Martin Prechtel: Mayan Myth And Legend

Twenty-five years ago, a young musician and painter named Martin Prechtel, a half-blood Native American with a Pueblo Indian upbringing, wandered through the brilliant landscapes of Mexico and Guatemala. Arriving at Santiago Atitlan, a Tzutujil Mayan village, Prechtel met Nicolas Chiviliu Tacaxoy--perhaps the most famous shaman in Tzutujil history--who believed Prechtel was the new student he had asked the gods to provide. For the next thirteen years, Prechtel studied the ancient Tzutujil culture and became a village chief and a famous shaman in his own right. Prechtel mixes Mayan myths with a first-person account of his efforts to escape from Guatemala with his family intact during the 1980s civil war that tore the country apart. In this dialogue you will get a privileged and rare glimpse into the complex and spiritually rich life of the Mayan culture, with tales filled with enchantment, danger, passion, and hope. "It is very good to be a coward because it is the only way you can gain courage."

Martin Prechtel is a renowned artist and healer, and leads workshops and gives lectures across the country. He is the author of The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun (North Atlantic Books 2006); Long Life, Honey in the Heart (North Atlantic Books 2004); Secrets of the Talking Jaguar (Tarcher 1999) and The Toe Bone and the Tooth (Element Books 2004). To find out more information about the work of Martin Prechtel go to www.floweringmountain.com

New Dimensions seeks out the most innovative and creative people on the planet and engages them in spontaneous, deep dialogues. Its mission is to deliver life-affirming, socially and spiritually relevant information, practical knowledge and perennial wisdom through the voices and visions of those who are asking new questions and are looking at the world in positive and inspiring ways. It is through the exchange of ideas and information that we can be empowered and enabled to meet the future with greater energy and clarity.