Summer Solstice

Today, on the summer solstice, there was a very special ceremony taking place on the UNO grounds. At the end of the school´s interpretive nature trail, there is an open clearing that only recently has been recognized as a space where sacred ceremonies were conducted long ago. After they cleared the brush away, they realized that this spot had already been used for sacred purposes. They even found the foundation of some very old stone structures, although not much at all is known yet about the findings.
Today, the professors of Mayan Linguistics at UNO, other archaeologists, and shamans from the Maya community held a ceremony for the New Fire, to plant "seeds" and usher in a new time of discovery and understanding. As teachers, we were able to be present for this special ceremony, and participate as well. We also had our students attend, and we gave them an assignment to write a report of what they saw, heard, felt, etc. during the experience.
While I did not understand what was said, and much of what was done was also foreign to me, I can say that there was much respect, focus, and intention within the circle of participants. The h´mem [Maya for shaman] who conducted the ceremony spoke in Maya and seemed to be addressing the heavens, the earth, the ancestors, etc. for their blessing of the space. To start, there was a hole dug in the earth, with rocks placed around it. The h´mem said some prayer, and each person in the circle was given a pumpkin seed which we all placed in the hole. Then he placed a big rock over the top of the hole and covered it all over with gravel. Next, he built a fire, very deliberately, step-by-step, all the while, speaking in Maya. He said a lot of things facing each of the cardinal directions, and he drew lines in the rocks around the fire. He was assisted by several other men, one of whom kept the incense burning in the copalero. Another man´s job was to blow on the conch shell at the appropriate times. Another man was helping with the special corn drink they made, which was splashed on people and on the fire.
At the end, he explained to us that this space is now sacred, and everyone must respect and be cautious with the space. In fact, women cannot cross the line of rocks that encircle the main fire area. And anyone who walks in the clearing should take off their shoes to be gentle with the earth. Couples cannot kiss in the sacred space. Then we were all given a small cup of a special drink made of honey and water, and gourds were passed around with the special Maya drink made of corn. Then we all said a Maya version of "Cheers" and we drank together. I couldn´t write the word that we said, but I can tell you that it means "You are my brother and I am your brother, and we are the same." Or something along those lines.
It was a great thing to be able to be a part of this ceremony, and I am looking forward to reading my students´ accounts of what occured, because many of them could understand what was being said in Maya.
This picture is something I just discovered online. It says a lot, though, about Mayan culture and history...