The Dynamics of the Way, A Blueprint

The toltec path of knowledge, the way, leads the warrior through the smoke and mirrors of life, and its hard lessons, and then leads the warrior on to the wonders of infinity itself. Such a path needs structure. 

If you missed some of the Five Principles of the toltec way, the principles leading to the  Seven Steps, in functionally short articles, can be found here:. Emancipation, Equilibrium, Experience, Death and Ancestors. Some awareness of the five principles will percolate your appreciation of the Seven Steps.

The Seven are concurrent steps.

All moving, all the time, dynamic, in rhythm.

At first we take them in some order, but once a step is functional, it evolves forever. A more circular approach develops as time passes. And, you should know, in toltecquism, there will be much discussion of time.

For this toltec altar the wisdom came through the Nahuatl language (na-wat) language, spoken by the Aztecs and many other indigenous tribes of the Southwest. I can’t overstate the power of using original languages in metaphysical work. Invoking knowledge in original form makes magic, simple as that.Naming your activity from the Seven Steps*, in Nahuatl, before you get started or when you finish, will bring, at the very least, some polish to your efforts.

Polishing our abilities toward perfection is also a major trait of toltecquism, as well as the goal of toltec art – doing anything and everything to the level of the highest art. And we might as well mention choosing action over all the other choices.

Impossible to cap the Seven Steps in one short article, so we bring a list of teasers, a hint at this amazing treasure laying before you, to whisper just enough, see if you want more:  

The Seven Steps:

Toltecayotl – Things of the toltecs

Nawatilli –  The order of life, its conventions and duties

Teochiwa – The divinity within and devotion, in general

Chipawa – Purification, preparation, health

Teomania – Meditation, trance, dreaming

Nawallotl – Shamanism, and the ultimate goal of toltec “mastery”

Yekoatl – Disciplined physical movement, a daily dynamic

*Pronunciation guide. All vowels are pronounced as short vowels for English speakers. Accent is always on the second to the last syllable. Don’t pronounce the “l,” in the “tl” suffix,“t” is always the last sound. The quality of your pronunciation doesn’t matter near as much as your intentions. Saying the word in Nahuatl calls the depth of the tradition to be with you.

The logic of the steps, nothing out of this world: In layman terms: Step 1 – learn the subject, 2 – put things in order, 3 – learn about yourself and your ability, 4 –  prepare for the task, 5 – do the work, 6 – reach mastery and 7 – take care of yourself physically.

Not so crazy, is it? Common sense stuff, common sense path. Functional. See for yourself.

What makes it so powerful is that the dynamics of each step have been repeated infinitely over thousands of years. We can apply those same steps in a million different ways for the power that rises in repeating successful patterns. Look at martial arts or yoga, ancient patterns that work now, literally for millions of people.

You work with each step in ways that apply to your life, as you live it right now. You translate the step into your vocabulary. This helps you inventory and adjust accordingly – knowing what you have, what’s missing and how to fill it all in.

That’s what every toltec has ever done: place their attention on these principles and create experience by living it. We’ll talk more about each step in the coming months, starting next week with the Toltecayotl Step.

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