Palenque

A little more than a thousand years ago, Lord Pakal held forth at Palenque. His mother had been king before him and his son took over after Lord Pakal’s sixty eight year reign. Lord Pakal was a great esoteric warrior/king of the Americas.

Today, Ch’ol, the language of Pakal, is spoken at Palenque and here in the area north of San Fransisco. A local anthropologist friend has told me that today there are more Ch’ol speakers in San Rafael California than at Palenque. Visiting Palenque is now difficult. The Zapatista rebellion and tourists by the bus loads have challenged the once pristine quiet of this ruin in the Chiapas jungle.

My first visits to Palenque in the early 1990’s were simple opportunities to come into a communication with the spirit of Lord Pakal. He was entombed at the bottom of the so-called Temple of Inscriptions in an ornate sarcophagus which was open to public visitation. I would visit with him once a day and then sit outside his temple and listen. I took a room at the hotel Chan-Kah, a then modest place built inside the ruins. After a week or so I was full and returned home. Some years I visited two or three times. Some years I had no need to visit. Once, I was fortunate to be at his tomb when it was closed to the public.

Lord Pakal was an important teacher of mine and visits to his temple were important pilgrimages for me. He taught me how to establish relationship and receive teachings and blessings from the spirits of saints. He protected me from attack by negative spirits and encouraged me in my confusions. And he taught me to navigate the stars.

Why am I writing this? Until I met Lord Pakal, I had no understanding of the possibilities of pilgrimage for serious students of the esoteric. Lord Pakal opened my eyes to the teachings available from the spirits of saints who welcome us on pilgrimage.

12/16/18