2 Tahsib (Chorti'): Slashing tool; machete.
2 Tijax (Quiche) / 2 Etz'nab (Yucatec Maya): Sharp implement
2 Tecpatl (Aztec): Flint knife
Direction: North
Note: This sign celebrates metal working, such as the machete or tahsib, which was brought to the Mayans by the Chibchan-speaking peoples of Costa Rica, Panama, and Columbia, somewhere in the the early Classic period (250 AD to 500 AD). Prior to that date this day sign was likely called k'ahk'tun, or flint stone. The proto-Mayans discovered obsidian k'ahk'tun in about 8800 BC on Hacawitz mountain, which greatly enhanced their ability to make fire as well as flint spears and tools.
Chorti' has dozens of words for knives and tools. Tool suffixes include the endings nib, sib, tib, chib, and xib. This day sign celebrates all of these tools. While some interpretations specify a meaning of human sacrifice for this day sign, that does not seem to be the case with the root words associated with various tools. Rather these are the instruments that allowed the Mayans to become agriculturalists and artisans. The machete or tahsib was especially important in corn production.
Nok Week: Nok describes the fine cotton (tinam) thread used in weaving and this week celebrates the ability of humans to utilize plants for clothing and other articles of higher civilization. This week might have been called ihben earlier, meaning earth spirit. It would have been easy to associate the rocking motion of the weaving loom with the rocking motion of the earth during an earthquake. This 13 day week will never have an eclipse, but follows an eclipse period every other tzolkin year. Mars will usually be retrograde every third tzolkin in Nok week. (Mars has a 780 day cycle or three tzolkin cycle.) Mars is retrograde now throughout this week. On the next Nok week (260 days), Mars will be an evening 'star' almost to disappear from the sky. On the Nok week following that, Mars will be a morning 'star'.
Tahsib in Nok Week: This is a day to celebrate technology that leads to human development and liberation: the ability to make beautiful clothes with cloth and dye and the ability to work with metals to make tools and other instruments.
Acajutla High Tides: 2:15 AM and 2:52 PM
Semi-diurnal Tide range (Difference in High/Low Tides): 1.43 meters average and increasing
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