CAVES OF BALANCANCHE

Initiation is our own life.  If you want initiation write it down.  If you want understanding, open your heart because here is the wisdom.  It is the soul that receives the initiation and that knowledge is to intimate to share.  Here was the beginning… The entry door to Initiation…

With that understanding the adepts of the past started their path to become a Halach Uinic, a true Man of Knowledge; and this cave the Throne of the Jaguar Serpent, was beginning of the Initiation of the adepts before entering the Cosmic University of CHI-CHEEN-ITZ-HA’.   Descending to the cave of Balankanche was the first test of courage; here commenced the Initiates Route in order to arrive at the sacred City of CHI-CHEEN-ITZ-HA’.  

The adept descended into the cave of, lowering his head for the narrow passage mouth that opened into the wide and imposing dome; crawling like a serpent through the darkness, in order to be humbled to the existence of dread, of fear, and of the conquering of these.

Today the entrance to the Cave of Balancanche has been widened to accommodate an easy access and the chambers and vaults have proper illumination.  An expert guide will lead us through its passages and bring us to The Great Mother Ceiba IMIX’YAXCHE, ceremonial place, representing symbolically the Skies and the underworld, where the adept was to be instructed into the mysteries of BOLONTIKU (THE Fire World) and the OX-LAHUM-TIKU (The 13 Heavens). 

In this area numerous offerings of stone and clay can still be seen, but there is one of them that is special and bears mentioning; it is an empty heart of clay, symbolizing the aspirant’s disinterestedness to all the illusion of the material world.  As we make our passage through the caves’ chambers much of the ritual of the adepts of the past and the importance of this sacred place will be explained.

Balancanché, is the Maya word for saying "Jaguar Throne" Balam means Jaguar, which is the title that the Maya priests were given.  At the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula, lies this labyrinth of caves and underground rivers that connect to the sea. For the ancient Maya Balancanché grotto was a place of great importance, as well as being a source of life.  Grottoes were sacred places; they represented the entrance to the underworld, the priests secretly visited to perform rites in honor of the gods.