MaYan calendar today
The 20 Day-Signs
The 20-day MONTH
The Maya 20 day-signs are usually found in the ancient manuscripts drawn in a circular manner using the color green, without any interior fill color.
A friend Jerry Trutwin in Minnesota cataloged hundreds of drawing examples of the 20 Maya day-signs and allowed me to study them in 1998.
For each day-sign I saw similar unique features.
Next, on my computer using Corel Draw, I re-created the 20 day-signs using a grid based on the 3:5 “golden ratio” of sacred geometry.
After creating the 3:5 ratio grid, it was obvious where any circles should be placed and where any lines or curves should be placed to create each day-sign.
The Four Colors
The Mayan Calendar becomes simple to learn and use just by understanding its 4-color code:
Anytime you see the color RED, a new cycle is beginning, a new initiation is happening, a new birth is taking place.
RED = New cycle, initiation, new birth.
Anytime you see the color WHITE, whatever was initiated or birthed with the Red is now being shaped or influenced.
WHITE = shape, influence
Anytime you see the color BLUE, whatever influences shaping what was birthed is now multiplying, expanding and repeating.
BLUE = multiply, expand, repeat
Anytime you see the color YELLOW, whatever was birthed, shaped and multiplied is now completing as a set pattern and code.
YELLOW = ripen, encode, completion
The Day-signs are Grouped By Color
The 20 day-signs cross-reference each other by color. To understand the meaning of any day-sign, we must look at the four other day-signs that share the same color.
The Five 4-Day Cycles
The 20-day Mayan month is segmented into FIVE 4-day cycles.
Each of the 4-day segments are a set of four days bonded together like a team, and are actually 4-day units of time, or 4-day journeys.
Each of the 4-day sets are connected together like “one big day” or journey that take 4 days to complete.
First 4-day group set
DRAGON
imix
(Nurtures, Birth)
When you see the red DRAGON creature day-sign, a new 20-day Mayan Month is just beginning. Also, the first 4-day cycle is beginning, a new initiation is beginning, a new birth of some type is happening.
The DRAGON key words are: renew, originate, rebirth
Notice the upper half-circle is “dark,” kind of like the SUN, the previous day-sign from which the DRAGON creature is burthed from, is having an eclipse and the light is being blocked, creating shade momentarily, in its time. Deep inside, darkness forms to life.
The 1st day sign, associated with primordial waters and the Earth crocodile floating in cosmic seas, represents beginnings, nurturing and raw creation energy. Often linked to the Water Lily and the fertile darkness from which life emerges
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renew, originate, rebirth
WIND
ik
(Communicates, Spirit)
When you see the white WIND day-sign, whatever was initiated or birthed with the red DRAGON is now being shaped or influenced by many factors, seen and unseen emotional and spiritual essences, and multiple karmic influences within our universe.
The WIND key words are: spirit, shape, essence
The breath of life and the invisible movement. Ix governs communication, ideas, inspiration and the sacred breath. It can bring change swiftly like a gust or stagnation when blocked. Associated with the Maya god of wind.
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spirit, breathe, essence
NIGHT
akbal
(Dreams, Abundance)
When you see the blue NIGHT day-sign, whatever influences shaping what was birthed on DRAGON creature day and shaped on WIND day is now multiplying, expanding and repeating.
The NIGHT key words are: waves, build, template
The Aztec meaning of this day-sign is House or Temple. Many Maya “temples” are also observatories to view the night sky. Holes are placed in the ceilings to identify key star alignments.
So a temple is a “template” built to record repeating patterns, similar waves of time.
Notice the “waves” at the bottom of the NIGHT day-sign and the upper curved triangles that match the blue MONKEY day-sign.
NIGHT is also one of the four “Year Bearer” day-signs. We are currently in a blue NIGHT 13-year cycle of time.
The darkness before dawn and the sanctuary of the home, Akbal represents the unseen, dreams, intuition and the fertile void. It is the day of stillness and inner visions, when secrets and mysteries reveal themselves, in waves.
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wave, build, template
SEED
kan
(Targets, Flowering)
When you see the yellow SEED day-sign, whatever was birthed on DRAGON day, shaped on WIND day and multiplied on NIGHT day is now completing as a set pattern and code.
The SEED key words are: channel, plant, code
The germinal life force, Kan signifies abundance, potential and the stored energy waiting to sprout. It relates to fertility, crops and the gathering of resources.
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channel, plant, code
Second 4-day group set
SERPENT
chikchan
(Survives, Life Force)
sprout, root, instinct
The cosmic serpent and the rising kundalini lake life force, Chikchan governs, instinct, transformation and the connection between Earth and sky through lightning and rain. It is sensual, magnetic and deeply intuitive.
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WORLDBRIDGER
kimi
(Equalizes, Death)
shape, change, dream
The sprouting breaks free of its buried boundaries, connects with the earth and pushes upward.
Not merely an ending, but a transition, Kimi represents the death that makes rebirth possible. The great Transformer, it governs ancestors, closure and the shedding of old forms. A powerful day for releasing the past.
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HAND
manik
(Knows, Accomplishment)
gather, will, branch
The One will branches into the many.
The open hand and the graceful deer. Manique is the sign of the healer, the hunter and the accomplished artisan. It represents dexterity, ceremony and the steady pursuit of spiritual and material goals.
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STAR
lamat
(Beautifies, Elegance)
flower, art, pattern
The star, particularly the planet, Venus and the abundant rabbit. Lamat is a sign of fertility, beauty, artistry and the ripening of things. It carries the energy of pattern multiplication and the shining of inner light outward.
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Third 4-day group set
MOON
muluk
(Purifies, Universal Water)
purify, rhythm, flow
The droplet of water or the precious jade offering. Muluk governs emotions, purification and the act of giving It is the sign of payment, gratitude and the emotional tides that connect all beings.
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DOG
ok or oc
(Loves, Heart)
nourish, compassionate, loyalty
The loyal companion who guides souls through the underworld. Ok, or Oc, represents friendship, faithfulness and the grounding force of community. It is the guardian and the trusted ally on life's path.
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MONKEY
chewen
(Plays, Magic)
exercise, assemble, community
The trickster, the artist, the weaver of time. Chuwen govern's creativity, play, illusion and craftsmanship. It is the master of all arts, from weaving to storytelling, and reminds us not to take existence too seriously.
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HUMAN
eb
(Influences, Free Will)
sage, influence, reason
The road of life and the human being walking. It. Eb represents the journey, free will and the choices that shape destiny. It is the sign of the pilgrim, and the seeker, urging forward movement and personal responsibility.
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Fourth 4-day group set
SKYWALKER
ben
(Explores, Space)
measure, look, record
As above, so below.
The tall plant growing towards the sky and the reed that carries messages between worlds. Ben is the sign of family, home and spiritual authority. It represents the channel between Heaven and Earth, and the strength of rooted growth.
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WIZARD
ix
(Enchants, Tumelessness)
medicine, see, know
The night Sun and the shamanic spirit of the jungle. ix is the most magical of the signs, the sorcerer, the shapeshifter jaguar, and the Lord of the Underworld's hidden treasures. It governs mystery, power, and the unseen powers & forces of nature.
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EAGLE
men
(Creates, Vision)
pray, envision, project
The eagle soars between worlds with the broadest perspective. Men represents vision, ambition and the higher mind. It is the day of the sage and leader who sees patterns invisible to those on the ground, proecting visions through group prayer and ceremony.
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WARRIOR
kib
(Questions, Intelligence)
guardian, protect, angel
The wisdom of the ancestors and the karmic weight of history. Kib represents forgiveness, Reviewing & editing patterns of the mind, and the heavy wisdom that comes from facing one's errors, consuming away all that is no longer needed. It is a day of reckoning and making peace with the past.
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Fifth 4-day group set
EARTH
kaban
(Evolves, Navigation)
move, ground, dances
The earthquake and the movement of the Earth's body & mind. Kaban governs intellect, synchronization with natural cycles and the tremors of revolution, both internal and external. It is the sign of the thinker & mover dancing.
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MIRROR
etznab
(Reflects, Endlessness)
clear, endless, reflection
The obsidian blade and the mirror of truth. Etznab represents, clarity, precision and the cutting away of illusion. It is the sign of endless reflection, the spiritual surgeon and the truth teller, who reflects reality without distortion.
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STORM
kawak
(Catalyzes, Self-Generation)
nature, the elements, catalyze
Cosmic alchemy and the mystery of elemental creation.
The thunderstorm that washes and renews the world. Kawak governs, purification, healing and the gathering clouds of transformation. It is the sign of the divine midwife, and the emotional catharsis that clears the air.
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SUN
ajaw or ahau
(Enlightens, Universal Fire)
lord, enlighten, ascend
The final and most exalted sign the Sun, the ruler, and the flowering of full enlightenment. Ajaw represents completion, unconditional love and the highest spiritual attainment, it is the day of the ancestors, the king, the creator and the radiant source of all life.
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