It formed on a Tuesday afternoon in the late summer of 2005, a swirling mass of energy that was destined to change the lives of thousands of people. As it made its approach through the central days of this Kawak (storm) trecena the warnings that were issued became more and more dire. The message was to leave or face the consequences. That swirling monster, some 400 miles in diameter, dubbed Hurricane Katrina, brought what was feared – utter devastation that affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people as it rampaged through southern Louisiana on a Maya day known as 11 Muluk (“change” in conjunction with shape-shifting water).

Fast forward to late April of 2016, and the arrival once again of the Kawak trecena, bringing the knowledge of which two presidential candidates would be duking it out during the reminder of the race, a scenario that was becoming more horrifying by the day.

Throughout the trecena at that time major storms raged throughout the U.S., bringing historic flooding to the Houston area in Texas. By 11 Muluk a storm of another kind hit northern British Columbia, in the form of the massive Fort McMurray wildfire. One cycle before that this same energy had propelled Cat. 4 Hurricane Hilda towards Hawaii, slammed Typhoon Soudelor into China’s east coast, and ignited the Okanogan fires in Washington state, which became the largest in that state’s history.

And now, as the Kawak trecena returns once again, another “swirling mass” is in sight that will affect the lives of millions, and the world is bracing for its impact. As the day for the “installment” of that “hurricane” approaches much attention will be given to resistance. On 7 Chikchan (Jan. 14th) there will be a massive We Shall Not Be Moved march and rally on the grounds of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. The following day (8 Kimi, the energy that transformed “Tropical Storm” Katrina into a hurricane in 2005) a nationwide pre-inauguration protest will be underway. By 11 Muluk (Jan. 18th) the frenzy will certainly intensify as millions continue with their efforts to make known their objections to the situation that will unfold on the last day of this time frame.

So not only will a storm be churning this time through, but it will bring a tsunami of emotion, and tidal waves of action-oriented energy. Many will do what they did the last time this trecena was in place – as they wept over the loss of Prince. Many will likely recall the words of Prince’s When Doves Cry, with its lyrics that ask “How can you leave me standing alone is a world that’s so cold . . . .” Such lyrics will surely come to mind as the much loved Barack and Michelle Obama make their departure from the White House.

As they were the standard-bearers for hope, diplomacy, decency, integrity, and humanitarianism, this departure will be particularly poignant for legions of people, not only in that country, but for the world as a whole.

So what is the nature of this energy that can uncork so much feeling and trigger so much change? As seen so often in the past this is a strong water-oriented time frame, a period under the auspices of Tláloc, the Aztec god of rain (known as Chac to the Maya). This is a deity who often announces his presence in dramatic, sometimes highly tempestuous ways. It is generally a highly catalytic energy traditionally associated with clouds, lightning, thunder, and heavy rainfall that has the potential to create either a “water blessing” that can purify and transform, or some sort of complete disaster.

The catalyzation process triggered by Chac can take many forms, with much of it being water oriented, with many significant floods having been triggered during past cycles. But it can sometimes also trigger floods of tears, the kinds of tears that accompany unspeakable grief, as happened three cycles ago when that Mayasian Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard suddenly blipped off the radar, leaving a monumental mystery still unsolved.

At the present time it appears that there is a double-storm in the works, both the US political storm and Winter Storm Iras that is pushing snow and ice across the northern US. At the same time Europe is dealing with extreme winter conditions and much of North America as a whole is dealing with challenging weather events.

But Kawak is not always associated with disasters. It can often manifest in passionate calls to action, as could be seen three cycles ago (November 2014) when massive protest rallies that took place in several areas, including Hong Kong, Mexico City, Missouri, Cairo, and Eastern Canada. During its last appearance large rallies associated with the commemoration of significant social actions were staged, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Easter Uprising in Ireland in 1916 and the 130th anniversary of International Workers’ Day.

And that is exactly what is scheduled to happen this time as protestors and resistance groups prepare to make their objections to the new U.S. president and to the GOP agenda known. Slogans such as JOIN-THE–RESISTANCE and #NotMyPresident” will be in abundance. Considerable fuel has been added to this particular call to action from the recent report from U.S. intelligence agencies that revealed that Russia conducted a sophisticated “influence campaign” to “undermine faith in the US democratic process” and discredit Secretary Clinton during the election process, undermining the legitimacy of the election results.

So, once again, this Kawak trecena promises a wild ride with a great deal of turbulence. It is anyone’s guess as to what will be catalyzed, anyone’s guess as to what will be left in its wake. During this time frame these are the energies that will come into play:

1 Kawak (Jan. 8th) – the “initiation” of a “catalytic storm”, at a time when severe winter conditions are blanketing much of the North America and Europe (even the Vatican is frozen), and Winter Storm Iras begins pushing across the Midwest and into the Northeast. Maya birth energy of Princess Diana, coinciding this time with what would have been Elvis Presley’s 82nd Gregorian birthday and David Bowie’s 70th birthday. Opening of the “David Bowie Is” touring exhibition at the Warehouse TERRADA G1 Building in Tokyo. On the last appearance of this energy Prince’s Purple Rain opened in theatres across the U.S. in tribute to him.

2 Ajaw (Jan. 9th) – a dynamic type of energy aligned with the full sun, full power, and the idea of “enlightenment”. Maya birth energy of futurist Alvin Toffler, the author of many global bestsellers such as Future Shock and The Third Wave. Toffler left this world last June 27th, likely of the opinion that even he could never have predicted the things that took place last year. Click here for an overview of his legacy.

3 Imix (Jan. 10th) – the “activation” of “birth” or the realm of all potential, this time coinciding with President Obama’s farewell address to the nation. One year exactly since the world received the shocking news of the death of David Bowie.

4 Ik’ (Jan. 11th) – the “defining” of wind/breath/spirit; an important energy associated with the connection between Quetzalcoatl and the sun, and one of the 5 energies at the centre of the Aztec Sun Stone; precisely three cycles since the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

5 Ak’b’al (Jan. 12th) – the “pinpointing” of deep esoteric mysteries, this time in conjunction with the Full Moon and the first day of the Maha Kumbh Yatra, a major Hindu festival in India; in 2009 under this influence CERN’s Large Hadron Collider accelerated to the highest level ever achieved (up to that point) as part of a test to “unlock the secrets of the origins of the universe”

6 K’an (Jan. 13th) – a “six directions” type of energy aligned with “youthful vitality”, the energy that turned Katrina into a Tropical Storm (pre-hurricane) in 2005 at the same time as it triggered an extreme solar geomagnetic storm.

7 Chikchan (Jan. 14th) – a self-generating Liberation/Lifeforce type of energy, coming into place one year after the death of Alan Rickman, on the sixth anniversary of the beginning (in Tunisia) of the first people power uprising/revolution of the Arab world that became known as the Arab Spring.

Traditionally seen as the daysign of Chicomecóatl, the Aztec Goddess of agriculture (especially maize) which was representative of the more positive aspects of this time frame, with its potential for providing conditions that are favorable for bringing forth nourishment. In 1944 the greatest amphibious assault in history, known as D-Day, took place under this influence, marking the beginning of European liberation. This time 7 Chikchan coincides with the massive We Shall Not Be Moved march and rally on the grounds of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C., which will be led by civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton.

It also coincides with the first day of India’s Makar Sankranti festival, a Hindu astrological “holy phase of transition” event that marks the return of the sun – and light – and wisdom.

8 Kimi (Jan. 15th) – a “resurrection” type of energy associated with “death” or “absolute spiritual foundations” as when Hurricane Katrina was rapidly approaching Louisiana in 2005. This time this energy coincides with a nationwide pre-inauguration protest in the U.S., dubbed a Day of Resistance, where Sen. Bernie Sanders and his allies will be protesting the Republicans’ new agenda nationwide.

9 Manik’ (Jan. 16th) – an “outwardly projecting” type of energy associated with reciprocity, this time coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As it happens this is an important Maya calendar anniversary of the day when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech at the first national integrated civil rights march in the U.S. during the summer of 1963, the largest civil rights rally in U.S. history. So the massive We Shall Not Be Moved march and rally that currently takes place two days before this is directly in keeping with this trecena and this particular anniversary. No doubt Dr. King would approve of the article twenty network and its advocacy of peaceful assembly. In 1983 Prince recorded Purple Rain live under the same energy influence.

10 Lamat (Jan. 17th) “foundational bright star” – a foundational “signalling” type of energy; as seen in August of 2010 when the 33 miners trapped in the Chilean mining cave-in signalled that they were alive. At this time this energy coincides with what is still sometimes celebrated as the “Old Twelvey Night” of Yule (Click here for a lovely article on the custom of wassailing) and the unstoppable Betty White’s 95th birthday.

11 Muluk (Jan. 18th) – the “change” in conjunction with “water” energy that has accompanied many very intense water related events, such as Hurricane Katrina, and even 2016’s ferocious Fort McMurray wildfire. At this particular time the Moon and Jupiter are conjunct.

12 Ok (Jan. 19th) – a “grouping together” energy associated with love, warmth, and guidance – and even fire, on a National Day of Action that will see millions of people engaged in protest demonstrations in cities across the U.S, including protests planned by the DC Anti-Fascist Coalition against Alt-Right “Deplorables”

13 Chuwen (Jan. 20th) – “transformational monkey” or “transformational play”, at the time of the swearing in of the 45th U.S. President. This is an intense and highly creative “time weaving” type of energy, sometimes referred to as “Thirteen Threads”; a powerfully innovative type of force traditionally aligned with play, creativity, and “time-weaving”. This is an energy that can sometimes “trick” one into thinking differently or trying out new possibilities. A major “Festval of Resistance: March Against Trump” will take place on this day in Washington, DC  as tens of thousands march in solidarity to reject racism, sexism, and all forms of oppression. Many (such as MoveOn.org) are expecting protests involving hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, organized by groups such as Democratic Socialists of America and Occupy Inauguration. Indeed, the call to resist is so intense that it extends well beyond the borders of the U.S., advocating demonstrations at US embassies around the world.

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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.]