The Mayan Calendar and the Art of Dreaming

One of the aspects of working the Sacred Calendar as a spiritual path is the Art of Dreaming. Too often, we neglect this simple but powerful tool. And yet we all dream – and though some of us may not have a particular leaning toward astrology or divination, we all have the capacity to gain wisdom and guidance from our dreams. And in fact the Maya themselves never neglect the Art of Dreaming. An apprentice Daykeeper’s dreams are always carefully monitored by her or his teacher; they constitute a vitally important part of the Daykeeper’s spiritual training.

According to the Maya, each human being is born with two souls. One of them is known as the uxlab. The Spanish word anima is often used to describe this aspect of soul, since it is identical to what Catholic Christians perceive as the soul. It is invested in the body and in breathing. It remains within the body until the moment of our death.

The second aspect of the soul is quite different. Sometimes the Maya use the word nawal to describe this aspect of the soul. The word is borrowed from the Nahuatl word nagual, and it means exactly the same thing. The nagual is not vested in the body, but can roam freely through astral and spiritual realms, which is what it does while we are sleeping. In its travels, it may meet and interact with the wandering naguales of others, whether humans, animals, plants or even minerals. From such interactions are our dreams fashioned and created.

While all living things possess a nagual or spiritual essence, the nagual of a human being differs from that of other sentient beings. Our nagual may be more accurately called uwach uk’ij, which, in the K’iche’ language, literally means “the face of his or her day.” In other words, this is the energy template or imprint of the Sacred Calendar day upon which we are born. Our day-sign soul is our nagual, our spiritual essence, our archetypal imprint. And this is the soul which dreams.

Dreams are an important topic of discussion in traditional Mayan communities. Dreams are meant to be shared with others. One ought to give thanks even for one’s worst nightmares, for these constitute warning signals, alerting us to the fact that we need to take action and change something in our lives which is not serving our purpose. The importance of dreams is demonstrated by the way in which the Maya discuss them. They use a special terminology and syntax which is also used when telling stories or reciting ancient myths, but which is not characteristic of daily speech. In other words, even “ordinary dreams” are myths, and they are described with mythic speech.

While “ordinary dreams” have importance, they are not as significant as shamanic or archetypal dreams. These constitute an entirely different category of dreaming, in the sense that we only experience them during an awakening of the coyopa. In common speech, coyopa refers to “sheet lightning” of the type which flickers above mountains and lakes. But this phenomenon of the natural world has its correspondence within the human body; coyopa can also mean “the body lightning” or “the lightning in the blood.” Spiritual seekers who have spent time among the Maya have drawn attention to the close correspondence between the Mayan concept of coyopa and the Sanskrit kundalini. Both are connected with serpent imagery. Yogic texts describe the kundalini as the “serpent power.” Bolts of lightning are regarded by the Maya as “sky serpents.”

Some people are born with the coyopa or lightning soul fully activated; other people either develop it or have it awakened through powerful spiritual experiences. Half of the day-signs contain “natural” coyopa; those born upon such days are born with the “body lightning” already awakened, and thus have a greater capacity to experience archetypal dreams. While different teachers may have different opinions, the Daykeeper Andres Xiloj of Momostenango named these day-signs as Akbal, Chicchan, Cimi, Manik, Lamat, Eb, Ben, Ix, Men and Caban. (And let me make it clear that although this is a K'iche' technique, I am using Yucatec names for the day-signs because they are more familiar to most people.) Some people may experience an awakening of the coyopa due to unusual spiritual experiences or because of formal shamanic training.

If the coyopa is awake, the gods themselves may contact us directly through our dreams, using the coyopa energy as a communicative medium between their world and ours. The gods may give us messages – or at least, they try to. The Maya believe that dreams are tricky things, always trying to outwit us by making such messages difficult to remember or decipher. Many people, in our own Western society, have reported dreams wherein a “wise old man” or “wise old woman” appears to us and gives us a powerful message. In most cases, the actual words of that message are lost to us, unremembered. The Maya believe that this is part and parcel of the Art of Dreaming. We must learn to dream with clarity and lucidity, so that the messages imparted to us by the gods will remain in our memory and be accessible to our conscious minds after we awake. To take action against the dream’s inherent longing for forgetfulness is a struggle. An archetypal dreamer is a spiritual warrior.

How, then, shall we cultivate such archetypal dreams? Clearly, we must pay attention to the day upon which dreams occur. The signs listed above as specially endowed with coyopa are days upon which archetypal dreams are especially likely to occur. We may also try to induce such dreams with meditative techniques. For example: Drink a glass of warm water mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Do this about an hour after dinner in order to give yourself time to digest first, as well as giving yourself time to make a few trips to the bathroom before retiring. While falling asleep, practice deep and regular breathing. Clear your mind of all thoughts and worries relating to the day just past, the day ahead, or mundane life in general. Instead, imagine the wings of a bird, moving slowly and rhythmically, the wings of the nagual carrying you into the dream world. Let the serene motion of the nagual’s flight guide you to the magic of an archetypal dream. It is said that those which occur in the pre-dawn hours, just before waking, are the most important.

It is interesting to note that Mayan dream interpretation is highly individuated. Mayan Daykeepers do not interpret according to a set list of symbols of the type which might be found in any “gypsy witch dream book” here in the United States. Dream symbolism is, by and large, unique to the individual dreamer and her or his outlook on life. But we should always make a record of the day upon which a dream occurs, and take the symbolic meaning of the day-sign into account when approaching the dream.

If a dream remains “incomplete,” in the sense that the words of the god are not remembered by the dreamer, or the recollection of the dream seems tentative and without a clear message, the teacher may ask the apprentice shaman to re-create the dream by entering back into it and finishing it. This is, of course, a technique closely related to what we might call “lucid dreaming,” in the sense that the dreamer is an active participant rather than a passive one. Here again, the Sacred Calendar is of great importance. Let us say that such an “incomplete” archetypal dream or divine communication took place on 4 Chuen. The next recurrence of a Chuen day will take place twenty days later; this will be 11 Chuen. During those twenty days, the novice Daykeeper may meditate upon the dream and its meaning in preparation to attempting to re-enter the dream and bring it to a conclusion. The attempt to re-enter the dream will take place on 11 Chuen.

Though the sources of Carlos Castaneda’s knowledge will probably always remain controversial, it is commonly agreed that his book on the art of dreaming is one of the most effective practical manuals for inducing lucid dreams. Still, not all people have the ability to become lucid dreamers. In that case, one may enter into a meditative state, using all the powers of one’s imagination to visually re-create the dreamscape as it was when the dream ended. Then project your soul deep into the heart of that dreamscape and wait to see what happens. Who appears? What do they say? Are there any animals present? What messages are they giving you?

Well, friends, that is all for now. In the future, I hope to share more techniques of Mayan pathworking. Since I published the five-sign Tree of Life horoscope in Jaguar Wisdom many years ago, I have been blessed to learn something of the more advanced technique which makes use of nine day-signs (ten, if you count the Year Lord). Before I share these techniques with you, I must seek the permission of my teachers in Guatemala. They have shared with me their special meanings for each of the thirteen numbers, as well as a special meditative technique which some Daykeepers call “the Flight of Feathered Serpent,” and which involves setting aside one lunar month out of every tzolk’in cycle for a series of special guided meditations. I hope that my teachers will allow me to share these wonderful pathworkings with you.

Until then, visit me at www.jaguarwisdom.org, or follow me at www.twitter.com/jaguarwisdom.

Comments

castaneda

I dont see the controversy over Castanedas sources, everything comes from the same source

Good Post

You came up with a nice post. Looks good.

Thanks for great information

Thanks for great information about how to dream and about art of dreaming.

Jim

Loved it

The information you provided is quite simple and clear for knowledge and spiritual seeker. Thanks !

I believe 2012 means the end

I believe 2012 means the end of all fear and access to our innate human power

cool

I just have to say this was potentially one of the most intelligent blurbs I have read on the subject so far. I do not have any idea where you get all your data but keep it coming! I am going to send a few people your way to check this out. Awesome, simply awesome. I am have just started getting into spitting out articles myself, nothing remotely close to your writing potential (doh) but I would love for you to check out my stuff someday!

Where I Get My Data

Most of what I write is based on my conversations with Daykeepers in the traditionalist community of Momostenango, Guatemala. Only rarely do I fill in the gaps with information from written sources, and then only because I am missing a few details. In this case, I filled in a few of my own blanks with some of Barbara Tedlock's work, but only because most Daykeepers in Momostenango have met her personally and they all attest to her honest and accuracy.

Fascinating

I found this information fascinating. I am always interested to hear how ancient civilisations understand phenomena such as dreaming. I have long known of the power of dreams but for me they are a constant source of puzzlement. In my latest dream I was walking past places that were familiar to me as a child - but not entering any although I really wanted to. What does that mean?

"According to the Maya, each

"According to the Maya, each human being is born with two souls. One of them is known as the uxlab. The Spanish word anima is often used to describe this aspect of soul, since it is identical to what Catholic Christians perceive as the soul. It is invested in the body and in breathing. It remains within the body until the moment of our death." that is a very interesting concept.

best topic i had read.best

best topic i had read.

I like this stuff!Tim

I like this stuff!

Tim

Wow

Resources like the one you mentioned here will be very useful to me.

The scale of progression

The scale of progression seemed to be one full harmonic step with each tone, as in the notes C-D-E-G. As this occurred, I found myself in a state of bliss. I became one with each tone and its vibration. The vibrations were the Life of the Creator, and the vibrations were His essence flowing through me.

dreams, day signs and energies

Hi Kenneth

Thank you so much for mentioning Castaneda's work in your blog. Subliminally I learned much from those books - not the obvious reasons - where I read them and somewhere else a different process was taking place.

It is also serendipitous that I am submitting this post between 4 Muluc and 5 Oc, as I was born in the early morning of a 5 Oc day, but also have influences from 4 Muluc.

You are right about dreams in the sense that if they really have a meaning, the dreamer will know this and that - if the influences (people use all sorts of words for these) want to convey a message to the person - this message will really get through. One does then not need to consult here and there to find this out.

In a dream long ago, I was reminded of my task in life, but thought it better just to ignore the invitation and tell them I was not going to do it. They would not let me get away with that one and even when I decided to wake myself up, I was not finished with them.....

Long before these wonderful books came along, I learned somehow to 'trust the process' and follow my own intuition.

Talking about energies, has anyone noticed the huge increase in them lately? Just wondering.

warerdog

inner peace

'Talking about energies, has

'Talking about energies, has anyone noticed the huge increase in them lately?'
A month ago my question was ; If the energies are increased or it is just because I pay attention..?
Than I started to read about the energy of the day at evening,comparing with What I have 'seen' that day, all I have to say is: very exiting how it works indeed!

lucid dreams

Great article I hope that Kenneth will be aloud to share more with us here.We need a guide.
As far as I can remember myself the dreams were another reality for me and I use to travel a lot and very far.In this journey I had a lot of 'meetings'.Some of those were transparent light ,kind..the others were thick shadows,dangerous..I had to run...some were sharing messages. I have been to the places unknown, strange,.. there were places of extreme beauty but some of them where wird ,odd ...but the problem is I did not know what to do there..one can get lost easily ..I have almost died few times..
The books of Castaneda helped me ..when I found my hands for the first time I new that I'll never be lost again.After that I could decide where to go and what to do..but..than I start dreaming awake.I was in both realities at once..I was split so I could not move my body in this "world' but I was stuck over there too, being exposed to whatever was coming up to me..and it is very dangerous position believe me!
I had to stop dreaming.I did.
Until one evening two years ago I was dragged in a whirlpool just before I felt asleep.It drove me fast squeezing in circle motion down and down deeper and deeper until I found myself facing the wall of dark fog stone-like surface , thick smoke .It was alive, it was aware, and it was pure smashing energy,I was soaking in buzzing sound of that energy..I had pressure all over me and it was sucking me and smashing with no mercy at all.At the moment I knew I'm dieing in there and there is no way to go back or to go trough the wall.I did not have energy to survive this.Than suddenly came to me that the wall is not moving !And this drove me back..I was sick,couldn't move,cold and my hart was pumping so hard to jump out of my chest.Than I realize that what came to me down there, were the words of Don Huan saying that the wall should be moving around to be passed through..that saved my life dear friends and no matter how the books of Castaneda seems controversial I have found a truth there,useful things, wisdom.But yet we need a guide...
And now when I see there are fellows here who travel too..I might be start dreaming again.
Just before I wrote this note here a quick nap came to me and I saw my right hand for the moment..
So maybe we meet in dreaming..
namaste

Thank a lot for your post but

Thank a lot for your post but i am not sure i understand this part "hough the sources of Carlos Castaneda’s knowledge will probably always remain controversial, it is commonly agreed that his book on the art of dreaming is one of the most effective practical manuals for inducing lucid dreams"

Energy Dreams

Thank you for the article, I enjoyed it. Dreams have been a profound part of my life since I was seven. After reading Castaneda's writings in the mid 1980s, I began to have what I refer to as "energy" dreams. I call them that because there was usually a strange sensation, either a vibration or some other type of energy (sometimes unpleasant), felt in most of them. I tried once to follow the instructions given by "Don Juan" to achieve lucid dreaming, but it never worked. Instead, these unusual dreams would simply occur without warning. The last of significance occurred in February of 2009. I had always heard the expression, "music of the spheres," and assumed it meant something about a heavenly chorus or sound emanating from a higher dimension. I now believe I have experienced the meaning of this expression through my dream, which I would like to describe. The dream began with a curious image of seven or eight small spheres swirling in front of me, all brightly colored, but not all the same size. I marveled at their beauty and motion as they moved around one another. I felt that these objects were alive and fulfilling a purpose. Suddenly, one of the spheres shot into the distance out to my right, remained in sight, then shot back at high speed and ricocheted off my left elbow. I felt no pain. It then bounced off the leg of someone standing next to me, a male presence I have detected in several other dreams. My sense is that this individual is an instructor. Immediately after this, I began to hear four tones, each lasting about a second, each successively higher in pitch. The scale of progression seemed to be one full harmonic step with each tone, as in the notes C-D-E-G. As this occurred, I found myself in a state of bliss. I became one with each tone and its vibration. The vibrations were the Life of the Creator, and the vibrations were His essence flowing through me. I heard the set of tones repeat at least three times before the dream ended. I was very sad when I could no longer feel the energy of the tones moving through me.

like it

Hey...this is a wonderful website buddy and an informative post!!! i am new here and i found this site very interesting and informative ,, you are a professional person i think.. i am mcse professional and i have a great interest in such things...thank you for the post buddy and keep on posting nice stuff like this :)

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