According to Catholic tradition, November 1 is All Saints Day and November 2 is the Day of the Dead. After the conquest and to protect their spirituality and customs, the Maya world adopted these dates to celebrate the dead, who were originally celebrated on the day 13 Kame.

On November 1, taking advantage of the Catholic tradition of celebrating All Saints Day, Maya people from the different communities celebrated both the ruling divinity of their area and other divinities to which they felt connected.
On November 2 the celebration of 13 Kame was adapted to the Catholic celebration of the Day of the Dead. This was a day to remember the ancestors that had transcended, a day in which there was a communication between the dead and the living. To prepare for this occasion the graves were adorned and painted in bright colors to connect with the happiness and joy of this celebration, of the families sharing with their deceased.

Nowadays, in Guatemala, the celebration of the divinities and the dead has merged, and the connection to the ancestors is celebrated on both days, especially on November 1.
During these days families go to the cemeteries to render homage to their ancestors, they decorate the graves with native fruits, pine leaves, flowers and candles, they play the marimba and bring food for the dead and for themselves to share a meal with them.  In some communities they still have the tradition of celebrating Sacred Fire Ceremonies to invoke the spirit of their family and the Maya divinities. Another tradition is creating and flying colorful kites in the cemeteries. This activity has a profound spiritual meaning for the indigenous Maya, as it stages the link that eternally endures between the living and the dead. In this way, the brightly-colored, giant kites take to the sky in search of ancestral spirits to honor them and to let them know that they have not been forgotten.

This is also the day in which the elders tell the family the story of their ancestors.

This article is presented in honor of Maximon’s birthday, which occurs on October 28th.

Ri Laj Mam/Maximon, The Native American Saint

There are different versions of the story about the Native American Saint known as Ri Laj Mam or Maximon. One of them comes from the story of Ri Laj Mam and the Sacred Tz’ite Tree¹. During the Spanish conquest, all Maya rituals had to be disguised behind the Catholic religion. The Elders used the Cofradias (brotherhoods) to protect and preserve their culture, costumes, spirituality and hierarchy. Amongst other sacred images, the Cofradias worshiped the Sacred Tz’ite Tree, which was hidden behind typical cloths, scarves and a mask, emulating catholic saints.  Offerings of incense, candles, tobacco, maize beverages, and cacao – all sacred elements to Maya spirituality – were given to this image.

Long ago, shortly after the conquest, lived a respectable Elder known as Ri Laj Mam. This Wiseman possessed superior knowledge and power. Upset by the abuses that the Spaniards were committing against his people, Ri Laj Mam decided to encourage them to rise up against their oppressors and put an end to this situation. The Spaniards, worried about the revolution that Ri Laj Mam was starting to provoke, sent a large regiment to capture and imprison him. Ri Laj Mam, however, possessed great magic and every time he was arrested he managed to escape and continue his work. The Spaniards couldn’t believe it! Unable to keep him in custody, the captors brought in some Tlaxcaltec sorcerers. When the sorcerers were asked them to guard him through the night, Ri Laj Mam was unable to escape. The following day they took him to the park, where he was decapitated and his head was displayed to send a message and establish a precedent. But the spirit of Ri Laj Mam appeared in the four corners of the park, strongly encouraging the people to put an end to the abuses of the oppressors. It was at that moment the Elders understood that they should speak to the spirit of Ri Laj Mam and remind him of their Grandfathers’ prophecy. They had to ask Ri Laj Mam to stop because his actions would only lead to the complete annihilation of their tradition.  They knew that for the moment they had to accept the situation and endure this period of darkness. The time would come in which light and wisdom would return. Ri Laj Mam understood and asked the Elders to search for a tree that would take his spirit. When they found it they cut the tree in four pieces and took them to the four corners of the country (Guatemala) so that Ri Laj Mam could continue his mission as protector of his people and the tradition. The Tz’ite was the tree that accepted the honor taking the energy of Ri Laj Mam.

The second part of the story is as follows: Over the course of time the image of Maximon or San Simon has arisen, originating from Ri Laj Mam, which serves as its Western representation.

Long after Ri Laj Mam, by the end of the 19th century, Don Francisco Zojbel (who was also known as Ximon) dedicated his efforts to protect the people, who were suffering abuses by the hand of the governor. Don Francisco was the son of an influential Spanish father and a Maya mother. He was appointed to serve as judge. At the moment he assumed this important position he immediately began setting things right, including revoking the privileges that the governor’s friends had been given and reducing their excesses. He also returned the land back to those who had been stripped of it and protected the Maya tradition. All of his actions, of course, enraged the rich and powerful people, who tried to have Don Francisco assassinated several times, with no success. Word of these events spread and there were rumors circulating about Don Francisco Zojbel being the Ri Laj Mam who had returned to protect his people once again. After he died, effigies of him where made. It was known that during his life Don Francisco was a renowned ladies man who liked to smoke cigars and stay out late drinking. This makes him a very human saint, who understands our nature, our weaknesses and our needs. Offerings of cigars and liquor are still given to Maximon.

The story of Don Francisco (Ximon) and Ri Laj Mam were linked, since people thought that they were both the same being.

Soon this Native American Saint was known as Maximon, a combination of Mam and Ximon.

¹The Sacred Tz’ite or Coral tree gives the seeds used for divination by the Maya Ajq’ijab’ or Spiritual guides.

A Red Moon with a total lunar eclipse is a celestial event that rarely happens; the red moon was seen by ancient cultures, especially the Maya, as a moon that brought with it a very especial power. It is said that it is a light of war, that it can bring confrontation between countries and different social groups, however it is up to us to make something positive with the power brought by it. This event foretells that we are approaching times of change. The Red Moon brings the energy of action and it is time to take this action with responsibility, firmness and determination, for this is the moment in which we can change our destiny.  This is a special opportunity because our planet will project its shadow over the Moon, opening an energetic gate in which Mother Earth will receive all of its light. We should make this gate one of clear action.

We can take the opportunity that comes with this unique moment to elevate our prayer and ask for what we need for ourselves and our communities, but remembering that the most important thing is to ask for Light, for harmony between us and Mother Earth, for peace and especially for the spiritual growth that will bring the NEW HUMAN BEING!

The importance of this magical day is the opportunity that we will have to connect with the thousands of people across the globe that will be making their rituals and celebrating their ceremonies for the opening of this gate; this is the perfect moment to harmonize ourselves with this flow, which is the cosmic prelude to the so awaited Time of Spiritual Awareness. Regardless of your beliefs, we ask you to take action, which is the energy that is needed for the spirituality of these times. We are all called upon to make a ritual… celebrate a ceremony, elevate a prayer, light a candle to ask that we return to be in harmony with nature, that people will again search for their spiritual growth so that they can become the NEW HUMAN BEINGS.

Yamanik Pablo has developed the gift of Kab’Tzij, to speak with such kindness that her words heal and comfort the spirit.  She is a young person who has become an Ajq’ij (spiritual guide) in the Maya tradition.  In this video, Yamanik shares the profound sense of purpose, meaning and impact of the Maya tradition on her life.

 

Video Text
My name is Yamanik Pablo.  Some time ago I made the commitment of becoming an Ajq’ij (Maya Spiritual Guide), of taking this path.  It gives me a great pride and satisfaction to be able to talk about our Maya culture and our Maya spirituality.  I think it is very important for us that we understand that we owe great respect to this because it is part of our life but I also do it with the objective that if a person looks forward to learning about Maya culture they can do so, because it is something that helps us in our life. Maya culture is one of the greatest cultures the world has had and it is a culture that had great achievements in many aspects, one of these aspects has survived to this day; there are people who live Maya culture every day, that we live Maya culture and we practice Maya spirituality and it is a living culture, with its necessary changes, but with the same foundation of being Mayas and I think this is very important. Well, in my case taking the path of becoming an Ajq’ij has been something very important I completely feel the difference, the before and after of when I did it, I took my path at some point as a teenager, I had just gone through my teenage years; that moment in life in which you are Searching for a purpose and a meaning in life I understood that many aspects of Maya spirituality helped my life have a purpose, a path And I felt different, I felt complete and I believe this is very important, I also understood, as many scholars mention, both Mayan and outside people who have a different vision, that Maya culture based its spiritual practice and their spiritual manifestation of the individuals and of the whole culture in science So Maya spirituality has its basis in science and because of this, Maya spirituality is something that makes us feel complete, it is something that we can apply to our life, in specific moments in which we engage in an activity in which we manifest our spirituality, either if it is for a moment or for a day, it is also something that helps us in each instant of our existence, both in that moment in which we are dedicated to our spiritual activity when we celebrate a Ceremony or something we want to do to dedicate to spiritual time and also helps us in every instant of our life when we eat, when we go out for a walk, when we work, when we study; it is something that we can apply to every instant of our life and that is something very important. I believe that Maya spirituality is a guide, a path; it does not make us become perfect beings because we are human beings, but it is a very good guide to be able to live a complete life, in harmony and in balance, especially because it gives us specific days to perform certain activities; one understands and comprehends that one can plan one’s life in relation to these days, and initiate projects on a certain day or get married on a certain day or do certain activities that have their own day so one wakes up every day and understands that that day has a purpose, an energy and one is in harmony with that energy, one feels the fullness with that energy and by being in communication and in tune with the energy of that day one can accomplish each of the objectives one wants to achieve in the best way and to feel that satisfaction in every plane; spiritual, physical, mental and emotional and to feel that completeness and that balance that immerses us and makes us live this spiritual life within Maya culture. To me, it is also very important to understand that within Maya culture there is a gender equity and balance, where both men and women can live within Maya spirituality at the same level, so there is a balance in gender equity and it is also very important for me to understand that we are given the opportunity as young people of making this commitment from an early age in the moment in which one feels ready and prepared, because one can feel that of making this commitment, always being respectful to the Elders and those that are older because theirs is the experience it belongs to them, they have lived much more time than us, and all the time and all the experiences give them the wisdom that we as young people sometimes lack but it does invite us from our early age to understand and comprehend and live within Maya spirituality, so that we can learn day by day and understand day by day, it is amazing that every human being realizes at a certain point that every day and at every instant we are learning something sometimes experiences don’t appear to be good, but it is also something that make us have the understanding that the challenges and inconveniences we face throughout our life can support us and strengthen us in our activities and in our spiritual understanding and our spiritual  awareness, so it is also very important, the opportunity that we are given as young people to make this commitment. It is also important to understand that Maya culture brings us in harmony with all nature, it makes us have respect towards nature, towards Mother Earth, towards each of the elements; fire, earth, air and water, and each of the animals and plants, and that is how we feel in harmony at every instant of our life because we give it a purpose, a meaning, an understanding; we are in communication, in tune. We are in harmony and we live in balance. It is a very good guide for any person who wants to find a way to give purpose and meaning to their life. It is an invitation, in my case it was a complete change, I feel much more content and happy, one does make a commitment, but it is also something beautiful to be able to have this opportunity to look at life in such a beautiful way; it is an invitation to all the people who would like to get closer to Maya spirituality because you will find a spiritual strength, harmony and balance for your life and your existence, especially in our modern times.
Sib’laj Maltiox (Many Thanks)

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cholq’ij, a 260 day calendar still being used in the highlands of Guatemala by practitioners of Maya spirituality. This calendar is mentioned in the Popol Wuj, Memorial de Sololá and Rabinal Achí.