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◆ We are connected to the cosmos by k’ul that runs from the universe into channels within our bodies. We can influence k’ul in ourselves and the planet through ceremony and ritual.

◆ The Mayan codices are holy books that tell us the practices and beliefs of the ancient civilization.

◆ The Maya believed in three realms: the underworld, the earth realm, and the heavenly sky. All three worlds were interconnected by the Tree of Life.

◆ Mayan mythology and Mayan gods are reflections of celestial events in the night sky. These events are coded into the Mayan calendars and can be used to predict the future.

◆ The Maya see time as a cycle of qualities rather than a progression of events. Even though exact time doesn’t repeat, the quality of a period repeats, allowing the Mayan priests and shamans to understand and predict the future.

Chapter 3

Sky Watchers

In This Chapter

◆ Working with Mayan math

◆ Discovering astronomy techniques

◆ Coding the sky into buildings

◆ Mayan time and cosmic events

The Mayan calendars were coded with detailed astronomic information. This information was gained through continuous observation—endless hours spent tracking planets, stars, and constellations through the night sky. Days were spent recording these movements, searching for patterns, and seeking to make sense of the mountains of data. The Maya didn’t keep track for a year, 10 years, or even 50 years. They kept track for centuries. By using an ingenious numbering system and applying advanced mathematics, they calculated the precision of cycles that were as long as 26,000 years. Without telescopes, calculators, or computers, how did they do it?

The calendars are not the only record of the Mayan astronomical feats. With extraordinary accuracy they coded information into their pyramids, temples, and city layouts. To an uneducated eye, Mayan temples are impressive for their size, architectural structure, and beauty. To the educated eye, they are impressive for the mathematics and astronomy they contain.

As always, everything in the Mayan world reflects the spiritual essence behind it. Numbers were no exception. Every number had a spiritual meaning that was expressed through all aspects of daily life. If you’re like us, your head might start spinning when you see paragraphs full of numbers. Don’t worry; we have simplified this to a level we can all digest!

Counting System

The Maya needed a counting system for more than just celestial data. They were also merchants, trading cotton, cocoa, corn, jade, obsidian, and other goods. An accurate and fast accounting system was essential and had to be shareable with neighboring traders. Some of the inscriptions depict sums being added, subtracted, and calculated in the order of hundreds and millions. The system they developed is ingenious in its simplicity and versatility.

Celestial data posed entirely different challenges. They had to keep track of changes in degrees of the planets rising, their movements, trajectories, etc. They had to be able to use that information to perform elaborate calculations for predicting eclipses and other celestial events. Most importantly, they had to use a base number in their counting system that fit the cycles in the sky. The Mayan calendars all fit together like cogs in wheels, and proportions were essential. You’ll learn more about this in Chapter 4.

Vestigial System

The Maya and the rest of the Mesoamerican neighborhood devised a system based on the number of their vestiges, otherwise known as fingers and toes. In other words, it was based on a count of 20. You can ask any child what our current 10-digit system is based on: our 10 fingers!

Celestial Connection

The use of zero was first seen in Babylonian culture in 2000 B.C.E., but it was used only as a place marker. It had no numerical significance. While ancient Greek philosophers debated the ability to “have” nothing, the ancient Romans understood the concept of zero and were using it numerically by the fifth century B.C.E.

Using a base of 20 and a base of 5, the