Day 13: Last day of work (Andrew Moura)

January 17 was our last full day in San Lucas. Splitting up for our morning work, our group found itself divided building stoves and building a wooden house. My group, Sebastian G, Gabe, Reid, & Will, went to the wooden house project. 

At the house Sebastian and I were in charge of cutting wood. After a series of chicken chases and semi dangerous finger placements, we said goodbye to the family and the nearly completed wooden house surrounded by the now at peace chickens. 

In the evening we found ourselves back at Torbio'shouse for the Mayan ceremony that some in our group, myself included, had expressed an interest in. The ceremony was one of thanksgiving, performed by a Catholic Mayan priest, a not uncommon mix provided by the synthesis of Mayan and Catholic cultures. In fact the priest carried with him a bag embroidered "Jesus es dios".

The ceremony was performed on the minor altar, which resembled something of a fire pit. The major, ironically, was (surface wise) smaller, but was shaded by the large outcropping of rock that resembled the head of a turtle (in Mayan tradition the turtles represented protection). Later in the ceremony the priest would ask permission of the major altar to perform the ceremony. 

The preparation for the ceremony began with the tracing of a circle, using sugar, on the minor altar, representing the earth. Then the priest built up a layer of small, indented cakes made of a mixture of pine shavings and sap. A second layer, same material, this time looking like large gumdrops, was placed on top. Then the priest began placing a variety of candles on the circular mound, each with their own meaning. 

The candle meanings are as follows: 

Red: the essence (blood)

White:  full nourishment, purity

Green: hope and energy, the heart of the mountain, 

Black: weakness, shadow, the darkness we carry, need for healing 

Yellow: humanity, nourishment from the earth

Blue: the sky, prosperity, well being for all, happiness for all

​​Light blue: represents economy, the meeting of needs 

Pink: internal, intention 

Purple: triumph, reminder to think positive 

Light yellow: represent the dead, ancestors (this candle was added later, ​during the flame)

At four points the priest placed slabs of chocolate, and over two of them he placed bread, representing the sweetness of the produce of the earth. After another series of more prayers, the prelist lit the fire. While the fire burned, the priest said more prayers, counting (or appeared to, he spoke in the native language of Kaqchikel) out small pellets of the pine material in the aforementioned cakes, and then tossing them into the fire. All told the ceremony took about 2 and a half hours.