By David Magallanes / Guest contributor
We must not lose sight of the reality that Mexico is the confluence of two very distinct cultures: one European, and the other indigenous, with its own cultures, beliefs, practices, religions and mythologies. In his book, “Aztlán: Essays on the Chicano Homeland,” Rudolfo Anaya describes the “mythic dimension” of Aztlán. This notion of Aztlán is unique to Mexicans and Chicanos in the U.S. No other group can claim it. No other group could relate to it. Like teenagers becoming young adults and beginning to mature and find wisdom in history and philosophy, Mexicans and Chicanos are developing a more profound appreciation of this pearl of great price, this gift from the gods of our ancient ancestors. The hidden power of mythology lies cradled within the cultural arms of the Mexican motherland.
Mexican mythology is “hidden” because it is not unlike the trees that stand so solidly and immutably in front of us: they are so obvious, we cannot see the forest. What is widely accepted by Mexicans as literal and divine “truth” is in fact the more awesome presence of mythology in our lives. This is not to undercut the power of religious belief; quite the contrary, the living religion of Mexico is what binds our souls together as no other aspect of the culture does.
The power of mythology in our lives is not to be underestimated. Mythology is inextricably woven into our lives and guides them with locomotive force, as imperceptible as it may be to our conscious lives most of the time.
Mexicans are blessed with an inherited treasure of mythological wisdom. It is entirely up to us as individuals to seek out this treasure, to let the pearls, jewels, nuggets and coins of great value run through our fingers, our hearts, our minds, through the very cores of our Mexican souls, as we enjoy the richness of American lives. This treasure was not handed down to us intact; it was in large part taken from us five centuries ago, and then replaced by a “mestizo” and yet very cohesive mythology that united our more recent ancestors as they fought for dignity and independence.
Within our Mesoamerican myths lie the keys to gathering wisdom from the mythology that we have inherited from our indigenous and Roman/Spanish roots. Greek, Roman and Mexican mythologies are laden with bizarre individuals, other-worldly creatures, thoughts from other dimensions. Only through the prism of higher understanding can we begin to interpret these stories and legends and hope to glean any wisdom from them — wisdom that we can subsequently apply in our daily lives to enrich our relationships with others.
— David Magallanes is the creator of his own enterprise, Real World Projects, a speaking, writing and Internet marketing business dedicated to the advancement of the American Dream. An emerging branch of Real World Projects is Edifiquemos, a Spanish language enterprise dedicated to teaching the Spanish-speaking how to create a profitable international (U.S./Mexico) enterprise with low investment and high earning potential. David may be available for speaking opportunities. To contact him and for more information, you are invited to visit and explore his web sites at www.realworldprojects.info and at www.edifiquemos.com His e-mail is dmagallanes@RealWorldProjects.info