- DSC07295
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe blesses Eddy - IMG 20180702 203956
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe lighting candles on his altar - DSC07301
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe's altar room - DSC07312
Then we went outside and climbed the staircase up to the roof. Marcelo arranged many thin candles in a circle, and placed eggs and cigarettes in strategic places. He put a block of molasses on the top and lit the fire. He gave us each small black candles to hold in our left hands and small white ones to hold in our right hands. He splashed aguardiente liquor onto the fire. He came to each of us and blessed us, took the candles from us, broke them in half, and tossed them onto the fire. An egg exploded on the fire and a cigarette flew off of the fire pile. He said that this was a good omen for my grandmother. He continued to tend the fire until it was down to the coals. It was raining but we were under a corrugated metal covering. A rooster next to me kept clucking, and we could hear the sound of the neighborhood women making tortillas, patting the dough between their palms. He anointed us with flower oil and gave me the remainder. He said to bring it to my grandmother and mark the four cardinal directions with it. We all went back into the altar room and enjoyed hot chocolate (a favorite of the Mayan deities) and bread. It was so great to participate in another ritual. Marcelo remembered us from last year and said he was honored that we had wanted to return to pray for my grandmother. It was such an amazing cultural experience and we are very grateful! - IMG 2356
Ritual fire consisting of a ring of thin candles witheggs and cigarettes in strategic places. There was a block of molasses in the center. - IMG 2357
Ritual fire - IMG 2362
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe presides over the fire ritual - DSC07322
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe presides over the fire ritual - IMG 2367
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe tends the fire - IMG 2359
Watching the ritual fire - IMG 2379
Marcelo gave us small black candles to hold in our left hands and small white ones to hold in our right hands. - IMG 2386
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe tends the ritual fire - IMG 2388
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe tends the ritual fire - DSC07324
Ajq'ij Marcelo Alonso Felipe and his grandson - DSC07335
Cristian and Paola