Astrology and Mayan Tzolkin for January 11th to January 23rd 2015

This is the "Care and feeding of a New World Age" report for Gregorian date of January 11^th for 1 - Chuen "shoe-in" or Monkey in the Mayan Tzolkin calendar, with Mars entering Pisces, the Sun entering Aquarius, followed by the Aquarius New Moon, and Mercury turning retrograde.

    January 11^th for 1 - Chuen "shoe-in" or Monkey which carries the themes of new beginnings, good fortune, innocent curiosity leading to artistic expression, mischief similar to "Coyote spirit" and trickster gods in many native traditions, generosity, the "Jack of All Trades", weaving the threads of time, craftsmanship, and wisdom keeping. 1 - Monkey is the 131st day in the 260 day Tzolkin calendar marking the beginning of the second half of the round. The calendar starts with Crocodile as the primal nurturing energy for beginnings and the second half begins with Monkey as the artisan who creates something new. These are arbitrary points as many different Mayan groups celebrate different days to begin the Tzolkin round and ultimately it is just that, round like a circle having no beginning or end. The 1- Monkey trecena is a good thirteen day period to be generous with your creativity, wisdom, curiosity, and time to help others explore new beginnings and in doing so discovering something new in yourself.

 

     Before I get into the daily energy for 1 - Chuen "shoe-in" or Monkey trecena, on the 11th all the planets appear to be moving forward from our vantage point on Earth except Jupiter which appears to move retrograde or in reverse motion. Remember the themes of retrograde planets are the review the past, re-evaluate, reminisce and we can see these themes being played out. Jupiter retrograde in Leo brings a review of opportunities, faith, religion, beliefs and expansion. Leo is about leadership, creativity, drama, entertainment, and children. Mostly what I find with Jupiter retrograde, as with any retrograde cycle there is a review of the past, and with Jupiter what gets reviewed are missed opportunities.

 

    The big change in the Chuen trecena is Mercury changing directions, as it moves retrograde on the 21st and turns direct on February 11th, so the end of the January would be a good time to avoid signing contracts or other legal papers, making any major purchases, or even taking a new job. If you can postpone these types of activities the terms will be much clearer after Mercury is moving direct. That may seem impossible, so if you can avoid these activities a few days before and after Mercury changing directions on the 21st and February 11th, when the energy is at its most potent, would be beneficial. Mercury retrogrades force us to slow down and pay more attention to our lives by making us focus on the details of our daily experience. When looking at a retrograde cycle of any of the personal or inner planets, it provides information about a correction to our present course. During this report period we have Mercury traveling through the first stage of the retrograde process since 1/6. There are two important points to be aware of in looking at the cycle. We look at the point where the planet appears to move backwards and the point where it appears to move forward again. The first stage represents the shadow time between passing 1 degrees Aquarius, the point where the planet will eventually begin moving forward again and the point where the planet slows, stops, and begins moving in reverse, 17 degrees Aquarius. During the first stage we receive information about needing to adjust our direction. The second stage is the retrograde phase and is a time to watch the events that occur related to the information received in the 1st stage. The 3rd stage begins when the planet is moving forward again until crossing the line where it originally turned retrograde. During the 3rd stage we move forward with a revision to our previous course. We entered the 1st stage for Mercury on January 6th, so from then until the 21st, we receive information about an adjustment that needs to be made in our lives. Mercury is retrograde from 1/21 at 17 Aquarius until 2/11 at 1 Aquarius which will be the time when we will notice events that shift our thinking, and from February 11th to March 4th, we are in the 3rd stage where we implement the change in direction from the awareness gained through experiencing this process.

    I've discovered that Mercury retrogrades repeat every 79 years, so look for the reoccurrence of themes from 1936, 1857 and 1778. Let's see if those were interesting times. 1936 saw Radium E become the first radioactive element to be made synthetically, Emperor Hirohito orders the Japanese army to arrest 123 conspirators in Tokyo government offices; after The Imperial Way Faction engineers a failed coup against the Japanese government, the Hoover Dam is completed in the United States, Nazi Germany reoccupies the Rhineland in violation of the Treaty of Versailles, Richard Hauptmann, convicted of the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder in 1932, is executed by electrocution in New Jersey State Prison, tornadoes strike Tupelo, Mississippi, and  Gainesville, Georgia for the 4th and 5th deadliest tornados in U.S. history, The 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine against the British government and opposition to Jewish immigration begins, Italy annexes Ethiopia and Italian East Africa is formed from the Italian territories of Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland, the first flight by the Irish airline Aer Lingus takes place, British luxury liner RMS Queen Mary leaves Southampton on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic, thousands die and high temperature records are set during a major heat wave in North America, Margaret Mitchell's epic historical romance Gone with the Wind is first published in the United States, the Spanish Civil War begins, the 1936 Summer Olympics open in Berlin, Germany, and mark the first live television coverage of a sports event in world history, in which African-American athlete Jesse Owens wins the 100-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, the first of the Moscow Trials begins in the Soviet Union, the start of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge in the Soviet Union, the Rome-Berlin Axis is formed, during the Great Depression Franklin D. Roosevelt is reelected to a second term, the first edition of Life magazine is published, the Anti-Comintern Pact is signed by Germany and Japan, Hitler mandates that all German boys aged 10 to 18 join the Hitler Youth paramilitary organization, King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom abdicates, and the rise of unions in the United States with strikes across the country. 1857 brought France and the United Kingdom to formally declare war on China in the Second Opium War, the largest slave auction in United States history, dubbed as 'The Weeping Time' with over a 2-day period, Pierce M. Butler sells 436 men, women, children, and infants, all of whom are kept in stalls meant for horses at a racetrack in Savannah, Georgia, for weeks beforehand, James Buchanan succeeds Franklin Pierce as President of the United States, in Dred Scott v. Sandford the Supreme Court of the United States rules that Blacks are not citizens and slaves cannot sue for freedom, driving the country further towards the American Civil War, an earthquake in Tokyo, Japan, kills over 100,000, the End of the Anglo-Persian War, the Indian Rebellion of 1857 with the 3rd Light Cavalry of the British East India Company's army rebels against its British officers, thus beginning the rebellion and Indian combatants capture Delhi from the East India Company, followed by the Siege of Lucknow and the second massacre at Kanpur and Delhi was later recaptured in 1857 by British forces, and the Panic of 1857 begins with speculation in U.S. railroad shares and collapse on August 24 of the New York City branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company following widespread embezzlement trigger a financial crisis which will extends to Europe, in which New York banks close in October and do not reopen for two months. 1857 was the time period when Neptune was last in Pisces, as it is currently, which was a time of more compassion for the suffering of slaves in the United States, but also more opposition to that compassion. Which has made its way back into the conscious event field with the awareness of police shooting of people of color without probable cause, yet white people can carry military types of weapons in public without incident. Also this seems to be being played out in the theme of Wealth Inequality, which if all your income only pays for survival needs then isn't that a form of enslavement? And of course here in the United States we have millionaire legislators, who are voting for corporate interests over their constituents' needs. Perhaps this will be a time of change particularly given this is the last month of Year of the Horse. We are certainly seeing an awakening in the protests regarding Racism and Climate Change. I was reading recently that the 1% is becoming fearful of America erupting in a way that is similar to the French Revolution. 1778 saw the American Revolution continue with the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed by the United States and France, signaling official French recognition of the new republic,  with the Battle of Monmouth, the Wyoming Massacre, Louis XVI of France declaring war on the Kingdom of Great Britain with the First Battle of Ushant: British and French fleets fight to a standoff. The French invasion of Dominica captures the British fort there before the latter is aware that France has entered the war in the Franco-American alliance. Also in 1778 brought the Captain James Cook, with ships HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery, explores and maps the Pacific Northwest coast of North America from Cape Foulweather (Oregon) to the Bering Strait. In the Hawaiian Islands, Captain James Cook becomes the first European to land on Maui, and the Continental Congress passes the first budget of the United States. In 1778 the Continental Army becomes a more organized fighting unit. Interestingly tactics that we look at as carried out by patriots early in the war, would now be acts of terrorism from our modern viewpoint, such as attaching a time bomb to the hull of the HMS Eagle or placing cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston Harbor. These are themes of the Trickster archetype, to use cleverness and covert actions rather than attempt to battle a more powerful adversary on its own terms. During January of 1778, Pluto was in Capricorn, dismantling power structures that have out grown their usefulness, which is the last time period Pluto was in Capricorn until 2008, where it remains today. Clearly we are looking at cycles within cycles, the players have changed roles, but the themes of a decaying empire collapsing under its own weight, with individuals employing tactics of cleverness over direct confrontation, the oppressive power of fascist governments, economic decline increasing the chasm between the elite and the struggling throngs, and the growing compassion for those left without a voice are the fabric of our times.

    If you look at the house of your astrological chart that contains 1 to 17 degrees of Aquarius, you can find the theme where you will experience revisions, reviews and rethinking of the characteristics represented by that house. For me it is the ninth house of long distance travel and higher education, so I expect this cycle to provide new information about potential learning or teaching experiences with the possibility to travel to do so. No matter where the Mercury retrograde occurs in your chart, this often leads to changing choices, goals, and directions. In the world look for the themes of completion through intellectual review of the past particularly related to communications about topics like the history of social consciousness, social justice, impartiality, freedom, individuality, and innovation when Mercury moves through Aquarius where it's exalted. All the Mercury retrogrades in 2015 will be in air signs: Aquarius, Gemini, and finally Libra.

    As we began January Mercury slows down and turns retrograde at 17 degrees Aquarius on the 21st. When a planet slows down to a stop from our perspective here on earth, that planet is considered to be at the peak of its power and Mercury being at the peak of its power reminds me that the Greek god Hermes, who the Romans renamed to Mercury, was also the trickster god. He was the messenger of the Gods and if you weren't on his good side you might not get your message or it might be altered to mean something different than was intended. In mythology the trickster is a god, goddess, woman, man, animal or spirit that creates mischief by playing tricks and acting outside of the accepted rules of their community. I do want share this quote from Joseph Campbell "Almost all non-literate mythology has a trickster-hero of some kind. . . . And there’s a very special property in the trickster: he always breaks in, just as the unconscious does, to trip up the rational situation. He’s both a fool and someone who’s beyond the system. And the trickster represents all those possibilities of life that your mind hasn’t decided it wants to deal with. The mind structures a lifestyle, and the fool or trickster represents another whole range of possibilities. He doesn’t respect the values that you’ve set up for yourself, and smashes them. . . . The fool is the breakthrough of the absolute into the field of controlled social orders." And that is a great description for Mercury retrograde. It also contains a formula for confronting a much more powerful foe. Being cunning over fighting on their terms.

   It's interesting that Mercury is turning retrograde during the Monkey trecena of the Mayan Tzolkin calendar, because the Monkey also represented the trickster to the Maya. In the Mayan "Popul Vuh" the hero twins, who are mistreated by their half brothers, trick their brothers into climbing a tree where they are transformed into monkeys, which is how the Monkey day sign became connected to the trickster archetype.

 

     Ok let's look at the daily vibrational energy for this trecena. The chart is set with the Sun in Aquarius where it will arrive on the 20th, but in fact at the beginning of the report the Sun is in Capricorn. Do to the difficulty in changing the Sun's sign in the middle of a report period, I hope you will forgive this inconvenience.

January 11^th for 1 - Chuen "shoe-in" or Monkey: unity experienced through creating something new in the Mayan Tzolkin calendar, with the Libra Moon sextile Saturn which brings realistic expectations through being calm and reflective.reflective.reflectiv

The 12th is 2 - Eb "eb" or Road: duality experienced through serving your community, as Mars enters Pisces, which is a difficult placement for Mars’ aggressive and forceful energetic, in the sign of the compassionate fishes. For the next six weeks I’d expect people will be more confused in their assertiveness and display more passive aggressive behavior. Also on the 12th the Moon in Libra finds support from Mercury and Venus, is opposed by Uranus, and challenged by Pluto which brings a day with the energy shifting from feeling in touch with our emotions and expressing them to others, then enjoying social interactions with others, later folks are emotionally excitable and impulsive, and finally having the compulsion to act in ways that may not be good for us in the long run.

January 13th is 3 - Ben "ben" or Reed or Corn: taking action through maintaining the home, while Venus sextiles Uranus, which for a day people will seek excitement outside of our daily routines, stimulates new interactions with people who can fascinate us, but be aware romance begun under this transit may not be long lasting even though at this time they seem pleasantly electrifying. Great energy for a fling with friends or a party. Folks will be more freedom seeking in their relationships, during this transit that does not favor being clingy, possessive, or jealous. Allow loved ones more leeway and flexibility, and this could greatly broaden your understanding of partners and friends, and in doing so new insights into yourself. Also on the 13th the last quarter Moon harmonizes with Jupiter, is challenged by the Sun, and supported by Mars which starts with feeling in the flow and having a sense of wholeness, then later we encounter challenges to our daily routines, and finally brings the energy for asserting ourselves in a positive manner and standing our ground if necessary.

The 14th is 4 - Ix "eesh" or Jaguar: stability through enjoying nature, with Mercury sextile Uranus, which brings new discoveries and new people into our lives with an overall sense of excitement and innovation as Mercury interacts with its higher octave planet Uranus. Flexibility is helpful to experience this transit with its excitement and interest, if you find this disruptive you may want to examine your attitude regarding deviating from the preordained plan of the day. This is good for looking at old problems, that have troubled you in the past, with fresh eyes. Challenges may be approached as new puzzles to solve as thinking becomes more inspired. Not a day where you will be content to follow your usual routine, so leave some room for spontaneity with new ideas and experiences being the reward of going with the flow. Also on the 14th the Scorpio Moon finds support from Neptune, is challenged by Mercury and Venus, and in harmony with Pluto which shifts from fantasies and daydreams distracting us from accomplishing routine tasks, then our moods influencing our ability to think rationally, later experiencing deep emotions on a profound level, and finally having pleasant energy to be with friends and loved ones.

January 15th is 5 - Men "men" or Eagle: empowerment through seeing from a higher perspective, while Mars squares Saturn, which is best approached slowly and with caution. Carelessness under this transit leaves little hope of success, and indicates a very frustrating and potentially irritating time. This transit will affect us for a few days before and after the 15th as frustration when we push too hard, are stressed with not enough time to get everything done, or act aggressively. Saturn is "Stop" and Mars is "Go" and a square is conflicted. This can seem discouraging, but is also temporary. Also on the 15th the Moon in Scorpio is challenged by Jupiter and in harmony with the Sun which moves from benevolent and generous feelings for those in our immediate environment to later feeling balance between our inner and outer worlds.

The 16th is 6 - Cib "keeb" or Wisdom: being in the flow through introspection, meditation and forgiveness, with the Sagittarius Moon merging with Saturn, and challenged by Mars and Neptune which shifts from wanting to be alone in our thoughts and feelings, to later people feeling irritable which could lead to needless disputes, and finally daydreams and fantasies feeling more important than reality.

January 17th is 7 - Caban "kah-ban" or Earth: reflection through gratitude for Mother Earth, while the Moon in Sagittarius finds support from Uranus and Jupiter, and harmonizes with Mercury and Venus, which begins with having the impulse to engage in activities that make us feel more alive, then lots of chatting with friends, neighbors, or coworkers, later wanting to be with friends and the people we love, and finally having feelings of inner and outer equanimity.

The 18th is 8 - Etznab "etz-nob" or Flint: balance through being introspective, with the Capricorn Moon in harmony with Mars and Neptune which shifts from the desire to work independently from others, to later greater sensitivity to others' emotions with possible psychic impressions for those who are open.

January 19th is 9 - Cauac "cow-ack" or Storm: patience experienced through recognizing the gifts in adversity, while Venus opposes Jupiter, which has Venus feeling tension from Jupiter creating expansion in our personal relationships and growth. It is also very strongly inclined towards excessive indulgence as it indicates a time of pleasure, satisfaction or joy with a tendency to overdo. Folks will feel a desire to buy expensive luxurious items perhaps without having the means to pay. Venus and Jupiter are about heavy, rich, sweet foods and overeating, not a great day for a diet. If we can approach this day with discipline it should be quite enjoyable. Also on the 19th Mars conjuncts Neptune, which brings more confusion to taking action. Mars is all dressed up with nowhere to go. As I said before watch for people acting more passive aggressive as Mars moves through Pisces particularly when merged with sign ruler Neptune. Also on the 19th the Moon in Capricorn in challenged by Uranus and merges with Pluto which brings folks acting hasty and jumping to conclusions that may not be correct and we have more intense moods rising to the surface from deep in our psyches.

The 20th is 10 - Ahau "ah-how" or Sun: manifestation through honoring the wisdom and memory of our ancestors, while the Sun enters into Aquarius which shifts the focus to social consciousness, while being true to our individuality to share our inventive ideas with groups and communities. This is a future oriented sign of innovation which often comes from being unorthodox in thinking. Also on the 20^th we have the Aquarius New Moon, which harmonizes with Saturn, and merges with the Sun. Aquarius illuminates social justice, impartiality, freedom, individuality, and innovation. Traditionally ruled by Saturn, with the modern ruler being Uranus, Saturn is the only other heavenly body other than the Sun making a major angle in the lunation, this new moon represents wanting to be alone in our thoughts and feelings, and having realistic expectations through being calm and reflective, at a time of new beginnings. New Moons bring the opportunity to set an intension for manifestation on the following full moon. This is the third new moon in a row at zero degrees and change of a sign it inhabits, which puts even more emphasis on new beginnings. Look to the house of your astrology chart that contains 0 degrees 9 minutes of Aquarius to consider what area of your life is being activated by this new moon. For me that would be my eighth house of transformation, death and rebirth, so I would set an intension related to using this energy to go into greater depths regarding my spiritual path.

January 21st is 11 - Imix "e-meesh" or Crocodile: resolution through nurturing new beginnings, with Mercury turning retrograde at 17 degrees Aquarius. Even folks who don't follow astrology are aware of Mercury's retrograde effect on communication, technology and travel. This begins a time that shifts our review of information related to innovation and social reform, with a focus on the Aquarius themes of higher mind, group consciousness and intuition. From the 21st to the February 11th would be a good time to avoid signing contracts or other legal papers, making any major purchases, or even taking a new job. If you can postpone these types of activities the terms will be much clearer after Mercury is moving direct. That may seem impossible, so if you can avoid these activities a few days before and after Mercury changing directions on the 21st and the 11th of next month, when the energy is at its most potent, would be beneficial. The retrograde cycle provides information about a change or correction in our cosmic course. Also on the 21st the Aquarius Moon harmonized with Uranus, merges with Mercury and Venus, and is opposed by Jupiter which shifts from pleasant yet restless feelings craving emotional excitement to do something outside the daily routine, to having positive energy for integrating our thoughts and moods, the later brings feelings of generosity, and finally feels cheerful, warm, gregarious, and wanting to go out and socialize under the influence of Venus.

The 22nd is 12 - Ik "eek" or Wind: understanding through communication, while the Pisces Moon is challenged by Saturn, and merges with Neptune and Mars which begins with people feeling lonely or isolated, then later feelings of empathy for those around us, including the possibility of clairvoyance and telepathic experiences for those of us who are sensitive by nature, and finally experiencing irritable moods and critical communications.

January 23rd is 13 - Akbal "awk-bol" or Night: movement to the next stage through contemplating the stars, while the Sun sextiles Saturn which is a great day for getting things done. It brings an orderly state of mind and a strong sense of self discipline. This is practical energy that is not interested in idealistic or abstract considerations that have no application in daily life. This favors all matters related to work or profession, with what is accomplished being done carefully with wonderful concentration and attention to detail, which may impress authority figures. Advice from older people is also favored under this transit. Not the best day for relaxing, because it can be a little serious in its frame of mind. Also on the 23rd the Moon in Pisces harmonizes with Pluto which brings deep emotions finding their way to the surface and felt on a profound level.

    So no matter what energies are affecting you during this 1 Monkey trecena, take some time to be in the flow of the planet by being in nature, watching a sunrise or sunset, communing with the stars, being conscious of the moment through introspection, meditation or being with someone you love. Every day is a blessing no matter what dramas beckon to distract us. We are all giving the performance of a life time on this world stage, just take some time to observe the play as well as act your part. Remember you are a spiritual being having a human experience.

    Thank you for checking out New World Birth. The next segment of "Care and feeding of a New World Age" will be on January 24^th for 1 – Kan "con" or Seed or Lizard, with Venus entering Pisces, and the Leo Full Moon. You can check us out on Facebook, YouTube and the Mayan Majix website. I encourage you to share this information as videos or text as widely as you choose. As always I invite you to contact me at newworldbirth@yahoo.com if you have any questions or wish to schedule a reading. I am providing readings and wish to make this service available to the greatest amount of folks, so I’ve created three options with three levels of compensation. If you've been thinking about getting a reading, please contact me, as I would like to provide you a reading during these uncertain times. You will need to be able to either call me in Maine in the U.S.A. or connect with Skype to receive your reading. We are also accepting donations to keep these reports freely available. As always I am blessed that you've taken the time to connect with my passion for these ancient mysteries and their application to our journey during this incarnation. The light in me honors the light in you… Namaste – In Lak’ech - <3