Astronomy, Astrology, and Calendars: Time and Historical Patterns in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Thought

The continuously cycling implications of the supernatural for the conduct of individuals’ lives and the recurrence of specific patterns of events and processes in history are analogous dimensions of Mesoamerican thinking about time. Both depend on the shifting salience of particular supernatural forces and beings. Both were tracked with elaborate calendar systems involving multiple interlocking cycles that were at once astronomical, astrological, and historical. This paper examines calendar cycles, concepts of the supernatural, and notions of historical patterning from Aztec central Mexico and the Maya world to elucidate the linkages among them. Mesoamericans were not paralyzed by a fatalistic cyclical perspective, but they did pay close attention to the interconnected workings of astronomical cycles and calendar constructs in order to tailor individual behavior and political action to control the impacts of expected repetitive patterns.