How to Open a Portal to the Underworld.

Directions for the Opening the Xibalba Portal Ceremony

Xibalba. The Underworld. Place of Fear and Lords of Death. Why on earth would anyone want to open a portal to Xibalba?

We were standing on a jungle path deep in the heart of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula chatting pleasantly with Venancio, a gentle man of Maya descent. He lived in the same village, on the same land as his ancestors. He grew medicinal plants, fruits trees, and an interesting type of coffee. He nurtured melipona bees, white tailed deer, wild boar, and wild turkeys. He was giving us a tour of his property—telling us about life in his village, his traditional practices, and deep connection to his culture.

Video taken very close near to where this story was told to us. The family raises deer.

Maya culture, I find, is intrinsically connected to spirit. Everything has consciousness and the people live in gratitude, moving with the ancient energies that surround them. To this end, stories of elemental beings, jungle guardians, and surreal entities wove their way into our conversation. Many of the stories were familiar to me, but one in particular really caught my interest and even made me just a tiny bit uncomfortable!

As we stood at a point on the trail furthest from the buildings, a point where the underbrush was thick and wild mot-mots called between the trees, Venancio launched into an explanation of a powerful ritual performed once every three years, a ritual that he was unable to remember the name of, but he had participated in when his grandfather presided over it . . . a ritual to open a portal to the Infamundo.

And WHY would you want to open a portal to the Underworld? Well, to bring offerings so that the denizens of Xibalba leave you alone!

Most often, when we learn of rituals of great importance, ones that connect with ancient spirits, we only get tidbits of information. The details are held close and of course we respect that. In this case, Venancio shared more than we expected. We asked very few questions, as in these times we usually just let the person talk and share what they want to, and we only ask clarifying questions (and sometimes we don’t even do that). These subjects are sensitive. So, I was thrilled when Venancio described to us, in detail, the opening of the portal.

Warning! Don’t do this.

First the offering must be prepared.

The men make very large tortillas from pepita (Yucatan pumpkin) seeds and white beans (very different from the traditional corn tortillas) and the women cook a LOT of chicken. They must be patio chickens (ones that roam free in the yard and are cared for like pets) and not farmed chickens. They season the chicken with achiote, a smokey, deep orange spice.

Candles are lit in the four corners of the property.

Then the chicken and fancy tortillas are presented as an elaborate offering to the gods of the Underworld. A powerful shaman walks the perimeter of the land saying many prayers in Mayan. He walks and prays fervently all night long. This opens a portal, a liminal door, and the inhabitants of Xibalba, dark and shadowy, moving like clouds through the palms and strangler figs, rise from the netherworld and take the energy from the offering. After they receive the offering, they reenter the cavern of dark and (hopefully) they close the door behind them. (When Venancio described the closing of the door, he made a gesture as if double doors were closing on a doorway that descended into the earth.)

The Lords of the Underworld do not come out again until the next time the ceremony is performed (3 years later).

In the morning, the food is eaten by the people of the village. And the village is considered safe from any trouble the Lords of Darkness might have caused had they not been appeased with such an extensive offering.

I hope that the villagers they don’t forget the date of the next ceremony. What if 3 years and a day pass?

I’m only visiting during year one.

Hugs and butterflies,

laura