Thirty years ago an amazing find was made at the archaeological site of Copán, Honduras. It was the discovery of the elaborate, and very well preserved, temple of Rosalila (see below). In it were numerous artifacts, including many objects known as eccentric flints, carved devices that functioned both as weapons and as protective items used in sacred rituals. It is the material used in the making of such flints that serves as a metaphor for this energy frame – a material known as chert that is hard, sharp, shiny, and often dazzling – a material used to create objects that can cut, spark, and astonish with their brilliance.

Traditionally aligned with the theme of “sacrifice and separation”, this is a trecena during which duality can often come into play, with Etz’nab’ (Flint) serving as the “knife-edge” between two opposing forces.

As it happens, this trecena opens at this time with the launch of Green Shirt Day in Canada, in memory of a situation that involved great sacrifice and separation in early April last year, in the form of the horrific bus crash that took the lives of 16 young hockey players and severely injured 13 others. The organs of one of those who died were donated to save six lives, becoming an act that has inspired others to register as donors. So as One Etz’nab’ comes into play at this time this energy is drawing attention to that tragic event while simultaneously shedding light on one meaningful way to turn grief into positive action.

One of the things that this time frame has a tendency to do is to bring issues into stark focus in dramatic ways. Often the events that have taken place during this time frame have been either dazzling or just plain shocking, as was the case six cycles ago (in 2015) when the horrific terrorist attack on journalists and cartoonists took place at the headquarters of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, prompting hundreds of thousands of people in cities worldwide to take to the streets to stand in solidarity against the attack. “Je Suis Charlie” became a rallying cry of defiance.

Just over 200 years ago this was the trecena in place at the time of Napoléon Bonaparte’s downfall in 1814. After he and his army had been driven back to France the Etz’nab’ trecena became a key time frame for his abdication and exile, beginning with One Etz’nab, with the French Senate passing a resolution to depose him. Towards the end of the trecena Napoléon was required to sign The Treaty of Fontainebleau that ended his rule as Emperor of France.

There is often a tendency at this time for situations to arise that require people to face their dilemmas and make important decisions. Sometimes those decisions have to be instantaneous, as in 2010 when Haiti was struck by a devastating 7.0 earthquake, and again in 2012 when this trecena forced tens of thousands of people on the U.S. east coast to face the daunting task of rebuilding homes, lives, and communities after the onslaught of Superstorm Sandy. In 2014 the Ukrainian government began mobilizing its military for “large scale anti-terrorist operations” during this period after a day of violence in eastern Ukraine when government buildings in several cities were seized by heavily armed, masked pro-Russian activists. At that time the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting as this crisis was seen as being “the brink of civil war”.

Early in 2017 this trecena fomented a number of huge anti-Trump strikes, including the F17 general strike (the “National Day of Action to Push Back Against Assaults on Democratic Principles”), the nationwide “Not My President’s Day” protest marches, and the massive “A Day Without Latinos, Immigrants, and Refugees” demonstrations. During this trecena’s second appearance later that year it brought the Refuse Fascism protests to cities across the U.S., as part of an agenda to “unleash a process of continuous protest” towards the achievement of the unseating of the Trump administration.

During that same time frame there were massive climate change protests in Germany and the start of a major political shake-up, referred to as the “Saudi Arabian purge”, when a number of prominent Saudi princes, government officials, and business people were arrested.

At the present time the crisis in Venezuela continues to escalate with massive protests underway both for and against President Madura, amid rising anger over power blackouts and the scarcity of food, water, and medical supplies. Similarly, conflict has also broken out again near Tripoli, Libya’s capital, between pro-government forces and rebel fighters. With the head of the UN-backed government having accused the leader of the rebel forces of launching a coup, just the day before this trecena begins, tensions are extremely high in that region. Under these circumstances thousands in both countries will be walking the “knife-edge” of this trecena as the various dualities square off.

Worldwide there are a number of important elections coming up during this time frame, including in Israel, India, and Alberta. There are also important decisions to be made regarding Brexit, which appears to be almost “paralyzed” at the moment, but whatever decisions are finally made will have huge implications for the EU and the UK. In addition, there are important matters coming to a head in the US as battles over Trump’s tax returns, the Mueller report, and a variety of subpoenas become focal points in Congress. With regard to the Mueller report, members of Mueller’s team have indicated over the past couple of days that the evidence they gathered on obstruction of justice was “alarming and significant” – much more “acute” than Attorney-General Barr has said. With hints of this kind coming out there is no doubt that the fight to get the full content of the actual report released to Congress and the public will intensify significantly during this period. And then there are the various lawsuits that have been filed with regard to the so-called “national emergency”. So, as usual during this period, this will be another “be prepared for anything” kind of time frame that has the potential to trigger sudden shifts and foment situations that could involve sparks, “shock and awe”, and highly consequential decision-making.

Given that this is an energy frame that can bring into sharp focus things that may be in need of attention – as in areas where decisions may need to be made – this is a good time to weigh options, and to attend to issues that might involve the separation of “right” from “wrong”, “good” from “bad”, “sick” from “healthy”, and other such opposites. This is an opportune time to work with the “knife- edge” energies pushing through the Etz’nab’ trecena to cut away whatever no longer “works” or make adjustments that could lead to new forms of thought or action. Also a great time to “clean house” (both physically and metaphorically) in preparation for the “creation” energies that will flow through the trecena that will follow. For this current period these are the energies that will be in play:

1 Etz’nab’ (April 7th) – the “initiation” of Flint, a sparkling, attention-getting “shock and awe” type of energy that can dazzle and/or divide and separate. Three cycles ago this energy coincided with the massive “Day Without Immigrants” strike by foreign-born residents of the U.S., at which time hundreds of businesses and services were shut down as protestors took to the streets in a strike that highlighted the contributions of immigrants. On that same day Trump held a press conference that was seen by many as an unhinged “marathon rant”. In 1814 this was the energy in place on the day when the French Senate passed a resolution to depose Napoléon.

Currently this is the launch of Green Shirt Day for Organ Donor Awareness in honour of Logan Boulet, one of the young hockey players who succumbed to his injuries from the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash in Saskatchewan last year. Logan’s donation of organs were used to save six lives, an act that has inspired others to register as donors. This is also World Health Day  with this year’s theme being “Universal Health Coverage: everyone, everywhere”. But given the continuing battle for health care in the US (including the recent announcement by the current White House administration that they want to “kill” the Affordable Care Act, which would take health care away from some 21 million people) this idea of Universal Health is still a distant dream for far too many people.

In Rwanda this nation will begin a week of commemorative activities and the start of 100 days of mourning, to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of the genocide that took the lives of some 800,000 people. It will begin with President Kagame lighting a flame at the memorial and then leading a silent vigil when the country will fall silent in remembrance. This will be attended by a number of foreign leaders.

In China this day will be celebrated as the Double Third (or Shangsi) Festival that involves the invocation of cleansing rituals to prevent disease and get rid of bad luck. The festival is also known as The Banquet of Peaches of Immortality.

2 Kawak (April 8th) – “dynamic storm, catalyzation”, often manifested as the “generation of a storm of compassion” – a highly cause-oriented energy often fueled by strong emotion or great passion.

It was under this influence four cycles ago (in June of 2016) that Hillary Clinton launched a scathing attack on Trump, saying that he would be an historic mistake as “he cannot do the job”. Referring to his bizarre rants and outright lies, she called him “dangerously incoherent’ and warned against what he might trigger. Precisely one cycle later (in Feb. 2017) a nationwide General Strike/National Day of Action  was held in the U.S. at the same time as The Washington Post unveiled their new slogan: “Democracy Dies in Darkness”, a phrase often used by Washington Post editor Bob Woodward after Trump called mainstream media outlets the “enemies of the people”. Then, two cycles ago (November 2017) the Refuse Fascism activist group promoted a number of anti-Trump events in cities across the U.S., as part of their “continuous protest” agenda aimed at unseating the Trump administration. One cycle ago this energy brought a warning from the head of the IMF to G20 leaders meeting in South America that the tariffs that Trump was imposing on various countries would harm global economy.

Currently this energy will accompany the kick-off of Austria’s annual Snowbombing music festival, called the leading music festival on snow, at the height of almost 8500 ft.

3 Ajaw (April 9th) – the “Activation of Enlightenment” – an important Burner Day oriented around the idea of “announcing the fire”; traditionally this is a point where clarity can suddenly break through, with Ajaw’s “full sun” illuminating things that previously may have been hidden. Four cycles since an email was sent to Trump Jr. that revealed that “The Crown prosecutor of Russia . . . offered to provide the Trump campaign with some offical documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to Trump.” In 1814 this was the energy in place when Napoléon abdicated the throne.

Currently this is the day of the general elections in Israel, where Netanyahu is being challenged by Israel’s former military chief Benny Gantz who has warned that “Netanyahu is a corrupt man who is destroying the country” and that “democracy is at stake in this election”. Many are also concerned about the potential of Palestinians boycotting the elections.

4 Imix (April 10th) – representative of the sun working with the waters of creation to bring something new into being, this is a “defining” type of energy associated with “birth” (ie. a “whole new world” or a “whole new way of thinking”). On this day EU leaders are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to consider May’s “new plan” if there is one, or to decide what to do about the UK before the EU council meeting on the 12th. This is also the due date for the IRS to hand over 6 years worth of Trump’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee, and is the opening day for the enormous London Book Fair and for the Women in the World Summit in New York City.

And right in line with the “cosmic/universe-oriented ” nature of this energy, this is the day when the U.S. National Science Foundation is scheduled to announce “a groundbreaking result from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project” which involved over 200 people working internationally to take the first photograoh of a black hole. It is anticipated that this photograph will be unveiled at this time.

Two Calendar Rounds (2 x 52 years) since the birth of Orson Wells in 1915, known for his innovative work in many fields, including acting, directing, writing, and producing.

5 Ik’ (April 11th) – the “blessing” of wind, breath, and spirit – an energy that could enhance communication and perhaps even assist with bringing clarity or the idea of “hope” with regard to critical issues or events, coinciding at this time with the first day of voting in India’s massive election that will be held in seven phases. This is also the day of the planned lunar landing of the privately-funded Beresheet space probe.

And for party-goers, this is the opening day
for the French Quarter festival in New Orleans, a festival that began in 1984.

Two Calendar Rounds since the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 which led to the U.S. entering WWI.  Three cycles since the nationwide “Not My President’s Day” protest marches across the U.S. in 2017 just after the inauguration.

6 Ak’b’al (April 12th) – a “structuring” type of energy sometimes associated with “home and/or sanctuary”, but also “the darkness before dawn”. The day when the UK will have to indicate whether they are going to push a deal through or at least “indicate a way forward”, with regard to Brexit. The British parliament has recently cleared the way for Theresa May to request an extension. Closing day for Women in the World Summit.

Bernie Sanders’ Maya birthday and Mick Jagger’s 75th Gregorian birthday. Mick is now recovering from his recent heart valve surgery and is still planning to go on tour again this summer.

7 K’an (April 13th) – “self-generating germination”, situated at the pivotal middle point in this “knife-edged” trecena, coinciding at this time with Songkran – the Thai New Year water-throwing festival (representing purification and the washing away of bad luck), as well as the Water Sprinkling Festival in China. The annual Vaisaki Day parade takes place in Vancouver at this time, and in Holland it is Bloemencorso weekend, with its fabulous flower parades.

Four cycles since Hillary Clinton became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a day referred to as an historic milestone for women. By “coincidence” this is also the Maya birth energy of Chelsea Manning, the former US soldier who was imprisoned for seven years for leaking classified intelligence information to Wikileaks, some of which was released just before the 2016 election, which turned the tide against Clinton, resulting in Trump’s election.

8 Chikchan (April 14th) – the “resurrection of Lifeforce”, the day of Vaisaki (Sikh spring festival and Punjabi New Year, but there will be another festival in this regard at the beginning of the next trecena). Maya birth energy of American journalist Matt Taibbi, author of the bestselling Insane Clown President (2016).

9 Kimi (April 15th) – the “outward projection of death/new foundations”, this time coinciding with the Boston Marathon and the public holiday in North Korea called The Day of the Sun, an anniversary of the founder and first leader of North Korea, annually celebrated with a large military parade. Thirteen cycles since the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. This is also the first day of the International Rebellion demonstrations, part of the Extinction Rebellion activism plan to demand greater governmental action with regard to climate change.

Maya birth energy of Freddie Mercury, Queen’s iconic front man, whose story was told in the multiple award-winning movie Bohemian Rhapsody, released last year. Rami Malek, the actor who played the role of Freddie in this movie won the Academy Award for Best Actor (among other awards) this past February.

10 Manik’ (April 16th) – the bare-bones/foundational energy of “source” combined with that of the sun-carrying Deer, symbolic of reciprocity but also sacrifice, coinciding at this time with the general elections in Alberta. Maya birth energy of Jamal Khashoggi, the columnist for The Washington Post who was assassinated at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul last year. This was also the energy in place in 2015 at the time of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris on what was called “the darkest day in the history of the French press”. In 1814 this was also a dark day for Napoléon when officials from the Austrian Empire, Russia, and Prussia got together to sign The Treaty of Fontainebleau that stripped Napoléon of his powers as ruler of the French Empire.

11 Lamat (April 17th) – a “bright light” kind of energy that often heralds something new, this is a force that can sometimes bring a sudden shift as when Napoléon was getting ready to abdicate after signing The Treaty of Fontainebleau just prior to his exile in 1814, and when women received the right to vote and hold elected office in Manitoba in 1916. Two cycles since Trump Jr. was exposed for having secret contacts with Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. One cycle since the start of the Paul Manafort trial in Virginia last summer on charges of tax fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy.

Currently this is the day when the London Transport Disruption protests are scheduled to begin, with the intention that this will last for at least a week as part of this April’s climate change actions.  As this begins this will mark five cycles since the launch of the UN’s sustainable development agenda called “The 2030 Agenda” which was seen as “the new universal agenda for humanity” aimed at bringing an end to world poverty and biodiversity loss. But that was in 2015 and millions are concerned that far too little has been done to address the issue of climate change.

12 Muluk (April 18th) – a “pulling together” or “grouping together” type of energy associated with water, a good time for people to find ways to be adaptable and to “put heads together” to search for new pathways or find new solutions to problems, coinciding at this time with World Heritage Day, also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, with this year’s theme being Rural Landscapes. Start of a three-day conference on this topic in Mexico City.  In Washington DC at this time  this is the day when the Mueller report (or some variation of it) is due to be released.

In 1814 Napoléon tried to end his own life under this energy influence, after his abdication.

13 Ok (April 19th) – associated with “transformational love” or “transformational fire”, this is an energy that holds the potential to be a real “scorcher”. This energy can manifest as the final big push away from “sacrifice and separation” towards greater freedom, creativity, and integration, as seen in the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution in 1783. Currently this energy coincides with the Full Pink Moon (heralding the appearance of Spring’s pink ground phlox) – aka the “Sprouting Grass Moon”, with Good Friday, with the Birthday of the God of Wealth (Zhao Gongming) in China, and with the beginning of the Jewish celebration of Passover.

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[Please note that the brief descriptions of the days provided above are only “thumbnail sketches”. Much greater detail can be found in Manual for the Soul: A Guide to the Energies of Life.]