“Imagine that every person in the world is enlightened but you. They are all your teachers, each doing just the right things to help you learn perfect patience, perfect wisdom, perfect compassion.” Gautama Buddha
I have always loved to experience spiritual traditions in the countries I visit; the last one I had done was a life-changing psychic reading in Bali insert link (I’m so Eat, Pray, Love, I know). It was whilst in Tulum that I learned about the traditional Mayan astrological readings and so I decided to try it for myself. Aiesha was recommended to me by both my new Mexican friends and the internet, so I reached out to her and so it was that we found ourselves on my hotel balcony a few of days later.
For those of you unfamiliar with a Mayan reading, your birthdate is referenced against the Tzolk’in, which is the Mayan sacred 260 days calandar, giving you a number between 1 and 13 and one of twenty nawales. The combination of the number and the nawal is believed to determine your personality, as well as your strengths and weaknesses. The reading is broken up into three parts: the inner-self, which tells us about our intimate relationships; the outer-self, which is the way in which we connect to and serve the world; and our purpose for the year ahead, which tells us what the year ahead has in store for us.
Aiesha had a smile that radiated happiness and she began by asking me my birthdate and typing them into an app on her phone as she took notes. I couldn’t help but find it amusing that technology had found it’s way into traditional readings. When Aiesha finally began to talk she didn’t stop for nearly two hours, going into so much depth that I am still learning new things each time I listen back to the recording. I thought I would share some of her insights that resonated with me the most.
My inner-self is defined by the number 8 and the Serpent (my nawal) and my power is the moon, which is the symbol of emotions and sensitivity. I feel things and experience life very deeply and am sensitive to the emotions of others. People who feel very deeply can tend to be irrational and driven by instinct, so it’s important for me to have alone time so that I can focus on self-development.
I should always trust my gut instincts over my brain as I am sensitive to the auras and emotions of others. This means it’s important for me to master and control my emotions because otherwise I will feel and internalise the emotions of others. For example, if I am in a relationship with someone who is very jealous, I might sense their jealousy and ask them about it. More than likely they won’t admit it and will convince me I am crazy, and if I believe I am crazy I will become weak and easy to manipulate. If I can understand that jealousy comes from a lack of self-love and master how to approach that feeling, then I will be able to guide them in the correct way and not be susceptible to internalising it.
My outer-self is defined by the number 10 and the storm (my nawal), which is a total mystery to my inner-self. This can often make me feel like I am walking aimlessly through life without a plan, and I can see this is a deficiency as society makes everyone feel they need a plan. However even people who feel they have a path can be sent an invariable amount of curveballs along the way (redundancy, accidents, divorce etc), so really no one is fully in control of their direction. If I can trust that I am being pulled in the right direction, then I can let go of the stress of control.
As a storm, I am meant to experience as many variables of life as possible, and hang out with people from different walks of life. This will allow me to better take care of myself and others, and in order to do that I need to surround myself with strong people who do not get involved in melodramas or blame others for their misfortunes. I need to be loyal to myself and make boundaries of self-love around me. Once I do this I will learn to be strong and not hold in my emotions and then react in the moment, because I will have too much self-respect.
People defined by the number 10 tend to feel that they are not good enough; this leads to stress because they want to do everything perfectly. Ironically, things happen perfectly for 10’s but they can’t see it as they are too busy being stressed. Therefore it’s important to learn to relax and trust that everything is happening as it is meant to.
Finally, Aiesha told me that this year will see me bring a dream into a physical reality, which will bring me inner prosperity. Prosperity is completely personal to each individual but it is whatever makes you feel rich. For an old couple, their orchid might make them feel they are in heaven, for others it might be material possessions. It’s very important I trust my intuitions and bring my dream into the world exactly as I see it, and not try to change it to fit with what already exists or what I think people want to see.
This is also the year that I am developing my emotional vulnerability, meaning it’s important I don’t surround myself with anyone who belittles my emotional growth.
Needless to say, at the end of the reading I felt drained and exhausted. As I went to bed I noticed the night sky was full of stars, and I felt certain that I’m on the right path by sharing my story with you. And so I drifted off into a deep sleep of intense dreams.
Hey Ashley, loving your blogs. Since you’re in Mexico, I just wanted to suggest you visit one of Mexico’s beautiful nude beaches and try skinny dipping. I did once and it was the most liberating experience I’ve ever had. Hope you’re enjoying your travels,
Meg xx