Deities of the Maya

The yearly cycles of the heavens played a central role in the everyday life of the Maya people. Astronomer priests kept careful track of the varied movement of the stars and planets, especially the cyclic motions of Venus. Important official occasions were usually aligned to coordinate with events in the sky. Messages from the heavens were received as commands to motivate human actions. The celestial signs were the basis of the complex astrology of the Maya that predicted future outcomes.