I spent several interesting days at a tipi compound near Tepoztlan, Mexico. Owned and operated by Ea Orgo-Maynez (pronounced EE-AH), a Mexican-American artist and indigenous culture expert, the property is sacred to the local population because it reputedly contains a gate (or puerta) to another dimension. This portal looks (to the untrained eye) like a massive fissure in a 100 foot high cliff doubling as an alter or shrine, filled with candles, ribbons, and other sacrifices. Local legend claims that Quetzalcoatl (history lesson forthcoming) brought the first seeds to the people here so they could grow their own food. The retreat also offers accommodation in real tipis, a sweat lodge, and several ceremonial locations.
By chance I visited during Ea’s (Gregorian calendar) birthday and enjoyed a night of festivities with his friends and visitors. I mention the Gregorian calendar, the internationally accepted method of tracking the days, months, and years, because Ea also follows the Mayan calendar, based on a 260 day year, which some believe calls for the end of the world in 2012.
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