I sat on the little silver-painted stool in the middle of the room, having agreed to a cleansing by Francisco, the herbatero (Maya shaman)

We discovered the existence of another entity that lives in the fields and forests of Yucatan. Francisco, our shaman friend and guide, referred to it as Ak na’am. It is a destructive energy that is quite dangerous. It appears large when you see it from far away, but when you get closer, you discover it is only the size of a squirrel. However, . . . it can lure you to do things that will harm you and it is able to shape-shift. Just the other day we were out in the jungle with

"This is where the hat turned into a snake." We were standing on top of The Hill of The Aluxob (plural for alux). Certainly it was once a stone Maya building of some sort, possibly a small pyramid, although now it is covered in young ceiba trees and strangler figs. A small circle of stones, rather like an old well, lay at our feet. Francisco, our shaman-guide told us that people had often stolen the stones because they are sacred. They hoped to bring good luck home with them

There is a cenote on private land in the jungle near Puerto Morelos in Mexico that is quite certainly home to an alux. How do I know this? Because it was impossible for the owner to have a staircase built to provide access into the jungle pool. The workers came back in the morning after nailing heavy, hardwood boards into place the day before only to find their work torn up and scattered violently across the limestone strewn land in the jungle. It looked as if a hurricane had

When you are getting ready to do some research and the Universe conspires to help you, you follow the bread crumb trail...no matter where it might lead! A few weeks ago, I submitted an application to National Geographic for a grant to do some research on Maya Mysteries. I really have no idea if I will receive the grant, but the research is already taking on a life of its own. It is almost as if there are secrets that WANT to be uncovered, as if the secrets themselves are leav