In the sacred Mayan calendar, 7 Q’anil brings a moment of balance, ripening, and spiritual perspective. Q’anil is the nawal of seeds, fertility, growth, creativity, and the quiet intelligence that knows when something is ready to bloom—and when it is time to rest. The number 7 sits at the center of the cycle, offering a pause for reflection, recalibration, and clear seeing. On this day, growth is not about striving forward, but about understanding where you are in the cycle of becoming.
Falling on the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, 7 Q’anil carries added depth. The solstice marks the longest night of the year and the subtle return of the light. It is a sacred threshold where dormancy and promise coexist. Together, 7 Q’anil and the solstice remind us that even in stillness, life is quietly preparing itself for renewal. What is resting now is not gone—it is gathering strength beneath the surface.
“Living life as an artist is a practice.
You are either engaging in the practice or you’re not.
It makes no sense to say you’re not good at it.
It’s like saying, ‘I’m not good at being a monk.’
You are either living as a monk or you’re not.
We tend to think of the artist’s work as the output.
The real work of the artist is a way of being in the world.”
—Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being
One seed I planted back in April was the intention to co-lead a yoga retreat over the New Year with Charles MacInerney, a longtime Austin yoga teacher and former retreat leader at Villa Sumaya. For months, we promoted the retreat and no one signed up. I thought we’d probably end up canceling it. But then, little by little, people did register. Now we will gather with twelve students and two teachers in our retreat circle, which begins in just six days.
Holding space, teaching yoga, and offering Mayan day sign readings during this retreat will be the fruition of a seed planted roughly one full cycle of the sacred calendar ago. Magical. I am so looking forward to ending 2025 and starting 2026 in a mindful, peaceful, devoted, and joyful way.
I keep writing every day without tracking numbers, without worrying about polish or perfection. The practice is simply to show up—to share something about the energy of the day in the Chol Q’ij and how I’m experiencing it, whether through prose or poetry. The work is the way of being. The offering is presence.
Solstice blessings to all!
May the beautiful light within you shine even during the darkest winter nights.
The seed knows when it’s time to sprout.
Leave a Reply