New Years Rituals

New Years Rituals
BY BARBARA BIZIOU

Each New Year millions of people make resolutions to do things
differently. Because cultures from around the world understand that
the New Year is an opportunity to spiritually turn the wheel of the
year and begin anew this is the perfect time to look at areas that
need adjustment.

Take the time to do rituals of purification and closure to prepare
for a new vision to manifest. As we move into the year 2005, more
than ever, it is crucial to take the time to acknowledge our
experiences with joy and grief. We must strive to bring balance and
harmony into our lives so we can imbue the coming year with the
qualities that we most desire.

Turn this holiday into a meaningful occasion.
You'll be surprised how easy it is to turn holiday occasions that you
normally take for granted or move through without thinking into a
meaningful ritual. Instead of just coming up with guest list and
planning the usual gathering for the New Year, if you slow down,
realize that you're taking part in a time-honored tradition that
connects you to your past, and concentrate on your intention--to
commemorate an important holy day--you will get deeper meaning and a
greater sense of connectedness out of each occasion.

New Years Ritual:
Spend the day on December 31st by taking some time to be quiet and
reflect on the year that is drawing to a close. Think about the
people that mattered most to you, your greatest accomplishment,
challenging difficulties and the lessons you learned.

Take a purification bath. Scrub yourself with sea salt and wash
yourself thoroughly in the water. Feel free to anoint yourself with
your favorite oil or perfume.

Contemplate the patterns in your life that keep you stuck. Write down
the limiting beliefs or habits that you wish to leave behind with the
old year. In a fireproof bowl or fireplace, safely burn the paper. As
the paper burns, be aware that you have just made space for new ideas
people, and opportunities to enter your life. Carefully, throw out
the ashes when they cool.

Light a candle for those who have passed on to spirit.
Light a candle for your new potential in the coming year.
Light a candle to acknowledge the earth.
Contribute to your community by planting a tree, helping a homeless
family or baking cookies for your local nursing home.

Share your holiday with others: invite friends to a New Year's
ceremony that honors your individual path. Have each person light a
candle and share his or her vision for the year. It is powerful to
have witnesses to your dreams.

Take five minutes to focus on peace- have each person light a candle
for peace and healing. Play inspirational music

Dance, sing and celebrate life.

Forgive, forgive, forgive- end the old year by opening your heart to
yourself and others.

During Tashlich, the Hebrew ritual for Rosh Hashanah (New Year), Jews
throw bread into moving water as a symbol of releasing the previous
years's transgressions. The bread feeds the fish and birds so it is
also a way to connect to all of God's creatures. Yom Kippur, the
Jewish Day of Atonement, is a time to fast and contemplate the past
year and any transgressions one has committed. You ask forgiveness of
anyone you have harmed in words, deeds or action in the past year.
Traditionally you ask the person personally three times. If they do
not respond you then turn it over to God.

In Bali, the day before the New Year. All statues of the Deity are
taken to the water for purification ceremonies. Great processions of
people walk to the river or ocean and offer prayers. A great ceremony
is held where you make as much noise as possible to appease the gods,
because on the actually day of the New Year (Nyep) the entire island
is in silence. One prays and meditates on the coming year. Even the
airports are closed.

In China, it is important to pay all debts before the year begins so
you can start off fresh. Families clean their homes thoroughly to
release any traces of bad luck from the past year. On New Year's Eve
it is important to put purifying herbs like crushed lime leaves into
the bath water.
New Year's day is filled with huge parades and processions including
dancing dragons that are associated with long life and prosperity.
People bring in lucky plants and flowers like the Kumquat trees and
peach blossoms to decorate their homes. All Chinese children and
people who are not married are given money in special red envelopes
to bring good luck for the coming year.

Watch your head in an Italian town on New Year's eve, because the
inhabitants literally do "out with the old" by throwing unwanted
possessions from their windows. Everything that lands on the pavement
is up for grabs, making street shopping a fun part of the night's
activity.

For good luck in the coming year, some cultures throw money into the
house the first time that they enter after the New Year has begun. If
you are staying home, go to your front door at 12:01 am and throw
coins into the front door. Keep them there for 24 hours and then
place them on your altar or give them away to the needy.

Many years ago the Bulgarian master Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov told me
that the first 12 days of January represent the whole year. January
1st stands for the month of January, January 2nd stands for February
and so on. By practicing loving kindness, openness, and generosity
while giving thoughtful attention to the significance of each day,
you will consecrate the coming year.

In the African tradition, divinations are made on New Years for the
coming year. Luisah Teish, in Carnival of the Spirit says that in the
African Diaspora there is a tradition of divining for the coming
year. Divination may be done for individual, groups or the world. It
is both will-directed and destiny-directed prophecy. Pam nuts, kola
nuts, or cowry shells are cast to determine what natural occurrences
(earth quakes, tidal waves) and what human tendencies (fear,
communion) are most likely to manifest in the coming year. We ask
what do the deities have in store for us and how are we to conduct
ourselves. These predictions are made and the diviner prescribes
various rituals to be performed throughout the year in order to
receive blessings and avert danger.

Barbara Biziou, author of The Joys of Everyday Rituals

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as “chakra”, “prana”, “aura”, and “tantra” in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?

Are All Energy Healings the Same?

Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. “Prana” means life energy. “Aura” is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet - psychic

Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word “tan” which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.

Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.

Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.

The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.

Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?

Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:

· Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.

For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.

· People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.

Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.

· Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.

Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.

· Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.

Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.

The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

The Sweet Power Spot BEFORE Winter Solstice

It is that magical time of the year again, my favorite. We get to sink into the
dark, mysterious arms of the Dark Goddess, who then rebirths the Light God of
the Sun. I am speaking of course of Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the
year, when the six month Great Cycle of Yin magically turns into the six month
Great Cycle of Yang.

This solstice event has been recognized by many major religions as expressing
some divine power, and they have aligned their major holy-day celebrations
around it. Its interesting that they chose winter solstice over summer solstice
- perhaps the need of patriarchal religions to honor their yin side and process
of maternal birthing. Thus did the Romans declare that Jesus was born around
this time, and so on.

The Taoists simply stuck to the natural facts, since that suited their natural
cosmology - no need to dress it up with a humanized divinity. Why not just have
each human being BE that divinity? Well, if you are like the typical excess-yang
Westerner, who is stuck in a dominant head mode, it is not so easy to experience
your body as that divinity. It takes a lot of qigong or other body centered
practice and body-centered meditation like inner alchemy to get deeply in touch
with that Dark Goddess.

This year we have a special opportunity to tap into a Triple Yin cycle, the
conjunction of the maximum Yin points of the solar, lunar, and earthly cycles.
We know the darkest point of the solar cycle is Thursday, Dec. 21. We always can
choose to celebrate solstice at the darkest moment of the earthly day cycle,
which is midnight of any given day. But this year we have the unusual near
conjunction of the new (dark) moon on the day before winter solstice: Wednesday,
Dec. 20 at 10 am Eastern Daylight Time.

This triple conjunction creates a very powerful "sweet spot" in this year's
natural cycle - a kind of an orgasm of dark light. A dark moon, a darkened sun,
and the darkness of midnight as the earth spins and births a new day. If we stay
up until midnight of Dec. 20, we can celebrate all three dark cycles at the same
moment. (Some might argue for Tuesday night going into the new moon, which could
also work).

This month’s New Moon is in Sagittarius, in Western astrology a great time to
initiate a quest of some kind, whether it’s inner or outer. And the Sun just
passed through a conjunction with Pluto on Dec. 18. Although recently demoted to
"planetoid" status, tiny Pluto is still considered to symbolize our deepest
spiritual will at the outer reaches of our solar system. Pluto will be conjunct
with the massive black hole at the Milky Way's Galactic Center on Dec. 29, so
its passing presence can be expected to intensify this solstice event as well.

If we do our ceremony at that triple-dark moment on midnight Dec. 20, we can
plant our seed-intention deep into the womb of darkness, when it is most fertile
and fecund. Farmers know well that if you plant by the new moon, the earth chi
is stronger and your crops grow much bigger. (It's not a superstition, but a
fact supported by numerous studies). Similarly, if like the farmer we plant a
seed using ceremonial movement, a focused thought, a strong feeling, a color
seen within and our breath released without - the Life Force will more
powerfully respond to our request. The Life Force will hear us more clearly,
because our intention has penetrated so deeply into the womb of Nature.


The Power of Physical Movement in Ritual

I feel the most powerful ceremony includes a ritual qigong (chi kung)
form. The movement of the physical body invokes your deepest soul essence
(jing) if you are deeply centered while moving. When you combine a
movement ritual with specific intention, it becomes nei kung
(neigong), or "internal skill in cultivating the life force".

My favorite ceremonial form is one developed by the Taoist sage Chang
San Feng, the creator of the original tai chi form and its esoteric
sister, wuji gong. Wuji gong I translate as Primordial Chi Kung or Tai
Chi for Enlightenment. (For more about its origins and efficacy, see
www.taichi-enlightenment.com. Its available in dvd or video, and has
an optional audio training as well).

The Yang family tai chi chi kung 8 movements/5 directions form taught
by Mantak Chia is also a lovely ceremonial form, and very grounded. It
circles left and right and interacts with the chi of all five
directions. But it doesn't evoke as much heaven chi as wuji gong does.

The Deep Healing Qigong form (available on dvd) is also very
ceremonial in nature. It faces all the directions and harmonizes the
center of the Sun with the deep center of the Earth Being. Doing just
one of its six movements - the three part mandala of Sun-Earth exchange
- transports me into an altered state. It's called medical qigong
simply because it was developed with that intention. But it could be
directed to any other goal, or used to add power to a solstice
ceremony.

You don't have to know a qigong form, although doing the same form
every solstice/equinox is more powerful. Using the same form
"programs" and empowers your energy body to contact the yuan chi at
those times. It helps to capture/embody the elusive yuan chi, which
our polarized egos don't want to notice because it threatens our
illusory belief that we are an island. Original Chi is boundary-less,
so it challenges our belief that the energy we feel is uniquely
'mine", under "my" control.

The truth is no one owns the chi field, and it is not controlled by
any one deity or external agent/God. It just IS. It is self-generating
and self-regulating. Everyone can use its abundance if we have the
skill to do it. We use it unconsciously all the time. But if we
consciously use it to promote harmony and balance in our life, the Tao
will give us more chi to play with. If we abuse it or over control for
selfish ends, a natural contraction occurs. We will face increased
resistance in our life and chi flow, resulting possibly in suffering,
disease, or death.

And So This Is Christmas

And So This Is Christmas
By Cindy Sheehan
t r u t h o u t Guest Contributor

Monday 25 December 2006

And so this is Christmas,
And what have you done?
Another year over,
A new one just begun.
- John Lennon

Today is the 21st birthday of my youngest child, Janey. It is the third birthday that she has "celebrated" since her oldest sibling, Casey, was killed in Iraq. My other son, Andy, turned 21 the year Casey was killed. Carly, my oldest daughter, turned 24 the year after Casey was killed ... the same age he was when BushCo sent him to die in their oil war for profit. In the one letter that Casey was writing three days before he was killed in the ambush that took the lives of six other soldiers, he expressed regret that he wouldn't be home for Janey's high school graduation that June. Little did we know that he would be home, buried in his "final resting place," forever.

Christmas 2006 will be the third Christmas that our family has endured since the death of Casey. The holiday season is hard for so many people as evidenced by the skyrocketing number of suicides and suicide attempts. Many people feel lonely and separated from joyous events, and the orgy of consumerism that now is the "reason for the season." Especially since Christmas 2003 was the last time we saw Casey alive, this season is so difficult for our family. Imagine getting out the boxes of Christmas decorations and pulling out your dead child's stocking or "Baby's First Christmas, 1979" ornament. Well, the Sheehan family and almost 3,000 other American families don't have to imagine the pain - we deal with the trauma 24/7; Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, births, anniversaries, will never, ever, be the same for us again.

2006 was a year of ups and downs for our family and for the nation. Despite the facts, the criminal and corrupt occupation of Iraq continues unabated, and in fact - worsens on an hourly basis. Body bags are coming home from the Middle East in the dark of night at a steady clip, and our troops are being grievously wounded for no other reason than to reward the CEOs of the war profiteers with phenomenal holiday bonuses. Our children are being sacrificed like Christmas turkeys so the turkeys in the White House can strut around and posture like dictators of banana republics.

With the transfer of power in the legislative branch of Congress, our nation has a unique opportunity for true change in 2007. But with the Democratic leadership cozying up to the killers who have led our country down a path of destruction in the name of "bipartisanship" - which in this case can only be truthfully called criminal collusion - we have little hope of the change that we the people voted overwhelmingly for this past November.

The best holiday presents for my family, our nation and the world, would be for the troops to speedily and safely exit from Iraq and for BushCo to be held accountable for their crimes against our Constitution and humanity. These gifts, however, will not be realized unless the grassroots community who put the Democrats back in power redouble our efforts for peace and accountability.

A very Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year,
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." An out-of-control Executive Branch, threatening to send more troops to Iraq and another battleship group to the Persian Gulf - to intimidate Iran and perhaps incite an attack from that country that would justify another war - is not the only thing the world has to fear. I am also afraid that the recent electoral victory of the Democratic Party will lead to complacency in the grassroots movement. May I remind everyone that the Democrats have started more wars in the last century than the Republicans - and all war is wrong, no matter what political party or which politician starts it. We have to do more than "hope" for a good 2007. We have to stay vigilant and motivated, and constantly remind our employees in DC who they work for and what we expect from them. The Democrats cannot be afraid to end the monstrosity that BushCo has perpetrated on the world. Our nation and the nation of Iraq demand heroes.

We have to be the ones who give our leaders the courage to do the right thing.

War is over, if you want it,
War is over, if you want it.
War is over, war is over,
If YOU work for peace.

Free Holiday E-Book

I have a nice ebook about holiday traditions that I would like to give to you absolutely FREE of charge. Please email me dottye789@earthlink.net to get your copy.

George Harrison~hard to believe it's been 5 years...

Hare Krishna George...we miss you, mate!

TELL WALMART: STOP SELLING RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE FOR CHRISTMAS.

What's Wal-Mart promoting this holiday season? The religious right's extreme ideology.

Just in time for Christmas, the religious right has released a violent video game in which born-again Christians aim to convert or kill those who don't adhere to their extreme ideology. The video game, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," is based on the apocalyptic "Left Behind" novels - written and promoted by religious right leader Tim LaHaye. Despite the violent, intolerant message being marketed to children, Wal-Mart, the nation's #1 video game seller, is selling the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game - just in time for the holidays!

Take action now and urge Wal-Mart to stop selling religious violence this holiday season.

"Left Behind: Eternal Forces" takes place in New York City, shortly after the rapture. Gamers are charged with creating Christian militias who roam the streets of New York City, looking to convert non-believers and killing those who they are unable to draw to their side. In fact, after particularly bloody battles, players must use prayer to recharge their "soul points" that have been diminished by the killing.

Most disturbing is the game's apparent attempt at religious indoctrination - aimed at children and focused on violent, divisive, and hateful scenarios.

The game has outraged progressive and conservative Christians alike, and despite the religious right's typical opposition to violent video games, "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" has not generated any criticism from this group and in fact gained a gleaming review from a Focus on the Family affiliated website this week.

While the religious right apparently has no problem pushing the product this holiday season, America's #1 video game seller should know better.

Click here and urge Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott to stop selling our kids religious violence.

Post-purchase deity evaluation form

Post-Purchase Deity Evaluation Form

God would like to thank you for your belief and patronage. In order to better serve your needs, (S)He asks that you take a few moments to answer the following questions:

1. How did you find out about your deity?

__ Newspaper
__ Bible
__ Torah
__ Koran
__ Television
__ Book of Mormon
__ Divine Inspiration
__ Dead Sea Scrolls
__ My Mama Done Tol' Me
__ Near Death Experience
__ Near Life Experience
__ National Public Radio
__ Tabloid
__ Burning Shrubbery
__ Other (specify): _____________

2. Which model deity did you acquire?

__ Jehovah
__ Jesus
__ Krishna
__ Father, Son & Holy Ghost [Trinity Pak]
__ Zeus and entourage [Olympus Pak]
__ Odin and entourage [Valhalla Pak]
__ Allah
__ Satan
__ Gaia/Mother Earth/Mother Nature
__ God 1.0a (Hairy Thunderer)
__ God 1.0b (Cosmic Muffin)
__ None of the above, I was taken in by a false god

3. Did your God come to you undamaged, with all parts in good working order and with no obvious breakage or missing attributes?

__ Yes
__ No

If no, please describe the problems you initially encountered here. Please indicate all that apply:

__ Not eternal
__ Finite in space/Does not occupy or inhabit the entire cosmos
__ Not omniscient
__ Not omnipotent
__ Not infinitely plastic (incapable of being all things to all creations)
__ Permits sex outside of marriage
__ Prohibits sex outside of marriage
__ Makes mistakes
__ Makes or permits bad things to happen to good people
__ Makes or permits good things to happen to bad people
__ Looks after life other than that on Earth
__ When beseeched, doesn't stay beseeched
__ Requires burnt offerings
__ Requires virgin sacrifices

4. What factors were relevant in your decision to acquire a deity? Please check all that apply.

__ Indoctrinated by parents
__ Needed a reason to live
__ Indoctrinated by society
__ Needed focus in whom to despise
__ Needed focus in whom to love
__ Imaginary friend grew up
__ Hate to think for myself
__ Wanted to meet girls/boys in church
__ Fear of death
__ Wanted to piss off parents
__ Wanted to please parents
__ Needed a day away from school or work
__ Desperate need for certainty
__ Like organ music
__ Need to feel morally superior
__ Thought Jerry Falwell was cool
__ Thought there had to be something other than Jerry Falwell
__ @#%$ was falling out of the sky
__ My shrubbery caught fire and told me to do it

5. Have you ever worshipped a deity before? If so, which false god were you fooled by? Please check all that apply.

__ Baal
__ The Almighty Dollar
__ Left Wing Liberalism
__ The Radical Right
__ Amon Ra
__ Beelzebub
__ Bill Gates
__ Barney The Big Purple Dinosaur
__ The Great Spirit
__ The Great Pumpkin
__ The Sun
__ The Moon
__ The Force
__ Cindy Crawford
__ Elvis
__ A burning shrub
__ Psychiatry
__ Other: ________________

6. Are you currently using any other source of inspiration in addition to God? Please check all that apply.

__ Tarot
__ Lottery
__ Astrology
__ Television
__ Fortune cookies
__ Ann Landers
__ Psychic Friends Network
__ Dianetics
__ Palmistry
__ Playboy and/or Playgirl
__ Self-help books
__ Sex, drugs, and rock & roll
__ Biorhythms
__ Alcohol
__ Marijuana
__ Bill Clinton
__ Tea Leaves
__ EST
__ Amway
__ CompuServe
__ Mantras
__ Jimmy Swaggert
__ Crystals
__ Human sacrifice
__ Pyramids
__ Wandering around a desert
__ Insurance policies
__ Burning shrubbery
__ Barney T.B.P.D.
__ Barney Fife
__ Other:_____________________
__ None

7. God reputedly employs a limited degree of Divine Intervention to preserve a balanced level of felt presence and blind faith. Which would you prefer? Circle one below:

a. More Divine Intervention
b. Less Divine Intervention
c. Current level of Divine Intervention is just right
d. Don't know.
e. What's Divine Intervention?

8. God also reputedly attempts to maintain a balanced level of disasters and miracles. Please rate on a scale of 1 - 5 your opinion of the handling of the following (1 =unsatisfactory, 5 = excellent):

a. Disasters:
1 2 3 4 5 flood
1 2 3 4 5 famine
1 2 3 4 5 earthquake
1 2 3 4 5 war & holocausts
1 2 3 4 5 pestilence
1 2 3 4 5 plague
1 2 3 4 5 Spam
1 2 3 4 5 AOL

b. Miracles:
1 2 3 4 5 rescues
1 2 3 4 5 spontaneous remissions
1 2 3 4 5 stars hovering over tiny towns & previously unknown hamlets
1 2 3 4 5 crying statues
1 2 3 4 5 water changing to wine
1 2 3 4 5 walking on water
1 2 3 4 5 coincidence of any sort
1 2 3 4 5 getting any sex whatsoever

9. From time to time God reputedly makes available the names and addresses of Her/His followers and devotees to selected reputedly divine personages who provide quality services and perform intercessions in His behalf. Are you interested in a compilation of listed offerings?

__ Yes, please deluge me with religious zealots for the benefit of my own mortal soul
__ No, I do not wish to be inundated by religious fanatics clamouring for my money

10. Do you have any additional comments or suggestions for improving the quality of God's services? (Attach an additional sheet if necessary.)

Aztec Religion

Like all the Mexican peoples, the Aztecs worshiped a multitude of gods, each of whom demanded offerings and sacrifices. Above all, the Aztecs considered themselves the chosen people of HUITZILOPOCHTLI, the sun and war god, in whose name they were destined to conquer all rival nations. Huitzilopochtli shared the main temple at Tenochtitlan with Tlaloc, the rain god, important to the farmers in a land where drought was a constant threat. Another important god was QUETZALCOATL, the feathered serpent, patron of arts and crafts and the god of self- sacrifice. Religion was ever present. Each place and each trade had its patron deity: each day, and each division of the day, was watched over by its own god. Priests were expected to live in chastity, to mortify their flesh, and to understand astronomy, astrology, the complex rituals and ceremonies, and the art of picture writing. Games also formed part of the religious ritual. A popular ball game was lachtli, in which a small rubber ball had to be struck by the hips or thighs and knocked across a special court. In another ritual game, men attired as birds and attached to ropes were slung in a wide circle around a pole.

The official state religion of the soldiers and noblemen was concerned primarily with the great and powerful gods: the creators, the solar deities, the patrons of the warrior orders. By contrast, the common people seem to have preferred the lesser, more accessible gods: the patrons of the craft guilds, the protectors of local shrines, and the deities who looked after the things of everyday life. For everyone, however, rich or poor, each month of the Aztec calendar had its festival, with music, dancing, processions, and sacrifices. All this came to an end with the Spanish conquest and the introduction of the Christian religion, although at the peasant level certain traditions from the Aztec heritage still survive in modern Mexico.