THE MAYAN DAY COUNT
 
The Maya always start their creation story the same. "We were made from corn".
 
The daily personal Cholq'ij or Tzolkin calendar is based on the human body and the numbers 13 and 20. There are 13 main joints in the body, the ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows and shoulders. The neck makes 13. Twenty because we have 20 fingers and toes. 13 x 20 = 260, the number of days in the calendar due to that being how long a pregnancy is for a human. 9 moons.
 
The Tzolkin exists because it is the flow of the intentions of the creator. When a person studies the days and the meanings with the intention of being open to receiving the flow, it comes in ways that will surprise even those that do not need to be convinced. One will begin to notice that the intention of each day offers its gifts without delay and without ever missing. It is a map of the intentions of the universe playing out in human and animal behaviour. After a few weeks of following the Tzolkin intently, a person’s life will change. They will become accustomed to the flow and the gentleness of existence will surround them. They will stop using the word coincidence. It is my belief that all the races of man once had this knowledge, but now the Maya are the only ones that have preserved it and are sharing it.
 
There is one man who is in charge of the day count of the calendar. He is a 13th generation Quiche Mayan High Priest. He is also the Head of the Mayan Elders as well as a Grand Elder on the Council of Elders of the Spiritual Leaders of the Americas. He is also the teacher of medicine to the new Guatemalan President as he gave him his medicine bag 10 years ago. His western name is Don Alejandro Cirilo Perez Oxlaj. His Maya name is "Wakatel Utiw", Wandering Wolf.  We now know him affectionately as Tata, which means grandfather.
 
I had been following the Tzolkin for about 2 months prior to suddenly finding myself in Guatemala with Don Alejandro, Elizabeth (his wife and translator) another Mayan Elder and medicine man Don Rufino, and a group of 15 fellow journeymen. As I was being led on a 12 day journey through Guatemala by these extraordinary and beautiful people, each day the flow of events was unmistakeably connected to the calendar and the meanings set forth. Some of this observance was by design but most by watching the group as well as the people and animals encountered. Many in the group did not know the days. In fact, there were only two or three that had been previously following the calendar. I watched as they were swept into the flow. It was not until the day before the conclusion of our journey that Don Simeon Takira (a Mayan Elder) taught us the original meanings of the 20 days that had been handed down orally from 6,000 BC.
 
The focal point of the journey was the performance of traditional ceremonies at specific sites relating to the specific days on which it is most beneficial. Ceremonies are celebrated here as they were for thousands of years in many cultures. Homage is given to the Heart of the Heavens, The Heart of the Earth, The Heart of the air, and The Heart of the Water. The ceremonial circle in which the fire is built, is made with sugar and is a circle with a cross defining the four directions.  The four directions also represent the four elements as recognized by most shamanic practices. The configuration correlates with shamanic practices from many ancient cultures including Celtic and Native American. Other things are added to the fire to make it pleasing in odour such as incense and tobacco. There are also candles of different colors associated with different intentions that are added to the fire. For example, white candles represent good intentions for the children. All this is done with a great deal of reverence and respect. It is very clear that the intention of the group is primary and the ceremony itself is a way to convey this intention. You are directly addressing your creator and all that surrounds you. This commands awareness and an ability to experience the moment.

It was a great honor to experience these ceremonies being performed by the men in our company and there are many parts of them that were very humbling and gracious. There is a connection to a group, which is greatly enhanced and built upon.

One of the ceremonies performed, was in a sacred cave on the day of 4/Aq’bal was most powerful. The cave had several large openings allowing light enough so that flashlights were only partially needed. Aq'bal is also known as "night" and is a day that can be used to ask for harmony in the home and happiness as well as asking for the essence of the Supreme Being inside the spiritual house. It is recognition that there are 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. It was here that I personally experienced Don Alejandro's magnificence. As he baptised each of us in a sacred fountain coming from the limestone wall, there was tremendous energy. One by one, we each had to climb a short way up to the fountain and lean precariously. Each person, one by one, withdrew from the fountain after hearing his private words and receiving a personal gift of advice. Each one was brought to tears by the sheer truth and honor of his intention. Each one fully realized the enormity of the love of the creator as interpreted through the heart of one man. Our legs were wobbly and we all had to be assisted. Our hearts were filled.

After the ceremonies, we swam in the waters of the cave and emerged feeling refreshed, very much at peace and alive.
 
That was just a short period of one day.
 
That last full day of our journey was 11/ Tzi or Lobo or Dog. It is the best day for telling you how profound the meaning of the days can be. Not the most profound for me personally during the trip mind you, just the best one to tell you this way.

 
It is important to know that in Guatemala the people do not tie up their dogs very much and in fact they do not "own" them very much, but they are there running the streets looking for food and playing with each other communally the way dogs do when left alone. They do not normally approach people; in fact, you will be hard pressed to get a dog to allow you to pet them. I am a huge dog lover and do very well with them but until this particular day, not one dog had I touched or fed or interacted with in any way. They avoided me.
 
On the day of 11/ dog, I went to the water of Lake Atitlan very early before anyone was up and sat by the water. After greeting the day by watching the huge volcano illuminate on the opposite side of the lake, I walked back to the street to find breakfast. I sat in an open door restaurant and being very early was the only one there. As soon as I finished my breakfast, a large male dog came into the place and walked right over to me. I did not reach to pet him as his tail was not wagging but instead I poured some cream from the table on my nearly empty plate of pancakes and handed it to him. He lapped it up with gratitude until the owner saw him and chased him out. I thought it very natural as each day things of this nature happened corresponding with the calendar. But I did not know it was just beginning.

We finished our first half of the day with a lesson from Don Simeon (A Mayan elder specializing in the meaning of the days) and broke for lunch. A friend and I needed to go to the ATM so we went a short way across town to do so and stopped at another open door restaurant for lunch. Again, just as we were nearly done, a female dog who was obviously nursing pups and emaciated walked uncharacteristically into the restaurant and right up to our table. We of course loaded a plate of food and placed it on the floor for her and she ate quickly to finish just in time to be evicted. The owner was not pleased with us for doing this, but we apologized and left.

After finishing the afternoon lesson, we all broke out into the courtyard of the hotel and mingled there for some time. I was sitting on a bench talking to some folks when a beautiful black medium sized dog came right up to me and began playing with me and gently biting my hand. At the time, I didn't realize it but I was very happy to see this dog and we instantly became inseparable. That dog stayed with me the entire night and waited outside whenever I went indoors then rejoined the end of journey party we were having. I last saw him around 3 am when I finally retired to bed. In the morning, I had forgotten all about him until I boarded my plane later that afternoon. As soon as we were in the air, I was overwhelmed with a tremendous feeling of loss regarding my new friend. I had lost good dogs in the past and it was always hard, but after one day ? The very minimum I can say about the encounter is that it was no coincidence. I still miss that dog.
 
It is very important for people to realize the day. During this time, we are all concerned about the future and time is speeding up quite rapidly. It is better to relax and focus on each day than to get swept up into the breakneck pace of the rat race. Especially now, I see many people with much anxiety and trepidation about the future. I would encourage them to use knowledge we have been given and stay focused on the day at hand. This way, the future is much simpler to sort out.

By David J Odell -*-

I hope you enjoyed David's writing as much as I did myself and will keep an eye open for his coming home site. More will be coming from that direction in the near future.

Also, for those who have not yet listened to my recent 2012 subject centred interview on eerieradio, please feel free to do so HERE.