It’s 1 Aq’ab’al today in the sacred Mayan calendar. The next 13 days are governed by the potent energy of nahual Aq’ab’al, which is the embodiment of the first light of dawn, and it also represents conception. The main spirit animal of this nahual is the bat.

According to Mayan day keepers, these days are good for examining our concepts of and beliefs around (material and spiritual) law and authority, fidelity, order, accuracy, and sexuality.

These 13 days are about working with the innate intelligence mind, cultivating creativity and asking for clarity and understanding. Here’s to intelligence, the power, presence and protection of nature, and cultivating wisdom with the intention of inner growth, from a place of mindfulness.

According to the Mayan cosmovision, the 13-day period that begins tomorrow is ideal for cooperation, community, networking, connections and remembering the truth of interdependence. These are the days to remember that everyone’s destiny is bound up together. These days are superb for exploring our freedom and embodying our purpose.

“When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do, our work takes on the quality of play, and it is play that stimulates creativity.” ~ Linda Naiman

The Maya view time as both linear and cyclical. Intricate mathematics are woven into their calendar systems that stretch into infinity. Time is both now and forever.

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.

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin – all my relations.

I honor you in this circle of life with me today.

I am grateful for this opportunity to acknowledge you in this prayer.

To the Creator, for the ultimate gift of life, I thank you.

Before I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in March, I was pretty clueless about the condition. I soon discovered that intermittent fasting is an ideal way to treat insulin resistance and thereby lower one’s blood glucose level. Plus, it’s free and simple (though not necessarily easy, especially at first).

I inhaled The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally by Dr. Jason Fung. He outlines the causes and effects of diabetes in plain English and with a wry sense of humor. The fact that obesity is a hormonal imbalance, not a caloric one, was a revelation for me.

“Just as a snake sheds its skin, we must shed our past over and over again.” ~ Gautama Buddha

In the Mayan cosmovision, Nahual Kan holds the secrets of the universe. It is represented by the deity Kukulkan—the feathered serpent—who plays an important part in the Mayan creation story. Kan helps us to connect with deep wisdom and awaken our consciousness.

Kan is our intuitive wisdom and natural intelligence, as well as deep emotion and energy. It can thus propel major upheaval and change.