Tzolkin Trecena Notes

Tzolkin Trecena Notes – 1 Earth (Caban)

Day 157 of the 260 Day Tzolkin
Gregorian Date: May 9, 2024
Year Bearer:  12 Earth (Caban)

Trecenas are thirteen-day periods in the Tzolkin. Each Trecena starts with the Number 1, but with a different Day Glyph. As a wave of the Thirteen Heavens, the underlying energy is governed by the First Day Glyph of the Trecena and influences all thirteen successive Day Glyphs. Being aware of the predominant energy of the First Day of the Trecena, we can align our intentions with that energy and allow our goals to manifest.

This Trecena starts with 1 Caban (Earth/Movement) – Inspiration, Intelligent Thoughts, Natural Manner and Habits, Synchronizing Our Hearts with Earth’s Rhythm.

To the ancient Maya, the day sign Caban literally meant “earth” and represented the vital force within the earth itself (earth rhythm) and also within the human body (heart rhythm). According to Kenneth Johnson in Jaguar Wisdom, “its ideogram depicts a lock of hair, the hair of the young moon goddess, who is also corn mother, earth goddess, and creative spirit. Again we meet First Mother, that universal goddess of beginnings. Caban represents the creative spirit (the moon goddess or First Mother) that lies inherent in the earth itself; the vital force that manifests in the human body as teyolia, a soul substance centered in the heart, is believed to reside in the earth.”

© 2006 Judith Ann Griffith

Caban also represented the movement or motion of the earth as in the form of an earthquake or the surge of heart blood or chi as in the human body. Some Mayan daykeepers refer to Caban as Incense, as it rises to heaven so should intelligent human thoughts.

To Carlos Barrios in The Book of Destiny, “this glyph symbolizes learning. The drawing in the middle represents the brain, and the circles are degrees of increasing human spiritual betterment. It is the energy that governs the mind, knowledge and memory. It is the interaction between expansion and the infinite, on the one hand, and on the other, the rigid concept of reality, the limitations imposed on humans. It symbolizes the movement of earth and sky. It is the power of thoughts and ideas, the brain, development and earthquakes.”

Caban is a good day to turn knowledge and experience into wisdom.

Another representation of the Trecena is that of a creative wave beginning at 1 and ending at 13, with the numbers 6, 7 and 8 representing the crest of the wave. The crest could be interpreted as a strong influential energy, although the underlying influence on the Trecena would still rest in the beginning. In this Trecena, the crest falls on 6 Ik (Wind), 7 Akbal (Night) and 8 Kan (Lizard/Seed) which might suggest changing our patterns and planting new seeds of abundance. With Caban as the underlying energy, change comes by following the Tzolkin and balancing our heart’s rhythm with the earth’s rhythm. During this Caban Trecena, perform ritual and meditation to assist harmonization with the natural flow of the universe.

As we journey through each day of this Trecena:

Trecena Count 

Gregorian Date

1 Earth (Caban)

May 9, 2024

2 Flint (Etznab)

May 10

3 Storm (Cauac)

May 11

4 Sun (Ahau)

May 12

5 Crocodile (Imix)

May 13

6 Wind (Ik)

May 14

7 Night (Akbal)

May 15

8 Seed (Kan)

May 16

9 Serpent (Chicchan)

May 17

10 Transformer (Cimi)

May 18

11 Deer (Manik)

May 19

12 Star (Lamat)

May 20

13 Offering (Muluc)

May 21

Utilize Caban energy and wisdom to change our patterns and habits, our mode of living, our way of thinking. Live from the heart and let your thoughts rise to heaven. Become stewards of this beautiful Earth and all the life she holds – balance is the key – maintaining a balance between technology and nature can only be accomplished if we evolve to replace feelings of greed, hate, and righteousness with compassion, love and humility in our daily patterns and communications.

In Lak’ech (I am another you),
William and Viola
©2007 William and Viola Welsch