In this series, our contributing writer Duru Yücel-Tofei will be looking at how we can connect the dots of our soul’s journey using insights for each of the Mayan sign’s directions of Past/Support/Youth, Adult/Day Sign and Future/Maturity/Guide Sign.
The content of this series will be taking into account only these directions with an aim to interpret the transitions of our soul in the context of a human’s life stages; past, present and future.
The Mayan Sign Crocodile/Imix/Imox
It’s important to understand the past we’ve come from and been through and also the transformations we go through with regards to understanding our current and future selves. Thus, it’s meaningful to talk about why certain signs have certain “Past/Youth/Support” signs and also certain “Maturity/Guide” signs.
We can explain the reasons for these alignments in the mathematical sense within the Mayan Calendar, however, for us to really understand what they mean, we need to grasp the deeper truths regardless if the meaning contained in them led to these mathematical and systematic alignments or the other way around; the mathematical/systematic alignments led to those deeper truths. The necessity comes in understanding what we signed up for as a soul when we chose to exist. Thus, we can take better advantage of our “stories” and even have the chance to “choose our battles” and pick much well-suited, truthful aspirations and goals during our specific journey here on earth.
This understanding can directly help us deal with our challenges in a much wiser way as well. Starting with the Mayan Crocodile/Imix sign, this is the first of the series which is going to continue with the signs following Imix/Crocodile.
Crocodile/Imix/Imox/ – Past, Present and Future:
The Past/Support ~ Ben/Reed
In its tree of life, the Mayan Crocodile/Imix/Imox sign has Ben/Aj/Reed for the “Past/Youth/Support” sign.
This Support Sign brings to Crocodile, an accumulated gift of understanding human nature, valuing accomplishments, having an innate authority, courage, a divine presence and an unshakable self-confidence coupled with being self-assured (sometimes to a point of too much). Some of these qualities, especially self-confidence and understanding human nature, can be more relevant to Crocodile as it already contains in itself some of these qualities in varied forms.
When we delve into the mystery of why Reed happens to be Crocodile’s Youth Sign, we see certain things.
First of all, having “gone through” the sign of Reed, Crocodile might feel a certain type of need to rest or to have a more “down-time” type of a schedule. Also, it is more of a private, sensitive and introverted sign, which at times can become quite overwhelmed by the outside world and people.
Reed’s journey consists of popularity, having an influence over and within groups, being much more community oriented as it both leads and plays the role of a mediator within communities. Thus, looking at Reed from a “Youth Sign” point of view and considering what is next and what is left to experience for Crocodile, having an accumulation of these types of life experiences, the Crocodile would naturally “seek and need” a more balanced or lesser version of these things.
That is why a soul with these past experiences chooses to come to this earth as the sign of Crocodile.
The need for privacy and the root of it
Much more home oriented and caring vitally about finding and establishing a secure base for himself/herself which will support and protect him/her from the “outside”, Crocodile is seeking to define, and then protect his/her own place and space both literally and figuratively. This place is the safe place for him/her to be himself/herself without having to comply with the rest of the world.
This private place feels essential to Crocodile as he/she can continue to express and explore his/her uniqueness and primal energies without interference. In his/her existence, he/she contains a somewhat primitive energy as he/she is also in touch with the primitive energies existing for eons.
This brings with it also a need for personal and emotional privacy internally. Many times, it’s hard for us “modern humans” to exhibit and be our primal selves in the “civilized” world outside and merely, for this reason, the Mayan Crocodile might even find the world to be a hostile place (think about the animal crocodile itself, trying to hide from a threat, sometimes has a dive length up to 30 minutes or more) as he/she feels possible or perceived rejection and abandonment can be the case if he/she happens to express and live through this rough, uncut, raw energy.
Retreating from outside to bloom as a water lily
On the other hand, his/her Youth Sign Reed has great diplomacy skills and a wide “record” of human nature thanks to his/her observational and analytical abilities and also his/her great need for bringing peace and harmony to create “heaven on earth”. That’s why, for Reed, it’s much easier to operate in the outside, “civilized” world.
Also, Crocodile’s emphasis of ownership and territoriality comes from having Reed as a Past/Youth Sign. Reed is about discovery of different worlds both in literal and figurative sense and it generally leads a life of wonder, exploration and travel. Now, Crocodile needs to find waters to rest from all that, and settle and bloom like a water lily (another name of Crocodile).
Too much for “the modern world“?
Having had enough of these thanks to his/her Youth Sign, this time, that’s why as the Adult Sign, the Crocodile is a “Crocodile”: pure primal energy and sensitivity coupled with impulsive and what one might call “crazy” behaviour at times.
Considering Reed as a “past” experience, Reed provided him/her with an analytical and considerate response to life and people but this time around, Crocodile chose to break free of the constant “in control”, “kept in check” and even bordering on perfectionism kind of life experience.
From detachment to involvement to feel more alive
This need to break free of these things, also shows itself in Crocodile’s exuberant displays of warmth and affection emanating from its sensitive protective instincts, because Reed is generally about relating to people and life from an equal distance regardless of the situation and person he/she is dealing with and it has more objectivity and rationalism.
There are benefits of Reed which are certainly balancing Crocodile but since we’re now looking to understand why Reed is a “Past/Youth” sign, we need to also see that these qualities which are very-well known by him/her, feels stifling now and Reed’s constant concern about balance, diplomacy, rationality and relating to everyone from an equal distance feels less lively for his/her soul’s essence.
This all happens because Crocodile already had enough of those and so, naturally desires a new way of being and experiencing which will be different than these well-learned qualities. Thus, learning what has already been accomplished and experienced through the Youth Sign, we can make sense of why and how Crocodile happens to have certain needs and qualities in his/her lifetime and also why instead of any other Mayan Sign, Reed happens to be Crocodile’s “Youth/Support” sign that led to these new characteristics and longings.
The Day Sign/Adult Sign/Present ~ Crocodile/Imix/Imox
After looking at the past which led to Crocodile’s current traits and existence, now we’ll solely dive deep into its present.
The Mayan Crocodile’s center of focus is mainly about forming a stronger sense of identity and existence on this earth. This manifests itself as a need to be more physical in the true sense of the word and leads him/her to do things with a much direct and unbridled manner and produces a “hands-on” life experience in all aspects. This also shows itself in Crocodile’s need to experience a wild, passionate and even dramatic love life to the fullest where his/her traits of emotionality, passion and being an initiator can come to the forefront.
Very much involved in everything he/she does, Crocodile loves to have access to each and every corner of anything he/she does and anyone’s psyche he/she connects with, especially the ones he/she connects on a personal and intimate level. This comes with Crocodile’s proverbial dominant nature since few other signs are “really there” like Crocodile is, in all the ways possible; physically, emotionally, mentally.
It has hypnotic powers and this adds another layer to its in-depth access to things and people. Actually, the ability to access is given to Crocodile so it can heal and sublimate what is buried down within the things and people it gets in touch with. Everything is interconnected and no trait or special ability is attributed to any Mayan sign without a purpose that can serve the bigger picture of life. Crocodile is also nurturing because of this.
Possible career choices
When it comes to profession, thanks to these abilities, the fields which he/she can deal with people’s subconscious, psychology, traumas and minds would be the perfect matches.
There’s a very successful brain surgeon who’s born under the Mayan Crocodile sign, and he finds great pleasure in his job. Thus, apart from the ones we’ve mentioned, Crocodile can also be great at dealing with the brain in a more literal, raw, three-dimensional way.
Since, it has the qualities of an initiator, an entrepreneur, he/she can easily become an epoch-making pioneer in these fields and the valuable trails he/she blazes can be followed and continued by others that come after him/her, leading them to greater paths.
Other possibilities lie in arts, especially visual ones, thanks to the same quality of accessing the human mind and subconscious. Their art can be restorative as well as hypnotic, drawing the consumers of it to its depths and holding them there long enough to make a lasting and strong impact. Photography, cinema, graphic illustration, painting, drawings of all types, architecture, novels imbued with detailed and lively visual depictions; especially stories with passionate and crazy love stories since Crocodile personally longs to experience that type of love affairs in his/her life as well.
Advertisement, marketing and media can be very appealing too as Crocodiles would bring the catchiest stuff to the market, though they need to be careful about using their power to influence the minds of the masses for a brighter and better world for all and this way they’ll be really serving to the society if their input has the qualities of bringing truth, justice, equality and peace for all.
Relying on their strength which manifests physically as well, Crocodiles can opt for a career in sports, especially the ones in which they have an opponent to test their strength against. Bodybuilding, box and cross training for recreational purposes can also give them a good dose of getting in touch with their incredible strength and from there on they can be inspired to take action to carry this understanding for professional use.
What to look out for
Among the things they need to be careful about are an unbalanced mind at times, resulting from intense and high mental capacities not being channeled properly, also oversensitivity to people and situations sometimes making him/her take on too much of a burden to carry believing that his/her power can overcome anything no matter what.
Not listening to other people or taking any of their advice, heading forward in a rush might cause problems as well and can debar Crocodile from others’ support whenever he/she might need it any other time.
Finding balance between pushing forward and holding back
Learning to initiate but also take others along the way, being patient with situations and people, especially the people who Crocodile deems to be mentally and emotionally “less than” him, learning when to hold back and when to go forward and intervene, always taking time to organize himself/herself and spending some restorative alone-time can be some of the cures to his/her possible troubles.
With an innate powerful, compact energy, Crocodile can’t help but come across as “too strong” and even overbearing at times. Yet, this is not something he/she does from a place of mean intentions, rather, think about the animal of crocodile itself; even if you’d just look at a picture of it from your cozy and safe environment, you’d be a little bit intimidated on the inside by its size, poise, hugeness of body, incredibly long, big jaw and teeth. Thus, this strength it has simply comes with its being a “Crocodile”. People who feel intimidated by him/her need to always remember that nurturing and soft side which shines under his/her somewhat rough exterior.
On the other hand, it is Crocodile’s responsibility to use his/her strength and inborn powerful mind in a balanced and beneficial way, rather than wavering between oversensitivity coupled with passive aggressive tendencies and overreacting, over-intervening coupled with displays of overly direct confrontational manners. Doing this will also avoid others calling him ”crazy”. He/she needs to learn to direct these powerful urges to constructive efforts and activities. Then, his/her life will take a shape beyond his/her expectations.
A “Genius’’
Crocodile uses his/her powerful and prolific brain very well in general and this is the main reason why it is also given the name ‘’genius’’. To take the highest advantage from this powerful brain, it would be wise for Crocodile to practice a meditation he/she likes, a type of yoga especially focused on the use of mind or SILVA method which enables access to alfa level to create what we desire or any other tool resembling to those. Once any of these practices becomes a part of Crocodile’s daily life, sky is the limit to what Crocodile can achieve using his/her great mind.
The Best Way to Eat and Exercise
When we think about the animal crocodile, we realise that it can stay still or move very little for long periods of time; it is observed in nature that they can stand still from under an hour to many days. Similar to that, a Crocodile person has a tendency to stay physically passive. However, different from the animal itself, it would hurt Crocodile person’s health to lead an inactive life. The sports which will enable him/her to get in touch with his/her innate strength without the requirement of uttermost exertion are perfect matches for Crocodile.
Especially when we consider Crocodile’s being home oriented and very private as a person, the sports they can practice from home might be good options for them. Also, dancing can help them channel and reveal their passionate nature. Adding some stretching to their daily exercise routine is vital to Crocodile both physically and mentally since he/she has the inclination to carry ‘’weight’’ also inside his/her mind-space. Stretching exercises as a habit will also provide a good foundation for later years when they’ll transition to their destiny sign ‘’Muluc/Water’’, who is much more flexible and ‘’fluent’’ in terms of mental attitudes.
Same principles are valid when it comes to nutrition, that’s why they need to eat in a way which won’t lead to a feeling of heaviness and digestion problems. Most people feel heavy after consuming dairy products, sugar and gluten, it might be good for them to learn if they have the same sensibilities.
Not eating at late hours, drinking at least 2 liters of water daily and most importantly listening to their bodies whenever they eat in order to know how it responds to what they consume and always using the feeling of lightness as a compass are crucial principles for their health. Apart from weight and digestion, they might need to watch out for their cholesterol levels and blood circulation throughout their life.
The Future ~ Water/Muluc/Toj/Offering
Looking towards what is in store for Crocodile in the future, the sign ”Water/Muluc/Toj/Offering” comes into play.
This Mayan Crocodile sign can take things even more seriously and become more of what one might call a very emotional person. They need to be careful to not let emotionality get the best of them so they don’t make decisions they might later regret. This quality to be in touch with emotions also comes with a gift of self-awareness as Crocodile spends years before the age of full maturity with much more of a “cut-the-crap!” kind of approach and attitude both towards matters, life itself and to his/her own emotions.
Being strong no matter what and displaying it to the outside world as well, plays a huge part of Crocodile’s years before 50-52. Thus, the sign of Water brings a type of relief and ease and as we can understand from its name, it makes his/her life less heavy and more easily ”flowing”. Water is related to liberation in a very spiritual sense and this brings Crocodile less attachment to things and people and they feel more liberated in general.
Letting go of heavy attachment
Attachment comes along with Crocodile’s insatiable need to protect and nurture the life around him in various forms; be it relationships in the forms of partnerships, family and children or the things they take care of, like business, caring for their homes and other life areas. For all these areas Crocodile will feel less attached with Muluc/Water, although maybe more devoted at the same time.
Devotion might sound like being even more involved but Water’s way of devotion is different from Crocodile’s way of attachment which involves having to control everything and everyone constantly, thinking that the world will come to an end if they don’t very attentively and intensely take charge and take care of everything.
Feeling more surrendered
Water makes him/her devoted but with the spirit of service and bringing peace with harmony, not with the heavy attachment of clinging on the results and securing everything like Crocodile does.
They will come to know that life itself or the universe or any other type of force, order or God takes care of the events and people already so they are not the sole caretakers. They will feel a more surrendered and less worrisome presence in themselves. This way they do all or sometimes even more than they can but at the same time they become more like the water itself. They don’t unnecessarily try to apply force or resist any given situation, rather, just like water itself, they smoothly find a way around when they happen to encounter a rock on their way.
Becoming adaptable
It would be beneficial for Crocodile if they remember this quote of Bruce Lee and make it their motto for their later years in order to utilise their destiny sign Water’s energy:
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it.”
They can indeed make this their motto because Crocodile will be capable of incredible adaptability with the guidance of Muluc/Water in their later years.
When it comes to emotions and flow again, in order to experience Muluc’s gift as a gift and to avoid its turning into a problem instead, Crocodile needs a good balance.
The key here is to not let it go to the other negative extreme of becoming way too emotional to act on anything, take charge or stand for himself/herself when needed. Giving too much without any receiving, crushing his/her boundaries, even becoming a doormat, constantly taking everything about life, people and himself/herself from an extremely dramatic point of view, losing himself/herself within groups, organizations, family ties, relationships, work, various types of activities with an intent to serve and be useful and this way also forgetting who he/she is as a separate human being with a distinct existence are pitfalls Crocodile needs to be wary of.
The “Mission”
The word “mission” is something Crocodile needs to remember during the transition to Water, especially after 52.
Different from its past sign Ben/Reed, Muluc/Water resonates deeply with, not taking on as Reed does, but, literally totally devoting and even becoming ”the mission” itself!
Without something which Water/Toj deems greater to be than just a goal or an achievement, he/she can’t feel internally fulfilled. Water looks for a deeper, higher meaning and purpose because of its innate emotionality and desire to serve. That’s why the word mission is also something Crocodile will need to approach with care when he/she is under the guidance of Muluc starting from his/her maturity years till the last breath.
An example of such extreme devotion
I know an example of a Water man devoting himself so fully to a spiritual community he deemed as a mission (which centered around getting in touch with your heart and letting it lead the way for you) that he went on to marry a woman he has never even seen a photograph of, just because his ”Guru” in that community thought he would be compatible with that woman and this way he’d also serve their community better. This marriage took place while the man born with the sign of Muluc/Water was really in love with another woman when the community’s ”Guru” told him to choose that other woman without ever seeing her face or hearing her voice. The man with the sign of Muluc immediately accepted his Guru’s suggestion without any second thought and instantly married that woman.
This is a very extreme but at the same time possible example for Water’s self-denial and forgetting the self.There are other people in that community who are married to people outside of the community or without ”the Guru” choosing for them, so, he could definitely still be serving the mission he chose without totally denying what one might call a ‘’very basic human right’’. Plus, this actually created the opposite outcome of what this mission aims in the first place, which is mainly following and honouring one’s heart with the intention of also adding it to the collective “heart”. Marrying that other woman, made him choose something very important, not from his heart space but only according to the principle of service.
Being careful not to lose yourself in devotion
This danger can play itself in more practical day to day stuff as well for many different people; think about mothers, parents who only exist to be a good parent and raise a good person, people who work so hard and so much that they don’t have any other identity, activity or relationship outside of the lines drawn by their profession’s necessities, students who work so hard to get good grades that their school life takes on a life or death feeling, people who devote themselves to their partners to an extent that they don’t know who they are, what their preferences are, what they really want outside of their relationship and apart from their partner’s identity and lifestyle. The list can go on and on…
Water/Muluc can also become a control-freak regarding their emotions and inner life and also too logical. This is actually the other side of the same coin; another trap they need to avoid. They need to remember that denying their feelings and emotional nature is not the way to exist or handle their nature or have a more peaceful life, because by doing that and becoming much more logical will only strip them of their innate gifts and true selves.This comes also with the risk of finding themselves having created an unnecessarily ordinary and boring life. Rather than seeing this as a curse, they need to use emotions as clues and wayshowers for learning about who they are and then following their truth, not minding if their type of truth exists in the world yet or not.
Drawing boundaries, remembering and acting from THE SELF & using the gift of magic
The way to avoid falling into these traps is remembering who they are by getting in touch not only with their reactive emotionality but much more with their sensitivity and common sense, especially to their own inner world and emotions.
Sensitivity is different from emotionality. In the latter, there can be unwanted consequences, but sensitivity brings with it a touch of understanding and common sense, they go hand in hand with sensitivity. Making this a habit will save Crocodile of unwanted experiences and circumstances caused by Muluc in the later years and will make him/her reserve the gift of ease and emotion Water bestows.
Water/Toj/Muluc has deep reserves of imagination and artistic ability making Crocodile an ever greater artist. This will add more touch of magic to whatever Crocodile does.
Also, the supernatural quality assigned to Muluc by Mayans is another remarkable trait which can provide knowing beyond ”knowing” and doing things in a way others can just watch in awe not grasping the source it really comes from.
They will also get much better at expressing themselves especially verbally and can be great spokesperson for anything they believe in, give their service to or choose to create artistically. Crocodile is much more inclined to keep things inside rather than letting them out, thus, Muluc/Water in his/her later years, will also serve him/her for expressing important things that matter to him/her.
Their propensity to be unlucky in worldly affairs can be overturned by this quality and also by being careful about where their “Water” flows.
Developing the capacities of discrimination and astuteness is another key into their highest potential when it comes to expressing the qualities of their destiny sign Water. They can ”over-flow” and be devoid of ”shape”, so to speak, losing sight of their responsibilities they willingly took on in the first place related to the things they desire.
Combining discipline with “soft flow”
Discipline is a must for Water which they need to apply to their everyday life combining it with their ”soft flow” so they don’t find their days to be flat-out stern. They can even go down in history with the heights of success they reach during their lifetime if they combine discipline with their extraordinary abilities of Water.
Indeed, Water is not ordinary and anything in life that seems ordinary will bore Crocodile to death and they can become idle. Instead of seeking out the not-ordinary, again, they need to remember that they are the very ”extraordinary” thing themselves that is waiting to be added to this ”ordinary” life on earth.
They need to use their enormous capacity to give also to give to life itself and people the magic which seems to be missing.
A good example of this is the Water Day Sign owner Madonna and the time she answered that SHE was what is “new” in music during one of her earliest interviews.
Water needs to get in touch with their innate magic which is always already there waiting for them to utilize to make life and relationships less ”ordinary”.
This will make them shine in the society as a beacon of inspiration and colourfulness and create a life that is much more interesting to Crocodile for his/her later years, more than it ever used to be.
Are you a Mayan Crocodile/Imix sign? If so, share your discoveries in the comments below.
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