The Trecena of 1 Ben / Aj

1 Ben / Aj — The Trecena of Guidance

Ben, or Aj in K’iche’ Maya, symbolizes the guiding light of family and home, and the tenderness and innocence of small children.  It represents sugar cane, corn and the growth, health and abundance of offspring, seeds and crops in general; renewal and restoration; stability, strength and solidity; and resoluteness of character.  It watches over professions, vocations and trades, and symbolizes the staff of authority and power.  It symbolizes clairvoyance and telepathy, sacred speech and dreams, and connects cosmic and telluric energies.  As the nagual of the home and children, Ben has a strong connection with the nourishment, renewal, and flourishing of all things related to home and household—be it human, plant or animal.  In short, Ben embodies the energy and vitality of life itself.  Ben’s animal totems are the armadillo and the bee.  In the Classical Maya tradition, it is associated with the cardinal direction East and the color red.  In the tradition of modern-day K’iche’ Maya, it is North and the color white. 

On Ben days, the Maya give thanks for their children, their lives and their homes.  They ask for good food and the protection of their homes, crops, gardens, and animals, as well as their physical, mental, and professional wellbeing.  Ben days bring good weather and good harvests, and facilitate the return home.

The discovery of the Americas in the 15th century, the Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th centuries, and globalization in our current lifetime, have all driven the expansion of minds and markets.  We can live, work, and travel virtually anywhere we like. We can enjoy food from all over the world in our own homes or down the street, listen to music of any genre or culture delivered instantly to our desktop for mere pennies, talk to friends and relatives no matter where they are in the world, and hold virtual meetings in multiple time zones simultaneously.  We call ourselves “global citizens” and think nothing of moving every few years to other cities, states or even other countries.  It’s all part of modern living.  

So where is home?  Is it where we live physically now, or is it where we grew up or where we end up retiring?  Perhaps a more appropriate question is, what is home?  The specific definition of “home” depends on the culture and/or faith you’ve grown up with, but in its full essence and meaning, home is your onion.  At its core, it’s that place deep inside your soul that’s the source of your inner happiness and stability, the little fire that gives you direction in life.  Once you’ve got it, no one can take it away from you.  Your house can burn down, your city can be destroyed in an earthquake, everything can be taken away from you, but your inner home is unassailable.

It is imperative to your inner peace and stability that you strengthen and fireproof this core.  Do not allow events, situations, news reports, or the toxic emotions of others to seep into your core and poison your mind and soul.  It may seem a little selfish, a little callous at first, but if you really wish to help others, your spiritual and psychological base needs to be strong and unbiased.  It’s tough love for the soul!

Working outwards from the onion’s core, are all of your other homes.  Your emotional or sentimental home, the family or personal environment in which you live, the physical structure that houses you and your belongings, the community you are a part of, your faith or religion, your culture, your country, your planet.  You may have few or many of these secondary or external homes, but we each have an inner core that we need to keep healthy, happy, and strong—for otherwise, all of our other homes will wither and dim.

It is equally important to recognize cracks in the various layers of the onion.  If your home and/or your family suffocates you, puts you down, doesn’t let you breathe free or tries to influence or control you, you need to claim your psychic and emotional space.  The closer the issue in question lies to the core of your onion, the more challenging it is to resolve, yet the more significant—and often urgent. 

This trecena, stay home with Ben.  Enjoy the company of your loved ones, give thanks for their presence in your life and the blessings they bring.  If it’s just you, rejoice in the wonderful richness your mind, body, and soul have to offer you.  Above all, enjoy your onion.

 

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(Text by Birgitte Rasine.  If you'd like to repost the Trecena texts, please copy the above text in its entirety and credit Birgitte Rasine/The Mayan Calendar Portal with a link to www.maya-portal.net, and email us with a link to your site so we can reciprocate.)

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