True to form, the past 13 days have been HIGHLY eventful, with significant “movement” on many levels, from the sudden transfer of leadership in the U.K. on 4 Ajaw, to the attempted military coup in Turkey and the extraordinary firing of tens of thousands of people, to the stupefying nomination of Donald Trump at the Republication Convention in the U.S. and the cementing of the extreme chasm in both that party and that country as a whole because of it.

One striking contrast can be seen in the fact that Trump’s bombastic acceptance speech two days ago was delivered precisely one 260-day cycle after the historic swearing in last year of Justin Trudeau as Canada’s new Prime Minister, and the appointment of his new cabinet. That marked the beginning of a whole new “ball game” in terms of the governance of Canada, and the revamping of Canada’s role on the world stage. And now, as this new trecena begins, the question of the implications of the Trump nomination looms large.

So this brings us to the Ok (Dog) trecena, traditionally associated with Love, Loyalty, Warmth, Guidance, and so much more. Originally the first day of this trecena was celebrated as an ancient feast day of renewal, oriented around the idea of guidance, justice, and the restoration of life. Thought of as being under the influence of Xipe Tótec, the Lord of Renewal, and Quetzalcóatl, Lord of Life, this is a time when a new sense of direction in conjunction with the energies of renewal come into play. This was specifically symbolized by 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.

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. Sometimes associated with fire as well, the energy that kicks off this trecena is correlating at this time with a weather phenomenon called a “heat dome” over some 26 U.S. states, with that dome being a stretch of hot, humid weather that “sits” over an area for an extended period of time. Those areas as well as parts of eastern Canada are experiencing blistering triple digit temperatures in many places, making this “fire” aspect particularly prominent at this time. Nevertheless, the energy of Ok was traditionally seen as a symbol of comfort and direction, which, as has happened many times in the past, is greatly needed in the context of recent events.

In terms of the situation in the U.S., many people are now desperately trying to find some light in the context of the darkness and viciousness of the presidential race, particularly given the developments over the past few days. Some may find it in the context of the Democratic National Convention that will unfold in Philadelphia in the early part of this trecena. And coinciding with the second day of this four-day convention is a highly significant energy that, in the past, has been very consequential to the world at large. And once again the timing for that is intriguing. This is the day known as 4 B’en, which comes in on July 26th, precisely 1313 days after the end of the 13th B’aktun on Dec. 21st, 2012, and the start of this whole new era.

In 1963 this was the energy in place at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Eleven cycles ago it was in place at the time of the massive bank failure in the U.S. So here we are precisely one Calendar Round (52 years) plus one Tzolk’in cycle after Kennedy’s assassination, with the energy of that day falling on the second day of the DNC, at a time when legions of people are once again looking for comfort and guidance. Will the “establishment”, which Hillary Clinton represents, provide that comfort and direction, or will the fallout from the RNC take over?

One thing to keep in mind is that, as always, there are two sides to everything, and – as it happens – in the past this trecena has also provided a great deal of hope for many. One hundred and twenty years ago that same 4 B’en energy coincided with the opening of the first international Olympics of the modern era, in Athens. In 1976 this trecena saw the roll-out of the space shuttle Enterprise, the first test shuttle of the space shuttle series, which significantly opened the door to new explorations in space. In 2000 this 4 B’en energy found Pope John Paul II asking forgiveness for the sins of Catholics throughout the ages. During a public Mass of Pardon, the Pope said that “Christians…have violated the rights of ethnic groups and peoples, and shown contempt for their cultures and religious traditions…”, which was a monumental declaration.

And in terms of speeches, one of the most memorable in the U.S. came on the eighth day of this trecena in 1961 at the time of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration as president, when he delivered his famous “Ask not what your country can do …..” address.

And we can never forget the monumental “miracle of deliverance” that unfolded 76 years ago from the fifth to the thirteenth days within this time frame. During that nine day period over 800 boats of all shapes and sizes embarked on Operation Dynamo, the extraordinary rescue of nearly 340,000 allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France when they were trapped by the German army. It was a seemingly impossible situation that was turned around by the unselfish involvement of ordinary citizens who leaped into the breach to save the lives of all those men who were cornered in a hellish situation.

So what role might “ordinary folks” play at this time? If appropriate and trustworthy leadership is lacking what happens next? It is a question being asked in many, many places – as in the U.S., Turkey, France, Venezuela, Brazil, etc., etc. – in many, many ways at the present time.

What can we do to make the best of the Ok trecena? What can we do to bring in more light and sanity? Perhaps a good place to start would be to conjure up the metaphors provided by the patrons of this time frame – Xipe Tótec, the Lord of Renewal, and Quetzalcóatl, the great embodiment of Life.

This would be an opportune time to reflect on things that might need to be “sloughed off” so that renewal can take place. Are there any thoughts, feelings or actions that are no longer working for you? Are there any thoughts, feelings or actions that can be brought forth to counter the confusion and instability that is currently in place? Any means at all that can emphasize the light, to show the way through the darkness, would be helpful. Remember Dunkirk!! It was a seemingly impossible rescue but it was done! Even the smallest boat helped to save lives! As this “sloughing off”/renewal process gets underway these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Ok (July 23rd) – the “initiation of love, warmth, guidance” – an energy that can be seen as having an ability to shine light on things previously unseen; an ancient Maya Feast Day of Renewal but at the moment predicted to be in place at the peak of the “heat dome”

2 Chuwen (July 24th) – a dynamic type of energy traditionally aligned with creativity, and often involving some kind of “intense heat”. As this is a solar force within a fire-oriented time frame, this energy can trigger intense action. Maya birth energy of the long-running broadcast journalist Morley Safer who died on May 19th at age 84; closing of Comic-Con International 2016.

3 Eb’ (July 25th ) – the activation of “animated vitality”, a pathfinding/stream-of-consciousness type of force, coinciding at this time with the opening of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Also the Maya birth energy of legendary musician Pete Townshend.

4 B’en (July 26th) – a “defining” energy associated with personal authority; a highly consequential force in world history, as this was the energy in place at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Coinciding with the midpoint of the Democratic Convention, this is the 1313th day after the end of the 13th B’aktun, the 13th day of Theresa May’s tenure as the new British P.M., and the 80th anniversary of the unveiling of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. It is also the 73rd Gregorian birthday for rock musician Mick Jagger who is currently expecting his eighth child.

5 Ix (July 27th) – a “blessing” or “precision” type of energy associated with mystery and transformation, as was in place at the opening of the Paris Peace Conference for negotiation of treaty settlements after World War I. Maya Calendar anniversary of the energy in place when the Dunkirk evacuation began during World War II.

6 Men (July 28th) – an “everywhere” type of energy associated with the high vision of the eagle, this time in conjunction with the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, at which time Hillary Clinton will deliver her acceptance speech as the Democratic nominee for President

7 Kib’ (July 29th) – a self-generating type of energy, often associated with an effort to restore order. The 40th anniversary of the roll-out of the space shuttle Enterprise, the first test shuttle of the space shuttle series.

8 Kab’an (July 30th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with “evolutionary” movement, coinciding at this time with Toronto’s huge Caribana parade involving over 16.000 brightly costumed participants. Tzolk’in anniversary of the energy in place at the time of the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

9 Etz’nab’ (July 31st) – representative of “outwardly-projecting” flint, a “spark-oriented” (and even knife-edged) type of energy that can be quite dramatic and consequential, this time coinciding with Vancouver’s Gay Pride Parade and some of the main events of Toronto’s Carnival in the City

10 Kawak (Aug. 1st) – “foundational storm” – an energy associated with intense catalyzation that can manifest in major energy pushes or strong weather systems. Civic Holiday for several Canadian provinces.

11 Ajaw (Aug. 2nd) – an “inspirational sun” or “inspirational enlightenment” Burner Day, coinciding at this time with the New Moon. In 2011 this was the energy in place when the price of gold rose to an unprecedented $1743/oz. on the same day as the sun emitted an Earth-directed X6.9 solar flare.

12 Imix (Aug. 3rd) – a “gathering together” type of force oriented around new beginnings (often “cosmic”), this time coinciding with the opening of the Star Trek 50th anniversary convention in Las Vegas and legendary singer Tony Bennett’s 90th Gregorian birthday

13 Ik’ (Aug. 4th) – transformational wind, breath, and spirit – Maya anniversary of the energy in place during the final day of the enormous Dunkirk rescue operation in 1940.

 

 

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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.]