Children of Ik’i B’alam and Kak’ixa Ja’
In the pursuit of a harmonious connection with the energies that form our world, families, communities, and people who hold the wisdom of the Maya walk together, bearing offerings, to light a sacred fire in a place in nature. In this process, before we create the first spark that will give life to this fire, we raise our awareness to the four directions of the world and call upon the names of the four B'alameb' and the four Xoq'ojawab. These are the guardians of the universe, those who protect us, give us life, and share their wisdom with the world. We now invoke their names: B'alam Kitze' and Kaqa Palo Ja', guardians of the East and fire; B'alam Aq'ab and Chomi Ja', guardians of the West and earth; Majuk'utaj B'alam and Tz'ununi Ja', guardians of the North and air; and Ik'i B'alam and Kak'ixa Ja', guardians of the South and water. If possible, let us close our eyes and thank them before we remember their story.
The Popol Wuj, the sacred book of the Maya K'iche', relates their story as the first human beings created from corn, the first partners who brought life to our species. In their creation, some believe that their essence came from the Pleiades, while others believe it came from a different dimension. Though, there is a mysterious part to the story of these 4 partners. In this sacred text, there comes a time where one of the four partners is no longer named. This is the case with Ik'i B'alam and Kak'ixa Ja'.
Why could this be? When we look into their narrative, we see that they are the protectors of the element of water and the color yellow. They are the ones that bring magic into our world. Unfortunately, humans have yet to connect with the qualities they provide. In our own cycles, we have spent thousands of years in a spiral of learning known as the Five Suns. In these cycles, we were supposed to connect to different parts of us and learn about different facets of our essence.
In one of the cycles we connected to our mental powers, but unfortunately we got stuck in this part of ourselves and created a cult for reason and materialism. In this way, we disconnected from the teachings of Ik’i B’alam and Kak’ixa Ja’, which have to do with magic. Maya wisdom keepers know that we have internal powers, that we do not have 5 senses but 20. In our focus on the physical and the mental, we have forgotten about other subtle parts of ourselves, and have disconnected from our essence. In this way these guardians were ignored.
However, they left a prophecy. It is stated that during the 13 Baktun cycle of the Choltun or Long Count Calendar, their children would come together from the four corners of the world to share their teachings. It is also said that Ik'i B'alam and Kak'ixa Ja' had no descendants, but that we are their lineage. For this reason, the children who will come to share their knowledge and wisdom are actually us. This is evident today, as individuals from all over the world and from many backgrounds gather to learn about Maya wisdom and other ancestral traditions, bringing reconnection.
In order to connect to the teachings of these guardians we need to grow within, yielding less power to logic and reason, and cultivating our innate magic. As adults, we grow increasingly disconnected from the magic of the world. We do not notice the blessing of sunrise, the beauty of a rainbow, or the promise for life contained inside a single seed that can grow into an enormous, millenary tree. With this, we have lost a significant portion of ourselves. So let us connect with the wisdom of the natural world, to not take it for granted, and to recognize that there is magic both within and outside of us. We have innate powers that we can develop; we only need to learn how.
Let us unite and recognize that we are all a part of this change, and we can work together to bring it to life as the Children Born in Clarity, the Children of Ik'i B'alam and Kak'ixa Ja'.
- By Eline from the Mayan Wisdom Project