You cannot allow yourself to live limited when the power of liberation is within you.
One day, Elder Ramón was speaking out loud, not addressing anyone in particular. He would say, “This is as far as I go,” “Enough.” When asked if he was angry, he replied that in life we all reach a limit, but we have grown used to accepting many things that harm us, that prevent us from moving forward; even more, they make us lose our lives as we fall into conformity, routine, mere survival. That is why I am upset, he said. I am not clear; I have lost determination around my goals, although there are many who do not even have one.
Today is Tijax, he told us, and this day the energies support us in cutting through every limit. What is most curious is that these limits are ones we place on ourselves, because it is easier to say, “it can’t be done.” These words are the gateway to laziness, neglect, conformity, routine, and a life without interest or meaning. Ajaw Tijax gives us the strength to cut through, to straighten what traps us or what has been imposed on us, from limits to negative thoughts. This is a special day to remove what no longer serves us. It also allows us to open new paths and tear through the veils of true knowledge; it is the energy that opens spaces toward parallel dimensions and fullness.
No puedes permitirte vivir limitado cuando el poder de la liberación está dentro de ti.
Un día el Abuelo Ramón hablaba en voz alta y sin dirigirse directamente a nadie; decía: “Hasta aquí llegué”, “Basta”… Al preguntarle si estaba enojado, respondió que en la vida uno llega a un límite, pero nos hemos acostumbrado a aceptar muchas cosas que nos hacen daño, que nos impiden avanzar; es más, nos hacen perder la vida y nos entra el conformismo, la rutina, el sobrevivir. Por eso estoy molesto, aseveró. No estoy claro, he perdido la determinación de mis objetivos, aunque hay muchos que ni siquiera tienen uno.
Hoy es Tijax, nos dijo, y este día las energías nos apoyan para cortar todo límite. Lo más curioso es que estos límites nos los ponemos nosotros mismos, porque es más cómodo decir “es que no se puede”; estas palabras son la antesala a la pereza, a la dejadez, al conformismo, a la rutina, a una vida sin interés y sentido. Ajaw Tijax nos da la fuerza para cortar, para enderezar lo que nos atrapa o lo que nos han impuesto, desde límites hasta pensamientos negativos. Este día es especial para retirar lo que no nos sirve. Además, nos permite abrir nuevos caminos y rasgar los velos del verdadero conocimiento; es la energía que abre los espacios hacia las dimensiones paralelas, a la plenitud.
Today, the power of Oxib’ Aj manifests, the Ch’umil who at the moment of creation emerges to lay the foundations. Its energy creates the conditions for the planetary systems and galaxies to take shape, so that everything in the Universe and on Earth finds its place, its foundation. This is the essence of Aj: to establish and sustain. It is the structures that uphold this reality and strengthen our being, the pillars that support us and connect us with the whole.
Today, we receive the wisdom of Keb’ E, the guardian of paths and destinies. The energy that wove the fabric of space and time yesterday now finds direction, a path. E embodies the infinite expansion of the universe. Within the chain of creation, this Ch’umil arises to open the pathways that energies will follow to shape reality. The Chilam B’alam of Chumayel tells us that Keb’ E created the first stairway for the supreme energy to come down through the sky and through the water.
In creation, everything is interconnected, a sequence where each of the twenty energies arrived to shape reality. While each of these energies carries its own power, wisdom, and unique qualities, we should not observe them only as separate entities, but also as part of a whole, as they are all interconnected.
Today, on this last day of the Tijax trecena, we embark on a path leading to a twenty-day period that begins tomorrow under the energy of Jun B’atz’, preparing us to welcome a new Cholq’ij cycle. This final day of the trecena is accompanied by Oxlajuj Tz’i’, reminding us that our life’s journey is sacred, that we are here to express our true selves and live each moment as if it were the only one. We are the authors of our destiny, the ones responsible for our existence and what we make of it. Our purpose is to dare to live the life we long for—the one that guides us toward our purpose, bringing us closer to our deepest essence and divinity.
Today, we are guided by the energies of Toj, which symbolizes the power of fire; Kab’lajuj, representing community and unity; and the trecena of Tijax, which opens paths to healing. Reflecting on this energy, I felt inspired to share one of the teachings of my father, Carlos Barrios. He often spoke of fire, the hearth, as the heart of the home, a force that united us and accompanied humanity for thousands of years. Around the fire, we listened to the wisdom of our elders, came together as one, nourished each other with knowledge, and passed down our stories. But we replaced it with artificial light. Today, we find ourselves far from that force that once formed the foundation of our greatness. Yet this day offers us an invitation: to light a candle or a small hearth, to gather around it, to share, and to reconnect as family, as brothers and sisters. Let us take a moment to communicate, to give thanks, and to ignite the spark of love that unites us. May this fire bring warmth to the spirit of our home and open us to the light, healing, unity, and the magic gifted to us by the Sacred Grandfather Fire.
The number Julajuj reminds us of the perfection in every lesson we’ve received on the journey of life, inspiring us to give thanks for the seeds of abundance, love, happiness, and knowledge we’ve harvested—seeds that embody the energy of Q’anil. Today is a day to give thanks for Mother Earth, for the sustenance she provides us each day, and to ask for forgiveness for the harm we have caused her through our unconsciousness. It is a day to thank those who plant and harvest the foods that nourish our bodies and beings. To give thanks for the seed that our children, grandchildren, and all our descendants represent. To express gratitude for every idea, every project, every relationship that has blossomed in our lives. On this day, we can offer a candle in gratitude for all that life gifts us each day.
Today we are guided by Kej, represented by the deer with one leg in each of the four directions. This speaks to us of balance, of the energies of the four quadrants that divide space-time, the four elements, and the four manifestations of our being (physical-spiritual, mental-emotional), all of which converge at a single point. The magic of this point is that it is where all our strength is concentrated. In this moment, Kej converges with Lajuj, whose energy, when activated, drives us to reach our purposes.
When we find ourselves making too much effort to hold on to something, it might be a sign that it isn’t meant for us. Letting go of what doesn’t belong to us creates space for the new. Life always offers beautiful possibilities, but we need to release what isn’t ours to sustain. Our inner self holds the wisdom to guide us in what we need to let go of; it’s just about listening to ourselves with honesty, observing which parts of our lives feel blocked, and asking if what we’re doing truly contributes to our happiness.
Aq’ab’al represents light and dark—two opposing yet harmonious energies that complement each other to form a whole. Similarly, every human being carries opposing characteristics seeking integration. To experience wholeness, we must approach ourselves honestly, shedding light on the aspects we need to observe and address rather than remaining in unconscious patterns. As we identify and inhabit what we feel, we can bring it to a state of harmony. Yet, when we deny or reject these aspects, they return more persistently and instead of finding harmony and wholeness, we become further entrapped in conflict. Let us honor and work with every part of ourselves, for it shapes who we are and unlocks the possibilities of who we can become.