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To understand the Mayan calendars, I found it to be quite useful to tear into the workings of an old watch. The visual experience seeing all those variously sized gears, working together in harmony, are quite amazing. Tremendous attention had been given to mathematics and geometry to synchronize all the various gears to create the correct passage of matter through space to generate time.
The Mayan calendar is very much like the workings of a watch. These cosmic gears use perfectly synchronized, immense cog wheels, based on planets and star systems to measure the passage of matter through space to calculate time. The two dimensional gears of a watch create linear time and it is here where the similarities end. The big difference is our universe is not flat, two dimensional gears, as in the watch. Our universe is filled with variously sized spinning circles orbiting together as a complete whole creating experience, time, space, and physical reality. The planets, stars and galaxies are spiracle, and work together in three dimensional form. Unlike the illusionary time created by a mechanical watch, our universe creates time that is unending. Cycles of time continually circumnavigate in a repeating, ascending spiral that creates a pattern that suspiciously looks like a bagel! It is simple to begin to understand Mayan time by remembering the cycles of time/space of the Maya, as spiracle, not a flat two dimensional illusion of cosmic time.
To understand the workings of our universe, you need to go to the center of our cosmic clock where all the gears or cycles connect together. This cycle is the sacred calendar of the Maya, The Tzolk'in. It is still used by the traditional Maya today's as a divination tool. The Tzolk'in is based in the cycles of the Pleiades and is the center gear, of all 17 Mayan calendars. This is our grand cosmic clock. This cycle, the Tzolk'in, is the center of the cosmic web of life, a map of creation. When you begin to understand this cycle, it helps us to begin to merge with the center of our universe, our personal center and begin to break our ties to finite linear time. When we begin to cycle with the center of the universe amazing things take place. We begin to remember our cosmic heritage. We remember our connection with the stars and the creator. We begin to become energy independent, thus creating a harmonious world where we can give and receive energy freely, not buying, selling and stealing it from each other. Merging with the center of the universe helps us understand reality from many perspectives, without loosing our center. This ultimately reconnects us with the sustaining energy from the source of creation, Hunab K'u, the God of the Maya.
Because we are in human form and live on earth, it is important to understand the Tzolk'in from an Earth based perspective by adding a second calendar or cycle, the "Haab." The Tzolk’in is the cosmic perspective and the Haab is the Earth's perspective and are the two cycles that effect us directly. Understanding these two cycles will consequently hook you up to the other cycles by knowingness and resonance. Just allow the rhythm of these cycles to move you into knowingness.
A Summary of the Mechanics of the Sacred Calendar, Tzolk'in
The Tzolk'in is a two geared spiracle watch. It is based on the cycles of the Pleiadies (26,000 years) but is used in factual form with 260 days. The mathematics used in the Tzolk’in are 13 times 20, 13 numbers and 20 glyphs. A interesting note here is it takes Earth 26,000 years to circumnavigate the Zodiac!
The Numbers/Pulses (1-13) of the Tzolk'in are the ”movement” of the sacred calendar. The number 13 represents the spirit, the holy breath of creation. The numbers pulse in an undulating cycle of creation. Each sacred number holds a position, or intention, in the creation process and pulses creative energy in an ascending spiral. When your reach point #13 you jump up a rung of the evolutionary ladder. The Mayas used a bar-dot number system. One dot = one, One Bar = 5.
The Glyphs/Suns (1-20) of the Tzolk'in are the “measure” of the sacred calendar. They are the 20 Sun glyphs that are familiar to anyone who has been interested in the Mayan calendar. They represent the body of creation. They define, or create definition. Each Mayan Sun name, has a corresponding glyph and cycles in a regular ascending order of definition which is encoded with cosmic evolutionary information. Just as the numbers ascend from one cycle to the next, so do the 20 suns. When the 20 Suns mesh with the 13 numbers there are 260 combinations of creation. (see Sun glyph chart)
The Haab is the solar cycle of earth. It uses 360 + 5 days. The Mathematics of the Haab is 18 times 20. (18 months of 20 days each.) The 5 extra Vayab days (July 21-25) give the Haab its next evolutionary notch up. Each cycle of the Haab starts five Suns later than the year prior, thus ascending five steps forward and changing the base energy of the current Haab. The Haab synchronizes with the Tzolk'in every 52 years, creating 18,980 individual perspectives for divination. A interesting note here is in Native American culture a person reaching 52 years old is considered an elder. This is when a person has lived through two complete cycles of the Tzolk'in and the Haab and their relationships between each other.
These numbers and glyphs of both Tzolk'in and Haab, cycle together endlessly in an ever ascending spiral of evolution. They work together like the gears in a watch. These numbers and glyphs work together to create the web of life as we experience it. In history the calendars were used by the Cosmic Maya for understanding the position of earth in the universe and the evolutionary stage we are presently in. Remnants of these calendars left behind were intended to be cosmic memory triggers and when resonated with help trigger the memory locked deep inside our DNA. In understanding the sacred cycles of time you have the opportunity to recall the knowledge of the ages.
I have discovered that working in front of the Sun has been very activating and has facilitated in clearing my past and creating my future. Here is a simple exercise you can do in front of the Sun. We all have different perspectives and what works for one person, may not resonate with another, so I share what I do as example only. Do what is in you heart to do, just do it in front of the Sun!
Find a quite place at sunset where you have a good view of the Sun. Sit, stand, whatever will make you comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Hear the wind in the trees, hear the birds sing, feel the warmth of the earth under you bare feet, become part of the earth. Resonate with the Earth. Take notice of where your energy is drawn to. Where is your energetic orientation? You will find your sustaining energy coming from the Sun. Now look at the Sun (use personal digression), feel the heat of the Sun on your body. Feel the light filling every cell of your body. Consciously draw in the light and the heat. Recognize the sun as a friend, feel it recognize you. Resonate with the Sun. Remember the Sun is light and light is information so be aware of the incoming light.
At this point I use various forms of a prayer. The first part was inspired by Hunbatz Men, a Mayan daykeeper and elder. The second part was given to me during an incredible overnight stay at Palenque Mexico, in one of my favorite Mayan temples, the Temple of the Sun. Feel free to change it anyway you feel is appropriate for you.
It is me, a piece of the Sun.
I have come to you to understand
the meaning of the cosmos.
I ask I be allowed to go inside your memory
for I desire to remember.
I want to understand everything again.
I need this knowledge for the future,
so I may walk in harmony with the earth
and the stars once again.
I am the eyes that see as the creator sees.
I am the ears that hear as the creator hears.
I am the mind that knows as the creator knows.
I am the heart that feels as the creator feels.
I am the voice that speaks as the creator speaks.
I am the souls that remembers as the creator remembers.
As in you, so in me
I am now, and I am here.
This prayer opens up the mind of Hunab K'u, the God of the Maya, for us to enter into to receive cosmic understanding. Begin here to state your concerns, and hand them to the Sun. Ask the Sun to resolve these concerns. Continue by stating your desires and dreams, and hand them to the Sun. Ask the Sun to manifest these dreams. As the Sun is almost completely set, say good by to the Sun. Pay close attention to your energy orientation as the last bit of sun slips behind the horizon. Notice how the energy of earth shifts greatly when the sun's rays are no longer hitting it, Notice the bird's songs, the heat difference. Most of all notice your energy orientation. You will discover it has changed greatly. You will find that you are being sustained by millions of stars that you can't even see yet. You are receiving information from the cosmos. Say hello to the universe in all its expansive wonder, and thank it for its sustaining energy. This Sun meditation can also be executed in reverse, at dawn. "Evam Maya e ma ho" All hail to the harmony of all mind and nature.
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