Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya: The Ceremonies and Symbolism of a Living Tradition

210 Pages·2016·12.31 MB·English

by  Gabriela Jurosz-Landa

In honor and gratitude to Ahau And in friendship and
gratitude to the Maya People of Chuwilá
Hombro a hombro, pies a pies, descalzos y con cara al
sol. (Shoulder to shoulder, foot to foot, barefoot and
[always] facing the Sun.)
MAYA SAYING
TRANSCENDENT WISDOM OF THE MAYA
“Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya bridges the Western scientific
worldview and the spiritual world of the Maya brilliantly. Its wonderful
photographs and detailed storytelling are very compelling. I have
enjoyed time with the Maya in the Yucatan, and Gabriela’s wonderful
stories of weaving, dancing, healing, and divining brought it all back to
me as if I’d never left. Her description of her welcoming ceremony by
the Quiché Maya is a significant contribution to anthropological
literature, and the New Era celebration in 2012 offers hope for our
future. This is a heartfelt and genuine story of Maya life, a must-read for
understanding their time cycles and culture.”
BARBARA HAND CLOW, AUTHOR OF THE MAYAN CODE AND
AWAKENING THE PLANETARY MIND
“Gabriela Jurosz-Landa’s rich and enlightening book is a surprising
spiritual journey to mysterious cultures, an inner-self journey, and
possibly a road map for our culture’s future survival. Her destined
journey from her native Czechoslovakia to Germany to the United States
and Guatemala, where she was initiated as a daykeeper (shaman-
priestess), is fascinating. Gabriela generously shares deep knowledge
and wisdom of the ancient Maya heritage as she takes us through the
process of her initiation. I highly recommend this superb book.”
ITZHAK BEERY, AUTHOR OF THE GIFT OF SHAMANISM AND
SHAMANIC HEALING AND EDITOR OF SHAMANIC
TRANSFORMATION
“This book brings to life glimpses of the ancient Maya sacred texts and
artwork. It is a gift to see their ancient underlying beliefs live on through
the Quiché Maya of Chichicastenango.”
ERIKA BUENAFLOR, M.A., J.D., AUTHOR OF CLEANSING RITES OF
CURANDERISMO AND CURANDERISMO SOUL RETRIEVAL
“Ancient Maya culture comes alive in Gabriela Jurosz-Landa’s
Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya. The book offers many insights into
centuries-old rituals and spirituality which are still lived today by
contemporary Maya. Filled with personal observations from fieldwork,
the author presents studious thoughts and goes deep into Maya
mythology to contrast the Western worldview.”
STUART A. GOLDMAN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF THE PBS
SERIES JOSEPH CAMPBELL: MYTHOS
“If you suspect that our technologically proficient culture is losing its
soul, then dive into Transcendent Wisdom of the Maya where you will
find an entrancing alternative to the relentless sense of urgency that
dominates our times.”
RAND FLEM-ATH, LIBRARIAN AND COAUTHOR OF ATLANTIS
BENEATH THE ICE
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, my gratitude goes to my Creator and the protectors of my
life (some of whom are Maya).
During my many years of involvement with the people in Guatemala, I met
at least two people each day to be grateful to for allowing me to share a piece of
their lives. That is a lot of people to consider, and in my heart I do so.
Explicitly, my heart and gratitude will always go to Don Tomás Calvo
Mateo, the Quichéan leader who invited me to the 2012 celebrations and many
others thereafter, took me on official encounters with the Guatemalan
government and Maya regional leaders, granted me physical and spiritual
protection, and, though we could only talk through our hearts or interpreters,
taught me how to be grateful in the first place. Don Tomás passed on in October
2017. May he rest in peace.
I am also indebted to my wonderful Nana Tomasa Pol Suy and her daughter
Nana Sebastiana, who urged me to take the spiritual path of the Maya and led me
through the process with love and feminine sensitivity.
I am grateful to Manuel Xiloj, the leader’s right hand, for taking me under
his wing. His sudden passing at a young age—one month after the chief’s death
—remains a mystery. My friend, you are greatly missed. I thank his sister Josefa
Xiloj for her friendship and support; José Luis Tigüilá for his eloquent teachings
and friendship; the Maya administration’s lawyer, Julio David Diaz Chay, for
the intellectual-cultural insights he shared with me; and all the people of
Chichicastenango for one way or another letting me participate in the life of their
town.
I thank my supportive partners during the years of this journey, which is far
from over.
I thank Professor Ferdinand Anders at the University of Vienna for
portraying the Maya culture in a vivid way. I also thank my editors, Antoinette
LeRoux, Jill Rogers, and Kayla Toher.
I thank my mother for being a liberal though strict educator and philosopher
who, by example and in nightly conversations, opened a mental world to me that
few are granted. I thank my father, who introduced me to the world of adventure
and fostered courage above all.
In an abstract way, I thank Comenius, the grand Czech philosopher whose
naturalistic conception of education has given me the means of explaining events
and situations so that readers can experience them as if they were their own.
CONTENTS
Cover Image
Title Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Foreword. The Foundations of the Maya Worldview
Preface
Introduction. The Contemporary Search for Meaning
PART 1. 2012—THE END AND THE BEGINNING OF AN
ERA
Chapter 1. A Journey into Maya History and Tradition
Chapter 2. 2012—“The End of the World”
Chapter 3. The Inauguration of Plaza Oxlajuj B’aqtun
DECEMBER 19, 2012
IMAGERY OF THE PLAZA OXLAJUJ B’AQTUN
Chapter 4. Honoring the Cycles of Time, Nature, and Space
PERCEPTIONS OF TIME
PERCEPTIONS OF CYCLIC ORDER
PERCEPTIONS OF SPACE