The number 13 is the completion of life, of all movement and process. 13 has a special relationship with the development of paranormal abilities, as we might expect from its connection with the 13 major joints where the sacred koyopa energy accumulates. 13 also relates to refinement and sensitivity, enhanced perception and acute intuition. This ability to access other dimensions of reality applies to all actions performed on a 13 day as well as to those who are born upon a 13.
LAMAT (Q’ANIL) THE REGENERATION OF THE EARTH: Signifies seed, corn, pride, harvest, and food. It is the nawal of all kinds of animal and vegetable seeds. It is the day of fertility and harvests, abundance, prosperity; auspicious for initiating any planting or business negotiation. This day signifies the four colors of corn – red, black, white and yellow. This is a wonderful day for farmers or simple planter box gardeners, for upon this day we ask that the world may be made to blossom and be made fertile. We may plant ideas and projects as well as flowers; any relationship or business venture which begins on a Lamat day will usually turn out favorably. It is traditionally associated with the planet Venus.
The number 12 is the highest of the even numbers and represents a summing up one’s life. At one time or another we must all come to a such an accounting of all our actions and experiences, weaving together all our individual, family, societal and cultural influences. 12 represents this totality of thought.
MANIK (KEJ) THE PILLARS OF THE UNIVERSE: Signifies the deer, and is the nawal of all kinds of four-footed animals. It is also the nawal of the Mayan religion and of the rainforest. This is the day of the aj q’ijab or Mayan priests; it is power, authority, hierarchy, force, the four cardinal points. This is the nawal of the four corners of the earth, and is sometimes said to have an association with the planet Saturn. Upon this day, we pray for harmony among one and all. This extends to the natural world around us as well as to other human beings; one gains great power and energy if one is able to spend this day in nature or in the wilderness.
The number 11 has great force, strength and power. This power is neither positive nor negative but neutral. Some Mayan teachers see it as representative of the totality of past, present and future, everything that unfolds over time. The number 11 holds tremendous creative potential, but it can be challenging to access that force and is sometimes perceived as a “difficult” day.
CIMI (KAME) DEATH AND REBIRTH: Signifies death, the lord of the darkness, fortitude, humility and obedience. Death is not evil, and grammatically, the word kame signifies the present tense or “the eternal now.” Upon this day we pray that we and those dear to us have long life. There is a special connection to the world of the ancestors on this day; communication with other worlds is possible. This day is also favorable for healing and for the protection of travelers. This day has much feminine energy and is a good day upon which to resolve marital conflict.
11 Cimi is the final day of pilgrimage to the Four Sacred Mountains that began on 11 Manik and continues for four consecutive “11″ days. The cycle ends today with a journey to the sacred mountain of the south.
The number 10 symbolizes the 10 digits on our hands and our feet, which altogether make up the 20 which comprise a human being. This number has a special meaning of human cooperation, the bonds and relationships between people.
CHICCHAN (KAN) FEATHERED SERPENT: Signifies the Feathered Serpent, sexuality, work, power, law and justice. It is the nawal of the creation of man and woman, also of education and training. It is the regent of the sky and ruler of time; transcendence, the transformation of time, predestined to divine power (spiritual vocations). Upon this day we assert that vitality, clarity and understanding shall be made manifest right now. Because this day-sign has a connection with the inner fire (koyopa in Mayan, or kundalini in Eastern traditions), it is also a day upon which one may build both physical and spiritual strength. As the nawal of the creation of man and woman, it is a most favorable day for sexual matters as well.
The number 9 is an extremely positive one, even though it is an odd number. It is often used for ritual purposes. 9 is often called “the number of life” because it represents the process of human gestation; there are nine months of human development prior to birth. Because of this, the number 9 is especially associated with women, particularly since the 260-day cycle is comprised of nine lunar months. Some Mayan teachers have pointed out that in their traditional culture there are nine steps in the construction of a house and nine stages to growing and harvesting crops. There are also 9 Lords of the Underworld, but this is not necessarily the astrological significance of 9, a number whose symbolism is overwhelmingly positive.
KAN (K’AT) THE NET: Signifies a net, new offspring, the growth and increase of future generations, new crops; as a nawal of the element of Fire, this is the fire of the hearth. It is the nawal of prisons both visible and invisible. Upon this day, we express our intention always to have understanding. It is a favorable day upon which to pray for abundance. It is also a day upon which healing ceremonies and practices are sometimes performed, especially if the necessary healing is psychological in nature. It is a day to ask for the tangling and untangling of things.
The number 8 is highly auspicious. If 1 and 7 are the beginning and the end, then 1 + 7 = 8, making 8 a number of completion or wholeness, much like the number 4. This is why there is some sort of ritual for almost every 8 day, and why some extremely traditional communities have a special local shrine dedicated to the number 8. Of course, 4 + 4 = 8, so the wholeness implied in the number 4 is doubled here, as if the wholeness of the fourfold universe were seen from the viewpoint of both polarities: night and day, light and darkness, sun and moon, yin and yang. The number 8 has been said by Maya teachers to represent the weaving of life, the thread or cord of time. It is also sometimes said that the Mayan symbol for 8, a bar with three dots over it, has a symbolic meaning, with the three dots on top representing humanity and day, and the bar underneath representing Mother Earth.
AKBAL (AQ’AB’AL) DAWN: Signifies awakening, dawn, marriage, light and enchantment. It is the nawal of clarity or light, the day to ask for the occurrence of the light in all things. It is especially a day of marriage, love and romance. This day symbolizes both darkness and dawn; hence it is a day of new beginnings. Upon this day, we express our intention always to think and act with perfect clarity. Needless to say, it is also perhaps the most favorable for day for love and marriage (though Chuen is also very good, especially for the actual marriage ceremony). An Akbal day can also be quite favorable for finding a job.
The number 7 may confuse some people, for it sometimes represents death, or at least “endings.” The reason for this may not be readily apparent. In order to illustrate this, we may take a look at any tzolk’in diagram. If it is in a standard “New Age” book, the day-sign at the top of the list will be Imix, but if it is in a contemporary Mayan almanac, the first day-sign will be B’atz’ (Chuen in Yucatec). It doesn’t matter. What we are looking for is the sequence of numbers in the top row. It will be like this:
1, 8, 2, 9, 3, 10, 4, 11, 5, 12, 6, 13, 7
Any day-sign sequence beginning with 1 will end in a 7. This is why 7 is so often considered a symbol of endings. In the Popol Vuh, the Hero Twins are named 1 Hunahpu and 7 Hunahpu, while the most important Underworld Lords are named 1 Death and 7 Death. When 1 and 7 are paired together in such a fashion, it is as if we were saying: “The beginning and end of the Hero Twins archetype,” or “The alpha and omega of the Death archetype.” Rituals are seldom performed on 7 days.
IK (IQ’) THE BREATH OF LIFE: Signifies wind, moon, crisis. It is the nawal of the element of air and the moon, of the spirit of human existence. It is a day for the removal of negative energy and illnesses. It is the wind which sweeps clean our house and our body. Also signifies a hurricane, cleansing, purification, breath, and sexual obsession. Upon this day we ask for the strength, the vitality, and the commitment to carry on in our chosen work. This is a day for the removal of negative energy and illnesses; in terms of healing, it favors the resolution of psychological problems, especially those which arise from angry emotional states
The Number 6 is the number of ultimate stability. The “Place of Number 6,” the hill called Paclom, represents the axis mundi or world center in contemporary Momostenango. Some Mayan teachers say that there are 6 components which establish the vitality of a family system: 1) Health 2) Understanding 3) Work/Employment 4) Friendship 5) Property or Possessions 6) Positive and Negative Actions.
IMIX (IMOX) THE LEFT HAND: Signifies the left side of reality, hence receptivity, receiving messages from other dimensions, and the ability to see into other worlds; but also madness, disorder, nervousness, uncertainty and doubt. It is a sign of cooperation, for the left arm must cooperate and work well with the right. It is the nawal of the ocean, a day for healing illnesses of the mind, for giving thanks and asking for rain. The world is filled with psychological perils and stresses. Upon this day we pray for good mental health, both for ourselves and for all those around us. We pray that our dreams and visions may bring us beauty and wisdom rather than delusion and craziness. Since this day has a strong connection with water, to be close to a flowing river or stream or the ocean is beneficial upon this day.
The Number 5 represents the human hand and the five senses, as well as the five fingers and toes. Our hands do our work for us. Hence 5 may be regarded as the number of work, and of karma. Some Mayan teachers perceive five stages of life as well: childhood, youth, adulthood, mature adult, and elder.
AHAU (AJPU) THE HUNTER: Signifies a blowgun hunter, a leader, struggle, heroism, death and hunting. It is the nawal of the sun, the day to ask for wisdom, talent, and physical fortitude. It is the nawal/guardian and patron of flowers. It is the day of mental and psychological tests and challenges, for the winner of such tests and challenges (heroic like the mythic Hero Twins); prophet, fortune-teller, psychic, diviner, accuracy in divination and prophecy; may also signify an eclipse. The day of the grandparents who have departed.
The Number 4 symbolizes wholeness. It is associated with Ahau, the Sun God as cosmic lord (the word ahau literally means lord). Why is this a solar number? The word for “day” (k’in in Yucatec or q’ij in K’iche’) is the same as the word for “sun”; a day is a complete passage of the sun. The sun or the day has four stations: dawn, noon, sunset and midnight. These four components of each day, each “sun,” can be conceptually expanded to include the solstices and equinoxes; thus the year is also a 4. There is evidence that the Classic Maya divided the universe into four sections marked by the two intersections of the Milky Way with the ecliptic. Thus we live in a fourfold universe. The Maya still lay out their ritual altars in a fourfold pattern. The number 4 represents the four elements: Air, Fire, Earth and Water; these compose nature and give us life. Four is also the Four Directions and the Four Pillars which hold up the Earth. In K’iche’ myth there are four pillars which keep the Earth and Sky in their rightful places.
CAUAC (KAWOQ) THE UNIVERSAL COMMUNITY: The sign of the Divine Feminine, signifying wives, female healers, and especially midwives; thunder, lightning, cyclone; spiritual unrest and mental conflicts; spiritual contacts and communication; blood lightning/signs, signals and messages in the blood. This day is sometimes said to signify the celestial home of the gods. Upon this day, we pray that there may always be harmony in our home lives and among our friends. Like the previous day, it is auspicious for all matters regarding health and healing. It has a special connection with women and with feminine energy.