The Year of the Deer: Grounding into Strength & Sacred Responsibility
The Mayan New Year begins on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
This year is carried by the nawal 1 Kej, the Year of the Deer. This energy calls us back into the body, back to the earth, and back to a form of leadership rooted in integrity.
After the intensity of 13 Iq'—a year marked by turbulence, upheaval, and relentless winds of change—1 Kej arrives like a pause in the forest. A clearing. A chance to feel the earth beneath our feet again.
And we need it.
Kej is the nawal of the stag, the guardian of the four cardinal directions and the keeper of sacred territory. It governs the physical body, vitality, forests, wilderness, and spiritual leadership that arises through alignment rather than domination.
Kej does not rush. Kej listens. Kej stands its ground.
This teaching is deeply embodied. Kej teaches that the body is sacred territory. Vitality is cultivated through movement, grace, and dignity. In a culture that glorifies burnout and disembodiment, Kej reminds us that slowing down enough to feel is an act of resistance—and of wisdom.
