One of the things that the Maya Calendar offers is the opportunity to look at the evolution of life from the perspective of energy cycles, as “themes” related to events have a way of returning and evolving in a cyclical manner. Since very few people have any idea of the workings of the Maya Calendar or of its pertinence to daily events most people will have no idea about the parallels that tend to arise quite frequently as these calendrical energies play out in the world. But as we embark on this fire-oriented Ok trecena a closer look reveals a number of important parallels at this time.

Click here for the Podcast to accompany this trecena.

One of these relates to what is happening in Haiti right now, as that country attempts to deal with the shock and aftermath of the assassination of their president during the last trecena. As it happens President Moïse’s state funeral and burial is scheduled to take place at the mid-point of this Ok trecena, under the influence of precisely the same energy as was in place in 1963 at the time of the state funeral and burial at Arlington National Cemetery of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. An eternal flame, that was lit on that day, marks Kennedy’s grave site at Arlington, with that idea of an eternal flame also included on a memorial stamp that was created for him in 1964. With regard to Kennedy this seems significant since this is a fire-oriented trecena, and Kennedy was not only assassinated and interred during this period, but he was also inaugurated as the 35th US president during this energy frame.

During his inauguration speech (that took place on the eighth day of this time period in 1961) John F. Kennedy said that

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility — I welcome it. . . . . The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it–and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

That sense of defending freedom and lighting the world with the energy and devotion brought by such an endeavor was a powerful motivator for millions of people in the 1960’s, particularly with regard to the civil rights movement. And the fact that this speech was delivered in the middle of this time frame seems significant since this trecena is oriented around guidance, and the “fire and passion” needed for the regeneration of life.

Traditionally the first day of this energy period was celebrated as an ancient Mesoamerican Feast Day of Renewal, oriented around the idea of guidance, justice, and the restoration of life. Indeed, there have been many times in the past when this is exactly what has happened. Thought of as being under the influence of Xipe Tótec, the Lord of Renewal, and Quetzalcóatl, Lord of Life, this trecena was seen, traditionally, as a time when a new sense of direction in conjunction with the energies of renewal come into play. The Aztec deity known as Xipe Tótec, who was generally depicted wearing a flayed skin, symbolic of the “sloughing off” of the old and the bursting forth of the new, symbolized this idea. One of the key symbols associated with this time frame is a dog holding a torch, bringing light into the darkness and showing the way.

In many ways this is a firey generative period, as seen at the time of Kennedy’s inauguration sixty years ago, but it can also be sacrificial, as it was four cycles later at the time of his assassination. It was this time frame that brought an end to the whole Nixon era in the early 1970’s, which culminated in the Watergate scandal.

It took two years to work through that mess, but ultimately during the summer of 1974 the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that President Nixon had to turn over the tape recordings of 64 White House conversations, and it was this Ok trecena that accompanied the review of those tapes, including the discovery of “The Smoking Gun Tape” that contained evidence of obstruction of justice. Articles of impeachment were then approved by the House Judiciary Committee, which brought forth Nixon’s resignation at the beginning of the trecena that followed.

Fast forward to the summer of 2016 and we find Hillary Clinton making history during this time period by becoming the first female to be officially nominated as a presidential candidate by a major US political party. Fast forward through the jaw-droppingly-awful aftermath of her having lost the 2016 election, to February of 2020 where we see that this trecena was the first full trecena in place after Republicans blocked the impeachment of the dumpster in a sham non-trial by the US Senate, at which time the “wildfire” of Covid-19 was “igniting” and starting to rapidly spread. Italy was beginning to lock down while the dumpster was flailing around and claiming that he had the situation in the US “very much under control”, even as CDC’s top official on respiratory diseases warned the American people that “disruption to everyday life might be severe”. And severe it was, as over 238,000 people had died in the US (the highest death rate of any country globally) by the time of the US presidential election one cycle after that, at which time Joe Biden became the president-elect.

So now, as this trecena returns, we are one cycle along, and Joe Biden is at the forefront of yet another battle in the US – a battle to “save democracy” and “defend freedom”, similar to what Kennedy was attempting to do, as the dark forces that were spawned by the dumpster’s “big lie” one cycle ago have amalgamated into a movement to restrict voting rights in dozens of states, and this has led to a “shades of the 1960’s” renewal of voting rights activism.

Indeed, the first day of this trecena, at this time, marks the start of a “Summer of Direct Action to preserve Democracy in the U.S.”.  This is similar to what was happening two cycles ago when the darkness was SO heavy and the injustices so pronounced that people came to the realization that it was essential for them to get involved with strong social action to push back against the tyranny and dictates coming from the White House at that time. That blocking of the clearly-needed impeachment compelled millions of ordinary citizens roll up their sleeves and do everything possible to get people out to vote. It was a huge call for the restoration of justice and sanity, compassion and integrity.

In many ways there is a pattern or metaphor here, to do with the power of “regular people” who suddenly rise to the challenge when faced with something truly life-threatening. This happened in 1940 after Germany’s invasion of Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg during the first stage in the Battle of France, when British and Allied forces were knocked back to the beaches of Dunkirk where they became trapped by the German army. For some “still debated” reason the Germans halted their advance on Dunkirk for several days near the beginning of the trecena, which allowed the Allies to organize an evacuation. Over 800 vessels, both large and small, raced to the rescue of over 338,000 Allied troops as the call for assistance went out. It was a seemingly impossible situation that was turned around by the unselfish actions of people who leapt into the breach during this trecena to save the lives of all those men who were cornered in a hellish situation. The bravery and force of intent that went into this operation of rescuing those troops from the Dunkirk beaches became known as the “Dunkirk Spirit”.

And once again it seems that the people themselves are being called to “step up” and be BRAVE – like those Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled to Washington D.C. a few days ago to prevent Republicans from passing a restrictive voting bill in that state. They are doing everything possible to push for the passage of the “For the People Act” and the “John Lewis Voting Rights Act” to shore up voting protections at the federal level. We will likely hear more more about this during this time frame.

On a completely different topic – but one that is entirely oriented around the idea of Renewal – we find that this trecena is getting underway exactly 11 Tzolk’in cycles after the start of a number of significant Truth and Reconciliation events associated with First Nations in British Columbia that took place during this trecena in 2013. Now, as we work with these energies again, the citizens of Canada as a whole are waking up to the severities of the injustices that have been inflicted on the First Peoples of this nation for over a century, and offering support in unprecedented ways, in efforts to come to terms with the implications of those injustices and to help with the healing.

As we move forward with all of this, keep in mind that the energies in place at this time are vigorously oriented towards the unshackling of the old, so this is a prime time to work with Xipe Tótec, the ancient Mesoamerican Lord of Renewal, and Quetzalcóatl, Lord of Life, Knowledge, and Culture who are the patrons of this time frame. These are the kinds of forces that can be called upon to push through the darkness towards new possibilities. With the energy of the first day of this time frame being specifically aligned with Love, Loyalty, Warmth, and Guidance, this is a great time to step up and find ways to do everything possible to bring in that light that John F. Kennedy was taking about – including the light needed to eradicate the diseases (on so many levels) that have been taking the lives (and the souls) of so many people. Here are the energies that will be in play:

1 Ok (July 17th) “One Dog” – the “initiation of love, warmth, guidance”, an energy associated with regeneration – an ancient Maya Feast Day of Renewal, sometimes depicted as a dog holding a torch, leading the way through the darkness. This was the calendrical energy associated with an Aztec deity known as Xiuhtecuhtli, associated with the renewal of time and the creation of life itself. He was sometimes depicted as Huehuetéotl – the Old, Old [Fire] God, whose image was often shown on braziers, representing the “carrier (or generator) of fire”. Associated with purification, transformation, the regeneration of natural cycles, and even the regeneration of the cosmos, Huehuetéotl-Xiuhtecuhtli presided over New Fire ceremonies (marking Calendar Round returns, every 52 years) and the lighting of the fires of renewal.

This energy is coming in precisely 11 Tzolk’in cycles after representatives from more than 150 First Nations groups, in 60 canoes and other vessels, took part in an All Nations Canoe Gathering, paddling from Vanier Park to Science World, in the first of the several significant Truth and Reconciliation events that took place in Vancouver during Reconciliation Week in B.C., over 7 days in Sept. of 2013.

Currently this will be the day for Good Trouble: Candlelight Vigils for Democracy, on the first Gregorian anniversary of the death of Congressman and freedom fighter John Lewis. It marks the start of a Summer of Direct Action to preserve Democracy in the U.S.

Rituals related to the Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, begin in the evening. This year vaccinations will be required for those who journey to Mecca and strict safety protocols will be in place.

This was the energy in place during the summer of 1974 when the US Supreme Court ruled that Richard Nixon had to turn over the recordings that included “The Smoking Gun Tape” which contained evidence of his obstruction of justice. Three days later the first of three articles of impeachment against him were passed, and he resigned shortly thereafter.

This was also the energy in place at the end of October last year, just prior to the presidential election, when millions of people were turning out to vote early. At that time 100,000 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the US on one day, a new record at that time.

2 Chuwen (July 18th) – a dynamic type of energy traditionally aligned with creativity, often involving some kind of “intense heat”, correlating at this time with the final day of the Calgary Stampede, and Nelson Mandela International Day, on what would have been his 103rd birthday. One of his many comments that needs to be remembered is this one:

It is easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.

This is coming in precisely 11 Tzolk’in cycles after the opening of the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings in B.C. in 2013. Currently this is the opening day for IAS 2021 Virtual Conference, the world’s “most influential conference on HIV science”, which will feature many of the world’s leaders and top professionals on HIV research.

Note that 2 Chuwen is a solar force within a fire-oriented time frame, so this energy can often trigger intense engagement and action, as it did last October when things were “red hot” just before the US election. Given the hundreds of continuing wildfires in the West – a good day to exercise special caution.

3 Eb’ (July 19th) – the activation of “animating vitality”, a pathfinding/stream-of-consciousness type of force, coinciding with the day when the UK lifts the last coronavirus restrictions, even though they have already registered over 5 million cases and are still registering over 30,000 new cases, in a new “sharp rise” in case numbers. Even though some 87% of the UK’s adult population has had at least one dose of vaccine, NHS representatives are not happy with this “all open” idea, which will make England an outlier in much of the rest of the world where restrictions remain. Jude Diggins, an interim director at the Royal College of Nursing, provided the reminder that: “This disease does not disappear on 19 July. No available vaccine is 100% effective … government will regret the day it sent the wrong signal for political expediency.” There is some expectation that the NHS test-and-trace system will be overwhelmed by surging infections.

The Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha (“the celebration of the sacrifice”) or Qurbani, will begin in the evening, which will likely be limited once again to smaller gatherings due to the pandemic.

4 B’en (July 20th) – a “defining” energy associated with personal authority, on the day when Jeff Bezos and several others (including his brother, and 18 year old Oliver Daemen, and 82 year old space pioneer Wally Funk) will journey into space aboard his Blue Origin company’s first crewed mission, 9 days after Richard Branson made a similar journey. On this 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Wally will become the oldest person to launch into space, and Oliver will become the youngest.

This will be the full day of the Muslim celebration of Eid Al-Adha or Qurbani.

This 4 B’en energy has often been highly consequential in world history and US history, as seen at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. This was also the energy in place when the first article of impeachment was approved against Richard Nixon in 1974, and this was in place when Hillary Clinton made history in 2016 by becoming the first female to be officially nominated as a presidential candidate. Currently this is the six-month marker for Joe Biden’s presidency.

This is also the release date for I Alone Can Fix It, a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, which chronicles the dumpster’s final year as president. CNN noted that in this book there is a description of how General Mark Milley, the top Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and other top officials were informally planning different ways to stop the dumpster and his allies if they attempted a coup or any such thing after the 2020 election. Because of the insanity at the White House at that time it was General Milley’s view that the U.S. was facing a “Reichstag moment” because Trump was preaching “the gospel of the Führer”.

5 Ix (July 21st) – a “precision” type of energy associated with mystery and transformation, and even rulership, on the day when Senator Chuck Schumer will oversee a procedural vote in the US Senate on a bipartisan Infrastructure Plan

This is the 52nd Gregorian anniversary of the day in 1969 when Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon after landing the day before.

The last time this 5 Ix energy was in place it was the day of the US presidential election, when Joe Biden had to “battle for the soul of America”. At that time journalist David Smith pointed out that, at that time the American people had a simple choice to make: either you support racism or you don’t. As he put it: “We’re about to find out how racist America really is.” And that is exactly what happened, both in the immediate aftermath of the election and over the past few months as we have seen how many people have been taken in by “the big lie”, and have seen how willingly Republicans in Congress have supported obstruction of justice.

In 1919 this was the energy in place at the opening of the Paris Peace Conference for negotiation of treaty settlements after World War I, and then again in 1939 when Canada declared war on Germany. One cycle after that, in May of 1940, just over 80 years ago, this energy was in place at the start of the huge efforts to undertake evacuations from Dunkirk beaches.

6 Men (July 22nd) – a “stabilizing” type of energy associated with the high vision of the eagle, on the the final day of the Hajj, ending in the evening.

At this point it has been one year since a new voting rights bill was introduced by forty-eight Democratic senators in the US to restore the Voting Rights Act, which was officially renamed the “John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act” in honour of the late John Lewis. The vow by voting rights activists to make this a Summer of Direct Action to preserve Democracy in the U.S. relates to their intent to get this important bill passed through the Senate.

As of this day it has been three cycles since the release of a 1200 page document titled “Reclaiming Power and Place”, complied by the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, based on 24 hearings across Canada that detailed the decades of violence experienced by Indigenous women across Canada. That report delivered 231 Calls for Justice in this regard – part of the overall array of needs that are now under scrutiny with regard to First Nations peoples in Canada.

This also marks 11 cycles since at least 10,000 people braved the pouring rain on a late September day in 2013 to take part in a four-kilometre Reconciliation Walk through downtown Vancouver to bring attention to the dreadful issue of residential schools in Canada, and their legacy.

Seven Tzolk’in cycles exactly since Hillary Clinton delivered her acceptance speech as the Democratic nominee for President at the DNC, with every expectation that she would actually be elected president.

7 Kib’ (July 23rd) – a self-generating type of energy, often associated with engendering the kind of thought that can lead towards the restoration of order, coinciding at this time with the Full Buck Moon, on the day of the state funeral for Haiti’s President Moïse, who was assassinated during the previous trecena. As it happens President John F. Kennedy’s state funeral and burial took place under this same 7 Kib’ energy in 1963, after he was assassinated several days earlier.

This is the opening day for the Olympic games in Tokyo, but without international visitors, even though there have been strong calls to cancel the games and experts are saying that Japan is “dangerously unprepared” to host the Olympics.

This is also the 100th anniversary of the first CPC (Communist Party of China) National Congress.

8 Kab’an (July 24th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with “evolutionary” movement, on the day of the Glastonbury Symposium, oriented around sacred myteries and “new frontiers”, a one day virtual event again this year.

In 1961 this was the energy in place at the time of the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, when he called for “high standards of strength and sacrifice”, and for “invoking the wonders of science”, as he called for unification to “undo the heavy burdens”. Near the end of his speech were the immortal words: “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.

Compare this to last November, when this energy was last in place. That was when the remaining states that had not yet finished counting votes all flipped in Joe Biden’s favour as everyone awaited the final tally. With regard to the implications for Trump, Washington Post columnist Peter Marks tweeted: “I image it as a chilling final turn of the plot. His world is coming to an end. He will never have another good day. Loser label will haunt him. The law will pursue him. Mental illness will hobble him. His properties will bankrupt him.”

9 Etz’nab’ (July 25th) – representative of “outwardly -projecting” flint, a “spark-oriented” (and even knife-edged) type of energy that can be quite dramatic and consequential – sometimes bringing something to a definite conclusion.

In 1963, this energy was in place five days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy,
at which time President Johnson gave an address to the joint session of Congress when he strongly
advocated for the earliest possible passage of JFK’s civil rights bill.

The last time this was in place, last Nov. 7th, was the 48th anniversary of the day when Joe Biden was elected to the Senate. By that time, Joe had received over 75,500,000 votes in the election, the most votes ever being cast for a presidential ticket, and was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election. He then delivered a highly inspirational victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware, during which he called for healing for America, and for bringing an end to the “grim era of demonization”. He pledged “to be a President who seeks not to divide but to unify” and said that he “sought this office to restore the soul of America, to rebuild the backbone of this nation”, which is what he has been working on ever since. After the speech there was a fabulous show of fireworks, very much in keeping with Etz’nab’s dazzle. Cities around the world erupted in celebration, reacting as if a dictator had been overthrown and democracy had been saved. Congratulations poured in from leaders around the world.

Maya birth energy of Lord of the Rings writer J.R.R. Tolkien, whose 130th Gregorian birthday will be next Jan. 3rd.

10 Kawak (July 26th) – “foundational storm” – an energy associated with intense catalyzation as often can be seen and felt in major energy pushes or strong weather systems, exactly two cycles since a dozen towns in northern Italy went into lockdown due to the coronavirus in early 2020.

Currently this is the day when Inuk leader Mary Simon will be installed as Canada’s 30th Governor General. This is also Mick Jagger’s 78th Gregorian birthday.

11 Ajaw (July 27th) – an “inspirational sun” or “inspirational enlightenment” Burner Day, on the day when the special congressional panel investigating the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the dumpster are holding their first meeting. So far over 500 people have been charged with taking part in that attack. This special committee will have subpoena power.

This day marks the beginning of a 4-day, 27 mile Poor People’s Campaign “Selma-to-
Montgomery” style march from Georgetown to Austin, Texas as part of a season of nonviolent direct action in support of voting rights, a $15 minimum wage, and an end to the filibuster.

One cycle since the announcement last November that a preliminary analysis shows that the “first milestone” vaccine for Covid appeared to offer at least 90% protection.

12 Imix (July 28th) – a “gathering together” type of force oriented around new beginnings (often “cosmic”). In the Maya calendar this is the last day of the Maya month of Xul, traditionally associated with Kukulcan (known as Quetzalcoatl to the Aztec), the great Feathered Serpent, who was thought to descend from the heavens to collect offerings at the end of this Maya month. This is the day when former school teacher and leftist union leader Pedro Castillo will be inaugurated as Peru’s next president, for a 5-year term.  On this day the first round of nuclear strategic stability talks will take place between the US and Russia, in Geneva.

At this point it has been two cycles since the dumpster claimed the Covid -19 situation in the US was “very much under control”. Tell that to the 35 million people who have been infected by it in the U.S.. Given that so many people in the US are steering away from vaccinations and that the delta variant is creating an upswing in cases in a number of states, the death toll in the U.S from Covid could be well over 625,000 by this time.

13 Ik’ (July 29th) – “transformational wind, breath, and spirit”, this time coinciding the peak of the Delta Aquariids meteor shower, and the start of Caribana Toronto, much of which is likely to be scaled back again, or virtual once again.

One cycle since newpapers were running stories that emphasized that election officials nationwide had found no fraud whatsoever in the presidential election; state officials were in agreement that it had been one of the smoothest and most well-run elections ever seen. (But since then there has been considerable muckraking in this regard by Republicans who have been going along with “the big lie”.)

This is the Maya calendar energy that was in place in 1940 during the final day of the enormous Dunkirk rescue operation during World War II.

Currently this is Earth Overshoot Day 2021, the day when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

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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.]