Knowra Mayanism Mayanism Mayanism is a modern spiritual movement that draws on Maya culture and cosmology, often blending them with New Age beliefs and interpretations of the 2012 calendar.
Maya civilization : A Mesoamerican civilization whose cities, writing, mathematics, and political traditions developed over millennia. Mayanism takes its central cultural references from this civilization, though often through modern reinterpretation.
Maya people : Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica who share related languages and diverse cultural traditions. Their living communities are distinct from the modern spiritual movement that adopts Maya symbols.
Maya religion : The religious traditions practiced by ancient Maya societies, expressed through ritual, sacred narratives, and relations with deities and ancestors. Historical Maya religion is not interchangeable with modern Mayanist spirituality.
Galactic alignment : A popular astronomical idea that the Sun’s position near the December solstice aligns with the Milky Way’s galactic plane. Some 2012 interpretations connected this alignment to a predicted cosmic transition.
New Age : A loosely connected spiritual movement combining ideas and practices drawn from diverse religious and esoteric traditions. New Age frameworks supply many of Mayanism’s modern spiritual interpretations.
Cultural appropriation : The adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of another, often amid unequal power relations. Mayanism can prompt debate over who interprets Maya heritage and how its symbols are used.
Maya mythology : The sacred narratives of Maya peoples, including accounts of creation, gods, heroes, and cosmic order. Mayanist accounts often draw on or adapt these narratives.
José Argüelles : An American New Age author and artist known for promoting interpretations of the Maya calendar and a 2012 transformation. His writings helped popularize influential modern calendar interpretations.
Maya calendar : A system of interlocking calendars used by ancient Maya communities to track time and organize ritual and civic life. Modern readings of its cycles, especially the Long Count, helped shape Mayanist expectations.
Indigenous spirituality : Religious and spiritual traditions rooted in the histories and practices of Indigenous peoples. Mayanism’s claims about Maya wisdom are often assessed against the diversity of Indigenous traditions.
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