Flint (Tijax) | The Day of the Obsidian Blade | A good day to cut out problems

Glyph: Tijax

Flint or Tijax is a smbol of life, liberation, miracle, healing, and surgery. The daysign glyph shows a step-pyramid and some energy shot between the roofcombs and the rest of the universe. The flint knife during the Classic Mayan period was used for surgeries. So the cut of the flint knife is a symbol of healing more than violence. Natives born on this daysign are usually practical, well-coordinated, and social. Also, natives of this sign are usually interested in balance and harmony.

During Mayan ceremonies, this day is used to cut out problems and protect people from witchcraft.

my rendition of tijax - flint

The word tijax represents the "chay of xibalba" which is the obsidian of the underworld in K'iche' ("chay" means obsidian and "xibalba" is the word for the Mayan underwold). This leads to a kind of double meaning. Obsidian is a kind of double edged sword. Although the stone is beautiful, it is very difficult to work with and takes much effort to polish. Also, we should evaluate the symbolism of the glyph: a pyramid with lightning rods shooting. This is sometimes translated as "earthquake" or "shaking" because the glyph may represent the house of the underword giving and receiving energy in a kind of shaking (or even purging) action. In modern idiomatic English this is like "a good kick in the pants." People of this daysign have the power to do the difficult things necessary for betterment. In this way, they are like surgeons using a knife to heal.


Notable Flint Native:
Alex Rodriguez (5)

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Want to read more about the Sacred Calendar? Try Ralph's book The Sacred Calendar. 

The Sacred Calendar | The Cholq'ij | Mystic Mayan Energy | Wisdom | The Tzolkin | Daysigns | Aj Q'ij

About my Interest in the Cholq'ij Sacred Calendar

Many of you know that I spent a lot of time in Mexico & Guatemala when I was younger. During that time I had a chance to learn to speak Spanish. What many of you probably do not know is that I also learned a bit of some other languages like Triqui, Chinanteco (which has one of the most beautiful words I've ever heard in any language to date -- "la" with a rising and falling pitch -- it means Earth), and most importantly K'iche'.

Why is K'iche' so important and what is it? 

The K'iche' Maya have, in my opinion, the greatest cultural heritage of the Maya. See more about K'iche' here. While I lived in Xelaju Noj (aka Quetzaltenango) I studied with a Mayan Daykeeper named Roberto Poz. Recently, three of my students in Hankook University of Foreign Studies in Seoul asked me about it -- I don't even know how they heard that I'd studied to be a daykeeper. They wanted to know their signs (there are twenty of them, and they offer insight into the personality and tendencies of a person). I gave them a write up about their sign (all of them came out to be Serpent). It occurred to me that other people might be interested in knowing their sign and the meaning behind it. I searched online and found a Mayan date calculator which will tell you your mayan daysign if you type in your birthday. Then you can follow the daysign links below to know more about each sign. I am completing the list slowly. If I don't have your sign, send me an email or leave a comment and I'll get to it.

My Book about the Cholq'ij Sacred Calendar

Also, all the twenty daysigns are defined and have poems written about them and in honor to them in my book The Sacred Calendar (available at Amazon: Cholq'ij Sacred Calendar and Smashwords: Cholq'ij Sacred Calendar). Check out all the free information on this site and if you like what you see, have a look at my book. It's available in paperback and eBook forms (with eBooks available in just about every format).

How this site works:

Below are the twenty signs of the Sacred Mayan Calendar. Click on any (or all of them) to get detailed information about each one. If you don't know your sign, please try the Mayan date calculator to find what you are and learn more about yourself and your sign. Enjoy!

The Daysigns:

Crocodile
Wind
Night
Lizard
Serpent
Death
Deer
Rabbit
Water
Dog
Monkey
Road
Corn
Jaguar
Eagle
Vulture
Incense
Flint
Storm
Ancestors



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Discover More Now

If you need anything else, please ask. Leave a comment or email me at the link above. If you want to know someone's daysign just ask. I was recently asked about Steve Jobs and added him in (he was born Ancestors, if you're curious). Thanks for your interest.

Discover more about the Cholq'ij with Twenty Poems for the Twenty Sacred Calendar Days. Much of this information is secret knowledge reserved for daykeepers and shaman in Mexico--Yucatan, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Oaxaca--Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. Discover some of these secrets revealed in poetry.

External Links and some photos:

Check out some photos of the Maya.

What is Magic? (a site devoted to Mayan ceremonies)

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl on the Calendar Round

Mayan girl with baby

Palenque (in the heart of the Lacandon Forest)