TIJAAX (TeeHAASH) - a double-edged sword

Today one of the professors of Mayan Linguistics and culture, a very cool woman named Patricia, brought in a book about Mayan astrology and told me about my sign, Tijaax. It says that, from the front, Tijaax (El Kab'awil) represents the point of a knife made of flint or obsidian. From above, it represents a pyramid. Tijaax: a knife, liberation, obsidian. Obsidian, they say, acts as a mirror for the soul. Tijaax is a good day to ask for protection against enemies, temptations, and accidents. Natives of the sign of Tijaax can be doctors or healers, optimists, unaffected and peaceful, but they can also act with great force as a warrior.
Since I´m into the mystical aspects of Mayan culture, it´s all very interesting to me. Patricia also brought me some traditional incense used for rituals and blessings - it´s called copal and smells wonderful. It´s actually sap from a tree. Here is a little info I found online about the copal tree:
Similar to jade tree in appearance, copal wood sands to a smooth porcelain finish. Fresh pieces have an aromatic smell unlike copala which has little or no smell. They are two of sixty species of the Bursera tree found in Mexico. When dried this wood become light and flexibly strong. Characterized as a soft wood the tree thrives in higher elevations and is an aggressive grower. Copal branches can be very fragrant depending on the time of year they are pruned. Before wood carving became popular, copal tree resin was primarily used to make incense and it's berries were a common cure for acne. The incense was regarded as a seeing instrument for the Mayans and considered a form of protection against sorcery, illness, and misfortune. The incense still burns in many Mexican churches today for the purpose of making the body ritually clean. The dried resin, when burned, projects an odor similar to frankincense but with a lighter, citrus tone.

¡Y qué rico huele! (It smells so good!) Little by little, I´m learning more about Mayan culture. Hopefully next cuatri I will be able to learn more. Actually, today I was talking with some other UNO professors and they invited me to go visit a nearby Mayan village because they are doing research there. That should happen in January when we start up with school again. Also, Patricia has told me about some Mayan spiritual guides and healers who are located not too far away. (Hopefully I won´t be getting sick, though!) Needless to say, there is much to discover about another way of living here in Yucatán.
We have just two more work days and then a day to get packed up, because on Saturday night I will be flying home! It is going to be a great Christmas this year in Bethlehem. Tonight is our department work party at Casa Italia, a local (and deliciously authentic) Italian restaurant. It should be fun!