The Beginning of a Trecena: A Cycle of Transformation

Each time a Trecena begins, a shift occurs—an opportunity, a change, a new possibility being offered to us. The start of a trecena is marked by the number 1, always accompanied by a guiding essence or Nawal. Every day, we are visited by a unique combination of a Nawal (essence) and a number (strength or force).

This principle reflects a fundamental aspect of Mayan Cosmovision: the presence of polarity and counterparts in all that exists. Everything unfolds in pairs—forces that interact, cooperate, and dance together to create a specific outcome, a unique possibility that changes with each passing day.

One way to understand the rhythm of a trecena is through the life cycle of a seed:

• Day 1: Sowing the seed—the moment of initiation.

• Day 2: Resting in the soil—a time of stillness and integration.

• Day 3: Germination—the first stirrings of life.

• Day 4: A pause—allowing the process to settle.

• Day 5: Sprouting—emerging from the soil.

• Day 6: Rest—the counterpart to growth.

• Day 7: Proliferation—spreading its potential.

• Day 8: Another pause—balancing expansion.

• Day 9: Budding—preparing for bloom.

• Day 10: Rest again—to absorb its transformation.

• Day 11: Flowering—expression in full form.

• Day 12: A final night of rest—before completion.

• Day 13: Fruition—the cycle reaches its peak.

This natural rhythm mirrors the sacred dance of time, where movement and stillness, creation and integration, work together to shape reality. Through this understanding, we learn to embrace each trecena as a living process, guiding us through transformation and renewal.

With love and respect for the Mayan lineages,

Nan Vivian Cruz de Baak