Mayan calendar - a system of calendars created by the Mayan civilization in pre-Columbian Central America. This calendar was also used by other Central American peoples - the Aztecs, Toltecs, etc. A typical Mayan calendar date looks something like this: 12.18.16.2.6, 3 Kimi 4 Soc, where 12.18.16.2.6 is the Long Count date.

Story
The Mayans used two calendars. In the first, the year always consisted of 260 days and was called “tzolkin,” and in the second, the “odd year” consisted of 365 days. The presence of two cycles resulted in the fact that each day had two names, for example, 3 akbal, 4 kumu. Because the two cycles were of different lengths, no specific double combination of day names was repeated during the 52 "odd" years and the 73 "Tzolkin" years. This period of time was commonly referred to as the "Aztec Age" or the "Calendar Circle". This calendar system was quite adequate for its purposes; it also had limitations. To cope with these difficulties, the Mayans developed another time counting system called Long Counting. With slight variations, they counted time in “kinas”, “uinals”, “tunas”, etc... Its principle looked like this: 20 kin days = 1 uinalu (20-day month), 18 uinals = 1 tuna (360-day year), 20 tuns = 1 katun (7200 days), 20 katuns = 1 baktun (144,000 days). Using the Long Count, the Mayans also kept a special account of the day. On stelae and other monuments, Mayan dates were written in two columns of hieroglyphs, read from left to right and top to bottom. The entire series began with an introductory hieroglyph and often ended with a date related to the lunar cycle and a mention of whichever of the Nine Night Lords reigned at that time. And between them there were dates expressed in baktuns, katuns, tuns, etc., plus the corresponding dates for “Tzolkin” (260 days) and “Haab” (365 days).
"Tzolkin" is a very ancient calendar and dates back to time immemorial. Some Mayan tribes in remote areas of the country still use it for ritual and magical purposes. And he played an even more important role earlier. The tables of the Dresden Codex were supposed to give the priests not only information about future eclipses, but also how to relate them to the 260-day Tzolkin calendar. They compiled their tables based on 11,958 days, which almost exactly corresponds to the 46 year of Tzolkin (11,960 days). This fully matches 405 lunar months(also 11960 days). The authors of the tables also compiled additions that corrected their basic data, which ensured their accuracy to one day for 4500 years. "Tzolkin" is based on a combination of 20 names of months with numbers from 1 to 13. But the counting is not carried out sequentially, as in our Gregorian calendar with months of 30 and 31 days. A cycle of 260 days does not have any practical meaning in earthly conditions, just as the calendar itself has no practical meaning with 13 days and 20 months, indicated by names and symbols that have nothing to do with the reality around us. Everything “falls into place” only in one case: the calendar was given to the Mayans from the outside by certain “gods” who were familiar with the wheel, and for whom the cycle of 260 days had some practical significance. “Gods” who were so educated that they were able not only to very accurately calculate the earthly year, but also to adapt its “inconvenient” duration to the integer counting system without loss of accuracy.

Three Mayan calendars
Mayans enjoyed the whole system from three calendars. The Tzolkin calendar cycle has only 260 days, or 20 months of 13 days. Position of a person's date of birth in Tzolkine says a lot about his personal qualities and purpose in this world. Along with the Tzolkin, the solar calendar was used Haab with a period of 365 days. It had a domestic purpose. The Mayans calculated the almost exact length of the solar year - 365.242 days. Scientists believe it would have taken the Mayans 10,000 years of observation to figure out this number. But the Mayan civilization existed no more than 3,500 years. In addition to these two calendars, there is a calendar Long count for large time intervals. Its cycle is 5125.3 years. The current cycle began on August 13, 3114 BC. and ends in 2012 AD. In Mayan legends this cycle is called the Fifth Sun. Each cycle, according to Mayan mythology, ended with the almost complete destruction of civilization, which grew over 5,000 years. The First Sun ended with earthquakes, the Second with hurricanes, the Third with volcanic fallout, and the Fourth with a flood.

Life after the Mayans
Will the life of our civilization end in 2012? On the one hand, the Mayans predict the destruction of this civilization as a result of some movement of the Earth. But it is not just followed by the development of another, sixth civilization. If you believe the Mayan theory, then after the end of the Fifth Sun cycle there should be some kind of evolutionary leap. It will be characterized by the development of spirituality in the human community. At a new level of evolution, a person will feel like a part of Nature, and all its levels will unite into a single whole according to the principle of universal telepathy. Perhaps the prediction should be understood abstracting from a purely materialistic assessment. The destruction of civilization is not necessary. It will simply become unimportant in the eyes of people, disappear from the center of their concerns, due to the emergence of other values. The Mayans speak of five eras. The development of any complex system can be divided into five stages. The first of them is the root, which contains the development program, its laws, as well as the very impulse for the emergence of the entire system. It is followed by stages of gradual complication and increasing independence of the elements. What changes should we expect? What properties should humanity lose and which should it gain? Guessing is useless if you do not try to escape from the usual plane of our thinking. Agree, it is quite primitive to consider that the history of the planet consists of the development of one civilization, its destruction and the development of a new one. Remaining in the plane of our material life, it is impossible to imagine what will happen after it and whether this “after” exists at all. The destruction of material civilization from the point of view of the average person is no more significant than personal physical death. Much more attractive is the allegorical reading of the Mayan predictions, according to which humanity must rise to a spiritual perception of reality. The world will become “end-to-end”, where behind each object the spiritual forces that are the reason for its existence will be felt. Due to the eternity of the spiritual nature, along with the ability to sense it, a person will receive the possibility of eternal existence.

Mysteries of the Mayan calendar
One of the most mysterious and little-studied civilizations today is the Mayan civilization. The Mayans left behind many secrets and mysteries and topics for reflection. And in fact, how the Mayan Indians, being barbarians and savages who sacrificed people, could reach such heights in the study of astrology, architecture and mathematics that even in our time seem incomprehensible. Having neither telescopes nor modern computing equipment The Mayans studied the movements of celestial bodies, compiled star maps, and predicted the darkening of the sun and moon. But perhaps the most mysterious and enigmatic of all that the Mayan Indians left behind is known to almost the whole world, Mayan calendar. The Mayan calendar is based on 20 numbers and 12 symbols. The counting system is radically different from the modern one. It was based on the cycle of movement of celestial bodies. The Mayan calendar predictions are more global in nature. He predicts possible vectors for the development of human civilization as a whole. Also very important aspect is that it does not have any specifics, and the texts of the predictions are more abstract in nature, a kind of riddle that still needs to be solved. Representatives of this ancient civilization predicted many events. These are world wars, and an outbreak of global terrorism, and cold war. All the events that were predicted by the Mayans had planetary significance, one way or another, influenced the history of mankind as a whole.
The level of the Mayan worldview and their way of thinking is alien to us. They perceived the world and the nature of things differently from us, and therefore the meaning of their words and records can be interpreted by us in a completely different way from the meaning inherent in the Maya. What meant one thing to them may seem completely different to us. Therefore, it is not surprising that among scientists studying the Mayan civilization and their calendar, many disagreements. Today, everyone associates the Mayan calendar with the date December 21, 2012. The words, end of the world, change of eras, world cataclysm are heard more and more often. Both among scientists and among ordinary people, discussions revolve around this date, which has already become mystical. But most of the recording was simply destroyed by the Spaniards, and from the words that remained it is difficult to determine what is being said. And the Mayan ancestors themselves say that the date December 21, 2012, promoted by various people who are far from understanding the Mayan culture, people who simply speculate on this, publishing books and making films, focus on the fact that the calendar of their ancestors predicts events much later 2012. And there is already confirmation of this. Not long ago, signs were deciphered on a stone tablet that was attached to the Tortuguero monument, which was found in Mayan territory. Researchers are convinced that one record can be deciphered up to 4,772 years. If we discard all the stereotypes and speculations that have developed around the Mayan calendar, we will get one of the greatest mysteries in the history of mankind, which we will need many years to study. After all, the Mayan calendar is not only a prediction of the future of humanity. The Mayan calendar also contains warnings and a message for humanity. He predicts only the possible vectors of development of a nation of people, and in what vector humanity will develop, deplete the planet’s resources, invent nuclear weapons, wage wars, or grow morally and spiritually, strive for peace, this already depends on us.

End of the Mayan calendar
The Mayans developed several calendars during their existence, one of them contains information about 2012 and the ends of the world. This calendar takes into account the periods and rhythms of the universe and will clarify something for us about 2012. For the Mayans, time was very important. In their opinion, all events went in a cycle, in a circle. In the Tzolkien ritual period, the cycle consisted of 260 days, each day was numbered from one to thirteen, and the names were repeated at intervals of twenty days. This means that two periods were mixed in one calendar - 13 and 20. Each name had its own hieroglyph - a solar seal. For the Mayans, time was like the flow of a river. It’s like it’s the same thing, but each time it’s different in some way, and it’s never repeated. It’s not for nothing that there is a saying: you can’t step into the same water twice. For them, time was enclosed in a cycle, just like the flow of a river. The short cycle for them was 5 thousand years, the long cycle was 26 thousand years. The latter coincides with the galactic alignment cycle, and they are trying to somehow connect this with the end of the world in 2012. To summarize, we find that the Mayan calendar is endless, because it is enclosed in a cycle that has no end.

In the 2nd – 10th centuries AD, in the southern part of Mexico and in the territory of modern Guatemala, Honduras and Belize, there was a very high and extremely unique culture of the Mayan Indians. The Mayan civilization was a network of city-states, most of which were destroyed at the end of the 9th century. In the 16th century, the Mayan culture was destroyed by the Spanish colonialists, who, eradicating the local religion, burned almost all the manuscripts containing both knowledge and the very history of the people. When the ruins of Mayan cities began to be discovered in the 19th century, the remains of colossal observatory temples were also discovered. One of the most famous Mayan cities, founded in the 8th century, Chichen Itza (in the north of Yucatan) was already a ruin by the time of the Spaniards. But the remains of its grandiose religious and astronomical buildings (including the Karakol observatory) still amaze researchers.

In only four Mayan manuscripts (so-called codices) found so far, information about the astronomical, cosmogonic and cosmological knowledge and ideas of this people dating back to different eras BC was discovered. Some of the confusion in the surviving astronomical and astrological information can be explained by the fact that the surviving manuscripts are incomplete, and most importantly, they are mostly simplified rural priestly “reference books.” A number of texts were also found on stone slabs-steles.
The worship of the Sun and Moon by the Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs dates back to ancient times. The priests at their observatories - sites located on the flat tops of grandiose step pyramids, tens of meters high, systematically monitored the sky, believing that all phenomena on Earth and in the state were determined by its laws.
Special attention was paid to eclipses and the movement of moving luminaries - planets, to which it was attributed big influence on the life and affairs of people and the state as a whole. The Mayan priests used the celestial bodies to predict happy or unlucky days for certain actions, not for individuals, but for certain social strata or age groups of the population.
As a result of systematic observations, the Mayan astrologer priests determined with fairly high accuracy the synodic periods of all known planets. Particular attention was paid to observations " Big stars" - Venus (mainly for astrological purposes). In addition to Venus, according to the Mayans, the Moon and shooting stars had a particularly strong influence on people.

The Mayans adopted a 20-digit counting system, which was also reflected in the structure of the calendar. Another, in addition to 20, the main number in Mayan astronomy and astrology was the number 13. The area of the sky through which the Sun passed among the stars during the year, the Mayans divided into 13 constellation areas (“Zodiac”): 1. – ?; 2. – ?; 3. Bat; 4. Frog; 5. Parrot; 6. Snake with trunk; 7. Owl; 8. Scorpio; 9. Turtle; 10. Rattlesnake; eleven. - ?; 12. Jaguar; 13. Monkey.

The astronomical basis of the classical Mayan calendar was complex. Firstly, it was a sunny tropical year (haab). It consisted of 18 months of 20 days each (360 days), to which 5 extra unnamed days were added for the “change of power of the main gods.” The Mayans knew about the discrepancy between the 365-day calendar year and the true solar year, to take this into account they introduced a system of inserting additional days. This system gave the length of the year only 20 seconds less than the true one (the error of our Gregorian calendar is one and a half times larger). According to the research of V.I. Kozhanchikov, the Mayan calendar also took into account the synodic periods of movement of all five planets.

In addition, for astrological purposes the Mayans used a "short year" of 260 days, based on the already mentioned key numbers 13 and 20. This 260-day cycle (tzolkin), comprising unique feature Mesoamerican astrology, formed by 200 BC. There are several explanations for why this particular cycle was identified.
First, the average time between conception and birth of a human being is 266 days, and Mayan women to this day associate tzolkin with the period of pregnancy.

Names of the 18 months of the year Haab Maya
(in order of pictures in the picture)
pop v vulture
social sec shul
Yashkin Mol Chen
yash sak keh
mak kankin muan
pash kayyab kumhu

Second, there are at least four celestial events associated with the 260-day cycle:
– the average time interval between the appearances of Venus as a morning or evening star is 263 days;
– the average synodic period of revolution of Mars is 780 days, that is, exactly three “short years”;
– the average time interval between two successive halves of the eclipse season of 173.5 days relates to Tzolkin as 3:2;
- the celestial rhythm, which makes sense only in tropical latitudes, is associated with the periods of time during which the midday Sun at its highest point is in the north and in the south. These intervals vary with latitude, but at the parallel of 14.5°N, which is close to the position of the great Mayan city of Copan and the preclassic city of Izapa, the annual cycle is thus clearly divided into 105- and 260-day periods.

For the beginning of their chronology, the Mayans accepted the mythical calculated date - 5,041,738 BC. But they kept their chronology (in European reckoning) from 3113 BC. A significant mystery is that the Mayans introduced periods covering colossal intervals into their chronology system time. The Mayans had a whole hierarchy of periods. Starting from 1 kin (1 day), periods were multiples of 20 (with one exception): vinal = 1 kin x 20; tun = 1 vinal x 18 = 360 kin; k"atun = 20 tuns (about 20 years); baktun = 20 k"atuns; pictun = 20 baktuns... alav "tun = 64 million years! The multiplicity of 20 was violated once, to harmonize the counting with the real solar year. Why these periods were introduced and how the Mayans calculated the zero date of their chronology remains unknown. This is the interest of civilization Maya brings them closer to the natural philosophers of Ancient India for particularly large numbers and eras.

Thus, the Mayans used two calendar systems: a long year, used in civil life, and a short year of 260 days, associated with astrology and religious rituals. The long year was divided into two types. A year of 360 days ("tun") was used for special purposes, but in everyday life the Mayans used a year of 365 days ("haab"), consisting of 18 months of 20 days. The five remaining days ("days without name") were placed at the end of the year. They were considered fatal. The short 260-day year ("Tzolkin") had 13 months of 20 days with weeks of 13 days. The days of the week were designated by numbers from 1 to 13. There was also a 9-day week. The years were combined into cycles: 4-year (in which the names of days and numbers of months were repeated) and 52-year (a combination of haab and tzolkin, 365 x 52 = 260 x 73 = 18,980).

According to the Mayans, the universe, like the Nahuas, consisted of 13 heavens and 9 underworlds. The lower “sky of the Moon” (moon goddess) was followed by “sky of the stars and the god of the Earth,” then “sky of the Sun and the goddess of water,” and after that “sky of Venus and the god of the Sun.” Even higher was the “sky of comets and the goddess of love.” The sixth sky is “the black sky of the night and the god of death,” the seventh is “the blue sky of the day and the god of corn.” Above him is the “sky of storms and the god of rain,” and then the “white sky of the god of the winds,” the “yellow sky of Um-tsek” (that is, the god of death) and the “red sky of sacrifices.” The penultimate sky was given to the god of grain, and the last, thirteenth, was associated with the god in the form of an Owl and in some manuscripts is deciphered as belonging to the one “who owns the sky.” Indian sources often mention a group of gods, Oshlahun-Ti-Ku, lords of the heavens. These deities, the patrons of the 13-day week, were at enmity with another group of gods - the lords underworld, Bolon-Ti-Ku. Often these groups were perceived as a single whole. In the center of the universe, according to the Maya, stands world tree, penetrating all layers of heaven, and in its corners, i.e. cardinal directions, there are four others: red (east), white (north), black (west) and yellow (south). Chaks (rain gods), pawahtuns (wind gods) and bakabs (carriers or holders of the sky) were associated with the four cardinal directions; they were located on the world trees and differed in color associated with one or another cardinal direction. Each colored trinity ruled the year.

Aztec Astrology
Among the Aztecs, who came to the Valley of Mexico from the north of the country in the 13th century and adopted the ideas of their predecessors, the Toltecs, as well as the Zapotecs, Mayans, Mixtecs and Tarascans, the main motifs of mythology are the eternal struggle of two principles (light and darkness, sun and moisture, life and death etc.), the development of the universe according to certain stages or cycles, man’s dependence on the will of deities who personified the forces of nature, the need to constantly feed the gods with human blood, without which they would die; the death of the gods would mean a worldwide catastrophe. According to myths, the universe was created Tezcatlipoca And Quetzalcoatlem and went through four stages (or eras) of development. The first era (“Four Jaguars”), in which Tezcatlipoca was the supreme deity in the form of the Sun, ended with the extermination of the tribe of giants who then inhabited the earth by jaguars. In the second era (“Four Winds”) Quetzalcoatl became the Sun, and it ended with hurricanes and the transformation of people into monkeys. Tlaloc became the Third Sun, and his era (“Four Rains”) ended with a worldwide fire. In the fourth era (“Four Waters”), the Sun was the water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue; this period ended with a flood, during which people turned into fish. Modern, fifth era ("Four Earthquakes") with the Sun God Tonatiuh must end in terrible cataclysms.

Every 52 years the universe was in danger of being destroyed, so the end of such a cycle and the beginning of a new one was accompanied by particularly significant rituals. According to myths, the universe was divided horizontally into four parts of the world and a center. The fire god Xiuhtecuhtli dominated the center. The East was considered a land of abundance and was dedicated to Tlaloc and the god of clouds and stars, Mixcoatl. The rulers of the south were the sowing god Xipe Totec and Macuilxochitl, but it was regarded as a region of evil. The West had auspicious significance, as it served as the home of the planet Venus, one of the incarnations of Quetzalcoatl. Finally, the north was subject to the god of death Mictlantecuhtli. Vertically, the world was divided into 13 heavens (each of which was inhabited by a specific god) and 9 hells. By the time of the Spanish conquest, a special group of gods of the stars and planets existed in the Aztec pantheon: Tonatiuh, the god of the Moon - Metztli, Mixcoatl, the god of the planet Venus - Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the star gods of the north - Senzon-Mimixcoa, etc.

The Aztecs paid special attention to the cult of the planet Venus, associated with Quetzalcoatl. At the same time the morning star and the evening luminary, Venus was a symbol of life and death. Aztec astrologers found that the 8 annual cycles of Venus correspond to 5 solar years. Every 65 solar years (that is, 104 periods of Venus), the 13-year and 5-year cycles coincide, making the 65-year cycle especially important.
Bruce Scofield notes that Mesoamerican Indian astrology gave the same importance to intervals of time as Western astrology gives to regions of space. The Western Zodiac, aspects, houses - these are all spatial elements. In the Mesoamerican system, time intervals, with the day as the basic unit, had the same purpose.
There are 20 key signs that move in a clear sequence, controlling time intervals of 1 or 13 days. The 12 zodiac signs of Western astrology correspond to the Mesoamerican Decans, a set of signs within signs. Like the Zodiac, the 20 key signs of Mesoamerican Indian astrology archetypally describe an evolutionary sequence. Celestial events and human births were interpreted according to the symbolism of the time intervals in which they occurred.

The 20 signs of Mesoamerican astrology are grouped into five groups of 4 signs. An important role in assessing a sign is played by its connection with a certain side of the world.

EAST	NORTH	WEST	SOUTH
1. Crocodile	2. Wind	3. Home	4. Lizard
5. Snake	6. Death	7. Deer	8. Rabbit
9. Water	10.Dog	11.Monkey	12.Grass
13.Reed	1. Ocelot	2. Eagle	3. Vulture
4. Movement	5. Knife	6. Rain	7. Flower

Each of these signs, called tonalli by the Aztecs, rules one day in the order shown above (from left to right). After 20 days, the cycle of such “daily signs” is repeated. Each day also has its own number - from 1 to 13, this cycle runs simultaneously with the 20-day cycle (1- Crocodile, 2 - Wind... 13 - Reed, 1 - Ocelot... 7 - Flower, 8 - Crocodile, etc. .d.). The sign with number 1 is considered the ruler of the entire 13-day period. 20 cycles of these thirteen numbers, coinciding with 13 cycles of twenty daily signs, form a 260-day calendar and astrological cycle, which the Mayans called “Tzolkin”, and the Aztecs called “tonalpouhalli”. Thus, in a 260-day cycle, each day is associated with a daily sign and is also included in a 13-day sign. Each of the 20 groups of 13 days began with the number 1 and a new name. Depending on the first day, each group was favorable, unfavorable, or neutral. So there were 260 in the cycle various combinations. Numbers containing seven, as well as 10 or more, were considered favorable, and nine foreshadowed misfortune.
The daily sign and the 13-day sign are fundamental concepts of Indian astrology and provide the key to understanding personality and to the analysis of celestial events. In the minds of the Aztecs, the birth sign of each person predetermined his entire fate, as well as his path to another world. The role of astrologers was enormous, because no one dared to do anything important without first consulting and receiving the approval of one of the specialists who simultaneously played the role of scientists, psychologists and priests.

Indian horoscope
Let's give a few examples. Those born on the 1st day of Ocelot are more at risk than others of being captured and dying in a foreign land; on the 2nd day of the Rabbit - indulge in drunkenness; The 4th day of the Dog promises wealth for the newborn. The East was a symbol of fertility, and the North, on the contrary, of infertility, the West was associated with withering and death, the South did not have clearly defined characteristics.

Name of the day		Prediction for those born on this day
Mayan	Aztecs	Prediction for those born on this day
Imish (world tree)	Crocodile	Dishonest, lustful sinner, the worst person, indecisive, doubting
Ik (wind)	Wind	A very lustful, dishonest man, his fate is bad
Ak "bal (dark)	House	Pathetic plebeian without a future, poor, hunter
K"an (iguana)	Lizard	Jack of all trades, rich, wise
Chikchan (cloud serpent)	Snake	Fire soul, killer, bad fate
Kimi (death)	Death	Very bad fate, killer
Manik (eating)	Deer	Bloody are his claws, very bad
Lamat (shining star)	Rabbit	Annoying, drunkard, dishonest talker, sower of discord
Muluk (water)	Water	His soul is from the fire, his fate is bad
OK (dog)	Dog	Reckless, foolish, discordant, adulterer
Chuen (craftsman)	Monkey	Skilled carpenter and weaver, jack of all trades, rich life, good luck in business, prudence
Ab (fog)	Grass	Rich, his wealth is community, generous, not quarrelsome, very good person
Ben (weed shoots)	Cane	Pathetic, poor, plebeian
Ish (jaguar)	Ocelot	Brave jaguar, bloody mouth and claws, meat eater, killer
Men (Job)	Eagle	Jack of all trades, very good, will speak soon
Kib (peck)	Vulture	Thief, hunter character, brave, also killer, bad fate, bad
Boar (earthquake)	Movement	Wise and prudent merchant, bloodletter and medicine man, good, prudent
Esanab (silicon knife)	Knife	Witch Doctor and Bleeder, Healthy, Brave
Kawak (bad weather)	Rain	Noble, very dreamy
Ahau (lord)	Flower	Rich, prudent, brave, good

Each 13-day period also has its own astrological meaning, determined by the first day of this period: Crocodile(1. Crocodile – 13. Reed). He has no conflict between love and work. He is a daredevil, but goes to the goal with a cool head. Brings happiness to others. Personal well-being is dear to him. Exudes optimism and generosity. Touchingly cares for his partner, sometimes deifying him. Women are attractive creatures, feminine, and combine work and family life. Next to them, a man takes a break from everyday life. She is a homemaker, inclined to work in a team, and has many friends. People of this sign are all lucky, they know how to handle money.
Ocelot(1. Ocelot – 13. Death). Hunter, there is no prohibition for him. Resourceful, nature has endowed him with many abilities with which another would have achieved much. He seeks only his own happiness, pleasure, and knows no remorse. Does not like all sorts of responsibilities, both in love and in work. These are free, carefree natures who always play with love. They are adored and willingly test themselves in the arts, often with varying degrees of success. Accuracy and accuracy are not their strong point. However, they know how to glide through life.
Deer(1. Deer – 13. Rain). The horns don't threaten you. These people go to the wall wisely, because they do not tolerate obstacles. Very proud. Behind their temperament lies a timid nature, a fear of the precipice of happiness. They are jealous and fall in love quickly and deeply. They are looking for a type who will worship them. They know how to caress their partner. Happy in life. They always need someone ready to serve.
Flower(1. Flower – 13. Grass). These people are born artistic people: musicians, writers, specialists in their field. They have a cheerful disposition, they are happy and contented, even if there is no special reason for it. Their frivolity is dangerous. Sometimes they are arrogant and can insult and offend. They show off their merits, which, however, are obvious. If something doesn’t work out right away, they retreat. Therefore they are either at the top or at the bottom, but not in the middle. Women are cheerful, love to dance, enjoy life. They love to dress and know how to wear clothes with taste. A efficient and faithful wife, if she finds a suitable partner.
Cane(1. Reed – 13. Snake). A sign associated with the wind. People of this sign are quick-tempered, hot-tempered, internally troubled, fickle and absent-minded. They can't take root anywhere. Adventurers, discoverers, love travel. Major speakers, lawyers. They love big words, you have to be careful with them, because they are created to be troublemakers and spies. Wealth does not shower on them, but they know how to stay afloat, sometimes at the expense of others. A difficult partner, although he may like him.
Death(1. Death – 13. Knife). Those born under this sign are the darling of fate. Life is abundant. Spiritual and material wealth, respect, honor, but they are afraid of him. Although he is a hospitable person who loves to throw feasts, he gives his favor and disfavor according to his mood. It is dangerous to have an enemy in him. Loyalty is not his strong point. He has few friends, he is capricious and power-hungry. One can benefit from misfortune. Must take care of my fragile health.
Rain(1. Rain – 13. Monkey). His days are under the influence of formidable goddesses - women who treat man with envy. A person of this sign must be resourceful in order to win a place in the sun. He deals with magical powers, magic, witchcraft. Men are poor guys, seducers, looking only for pleasure. Women are carefree, fickle, seek pleasure and find it. They are capable of commerce, because in addition to cunning they have amazing resilience. Beware of their language, they are not liked for this, but sometimes respected.
Grass(1. Grass – 13. Lizard). They mistakenly consider themselves failures. Gentle, affectionate, but sometimes suffocating with their affection. The man is a reliable craftsman “with two right hands.” A woman knows many crafts, loves children and sacrifices herself for them. Prone to pessimism. Mine and yours - they do not separate these two concepts. So, like magpies, they collect those treasures that do not belong to them in order to rejoice in them. Friction with neighbors and friends.
Snake(1. Snake – 13. Movement). A sign of good mothers. Knows how to approach life on the lighter side. Often forgets about duty and responsibility. Fate favors her; career - ascending to well-being. Amazingly lazy, may fall; if this happens, you will find yourself in a safe place, and things will go better than before. Even debts and guilt will not bring you out of a state of peace. Appreciates gluttony and company. She has many friends, she goes everywhere for her sake, she is a cheerful person. In her youth she causes a lot of trouble, gets sick, and is disobedient. The Snake woman is valued as an intelligent employee. In the role of a wife, she is a reliable comrade, like a mother above others. Her birth is easy, she is the lucky one here too.
Knife(1. Knife – 13. Dog). These are lucky people with great abilities. The main properties are strength and insight. Great physical strength and performance. They love to work and eat. Can be top athletes. In love, feeling is not their strongest side, but they are strong and inventive, and have trouble finding an approach to their partner. They know how to lead. A person of this sign is not a means for mechanical traction. Combining vitality with intelligence. He is straightforward and simple. He is incorruptible in his position, his advice is valuable. Nerves are like a steel rope. Sometimes pedantic. Always sincere and decent, a darling of fate who succeeds in everything.
Monkey(1. Monkey – 13. House). Carefree, cheerful, frivolous. If it is necessary to expend labor to achieve wealth, she will not strive for it, because she is afraid regular work. Her dream profession is: dancer, musician, singer. Favorite pastime: playing, dreaming. She loves coquetry, but it is impossible to be offended by her. She believes in castles in the air, which she herself will break. She loves children, as she herself has a lot of childish carelessness. People of this sign are loved in society. They bring good mood, but in principle predisposed to melancholy. They care a lot about their health. But they need not fear for this.
Lizard(1. Lizard – 13. Vulture). She is the best partner. Connected with nature and physically very agile. Hates inactivity and immobility. Always in the fresh air, so she has good health. These are gardeners, foresters, peasants, i.e. “farmers” stand firmly on the ground. Reliably, with a sense of duty, he does his job. Even better than required, he easily endures losses and defeats. In marriage she is reliable and gives support. You are safe with her, she controls her nerves. Everything is going well for her.
Movement(1. Movement – 13. Water). loving person, does not know boredom, is constantly active, he is overwhelmed by ideas and thoughts. Energetic. Not a very comfortable marriage partner. She is a beautiful, thoroughbred woman, her sensual radiation completely destroys a man’s world. He is a merciless daredevil and knows his strength. Everything they do soon turns into smoke. They are fickle and changeable, but can get into the position of a partner. Not at any cost, but true in their own way. After a long search, they find a permanent partner.
Dog(1. Dog – 13. Wind). His love requires sacrifice. Happiness falls unexpectedly. He doesn’t wait for a miracle, doesn’t rely on chance, and especially in love. He knows how to fight for happiness, but he does it not as a player, but as a worker. He knows how to do big things and lead. Created to be a director, conductor. He has a flair for what is essential and necessary. Faithful and reliable, if his life is not turned into hell. Almost ideal partner married, but “married” tightly to his profession, so he may lose his partner. It is not very easy to understand. To love him, you need to sacrifice something, which he, however, will generously and generously pay for. What is given to him comes back a hundredfold.
House(1. House – 13. Eagle). In love, a person of this sign is not domestic. By nature a player. A tendency towards pessimism, sometimes there is a reason for this. They play passionately, in the worst case they risk everything they have. Women are sociable, talkative, love to pour out their hearts, and look forward to new adventures. They love passionately and sacrifice everything in love. We need a firm hand in a partner who will lead people born under this sign.
Vulture(1. Vulture – 13. Rabbit). They love a quiet life and are faithful. Secured long life. Children get sick at first, but live long. They don't run after happiness. Reasonable, born scientists. They make a problem out of love. They want to possess their partner not only physically, but also in his thoughts, although they themselves do not like it when someone gets into their soul. Very loyal, homely, friendly, but taciturn, thrifty, but sometimes generous.
Water(1. Water – 13. Crocodile). They love surprises in marriage. The goddess (water) is very changeable, she shows a new face every moment. People of this sign are neither good nor evil, neither poor nor rich... They are often in contradiction with themselves. This is not an easy partner, but more often it brings pleasant surprises. They are easy to control; you cannot openly offend them. They are gentle and affectionate. We must fight for happiness. A lot is demanded of them, especially in their younger years, but then it becomes easier for them. They have the right to reap the fruits of their labors.
Wind(1. Wind – 13. Ocelot). These people stand for clear relationships. Not very diplomatic. They value open, direct words. Where they are, clear relationships are created, but they are achieved in an indelicate way. They think through everything, the nature of a revolutionary. They know how to captivate, inspire, and sometimes confuse. In love they win immediately. They want everything or nothing. Intensive participation is expected from the partner. Spirituality is more important to them than sex. A difficult but generous person.
Eagle(1. Eagle – 13. Deer). Demanding in love. Loner, difficult to make contacts, selfish, arrogant. Superior to many in intelligence, few can be on his level. Gives great importance his appearance, takes care of himself. In love he is demanding and selective. It's not easy to get in touch. A partner for him is an adornment to his person. He knows how to interpret everything in his favor. Doesn't bother with little things. He happens to be a gourmet. Catcher of happiness.
Rabbit(1. Rabbit – 13. Flower). Selfless and selfless, born peasants and educators. They think about others, often forgetting about themselves, although they plan the future with a cool head and businesslike. They love children. They give advice. In love, he is not an active partner, but a yielding one, both man and woman. They play the second role voluntarily. They also work in the shade; they don’t like the light of the footlights. IN difficult moments turn to art, which means more to them than money, which they often refuse. They need a realistically thinking partner who understands them.

North associated with the sun god. These are restlessness, excitement, confusion, anxiety, militant spirit, enthusiasm and unbridled temperament.
East associated with the god of wind. Among the Aztecs, it symbolizes progress, inventions and discoveries, it is favorable for poets, scientists, but also for lovers.
South associated with the god of the stars. Not everything works out right away, but it still works out. During this period there are no storms, but there are attractions and downturns.
West associated with the god of rain. His years are fertile and abundant. Those born under his auspices are blessed with success and health. He has wealth and abundance.
1, 3, 7 – very good, these numbers are strong, that is, they eliminate everything bad from the horoscope.
10, 11, 12, 13 - soften all bad omens and strengthen good ones.
4, 5, 6 - worsen the good, and the less good worsen even more.
2, 8, 9 – smooth out everything that is in the horoscope. They weaken both the good and the bad.
While a very large part of the correspondences accepted in Mayan astrology has been lost, data about Aztec astrology has been preserved. Each of the 20 signs was considered to be under the control of a special deity of the Aztec pantheon. Knowledge of the Aztec gods and goddesses is crucial to understanding what these signs symbolize (just as understanding the signs of the Zodiac requires knowledge of the planetary rulers).

The Aztecs also had a solar calendar (xihihuitl) that had 365 days: 360 days made up 18 months of 20 days, with five extra days considered unlucky. Every fourth year was a leap year. Each year was named after its first day: the year of the Reed, the year of the Knife, the year of the House, the year of the Rabbit. The Year of the Reed has always been considered to bring misfortune. This was the case, for example, in 1519, when the Spanish invaded.
Several books surviving from the Spanish conquest hint that there was a body of symbolic knowledge that was used by priests and astrologers. Using these books, you can predict eclipses and planetary conjunctions, as well as determine the signs in which they should occur. Predictions of the effects of various combinations can be extended into the future with relevant mathematical precision.

Indian astrology was a complex subject: in Mesoamerica, not only individual, but also mundane astrology was developed. She operated in time intervals of 7200 days (which is close to the duration of the Jupiter-Saturn cycle), called “katun”. The katun was seen by the Maya as a fundamental unit of measurement in political and cultural matters. Katuns were united in groups of 13 and 20; 260 katuns constituted the era of creation. Since the Mayans were excellent mathematicians and left many dates imprinted on stone, it is absolutely known that the current era began on August 11, 3113 BC and will end on December 21, 2112 AD. A time period of 5125 years (260 katuns) is almost exactly one fifth of the precession cycle. In Indian astrology, astrological eras were not measured, as in Western astrology, by 1/12 of the precession cycle and were not associated with signs (like the era of Pisces, the era of Aquarius, etc.); instead, the eras of 1/5 of the precessional cycle were divided in the same way as the Tzolkin - into 20 parts of 13 and 13 parts of 20. Humanity has now entered the last katun of the entire era of creation, which began on April 6, 1993.

The reconstruction of Mesoamerican astrology is still far from complete. It should be taken into account that the true philosophical and natural philosophical ideas and ideas about the surrounding world among the Mayans and other Indian peoples may have remained unknown to us due to the almost complete destruction of all of them spiritual heritage, especially written monuments, by the Spanish conquerors. In Mexico today there are a number of practitioners using their own systems, which they believe have achieved the purest and most perfect form of Indian astrology. In many cases, they dismiss the work of academic researchers and ignore the tensions in the correlation between the ancient pre-Columbian calendar and the Christian calendar. However, after large quantity research and careful comparisons of colonial documents, oral traditions and ancient inscriptions, consensus appears to be found in the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson correlation, which places the beginning of this era of creation on August 11, 3113 BC as the correct correlation. Bruce Scofield points out: "The Mesoamerican tradition of astrology appears to be the most subtle and complex of all the time-based astrological systems in the world, and in time it may become great help in world-class astrological research."

Incan astrology
Among the South American myths about the origin of the heavenly bodies, those whose heroes are the Sun and the Moon stand out. They are considered brothers (less commonly, brother and sister) or a married couple. In the latter case, the Sun is usually a man. There is a widespread myth about a love triangle between the Sun, the Moon and some third character (a bird, the daughter of the Sun), and in some versions the Moon appears as a woman, in others (in the same mythology) as a man. In the latter case, the lower brightness of the Moon is explained by its defeat in the fight with the Sun. For Botocudas, the full Moon is a man, the flawed Moon is a woman.
South American myths explaining the origin of spots on the Moon are extremely diverse. The most common version is that the Moon, a man, descends to his beloved on earth, and she, in order to find out who she is dating, smears soot on his face. In other cases, the spots see the silhouette of a creature living on the Moon. Toba Luna is a man with a thin line through which his insides can be seen. In tribal myth, she is the Sun hitting the Moon, leaving scars on her body. The movement of the Sun and Moon across the sky is considered as a continuation of their earthly path (among Quechuas), as the pursuit of one luminary by another (among Ona). Eclipse explained by an attack on the star by a celestial monster, most often a jaguar (among the Toba, Guarani), or a struggle between the Sun and the Moon, in which first one side or the other wins (among the Yunkas, Jivaros, Botocudas). Most Indian tribes have myths about the most bright stars and constellations. The Pleiades and Orion's Belt attracted particular attention from the Indians of South America. For the most part, the stars are considered people who went to heaven before its connection with the earth was broken, the souls of people who died during the catastrophe (among the Araucanians), women descending to earth to enter into a love affair with people (among the Toba, Karazha ). Star mythology is especially developed among the Chaco tribes in eastern Brazil. Very popular are the myths about two hero brothers who, having accomplished a number of feats, turn into the Sun, Moon or stars at the end of the story.

Many South American tribes have an idea of a supreme deity. Sometimes (Guarani, Apinaye) this is a god who is perceived as the old Sun, in contrast to his son, the new Sun.
Such ideas became the soil from which grew the original astrology of the Incas, who lived in the mountainous regions of Peru, Chile and Ecuador in the 12th – 16th centuries.
The Incas considered the Milky Way - the Maya (Heavenly River) - to be the most important object in the celestial sphere. It is on it, according to their ideas, that all more or less significant objects in the sky are located. The Heavenly River continued on earth in the form of Vilcanota, an earthly river flowing near the capital of the Incas, the city of Cusco.
On the Milky Way, the Incas identified not so much constellations as spots of interstellar dust - coal bags visible on it as dark silhouettes. These "black constellations" are named after animals. Rising from the horizon, they seem to be chasing each other. But the ecliptic and the Zodiac associated with it were apparently not known to ancient Peruvian astrologers.

The sun was the main object of worship of the Incas: the supreme ruler of their state, the Great Inca, was personified with it. In ancient Cuzco, on the ridge of a mountain there were stone pillars, later destroyed by the conquistadors. There were 8 of them, and maybe even 16. One half towered over the western, and the other half - over the eastern part of the city. Using these pillars, observing from the main temple of the city, the priests observed the points of sunrise and sunset on the days of the equinox and solstices.
The Incas had another type of “observatories” - intihuatana, that is, “the place where the Sun is tied,” “solar pier.” The Intihuatans were carved into rocks. In the middle of the “pier” there was a stone column - a gnomon. By its shadow one could determine “what time it is.” Twice a year (when the Sun was exactly at its zenith at noon), this column did not cast a shadow at all and could serve as a kind of calendar. In addition to 12 months of 30 days a year, the Incas had 5 more (and in leap years– 6) the final days set aside for holidays.
The astronomical system of the ancient Peruvians served its creators no worse than the astronomy of the Mayans or Babylonians. As elsewhere in antiquity, it determined, for example, the timing of field work. The time of their beginning and end was indicated by the priests accurate to the day. And there were at least 18 types of important agricultural work here (!). They lasted from one and a half to two weeks to two and a half months and covered the entire year. Unfortunately, we have much more meager and fragmentary information about Inca astrology than about the astrological concepts of Mesoamerica.
The article was prepared based on site materials

Culture Olmec, on which the Aztec and Mayan civilizations are based, literally came out of nowhere in 1200 BC. The main iconic things of this culture were:

huge temples,
religious complexes,
snake,
jaguar,
ritual ball game
and jades.

The rise of culture occurred in bursts around 300 BC. and then to 300 AD. (it’s interesting that during the 2000s AD, the ancient cities were abandoned for about one century, and then everything returned to its place, and the cities began to live again). The decline began after 900 AD, "Long Count calendar" disappeared from circulation, and hieroglyphic writing also ceased to be practiced. By the time Columbus met the Mayan merchants in 1502, only a shadow of power remained of the great civilization.

The last independent Mayan kingdom lasted until 1697, but spiritual religious traditions still exist today.

In 1841, thanks to a traveler John to Lloyd Stevens The attention of the world community was attracted to the Mayan peoples. Then it became clear about their level of education and culture. By deciphering the hieroglyphs, scientists discovered so many dates that they treated the Maya as an empire of philosophers and priests, abstract thinkers who were more interested in the problems of time and mathematics than in wars and dynasties. In particular, the Mayanist J. Eric S. Thompson I had no doubt that the true rulers of the Maya were the mathematician priests.

Character Analysis according to the Mayan Calendar

In order to talk about a person, the Mayan Shaman learned:

Birthday sign,
his Strength,
sign and force of the two-week period,
the movement of the planets (Mayan astrology had a zodiac consisting of 13 signs).

A calendar is used for shamanic purposes Tzolkin. The calendar consists of 20 signs (Kinov), five directions (4 signs each), and 13 levels of strength for each sign. Eventually - 260 combinations. Each of these combinations is unique and interesting because it gives a fairly clear impression of psychological qualities. If you find two people of the same sign and the same strength, you will clearly notice the similarity in the energies they use. Sometimes it is very clear and interesting to observe.

The calendar is structured in five directions:

East: Beginning, Origin. Red color. Energy is focused on the Future.
South: Prosperity, Growth, Abundance, Activity. Yellow. Masculine energy of the right hand. Actively influences the world.
West: Harvest, Transformation, Achievement and Pride. Blue, Black color. Energy is directed towards the past and its transformation. Gathering harvest and knowledge for further travel to the energies of the wise north.
North: Coldness, Detachment, Wisdom. White. Feminine energy of the left hand. Communion with the divine universal world order. High harmony and non-involvement in the fears and passions of the mortal world. The art of being “above everything,” independence, icy purity, coldness and purity.
Center: Being at the center of a dynamically changing life. Green color. The energy of self-awareness as a focus among the vortexes of the 4 elements.

Types of Mayan calendars

Long count- essentially chronological, an analogue of the calendar counting we are used to, when the year, month, day are written down sequentially, but in the Long Count, instead of the year, month, and day we are used to, the following were used: Baktun (13 cycles), Katun (20 cycles), Tun (20 cycles) , Uinal (18 cycles), Kin (20 cycles), ultimately obtained the record presented in Figure 1.
Tzolkin calendar- ritual, divine calendar of 260 days. It did not keep track of years. Tzolkin is formed by overlapping two weeks, lasting 13 and 20 days:

a week of 20 days consists of 20 kin: Ahau, Imish, Ik, Akbal, Kan, Chikchan, Kimi, Manik, Lamat, Muluk, Ok, Chuen, Eb, Ben, Khish, Men, Kib, Kaban, Etznab, Kavak.
a week of 13 days, in which the days are simply numbered from 1 to 13.

The sequence of days in Tzolkin is unusual and is such that the days of the 13th and 20th day cycles change simultaneously, it looks like this: 1 Ahau, 2 Imish, 3 Ik... 13 Ben, 1 Hish, 2 Men.

The Tzolkin calendar was used primarily for services, healing and predictions. Each of the 260 days of Tzolkin has entire legends behind it.

There are a lot of legends in Mayan folklore related directly to the characters of the Tzolkin calendar (such as the story of two powerful lords of the underworld: two skeletal twins, cigar lovers: “Kimi 1” and “Kimi 7”, etc.) It is these 260 combinations that are clearly predicted those qualities that will manifest themselves in those born on a particular day of Tzolkin.

Until modern times, in MesoAmerica, this calendar is considered sacred, and only shamans have the right to work with it. AND ordinary people It is not even recommended to pronounce the names of kin in vain, since they are capable of summoning spirits and gods.

Haab- civil calendar, lasting 365 days. 18 months of 20 days each, plus 5 additional days called Vayeb. There was no counting of years in Haab.

The names of the 18 months are presented in Figure 2.

The sequence of days in Haab looked the same as in ordinary calendars of our time: 0 Chen, 1 Chen, 2 Chen...Haab was used for everyday, economic and civil purposes.

The three above mentioned calendars belonged to sunny, but the Mayans also had Moon calendar , Venus calendar. A record was kept of the positions and periods of the planets: Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn.

DreamSpell Calendar, developed Jose Arguelles. Due to the popularity of Dreamspell, it is important to mention Jose Arguelles, who created a different version of the structuring of the Mayan calendar, which he described in the book "The Mayan Factor: a non-technological path". This creative interpretation is very interesting and different from classical interpretations. Program created by Argüelles DreamSpell(Dreamspell), has its own way of calculating days and kin (this method is different from the classic “Long Count” and Tzolkin).

For the ancient Mayan people, the calendar was just as important in Everyday life, as for our contemporaries.

The Mayan civilization originated in Mesoamerica (Central America). This region lies between Mexico and South America, and was home to many other cultures, including the Aztecs, Olmecs, Teotihuacan and Toltecs. The Mayans lived in places where today the states of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and in the south of Mexico (Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas) are located.

Mayan history consists of three periods:

1. Preclassic - 2000 BC to 250 AD

2. Classic – from 250 to 900

3. Postclassical - from 900 to the Spanish Conquest in 1400

Writing in Mesoamerica arose in the middle of the Preclassic period. The Mayans were the first to create historical records and keep a calendar. For this purpose, steles or stone monuments were used, on which events of Mayan civil life, calendars and astronomical knowledge were carved. They also depicted their religious beliefs and mythology on pottery.

The Mayans placed great importance on recording the history of their people. They were not the first civilization to use a calendar, but they did develop four separate calendars that lasted for discrete periods of time. Depending on their needs, the Mayans used various calendars or a specific combination of two calendars to record each event. Their calendar Long Count, which we will learn more about later, expired in 2012, resulting in what some believed would be an apocalyptic event.

But in order to decipher these different calendars, you will first have to learn a quick lesson in Mayan mathematics.

Mayan Numbers and Mathematics

Along with their calendars—the Tzolkin, the Haab, the Round Calendar, and the Long Count—the Mayans also created their own systems of calculation. They used a series of dots and lines to represent numbers. One dot represented one unit, while one line represented five units. The shell symbol represented zero.

The Mayans wrote numbers vertically, while we do this horizontally. For example, we write the number 27 as the number 2, denoting tens, and the number 7 to the right of it.

The Mayans wrote 27 vertically. Their number seven (a line representing five units with two dots above it) was at the bottom, and their number 20 (a dot one line above) was located directly above it.

The same is true for other numbers, such as 29.

Numbers were important in Mayan culture. For example, the number 20 means the number of digits a person has - 10 fingers and 10 toes. The number 13 concerns the major joints of the human body where disease occurs: one neck, two shoulders, two knees, two wrists, two hips, two knees and two ankles. The number 13 also represents the levels of heaven where the sacred rulers of the Earth are located. It was these two numbers, 20 and 13, that were used to create the Tzolkin calendar, the first calendar used by the Mayans.

Tzolkin calendar

Like many Mesoamerican calendars, Tzolkin, or Sacred Circle, the calendar is designed for a 260-day cycle. One theory about the meaning of this particular cycle length states that 260 days symbolize pregnancy. Another theory suggests that the calendar represented the length of time needed to cultivate corn. However, it is more likely that it was based on the Mayan reverence for the numbers 13 and 20.

In the Gregorian calendar, we have seven days in a week and, depending on the month, 28 to 31 days in a month. The Tzolkin calendar consists of a set of 20 day names, symbolized by images called glyphs and 13 rooms. As a result, each day has a number from 1 to 13, in addition, the days have names that repeat with a period of 20. Each day name has its own symbol, the so-called Solar Seal.

The Tzolkin calendar begins on the first day, under the glyph Imish and number 1. The days continue in order - on the second day there will be a combination of the glyph Ik with number 2 and so on until all 13 numbers have been used.

After the calendar reaches the 13th day (indicated by the glyph Ben and number 13), the day numbers start again at 1, but the day names continue forward, from the 14th glyph, Ik.

Thus, we get 260 unique combinations of the name of the day and its number. Combination 13 Ahab marked the end of the year.

It is easy to understand the significance the Mayans placed in the Tzolkin calendar. For example, they believed that your birth date determined the characteristics you would be able to perceive in your personality, just as some people consider the astrological symbol for your birthday today.

Holy men could also schedule certain events throughout the year, based on the Tzolkin calendar. At the beginning of each unial(a period of 20 days), the shaman could determine the religious and ceremonial events that would take place during this time. In addition, he chose dates that would be most fortunate for the prosperity of the community.

Despite its many useful functions for society, the Tzolkin calendar could not measure Sunny year the time it takes for the Earth to make a complete revolution around the Sun. Because of this, the Mayans needed a more accurate calendar.

Haab calendar and Round calendar

Haab calendar very similar to the Gregorian calendar we use today. It is based on the cycle of the Sun and was used for agricultural, economic and accounting activities. Like the Tzolkin calendar, it also includes unial (periods of 20 days), and each day has its own hieroglyph and name. However, instead of 13 unials in 260 days in the Tzolkin calendar, in the Haab calendar there are 18 unials in 360 days.

Mayan astronomers noticed that 360 days was not enough for the Sun to complete a full cycle. solar activity. They argued that the calendar should follow the solar cycle as closely as possible. But the Mayan mathematicians disagreed. They wanted to keep the calendar simple, in increments of 20, just like their mathematical systems.

Astronomers and mathematicians eventually agreed to an 18-unial of 360 days, but with five "nameless days", which were called Wyeb.

This five-day period was considered a very dangerous time. The Mayans thought that the gods rested during this time, leaving the Earth unprotected. The Mayans performed rites and rituals during the Wayeb, hoping that the gods would return to them once again.

While the Haab calendar was longer than the Tzolkin, the Mayans wanted to create a calendar that would reflect even more time. For this reason, the Tzolkin and Haab calendars were combined into Round calendar.

In the Round Calendar, the 260 days of the Tzolkin calendar are combined with the 360 days and five unnamed days of the Haab calendar. This Round Calendar works on the principle of the Tzolkin calendar and gives 18890 unique days with a time period of about 52 years.

At that time, the Round Calendar was the longest calendar in Central America. Mayan historians, however, wished to record Mayan history for future generations. To achieve this, they needed a calendar that would be relevant hundreds, even thousands of years from now.

Long Count calendar

Mayans developed Long Count calendar for 5125 years, a period of time to which they treated as Great Cycle. The Long Count calendar is divided into intervals:

1 day - kin

20 days - unial

360 days - tun

7200 days - katun

144,000 days – baktun

2880000 days – pictun

57600000 days – kalabtun

1152000000 days – kinchilbtun

23040000000 days - alautun

English anthropologist Sir Eric Thompson created a technique for converting the Long Count dates of the Mayan calendar into a Gregorian date known as Thompson correlation. Events that occurred during the Spanish rule were recorded in the Long Count and Gregorian calendars. After this, scientists compared the dates in both calendars and compared them with Dresden Code, one of four Mayan documents surviving from Spanish times. This codex confirmed the start date of the first Great Cycle - August 13, 3114 BC, which ended on December 21, 2012.

Now we have the start date of the Great Cycle, let's look at the Long Count calendar in practice. We'll take a date that's familiar to many: July 20, 1969, the day Apollo 11 landed on the Moon. In the Long Count calendar, this date is written as 12.17.15.17.0. You will notice that the date contains five digits. Reading from left to right, we get the number of baktuns since the beginning of the Great Cycle. In this case, there were 12 baktun, or 1,728,000 days (144,000 x 12), since August 13, 3114 BC. The second number means the number of katuns. Then come tun, unial and kin.

As the calendar's Long Count ended, doomsday theorists predicted the worst. The Gregorian date December 21, 2012, is designated as 13.0.0.0.0 on the Long Count calendar, signaling the end of the current Great Cycle.

However, the Mayans and scholars who rejected apocalyptic theories noted that the end of the calendar would be seen as a time of celebration, similar to modern New Year's holidays. There are no Mayan inscriptions that predict the end of the world when the Great Cycle ends.

The most notable event that occurred on the 2012 winter solstice was that for the first time in 25,800 years, the Sun was aligned with the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Although the event sounds impressive, it had absolutely no effect on Earth, just as astronomers had claimed. Therefore, the next Great Cycle was calmly started anew.

Currently time is running second Great Cycle or New Era, which will continue for another 5125 years.

Generally speaking, the Mayan people do not like the wind. They believe that they are in it evil spirits, which blow fiercely in different directions, waiting for the first convenient opportunity penetrate the human body and cause mental or physical illness in a person. The Mayan healer Don Eligio Panti claimed that many of his patients fell ill for magical, rather than physical reasons, and that illness was brought to them by the wind.

People born on Wind Day are considered to be filled with anger and rage. These potentially dangerous qualities must be controlled from the very first day after birth. Moreover, anger, rage and selfish unbridledness - on the esoteric level - are just lower and less developed manifestations of the force that in its highest aspect breathes into us the spark of life itself.

On Mayan sculptures, a certain mysterious deity, known to the Mayans as “God B,” is often depicted with a T-shaped cross, a symbol of the day-sign of Wind, or Ik. It is believed that "God B" was the god of rains and thunderstorms. Rain makes life on earth possible. It helps to increase the harvest, and it should not be surprising that the T-shaped crosses held by "God B" are often entwined with maize that has sprouted from them.

The Aztecs gave this day to the power of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. Quetzalcoatl is known as the founder of civilization, who brought the highest religion to the peoples of ancient Mexico. It seems that the story of Quetzalcoatl's civilizational mission is based on biographical facts real person, who lived during the “historical Toltec period” (908-1168), but by that time Quetzalcoatl had already been worshiped as a deity for many centuries. The historical figure whose teachings are preserved under the name of Quetzalcoatl could well be considered an avatar (incarnation) of the deity.

Quetzalcoatl, in addition to his role as the god of the "morning star" - the planet Venus, was also the god of the wind. In his incarnation as the god of the wind, his name was Ehecatl, and it was this aspect of the Feathered Serpent that ruled this day-sign. The wind drives thunderclouds, pouring life-giving rain, but, in addition, the wind is a symbol of the breath of life.

The hieroglyph for this day-sign is a T-shaped cross. It is distributed throughout Mesoamerica and the American Southwest. The gates of the ancient cities of Chaco Canyon in New Mexico are often built in the shape of this T-shaped cross. In some ancient manuscripts of the sacred books of the Aztecs and Mayans, the Tree of Life is T-shaped. Indeed, trees make a huge contribution to replenishing the world's oxygen reserves, which means they are closely related to air.

Almost all the world's spiritual traditions speak of "subtle" or "living" breath, the breath of life, which is often an instrument of Creation. The Book of Genesis says that “the Spirit of God hovered over the waters” (1:2). The word for "spirit" in Hebrew was ruach. It was the living breath of God, active during the creation of the world. In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus blows his pneuma into an inanimate clay figure of the first man to bring him to life. In yoga philosophy, life spirit (Sanskrit prana) is life-giving energy, which on a purely physical level is contained in the breath. In the physical body, the day-sign of Wind corresponds to the upper part of the lungs, which is filled with air during yogic breathing exercises. As long as we breathe, we live.

Without the union of trees and wind there could be no life on earth, there would be nothing to breathe. So what better symbol can describe the spirit of life than the T-shaped cross with its dual meaning of “wood” and “breath”?

(based on the book by K. Johnson "The Wisdom of the Jaguar")

A symbol of a living spirit, bestowing life and animation.

The wind is a symbol of the “living spirit” that bestows life and animation on us all.

Excess Wind leads to excessive arrogance and pride. This happens when a person begins to consider himself a source of strength and inspiration. Unfortunately, such cases are not uncommon, which is why the Keepers of the Days associate this day-sign with dictators of the Latin American type.

Those born on Wind Day should always be aware that the “divine breath”, or living spirit, generously fills them with energy. If the Wind people understand this, they can gain unlimited power to “create the world”, since they have a huge amount of energy.

The underground wisdom of the Jaguar (a sign of the Past) helps them realize their duty to the spiritual world.

People born on Wind Day are filled with anger, rage and selfishness, which must be contained from birth. They must learn to control their irritability. Otherwise, they can “blow like a hurricane” and destroy the house. Let's remember Elizabeth Taylor's notorious fits of rage.

The Mayan people don't like the wind. They believe that the wind, blowing fiercely in different directions, tries to penetrate the human body and cause illness (physical or mental). The Mayan healer Don Eligio Panti claimed that many of his patients fell ill for magical reasons with diseases brought to them by the Wind.

Mayan sculptures have mysterious creature- “God of Wind” with a T-shaped cross in his hands - a symbol of the day-sign of Wind. It is believed that “God Wind” is the god of rains and thunderstorms. It is no coincidence that T-shaped crosses are often entwined with maize sprouts.

Quetzalcoatlus or Feathered Serpent, known as the founder of civilization, who brought religion to the peoples of ancient Mexico, is also the god of the Morning Star - Venus, and the god of the Wind. (The story of Quetzalcoatl's civilizing mission is believed to be based on a real person who lived 908-1168, despite the fact that Quetzalcoatl has been worshiped as a Mayan deity for many centuries.)

The Mayans saw not only the evil, but also the good power of the Wind. The wind drives the clouds, pouring life-giving rain. Wind is the breath of life.

The hieroglyph for this day is a T-shaped cross. The gates of many ancient cities were made in the form of a T-shaped cross. In some ancient manuscripts of the sacred books of the Aztecs and Mayans, the Tree of Life is T-shaped.

Almost all the world's spiritual sources speak of the “subtle” or living breath as an instrument of creation. “The Spirit of God hovered over the waters.”

In ancient Greek mythology, Prometheus blows his pneuma into the clay figure of the first man to make him animate, alive. In yoga philosophy, the life spirit (Sanskrit prana) is life-giving energy, on the physical level it is contained in the breath. In the physical body, the day-sign of Wind corresponds to the upper part of the lungs, which are filled with air during yogic breathing exercises. While we breathe, we live.

Fortunately, the Powers of the Right and Left Hands of the Wind signs are calm and relatively mild. The Vulture is good-natured and lazy, while the Rabbit is sensual and loves all the blessings of the world. Wind people can draw on these two forces to learn to appreciate everything that has a gentle, loving and kind nature.

Sign of the Future - the Dog opens up two possibilities for the people of the Wind. If they follow the lead of their ego, along the path of obtaining happiness for their little “I,” they will absorb into themselves worst qualities Dogs, and their life will turn into continuous sex, debauchery and quarrels. But the Dog, like the Vulture and the Rabbit, knows how to find quiet joy in the subtle beauty and gifts of everyday life, to see the spiritual light that shines through in all our everyday affairs.

If the people of the Wind learn to restrain their “inner hurricane,” they will be able, like a light breeze on a warm summer day, to make our wonderful life better.