Maya * Aztec Astrology Report

Introduction - The Astrology of Time

The ancient Maya and Aztec astrologers studied the mysterious influence of the rhythms of the sky on earthly life. Everyone knows the Sun rises and sets every day -- this is the basic rhythm of life around which we set our clocks and calendars. What the ancient astrologers discovered was that other time cycles existed that were multiples of this basic day cycle. This fact was discovered about 100 years ago in Europe and these cycles (there are many of them) are now called biorhythms.

The most important time cycles in ancient Mayan and Aztec astrology are those of the day, 9-days, 13-days, and 20-days. Additionally, years are counted also, in groups of 4 and 13. Each day is then part of several other cycles, so no two days are exactly the same. Your Maya/Aztec horoscope below shows exactly where in each of the cycles you were born. Each category below examines a specific cycle and a specific aspect of your personality. Keep in mind that our personalities are complex and contain many contradictions. All of us present a different "face" depending on who we meet. The delineations below will reflect this, but they will also give you a clear picture of who you really are. The true value of astrology lies in self-knowledge, the first step to wisdom.
 
 

Your Most Personal Traits -- The Day-Sign of Your Birth

Here are your strongest and most obvious personality traits. The delineation below describes who you are and how you appear to others, at least on the surface. In Aztec astrology this part of your horoscope is your Tonalli, or Day-Sign, the form bestowed upon you by the Sun.

House: Although it is not immediately obvious to you or others, you tend to dominate situations without really trying to. You may simply be physically large, sexually attractive or may dress to enhance your personal power. Your power may also be exerted in more subtle ways, but it is something others must contend with. In most cases, your power is completely legitimate, as would be the case if you are a teacher, leader or healer. In this situation knowledge is power. For some House personalities, the power issue may be buried more deeply in the psyche and may be a source of problems such as conflict with authority, envy, jealousy and possessiveness. Generally though, you do not overtly seek power, you simply seem to feel it is your right in life and have made choices that have kept you secure in your power.

Patience, endurance and hard work seem to come naturally to you. You are able to work for years on a project with no sign of loss of interest or fatigue. Huge or extremely difficult projects appeal to you and you become dedicated to realizing your goals, no matter how long it may take. Science and math, or other systems of knowledge (including occultism, magic and astrology) often interest you because they aid in being mentally organized about things and allow your mind access to the underlying foundations of the universe. Traditions appeal to you and you have a strong respect for history. You tend to take a structural approach to life. The more things are organized, the more they are secure and under your control. If it takes ten years or more to achieve this goal of organization, then you will tough it out.

You have a powerful intellect and are capable of solving difficult problems. You tend to take the more conservative, tried-and-true solutions, however, before you attempt something radical or unproven. Your need to be organized and systematic leads to a tendency to be overly logical and possibly intellectually rigid, at least in some areas of your life. While you have great strength of intellect, you also tend to be quite stubborn about changing your mind. This is probably because you work so hard on seeing things a certain way, and have built up so much mental inertia, that a change for you requires a near-overhaul of the logical framework you have constructed. But it is true that those of strong, resilient mind, whether they be conservative or radical, eventually impress their views on the rest of the world. People born under House may leave a lasting legacy if they be writers, architects, artists, composers or thoughtful leaders.

Security, both mental and physical, is a major issue for you. The physical security that a home, house, building or other structure represents may be an issue, or the emotional security that family ties offer may predominate. Whatever the case, you probably place a very strong emphasis on these matters when it comes time to make crucial life decisions. You may choose to work with or live near family, or possibly become involved in real estate. You have strong territorial instincts and know your exact boundaries -- emotional and physical. Your personal territorial instincts often extend to others and you can be extremely devoted to those you love or choose to protect. On the negative side, any deep-seated insecurities you have may transform these instincts into jealousy and possessiveness.

As the symbol of the sectioned temple that the Aztecs used to denote this sign suggests, you can be extremely private and a bit reclusive. Paradoxically, you seem to know everyone, or at least all the people that are worthwhile for you to know. But this is just a manifestation of your deeply imbedded political instincts. Ultimately though, you are not really a "team player" and you look forward to times alone, though these may be hard to come by in your busy, hard working life. Often, House personalities are found living alone, or having a special area where they won't be disturbed. There is a part of you that cannot be accessed by others, which may be a cause of serious problems in your intimate relationships. It may be that you simply feel uncomfortable talking to others about your personal problems. However, you have a strong ego and usually don't cave in to outside pressures that try to take you away from your private space, whether this be psychological or physical.

House is the third of the twenty day-signs. The Aztec symbol for this sign was a sectioned temple -- probably chosen to suggest the interior of a building or structure. Their name for the sign was Calli and they linked it with a jaguar-like god of the earth's interior called Tepeyollotl. The Aztecs regarded House as a sign of persons who preferred seclusion, but who were also very respectful and well-liked by others.

The personality of your day-sign is reflected in the planet and sign emphasis in your Western astrological chart. People born under House usually have one or more of the following signs emphasized in their birthchart: Cancer, Leo, Scorpio or Capricorn. You probably also have Pluto or Saturn strongly placed and quite possibly an emphasized 12th house or Neptune. These symbolize your need for privacy and seclusion.
 
 

Your Deeper Self -- the 13-day Week of Your Birth

Each of us reacts to the world around us in different ways. Our reactions are mostly unconscious; they represent what our deeper self needs. Our reactions both attract and repel us from things, people, and situations. What we like, what we like to do, and who we really are is shown by the 13-day week called the Trecena that we were born under. Each of these periods begins with the number 1 and the name of the day-sign that starts it. A number is attached to your position within the 13-day period that may be an important number for you.

You were born on the fourth day of the 13-day period that begins with 1-Flower. Beneath your surface personality you are gentle, very romantic and probably attracted to a materially comfortable, or even glamorous, lifestyle. Your social skills (personal interaction with others) are one of your strong points and you may find success in life as a performer, or as a "personality." Your greatest weakness is in matters of intimate relationships. Here you may be headstrong, or at least a little impulsive. In this area of life you tend to be romantic and idealistic. These tendencies may lead to bad decisions or poor choices that complicate your emotional life.

Working with others is something that you need to do. You seek out potential partnerships with others and will work hard to create situations in which you share things with another. You are usually the initiator of a relationship or partnership. Whether its sharing a home, a business, or the stage, your desire to cooperate closely with another is a driving force within you. Even though you may be the leader, you want to believe that you are part of a team. At times, however, you must break out of unsatisfying partnerships and go off on your own. This usually doesn't last for long -- you quickly find another partner.

House is a sign of the West, a direction symbolic of encounter and cooperation with others. Flower, however, is a sign of the South, a direction symbolic of feelings and emotions. This combination may result in some complex, and potentially very romantic, relationship patterns. Your natural inclinations to both privacy and romance may clash, yet you know that it is in the social world that your destiny lies.
 
 

What You Share With the Others of Your Birth Year

The Maya and Aztec astrologers recognized that each year produces a unique group of people. Each individual year in a 52-year cycle is linked with a number and a compass direction that has an astrological meaning. The delineation below says something about you in only a general sense. It describes the general traits that you share with others born in your year.

You were born in the year called 13-West. It is in the West that the Sun leaves the sky and disappears beneath the earth. It is the point where day is changed into night but it is also the point where day and night merge. The implication here is that the West is a direction symbolic of both transition and merging, a point of balance between two worlds. In a general sense, those born during this year stride along boundaries, one foot in the past and one in the future, one foot that is their own, one that is part of another. The energy of the West is balancing energy.

In a very general sense, relatedness is a challenge for you and all the others born this year. As a group you find it necessary to become skillful in handling relationships and dealing with other people in general. Diplomacy and counseling abilities are your strong point. Your ability to weigh alternatives will eventually lead you to good judgment and fair decisions, but if you take to long to think, you may be perceived as indecisive. The style of those born on this year is not so dramatic as it is sensitive to the needs of others and genuinely concerned with progress in the area of relationship -- personal and collective.

The number 13 preceding your direction indicates that your perceptions into life are deep. You will struggle with a problem over a long period of time in order to completely understand it. You seek to grasp the full implications of the energy of your direction.
 
 

Your Deepest and Darkest Motivations -- the Night Lord

The ancient Mayan and Aztec astrologers used a 9-day cycle of gods and goddesses called the "Lords of the Night." These deities symbolize the workings of your deepest and darkest self, parts of you that others may not know of or understand. They also symbolize the deepest forces behind your "will to exist."

You were born under the third Lord of the Night. Piltzintecutli (Peel-zeen-tek-KOOT-lee), an Aztec sun god who was the "noble offspring" of other gods, is your ruling deity. You are a serious person with great ambitions. You have a strong sense of self-importance or mission in life. You may be a little insecure, but you strive to achieve prominent social positions. If you are a mother, you may project (experience) this pattern through your son (usually the oldest) or through your husband.

You are a deeply serious person. You have high expectations for yourself (or for your son or husband) and you work hard to achieve your goals. You feel that your work is crucial in some ways and because of this you make make sacrifices in your personal life. You may neglect relationships, or simply make pragmatic choices in this area in order to accomplish your tasks. This dedication to your work or goals is admirable in some ways, but could lead to a lopsided life as well. Perhaps the most important question you need to ask yourself is "what is my real motivation for all this effort or concern?"

In Aztec mythology, Piltzintecutli was the noble son of the two gods who created the calendar and divination. Since Piltzintecutli is associated with the sun, a heroic symbol, and is mythologically the offspring of other gods, his rulership suggests the notion of "favorite son" or "only son." Through the mythology we discover the real meaning of this second Lord of the Night -- the pressure of meeting up to parental expectations. In many cases this is a burden, the burden to meet up to expectations that are not really your own. This translates as a kind of insecurity.

You seek the limelight and recognition for your accomplishments, but for much of your life you may work under the shadow of another, perhaps your father or another authority figure. You hold traditional values and are not quick to challenge this authority -- you see the value in apprenticing or learning from the elders. You may be attracted to authority figures in general, but you must be realistic about the nature of such relationships. Authority figures are dominating by their very nature and this may not give you the room you need for yourself. One of your tasks in life is to work to be an authority in your own right. This is something that is earned, not bought through association.

In spite of your insecurities you are a powerful person. You need to learn how to use your power wisely and responsibly. Your strength is in your persistence and dedication to greater learning and improvement. Your dark side lies in your internalized critical parent, the voice in you that judges you and says that you're not good enough. You must, if only psychologically, step out from under the shadow of your father or other authority figure.
 
 

Your Patterns of Relationship -- The Phase of Venus

Maya and Aztec astrologers observed the phases of the planet Venus and correlated them with events on earth. Venus has four basic phases: morning star, evening star, and two conjunctions with the Sun. The phase of Venus you were born under symbolizes your relationship patterns -- how you approach and become involved with others, both individuals and groups.

You were born with Venus in its Evening Star phase. According to the Maya, this is a 250-day period when Venus is visible after the Sun sets. This phase follows the Superior Conjunction phase and precedes the Inferior Conjunction phase.

For you, feelings and emotions arise after an action has been taken. In making judgments, which you do very well, you evaluate what has happened against the background of society's rules and values. You instinctively understand the power, and perhaps the correctness, of the world as it is and has been. The values and morals of the past are important to you and your vision is one that has probably been strongly influenced by tradition.

There is a sense of inevitable compromise in your life, possibly a reaction to your awareness of having been strongly imprinted by society, culture or your parents. One result of this may be seen in your stance towards the powers that be. It is possible that deep down you are troubled by your conditioning and how it causes you to evaluate and interpret the world in a certain way. But this is very subtle and most of you will only notice this pattern in a general way, far more obvious when viewed over the course of a lifetime.

One positive manifestation of evening star Venus is that you may become, consciously or unconsciously, successful due to the fact that you personify certain family and traditional values. In extreme cases, you could become a hero, a person who represents what your society truly believes in. It is through participation with the traditions and cultural definitions of reality that you achieve emotional satisfaction and success in life.

Your Days of Peak Experience

From time to time we experience periods where our lives seem to be rushing forward -- almost out of control. Sometimes we accomplish great things during these periods; sometimes we become stressed or fail at something. More often we find that our experience of life is more intense, and richer. The Maya astrologers discovered such a cycle: your "peak" dates in this cycle are listed below.

You will probably find that your experience of life becomes more intense about five days before the peak date and then builds. Keywords displayed next to the dates are a suggestion of how to focus your energies.
 
 

Critical day list for Donald Trump (born Jun 14, 1946)

Report start date: Jan 01  2017
Report end date:   Jan 01  2022

Critical Day         Phase      Day No./Name   Direction      Keyword

Mon Feb  6 2017         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Wed Apr 12 2017         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Fri Jun 16 2017         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Sun Aug 20 2017        Full        4 House       West          establish
Tue Oct 24 2017         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Thu Dec 28 2017         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Sat Mar  3 2018         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Mon May  7 2018        Full        4 House       West          establish
Wed Jul 11 2018         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Fri Sep 14 2018         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Sun Nov 18 2018         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Tue Jan 22 2019        Full        4 House       West          establish
Thu Mar 28 2019         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Sat Jun  1 2019         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Mon Aug  5 2019         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Wed Oct  9 2019        Full        4 House       West          establish
Fri Dec 13 2019         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Sun Feb 16 2020         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Tue Apr 21 2020         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Thu Jun 25 2020        Full        4 House       West          establish
Sat Aug 29 2020         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Mon Nov  2 2020         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Wed Jan  6 2021         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Fri Mar 12 2021        Full        4 House       West          establish
Sun May 16 2021         1/4        4 Rabbit      South         debate
Tue Jul 20 2021         1/2        4 Reed        East          understand
Thu Sep 23 2021         3/4        4 Knife       North         solve
Sat Nov 27 2021        Full        4 House       West          establish

Background - The Nature of Maya/Aztec astrology

Like the civilizations of China, India and the Ancient Near East, the early American civilizations developed an astrology, a logic of the sky. Archaeological evidence of Native American astrology points to origins as far back as 600 BC, and perhaps even earlier. Unlike the astrologies of the Old World, the astrology of ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and parts of Central America) developed in isolation and was not influenced by other traditions. Its very nature therefore is very different from the astrological traditions Westerners are more familiar with.

All of the Mesoamerican civilizations, Olmec, Toltec, Maya, Zapotec and Aztec, used essentially the same astrology. Although the names of symbols varied, the concepts remained the same. Because the Aztecs were the predominant civilization at the time of the Spanish Conquest, we have chosen to use their symbol names in this modern reconstruction of the Mesoamerican astrological tradition.

At the core of Mesoamerican astrology are the 20 day-signs. Like the 12 signs of the Western Zodiac, these are signs descriptive of both personality and possibility. In other words, the signs can be used to describe a person, or they can describe an event. In the Western 12-sign zodiac, the signs are sections of space spread across the sky along the path of the Sun, Moon, and planets. The Maya/Aztec day-signs are very different. They are based on time and are actually names of days. Each sign lasts only one day, until it comes up again twenty days later. Like our 7-day week, which is astrological and named for the planets, the Maya and Aztecs used a 20-day week for astrological purposes.

There is no presently known reason why the Maya and Aztecs used only 20 signs. Perhaps they had discovered an important biorhythm or cycle. But besides the 20-days, they also used a 13-day cycle (or sign) and these intertwined with each other. While the days of the 20-day cycle each have a name, the days of the 13-day cycle are numbered from 1 to 13. If you start both cycles together, the first day of the 20-day cycle coinciding with the first day of the 13-day cycle, it will take exactly 260 days for all possible combinations of day and number to occur. This period, 260 days, is the length of the sacred Mesoamerican astrological calendar that this program is based on.

The 20 day-signs each have a name and a symbol. The names of these with a brief meaning are listed below.

Aztec Name	Direction	Classic Maya Name	Qualities
Alligator	East	Imix	protective and dominating
Wind	North	Ik	clever and multifacted
House	West	Akbal	thoughtful and conservative
Lizard	South	Kan	active dynamic and sexual
Serpent	East	Chiccan	powerful and charismatic
Death	North	Cimi	sacrificing and helpful
Deer	West	Manik	cooperative and nomadic
Rabbit	South	Lamat	clever and playful
Water	East	Muluc	emotional and imaginative
Dog	North	Oc	loyal and helpful
Monkey	West	Chuen	clever and demonstrative
Grass	South	Eb	careful and useful
Reed	East	Ben	knowledgeable and crusading
Ocelot	North	Ix	intelligent and secretive
Eagle	West	Men	free and independent
Vulture	South	Cib	authoritative and wise
Earthquake	East	Caban	intellectual but practical
Knife	North	Etz'nab	self-sufficient but romantic
Rain	West	Cauac	helpful and healing
Flower	South	Ahau	loving and artistic

You may have noticed that each of the signs is connected to a particular direction. The signs of the east are initiating and forceful. Those of the north are intellectual and critical. Signs of the west are cooperative and compromising. Signs of the south are emotional and reactive.

The day-sign a person was born under is the named day that occurred on their birthday. It delineates their most obvious personality characteristics and traits. A person is also born during one of twenty 13-day periods, periods that begin with a day-sign linked to the number 1. The 13-day period delineates their more subtle, possibly subconscious, personality qualities. It shows their deeper instincts and yearnings. The combination of day-sign and 13-day period yields a quite complete personality description, perhaps as good or even better than does the Western 12-sign zodiac. It should be said that these two signs represent only a partial reconstruction of what was once a more complex system. The rest, including signs ruling the year and the hour of birth, have been lost or completely recovered and made workable.

Because the day-signs signify general meanings and themes as well as personality configurations, they were used by the Aztecs for divinations. Like the I-Ching, a random drawing of beans or stones would allow a reader to find one of the 260 sign/number combinations and thus an answer to a question. Even today, the 260-day astrological calendar is used by Native American daykeepers in remote parts of Guatemala and Mexico. The divination section of this program utilizes computer technology to randomly select the sign/number combinations that may yield insights into a question asked.

Because the Maya and Aztecs did not have a developed writing system, and because most of their astrological knowledge was destroyed by the Spanish friars, little was known about this great product of theirs, and other Mesoamerican, cultures. The delineations used in this program were arrived at after several years of historical investigation, deep thought, and trial and error experimentation. Long lists of persons famous or known to the author, yet born under the same day-sign, were compared with each other. Eventually, this process led to some key concepts about each of the signs and the results, in the form of personality descriptions, are found in this program. The meanings for the signs when used in divinations were extrapolated from this information also.

We hope you find Maya/Aztec astrology to be not only interesting and fun, but helpful and a source of insight into your life.
 
 

The Year of Birth

The Maya and Aztecs believed that the year of birth could be read astrologically and that the astrological qualities of any given year were dependent on two factors. First is a cycle of 4 years. In this cycle each succeeding year is associated with one of the four directions in the order east, north, west, and south. The directions are similar to the elements (fire, air, earth, and water) in Western astrology. The Aztec delineations for the years are as follows.

East: creative/mental -- fertile/abundant

North: violent weather -- barren/dry/cold

West: wild/losses/illness -- cloudy/evil

South: good business/health -- variable

A second factor is a cycle of 52 years. In this longer period, 13 repetitions of the basic 4-year cycle are counted. As each year arrives, it is identified with a number and a direction. Four cycles of 13 years each make up the 52-year calendar round or Xiuhmolpilli.

Not all ancient Mexican cultures applied the cycle of years the same way. There was a lack of consensus about which year was linked to which number. The Aztecs used Reed (east), Knife (north), House (west), and Rabbit (south). The Classic Maya used Caban (east), Ik (north), Manik (west), and Eb (south), which correlate with Earthquake, Wind, Deer, and Grass. During Postclassic times the pattern was changed. The Classic pattern is used by the Quiche Maya who have kept the astrological traditions alive in Guatamala. The author believes that the year correlation established by the Classic Maya and continued by the Quiche Maya works.

Four and eight-year cycles have been found in nature by cycle researchers, a strong suggestion that there may be a real material basis to the cycling of the years. It is also interesting to note that the Olympics and United States presidential elections are held in the same year, years that are ruled by the east, according to the Quiche. Further, the Chinese cycle of 12 years correlates with this pattern if you look at it as three groupings of a 4-year cycle.
 
 

The Lords of the Night

One component of Maya astrology was a 9-day cycle that ran alongside the cycle of the day-signs. These 9 days were said to be ruled by the Lords of the Night, one for each day. The names of the Maya gods are barely known, but the Aztecs have left a complete list.

The Lords of the Night are not a calendar per se, but a kind of symbolic cycle. The Maya linked the Lords to the Long Count. We know that on August 11, -3113 the ninth Lord was ruler. Start ing from this date we run a 9-day cycle along with the day-signs which allows the program to find the ruling Lord of the Night for any date. The 260-days of the tzolkin do not mesh perfectly with the 9-day cycle and it takes 9 cycles of 260 (2,340 days or 6.4 years) before the same combination occurs again.

Much less is known about how the Aztecs used the cycle. It appears that they ran the 9-day cycle against the 260 days and had the last two Lords ruling the last of the 260 days. In this manner the cycle would start again at the same place. In Maya/Aztec Astro-Report we have chosen to follow Maya usage.

Some writers have suggested that the Lords of the Night are actually a division of the nightime hours. Like the planetary hours of Western astrology, the night was divided into 9ths with the 5th Lord's rule centered around midnight. In this line of reasoning the day was divided into 13 hours.
 
 

The Cycle of Venus

Of the planets visible to the ancient skywatchers of Mesoamerica, Venus was the most important. Due to its alternations from morning to evening star it was believed to be a symbol of certain profound dualities in nature and in man. Because the orbit of Venus lies between the Earth and the Sun, it never strays too far from the Sun and can only be seen close to the times of sunrise and sunset, depending on which part of its cycle it is in. From the perspective of an observer, it takes Venus 584 days on average to complete one cycle of morning and evening star. This figure meshes with the solar year of 365 days and the 260-day astrological calendar precisely every 104 years. The start of its cycle was its first appearance as a morning star, an event called by astronomers its heliacal rising.

According to the Dresden Codex, an ancient Maya manuscript that is one of the most authoritative sources on Maya astronomy and astrology, the cycle of Venus began when its rays first appeared in the twilight of dawn. This event usually occurs several days after the Inferior Conjunction of Venus with the Sun. The Inferior Conjunction is so-named because Venus, the lesser body, passes in front of the Sun, the greater body. In this conjunction, Venus, which disappears in rays of the Sun for over a week during this time, comes closest to the Earth. The Maya allocated exactly 8 days for this phase of the Venus cycle. After its heliacal rising, the second phase of the Venus cycle, its phase as a morning star, commenced. The Maya allocated 236 days to this period.

As Venus ends its time as a morning star, it once again disappears into the rays of the Sun. As it moves to conjoin the Sun again, it does so at its greatest distance from Earth. The conjunction in this part of its cycle is called the Superior Conjunction, because here Venus passes behind the Sun. The Maya allocated 90 days for this third phase of the cycle, a phase where Venus is not visible. After it re-emerges from behind the rays of the Sun, Venus begins its phase as an evening star, a phase for which the Maya allocated 250 days. These four phases of the Venus cycle, 8 days, 236 days, 90 days and 250 days add up to 584 days, the full cycle of Venus. The duration of these phases is a symbolic approximation of the astronomical facts, which actually vary somewhat from cycle to cycle.

The Maya and Aztecs believed that the cycle of Venus depicted the experiences of the god Quetzalcoatl in his descent to Earth. The first rising of Venus as a morning star symbolized his arrival on Earth. During the morning star phase Quetzalcoatl was overcome by desire and lust and committed sins; he pushed against the boundaries of society. During the disappearance of Venus at Superior Conjunction, a warlike athletic duel with the Sun took place and during the evening star phase, Quetzalcoatl, now fully sober, walked the Earth until his sacrificial death during the Inferior Conjunction. He was then reborn as the new Venus and the cycle began again.

This report calculates the phase that Venus was in at your birth according to the figures used and recorded by the ancient Maya. For each phase, the program offers a brief interpretation of the possible significance of Venus, symbol of both impulsive personal desire and collective social values, in your life.
 
 

Maya/Aztec Predictive Techniques

In ancient times, the 260-day astrological calendar was subdivided into four ritual periods or "seasons." Centered on the days 4-Serpent, 4-Dog, 4-Eagle and 4-Flower were what were known as the "burner" periods, or times when the "burner" would flare up. These divisions were spaced 65 days apart (260 divided by 4 = 65). In this context the 260-day calendar was used in a collective manner (as in mundane astrology) and perhaps these were times when certain kinds of extremes were experienced by the community. Rituals involving fires were staged with the intention of preventing or healing communal crises. Interestingly, these dates often fall within a few days of newsworthy crises that occur in today's world.

In the modern world where the individual comes first, experience has shown that dividing the 260-day cycle into fourths beginning from one's birthday reveals "critical" points that mark shifts or changes in personal matters. In many cases rather extreme events do occur precisely on one of the critical days, in others the effects occur a few days earlier. In some cases the effects are more subtle or psychological in nature. In understanding these critical dates it is helpful to view them from two perspectives, cycle and direction.

From your birthday, every 260 days represents one completed cycle in life. If this cycle of 260 days is divided by 4, or quartered, four sets, or "seasons," of 65 days is the result. Using the symbolism of the Sun/Moon cycle as a model, the occurrence of the birth day-sign is like the New Moon, the beginning of the cycle and a time of personal centering and new, barely conscious, beginnings. 65 days later corresponds (symbolically) to the first quarter, a time of crisis that demands action and adjustment. The midpoint of the cycle, 130 days, corresponds to the Full Moon, a time of separation or perspective. 195 days from the start of the cycle compares with the third quarter, a time of crisis requiring conscious choice.

The second perspective on the critical days is to recognize that each of the four dates in the cycle corresponds to one of the four directions. These are listed below.

East: Alligator, Serpent, Water, Reed, Earthquake. These are points that emphasize the need to be creative, to do something new and to move forward.

North: Wind, Death, Dog, Ocelot, Knife. These are points that may indicate crisis and the need to protect oneself from negative energy. The mind is under pressure during these times.

West: House, Deer, Monkey, Eagle, Rain. These are points of encounter with others, times of sharing and loss of ego. Relationships are important now.

South: Lizard, Rabbit, Grass, Vulture, Flower. These are points of strong feelings and emotional extremes. These may also be times of accomplishment and activity in the outside world.

Combining cycle symbolism with directional symbolism gives deeper insight into the patterns of the critical days. For example, if a sign of the north coincides with one of the quarters, a stressful time might be expected. If a sign of the west coincides with the opposition, important developments in relationships may be a prominent theme. A keyword has been given for each of the combinations that may suggest the direction in which the energies and trends are heading around that time. Experience has also shown that the effects of the critical days often become apparent several days before the exact day computed in this report.