Making a prophecy is about seeing an event that will happen in the future. It is the action of believing in something divine or inexplicable. It is an act of believing in someone that can see what we cannot see – the future. In essence, the act of prophesying is the capacity to access a memory of the future, of being able to move through space and time.

The ability to project an event yet to happen comes from studying the science of the occult. One of the main sources of prediction is astrology, which is an age-old discipline practiced by the great civilizations. Each of these civilizations had different techniques, according to their tradition, and most of them were centered in the cosmic-human relationship. In the Maya world it is a relation between the cosmic and telluric energies, as they speak about repetitive cycles. This means that every time the constellations and stars return to the same position, the astrological and energetic conditions influence and affect human beings and our planet in a similar way.

During the ancestral Maya Classic Period all the visionaries (those who received their visions through fire, cauldrons, quartz stones, water, the sacred Tz’ite’ and fortune tellers) and interpreters of the Sacred Cholq’ij (Maya Calendar) would gather every 52 years to visualize and decide the path their people would take. They determined if the cosmic and telluric energies were favorable in the ceremonial centers and cities where they were established. In other words, prophecy and divination are inherent parts of the Maya tradition.

For the Maya there are several ways of accessing the memories of the future; there are those who are born with the gift of vision. They channel their sensations and premonitions based on a hunch or a dream that tells them something is going to happen and then turn to the Sacred Calendar to make a prediction.

Utilizing the Tz’ite’ seeds, perhaps the most ancient form of divination used by human beings, is another technique for predicting the future. The Pisom Q’aq’al or Sacred Pouch, which contains the Tz’ite’ seeds and other sacred objects used for the divination, is the symbol of power of an Ajq’ij (spiritual guide). In this form of divination the Tz’ite’ is combined with the energies of the Sacred Cholq’ij Calendar enabling the Ajq’ij to clearly see how, why, when and where an event is going to happen. The Tz’ite is incredibly precise.

Predictions are also made by using water, quartz and obsidian stones, were the visions and images appear, narrating the story that has been consulted.

Finally there is the Sacred Cholq’ij Calendar, which provides answers on its own. The Cholq’ij is used to analyze events that have happened in the past and to correlate them with events in the future. Since the universe is a macrospiral, the same energy returns every 21 days; therefore, we can know precisely what the energy was twenty or fifty two years ago, since the cycles are marked in the turns of the spiral. The greatest manifestations of energy are every 13, 20, 63, 260, and 575 years. These great cycles bring a powerful force. The Sacred Book of the Chilam B’alam, for example, uses the cycles of the Ajaw. They begin on Ajpu or Ajaw days and keep a record of the events. In the Chilam B’alam we see cycles of twenty years, or K’atunes, which indicate what is going to happen. There are also great cycles of thousands of years such as the Baktunes of 5,200 years, and even greater cycles. These cycles have a cyclic and mathematical correlation with which events can be compared, the energy variations can be analyzed, and predictive projections can be made.

To summarize, the prophecies are intuited, then they go through a process of corroboration in which dates and the energies of the Sacred Calendar are analyzed. Finally the elders are consulted to determine the veracity of the predictions. When the prophecies will affect all of humanity, this process is given particular care.

For 1,100 years the Rab’inal Achi dance has been performed by the Maya people. This dance commemorates a great event for the Rabinaleb’ (one of the 33 Maya ethnic groups). The Rabinaleb’ had defeated the K’iche’, one of the most powerful Maya ethnic groups, in a war for their political independence. The Rab’inal Achi is performed by 7 dancers, six of which are Rabinaleb’: Rabinal Achi (high rank warrior), Job Toj (governor), Yamanik (governor’s wife), Mun (servant), Kot (eagle warrior), B’alam (jaguar warrior); and the K’iche’ dancer: K’iche’ Achi (high rank warrior). To commemorate this event and to relive all the spiritual energy of that moment, the dancers celebrate several Kotz’ij (Maya Ceremonies) before they perform. In these ceremonies they offer Pom (Maya incense), Kakaw (cacao), May (tobacco), Raxkab’ (honey) and Iya (Pericón – a sacred plant of the Maya people). One purpose for this ceremony is to bring the energy of the dancers into harmony with the energy of the sacred sites invoked in the dialogues.  The ceremonies are made by an Ajq’ij (Maya shaman) who accompanies the dancers throughout the dance.  The Ajq’ij is in charge of celebrating Maya ceremonies in seven sacred places: the church, the cemetery and five sacred hills: Kajyub’, K’amb’a, Saqtijel, Xamb’aja’ and K’isintun, some of which are archeological sites. Every time the dancers perform the Ajq’ij prays at the beginning and at the end of the performance.

The dancers have to be prepared on every level before performing.  They practice sexual abstinence for 30 days before and 30 days after the dance to increase their energy. They must have a good relationship with their family, neighbors and friends, and they must nurture themselves intellectually.  Through this they find balance in their intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical bodies.

The dancers wear masks to represent the story’s characters. These masks are considered sacred, as the dancers become in contact with the rajawales (energies of the dead characters they are representing) through them. A special ritual is practiced with the masks, called “The Vigil of the Masks”. During the ritual they offer pom (incense), they pray, light candles and they invoke the energy of the dancers who have passed. They don’t sleep during that night. The Rab’inal Achi is performed every year on January 25.

The way in which the dancers prepare themselves before performing is something each artist can do to bring spiritual elements to their art. This can be done by lighting a candle before performing or creating. Through this candle, the dancer offers gratitude and connects with the energy of the creator and former of life. This can also be acheived through meditating to find balance in the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical bodies and to connect with the creative energy, which will give one all the elements needed to create.