CH'UMILAL:
Find Your Guiding Star
A 4-day immersive ceremony & teaching on the Cholq’ij, Sacred Mayan Time-keeping.
Held on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.
When:
June 19–22, 2026
Where:
Winaq School:
Santiago, Atitlán
Spaces:
13
Participants
Investment:
$333
All Inclusive
The Question
Who are you
in the universe?
Ch'umilal pronounced chu-mi-LAL means "your star" in the K'iche' and Kaqchikel Maya languages. It names your unique light, your purpose, and the place you occupy in the cosmic order.
Discover your Nahual, the energetic force of the day you were born. Participate in sacred fire ceremonies, energetic clearings, and connection with the land, and leave with living tools for greater balance and purpose.
Why Now?
More than five centuries after the European colonization of this continent, the Maya peoples never stopped counting the days. The Cholq'ij has been passed from grandmother to granddaughter, from grandfather to grandson, in ceremony and in practice.
Today, as the planet faces climate crisis, disconnection, and loss of meaning, this ancient system of living in harmony with nature and the cosmos is more relevant than ever.
What Will You Learn?
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Your Nahual
The energetic force of the day you were born: your cosmic blueprint, your unique connection to the 20 sacred signs of the Cholq'ij.
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Cosmic Order
Each Nahual holds a direction, element, and color. Learn to map yourself within the six dimensions of the Mayan cosmos.
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The 260-Day Count
The sacred calendar formed by 13 numbers and 20 day signs. Learn to read daily energies, solstices, and year-bearers.
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Sacred Fire Ceremony
Kneeling before the fire offering, prayer and a direct conversation with cosmic energies. Fire as a messenger and purifier.
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Energetic Cleansing
Daily practices with medicinal plants, sacred candles, and tobacco which are tools for body-spirit alignment in the Maya tradition.
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Sacred Purpose
Your duty and contribution to the collective. What is your responsibility to the world? What did you come here for?
The Journey
Day 1- June 19th
Wo'o' Q'anil — 5 Q'anil
Energies, Nahuales & Universal Laws
Arrive at midday. After settling in, we open with invocation, physical activation through the 13 joints, plant cleansing, and a deep dive into Maya cosmovision: the living principle that all things hold energy and the universal laws of cosmic balance.
10:00 am: Welcoming and Grounding
1:00 pm: Lunch
2:30 pm: Invocation & energetic center
3:05 pm: Body activation — joints & Nahual of the day
3:30 pm: Plant cleansing
4:00 pm: Maya cosmovision & universal laws
5:30 pm: Closing meditation
Day 2 - June 20th
Waqib' Toj — 6 Toj
Nahuales, Polychromy & Cosmic Order
On the day of Toj representing reciprocity and balance, we go deeper into the 20 Nahuales, the base-20 Maya counting system, and the six cosmic directions: four cardinal points, the Heart of the Sky, and the Heart of the Earth.
9:00 am: Invocation & collective reflection on Day 1
10:00 am: Body calibration — breath & 13 joints
10:30 am: Energetic cleansing with candles & tobacco
11:15 am: The 13 energies & 20 Nahuales
12:30 pm: Cardinalities, polychromy & six dimensions
Afternoon Free time: lake, rest, integration or voluntary regenerative practices.
Day 3 - June 21st - Summer Solstice
Wuqub' Tz'i' — 7 Tz'i'
The 260-Day Count & Sacred Fire
We begin with fire. The first Xukulem — sacred fire ceremony — opens the day. Then we study the full 260-day calendar: solstices, equinoxes, year-bearers, and daily energies. We close with movement and dance honoring the Nahual of the day.
9:00 am Xukulem: sacred fire ceremony
10:30 am The complete 260-day count
11:30 am Body movement & dance
12:00 pm Energetic cleansing
Afternoon Free time, lake, rest, integration or voluntary regenerative practices.
Day 4 - June 22nd
Wajxaquib' Batz' — 8 Batz'
Your Star's Path & Sacred Closing
The most sacred day in the Maya calendar when new timekeepers are initiated and the Cholq'ij celebrates itself. We close with a second fire ceremony, collective dialogue on Patan Samaj (your sacred purpose), and a shared meal.
9:00 am Xukulem: sacred fire ceremony
10:30 am Patan Samaj: your sacred purpose in circle
11:30 am Closing & reflections
12:00 pm Lunch & farewell
A Special Bonus
As part of the course, students will receive a rare Spanish-language copy of Choloq’ij: Calendario Maya de 260 días – Aplicación cotidiana by revered Maya Kaqchikel teacher Tat Rosalino Tichoc Cúmes.
This is the author’s first and only print edition, making it a unique and meaningful resource for those wishing to deepen their understanding of the Maya sacred calendar through authentic teachings and daily practice.
Join us at Winaq School:
• 4 Days of Teaching & Ceremony
Facilitated by Ajq'ij Delmi Arriaza Pontaza and guest Ajq'ijab'
• 4 Nights Accommodation
Winaq: School of Life and Ancestral Remembrance and Living Regenerative Community on Lake Atitlán
• Fire Ceremonies - Kotz’ij
All ceremonial materials: copal, candles (6 colors), flowers, ocote, resins, tobacco
• All Meals Included
We do our best to integrate prehispanic gastronomy, locally-farmed-sourced food and ingredientes, home-cooked food prepared on-site with care and intention
• Daily Energetic Cleansing
Guided practices with medicinal plants, candles, and tobacco
• Special Gift
Receive a rare Spanish-language copy of Choloq’ij: Calendario Maya de 260 días — the first and only print edition by revered Maya Kaqchikel teacher Tat Rosalino Tichoc Cúmes, included with your course enrollment and a curated offering from Winaq and collaborators.
The Place
Winaq School:
Santiago, Atitlán
Winaq is a multicultural regenerative community rooted in the ancestral Mayan lands of Iximulew, the Land of the Corn in Santiago Atitlán, Tz'ikin'jaay, the House of the Birds. It is a place where our collective remembrance of origin meets a radical and tender vision for humanity's future. We are called to rejuvenate land and spirit alike, reawakening the ancestral wisdom of the world's indigenous peoples; particularly the Tz'utujil Maya, whose cosmovision anchors us in reciprocity, harmony, and sacred service.
In a world fragmented by separation, consumption, and exploitation, Winaq offers an alternative: a living community of regeneration, learning, and deep reconnection. Our vision arises from the understandin
g that true transformation begins within. We see mind, body, and spirit as sacred instruments that when aligned with our holistic vision, reweave our relationship with each other and with the Earth.
Our school is a Tree of Life, nurtured by the Heart of the Sky and the Heart of the Earth, growing into a vibrant living tapestry of art, science and spirituality through indigenous wisdom. Through the integration of the sacred Mayan calendar and the Nahuales with multicultural ancestral knowledge and regenerative living practices, we are dreaming a new culture into being.
Your Guides
Nan Delmi Arriaza Pontaza
Main Facilitator & Ajq'ijDelmi is a popular educator, social scientist, feminist, and activist in the defense of life. She holds academic studies in Economics, Pedagogy, and Western Philosophy alongside training in Popular Education, Decolonial Thought, and Feminisms. For 20 years she has worked with grassroots organizations across Guatemala, developing alternative methodologies and participatory processes to strengthen collective action — particularly with women's, indigenous, and youth movements.
She practices as a Reiki therapist, accompanies women survivors of violence, and found the sacred path as an Ajq'ij, a Maya spiritual guide and keeper of the sacred calendar. She brings both rigorous intellectual grounding and deep ceremonial responsibility to her work.
Nan Josefina Limantuj Ixcot
Co-Facilitator & Ajq'ijJosefina Limantuj Ixcot is a Maya K'iche' woman and spiritual guide, originally from Quetzaltenango, known to the K'iche' ancestors of that territory as Xelajuj Noj, a name that carries its own cosmological weight and history within the Maya tradition.
She is a member of Oxlajuj Aj, a network of Ajq'ijab' dedicated to the continuity and practice of the Maya Cosmovision, carrying ceremonial knowledge and cultural continuity forward in the present day.
She brings to this course the knowledge of her K'iche' lineage, rooted in one of the most significant Maya cultural and spiritual centers in Guatemala: a city where indigenous identity, language, and ceremonial practice have remained strong and present across generations.
Tat Ramos Martin Nimacachi
Ajq'ijTat Ramos Martin Nimacachi is a Maya Kaqchikel spiritual guide, originally from Santa Catarina Palopó, Sololá, a small lakeside village on the eastern shore of Lake Atitlán, where the Kaqchikel tradition has been carried and practiced without interruption for generations. He is a member of the ‘Guatemaya’ Collective in Sololà.
He will join us on Wajxaquib' Batz' to guide the sacred fire ceremony that closes the course; one of the most auspicious days in the entire Maya calendar, and the day traditionally dedicated to the Ajq'ijab' and the renewal of sacred commitment.
Please Read
A Note:
Ch'umilal is an introduction to the Cholq'ij and not a path to becoming an Ajq'ij. Completing this course does not certify anyone to lead Maya ceremonies. That calling develops over years of study, lineage, and ceremony. It is not something that can be transmitted in four days.
What this course gives you is a genuine foundation: tools to understand the calendar, connect with your Nahual, make personal offerings at home, and walk more consciously with time.
These teachings are shared openly and with love with a single request: receive them with respect. Do not use them to appropriate a culture that is not yours, or to present yourself as something you have not yet become. Knowledge is a gift and we invite you to carry it accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No prior knowledge needed. This is designed for people completely new to the Cholq'ij. You can look up your Nahual before arriving, and we ask you join us with an open heart and a genuine curiosity.
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Yes. If you live in Santiago Atitlán or can arrange nearby accommodation, you may attend as a day participant. Contact us to discuss options and adjusted pricing.
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Yes. For every 3 participants paying full price, one scholarship is generated. For a group of 13, approximately 4 scholarships are available. If financial access is a barrier, reach out directly and honestly — we will do our best to include you.
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Passport & important personal documents
Comfortable clothes and light layers
Comfortable walking shoes
A reusable water bottle (filtered drinking water is available on site)
Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses — the sun can be intense!
A light jacket or sweater for cool mornings and evenings
A rain jacket or umbrella for afternoon rains
Non-toxic shower and bathroom toiletries
Herbal or non-toxic bug spray
Your notebook or favorite journal
Any personal supplies or altar items you'd like to have on hand
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Fly into La Aurora Airport, Guatemala City.
From Guatemala City, take a shuttle to Panajachel (Lake Atitlán). We recommend Magic Travel — they depart from Guatemala City/Airport at 6am, 10:30am, and 1:30pm. The drive is approximately 4 hours.
From Panajachel, take a public boat to Santiago Atitlán (Q25) — before 6pm. A private boat will be waiting at Santiago main dock to bring you to Winaq School.
Transportation is not included in the course price. We do not organize your transport to Santiago Atitlán, but we are happy to help with information if you need support.
For help getting here:
- WhatsApp Aliix (English): +502 5554 0678
- Magic Travel (shuttle): +502 3257 0040 -
Translations from Spanish to English and from the Mayan languages to English will be provided.
June 19–22, 2026
Register Now to Save Your Spot!
Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala · 13 participants maximum
$333
Per Person: All Inclusive
✓ 4 Nights
✓ Ceremonial Gift
✓ Fire Ceremonies
✓ Community Living
✓ All Meals
✓ Course Materials
Scholarships available · Contact us if cost is a barrier