Insights into Maya religious symbolism ; based on recent archaeological findings and the most up-to-date decodings of Maya hieroglyphics.

A renowned shaman and leading voice in the men's movement presents the first-ever insider's view of contemporary Mayan life and spirituality. Line drawings.

The wisdom of the Mayan shamans provides vital clues to the nature of Time, our origins, and Earth’s future. Their intimate and deeply perceptive understanding of the world helps us comprehend the interconnectedness of humans and the environment, and suggests ways in which we would be wise to live. Thirteen sections—a sacred number to the Mayans—one by one explain shamanism and introduce a new core concept, concluding with simple ritual exercises that impart greater insight into Mayan teachings.

An initiate’s inside account of ancient Maya spiritual practices alive today • Includes a Foreword by José Luis Tigüilá NABÉ kaxbaltzij, spokesperson of the Maya municipality • Details the initiation process the author went through to become a Maya shaman-priestess, including rituals, prayers, and ceremonies • Explains the foundational spiritual wisdom of the Maya calendar as a living entity, its cycles of time, and the significance of “the counting of the days”, which helps keep time itself alive • Examines the power of dance and Maya ceremonies, Maya future-telling, and communication with ancestors through the sacred fire Offering an insider’s experiential account of ancient Maya spiritual wisdom and practices, initiated Maya shaman-priestess Gabriela Jurosz-Landa opens up the mysterious world of the Maya, dispelling the rampant misinformation about their beliefs and traditions, sharing the transcendent beauty of their ceremonies, and explaining the Maya understanding of time, foundational to their spiritual worldview and cosmology. The author, an anthropologist, details the initiation process she went through to become a Maya shaman-priestess in Guatemala, including rituals, prayers, the presence of numinous forces, and the transmission of sacred knowledge. She explains the spiritual wisdom of the Maya calendar as a living entity, its cycles of time, and the significance of “the counting of the days,” which helps keep time itself alive. She examines Maya spiritual and cosmological concepts such as how the universe is shaped like a triangle over a square. She reveals the profound power of dance in Maya tradition, explaining how ritual dance halts the flow of time, reactivates primordial events, and captures vital energies that keep the Maya spiritual tradition vital and alive. Exploring other Maya secret knowledge, she also details Maya ritual attire, Maya future-telling with the calendar, the reading of the Tzi’te beans, and how the Maya communicate with ancestors through the sacred fire. Illustrating how contemporary Maya life is suffused with spiritual tradition and celebration, the author shares the teachings of the Maya from her initiate and anthropologist point of view in order to help us all learn from the ancient wisdom of their beliefs and worldview. Because, to truly understand the Maya, one must think like the Maya.

A wonderful look into the life of a small boy with big dreams to heal the world... Written by a 10 year old boy, who has traveled from the Mayan ruins of Belize to the jungles of Costa Rica. This is a remarkable coming of age story of a young boy who works daily with a Mayan Shaman learning about the power of healing.