The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012 - Dr. Synthia Andrews Nd [12]
In the Maya worldview (what we’ll call the Maya-view), there were two key beliefs that determined how they related to the world. The first is the belief in k’ul. The second is how they viewed time. This may be a strange thought, but the calendar you use influences how you think. The Gregorian calendar measures days that turn into years. Using this calendar you are sure to see time as a straight line, a linear progression into the future and away from the past. The Mayan calendar measures cycles. In Maya-view, cycles don’t measure the passage of time as much as they measure the quality of time periods.
As you’ll see, the Maya culture reflects these two key beliefs at all levels.
The Sea of K’ul
In Maya-view, there is no separation between the seen and the unseen worlds, between what is material and the forces that move through the material. The world is alive, all parts of it; animate parts like plants and animals as well as inanimate parts like rocks, water, the earth, and all the celestial bodies. The study of the ebb and flow of k’ul was the domain of the shamans and priests. To ensure the safety of the community, they needed to understand the cycles, rhythms, and expressions of k’ul. The world needed to be kept in balance to prevent disaster. Ceremonies were performed to keep harmony between the material and spiritual worlds.
def•i•ni•tion
The root word of k’ul is k’u, which means “sacred entity” or “god.” “L” is the contraction of lil, which means “vibration.” So we can roughly translate k’ul to mean “the sacred vibration of God.” This vibration is considered the vital life force that animates all matter.
Sacred Sites
The k’ul (vital life force) that fills the earth concentrates at certain points, which are known as sacred sites. The Maya believed that sacred sites were connected to each other by flows of k’ul. Shamans studied the patterns between sacred sites and the grid they formed. Movement of energy along this grid was influenced by the movement and alignment of planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. Additionally, shamans and priests influenced the movement of k’ul through ceremony and ritual.
Moving K’ul
You may wonder why the Maya wanted to manipulate the movement of k’ul. If it’s a sacred essence, why not just let it do its thing? Bottom line, not everything has the same amount of k’ul. Much of Mayan tradition and ritual was based on finding ways to gain and direct larger amounts of k’ul to influence the outcome of earthly affairs. Shamans manipulated the flow of energy to create portals through which they had direct access to the sacred spirit.
Of course, since k’ul is very powerful, too much could be harmful—especially if it was chaotic and out of balance. It could also create harm if it was collected in a person, object, or place that was not strong enough to hold it. You need to have a worthy vessel. The need to control both the positive and negative aspects of k’ul, and to be worthy of it, guided much of Mayan life. It directed how and where they built their houses, determined the structure of their cities and temples, and established how they worshipped.
Celestial Connection
Many ancient cultures believed in spiritual energy that flowed through the earth accumulating at sacred sites. The many megalithic stone circles in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, such as Stonehenge and Avebury in England, are thought to be energy accumulators at sacred sites. Many believe the sites are connected to each other in a grid-work matrix. Ancient ritual in the circles utilized the energy for fertility, to increase crop harvest, and to create sacred space in which ancients could communicate with the gods. It is thought by some that the appearance of crop circles near sacred sites is a modern-day reflection of ancient energy grids and man’s