nuclear war drill in Russia involving 40 million civilians, tens of thousands of emergency workers and troops, and more than 50,000 vehicles. Looking back it is frightening to speculate on why such a drill was even deemed to be necessary.

It has now been four cycles since the Jan. 11th, 2021 “incitement of insurrection” article of impeachment (against Trump) was introduced in the US House of Representatives, as a growing number of Republicans were declaring that the dumpster was unfit for office. At that time Republican Senator Toomey said that the dumpster had “descended into a level of madness and engaged in activity that was absolutely unthinkable and unforgivable.” At the same time Mitch McConnell met with 2 longtime advisors, at which time he said: “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us . . . If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.” That was 1040 days ago – but who’s counting?

10 K’an (Nov. 18th) – “foundational germination” – a force that can be quite volatile, as in the generation of strong weather conditions or in the eruption of strong emotion-propelled action that could “germinate” into new directions, coinciding at this time with the peak of the Leonid meteor shower.

It seems that the “Just Stop Oil” organization has “picked up the vibes” on this, as this is the day for their “People Vs Oil” major protest demonstration in London, part of three weeks of action to demand “no new oil, gas, or coal” in the UK.

11 Chikchan (Nov. 19th) – inspirational Lifeforce, aligned with Liberation and Higher Consciousness; a Burner Day traditionally associated with “extinguishing the fire” – often signalling some kind of change in direction (particularly of an energy sequence), as was in place in 2021 on Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, aka Orange Shirt Day.

Currently this is International Men’s Day, with this year’s theme being “Zero Male Suicide”. . .   It is also the opening day for the 41st annual Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara, called the “Longest Festival in the World”.

This was the energy in place in 2001 when the Patriot Act was passed by the U.S. Congress, giving federal agencies wide ranging powers in order “to intercept and obstruct terrorism”.

It has now been six cycles exactly since August of 2019 when an unidentified whistleblower sent a credible complaint (“an urgent concern”) to the inspector general of the US intelligence community, which (eventually) led to the dumpster’s first impeachment trial in early 2020. Two cycles after that, precisely, the US House of Representatives impeached the dumpster for the second time (the first time this had ever happened), via a bipartisan vote.

This powerful Lifeforce-oriented energy was the Maya birth energy of Paul Farmer, the medical anthropologist and physician who was known as “the man who would cure the world”. He received many awards, including the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, for his work in helping to provide health care for some of the world’s poorest communities.

12 Kimi (Nov. 20th) – a “gathering together” type of energy associated with “absolute foundations”; a “regrouping type of energy” that could help to lay the foundations for new ideas or ventures. Again, this is an energy that ties right in with the “Just Stop Oil” organization’s plan to “Take to the Streets” on this day in a second major protest demonstration in London.

In Dubai, UAE, this is the opening day for the World Radiocommunication Conference that runs until mid December.

This marks exactly nine cycles since this energy brought one of the “most insane and consequential news days in the history of the US”, just before the 2016 election. It was the day when the dumpster’s campaign almost imploded but was somehow “revived” when the hacked Clinton campaign e-mails were suddenly released by Wikileaks, setting the stage for the forthcoming “election from hell”. Amazingly this was also the energy in place when John F. Kennedy was nominated by the Democratic Party as their candidate in 1960 and it was also in place at the time of the death of Ted Kennedy in 2009. In addition, this is US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s Maya birth energy, and this energy is currently coinciding with Joe Biden’s 81st Gregorian birthday. It also would have been the 76th wedding anniverary of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Currently this is Revolution Day in Mexico, a public holiday on the 113th Gregorian anniversary of the start of the Mexican revolution in 1910. It is also International Children’s Day – a day to promote the welfare of children around the world, and the International Transgender Day of Remembrance – to remember those who have been lost as a result of transphobia.

In addition this is the first day of Canada History Week and the 25th Gregorian anniversary of the launch of the Zarya Module in 1998, the first component of the International Space station.

13 Manik’ (Nov. 21st) – “transformational deer” (which could translate as “transformational harmonization”), coinciding at this time with Ukraine’s annual Day of Dignity and Freedom, marking the 10th anniversary of the Maidan Uprising in 2013 (which was Maya day One Men/One Eagle), the pro-European Union protests that became known as the Maidan Revolution or Revolution of Dignity.

In 1969 this same energy was in place when some two million demonstrators (many wearing black armbands) took part in “Moratorium Peace” rallies across the U.S. to protest against the Vietnam war, the largest march in U.S. history up to that time.

This energy was also in place in January of 2011 when small anti-government protests began to erupt in Syria, at the same time as a “Day of Rage” erupted in Cairo and many other cities in Egypt in an intense historic “meltdown” as tens of thousands of anti-government protestors took to the streets. When this energy returned later that same year it coincided with a day of “Global Revolution” as the “Occupy Wall Street” movement against social and economic equality spread to cities around the world.

In 2016 this was in place when a rapidly growing number of Republicans were calling for Trump to step down from his candidacy (just prior to the US election) and were (as some noted) “stampeding away from him”. Unfortunately far too many have been subsumed by fear and/or corruption in the succeeding years, having lost their backbones and all sense of decency and responsibility, and the downhill slide has been terrifying to behold.

Overall, this would be a good time for those people to find their backbones and embark on some sense of transformation back towards decency and honour, instead of continuing to support such a deeply flawed and destructive entity. This is also a good day to exercise caution as this can be a highly intense energy.

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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.]