An Initiatic Journey to Mexico with a Mayan Elder
by Patricia Cardona
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We began the ceremonies with a purification and initiation at the CENOTE DZITNUP (a sacred well). This is a new cenote that has been opened up recently. It is underground in a cave. It was very magical to climb down the ladder into the belly of the earth only to have it open into this large underground cenote. The cenote water was crystal clear with fish swimming in it. Overhead a large sacred ceiba tree was growing out of the top of the roof of the cave letting in light around the tree's roots. These roots were trailing down to the water of the cenote about 100 feet below. What a sight! It took your breath away to see the sacred symbolism present in this place. I could hear the sound of toning in my mind as soon as I entered the cave. Before long Hunbatz blew a whistle and all the women were toning and chanting. We filled the sacred space with sacred sounds for a long time. The walls of the cave reverberated with the sounds we made. Bats in the cave responded by making their own sounds to add to the harmony. We ended the ceremony with each person going down to the water to receive an annointment of the water from the cenote onto our crown chakras.We then had the benefit of being at CHICANAH for our final ceremony. Chicanah means 'The Temple where the Snake Emerges' We were able to visit the site for the full moon rising. It turned out the full moon rose through the large window of the pyramid, representing the mouth of a snake. It was a very powerful ceremony. 20 or so women climbed into the mouth of the snake and toned and chanted as the full moon rose. We were guarded by four men standing outside of the mouth of the snake supporting the women's ceremony. At just the right moment the sense of need to hear the rattle occurred and all the men and I began shaking our rattles. The snakes energy was very present, until it peaked at the end of the ceremony. All present were blown away by the energy of the moon that night. I have never felt the moon emanate energy as powerfully as I did on that night. Hunbatz encouraged us to write about this ceremony because he believes we are the first to witness and participate in the full moon rising through the mouth of the snake during the equinox time period at this sacred site.
Patricia Morris Cardona is a Spiritual Healer, Cinical Specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She founded the Cosmic Mysteries School, part of the world wide Mayan Mystery Schools with her husband Daniel, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist under the guidance of Hunbatz Men, a Mayan Elder. www.cosmic mysteries.com
This article was published in Gillian Hollands Newsletter in March 2005.