At the center of the Mayan archetypal cosmology reside the twenty tribes. The twenty tribes or solar glyphs are activation symbols for our awakening into the Dreamspell timing frequencies. The tribes have many other names; among them are kin, glyphs, signs, day resonance, and the like. For our purposes in this text, we will be using tribe. The tribes, within their natural ascending order, activate the higher levels of consciousness already within our bodies and minds. As Jose Arguelles notes from the Mayan Factor:

"The twenty signs (Kin) are the frequency range possibilities that allow for the primary harmonic structures (of higher consciousness) to come into existence."

The solar tribes have been named "solar" because the source of the tribes' vibrations and resonance originates from our sun. The Maya used a twenty base numerical system and overlaid it into a twenty day cycle. This twenty day cycle is called the Vinal, also the basis of their numerical system. The sub waves and relationships within the tribes found within this 20-day pulse correspond to the archetypes and qualities found in each of the tribes. The tribes represent the individual and collaborative aspects of the body of creation and evolution.

The tribes reveal themselves in a progression from 1 to 20 or 0-19, 20 sometimes written as (0). You will notice that as you ascend through the tribes, the qualities of each tribe become more complex, from the instinctual nature of the first tribe, Dragon (1) (Imix) all the way to the universal enlightenment of the twentieth tribe Sun (20/0) (Ahau). The very nature of the two ways to view the cycle conveys a malleable perspective of the timing frequencies of the twenty tribes. To view the same number of elements organized slightly differently can change everything, as you will discover as you dive deeper into the harmonics of the tribes. Another way to view it is that the cycle of the tribes is never ending and that the tribes all support each other's journeys, the entry point matters very little because the journey is the key to the discovery.

Although, each tribe is stands on its own and has its own significance, the real magic happens when you delve into the interactions of the 20 tribes on different levels as they combine and recombine with each of the 13 tones throughout the Tzolkin. Once placed in their matrix layers of the Tzolkin, the tribes awaken our understanding of how many harmonics are occurring in our lives at any given moment, and that they are constantly shifting. Remember also that these harmonics are always reorganizing to a higher level, though that higher level of organization may not be readily evident.


The tribe of your signature embodies the internal essence of your being, that which motivates you and the source of your intentions and accomplishments in your world.

As we explore deeper into ourselves, it is revealed that who we truly are, is so much more than who we think we are in our day-to-day lives. The tribe indicates the pure expression of your truths and your ideals of what life means to you. Your actions are more of an expression of your tribe than your words, and what you create is more of an expression of your tone.

Imagine that you are a mythological being, you are a demigod, who represents for others a pure reflection of a particular quality. Now, without getting an ego around being a demigod, look deeper into the symbolic nature of your actions and intentions. The tribe represents the lesson you provide to others, and the greater lesson you are here to share in your life. As you recognize yourself more and more every day as a constantly evolving being, you will embrace the lessons your tribe can provide for you and share them.

If you feel as though the tribe doesn't quite feel right to you, you may not at present be completely comfortable with your self-perceptions. Remember that these tribes are a pure expression of an idea, an archetype. If you have some personal issues you may request that the power of the tribe assist you in clearing out any of the self judgments you may have or loss of power you have in your own self.

As you become more comfortable with yourself and step into who you really are, sloughing off the opinions of others and being true and honest with yourself, you will find your signature tribe at the center of your being. Getting out of your own way can often be the greatest gift you can give yourself. Utilize the tribes as powerful psychic windex to see clearly the clear symbolic nature of your essence.

However, this is only the beginning. Next, we combine a tribe with one of the 13 galactic tones of creation to synthesize the Signature, the dynamic matrix and resonant structure for creativity and expressions of our interconnectedness.

There are many ways to peer into the wondrous synchrony of how we relate to others and ourselves through our Signature. You can explore the depths of connection we have to each other, by doing the Signatures of others. This exploration is summed up in the saying "In Lak'ech!" which means 'I am another yourself' with everyone you meet. The results may surprise you!

Additionally, (yes it keeps getting better) each of the signatures works on a daily basis, as the Tzolkin is spinning. You can go back in time and find out the signature of important days: a marriage, or a day of graduation or a significant breakup or transformation in your life. Think about what happened that day. Does the signature reflect what you felt and experienced that day?
The decoding of the signatures allows you to go deeper and deeper into understanding that there is a harmonic resonance to life. This resonance is an interweaving of meaning and symbolic evolution that is continuously unfolding, moment-by-moment. Soon the daily toils and the seemingly repetitious days of our lives become beautiful patterns that are constantly changing and reorganizing into greater harmonics and powerful gifts for our mythological essences.