Guatemala

Maya Sacred Path to 2012 with Miguel Angel Vergara and Dr. Richard Jelusich

Reconnecting to Source and Uniting With the Heart of the Maya November 30 - December 9, 2011

Journey with us to the vibrant countries of Guatemala and Honduras to reconnect to source and unite with the heart of the Maya on our 2011 Maya Sacred Path to 2012 program.

As we visit the sacred places in Guatemala and Honduras, we will connect with both the past and the present of the Maya. We begin our journey in the colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, followed by a visit to the sacred site of Quiriguá, where the Mayan Calendar first began. We then visit Copán, in Honduras, an ancient ceremonial site and significant city of the Maya. We continue to Panajachel and Santiago Atitlán, and enjoy a delightful boat trip on Lake Atitlán. We will also participate in ceremonies and wisdom teachings with our wonderful tour leaders. READ MORE

Tour Leader Dr. Richard Jelusich

Renowned spiritual teacher, healer, and author, Dr. Richard Jelusich, Ph.D. has been teaching, giving lectures, workshops, and private sessions for over 20 years. He is the author of Eye of the Lotus and I Can Relate.

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Tour Leader Miguel Angel Vergara

Maya Master Teacher Miguel Angel studied for 17 years with Mayan elder and wisdom keeper, Don Vincente Martin, and teaches seminars in Mexico and abroad on Mayan shamanism, tradition, and culture. 

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Wow!! A life changing experience to be with like minded individuals exploring the cultures and history of sacred sites. Thank you so much to Sacred Earth Journeys – I will be back again… Deirdre Leighton, Calgary, AB

TESTIMONIALS

This sacred journey to the Maya lands provided an excellent opportunity to meet the ancient ones that embody the stele of Copan and Quirigua. Tyhson Banighen, Tappen, BC

TESTIMONIALS

Tour Description

Journey with us to the vibrant and beautiful countries of Guatemala and Honduras to reconnect to source and unite with the heart of the Maya on our 2011 Maya Sacred Path to 2012 program. This is a tour series which began in 2005 and will be offered each year leading up to and past 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar. 

Copan in Guatemala
Copan, Guatemala

Each year we focus on different aspects of Mayan teachings and visit different Mayan sites as part of our journey. These journeys are for serious students who wish to evolve a deeper awareness of the true Mayan teachings and thus, evolve themselves through a spiritual awakening of cosmic consciousness.

As the Mayan Calendar draws to a close, it is important for us to reconnect and return to source, the place where it all began. It is evident that in today’s society there is a huge disconnect from our source. People are often heard exclaiming they feel lost and/or fragmented, prompting them to seek wholeness in whatever way they can. Our intention for this year’s journey, thus, it to revisit the sacred places where we can more easily restore our connection to the heart of the universe and connect with the Pleiadean Masters of the sky in order to make ourselves feel whole and interconnected once again. 

lake Atitlan in Guatemala
Lake Atitlan

As we visit the sacred places in Guatemala and Honduras, we will connect with both the past and the present of the Maya. We begin our journey in the colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala followed by a visit to the sacred site of Quiriguá, where the Mayan Calendar first began and where the Popol Vuh declares creation originated. We then visit Copán, in Honduras, an ancient ceremonial site and significant city of the Maya. 

At these sites we will delve deeply into the mysteries of the Maya for a more full and greater understanding of what the ancients were trying to teach us. We continue our journey to reconnect with our Great Mother and awe at the scenic wonders of Panajachel and Santiago Atitlán and enjoy a delightful boat trip on Lake Atitlán, pausing to participate in a special ceremony on the lake. These towns will allow us to immerse ourselves fully in the thriving indigenous culture of the Maya still alive and well and extremely prominent in these areas.

Richard Jelusich tour leader
Our tour leaders Miguel Angel & Dr. Richard Jelusich

Accompanying us on our journey will be Miguel Angel Vergara Calleros, our teacher of the Maya Wisdom, who will lead us in sacred ceremonies and share the wisdom of the ancients he has gathered through his in-depth studies and vast experiences. Also joining us is Dr. Richard Jelusich, whose passion for, and connection with the Mayan world, have kept him returning to this wondrous land many times over. He too will share the insights and wisdom he has gathered from his experiences and will also lead us in discussion with informative evening lectures.

At this time, it is integral for us all to recognize our roots, to connect strongly with our own spiritual foundation, and stay connected and grounded with Mother Earth. The greatest gifts the Maya left us, the Popol Vuh and the Maya Calendars, can help us to achieve this. By doing so, we can build the firm base required to make it possible to move on to the next steps in our spiritual evolution. We welcome you to join us, and explore the mysteries of the Maya as a unified people.

Please note that it is not required that you commit to every year in the Maya Sacred Path to 2012 program, you may join us for one or more journeys as you please. Each tour is a stand-alone program.

Arrive in Guatemala City and transfer directly to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Antigua, located in the central highlands of Guatemala, is considered to be one of the world’s best-preserved and most outstanding colonial cities. It is a colourful, magical, and captivating town where time seems to have stood still over the centuries. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and if you have time, head out to admire the stunning Baroque and Spanish Mudejar styled architecture, stroll through the parks, or relax in one of the city squares.
(Overnight in Antigua at the Posada de Don Rodrigo)

View of Antigua in Guatemala

This morning we become better acquainted with Antigua and our group. We enjoy our first morning breakfast together and have a chance to officially meet our fellow journey participants and tour leaders. After breakfast, we enjoy a brief city tour and a visit to the Jade Museum where we will learn about the fine jadeite used by the Maya which due to its permanent, unchanging properties, was considered a passport to immortality. There will also be time to do a little independent sightseeing in the city, so get out and enjoy all that this wonderful city has to offer. You may even want to get a head-start and begin shopping for souvenirs as the city is renowned for its wonderful artisanal treasures.

In the afternoon, we travel to a small town near the Maya ceremonial centre of Quiriguá in Izabal and check into out hotel.  After getting settled and enjoying our Welcome Dinner, we will gather for an informative lecture with Richard Jelusich:  “Connecting to Source: Steps in Personal Spiritual Evolution”. In this opening lecture we will talk about the personal steps towards inner transformation, aided by our physical presence and ceremonies in the land of the Maya. Richard will begin with a guided meditation, and will present two very powerful exercises to strengthen, stimulate and balance the chakra centers. This evening lecture represents a great tool for remaining focused during our journey here in the land of the Maya, and beyond.
(Overnight in Izabal)

Antigua street in Guatemala

After breakfast, we visit the ancient Maya ceremonial centre of Quiriguá and commence our return to “source”, our spiritual foundation. The site, which sits along the lower Motagua River, was once the juncture of several trade routes. It is also where the Maya Calendar first began. In the sacred book of the Maya, the Popol Vuh, it is written that “we came from Tulan-Zu where our first parents, Balam-Quitze, Balam-Akab, Mahacutah, Iqui-Balam were created… they came from the east”. Upon arrival at the site, Miguel Angel will lead us all in an opening ceremony to welcome us to the heart of the Maya lands. In this sacred ceremony we will connect with the four directions plus the Heart of the Earth and the Heart of the Sky, asking permission to enter the sites and enter into the sacred teachings. We also ask for protection for our journey and give offerings to the spirits of the place.   Miguel Angel will also offer teachings on the importance of Quiriguá and explain how this sacred place acts as the umbilical cord of the universe joining us with Mother Earth. We will then explore the evocative site and examine the wonderful stelae, some of which explain the three forces of creation in the universe. One of the most notable stele is stele “C”, the tallest in the world which bears the longest single hieroglyphic description of the Maya creation story, beginning with the date 4 Ahau, 8 Kumk’u of the Maya Calendar and corresponding to our date, August 12, 3113 BC.

Later, we return to our hotel to freshen up after a wonderful day. This evening, explore the town at your leisure and sample some of the local cuisine for dinner.
(Overnight in Izabal)

Quiriguá in Guatemala

Today we enjoy a second visit to fascinating Quiriguá to examine the famous Zoomorph Stelae with their carvings of mythical animals and creatures from other realms including frogs, tortoises, jaguars, and serpents. We will begin our day of exploration with a meditation led by Miguel Angel to help connect us to this sacred site and the palpable energies. Miguel Angel will then offer teachings on the different stelae and explain the spiritual significance of the various carvings and glyphs.  You will also have time to explore the site independently and reflect privately among the beautiful tropical grounds of the site.

Later,  we cross the border into Copán, Honduras, and check into our hotel. The town of Copán Ruinas developed at the turn of the last century as archaeologists began working at the site of Copán. It is a charming small town with a colonial feel, friendly people, interesting shops and restaurants, and a welcoming atmosphere. The teachings at the sites and the current day Maya of the town will give us opportunities to see how we can bring the ancient teachings into our everyday life. This will be our home for the next three nights as we delve into the ancient teachings of the Quiche Maya.
(Overnight in Copán at the Hotel Marina Copán)

Copan in Guatemala

After breakfast, we head off to visit the fascinating ancient city of Copán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be one of the most spectacular cities of the Maya civilization. This powerful and significant ancient city once ruled a vast kingdom within the southern Maya lands. It was also considered to be an astronomical observatory and meeting place of the great Maya scientists and a place where they gathered to make corrections to the Maya Calendar in the 4th Century AD. Copán was also an important ceremonial centre for the Maya and a place where great and wise men were schooled and initiated into the prodigious mysteries of astronomy, astrology, mathematics, physics, art and medicine. A large ballcourt and cemetery are found within the city, however, the site is best known for it series of portrait stelae, most of which are displayed along the processional avenues of the central plaza and its adjoining acropolis, a large complex of overlapping step-pyramids, plazas and palaces. The stelae here allow us to understand the harmony of all things and discover the astonishing mystical side of the great Maya teachers who were able to transform themselves into self-realized higher spiritual beings.  

For our first visit to this sacred city, Miguel Angel will lead us through the Maya Museum and describe the wonderful treasures housed here. Entering through the mouth of a serpent we will follow Miguel Angel through the two floors of original stelae, priceless jewels, artifacts, and frescoes. The reproduction of the Rosalila Temple in its original colours gives us a rare opportunity to see the ancient temples as they would have been in their time. The museum is one of the most important as well as one of most interesting museums of the Maya and houses an amazing collection of original stones from the site.

After returning to our hotel and freshening up after a most remarkable day, we will enjoy dinner and later gather for a sharing circle beginning with a guided meditation led by Richard.
(Overnight in Copán at the Hotel Marina Copán)

Site of Copan in Guatemala

Today we return to delve more deeply into the site of Copán and learn more about this sacred ceremonial site. One of the most important monuments we will study is the ancient Hierogylphic Staircase with its 63 steps and several thousand glyphs, which recount the history of the royal house of Copán. The glyphs are also connected to the Mayan Cosmovision and the Maya calendars, and hold much mystical significance. Here, Miguel Angel will once again lead us in a sacred ceremony to help us penetrate the energy at the site and to aid us with connecting to source. You will then have time to explore the site independently to discover the great plaza with its many temples, stelae, altars and array of structures, as well as the grand ballcourt, the second largest in all of Central America.

 In the evening we will gather for an insightful lecture with Miguel Angel: "The Maya Stelae, Messages in Stone". After four days of expriencing the energy of the sites of Quiriguá and Copán, Miguel Angel will help you pull all the pieces together explaing many of the glyphs and touching on the Story of Creation and the begining of the Maya Calendar.
(Overnight in Copán at the Hotel Marina Copán)

Copan detail in Guatemala

Today we sit back, relax and take in the splendour of Guatemala as we cross the country by road. We begin our comfortable private coach ride in Copán, Honduras and stretch across to Panajachel, Guatemala, or Pana as the locals call it. Panajachel, isolated in the western Guatemalan highlands, sits on the shores of picturesque Lake Atitlán and provides breathtaking views of 3 monolithic volcanoes, Toliman, Atitlán and San Pedro.  The town is also a gateway to many enchanting indigenous villages renowned for their magnificent weavers and artisans. Panajachel is a town full of sensory experiences and captivating sights and is one of the best places in Guatemala to pick up splendid local handicrafts. Upon arrival at our hotel we will have a chance to freshen up and stretch our legs with a stroll through the town. In the evening we enjoy dinner together to recount our experiences thus far and better understand why we have been called to this magical land.
(Overnight in Panajachel at the Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel)

Panajachel in Guatemala

This morning after breakfast we enjoy a delightful boat trip on lovely Lake Atitlán. The lake, which houses a sunken Mayan village, bears some striking similarities to the legend of Atlantis. Its name was apparently chosen to match its Atlantean environment. During our boat ride, we will pause in the middle of the lake and be led in a special ceremony in honour of the 4 directions, the 3 volcanoes, and the breathtaking beauty of Mother Nature. We then disembark in Santiago Atitlán,the capital of the Tz’utujil Maya nation. Nestled between the two towering volcanoes of Toliman and San Pedro, we find this contemporary Mayan town steeped in a rich history and a thriving indigenous culture. The people of Santiago Atitlán believe they are the keepers of the very navel of the world, where all creation began, and continue to practice their ancient rituals and traditions in order the keep the cosmos in balance. Throughout the town you will see the local women brightly adorned in their traditional huipiles (tunics) embroidered with brilliantly coloured birds and flowers along with their vibrant weavings. The town is also home to a pulsating scene of arts and crafts and spectacular artisans, so we will be sure to allow you some time on your own to explore the remarkable markets and indulge in some shopping therapy to pick up some of the wonderful gifts and handicrafts the town has to offer.      

This evening we gather once again for another lecture with Richard: “Our Connection to the Pleiades”. Richard will begin with a Guided Meditation, and then will present slides, video and astronomy software that shows the relationship of Earth, Solar System, the Pleiades and the Galactic Center. In the presentation he will discuss that our sun is part of the Pleiadian system and that our roots go back to Atlantis and further back to the Pleiades. Richard will discuss how periodic alignments in the physical universe open portals (opportunities) for great, rapid spiritual growth, and that the 2012 timeframe is indeed one of those portals.
(Overnight in Panajachel at the Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel)

Lake Atitlán in Guatemala

Today we discover more of the colourful culture of Guatemala with a visit to Chichicastenango, a large indigenous town renowned for its traditional K’iche’ Maya culture. We will begin our exploration of this exciting town with a visit to the Church of Santo Tomás, built atop a pre-columbian temple platform. Here we will climb the venerated 18 steps that originally led to an ancient Maya temple, and represent one month of the Maya Calendar year. The local K’iche’ priests and Mayan shamans still practice their ancient rituals and ceremonies in honour of the divinities within the church while the scent of burning copal and incense fills the air. 

Later, enjoy the day to scour the famous Chichi Market, one of the most important markets and largest trading centres of Guatemala. This astounding market draws not only the K’iche Maya of the surrounding region, but vendors from all across Guatemala as well. A symphony of local languages resounds throughout the market such as Mam, Ixil, Kaqchikel and many others. This is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself among the locals, mingle, and become more accustomed with their traditions and way of life. Sample the exotic fruits and vegetables, practice your Spanish, and pick up some wonderful treasures to take home with you.

After a full day of sensory delights, we make our way back to Antigua coming full circle. This evening we enjoy a final Farewell Dinner with time to recap our insightful teachings and share our favourite moments of our journey with our wonderful new family.
(Overnight in Antigua at the Posada de Don Rodrigo)

Santo Tomás in Guatemala

Transfer to the Guatemala City airport for your flight home and return with amazing memories and experiences and an abundance of knowledge and wisdom.

Guatemala

Maya Sacred Path to 2012 with Miguel Angel Vergara and Dr. Richard Jelusich

Tour Includes:

  • 9 nights accommodation in 3 and 4 star hotels based on Double/Shared Occupancy in Guatemala and Honduras
  • Arrival and Departure Transfers
  • Breakfast Daily, 7 Lunches and 3 Dinners
  • Transportation by Private Coach Bus
  • Hotel Taxes
  • Baggage Handling at the Hotels (1 bag per person)
  • Tips for Bellboys, Housekeeping, Restaurant Waiters, and Bus Driver
  • Fees and Gratuities for Tour Leaders
  • Admission to all sites as per itinerary
  • All Guide services as per itinerary

 

 

Added Features:

  • Travel with author and Maya Master Teacher, Miguel Angel Vergara Calleros
  • Travel with author and guest speaker, Dr. Richard Jelusich, Ph.D.
  • Participate in meditations, rituals and sacred ceremonies at the Mayan sites
  • Lectures by Dr. Richard Jelusich, Ph.D. and Teachings on Mayan Cosmology by Miguel Angel Vergara Calleros
  • Visits to the ancient sacred cities of Quiriguá and Copán
  • Visits to the cultural towns of Panajachel, Santiago Atitlán, and Chichicastenango
  • Boat ride on Lake Atitlán

Tour Does Not Include:

  • Airfare to Guatemala City, Guatemala
  • Cancellation & Medical Insurance (ask us for a quote)
  • Meals and drinks not specified as indicated in the itinerary
  • Cost to obtain valid passport
  • Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks and telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed on our website or in the final retreat itinerary.

Tour Price:

    • Double Room: USD 2,899 per person
    • Single Supplement: USD 650
Book this Journey
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1-877-874-7922 to help you make your reservation

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