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Lecture
By Rossana Quiroz
Tues, July 17, 5:30pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos
The astronomic observational project at Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site
By Rossana Quiroz
Fifty-two moon cycles have been tracked from the principal doorway of Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site.
At first, we only focused on the full moon. But now, due to the results obtained through systematic observation, the sun, the new moon and Venus have been added to the photographic documentation of the Astronomical Observation Program of Cañada de la Virgen led by Archaeologist Gabriela Zepeda and assisted by Chicago’s Alder Planetarium emeritus astronomer Phyllis Pittluga.
As a monumental site, Cañada de la Virgen shares several architectural features with the rest of Mesoamerican ceremonial complexes; one of the most representative being, of course, the sacred mountain as a pyramid. Nevertheless, the astronomical orientation of the Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site, set at 80 degrees, does not coincide with solar equinox or solstice events, as many Mesoamerican sites do.
The question remains: Why is the principal structure, known as Complex A, oriented to 80 astronomical degrees?
We believe there is no way to fully understand Mesoamerican archaeological sites without turning to the sky. We believe that through the walls, corners, stairways and ramps of this complex, we will find the signs that connect the buildings to specific astronomical events. And more so, we believe that such details will connect us with long term indigenous festivities which are still practiced under Catholic guise and whose pre-Hispanic symbolism is still detectable.
One clear example of this could be the veneration of the image known as El Señor de la Conquista, whose story has been followed as far as the sixteen century when Fray Pedro de Burgos and Fray Francisco Doncel were intercepted by the Chichimeca warriors who killed them. It is said that the two men had with them the image of a Crucified Christ which is now identified as El Señor de la Conquista and who is honored in San Miguel de Allende the first Friday of March.
There are still many questions to ask from an astronomical point of view. This lecture will discuss such questions viewing the complex as a whole visual space designed to measure the ongoing cycles of the principal objects in the night sky.
Lecture
Spiritual wisdom series
Tues, July 17, 3:30pm
Sala Quetzal
Bibiloteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
“Wisdom from a Child”
By Rev. Dr. Thomas D. Lynch
Spiritual wisdom literature tells us that we can learn spirituality from many places. On its face, that statement is silly. Clearly, the source of spiritual wisdom must be the wise and prudent. Not necessarily.
Many people, including those who some consider wise and prudent, are blind to spiritual wisdom. They just do not see or understand it. For them, it does not exist and they probably will never get it.
In contrast, you can talk to very young children and hear and see spiritual wisdom in action. Of course you must have some intellectual or emotional understanding to recognize it.
Why do some children posses an innate spirituality? These children live more in the heart than they live in the mind or the body. They exhibit unconditional love with a strong trust in everyone.
Clearly, not all children have this quality. Some seem to have only egocentric love with little or no trust in others. The person wishing to have greater spirituality can learn from their non-spiritual behavior too by attempting to understand the source of their actions, and considering how to change their own mindset to avoid such behavior themselves.
Because children have simpler desires than so-called wise and prudent adults, spirituality is not as difficult for them to exhibit. Innocence and purity are traits of the spiritual person. Both traits occur more frequently in the young, as the cynicism that grows with life experiences diminishes their innocence and purity as they grow older. Normally, young children are not yet caught in the web of responsibility to others, stress and physical desires.
As children mature, especially in their teenage years, they typically lose much of their spirituality as they develop their individual personalities. The maturing child and young adult rarely appreciate that their unfulfilled desires to amplify their suffering.
Next week, we shall explore the simple fact that spiritual wisdom lessons are always evident to the eyes that can see. For those who believe that spiritual wisdom is interesting and wish an in-depth discussion of it, you are invited to attend a weekly group discussion at the Biblioteca starting June 19, 2007. The author of this series shall guide the group discussion. For more information, please contact José Luis at the Biblioteca.
Lecture
“Ancient Cultures of Mexico, Part II”
Wed, July 18, 3pm
Teatro Santa Ana
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
50 pesos
Ancient Cultures of Mexico: Part II
By Professor Guillermo Méndez
Several ancient cultures of Mexico are fairly well-known: Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec, Olmec and Toltec. Less known, perhaps, is the Classic Veracruz culture which flourished from about AD 100 to 900. The Classic Veracruz culture had a unique art style which reveals itself in the yokes, palms and axes, stone-carved ritual objects associated with the Mesoamerican ball game. The ball game frequently ended with the sacrifice of the players. Not all the players, of course, but—what would you guess—the winners or the losers? The Classic Veracruz culture’s interest in the ball game was extraordinary. Most architectural sites of the ancient cultures have one to three ball courts. El Tajín, the major site of the Classic Veracruz civilization, has eleven!
The Classic Veracruz culture, along with the Maya, Zapotec and Mixtec, is the focus of a lecture entitled Ancient Cultures of Mexico, Part II. The lecture’s purpose is to aid those interested in distinguishing among the various cultures.
Each culture has a defining characteristic or phenomenon associated with it that sets it apart from the others. There are also images of art and architecture that differentiate and distinguish each culture. The lecture will be illustrated with over 200 digital images that reveal the uniqueness and beauty of the ancient cultures of Mexico. The lecturer is Guillermo Méndez, retired Professor of Humanities and San Miguel resident.
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