Classic Astrology is far more common than Mayan Astrology. Almost everyone on the planet knows their star sign and loves reading their horoscopes.
Mayan Astrology, on the other hand, is far less known, and it’s interesting to look at some of the differences between the two.
Mayan ‘Astrology’ is not based on the stars.
In the word Astrology, Astro refers to the stars, and -logy refers to a subject of study or interest. Therefore, the study of the stars.
The practice of Astrology is defined as:
A type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets.
Britannica
There are many branches of astrology like Western, Vedic, Indian and Chinese Astrology. It is a vast topic.
But essentially, regardless of the branch of astrology, it is focused on the movements of planets and celestial bodies.
Mayan Astrology, on the other hand, is not based on the stars or planets. It is based on the Ancient Maya calendrical system.
The Maya were one of the most advanced ancient civilisations on the planet, and best known for their calendar. This calendar is made up of three separate calendars: the Long Count, the Tzolk’in (divine calendar) and the Haab (civil calendar).
The Mayan Tzolkin Calendar is the one we focus on, on this website.
Tzolkin is a divination system of the Mayan Civilization of the Meso-America. Contrary to the Long Count calendar, it is a 260 days cycle, which never ends. If the Long Count (or the Tun system in a broader sense), is about global changes and predictions, Tzolkin is a guidance system for the individuals, which offers a simple yet profound spiritual guidance. What we call here Mayan Astrology is the sign system of the Maya, not based on planets or the constellations, but based on Tzolkin, which indeed follows the internal spiritual time.
Basics of Mayan Astrology
And so, it’s important to know that we only use the world ‘Astrology’ in ‘Mayan Astrology’ for convenience. Because the Mayan sign-system is not based on the stars and planets, it is not essentially an astro-logy.
And so, if Mayan Astrology is not based on the stars, what is it based on?
It is based on cyclical times, but not of the physical universe. It is instead based on a metaphysical universe, a spiritual universe. There are 20-day cycles and 13-day cycles. And when you look at these 20 days cycles, you’ll see that they are not found on the astronomical level. They are not moon cycles, and have nothing to do with the planets.
They are based on our inner cosmic evolution of time. And this can be perceived only in a mystical way, in a shamanic way. So the Mayan astrology is based on a very peculiar shamanic perception of time. It’s super interesting and very mysterious.
Fatih, Founder of My Mayan Sign
You can go deep and learn a lot about the Maya and their calendar, but the point is that it’s not astronomical.
The Mayan system is spiritual and evolutionary
As briefly mentioned above, the Mayan system is not about the physical body, it is about spiritual evolution. So it is purely spiritually focused.
That was one of the primary reasons Mayan Astrology interested me. While on my own spiritual journey, I was craving some insight. Something that would inspire more self-reflection, more self-expansion, and essentially more spiritual growth.
And that’s what the Mayan system does. The nature of the system and its cycles helps you focus primarily on your spiritual evolution.
Another point that fit in here is that while Classical Astrology is more cyclical, the Mayan understanding of time is more evolutionary. Classical Astrology is based on cyclical time, the natural cycles of existence. With the Mayans, there are of course cycles, but there are also deeper cycles which would be too vast a topic for this article.
To summarize, the Mayan calendar sees time as evolutionary, and it is focused on spiritual evolution.
And so, the advice on this website – the readings, reports and the signs – is purely spiritual.
Mayan Astrology is very, very simple.
Classical Astrology is quite a vast and mysterious subject. And it can get quite complicated because the constellations are moving based on the precession of equinoxes.
Unless, of course, you’re just reading your general star sign horoscope, then it can certainly feel simple. But, when you want to learn more, it can get very technical.
I remember when I discovered Vedic Astrology. I’d been into general Western Astrology for ages. Then I met a Vedic Astrologer and he did my reading. And it opened up what felt like such a different view on my signs – For one, in Western Astrology I always focused on my Sun Sign, Gemini. And in Vedic Astrology, I was now focusing on my Ascendant sign, Aries. It was interesting for sure. But it did start to feel complicated when I dove a bit deeper.
Of course, in the beginning, Mayan Astrology can feel complicated. There are different calendars, and they are layered over each other… whoa!
But… at the end of the day, once you understand the basics, it gets simpler.
Your Mayan Tree of Life
The ‘horoscope’ of Mayan Astrology is very simple, and everybody can understand it when they know the basics.
When you get your Mayan reading, your Tree of Life shows your whole life. It’s like it gives you this wonderful bird’s eye view of your entire life.
To understand the Tree of Life better, watch this Mayan Horoscope Masterclass.
Here is an example of my Tree of Life:
Of course there is some initial learning, but once you understand how to read it, it gets much easier.
Your 3 stages of life:
The first 13 years you are dominantly influenced by the Youth signs on the top row. The next 13 years, until you are about 26, is a transition period where the Youth signs are slowly fading out and the Adult signs are coming into play. Between 26 to 39 years of age, you’re in the middle row and the Adult signs mainly influence your life with their qualities. Between 39 to 52 years of age, you go through another transition stage, where the Adult signs slowly fade and you move into the stage of the Mature signs. At 52 years old, the Mature signs are in full bloom and stay with you for the rest of your life
Your 3 columns – Male, Center and Female:
The central column is the main influence on your character. So this can be called your main sign. To the left and right are the male and female signs, which are assistant signs that support and complete the main sign in the centre.
Your female signs are about your feminine fields, your private space. Your life at home, family relations, children, and siblings are impacted by these signs. This also includes all your intimate relationships and love life. This part of you is only really visible to those who are close to you.
Your male signs are about your power relationships, your public space, and your social relationships. They are about who you are at your job, how you shape your career and how you serve the world.
Once you start to understand the life stages and columns, you can then start learning more about each of the signs. You can get to know signs from your past, and see how they influenced you when you were younger. You can look into the future and get perspective on where you may be heading. Or you can choose to focus on the stage you’re in, and see how each of the three signs applies to your life.
So, while the Mayan sign system can feel complex in the beginning, it gets simpler quickly.
Because it is a straightforward system, one of the benefits is that it only takes a couple of hours of reading to grasp it. You don’t need an expert, you can essentially just be your own astrologer.
The Mayan astrology is holographic
As mentioned about, Classical Astrology focuses on the solar system.
Mayan Astrology, on the other hand, is not limited by the solar system. It has many layers and sees the human being as its own whole universe.
Mayan Astrology is holographic in a sense.
It starts with the cosmic tree of life and the galactic tree of life. Then the World Tree and then a human. This four directional cross, the Tree of Life, is a pattern. And because the Maya perceive a human being as a universe, it gets even more interesting.
You’re not just a human being in the whole universe. Instead, you are resonating holographically with the world. You are the world and the world is you, you are the galaxy and the galaxies are you, you are the cosmos and cosmos is you.
And your Cosmos has four directions. In one direction you find your male side. In another direction you find your female sign. And so on.
There is beautiful holistic feeling to a Mayan Tree of Life reading.
While Classical Astrology offers many insights, it’s focused on the solar system. This is not saying that it is lesser than in any way, it just offers a different perspective.
Mayan Astrology feels very holographic. I imagine myself standing on my main Adult sign, the Owl. To my left I see my Male Sign, the dog. To the right I see my Female Sign, wind. And above and below me I see my three Youth and three Mature Signs.
For me personally, it has opened up a lot of self-reflection as I notice the connections. This holographic perspective invites me to not only focus on one sign, but to also consider how other signs are influencing me in different ways.
A path of self-reflection and self-growth.
As someone who as been interested in Classical Astrology for a while, discovering Mayan Astrology has been such an interesting experience.
While I still enjoy my Classical Astrology, I’ve loved getting to know myself as the Owl in Mayan Astrology. It has opened up a new and deeper path of self-discovery and spiritual evolution.
Classical Astrology has helped me understand some of myself and my characteristics. However, Mayan Astrology has encouraged a deeper level of self-reflection – It feels open and expansive, where I feel like I’m being asked to call on my intuition instead of simply understanding who I am.
Mayan readings – from my detailed report and the daily Tzolkin readings – encourage self-reflection, self-discovery and essentially self-growth. The messaging is given in such a way that encourages spiritual evolution. This makes it more than just a ‘reading’ to me, and more of an ‘invitation to connect to myself’
I’d love to know what your thoughts are on Classical vs Mayan Astrology. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, and I enjoy both for insight. But I do see these differences play out, and find myself using each one differently.
Share your comments below, I’d love to hear from you.
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