A Mayan Ceremony: Beginning the Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

July 7, 2024

Preparing the ceremony

Nawales 

During the Mayan ceremony each of us participants were given our nawal. According to the Mayan culture, nawales are protector spirits that we acquire at birth. There are 20 nawales which are the 20 energies that govern life in all of its manifestations. In the Mayan calendar there are also 20 days, and each day has a nawal. You can see the nawal of the day here and you can also discover your nawal by putting in your birth date and year.

Knowing our nawal can help us better understand ourselves. My nawal is Kawok, and while each nawal is complex, in short, Kawok represents community, family, groups, and meeting. It is symbolized by the turtle, because the shell of the turtle represents the nature of Kawok to be a leader and protector. Those who are Kawok are often community leaders and community defenders. They do not tolerate injustice and are considered noble, calm, and caring. However, those who are Kawok must also work to overcome intolerance, imposition, pride, and ego. Our nawales also show us our places for improvement!

The Ceremony

The Mayan Ceremony focused on the 20 nawales and explained each of them in detail. It was led by a local, indigenous Kaqchikel leader. In the ceremony there were many candles of different colors (blue, yellow, red, white, green, pink), and we were instructed to take five of each color. The young man sitting next to me, Felix, was from Guatemala, and he explained to me that each color represents something. For example, green represents hope and abundance and the heart of the earth; yellow is the energy and strength of life; white is the purification of the mind to calm anxieties and to help the memory, etc.

Throughout the ceremony the leader went through the 20 nawales, explaining the significance and importance of each energy. When he got to your nawal, you stood up and tossed half of your candles into the fire. For certain nawales, we each stood up and tossed in a certain color candle into the fire.

Mayan first, then Guatemalan

The ceremony leader also spoke about being Mayan. He said that first he identifies as Mayan, and second, as Guatemalan. While people refer to him as being Guatemalan, he says that he and other Mayan people don’t benefit from the “development” of Guatemala. Therefore, he doesn’t feel Guatemalan but rather feels part of the culture and tradition of his indigenous ancestors. He said that while society tends to discriminate and view indigenous people as poor, he sees people in the city as poor, because there is nothing that they can consume in the city without paying for it. Meanwhile, on his land he has a lot to consume, and his products are of much better quality. Bringing this indigenous perspective to the forefront is what makes IMAP a unique and important permaculture space.