The Beginning of T.I.M.E.
Some will remember that the December 1980 cover of the world famous National Geographic Magazine, had displayed the advertisement towards a fully packed issue on the Mesoamerican Civilization of the Mexica-Aztecs, and which in fact also featured in one part of the articles the beautiful painting seen above at the header of this webpage. Also, to be found there in that issue is a full-page foldout Aztec Sunstone poster with some of the most remarkable color schemes ever executed for that monument. Unfortunately, the names of the participant artists for all art work in that issue are not readily to be found there. In the case of the painting seen in the header above, which is an artistic account of the New Fire Ceremony from the year of 1507 CE; the Aztec King, Montezuma is to be seen depicted atop the hill of “Huixachtlan,” now known as ‘hill of the star’ just after the midnight of the 52-year “Toxiuhmolpiliztli.”
For myself the memory of this December issue is of a certain event, and if I do remember correctly for the matter of my own experience it wasn’t until much later in the month of April of 1982 that I would first discover a copy of this magazine within one of my 9th grade history classes. I had eventually come to ask the teacher if I could take the magazine home, since there was so much reading material in it to take care of. Upon doing just that, the teacher quickly snatched the magazine out of my hands, and said: “No! But thank you for asking!” Naturally, I took the magazine home anyway, and of course I returned it later - I just needed to read it. It in fact wasn’t only but back in the time of the year of 2003 in which I had recently found a pristine copy of that very same December 1980 issue of National Geographic in a used book store. Indeed, there are still more to be found on the Internet as well.
But of course, none of this is about the 1980 issue of National Geographic Magazine, and I can assure anyone that such an item could never be the source of my current interest in ancient Mexico. Instead, it was the experience that had come about earlier within 4-months before finally discovering that National Geographic, and which had happened now over 29-years ago (1-Saturn Cycle) on the date of Friday night January 15th 1982, in Contra Costa County Ca., which had changed my life forever. The details of the experience though very concrete in many respects, are still not necessarily the stuff of mass Internet introductions, where so many might be observing though not really quite relating. However, details aside, the conclusion that was born from out of my 15-year old mind at a particular moment was to be, (and indeed to some extent still remains) to be the conclusion that the “Universe is Aztec!” But it’s not the universe that most of us see or know. It is, and was a conclusion based on perceptual aesthetics; it is a design theory about the nature of geometry in relation to the content of the human psyche.
The result of that life changing experience created an interest with the world of the American Indians in general, and in fact the legacy of the North American Indians pretty much dominated the nature of my earlier dreams, which always included the pristine landscapes of the ancient territories of the Northern American Continent. Behind the fascination with the apparent world of nature, there was always the desire to understand the “astrology of the universe,” and the timing of events, and the coincidences that often result with the experiential phenomenon known as Déjà Vu.
As the matter of my obsession with the North American Indians that had eventually become even more and more of an Aztec Indian obsession, a family member was to have one day without my knowing what was actually taking place, secretly to have driven me up to San Francisco to see the De Young Museum presentation of the Teotihuacán Murals exhibition in the year of 1984 while I was still living in the Bay Area. Here at this museum I bought my first book on the subject: “Mexico: A History in Art.” By: Bradley Smith. For what reason I chose that one probably had more to do with its size and its price, since really there was so many books to choose from. Later, upon returning on my own in the spring of 1985 to the De Young Museum, I would later then choose a more precise title or two: 1. Burr C. Brundage’s “The Fifth Sun,” Aztec Gods, Aztec World; and 2. Nigel Davies “The Aztecs,” A History. I later made multiple visits to the Museum for the reason of collecting books and for seeing the exhibition whenever I could.
Finally, one day I decided that it was time to look into the Asian Museum at the De Young after so many times visiting. When I entered, I was astounded on how much the Asian artifacts resembled in their own nebulous way that of the Maya. In fact, it was very clear that the statues of Asian Dragons from Cambodia, and from other places in the Orient featured a snout that was in essence the very replica of that which is found on the front of the classic “Xiuhcoatl,” or Fire Dragon from Mexico. It was a spectacle to see, and a realization that can never be forgotten.
The year 1986 had then brought me down south to Los Angeles, California to live. The interest in Aztecs had already been peaking, and now I was closer to the deserts of So Cal, and Arizona. For that matter I had on a couple of occasions went into Joshua Tree, to discover a night sky so filled with stars that the constellations were made to be almost undecipherable, save for the Pleiades, and carefully maybe a constellation or two! I had been trying to put together a decent chronological theory for the Aztec Calendar, in order to fully understand the form of the Aztec Sunstone for many years, but none of the material offered in any of the books that I could find, or the ones that I owned seemed to do the trick for what was necessary. There was too much information that seemed to be missing to make any kind of decision towards the ultimate conclusion for a chronological synthesis. But now, looking back it seems that I should have done it earlier, and I kind of wish that I did. Instead, those early days of past were to be filled with confusion on this subject matter of the Mesoamerican Chronology; just as for the many people who are interested in the subject matter to this very day still tend to be.
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I believe it was the year of 1988, and I had gone to the mall in downtown Glendale, California one afternoon when I then had visited a bookstore to find a ‘cumbersome box’ on the shelf, which contained information, and a book on the Aztec Calendar by an author of the name of “Bruce Scofield.” The name of the box set was called: “The Aztec Circle of Destiny.” There was no doubt I was going to buy this, but I just needed to get money out of my ATM in order to buy it. So, going down the street from the mall to find a bank, I get the money, and walking back up the sidewalk to the mall…I then began to dream.
I remember very clearly as I walked back up Brand Ave. to the Galleria Mall on that sunny day, putting together in my mind the bases of a special “calendar certificate.” A certificate that would be gold foiled, and would contain each and every example of chronology that was available through the study of the Aztec Calendar and its content. I imagined this all happening shortly in the years to come, and the idea was to be complete even before I made it back to the mall. For all that was happening now, I just didn’t know who this guy Bruce Scofield was!
Upon getting the box set home, I discovered for the first time ‘the idea’ that I was born on the 15th day of the Eagle, within the Mesoamerican Calendar 20-day cycle. I was Ok with the idea, but I didn’t really know what was going on with the chronological theory of the system being presented here in Bruce’s book; called the Aztec Circle of Destiny, and which was co-written with Angela Cordova who supplied psychic insights to the readings of the signs, and numbers involved within the study. For that matter, I was finding a high degree of accuracy for the comparisons of friends, and family members in relation to the 20-day cycle. The book outlined its chronology as being aligned to the Mayan-GMT.
This is an early 1988 rendition of zodialogical correlations created by this author that were found between the 20-day signs, and the 12-signs of the zodiac at that time. My more recent "Trine of 20/12," correlation is probably more accurate in its way, however there are indeed some astronomical and astrological significances to this one above as well. The comparitive investigation above represents a good lesson because it demonstrates that the art of speculation does not always have to demonstrate total truth all the time, but rather only a portion of a greater truth that can be discovered through further investigations that should be made eventually with the accumulation of more experience.
The only problem I ever had with the material was the conclusion that inevitably paired my Eagle Tonalli with the number 8. Apart from a typical correlation to the sign of Scorpio, I really do not see or feel the connection with the number 8, in a numerological sense. I don’t believe it now, and I certainly didn’t believe it then…not even for 5-minutes. But that of course doesn’t mean that it (The GMT-Mayan Chronology) doesn’t have some kind of reality for others. At the time it simply did not make much sense to me. For that matter, my days continued to be filled with confusion with regards to the Mesoamerican Chronology, just as is still the case currently for many of those, who still wish to learn about this astrological mechanism. This aspect of chronological discrepancies between different theories will be discussed further below along with other recent experiences of this author.
By the time I had got a hold of that box set, I had already made a fairly intricate comparison between the 20-Aztec day signs, and the 12-zodialogical signs of the western zodiac by the year of 1988 and for which I was rather proud of, which is to be seen above. But the days continued to ware on, and it seemed to me that by that time, I should have found by then a suitable chronological correlation for the Mexica Azteca Calendar, with the materials that I personally owned, and with what was available to me through the libraries. But as usual these materials only seemed to contribute to the ongoing confusion.
Although at that time I was still searching for the ultimate Mesoamerican Calendar correlation, the truth is that the times spent in Southern California between the years of 1986, to 1989, were to have inadvertently supplied the very first foundations of my various iconographical interpretations for the Mesoamerican Constellation Systems, and for which I am now currently a specialist of, being equipped with many personal renditions that are held in long memory, all of which will be disseminated with in due time, and within appropriate literary projects.
On the morning of (June 11th 1986), I was to drive back up the HWY 5 towards the Bay Area for a reunion of sorts when having started the northward trip at 3:00 AM; I would arrive towards the destination as the sun was rising. Heading north on the 5, put me within alignment of the circumpolar stars, and for that time of year the constellation of Cassiopeia was to be seen above the horizon imbued with colors of dawn. I then at this very moment realized a new perception, which allowed me to recognize the Cassiopeia star group as a “Pointed Aztec Warrior Cap.”
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The only problem I ever had with the material was the conclusion that inevitably paired my Eagle Tonalli with the number 8. Apart from a typical correlation to the sign of Scorpio, I really do not see or feel the connection with the number 8, in a numerological sense. I don’t believe it now, and I certainly didn’t believe it then…not even for 5-minutes. But that of course doesn’t mean that it (The GMT-Mayan Chronology) doesn’t have some kind of reality for others. At the time it simply did not make much sense to me. For that matter, my days continued to be filled with confusion with regards to the Mesoamerican Chronology, just as is still the case currently for many of those, who still wish to learn about this astrological mechanism. This aspect of chronological discrepancies between different theories will be discussed further below along with other recent experiences of this author.
By the time I had got a hold of that box set, I had already made a fairly intricate comparison between the 20-Aztec day signs, and the 12-zodialogical signs of the western zodiac by the year of 1988 and for which I was rather proud of, which is to be seen above. But the days continued to ware on, and it seemed to me that by that time, I should have found by then a suitable chronological correlation for the Mexica Azteca Calendar, with the materials that I personally owned, and with what was available to me through the libraries. But as usual these materials only seemed to contribute to the ongoing confusion.
Although at that time I was still searching for the ultimate Mesoamerican Calendar correlation, the truth is that the times spent in Southern California between the years of 1986, to 1989, were to have inadvertently supplied the very first foundations of my various iconographical interpretations for the Mesoamerican Constellation Systems, and for which I am now currently a specialist of, being equipped with many personal renditions that are held in long memory, all of which will be disseminated with in due time, and within appropriate literary projects.
On the morning of (June 11th 1986), I was to drive back up the HWY 5 towards the Bay Area for a reunion of sorts when having started the northward trip at 3:00 AM; I would arrive towards the destination as the sun was rising. Heading north on the 5, put me within alignment of the circumpolar stars, and for that time of year the constellation of Cassiopeia was to be seen above the horizon imbued with colors of dawn. I then at this very moment realized a new perception, which allowed me to recognize the Cassiopeia star group as a “Pointed Aztec Warrior Cap.”
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Weirdly enough, and strange as this event will ever be, upon arriving to my father’s home that over looked the Golden Gate Bridge in San Carlos Ca., he would at that moment be very anxious to give me a thin blue hardback turquoise colored book called “America’s Assignment with Destiny,” by Many P. Hall. In this was a picture from the Codex Ramirez, with a picture of Quetzalcoatl, for which the Cassiopeia star group serves as the leading substructure for that particular constellation, (represented in the Codice) which shows Quetzalcoatl “Standing on the Pleiades.” The full details of this constellation and the picture from which it is depicted in the Codice Ramirez will be outlined in the upcoming chapter on Quetzalcoatl due sometime in the summer of 2011.
This intimate realization that took place on that morning was definitely part of a recent springboard of events that would lead to still more stellar discoveries. But truthfully, it is the discovery of Frey Diego Duran’s: “The Book of Gods and Rites and the Ancient Calendar,” during that time of late 1986 at a local library, which was to be one of the greater beneficiaries in this regard for the matter of Mesoamerican Constellations and their connections to the Calendar Chronology itself.
The year of 1989 was to see me once again heading towards Northern California, for a time that would ‘finally’ help produce my version of the Mexica-Azteca rendition of the Calendar that should now come to serve as an official contribution to the whole list of theoretical Mesoamerican Chronologies. The feat was first realized with a rather obvious counting procedure that took the historic “August 13th 1521 CE Cuauhtémoc Surrender Date,” backwards 6-months to the beginning of the Aztec year of 3-House, which was to have then taken place on February 13th of 1521 CE (Julian). Interestingly enough, the year of 1989 was also to be that very same “Xiuhtonalli,” or year sign of Yei Calli or (3-House). Although it can be included just for the matter of fact, that this Aztec year was then to begin on February 21st of 1989, even though I still hadn’t then figured it all out so clearly by that time just yet.
Instead what was required for myself, was a form of ‘creative pressure’ in order to push myself beyond the limitations of uncertainty, and that pressure was finally to come about in the form of the Aztec Calendar Certificate project that was to be finally executed in the fall of 1989. As the Certificate Project was initiated and waiting to be run-off at the printing press by the time of late autumn of 1989, I still was of course missing an important detail. Strangely enough, I still hadn’t figured out my chosen Mesoamerican Calendar Chronology, and I was becoming ever more apprehensive about finding the correct quantities of information that would help guide me towards the correct decipherment of the facts that were to be fully corroborated. In truth however, there were to be, and still are only just so many resources to be had on the subject, and surely a decision was now becoming eminent as the winter solstice of 1989 crept ever closer; I was going to have to draw the line with a legitimate chronological theory soon.
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Therefore, at one point on some remote evening at that time, I remember having all my books piled in front of me, in the middle of the floor while I sat there trying to zero in on all the information once and for all. In all this time, there was one saving grace and ‘guiding light of hope’ that was to be a source of focus right to the end. This just happens to be one book I found by chance sitting individually on top of a sales table one afternoon in Contra Costa County, California on my 19th birthday of 1985. The Book is called The Aztecs: Gods and Fate in Ancient Mexico. By: Cottie Burland. I remember very clearly spending the day with my friend, as we skewered through the pages when I read a strange passage with regards to the star Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus, which confused and puzzled me:
A year of 365-days, however, does not precisely fit the movement of the earth around the Sun, and the Aztec priests were aware of the small discrepancy. They made this up in two ways. The first was arranged for the farmers, whose crops must be kept within very close limits to the proper season of the solar year. A leap year was therefore instituted for agricultural purposes, so that every four years and extra day was added, and the ceremonies were adjusted accordingly. But for the “actual year reckoning,” the days were accumulated, and at the end of the period of 52-years, there had to be a correction of 12-days. So, 52-years after the beginning of the calendar round, there was an important festival, lasting over 12-days, which was a time of fasting and penitence. Then, on the midnight of the last day, the priests watched for the overhead passage of the star Aldebaran, known to the Aztecs as the star of fire making. As it reached the zenith of the sky, a prisoner was stretched out, his heart removed, and in its place a piece of wood was laid on a plate of turquoise. On this the priests kindled a new fire.
At the beginning of the festival period all fire and all lights were extinguished in the city. When the new fire was kindled, the priests from the temples brought torches which they lit from it. They then took the fire back to light the braziers in their own temples. All the people from the city then came to these temples with torches, in order to rekindle their domestic fires.
At the end of 104 years, when two of these [52-year] cycles had been completed, the Fire-Festival, which was called “The Tying up of the Years,” was extended by another day. Thus the ceremonial calendar was kept in line with true solar time with great accuracy.
Cottie Burland. The Aztecs: Gods and Fate in Ancient Mexico p.34
At the beginning of the festival period all fire and all lights were extinguished in the city. When the new fire was kindled, the priests from the temples brought torches which they lit from it. They then took the fire back to light the braziers in their own temples. All the people from the city then came to these temples with torches, in order to rekindle their domestic fires.
At the end of 104 years, when two of these [52-year] cycles had been completed, the Fire-Festival, which was called “The Tying up of the Years,” was extended by another day. Thus the ceremonial calendar was kept in line with true solar time with great accuracy.
Cottie Burland. The Aztecs: Gods and Fate in Ancient Mexico p.34
It is this is very confusing statement with regards to the star Aldebaran, which exemplifies how one piece of information can keep a mind reeling endlessly for years on end. Actually, the key star-constellation group which guided the New Fire Ceremony that is described above is of course the Pleiades, and which are only degrees away from the red star “Aldebaran”; an Arabic star name which means in fact “The Follower,” i.e. of the Pleiades. We don’t necessarily know what, or how many names the star Aldebaran was ever given or to be called in Mesoamerica, although it would appear that Burland had attempted here to integrate the knowledge of an Aztec star group referred to as the “Mamalhuaztli,” which is somewhere perhaps in the same vicinity, but is disputed with so many bright constellations to choose from therein. I would suggest that there are many 'celestial fire drills' to be found throughout the heavens, and as well many celestial fires too.
The even more disputable pieces of information contained in the paragraphs are of course those that relate to the science of time keeping in Mesoamerica, and which would relate specifically to what is here being called the bases of the “Corrected Count Theory,” which is to be executed with the 52-year Xiuhmolpiliztli. The other pieces of information in the paragraphs regarding the “leap-years,” are in fact what probably had kept me from initiating my chronological theory years earlier, due to the confusion that is generated by the addition of such kinds of information.
On the evening that I finally pulled through, and continued to read these paragraphs over and over until they were entirely understood, was also to be the point that the decision was finally to be made to disregard these statements about the leap year dates for the farmers crops every 4-years, as this would inevitably create a correlation discrepancy; and for that matter I do indeed believe that the literary passages here are to be superfluous, since there is no explanation as to what the “actual year reckoning,” means in the 5th sentence of the first paragraph. This is where there simply is not enough information offered here in this work for the rendering of a true chronology, and it is no wonder that others like me would wait years to get to the bottom of all this.
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The even more disputable pieces of information contained in the paragraphs are of course those that relate to the science of time keeping in Mesoamerica, and which would relate specifically to what is here being called the bases of the “Corrected Count Theory,” which is to be executed with the 52-year Xiuhmolpiliztli. The other pieces of information in the paragraphs regarding the “leap-years,” are in fact what probably had kept me from initiating my chronological theory years earlier, due to the confusion that is generated by the addition of such kinds of information.
On the evening that I finally pulled through, and continued to read these paragraphs over and over until they were entirely understood, was also to be the point that the decision was finally to be made to disregard these statements about the leap year dates for the farmers crops every 4-years, as this would inevitably create a correlation discrepancy; and for that matter I do indeed believe that the literary passages here are to be superfluous, since there is no explanation as to what the “actual year reckoning,” means in the 5th sentence of the first paragraph. This is where there simply is not enough information offered here in this work for the rendering of a true chronology, and it is no wonder that others like me would wait years to get to the bottom of all this.
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Also it would take a certain degree of personal where-with-all, and repetitive reading to come to the conclusion that if the Xiuhmolpiliztli had been “extended another day,” that this actually meant that a 13th day was added every 104-years, for an altering set of Correction Dates being added every 52-years as in the case of: 12-13-12-13, being added in a period of 208-years. As can be seen in the literature, it is very nebulous in this regard, and it seems more like a puzzle with many pieces having been missing for so long, which are never to be found. Many who use this same paragraph in their investigations are usually only able to corroborate the 12-day period, and pieces of this theme can be seen scattered about the Internet in an artical or two. Still others no doubt will always choose to see this all as a piece of the imagination, rather than a true function of the Corrected Mesoamerican Calendar. However, without this corrected time related ritual, there is in fact no reason to hold a New Fire Ceremony in the autumn when the Pleiades reach the zenith, or even when the star Aldebaran reaches the zenith as well. The ritual was being conducted to keep the Calendar in step with the seasons of the tropical year, which would permit only a 2-week slip in 52-years. Therefore, it is the opinion of this author that no periodic 4th-year leap days were needed (at least) in this ancient version of the Astrologic Mesoamerican Calendar.
Finally cutting through the confusing elements of Burland’s passages, still only sketchy notes were yet being compiled for the new chronology in the wake of so much other work to be done, which created some slippages from time-to-time in my mind with the math that was involved. But eventually, I will admit for the reading audience that it was indeed when the new chronology had matched the 20-day sequence presented earlier by Scofield, who had derived his work from the GMT 584,283 correlation, is when it had become apparent that there was here now to be a ‘new and true Mesoamerican Calendar Correlation’ in the making. So that in other words now: “I really was born on the day of the Eagle!”
After the printing project was complete and autumn turned into winter, I found myself one day making a deliberate exploration up to Mt. Hamilton (once called Mt. Santa Isabel by the Spanish) to Lick Observatory for an all-day hiking arrangement among the mountains there at that peak. As the sun set on that long afternoon, on the evening of Friday December 8th 1989, I can still remember the moment of the image of a bright Venus evening star shining high from the direction of the west (which reminded me of a white dart hole punctured in the darkening blue sky) just as the sun had set under the dark emerald green peak of Mt. Umunhum, meaning,(Resting Place of the Hummingbird), which stood majestically there to the west many miles across from the peak of Mt. Hamilton, where I stood at the main observatory just before I went down again.
Upon reaching the bottom of Mt. Hamilton, I would be in no mood to go home. So therefore the hiking arrangement was extended into the dark evening hours in some local hills called High Park, where star-gazing would now commence. As I remember it, it was quite late when while finally looking at the clear view of the star Sirius blazing in the night black sky that it was then also to hit me all the sudden that the constellation of Canis Major actually resembles a Monkey, just as surely as it does a Dog. For this matter, I had probably immediately developed the theory right then and there that when the Dog Star sets in the west in the late spring of May, during its helical setting, it then follows the sun as a Dog into the underworld for Sirius’ 70-day inferior conjunction. Afterwards, when in the midsummer, during the helical rise of the star Sirius, (around the Aztec Great Feast of Kings) the constellation of Canis Major is then to be perceived as a Monkey, as Sirius heralds the dawn just like Venus as the morning star. Furthermore, afterwards in those moments upon looking at the Pleiades star cluster that night, I then re-discovered the bases and astronomical meaning of the ancient Mesoamerican “Xiuhcoatl,” or Turquoise Fire Dragon as it relates to the 260-day calendar.
The next day and from that point onward, when referring to the various sculptures of the Fire Serpent that are to be found on the sides of the Aztec Sunstone, I had always sought to verify the statement written on page 109 of Jacques Soustelle’s “Daily Life of the Aztec’s,” a statement by him which was obviously in part to be originally derived from page 25 of the Florentine Codex IIV; and then which was only to be paraphrased by Soustelle into a new verbal formulation which states:
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The two accounts; that of the years of Venus and that of the years of the sun, coincide only after 65 of the first, which are the equivalent of 104 of the second – that is to say, at the end of two earthly ‘centuries’. This was the longest period in Mexican chronology, and was called Ce Huehuetiliztli, meaning, “One Old Age.”
Jacques Soustelle. Daily Life of the Aztecs p.109
Being as convinced as I was, just like so many others about the statement written above by Soustelle, I continued repeatedly over, and over to count the circles on the sides of the Sunstone’s Xiuhcoatl sculpture to account for the 65-years of Venus that would amount to the104-years of the sun, which then could imply perhaps that the item of the Xiuhcoatl was to be a reference to what Soustelle had called the “longest period of Mexican chronology,” known as the Ce Huehuetiliztli or, 104-year period. Unfortunately, no matter how many times I counted the circles that are to be found there on the Fire Dragons, they never quite added up to the number of 65. This I found was very puzzling and unexplainable, since it would seem that the number 65 would be the intended planetary number here for this sculpture due to that numbers connection with the years of Venus and the 104-year cycle.
The purpose of the Certificate program was specifically for the desire of executing Aztec Astrology and the hopes of mastering it one day. Unfortunately, this hope has lead far from its mark, and indeed the whole field is still definitely at a standstill with regards to its proper elucidation, on behalf of the public dissemination of information relating to Mesoamerican horoscopes and their ultimate purpose and function from out of ancient society. For the reason of implying the common need for identification in the public realm, I was naturally to develop a theme name for my activities that pertained towards gaining special insight with the Aztec Cosmologies, and their Astrological systems. Therefore, as a result of the need, a selection was then made with reference to the Nahuatl word for ‘soul-sign’ in the form of tonalli, but here it was now to be used in its more abbreviated form as dictated by the earlier Carlos Castaneda Books, which called the soul vitality simply the “tonal.”
In this sense, to request information about the nature of the soul is therefore to ‘inquire’, and so I would call my activities station “Tonal Inquiry,” which if in fact one is to do an Internet Search on those two words, one will in fact be guided towards pages describing a musical concept relating to ‘tone resolution’. At one point it dawned on me however, that if I were to have to ever do a self-published title that I would need a name for my publishing company. Realizing of course that I already had a name, which the acronym of T.I. pointed out; then it had become apparent that this acronym was to be just two letters short of T.I.M.E., so therefore the only solution of course was to add the two words of Mesoamerican Experiences to the title. Thus contemporarily speaking, to Inquire about the Tonal, is an attempt at a rectifying a truer modern notion of the ancient Mesoamerican Experience, in the form of corroborated Calendar information, which are now also known as Horoscopes.
Above is a picture of Carlos Castaneda, born December 25th, 1925 upon the tonalli date of "Chicome Mazatl," or 7-Deer in the year of "Nauhui Calli," or 4-House, within the 16th Metztli of "Nauhui Atemoztli," or 4-Fall of the Waters. Castaneda had abbreviated the Nahuatl word for the soul warmth (day-sign), i.e. tonalli into 'tonal' either as a matter of current tradition or simply to make it fit with in with the contemporary lifestyles of his readers. He also abbreviated the Nahuatl word for 'animal double' i.e. nahualli into 'nagual' and which was then used to describe the dark other side of existence, and the unconscious operatives of psychic awareness. The original derivatives for the contemporary words were never made available through his works. Above in the diagram, the word Nagual is here being used metaphorically to describe the nature of the 'Xiuhtonalli' or year sign, as being the 'shadow (or base) of the tonalli' which works to comprise of a dual tonalli for interpretive perceptions with regards to the nature of a persons character. Carlos Castaneda had passed to the other side on the date of 13-Vulture (April 27th 1998) the tonalli date after 12-Eagle.
For that matter, T.I.M.E. is not about ‘time’ as it is normally understood, like the vague time, which describes the beginning of life to its ultimate end. Or is it about the dreaded, ‘waiting time’ or even more specifically about ‘historic time’, or any kind of linear recognition for events in general. In actuality, T.I.M.E. is specifically about the time of the 52-year period of the Mesoamerican Corrected Count, which is literally a fraction of the ongoing movement of the tropical year period. Indeed, time as we know it, is the tropical year, and the passage of the seasons with their emotional effect that is in and of itself an experience of time on a much different level. Thus, this aspect of nature would also best exhibit the conceptual meaning of T.I.M.E. as well, as it is perceivably demonstrated to much a great effect that this cyclic aspect of nature commonly registers itself upon the various timed facets of people’s lives, and as well upon their physical features. In Mesoamerica, this effected psychic energy was called the tonalli, and referred to by a particular sign that represented a fraction of an even greater astronomic cycle in nature.
The Certificate Program was developed specifically for public consumption, however advertisement costs along with a lack of quantified astrological resources on the subject has led to a slower distribution than was earlier surmised. In wake of growing Internet resources, there is perhaps an even greater demand for knowledge pertaining to the Mesoamerican Calendar now more than ever in the midst of the 2012 legacy. Therefore this would be a good time to reestablish the goal of the ultimate Calendar Horoscope from Mesoamerica, which includes all facets of time and its numeration. For this reason as well I am currently due for a western astrological certification, which will assist in the learning process. Astrology is a great sacrifice of personal time and effort, and the world is still beckoning me to take the plunge that I admit I should have taken so long ago anyway.
Therefore, in addition to the Mesoamerican Calendar Studies site, another site dedicated to the Astrology of Mesoamerica will probably be in construction soon, which will then feature the sales of the Aztec Certificate along with its intended horoscope. In the mean time I do plan to make the Certificates available in a diminished sense without the complex amounts of information needed. Those who are interested are suggested to get a hold of me by email in order to describe their interest and intent to receive one of these certified tropical year renditions of the Mesoamerican Calendar Date.
6
For that matter, T.I.M.E. is not about ‘time’ as it is normally understood, like the vague time, which describes the beginning of life to its ultimate end. Or is it about the dreaded, ‘waiting time’ or even more specifically about ‘historic time’, or any kind of linear recognition for events in general. In actuality, T.I.M.E. is specifically about the time of the 52-year period of the Mesoamerican Corrected Count, which is literally a fraction of the ongoing movement of the tropical year period. Indeed, time as we know it, is the tropical year, and the passage of the seasons with their emotional effect that is in and of itself an experience of time on a much different level. Thus, this aspect of nature would also best exhibit the conceptual meaning of T.I.M.E. as well, as it is perceivably demonstrated to much a great effect that this cyclic aspect of nature commonly registers itself upon the various timed facets of people’s lives, and as well upon their physical features. In Mesoamerica, this effected psychic energy was called the tonalli, and referred to by a particular sign that represented a fraction of an even greater astronomic cycle in nature.
The Certificate Program was developed specifically for public consumption, however advertisement costs along with a lack of quantified astrological resources on the subject has led to a slower distribution than was earlier surmised. In wake of growing Internet resources, there is perhaps an even greater demand for knowledge pertaining to the Mesoamerican Calendar now more than ever in the midst of the 2012 legacy. Therefore this would be a good time to reestablish the goal of the ultimate Calendar Horoscope from Mesoamerica, which includes all facets of time and its numeration. For this reason as well I am currently due for a western astrological certification, which will assist in the learning process. Astrology is a great sacrifice of personal time and effort, and the world is still beckoning me to take the plunge that I admit I should have taken so long ago anyway.
Therefore, in addition to the Mesoamerican Calendar Studies site, another site dedicated to the Astrology of Mesoamerica will probably be in construction soon, which will then feature the sales of the Aztec Certificate along with its intended horoscope. In the mean time I do plan to make the Certificates available in a diminished sense without the complex amounts of information needed. Those who are interested are suggested to get a hold of me by email in order to describe their interest and intent to receive one of these certified tropical year renditions of the Mesoamerican Calendar Date.
6
In the wake of this prospect however, I realize that there is still always going to be those who do not want to contend with a Corrected Count Theory from any part of Mesoamerican History. Many have been taught to look in the direction, since this is the current manner of the desired scientific evaluation, which disregards anything that has a break in it, while at the same time we share in a world that is constantly trying to bridge the gap on any such kind of technical discrepancy that tends to dislocate the conscious mind from its seat of authority.
Therefore, it is necessary at this point to remind the reading audience that this author is experienced with ascertaining the birth dates of more than a few individuals without prior knowledge of their Gregorian Count date of birth, via the tools of the Mesoamerican Corrected Count. This can be done in a number of ways and with various levels of success, which may include simply getting the 20-day cycle date correct (with or without the accompanying number) – even after the year of 1975, which takes the Corrected Count out of alignment with the GMT 584,283 correlation.
Furthermore, it may also include ascertaining the tonalli date, and number with as little as a 30-day window, or simply by scratch with no information whatsoever, which I have done on a couple of occasions or more! Very recently on the date of March 18, 2011 while watching a program, I had come to the immediate realization that the individual who was ‘receiving a live interview’ on the date of "2-Lizard CC," was in fact by merit of his inherent facial structures indeed to be a Lizard Tonalli as well. This individual had had success in the music industry, which was fortunate since I could then verify his birth information. When I did this only seconds into the interview, not only was I correct in ascertaining his Lizard Tonalli, but as well he in fact was born on the date of “Ome Cuetzpallin,” the very same Corrected Count Date for which this special interview was taking place at this time, which again was just last March the 18th, of 2011. Reminding the reading audience that I've been doing this for years now with varying degrees of success, but usually of course without many witnesses, I can at least say that this time the details of this event were to be recorded in an email that was sent off ASAP. Those details, which are related to this particular event last March with the celebrity involved are soon to be covered in an upcoming page to this site, which I will call: “Stardust, and other Political Dramas of Mesoamerican Astrology,” which will be an ongoing journal of events taking place throughout the media world with regards to the Corrected Count Theory.
7
The prospect of finally discovering the extra 14th-day to be added for a total of 126-intercalery days in every 520-year’s or (10 x 12.6) by this author is very exciting for its unique implications and contributions to the field of Mesoamerican Calendar Studies in general. The initial discovery was to have taken place variably on the day of February 21st 2009 (1-Water CC) and was done through a common computation of multiples that invited 10-extra days over a long period of 5,200-years, which in turn would help keep the 20-day seasonal cycles in their respective principal positions over the course of One Hundred 52-year cycles, or Ten 520-year cycles.
Just under nine months later on the date of September 30th 2009, (1-Dog CC and exactly 220-days after the 14th-day discovery) oddly enough while watching a program, I became bored finally with the show, and simply decided to tap the key board with a typical Internet Search that brought me to a Wikipedia page that displayed a picture of the Aztec Sunstone from an unusual side angle. Somehow, very luckily this forced me to look right at the circles that enclose the periphery of the monument found on the undersides of the Xiuhcoatl Fire Dragons.
At that moment all the sudden, and exactly just 1-month over a Mayan Katun Cycle of 7200-days, (being more specifically 7234-days in this case) from the date of December 8th 1989, when I discovered the foundational bases of ecliptical Fire Dragon; it then was to hit me on that last day of September in 2009 that the circles on the underbellies of the Xiuhcoatl's, which had been counted extensively 20-years ago and had then failed to amount to the number of 65, were now possibly to amount to the intercalary day cycle recently discovered by me in a period of 520-years! I could hardly begin to count those circles, being so astounded with the possibility at hand, not to mention that this is to be such tedious task to perform anyway.
8
Even still as I count and recount for the elucidation of this article, it is apparent and noticeable that there is to be some perceivable damage to the Sunstone in certain areas of the monument, which is in fact only accentuated in the distorted pictures that typically are circulated due to the sheer mass of the Sunstone Mandela, which forces camerawork to distance itself from this object that has gone thru many extensive trials and abuses since its unearthing in the year of 1790 CE on the date of December 17th, (13-Dog CC). For that matter as well, paintings and drawings of the Sunstone cannot be consulted for this kind of examination as they are all highly inaccurate to say the least.
However, as it appears finally, it would seem that from the various photos available that there are to be 6-circles found on each ‘10-fold scale’ (except for the 7th scale from the top, which seems to have 7-circles to the side as circle #43) that form the main portion of the Xiuhcoatl’s body. There are also 10-digits to be found within each one of these scales that encircle a flame, and when added or multiplied by the 6-circles to the sides, we get either 16, or 160, both important numbers with regards to the Venus cycle of 584-days. Earlier, it had been mentioned in the previous opening web-chapter on the ‘Structure of the Calendar’ that the ‘other outer circles’ that enclose the full length of the periphery below the Dragons bellies, may indeed represent 160-years of 365.2422-days, which would equal approximately One Hundred 584-day periods. Multiplying this 160-day period to itself; (160 x 160 = 25,600) brings us around to a full cycle for the precession of the equinoxes. Variably, this period contains just over 16,000 synodic Venus cycles of 584-days each. As earlier explained in the December 25th, 2010 realization of mine, each one of these 160-year earth periods contains 260-sidereal Venus orbital motions around the sun that are composed of 224.7-earth days each. A more precise variable of this calculation is 159.9 x 160 = 25,584 years x 365.2422 = 9,344,356.4448 days / 584 days = 16,000.6 synodic Venus cycles.
Returning to the Xiuhcoatl’s, if these 10-scales each contain 6-circles on their sides, then we have a total of 60 of these circles for the major portions of the Fire Dragons on each side for total of 120 circles, (plus the 2-extra circles found within the two 7th scales), which helps bring the total up to 122. Now finally, it is to be the 4-extra circles contained below the elbows of the claw-arms of the Dragons that will bring the total up to 126-circles, which can indeed represent best the 126-intercalary dates added in 520-years. These 2-circles just below the elbows found on both of the Xiuhcoatl’s, are usually perceivable without extensive hourly research of the Sunstones features, and can be found on many examples and photos that are available. When taking these highly visible 126-circles into consideration as representing intercalary dates, this then could mean that each Xiuhcoatl has a value of 260-years each, which each contain 365.2422-cycles of the 260-day Tonalpoualli included in them. Adding these two 260-year cycles together, we of course now have the 520-years that are then to be marked off by a 14th-intercalery day at the end of the last, "or tenth 52-year cycle" of a consecutive Xiuhmolpiliztli count, according to the discoveries of this author. These 126-circles can also be calculated with the numbers of 1,507-years and 1,508-days.
However, unknown until now on this date of today May 5th of 2011, finally the verification of this author’s initial premonition from the year of 1989 regarding the relationship of the 104-year period, called the “Ce Huehuetiliztli” to the Sunstone's Xiuhcoatl’s has now at last been revealed. This is in thanks for the most part, to the luxury of computer photos that can show important variations of light and detail, and which can bring about the many neglected forms of information that remain lost in the mass of details that help compose of this monument. As it turns out, YES indeed there are to be 65-circles that can be found beneath each Xiuhcoatl, however initially so many years ago now; in fact perhaps exactly 7,817-days from today, or about 21.4-years ago, the study of the available photos of the Sunstone, and a decent malachite copy of the monolith had failed to reveal one fine detail, which no one else has had reason to speak of until now. Each Fire Dragon is holding the 65th circle within its claw! I’m stunned at this revelation, and it is fortunate that it hasn’t come until now, because it needs to be understood that the numerous details of the Sunstone are to be interpreted as multifarious mathematical extrapolations that can be either inclusive, or exclusive with regards to the various digits involved.
In providing this information, I should note as well that if indeed the claws are to hold the other two circles that pertian to the rest of the other digets, then it is true as well that they could have been made more artistically prevalent. It is at least evident that there are bored spaces in between each claw , which are in an alignment with all the other digets that come before hand on the monument.
Therefore, if these statements are true, then it still remains untrue to say that 104-year period or the “Ce Huehuetiliztli,” should be understood as the longest chronological period of the Mexica-Aztec Calendar, or of any other Central Mexican civilization who understood the meaning of these periods and their planetary counterparts. The details of Sunstone are now spelling this out for us, when we look closer at the implications provided by the quantities of digits involved upon the monolith, and the implied processes by which they are to be ascertained, most of which of course have been lost by now but may also include important astronomic clues to the nature of eclipse's, and other planetary cycles in Mesoamerican Astronomy. Furthermore, in the case that both of these Dragons can potentially encase a 104-period each, then the combined cycle is a 208-year cycle, which could be seen in a correspondence with the 20-day signs as forming a boundary of sorts.
It has been said many times that Mesoamerican iconography never represents just one thing, and the statement holds ever true while at the same time also revealing a multidimensional approach to art and cosmology in the ancient native expression. In the case of the Sunstone, a great deal of astronomy is available in the numeric foundations of the design, which include many planetary correlations along with many basic computations related to the function of the Mesoamerican Calendar. In the wake of the recent discovery of the ‘two small circles’ held within the Dragon claws, there is now solid evidence towards a correlation of the Xiuhcoatl with the 104-year period that is found with a correspondence of the 65-circles to the 65-cycles of Venus, which are made up of 584-days each and take place at that time of 104-years, since it is now true that a total of 65-circles are to be perceived on the Dragon as whole.
However, the natures of these 4-extra circles found beneath the Dragons are somewhat different with their obscure locations; two of them are almost completely hidden and might appear almost as half-circles just as they disappear beneath the ‘wrists of the Dragons claws’. Of course, now it can be perceived that the last two remain in the claws as totally separate from all the others. Could there be an inherent message in these vague artistic representations? If so, then in the case of the important 260-year period that is also to be represented by the 126-circles upon the Dragons (520-years for both collectively), a technique of exclusion is to be engendered, which then reinforces the notion of the ever important 260-year period with this extremely ancient Xiuhcoatl concept. Also, when the theoretical notion of the 14th-day in 520-years introduced by this author is taken into consideration, it can be maintained that perhaps the 14-stars of the dual Pleiades symbols encrusted upon the snouts of the Fire Dragons could then indeed hypothetically represent the 14th-day found after the two conjoined periods of 260-year cycles take their place as a 520-year period. Of course, this particular idea should remain tentative.
9
It has been said many times that Mesoamerican iconography never represents just one thing, and the statement holds ever true while at the same time also revealing a multidimensional approach to art and cosmology in the ancient native expression. In the case of the Sunstone, a great deal of astronomy is available in the numeric foundations of the design, which include many planetary correlations along with many basic computations related to the function of the Mesoamerican Calendar. In the wake of the recent discovery of the ‘two small circles’ held within the Dragon claws, there is now solid evidence towards a correlation of the Xiuhcoatl with the 104-year period that is found with a correspondence of the 65-circles to the 65-cycles of Venus, which are made up of 584-days each and take place at that time of 104-years, since it is now true that a total of 65-circles are to be perceived on the Dragon as whole.
However, the natures of these 4-extra circles found beneath the Dragons are somewhat different with their obscure locations; two of them are almost completely hidden and might appear almost as half-circles just as they disappear beneath the ‘wrists of the Dragons claws’. Of course, now it can be perceived that the last two remain in the claws as totally separate from all the others. Could there be an inherent message in these vague artistic representations? If so, then in the case of the important 260-year period that is also to be represented by the 126-circles upon the Dragons (520-years for both collectively), a technique of exclusion is to be engendered, which then reinforces the notion of the ever important 260-year period with this extremely ancient Xiuhcoatl concept. Also, when the theoretical notion of the 14th-day in 520-years introduced by this author is taken into consideration, it can be maintained that perhaps the 14-stars of the dual Pleiades symbols encrusted upon the snouts of the Fire Dragons could then indeed hypothetically represent the 14th-day found after the two conjoined periods of 260-year cycles take their place as a 520-year period. Of course, this particular idea should remain tentative.
9
Instead of accounting for these greater cycles, Soustelle in his book was determined to show his scholarly muscle, and preceded with the process of making the Aztec Count, and the Culture as well, something of the academic underdog in the wake of the then current Mesoamerican Studies. Those days are over, and no one who is anybody who really wants to understand the Central Mexican version of the Mesoamerican Calendar should take those statements written by Soustelle too seriously or at their face value, unless they are determined to ridicule that which they simply refuse to understand. There is a learning process involved, and in that process there is speculation, and for all of their personal value, scholars often times tend to present the articles of their speculations, and their personal insights as immovable facts. Soustelle was a very fine scholar, and indeed “Daily Life of the Aztecs,” remains to be a classic. But when the written statements are inadvertently used against the culture that the literature pretends to promote, then at some point there needs to be a review of what was written, and maybe even why it was written. For that matter, the times must always be taken into consideration.
In truth, the 52-year cycle is the essential chronological recognition in all of Mesoamerica, and for that matter it is the Calendar Cycle. However, as is to be demonstrated above, without additional chronological information added to it, the sequence tends to become convoluted, and for that matter the 20-day Metztli would also need to be taken into consideration, which would indicate what part of the year that the 260 day-tonalli was traversing in. In the case of Jacques Soustelle, whose birth date had taken place on the date of February 3rd, 1912 when in during at the end of that year of Yei Acatl or 3-Reed, the tonalli date sign of "Yei Ayotl," (3-Turtle) was to have traversed in the last 18th Metztli, on the ilhuitl date of "Matlactli-Omeyie Izcalli," or "13-Stretching," which ultimately ended that year of 3-Reed, later on February 9th with the tonalli date of 10-Reed. The implication of the 520-year cycle would be that through various forms of communication, the the proper amount of intercalaray dates were to be added every 52-years through what has now of course become a lost tradition of calendar knowledge.
This implies a greater chronology than a 104-year period, which was indeed used and understood to encapsulate the tropical year seasonal count to the 104-year date. For instance, as an example, what this would mean is that the chronological sequence of a 104-year period can usually be automatically referred to in order to ascertain a particular tonalli sign in any given year within that 104-year time frame. However, in the case of Jacques Soustelle above, the extra leap year date that was added in the year of 2000 CE, as February 29th, has now throw off that pattern for the remainder of counting 104-year periods with respect to the past, and making it so that one must consult the specific calendar graph that referes to a 104-year period after the year of 2000 CE. Before hand, and without the extra leap date for the Gregorian calendar, Soutelle's information could have been derived from a 2015/2016 calendar, which is 104-years after the 1912 year dates, totaling 25-intercalary dates for the Corrected Count in that time, which realigned the 52-year Mesoamerican Calendar Cycles with the tropical year and the Gregorian calendar. Instead, because of the leap date in 2000 CE, February 3rd 2015 reads as 4-Deer rather than "3-Turtle," which is actually to be Soustelle's tonalli date. Soustelle passed away on the day of August 6, 1990 or "13-Eagle of the Corrected Count."
Moreover, the articles of this author’s speculations and personal insights are indeed just that: They are mine, nobody told me the bulk of these ideas, and I’ve derived much of them from fulfilling personal experience over the years. For that matter of course, the most valuable of them are indeed copyrighted, since at least for the time being it is advisable that no mention of them should really be made without appropriate mention of my name Camden M. Andersen, since I am the preliminary promoter of these new ideas. Of course however, if they are indeed true, or contain any seed of truth in them, then I understand that they really belong to the community; indeed sharing these at this time is specifically geared towards the growing community of people who are interested in Mesoamerican Calendar Studies, which has been recently catapulted with the year 2012 mystery as it is presented within the Mayan Calendar Chronology.
Also, as it can be seen in the literature above about the details pertaining to the Aztec Sunstone, it is obvious that a full analysis is not yet really complete for that monolith, nor should it be within these WebPages. There is a great deal of information about the Sunstone to yet be disseminated, and this authors renditions that are written here are simply an introduction towards a greater understanding of the Sunstone Symbol as it might pertain to the unfoldment of the Central Mexican Chronology, which indeed is being promoted here as a product of an even greater, and even more ancient Mesoamerica. For all of these statements, there is yet a great deal of research yet to take place, this is just the beginning. In saying that, it should have already been mentioned for the matter of T.I.M.E. that the Aztec Sunstone is in fact the principal inspiration of my work and my many accomplishments in the field - it is indeed the foundation of T.I.M.E. and anything that will ever come out of the exploration.
This implies a greater chronology than a 104-year period, which was indeed used and understood to encapsulate the tropical year seasonal count to the 104-year date. For instance, as an example, what this would mean is that the chronological sequence of a 104-year period can usually be automatically referred to in order to ascertain a particular tonalli sign in any given year within that 104-year time frame. However, in the case of Jacques Soustelle above, the extra leap year date that was added in the year of 2000 CE, as February 29th, has now throw off that pattern for the remainder of counting 104-year periods with respect to the past, and making it so that one must consult the specific calendar graph that referes to a 104-year period after the year of 2000 CE. Before hand, and without the extra leap date for the Gregorian calendar, Soutelle's information could have been derived from a 2015/2016 calendar, which is 104-years after the 1912 year dates, totaling 25-intercalary dates for the Corrected Count in that time, which realigned the 52-year Mesoamerican Calendar Cycles with the tropical year and the Gregorian calendar. Instead, because of the leap date in 2000 CE, February 3rd 2015 reads as 4-Deer rather than "3-Turtle," which is actually to be Soustelle's tonalli date. Soustelle passed away on the day of August 6, 1990 or "13-Eagle of the Corrected Count."
Moreover, the articles of this author’s speculations and personal insights are indeed just that: They are mine, nobody told me the bulk of these ideas, and I’ve derived much of them from fulfilling personal experience over the years. For that matter of course, the most valuable of them are indeed copyrighted, since at least for the time being it is advisable that no mention of them should really be made without appropriate mention of my name Camden M. Andersen, since I am the preliminary promoter of these new ideas. Of course however, if they are indeed true, or contain any seed of truth in them, then I understand that they really belong to the community; indeed sharing these at this time is specifically geared towards the growing community of people who are interested in Mesoamerican Calendar Studies, which has been recently catapulted with the year 2012 mystery as it is presented within the Mayan Calendar Chronology.
Also, as it can be seen in the literature above about the details pertaining to the Aztec Sunstone, it is obvious that a full analysis is not yet really complete for that monolith, nor should it be within these WebPages. There is a great deal of information about the Sunstone to yet be disseminated, and this authors renditions that are written here are simply an introduction towards a greater understanding of the Sunstone Symbol as it might pertain to the unfoldment of the Central Mexican Chronology, which indeed is being promoted here as a product of an even greater, and even more ancient Mesoamerica. For all of these statements, there is yet a great deal of research yet to take place, this is just the beginning. In saying that, it should have already been mentioned for the matter of T.I.M.E. that the Aztec Sunstone is in fact the principal inspiration of my work and my many accomplishments in the field - it is indeed the foundation of T.I.M.E. and anything that will ever come out of the exploration.
All original information Copyright. 2011 Matlactli Omome Cuauhtli / Tonal Inquiry Mesoamerican Experiences