Is it possible to predict the weather for the whole year? The answer is yes. All you need to do is have knowledge of the ancient civilizations of México, like the Maya, and apply it. Included in their lengthy heritage, is a method for watching nature, plants’ and flowers’ behavior, as well as the movement of animals during the first days of January. With this it is possible to determine the weather, rains and other meteorological events for the complete year. This method is known as “cabañuelas,” and in Maya as “xóok k’iin.”
This practice is still common with the new generations, it has been follow by different studies and associations, the adults do it from memory while the young ones have developed a format that allows noting what they see day by day. The “cabañuelas” importance in the field lies in helping identify the best planting and harvest times of the year, forecasting the rains and possible droughts, and even hurricanes.
You must be asking yourself, how does this work, and how to apply it? It’s very simple and you can prepare yourself to start your own predictions. The “cabañuelas” begin on January 1st and end on the 31st of the same month. The weather and temperature that prevails during the first 12 days relate to the 12 months of the year in chronological order. The following twelve days relate to all 12 months but in reverse, so the 13th refers to December up to the 24th that refers to January.
Starting on January 25, each day relates to two months, the first twelve hours of the 25th relates to January and the following 12 hours to February; and so on, until the 30th. On the 31st, each hour refers to each month; when you get to midday you will have to go back from December to January, thus closing the cycle of observation.
During the whole month you should watch what happens to the plants and flowers, observe the temperature, whether it rains, if the ants and other creatures move from one place to the other or display unusual behavior. It’s recommended to have a place to write everything down each day, so you’ll be able to predict temperature and weather for the whole year. It’s also recommended to check the moon phases each day of the record, because it has been proven that it can influence in the planting and harvest.
Apply this ancestral knowledge and share your 2017 observations and predictions with us!
By Violeta H. Cantarell
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