Magic fills the ancient Maya site of Tikal, Guatemala.

What time is it? What day is it?

The Maya believe that time is cyclical instead of the western conception of linear time.

The world spins counterclockwise and keeps on rotating. So what could possibly be linear about that? In fact, the Maya realized that certain balls of dirt in the sky go around in circles. The Earth is one of them. The Moon too. It takes 27.1 days for the moon to return to the same place in the sky (sidereal) and 29.5 days from new moon to new moon (synodic). So the average moon cycle is 28 days, which is the same as our (both men and women) biorhythms.

The Maya saw the moon rise and set each day and noticed that changes took place in its location in the sky. Same with the Sun. Same with Venus. What did it all mean? Did it relate to anything in their lives? Was nature relevant in their lives?

"We are nature, nature is us." But of course.

However, all of a sudden, the food that rose from the Earth did not suffice. That is, once they decided to settle down (after their nomadic early 20's fresh out of college, exploring Europe on a Eurail pass). Settling down was a massive change. Babies were born and there were more mouths to feed. Elderly who once stayed behind to die, were now living amongst the community and hanging around longer.

A dilemma arose and the Maya brilliantly devised a harvesting scheme, still followed to this day. The moon's phases guide when to plant, hunt, cut down trees, and perform ritual ceremonies.

According to ancient Maya beliefs, a new cycle will begin on December 12, 2012 CE.

You never know who or what you'll come across in the jungle.