Sage & Copal
Cualli tonalli!
We had an eventful weekend as we made an appearance at a ceremony celebrating Kalpulli Izkalli’s veintena. For those not connected or familiar with Mexicayotl, there are several terms that we’ll have to explain:
Kalpulli: A community of culture bearers learning and practicing Nahua, often specifically Mexica (Aztec), traditions including dance in particular.
Veintena: Twenty day months in the Nahua calendar.
Izkalli: A twenty day month in the Nahua calendar and the name of a Kalpulli from the South Bay Area.
We were happy to meet new people and see familiar faces, some of which we haven’t seen for many years. The smell of sage and copal were strong as the row of drums were loud, forcing one to be present in the moment. My mind tends to wander so having reminders like that is greatly appreciated.
As a cultural and spiritual event, I was pleasantly surprised that we had gotten significant engagement from itotiani (dancers) and community members passing by who were interested in learning about us and our programs, though it shouldn’t have surprised me at all in retrospect.
I tend to not divulge information on ceremony, so I apologize for the brevity, but if you or anyone you know are interested in learning more, especially if you’re reconnecting, please be sure to connect with your local Kalpulli, should there be one, and learn from multiple sources about who we are, a personal favorite is the Tales From Aztlantis podcast which delves into community history and misconceptions.
In that vein there is a public ceremony/event in the middle of March that we hope get a booth for in San Jose, California, locals probably know which one I’m referring to. Should we secure the space we’ll release a statement on our socials so keep an eye out!
We have hosted smaller events we’ve been calling Tech Socials on the first Saturday of each month. We hope to continue these socials, but we also hope to expand to movie viewings, Koyaanisqatsi comes to mind, and maybe even book readings, been rather fond of Data and Goliath, which will also be posted on our socials.
Finally, our Xopan Fundraiser is still live so be sure to donate if you can! Once the Xopan season ends, the spring equinox, we will transition marketing to the Tlacopan fundraiser, the season that ends on the fall equinox. It will be the same fundraiser that will remain ongoing until we reach our goal, the name and aesthetic will simply change based on the seasons of the Nahua calendar.
That’s all for now! stay safe out there and tlazocamati huel miac for reading our blog! We look forward to the next one!
