#caracarozza – Page 2

Living Maya Time – Symbols of N’oj

Every choice is sacred. This is what I heard as I reflected on the second anniversary of my sisters passing on the Cholq’ij calendar. She passed on 9 E’. A day when our new life path may be clearly revealed. For the Maya, the number nine represents the number of lunar cycles that a human baby gestates. The Nawal E’ is the road or the journey. To live in harmony with the energies, one is said to be walking the white road.

My sisters’ choice to commit suicide changed the course of my life path forever. For two cycles I have been wearing a heavy coat of grief, unable to connect to her energies. Shame and survivor guilt have obscured her presence. The calendar offered another perspective. What if I could accept her choice as sacred? Perhaps then, I could receive her gifts and connect with her spirit more deeply.

The trecena of K’at offered me the ideal opportunity to liberate myself from the choking entanglement of my grief. I’ve had my sisters’ ashes on my deck since the dry season began. She’s been surrounded by flowers. Flowers whose vines had intertwined. This became my ceremony, untangling the knots that had formed. When I was done, the plants mirrored my own feelings. They looked healthier and there was room for new growth.

Today’s energy invites us to receive the wisdom that N’oj offers. We can only receive this knowledge when there’s space in our minds and in our hearts. Each Nawal offers us a symbol or glyph. The glyph for N’oj depicts a brain and circles which represent the potential for human spiritual evolution. My daughter and her father both carry the Nawal of N’oj and they are both engineers. The archetype of the engineer is the first symbol that I ascribed to the Nawal N’oj.

Part of the magic of this calendar is its’ insistence upon looking within ourselves to find the wisdom of spirit. Through storytelling and imagery, we can create our own library of symbols. Using our own unique language, we can connect more intimately with ourselves, our ancestors and our guides.

On 7 N’oj, I was invited to participate in the inaugural session of a Cholq’ij study group. The group has been created by Diana Paez who carries the Nawal of 4 N’oj. She has an excellent website, www.walkingthewhiteroad.com, which is filled with information about the calendar if you want to dive deeper into its’ wisdom. Diana is an excellent scribe and I have added that symbol to the engineer archetype that I already identified N’oj with.

As you move through the next thirteen days, take note of the symbols that you are offered. Journal the dreams that stay with you upon waking. Record the images that appear during your meditations. Use this information to distill your own knowledge. You are your own guru and you don’t need anyone else to connect to your higher wisdom.

You’ve got this!

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of K’at

It’s hard to believe that this marks a full cycle since I began writing again. My intention has been realized. I’ve deepened my understanding of the Nawales through writing about my experiences. It’s expanded me and my web of connection. K’at is this energy of connection. It’s also the net that carries our crops. It is the Nawal of the harvest.

Harvest came yesterday for our cannabis plants. The sun leaves were dry and yellow. Unusual humidity threatened to bring mold. Time to gift what’s left of last seasons flower. This is the invitation of K’at. By releasing what we do not need, we unburden ourselves and we nurture our connection to our community. Reciprocity in action.

It’s not always easy to know what we need to release. Slowing down long enough to listen is sometimes the hardest part. The creative energy of B’atz left me buzzing. So many threads were offered. Exciting, but overwhelming. Clarity about what to keep has not arrived. I need to be patient or I risk creating a knot with all the threads instead of a beautiful tapestry.

Ceremony and ritual are my methods to cultivate patience. They anchor me when the pace feels too fast. The dance of the fire offers an opportunity for reflection. Offerings strengthen my connection to spirit. It can be as simple as lighting a candle and some incense. Or it can be an elaborate fire ceremony shared with the entire community. I’m not sure what I’ll be up for next weekend when Wajxaqib B’atz arrives, but I know it will bring an energy of renewal.

Exercise discernment as you decide what to release and what to hold onto over the next 13 days. Packing lightly for your next journey is advised. If you don’t, there may be no room for anything new.

Until next time.

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of B’atz’

I’ve come to see the energy of B’atz’ as the energy that connects me to my twin sister. Through the womb we shared and through the threads of time that still continue to connect us. Last night I dreamt of Michaela. I couldn’t tell you what we were doing, but we were together and we were enjoying ourselves. We were surrounded by light. When I awoke her presence was still with me. For an instant, I forgot that she was gone. I savor these moments. It’s where we meet now.

The energy of Tijax and the lunar eclispse that it hosted left me restless. Charged and precise, embodying it required a lot of presence from me. Presence and practice. The full moon begged for a fast and I agreed. Tijax is the ultimate purifier, after all. Fasting when my body is ready for it always feels good. Not so much when it isn’t. I am learning to listen to my body. Patiently like a mother, or a lover. I’ve come to accept and cherish her just as she is. It’s a lot more fun that way. Tijax supported my intentions to release self-judgement.

B’atz’ is creativity. It weaves time and all that exists in our physical reality. Today we plant the seeds of a new creation. In twenty days time, we arrive at Wajxaquib B’atz’, the beginning of another 260 day cycle. Ideal energetic weather for initiating any creative project. Under the influence of the Nawal of marriage and partnerships, collaborations are also favored for the next thirteen days.

This weeks assignment for my new creative project is to, “Sketch fragments for the TWIN LOSS chapters.” I’m think I’m ready. Lots of threads to explore and excavate. I’m going to feel a lot, but it’s time to weave something new. Something that feels good and feels like me.

Short and sweet. It’s tax season again. Only one more trecena left. May the opportunity to discover what you want to create next present itself over the next thirteen days.

Much Love,

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Tijax

The serpent brought me a lot of wisdom these past 13 days. Wisdom that is seeding knowing. Knowing feels different than believing. The difference is subtle, but profound, much like the energy of Kan. It’s innate and is best understood through experience. Ix Cacao was my chosen experience. I’ve completed 19 days of a 21-day cacao immersion. Traditional preparation and ritual formed our courtship. The Mayan energy of the day informed our meditations. Her magic invited me to feel my innate wisdom. So gentle, so sweet. My heart has been opened in the most delightful way through knowing this sacred plant. Pure bliss. Insights delivered easefully. A joyful practice that I was eager to engage with each morning. Echoing my rib adjustment and the attic excavation, Madame Cacao showed me that healing can feel good. More of that, please!

The trecena of Tijax invites us to put the wisdom we’ve acquired from Kan to use. Tijax purifies and excises whatever creates imbalance. It represents an obsidian blade and embodies the archetypes of both the surgeon and the holy warrior. Its power is best wielded with discernment. Through our presence and experience during the Kan trecena, we embody the wisdom necessary for discernment. Ideally, it tempers our blade.

With the arrival of Tijax, we are nearing the end of the cycle that began in January on 8 B’atz. Discharging and releasing any energies that are not serving us creates space for sustained healing and growth. Healing that liberates and nourishes. Writing is part of my release process. If I can access my vulnerability, my prose teaches me things about my experiences that my mind dismisses. Tuning into how I feel is key. Cacao and her teacher, @sacred_wellness_by_zuli, inspired a new level of feeling within me. It has changed me. I feel softened. A sense of innocence and hope have been restored.

I intend on harnessing the power of the obsidian blade to create permanent space for these new found feelings. Cutting distorted ideas about pain from my psyche. Editing old stories from my mental playlist. Purifying my heart of cynicism. I will be drinking cacao and I will be beginning a creative journey called Dream Weaving with my editor and soul sister, Lee Mayimele. It’s a journey into vibration, attunement and elevation according to her. I can’t wait to see what we create together in the coming cycle. Getting rid of anything that will impede the process with the tenacious energy of Tijax.

Trust yourself, you are so very wise.

Cara xoxo

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Kan

We’ve returned from the journey and we are ready to integrate our experience. Kan represents power and innate wisdom. It is the feathered serpent Q’uq’umatz or Quetzalcoaltl. It is coyopa, the lightning in the blood. Today Kan empowers us to follow the new direction that E’ has offered. Whether your travels took you away from home or deep into your inner landscape, the seed of a new path has germinated. Now the real work of growth begins.

**This gorgeous rattle snake showed up on my hike yesterday to welcome in the energy of Kan.**

San Diego was both magical and illuminating. An alchemy of past, present and future. We let the navigation plot our course and ended up at my Dad’s favorite pit stop. It looked just as he had always described it. They still made their own fudge. Fudge he sometimes brought to my sister and me when he drove up to visit us. Fudge was a special treat. “Rocky Road and Chocolate, please.” I filled my mouth with it, immediately tasting the past. I let the tears stream down my face. My Dad was with me. I could feel him everywhere.

Andrew’s birthday wish was a trip to the Zoo. It had been twenty years since any of us had been. That had been on our first road trip together as a family. Two weeks driving up and down the West Coast in a mini-van. Absolutely exhausting. Infinitely expanding. This was our first vacation trip to San Diego as a couple. One week in a sweet little cottage. Lots of decadent food and leisurely sightseeing. Completely restorative. Totally satisfying. The trip went so well we are planning an annual pilgrimage. Andrew and Caroline have the same stars in their eyes that my Dad and my Grandparents had when they were living in San Diego. They are in love and likely to stay a while.

I initiated my Ixcacao immersion journey on the last day of our trip. Planting the seeds of this heart opening medicine in San Diego. The intersection of my past, present and future. An energetic portal to my healing. My first dose of cacao offered me an image of my grandparents house and then the name of the street. “Can we take a short detour to Rancho Bernardo?” Richard had already typed the street name into the navigation. “I can’t remember the number, but I will remember the house when I see it.”

Every part of my being remembered. It was almost startling. The house had only existed in my mind. Way back in the fuzzy part of my mind. Now it stood right in front of me. Nearly unchanged. My grandfathers citrus trees were immense. One of his roses even remained. It was all still here. The life force of my ancestors is still alive. It lives within me and my children. Kan is this force and it is the wisdom that comes from understanding the power of this force. Investing the power of Kan into your family and your relationships is a wise investment. I highly recommend it.

Happy Investing,

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of E’

Kawoq ushered in a chorus of women that I have planted seeds of relationship with over the past few years. They all showed up eager to be watered. It should not have been such a surprise. The energy of the midwife and the rainstorm had been my conductor. She eased me into my labor with a quiet meditation retreat with my friend Cathryn. A once-a-year date to spend the weekend together doing something creatively empowering. It left plenty of time for leisurely meals and lots of conversation. Nice and easy.

The contractions got my attention when I got a call from my new sister, Maat. “I got my dispensary license! Remember you told me when we were in the Dominican Republic that you would take care of the taxes, right?” I did, but had forgotten. She would be my first cannabis client. Family and in an aligned business. I really couldn’t say no, especially after what my family had been through. Kawoq encouraged me to breathe. You got this she said. You’ve studied the law. You’re the best person for this work. She is so wise.

Transition came with a request from a client I had not worked for in a while. A delicate project, closing a family business and preparing the final tax returns. But also, something else. “I’ve seen the ceremonies you make for yourself online and I want you to create one for me and my husband for our anniversary.” Ashley is an artist. She ran for the City Council of Carmel – by – the -Sea and I was her campaign treasurer. We connected immediately. I got paid to learn a ton and collect money while drinking wine and eating cheese at all of her fund-raising events. It didn’t even feel like work.

I was surprised, but completely intrigued by her request. Almost immediately, I got a case of imposter syndrome. Am I qualified to create a Mayan’ish fire ceremony for someone else? I decided to just start and see what took form. Checking their anniversary date, I saw that it was today, 1 E’. Time to push.

E’ is the Nawal of the road, the journey and the new path. It nurtures and expands the new life birthed during the Kawoq trecena. Ideal energy for a ceremony to initiate a new financial direction. This was all I needed to fuel my creativity. Everything I needed was there. I didn’t need to buy anything. I just needed to allow the process to happen. And I had SOOO MUCH fun doing it! Equally fun was delivering it to her. She had gifted me one of her sculptures after the campaign. Now I was able to reciprocate.

A new path is emerging. One where my spiritual practices intersect with my business services. Fertile ground for more of my authentic self to emerge. I am feeling an exhilarating excitement building. The energies of this Trecena will also be supporting my journey to San Diego. My husband and I are visiting our daughter and one of our sons. I’m so excited to squeeze them both. Travel is auspicious for the next couple of weeks. Inward journeys are also supported. I’m starting one of those too. A 21 day cacao immersion. Can’t wait to meet Madame Cacao more intimately.

Bon voyage on your journey, I hope it surprises and delights you.

Cara xoxo

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Kawoq

I am welcoming today’s energies with an optimism that I have not felt in a very long time. Kame’s alchemy has transformed my perspective. I am ready to birth a new reality. Kawoq is both the midwife and the rainstorm. She can be a gentle sprinkle or a violent storm. Either way, she is there to ensure that new life and new creations are born. In perfect harmony, the Kawoq trecena follows the trecena of Kame. Kame is death, transformation and the ancestors. Kame extinguishes that which no longer serves our path. Kawoq follows to cleanse and purify us. She guides us through the rebirth process. She is the wisdom of the grandmothers and the divine feminine.

My pinched nerve turned out to be a rib out of place. It was really uncomfortable. And yet, all I could think about was getting back up into the attic. The momentum had started. I had the support of the ancestors. Now was the time. My enthusiasm was undaunted and I was rewarded. After all the empty card board boxes had been removed and recycled, there was plenty of space to view what remained.

**The Mineral people were welcomed outdoors with a smudging ceremony.**

Feathers, rocks and shells were the souvenirs of a lifetime of family camping trips, spiritual vision quests and hiking with friends. The attic was filled with mineral people eager to be liberated. This is where we began excavating memories. We did not confront the past as I had imagined, we were welcomed by it. We made ourselves comfortable and spent some time there. It was delightful. I could only agree with my mother when she remarked, “We sure had a lot of fun, didn’t we?”

Kame has gifted me with the perspective that transformation does not have to be uncomfortable. It can come gently and easily. Just like the adjustment from my chiropractor. I’m nurturing this energy by beginning the Kawoq trecena with a two-day meditation retreat. Quieting my mind to listen for what wants to be born. The Maya believe that time is a thread that weaves reality. Being still offers the opportunity to create our reality with conscious intention. To mindfully weave our experience. Seeking the wisdom of women will be supported and particularly blessed over the next thirteen days. I’ll be staying with my friend Cathryn this weekend. She invited me to the retreat. She’s very wise and also lots of fun. I can’t wait to initiate these creation energies together with her.

Joyfully Yours,

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Kame

In my zeal to stand up tall and do what is right for the community, I’ve managed to pinch a nerve. It feels like there is a knife lodged alongside my left shoulder blade. The benevolent and hard-working energies of the Aj trecena had me sorting a life time of memories in my parents’ attic last week. Most of it had not been touched in nearly twenty-five years. Feeling strong and healthy, with a desire to better use the spaces that three generations are now occupying, I dove in eagerly. Perhaps I over did it? It felt so good to be moving all day, to spend time with my mother and to create at least the possibility that some of it can be let go of.

Kame is the energy of death, rebirth and transformation. The Maya view time as circular, not linear. Time is a cycle and death is part of that cycle. As the saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.” Kame is also the Nawal of the ancestors. An ideal day to honor your deceased loved ones or ask for their guidance.

While physically challenging, sorting all the stuff in the attic was the easy part. The hard part will be confronting the past. The unrealized plans and dreams. Your own unlined face and the faces of others that are no longer with you. Kame will bring the ideal energy to support this process if one chooses to engage with it.

Some prayers to the ancestors wouldn’t hurt either. I’ve already created a special spot on my alter for my Nana for this trecena. My Nana was a minimalist and an immaculate housekeeper. She was also a bookkeeper. My Mother’s Mother holds a very special place in my heart. I inherited a lot of her habits and skills and they serve me every day. She’s my perfect ally for the potential this trecena offers our homestead.

The roses we planted two seasons ago are finally flourishing. My Nana loved yellow roses. Every year on her birthday my grandfather would buy her a dozen yellow roses. The glory of summer flowers is a powerful reminder of how life is constantly renewing itself. Growth and renewal are the natural outcome of death and destruction. It’s the alchemy of life and it’s the energy of Kame. May you find comfort in the cycles of your life and in the wisdom of your lineage.

Eternally yours,

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Aj

Upon return from our Ajpu Heroes Journey, we are met with the benevolent authority of Aj. Our lessons and our visions must be integrated into daily life. Practices are made not just imagined. Art is created not merely visualized. Abundance must be sown as well as planted.

Aj is representative of the cane or staff of authority that is carried by the Elders. It reminds us to stand up tall for what we believe is right for us, our family and our community. Brave and reliable Aj fuels our stamina to bring our dreams into reality.

I’ve been living intimately with the energy of Aj for over 23 years now. The ultimate foundation to my vision of the divinity in all that is. Together my husband Richard and I have amassed vast spiritual wealth and created a thriving tribe. Heaven manifested on earth is the potential of the energy of Aj following the journey of Ajpu. It’s not always a smooth ride, but the adventure and the destination are definitely worth it.

**Richard embodying his Nawal of Aj** **– Connecting the Heart of the Sky to the Heart of the Earth**

These days, sleeping deeply and peacefully represent a manifested heaven on earth for me. When I finished my first book, Many Gifts – Seeing Beyond the Setbacks, I thought I had reached my happily ever after. I’ve now realized there is no happily ever after. Just cycles. Always more cycles.

I’ve come to find great comfort in the cycles of human existence. It’s become my anchor and it all started when I began studying the Mayan sacred calendar or, Cholq’ij. The Calendar found me when I decided to tell my story. It led me to my Editor, Lee Mayimele. It’s asking me to consider writing my next story. To heal through writing and collaboration. Aj will be my counsel as I look within for my answer.

Embrace the supportive and wise energies over the next thirteen days. Your dreams are possible, but you must take action and you must do so with integrity.

You can do it!

Cara

Living Maya Time – The Trecena of Ajpu

I am welcoming my birth Nawal, or Nima Q’ij from 4500 feet this Trecena. The Sun feels hotter up here and Heaven feels especially close. Spending the week of the Summer Solstice at our favorite alpine lake has been a family tradition since 2006. Connecting with the magic of nature always feels more accessible at altitude. Mount Lassen offers a grounding force to the wild energy of long summer days on the lake. My birth Nawal Ajpu embodies this energy of the Solstice and I’m delighted to have the two arrive during the same week, right in the middle of my Mayan Cross this year.

Kej came in strong and fast for me last Trecena. The stag is not known for being a gentle teacher. A violent purge followed by the retrieval of some long forgotten adolescent memories. I’m still processing it all. It has indeed felt like a mini lifetime, or at least a life review. My intention to engage with my own Mayan energies was answered with wild enthusiasm by Kej. Not only is this energy strong with in my own Cross, but I discovered that my husband, business partner and closest friend were all born during the Trecena of Kej. I look forward to diving into our combined energies as I further my studies with this amazing system for living.

Sunrise stillness greeted me this morning as I prepared for ceremony. I had forgotten how magical this time of day is. An ideal spot nestled between two boulders of volcanic rock, overlooking the lake became my alter for the celebration. A distinctly masculine energy that invited quiet and reverent prayers was my constant companion. The cards echoed the vibe, advising patience and persistence. Each Nawal was called. Offerings were made to the fire. The spirits were fed and so was I. It was the perfect way to initiate the energies of Jun Ajpu.

**My Sunrise Ceremony Welcomed a Fire Sprite**

Ajpu is the hero’s journey and the path of ascension. It represents the divinity in all of creation. It is also Father Sun. The Trecena of Ajpu is the ideal time to connect with our spiritual path and higher purpose. The Summer Solstice is arriving Saturday in perfect alignment with this Trecenas energy. A magical day to honor Spirit and celebrate the light. I hope you are inspired to create more divinity in your life over the next thirteen days. Life is sacred and so you are you.

In radiant LOVE,

xoxo

Cara