k’an – the net of gathering and abundance

Laura LaBrie
Sep 9
3 min read

Series: Glyphs of the Maya – Drawing the Day Signs into Your Life

Key Words: Gather • Untangle • Abundance • Attraction • Harvest

K’an is the net — a symbol of gathering, collecting, and drawing things together. It is the fisherman’s net, which can catch what you seek, but also entangle you if you are not mindful. It is the farmer’s net used to gather corn, bringing in the harvest of seeds — symbols of abundance, nourishment, and prosperity.

K’an teaches that gathering is a skill: it can create community, security, and wealth, or it can trap and hold what is no longer needed. It is a day to gather wisely, sort what you have caught, and free what no longer serves.

K’an days are ideal for:

Disentangling knots or complicated situations.
Paying debts — spiritual, relational, or material.
Working on community projects.
Harvesting what you have planted.
Gathering resources, tools, or people together.

drawing the k’an glyph

The K’an glyph represents the woven pattern of a net — open to receive and strong enough to hold.

How to draw it:

Draw the inner square and the core or heart of the glyph.
Draw the outer square around it.
Draw the breath scrolls flowing outward — these are the life-force of the glyph. In Maya tradition, the breath scrolls show that the glyph is alive and breathing. Without them, it is only a static image; with them, it becomes a living, breathing presence that can work with you.

A note about these glyph images: The drawings you see here are from my personal grimoire. They are on lined paper because they were created during my own magical practice — each line a record of connection. These glyphs are not copied from printed sources; they were drawn by hand, holding the intention and energy of the day sign itself. Some are simplified slightly so you can draw them more easily, even if you’ve never worked with Maya glyphs before. The simplification does not take away their power — the act of drawing them with intention is what awakens their energy.

As you draw, picture a net — not static, but alive, moving, and ready to gather the blessings you call in.

using the glyph’s energy

in your home

Place it in your pantry or food storage to encourage abundance.
Keep it near bookshelves or storage areas where you gather knowledge or tools.
Hang it in a meeting space to draw people together in harmony.

on your body

Mark it on your palms to help you gather what you need during the day.
Wear it close to your heart to collect love and connection.
Draw it on your ankles or feet to gather experiences as you travel.

other ways

Carve it into candles when working to “draw in” opportunities or resources.
Draw it in the soil of your garden before planting seeds to bless the future harvest.
Write a list of what you wish to gather in your life, then draw the glyph over it — keep it in a safe place to “hold” your intentions until they come to fruition.

awakening the glyph

To call forth K’an’s energy:

Sit with the glyph before you.
Inhale deeply, imagining a net spreading wide into the world.
Exhale with the words Ahaw K’an — “Lord K’an” — addressing the day god with respect and calling the spirit of the net to gather for you.
- In Yucatec Maya, Ahaw means “Lord” and is the proper form of address when speaking directly to the Day Gods.
Repeat three times.
Whisper: “Ahaw K’an — gather what is good, release what is not.”