The Year of Kej (2026)

Today we arrive at the sacred turning of time, the year of Jun (1) Kej, the Deer. This is the Mayan New Year … The turning of the ceremonial count, the beginning of a new cycle in the Tzolk’in, the 260-day sacred calendar carried by my Maya ancestors.

This day is known as the initiation of the spiritual year. It is the day when new Ajq’ijab’ (keepers of the days, guardians of the fire) are blessed & initiated into their sacred path. It is a day of ceremony, of copal rising into the sky, of prayers whispered into flame, of elders placing their hands upon the heads of the next generation & saying ... Remember who you are.

For us, time is not a straight line moving forward without memory. Time is circular … It breathes, & returns. Each day in the Tzolk’in carries a living essence, a nawal, a spiritual energy that guides human life & the natural world. These energies are not symbolic only; they are alive. They influence planting cycles, ceremonies, healing work, marriages, births, & the spiritual development of the soul.

On this New Year, we do not simply mark the passing of days. We enter into relationship again with sacred time. The Deer is now guiding us, & the Deer does not rush.

Understanding the Calendar

In the Maya tradition, we walk with the Cholq’ij, the 260-day Sacred Calendar. It is formed by the weaving together of 13 Sacred Numbers (tones) & 20 Nawales (Day Signs).

Together they create 260 unique spiritual codes — each day alive with energy & purpose. This sacred count guides our ceremonies, our inner development, & our understanding of collective cycles.

Alongside it is the 365-day solar cycle. Each February, a Year Bearer steps forward, carrying the spiritual theme for the entire year ahead.

In 2026, that guiding force is: 1 Kej — The Year of the Deer

The Energy of Kej

The number Jun (1) represents:

• The seed

• Unity

• Initiation

• The crystallization of intention

  
  

This means it is a foundational year. Not a year for quick harvest, but a year for deep planting. Choose your seeds wisely.

Kej is the Deer, the guardian of sacred territory & holder of the Four Directions.

Kej governs:

• The physical body

• Spine & skeletal strength

• Forests & mountains

• Sacred land

• Spiritual authority

• Integrity in leadership

Kej teaches us that your body is land … How are you stewarding it? The Deer governs the spine, your inner mountain. This is a year to strengthen your backbone.

If your shoulders have tightened…

If your breath has shortened…

If you feel fatigue from carrying too much…

This is not weakness. It is information.

Kej medicine is somatic:

• Walk on soil.

• Stretch gently.

• Strengthen steadily.

• Regulate your breath.

• Rest without guilt.

Slowing down in a Kej year is not avoidance. It is wisdom.

The Deer walks in deep connection with the Earth. It does not force its path. It owns its path, through clarity & presence. 

This year teaches us that true leadership & true action arise only from inner alignment.

A Living Relationship

Our ancestors observed the stars, the cycles of the Moon, the shifting of seasons, & the behavior of the crops. They watched the sky & the soil as carefully as they listened to the human heart.

The Tzolk’in was not created in a single moment. It was revealed over generations of deep relationship. This calendar teaches us that we are not separate from the cosmos. The same cycles that move the sun move our blood. The same rhythm that guides the Moon guides the womb. The same patterns that unfold in the heavens unfold within our thoughts, our challenges, our healing.

Modern life teaches us to rush forward. But, Sacred time teaches us to return. The Mayan New Year is not about resolutions or goals driven by pressure. It is about alignment. It is about asking ...

• Am I walking in right relationship with Mother Earth?

• Am I honoring the ancestors whose blood flows in me?

• Am I tending my gifts with responsibility & humility?

• Where has my thread become tangled, & how can I gently unwind it?

Fire, Prayer, & Initiation

On this day, sacred fires are lit across the highlands. Offerings of copal, candles, flowers, seeds, & cacao are placed in the flame. The fire becomes a portal, a bridge between worlds.

New timekeepers kneel before the altar. They are reminded that this path is not about power, it is about service. To carry the calendar is to carry responsibility for community, balance, & prayer.

It is a moment of remembering that every single day holds consciousness, & that how we move through time matters.

A Prayer for This New Cycle

Today, as I light the fire for this new count of days, I pray deeply.

I pray for the children — that they grow up remembering their sacredness. I pray for the elders — that their wisdom is honored & protected. I pray for the waters — that they are cleansed & respected. I pray for the seeds — that they sprout in fertile soil & carry forward life. I pray for the Earth herself — that humanity learns again to walk gently.

May this new cycle restore balance where imbalance has taken root.

May it soften hearts that have hardened.

May it awaken creativity where fear has silenced expression.

May it strengthen the thread of community across cultures & nations.

Beginning Again

It is important to always remember that our ancestors are not behind us. They walk beside us.

On this Mayan New Year, I invite you to pause. Place your hand on your heart. Feel your pulse, that is sacred time moving within you.

The thread is in your hands … & today, we begin again.