Q’anil symbolizes fertility; it is the day of the seeds and the semen, of our reproductive organs, of life and creation. Number 9 reflects the feminine energy; it is an auspicious day for women. Light a white candle to ask the energy of this day for the protection of pregnant women, for the strength of the babies in their womb and for the women who are trying to get pregnant.
8 Kej – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Kej is the energy that protects the natural world; it is the deer that stands firmly in its four legs, thus it represents balance. Number 8 is filled with physical energy and it is auspicious for men. Today stand firmly on the ground and allow it power to recharge you; raise your arms to the sky to absorb the cosmic energies
7 Kame – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Kame has the power of our ancestors; it represents our mission and actions before the Creator and Maker, who has all the knowledge. Number 7 projects intuition, analysis and introspection. The ancient traditions that have managed to survive are those that honored their ancestors and learned from their teachings and their wisdom. This is the time for us to develop our knowledge and understand our transcendence in life, understand that we are leaving a legacy for future generations. Your contribution to the community is very valuable.
6 Kan – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Kan symbolizes the strength of the Universe, the power and force of the serpent; however, today it converges with number 6 that represents imbalances that may affect us in the physical world. Watch your level of energy, for this day may bring energetic highs and lows. Ask Nawal Kan to balance your energy, and connect to Ajpu, the Nawal that rules over this trecena (thirteen days), to obtain the strength of the spiritual warrior.
5 K’at – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
K’at symbolizes the net that can be thrown into the water to fish or that can be used to entangle our own selves; it means that everyone shapes their own thoughts either in a positive or in a negative way. Number 5 is an energy that allows you to achieve anything you set your mind to. On this day you can catch all your dreams if you believe it, if you use your thoughts to attract and trap positive things.
4 Aq’ab’al – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Aq’ab’al symbolizes the dawn; it is the first rays of Sun that bring light, that bring a new day and a renewing energy. Number 4 represents balance and stability. Use the power of number 4 so that harmony and balance prevail in everything you do during this day. Aq’ab’al brings a renewing force that will regenerate you. Today great opportunities might come your way.
The Legend of Maximon
This article is presented in honor of Maximon’s birthday, which occurs on October 28th.
Ri Laj Mam/Maximon, The Native American Saint
There are different versions of the story about the Native American Saint known as Ri Laj Mam or Maximon. One of them comes from the story of Ri Laj Mam and the Sacred Tz’ite Tree¹. During the Spanish conquest, all Maya rituals had to be disguised behind the Catholic religion. The Elders used the Cofradias (brotherhoods) to protect and preserve their culture, costumes, spirituality and hierarchy. Amongst other sacred images, the Cofradias worshiped the Sacred Tz’ite Tree, which was hidden behind typical cloths, scarves and a mask, emulating catholic saints. Offerings of incense, candles, tobacco, maize beverages, and cacao – all sacred elements to Maya spirituality – were given to this image.
Long ago, shortly after the conquest, lived a respectable Elder known as Ri Laj Mam. This Wiseman possessed superior knowledge and power. Upset by the abuses that the Spaniards were committing against his people, Ri Laj Mam decided to encourage them to rise up against their oppressors and put an end to this situation. The Spaniards, worried about the revolution that Ri Laj Mam was starting to provoke, sent a large regiment to capture and imprison him. Ri Laj Mam, however, possessed great magic and every time he was arrested he managed to escape and continue his work. The Spaniards couldn’t believe it! Unable to keep him in custody, the captors brought in some Tlaxcaltec sorcerers. When the sorcerers were asked them to guard him through the night, Ri Laj Mam was unable to escape. The following day they took him to the park, where he was decapitated and his head was displayed to send a message and establish a precedent. But the spirit of Ri Laj Mam appeared in the four corners of the park, strongly encouraging the people to put an end to the abuses of the oppressors. It was at that moment the Elders understood that they should speak to the spirit of Ri Laj Mam and remind him of their Grandfathers’ prophecy. They had to ask Ri Laj Mam to stop because his actions would only lead to the complete annihilation of their tradition. They knew that for the moment they had to accept the situation and endure this period of darkness. The time would come in which light and wisdom would return. Ri Laj Mam understood and asked the Elders to search for a tree that would take his spirit. When they found it they cut the tree in four pieces and took them to the four corners of the country (Guatemala) so that Ri Laj Mam could continue his mission as protector of his people and the tradition. The Tz’ite was the tree that accepted the honor taking the energy of Ri Laj Mam.
The second part of the story is as follows: Over the course of time the image of Maximon or San Simon has arisen, originating from Ri Laj Mam, which serves as its Western representation.
Long after Ri Laj Mam, by the end of the 19th century, Don Francisco Zojbel (who was also known as Ximon) dedicated his efforts to protect the people, who were suffering abuses by the hand of the governor. Don Francisco was the son of an influential Spanish father and a Maya mother. He was appointed to serve as judge. At the moment he assumed this important position he immediately began setting things right, including revoking the privileges that the governor’s friends had been given and reducing their excesses. He also returned the land back to those who had been stripped of it and protected the Maya tradition. All of his actions, of course, enraged the rich and powerful people, who tried to have Don Francisco assassinated several times, with no success. Word of these events spread and there were rumors circulating about Don Francisco Zojbel being the Ri Laj Mam who had returned to protect his people once again. After he died, effigies of him where made. It was known that during his life Don Francisco was a renowned ladies man who liked to smoke cigars and stay out late drinking. This makes him a very human saint, who understands our nature, our weaknesses and our needs. Offerings of cigars and liquor are still given to Maximon.
The story of Don Francisco (Ximon) and Ri Laj Mam were linked, since people thought that they were both the same being.
Soon this Native American Saint was known as Maximon, a combination of Mam and Ximon.
¹The Sacred Tz’ite or Coral tree gives the seeds used for divination by the Maya Ajq’ijab’ or Spiritual guides.
3 Iq’ – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Iq’ is the spirit of the wind, the element that governs ideas and nourishes the mind. Number 3 symbolizes communication and creation; it is the number that represents the children. This is a good day to nourish the minds of our children, to help them discover their creative side by using their imagination and to develop their own ideas.
Indigenous People’s Day + Nonextractive Wisdom
As we celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, we have an opportunity to recognize the immense sacrifice that has been made by Indigenous Peoples around the world to retain their identity, sacred places, languages, knowledge and wisdom. Here we will focus for a moment on the wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, and its immense importance at this time.
True knowledge and wisdom can not be bought, nor can it be sold. It can not be owned or patented, it is a gift of the creator that comes to us, lives within us, passes through us. But it can be respected an honored. To do this, we can honor the source of this wisdom, and the lives it has traveled through to reach us. We must care for it, take responsibility to do the best we can with it, to make the lives of those around us better by fulfilling our purpose in this life. With this, we can not look to extract knowledge and wisdom from a people the same way we have extracted land, resources and lives from them. We can not take the gifts we have received and look to sell them for profit, as it will turn this gift of wisdom into dust.
Today, let us remember the sacred knowledge, the wisdom that has been bestowed upon us, and be grateful for what we have received. Let us honor the path this knowledge has taken, and those that have sacrificed to keep the lineages alive. Let us remember that not long ago, we all lived as Indigenous people in all parts of the world, and by supporting the Indigenous people of today’s world to remain vital in their lands, with their languages, cultures, knowledge, and wisdom we help to keep alive hope for our collective future.
Please take a moment to read this excellent piece by Naomi Klein interviewing Leanne Simpson in YES! Magazine:
Dancing the World into Being: A Conversation with Idle No More’s Leanne Simpson
2 Imox – Today’s Maya Day Sign (Nawal)
Imox puts the mind in a receptive mode; it provides you the power to understand the messages of universe. Number 2 creates a link between the material and the spiritual. Connect to the energy of 2 Imox; use its power to understand the messages that come to you through dreams, ask the energies of the day that your mind will become a tool through which you will be able to create your reality.