The first annual Mayan Heart Festival is set to take place this December (20th-23rd) for the Winter Solstice at the Tikal Pyramids at Guatemala, with artists ranging from Desert Dwellers and Kaminanda to soothing sounds from the likes of Deya Dova and Liquid Bloom.
I couldn’t think of a better reason to pack up for Christmas and spend it abroad, enjoying a soulfully curated line up, hotel after parties, workshops, yoga, and a fire ceremony with the local Mayan natives that have been practicing it for millennia. Ahead of our trip, I sat down with Amaya, the founder of this one-of-a-kind festival.
TMN: Amaya, so happy to be talking with you about this unique festival I have heard so much about. I would like to dive into the obvious question, what will people expect for a festival experience at such a unique location as the Tikal Pyramids in Guatemala? Where will the stage production and musicians be?
A: IT IS HARD TO DESCRIBE MAGIC! We are working on creating an experience for the Main Event On the Solstice/Full Moon of December 21st which is the Maya Fire Ceremony. There, you will NOT see multi-million dollar technology, million watt sound systems or robotic lights!! People who are present on December 21st in Tikal will experience the highest of all technologies, the technologies which built the pyramids which “modern” science can’t figure out to this day how it was done!! You will experience The MAYA technology. On December 21st we have a very special alignment which is the Solstice with a full Moon and an alignment of the Star System Pleyades with the Earth. This combination along with our open hearts and intention will open the door for anyone to significantly affect their future and that of the planet.
TMN: With so much intention behind an event like this, what type of audience do you expect? Will there be a large electronic music crowd, or more of a yogi and Burning Man-centric audience?
A: This event will bring the Bird Tribes, the Rainbow Warriors and as we will see, these are peoples from every corner of the planet and all walks of life. We have already people coming from Austria, Brazil, France, Colombia, Costa Rica, Portugal, Australia, Canada, Africa, among other places.
TMN: As a first year festival, what do you see this event evolving into for upcoming years as the rise of destination festival and the desire of unique experiences continues to increase?
A: Well, interestingly enough, it is already evolving, there is a very real palpable magnetic energy which the name Mayan Heart is creating. We are already confirming event collaborations with major producers. So far, we have November 28 with our Mayan Heart Yoga Party in Costa Mesa at TIME nightclub. November 30th, we’ll be in San Francisco at ONEdome, which is a brand new state-of-the-art, immersive experience event space and on December 15th, we’ll be in Santa Fe, New Mexico at the amazing Meow Wolf! This has been a totally organic birth for these events, sprouted with such high vibrational intention in such a short period of time. One of our key signature events is the Cacao Ceremony which is an integral part of everything we’ll be doing.
TMN: What would be your biggest ask of all the passionate music lovers that want to be involved in a mission driven project? What can they do in their local community or just by themselves to get more involved?
A: I would like to inspire everyone to dive deep into the mysteries–to begin to remember who you truly are which is a soul having a human experience. This is the way the Maya lived and live now. It brings freedom to everything you do. ACTION!!! This is the word which is being communicated. It is great to meditate and do yoga, and now the universe is inspiring everyone to take ACTION and may it be always in LOVE. It begins with the self, then our light will shine and others will notice and will want that too. At the local level these are the initiatives:
2. Host clothing swaps, you’ll be surprised the amount of cool stuff your friends have that they never wear and it always turns into a fun party!
3. ENERGY… your money is energy, spend it as much as possible by/between you and your friends projects, support your local artists, vendors, alchemists.
4. You must throw away your TV, this is great poison to the mind. Do not sell it, you must 100% throw it in the trash.
TMN: I have also heard talk of Mayan Heart joining forces with another growing Guatemalan festival- Cosmic Convergence.
A: YES! we are so blessed to be offering together with Cosmic Convergence a Maya Ambassador training which is an expedition with Desert Dwellers to some fantastic places, we are additionally co-creating many spaces and supporting each other with logistical suppory
