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Mayan Astrology Explained: The

TzolkinCalendar

If youre looking for anArt NouveauTarot reading, orWestern Zodiachoroscope, then author

and Druidic practitioner Erik Oakenshield is the man for the job. A true modern renaissanceman, Erik has more than a decade of experience under his belt. He can also be seen writing for

Oranum, a worthy site for horoscope readings.

The astrological practice that many of us are familiar with is that of the Western convention.

What many of us are unfamiliar with, however, isMayan astrology. While conventionalastrology has its roots dug heavily intoGreek culture, Mayans shared their own set of standards

with the rest of the Mesoamerican natives. These practices were adhered to for centuries until thepeople and culture both were all but decimated by Spanish invaders of Central andSouth

America. Fortunately, the tradition of Mayan astrology has survived in small communities, and

even though it is not well-advertised, its secrets are waiting to be unlocked.

Time vs. Space

Greek astrological concepts oftentimes have to do with space. The year itself refers to the earths

specific position on a plane, circling the sun. Your zodiac sign is determined by what

constellation passes through the zenith in the night sky on the eve of your birth. Mayanastrology, on the other hand, is based almost solely on time. Thats the most important thing to

realize here, as this is what makes it very hard to calculate theMayan calendarin correlation

with the Gregorian. They still used the one standard rotation of the earth to calculate day andnight (sun-up to sun-down to sun-up again), but after that base unit, almost all semblance is lost.

TheSun-Signs

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The Mayans kept their own systems of time, starting from a day 0 (simply a starting point for

their calendars, close to 3100 B.C.), with different calendars repeating in a base-20 system. The

most common is theTzolkinCalendar which is made up of 13 repetitions of 20 different days.

To make it more comprehensive, imagine that instead of having a7-day week, we had a 20-dayweek, and (just like in the 7 day week) each individual day had its name. The 20-day week

would go through 13 cycles before resetting, resulting in a 260-day year with a unique

astrological significance assigned to each of the 260 days.

The day-signs or sun-signs are the significance given to each day in a 20-day cycle. They are

each linked to one of the cardinal directions, which have significance of their own inMesoamerican astrology (East implies initiative, North represents the mind, West is

relationships/encounters, and South signifies feelings/emotion). Here are the sun-signs and their

corresponding characteristics:

Imix: Crocodile/Alligator (East)Creator and nurturer

Ik: Wind (North)Idealist, adaptable communicator

Akbal: Night/Hearth/House (West)Serene, enduring

Kan: Seed/Lizard/Net (South)Influential force, fertile

Chicchan: Serpent (East)Mysterious, i instinctively wise

Cimi: Transformer/Transformation/Death (North)Full of faith, disciplined

Manik: Deer (West)Active, familial healer

Lamat: Rabbit/Star (South)Constantly moving and thinking, funny and intelligent

Muluc: Offering/Water (East)Emotional, imaginative

Oc: Dog (North)Loyal friend, team-player

Chuen: Monkey (West)Artistic, clever, attention-receiver

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Eb: Grass/Road/Human (South)Easy going, humble, hard worker

Ben: Reed/Cane/Staff (East)Courageous, protector

Ix: Jaguar (North)Secretive, intelligent

Men: Eagle (West)Innovative, critical, ambitious

Cib: Wisdom/Owl/Vulture (South)Wise, serious, fearless

Caban: Earth/Earthquake (East)Rational, set convictions

Etznab: Flint/Mirror/Knife (North)practical, coordinated, craft worker

Cauac: Storm/Rainstorm (West)Vigor, youth, helpful healer

Ahau: Light/Flower/Lord (South)Loving, romantic, artistic

Each one of the 13 cycles also has its own characteristic that mixes in with the sun-sign andcreates one of 260 unique astrological profiles. Finding your sign under the Tzolkin Calendar can

be confusing, though there are some websites that will calculate cycles from day 0 all the way up

to your birthday. This system of astrology is not to be confused with the one that measures theastral zodiac. The latter system covers a 365 day period and more can be found out about it here.