Connect with your Inner Healer: the Tijax Trecena

Tijax translates to “obsidian blade” and “sacrifice” in the Mayan language. The black crystal, obsidian, is razor sharp yet delicate. It cuts through to the core, shearing away delusion, illusion, and disease.

This is the nahual of suffering and healing alike, and it represents both the warrior and the healer. It can be a challenging, double-edged sword kind of a day. Equally, Tijax days tend to illuminate the truth and encourage powerful healing.

The 13 days spanning the latter half of July are ruled by Tijax. This is a period that pertains to recognizing who we truly are, where we need healing, and what we’re ready to let go of.

It’s about cutting through to the truth of the matter.

According to The Serpent and the Jaguar by Birgitte Rasine:

“Like the sharp edge of an obsidian knife, truth can indeed cause pain to those not ready or willing to embrace it, but when utilized with wisdom, integrity and honor, the initial pain will give way to strength, character, and confidence—and great personal freedom. Truth heals.”

My mother’s birth sign is 9 Tijax. When I found that out, it made so much sense. She has a sharp tongue and often uses sarcasm in a cutting way. Maybe in some other dimension she’s a divine feminine healer, but not so much in this reality. Our relationship has been fraught with difficulty since my adolescence; to this day, it’s a struggle.

I emulated her, as a child will naturally tend to do. I too use sarcasm in my humor, though much less than I used to because I now see the harm it can inflict. My mom is also a proponent of all things mainstream America, as in pro-military, pro-Democrat, pro-capitalism, and pro-Christianity.

Although we differ greatly, she is my mother and I love her—and I choose to live thousands of miles away from her and my hometown, in another country. That is my truth, and the slower-paced, more natural life I lead here is a healing balm for which I’m grateful every day.

In The Book of Destiny, Carlos Barrios writes that Tijax is “the energy of synchronicity, orientation, and navigation” that has “the power to cut through mysteries.” He lists the swordfish, owl, and toucan as the spirit animals of Tijax.

Tijax is a great day for sculpting, editing, and removing what is no longer necessary or beneficial. Here’s to the truth, power, and protection of obsidian, and cutting away all that is false, unnecessary, or evil with the highest intention of healing from a place of love—for ourselves and all sentient beings.

The following 13 days comprise the upcoming Tijax trecena. What is true for you in this moment of the eternal now?

1 Tijax: July 15
Start a new quest, step on a new path of healing, let go of the obstacles and resistance that hold you back.

2 Kawoq: July 16
Ask yourself what sacrifices need to be made and how to birth a new version of yourself.

3 Ajpu: July 17
Connect with your inner teacher and your innately divine nature through meditation and family connections.

4 Imox: July 18
Bring a dream into physical reality with clarity; connect with any natural body of water.

5 Iq: July 19
Put effort into communication and work with your imagination.

6 Aq’ab’al: July 20
Bring new concepts and ideas to light to stabilize them.

7 K’at: July 21
Choose what to carry forward and what to let go in the physical and emotional sense; decide what to keep and what to give away.

8 Kan: July 22
Honor learning, power, and wisdom teachers through ceremony; connect with your body’s energy.

9 Kame: July 23
Face your fears and stand up to your demons; connect with the power of the ancestors and the divine feminine.

10 Kej: July 24
Connect with wilderness and the beauty of nature. Great day for community connections.

11 Q’anil: July 25
Focus on creative ripening and joyfulness in many directions.

12 Toj: July 26
Pay off debts, give back, and make offerings based on reflecting on your life’s journey.

13 Tz’i: July 27
Cultivate unconditional love, faith, and justice through connecting with Spirit and the ancestors.

Did you know I'm a writer for Elephant Journal? If you’d like to support my work, please view this article there and heart, share and/or comment on it!