Aztec and Maya Calendar
In the tonalpohualli, the sacred Aztec calendar, Monday October 7, 1996 is:
Xihuitl:
solar year
10 - Tecpatl (flint knife)
Long Count:
Mayan calendar
12.19.3.10.1
Xiuhpohualli:
365-day calendar
3 - Nemontemi (-)
(Correlation: Alfonso Caso [adjust])
The significance of this day
Aztec facts
In the years after the conquest of Mexico, the xiuhpohualli (solar calendar) became tied to the Julian calendar as used by the Spaniards. This effectively introduced a leap year to the Aztec calendar every four years (this site provides the pre-conquest calendar).
This is the third of the five unlucky days (nemontemi) at the end of a year (xihuitl). It is better not to carry out any activity during these unfortunate and useless days.
Day Cipactli (Crocodile) is governed by Tonacatecuhtli, Lord of Nurturance, as its provider of tonalli (Shadow Soul) life energy. Cipactli is an auspicious day, signifying advancement and honor. It depicts energy and work, rewards and recognition. A good day for beginnings.
The thirteen day period (trecena) that starts with day 1-Atl (Water) is ruled by Chalchihuihtotolin. These are 13 days of instability and unexpected events, of accidents and coincidences: these are good days to gamble a little on a long-shot; bad days to gamble a lot on a sure thing. Every day rollercoasters between all-good and all-bad, between rapture and terror. This trecena advises the priest-warrior to perfect the art of shapeshifting: only by mimicking the nature of water do we become an agent of change rather than a target of it. The purified heart casts no reflection in the smoking mirror.