Mayan Calendar With Panther and Bees


Mayan Calendar With Panther and Bees started out as a quick mandala study, intended for a birthday card for my sister, Sandy. I visited Tulum, Mexico this April and I became fascinated with the Mayan culture, especially the current Mayan society and how it relates strongly to the past. In spite of this sense of continuity with the past, the Mayan culture is very much of this time. They practice sustainable hospitality, sustainable energy, recycling – they are the essence of the practical application of the green movement.

It is often small moments that define my impression of an area, of a people. One afternoon I saw massive sculptures of bees decorating the entries of the ruins at Tulum. The same day we talked to people who practice bee keeping to this day and see themselves as part of a long unbroken line of Mayan peasants or farmers who kept bees since the beginning of time. I purchased bee salve for arthritis in my hands, with assurances that ancient Mayan medicine has special cures for any disease.

One thought on “Mayan Calendar With Panther and Bees”

  1. What is intriguing is the combination of a top predator, panther, with another scary but tiny being, bees. Both are scary, but both have a strong domestic aspect AND a powerful mythic aspect. What I like is the unexpected combination of the two, making my mind cover a lot of psychic territory fast.
    I also love that a calendar is a mandala, with all that that implies.

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