🧮 Math on Mondays - 🔢 Ancient Math Meets Modern Politics: Nemontemi's Election Eve Message
10/21/24: 🗓️ Aztec Calendar Magic: We're in the Mystic Nemontemi Days! 👹 Tzitzimime and Tezcatlipoca: Myths of the Nameless Days
We're currently amid the five "nameless days," or Nemontemi, of the Aztec Calendar, which occurs from October 18 to 22 this year.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
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🗓️🔢 The Aztecs had a super cool calendar that was really good at math! Right now, we're in a special 5-day period called Nemontemi. It's like the last few days before New Year's Eve, but for the Aztecs. They thought these days were a bit spooky and magical. 🌟 On October 23rd, their new year starts, and it's happening just before a big election in the United States. Some people think this timing is extra special and might mean big changes are coming. It's like the ancient Aztec calendar is giving us a message about our future!
🗝️ Takeaways
🗓️ We're currently in the 5-day Nemontemi period of the Aztec calendar
🧮 The Aztec calendar combines cycles of 260 and 365 days, aligning every 52 years
👻 Nemontemi days were considered unlucky and filled with mythical dangers
🔄 The Aztec New Year (13-Calli) begins on October 23, 2024
🗳️ This calendar transition comes just before the U.S. Election Day, symbolizing potential change
🧮 The Mathematical Marvel of Mesoamerica
¡Saludos, amigos! Maextro Morales here, bringing you another Mathematical Monday. Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of the Aztec calendar, a testament to our ancestors' mathematical brilliance.
Following a beautiful Full Hunter's Moon this Monday, October 21st, 2024, we find ourselves in a unique moment: 4-Nemontemi. We're currently in the midst of the five "nameless days" or Nemontemi, which occur from October 18-22 this year. These days are steeped in myth and mathematical precision.
The Aztec calendar, a testament to our ancestors' brilliance, combines the 260-day Tonalpohualli and the 365-day Xiuhpohualli. The Xiuhpohualli consists of 18 "months" of 20 days each (18 x 20 = 360), with the five Nemontemi days completing the solar year.
But the Nemontemi were more than just mathematical placeholders. Our ancestors viewed these days with a mix of fear and reverence. According to tradition, these were días aciagos - unlucky days when the cosmic balance was precarious.
It was said that during Nemontemi, the fearsome tzitzimime - skeletal star demons - might descend to devour humanity. People stayed indoors, avoided major activities, and even refrained from scolding their children, fearing any negativity could invite disaster.
Another myth tells of the god Tezcatlipoca removing his foot during these days, leaving the world vulnerable to evil forces. This story reminds us of the delicate equilibrium of the universe and our role in maintaining it.
Despite these ominous tales, the Nemontemi were also a time of reflection and preparation. As we transition from the year 12-Tecpatl to 13-Calli on October 23rd, we're reminded of the potential for renewal and change.
The mathematical precision of the calendar is mind-boggling. The Tonalpohualli and Xiuhpohualli cycles only align every 52 years - a full Calendar Round. This cyclical nature of time, so central to Mesoamerican thought, offers us a different perspective on our current political moment.
As we approach the U.S. Election Day in just two weeks, let's draw inspiration from our ancestors. They saw these transition days as a time to reflect, to cleanse, and to prepare for the challenges ahead. Perhaps, like them, we can use this time to contemplate our collective future and our role in shaping it.
In the spirit of the Nemontemi, let's be cautious but hopeful, reflective but prepared for action. As we move from a year of Tecpatl (flint knife) to one of Calli (house), may we transition from conflict to community, from division to unity.
Remember, compañeros, that even in uncertain times, we carry the wisdom and resilience of our ancestors. Their mathematical and spiritual legacy lives on in us.
Until next week, keep counting, keep questioning, and keep resisting. ¡Hasta la victoria siempre!
-Maextro Morales
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Let us hope that the "big changes" do not prove to be the nightmarish scenarios posed by a second Trump presidency. Alas, he is now three points ahead in Michigan, and even though he will lose the popular vote, he is now a slight favorite to win the Electoral College.