Previously
I’ve talked about altars
being a place for setting out tools to be used in a working or worship. The altars set up by Rachael Watcher
according to instructions of Mayan Elder Apolinario
Chile Pixtún, affectionately known as “Tata,” were something else
again. Tata, from Guatemala, is
the Leader Coordinator of the Mayan Confederation of Guatemala, Belize, and
Honduras.
The event
was the fourth People of the Earth gathering. Heretofore People of the Earth has been a public event open
to all, but this time we had a visiting Mayan elder who’d expressed a desire to
work with people with more direct personal experience of Earth-based
spirituality rather than the less magically adept seekers that comprise his
usual audience, so the event was by invitation, but included practitioners of
several traditions (Wiccan, Heathen, Voudoun, et al.)
Tata
prepared us for the ceremony with a talk on “the current time of B’AQTUN and the spiritual energies of
the Mayan pyramids: How we can and must dive deeper into the ceremonies, the
energies, and the powers that need to be managed at this time.”
* * * * *
We are
outdoors sitting in a circle under the shade of oaks, facing a roaring central
fire. I take this to be the main
working altar, since everything we did involved the fire. A row of greens alternating with
apples, oranges and pears encircles the fire itself, which stands safely off
the dry earth in a shallow fire bowl standing on three legs.
Altar Photos by Don Frew |
Just beyond
that circle stands an array of baskets, bowls, bottles, and bags containing
materials to be used in the working.
These included such things as a basket of flower petals; Florida water;
a bag of wood chips; a bowl of mixed herbs, evergreens, crushed leaves and resins;
and a basket of many small candles of all different colors. These are the working tools; none are
on the al
As we
gather, someone goes around the circle distributing to each person a candle and
a chunk of wood.
Tata had
explained, in Spanish through an interpreter, that his ancient Mayan religion
honors the cardinal directions like Witches and many Pagans do. The quarters don’t necessarily carry
all the many correspondences we use (East = Air, dawn, Spring, etc.). Nor are the colors assigned to each
quarter those to which we’re generally accustomed.
A tall dowel
topped by something that looks like a big pompom stands in an iron base at each
Quarter – one white, one red, one yellow, and one black. What appears to be a TV tray covered
with a cloth of the corresponding color stands in front of each pole. A glass chalice of clear water sits on
each table, along with a glass of juice and two pieces of fruit. The red altar, which is the one where
Tata began the ceremony, held apples, pomegranates, raspberries, and red juice
that looked like it may have been cranberry. In addition, potted flowers graced the base of the altar,
beneath and just in front of the table.
Again, the colors of the flowers reflected the colors each altar.
The yellow
altar held a goblet of orange juice, some bananas and lemons, plus a sprinkle
of greens as on the other altars.
Beneath it stood yellow flowers.
The black altar held a glass of the darkest juice, probably blackberry
or blueberry. Its fruits were dark
blackberries and plums. Dark
purple flowers stood at the base.
I can’t see
the white altar well from where I sit, but its juice appears to be pale
lemonade[1]
and it also holds what I think is a coconut, cut open to show its white meat,
and a strange multisided geometrical looking white object.[2]
North Altar |
All the
altars have been erected with great care.
I later ask Rachael if she had created the altars or if she’d been
instructed as to what objects were needed one each one and where. She made the altars according to Tata’s
specifications. Glass novena
candles in respective colors sit on each altar and are lit at the start of the
ceremony. Perhaps had our ritual
been performed in the dark, they would be more noticeable.
Tata had
explained that in his tradition they do what we would recognize as being
Quarter-calling not in a circle, but rather cross-wise, beginning at the East
and continuing to West, then from North to South. I am a bit disoriented, although it is obvious that the
evening sun is setting in the West.
East Altar |
Tata asks
those of us who can to kneel facing each Quarter as he works. Those of us who
can’t kneel simply stand with heads bowed, while the younger and fitter among
us kneel. Tata speaks
in his native tongue, so we hear no translation. Instead, we listen, as he’d told us to, with our
hearts. He said our hearts could
hear the words from his heart. He
begins by kneeling before the red altar, which in my mind was associated with
Fire and the South, but in this case was East. He speaks for quite a while as Quarter-calling goes,
probably at least five minutes each, and with respect, solemnity, and fervor.
Although I don’t know the language, I do recognize the words “Oakland,
California” at each Quarter, and that’s where we are. He seems to be saying prayers to each direction.
West Altar |
Next Tata
addresses the black altar in the West in a similar manner, and then progresses
to North and South.
South Altar |
When we are
thus centered in sacred space, the nexus of which was the fire, Tata instructs
us to approach the fire from the East, offer a prayer, toss our candles and
wood into the fire, and circumambulate deosil around the fire and back to our
places. Doing this one person at a
time takes a while, since there are about 40 participants. Sitting in the summer evening in a
circle of colleagues who hold values similar to mine, watching each individual,
gazing at the flames, feels good.
The quiet and the “between-the-world-ness” brings serenity.
At my turn
at the fire, I ask for forgiveness for using more than my share of the Earth’s
bounty, and I pray that all beings have enough of everything they need, that we
learn to take nor more than what we need, that we tread lightly on the Earth
and live in balance. I whisper words to this effect with the breath of my words
upon the wood and the candle, and then I add them to the flames.
Later more
baskets and bags are passed around for us to take more candles, wood chips,
herbal mixtures, flower petals, as we take our concluding walk around the
circle and up to the fire.
Center Fire and Offerings |
* * * * *
Above I’ve
recounted my experiences and impressions.
I’m sure that each person there carries slightly different memories,
depending upon many variables, including such things as the mood they were in
that day, the experiences they brought with them from their own lives, any
expectations they may have had, and where they sat.
What
appealed to me was the obvious care and reverence with which everything was
brought together and performed, the sense of fellowship I felt, the beauty of
the surroundings, both natural and human-made, the quiet filled with actions
but not with talking, and the flames.
I’m grateful to have had this opportunity.
* * * * *
Post-mortem: More about the purpose of the
ritual. As I mentioned earlier, Tata
talked about “the current time of B’AQTUN
and the spiritual energies of the Mayan pyramids: How we can and must dive
deeper into the ceremonies, the energies, and the powers that need to be
managed at this time.” Perhaps it
should have been obvious that this talk concerned the Mayan calendar and the
progression of the ages, but it wasn’t to me or to my two companions. I tend to tune out when I hear people
talking about predictions of end times.
I hold a vague acceptance of the notion of the Age of Aquarius. The Kali Yuga appeals to me. So call me ignorant: I knew nothing of
the Mayan calendar or any predictions, only that they were a current topic in
the news and in conversation.
However, I
have since learned that the Mayan calendar delineates a 5,200-year cycle. We are at a time that is the ending of
one time and the beginning of the next lifetime of the world. This is a time of significant rebirth. We “People of the Earth” can mediate in
this time of transition from one age to the next. We can facilitate the change.
Tata was
addressing the spirits of place when he prayed at each cardinal point. At first he encountered puzzlement on
the part of the local lands spirits when he spoke his native language, so he
also addressed them in Spanish.
Tata
acknowledged with pleasure the presence of so many women at this working. Both
he and the spirits of place were glad for our participation.
Knowing as I
now do more of the specific intent of this working, I can say that my prayers
and offerings wouldn’t have differed from the ones I used.
2 comments:
Nice account. It was a beautiful ceremony; I agree with you, I'm not much for the "end-times" approach - I'm more for positive future visions, as both an idea and as an activity, though I believe that is exactly what Tata was saying. I loved your careful observations of colors, components. The radiating fruit spoke deeply to me.
That mysterious cylindrcal shaped object on the white altar was probably a baby coconut.
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