Author: Alison Price   –   Published: January 2013

Mayan Long Count Calendar

Mayan Astrology

Calendar End and Start

The end of the Mayan calendar seemed to finish on December 21, 2012.

Solstice Coincidence

Winter Solstice

The winter solstice most years falls on December 21st.

This is a common date for the solstice and is nothing new.

Sun’s Capricorn Ingress

From an astrological point of view, it is the date when the Sun makes its Capricorn ingress.

This is when the Sun reaches the most northern point of the solar annual journey through the signs of the zodiac at about 23°26’N.

Long Count Calendar

5100 Years

The Mayan long count calendar spans over 5100 years.

The previous cycle began on what is known as the “Creation Date” of August 11th, 3114 BCE and ended on December 21, 2012.

It ended on that day because it all has to do with how the Mayans measure time.

Mayan Time Periods

Western

In the current western measurements of time, we have:

• The day (one revolution of the Earth)
• The month (one orbit of the Moon around the Earth)
• The year (one orbit of the Earth around the Sun.

Five Time Periods

The Maya devised five time periods:

• The kin = I day
• The winal = 20 days a sort of month
• The tun = 18 x winal = 18 x 20 = 360 days (a sort of year).
• The k’atun = 20 x tun (20 x 360 = 7200 days) nearly two decades (19.7 years or around one Jupiter / Saturn synodic cycle).
• The b’aktun = 20 x k’atun (20 x 7200 = 144000 days) +/- 394 years. 144000 x 13 = 1872000 = +/- 5128 years.

Time Units

Mayan Astrology

With these five-time units, the Maya were able to record important dates.

Dates are usually listed vertically when carved on the stele.

The b’aktun is at the top and then works down to the shorter time periods.

Left to Right

Mayan Time Units

We express the Mayan time units with five Arabic numbers from left to right the b’aktun, k’atun, tun, winan and kin.

The numbers are expressed as follows for example:

• 19.19.17.19 = December 20, 2012
• 20.20.18.20 = December 21, 2012

There are apparently 13 b’aktuns in each long count after which the counter reverts to zero.

0.0.0.0.1 = December 22, 2012.

Sun’s Ingress of 2012

Consider how the Mayan calendar looked during 2012.

Mayan Date – Sun ingress date

12.19.19.7.6 – Sun entered Gemini on May 21, 2012

12.19.19.8.17 – Sun entered Cancer on June 21, 2012

12.19.19.10.8 – Sun entered Leo on July 22, 2012

12.19.19.12.20 – Sun entered Virgo on August 23, 2012

12.19.19.13.11 – Sun entered Libra on September 23, 2012

12.19.19.15.2 – Sun entered Scorpio on October 24, 2012

12.19.19.16.11 – Sun entered Sagittarius on November 22, 2012

13. 0. 0. 0. 0 – Sun entered Capricorn on December 21, 2012
14. 0. 0. 1.11 – Sun enters Aquarius on January 22, 2013

Note: the winal rolls over at 18 and not 20.

The start of the current long count date. 0.0.0.0.1 = August 11, 3114 BCE

B’aktun

The Last B’aktun in 1618

One b’aktun equals 14400 days or 394 years.

At the last increment of the b’aktun, from 11 to 12, it was on September 18, 1618AD.

This is historically around the time when the Maya finally acquiesced to the Spanish.

Apparently, the Maya accepted change at the rollover from one b’aktun to the next b’aktun and this is somewhat confirmed by looking deeper into their history.

They believed that “change” is a theme for b’aktun changes.

A New Dawn

Our year is based on the Earth’s annual journey around the Sun.

The way we count in our western calendar is that at the end of one year we simply add another one to the year number and start the month at January again.

When we reach December 31st, we start again on January 1st in the new year.

So do the Maya.

Stele

Carved in Stone

We know so much about the Egyptians because they carved in stone and so it is with the Maya.

Any culture that leaves an imprint in stone has a recorded history that is kept through the ages.

Pictographs

Vegisimal

A pictograph is a pictorial symbol for a word, phrase or number.

There are nineteen pictographs used in main circle on the Mayan carvings and pyramid records on the stele, with the twentieth pictograph being in the middle suggesting the b’aktun.

This is in line with the vegisimal (base 20) number system the Maya use.

Mayan Two Schools of Thought

Schools of Thought

There are two schools of thought about how the Mayan calendar progresses into the future.

1) Only 13 B’aktuns?

That the b’aktun only goes up to 13 and then reverts to zero is debated by scholars.

The question being why there should only be 13 b’aktuns and not 20 as with the other units with the exception of the winan?

2) Further Time Periods?

Some evidence appears to support the idea that further time periods are accepted as follows:

20 x B’aktun = 1 Pictun 

20 x Pictuns = 1 Kalabtun

20 x Kalabtun = 1 Kinichiltun

This would indicate that time is measured progressively onwards by just adding another 20-base unit of time at the front.

The Maya Live On

Mayan Riveira

In the area in Central America known as the Mayan Riviera live the descendants of the original Maya.

These rich cultural people have adopted a modern way of living, but they are still Mayan in their DNA.

This can be seen in their strong facial features.

Overarch

Astrologer’s Role

As astrologers, we are used to working with time periods.

Not only the basic yearly calendars, but also planetary cycles such as:

• The Saturn cycle of twenty-nine years
• The Jupiter twelve-year cycle which again loosely correlates with Chinese astrology periods.

I believe that  to know a little about how the Mayan calendar works will arm astrologers with practical answers to the question surrounding 2012.

Appreciating that the Mayan calendar is just another example of how humans measure time, places the hype of 2012, and the end-of-the-world theories, into perspective.

Extend Yourself

Mayan Long Count Calendar

• Name the (main) five time periods used by the Maya.
• Specify what “steles” are usually made from.
• Define the word pictograph.
• State how many time periods there are in the Mayan astrology wheel including the centre.

Extend Yourself Further

Today

• Calculate today’s date as the Mayans would have. Use the notation 00.00.00.00.00 and try to find the correct numbers.

Author Bio

Alison Price: Professional Astrologer

Alison helps you uncover your individual creativity and lead a fulfilling life using your own astrology. She shares her wisdom from the heart with a touch of humor. She offers Consultations for everyone and Coaching for Aspiring Astrologers.

If you’d like to get in touch with Alison, you can reach out to her via email at starzology@gmail.com.

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