Author: Duru Yucel
Introduction to the Mayan Sign Crocodile:
The Mayan Sign Crocodile is the first of the 20 signs (for Yucatan Maya; however, for Kiche Maya, the cycle begins with the Monkey — without any other change about any aspect of the Signs). It gives its bearer a powerful presence and an unmatched quality of understanding and access to the deep recesses of the mind, especially the subconscious and unconscious realms of both the individual and the collective itself. It is the “Destiny/Maturity Sign” of both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, making these two very good examples of gaining and accessing immense knowledge and wisdom about the subconscious and unconscious mind. This is relevant to all who have this Sign in their “Tree of Life”, but if you are born as a Crocodile, that is, if Crocodile is your “Day Sign”, then it is even more prominent for you.
Psychological Qualities of the Mayan Sign Crocodile:
As the famous saying goes, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The prolific mind of this Sign creates such an intensity that these people can look a bit crazy to outsiders, and in some cases, even to themselves. Salvador Dalí had Crocodile as both his Trecana and his “Past/Youth Sign”, so you can imagine what it means to be perceived as “crazy”. It is a problem when the mind is not as strong as we need it to be, and on the other hand, when the mind is too strong, it requires much more wisdom and mastery on our part to make the best use of it.
The Crocodile’s intense mind is both a by-product and a reason for being deeply in touch with the collective unconscious and subconscious. They can see, hear and almost touch what is unspoken in a conversation, what someone or a group of people base their actions on, what they hide even from themselves, and what happens to be the underlying, hidden mechanisms of things and events, what dictates the decisions, the destiny of a society, a race from that deeply rooted primordial space. They are in touch with that which is not visible to the “naked eye” and that which cannot be grasped by ordinary, linear means of understanding.
These individuals are the recipients of eons of accumulated messages from the deep collective conscious, unconscious, and subconscious. They usually receive these messages when they are in deep rest or in actual sleep. Keeping a dream journal can help them immensely, as some of these entries can be used to enhance their productivity, and some may already be prodromal dreams.
If you are under the influence of this energy, your mind is in touch with symbols in the literal sense of the word, which makes you great at visual arts or anything that requires visual talents. You read the layers of meanings in symbols, colors, shapes… All of these can become great assets if used wisely. Instead of drowning in what society considers “crazy,” you need to see that your uniqueness is so much associated with these qualities. Therefore, you should not deny, ignore, or disown your inventiveness and your fantasy world, which rarely complies with the consensus reality, but rather explore, honor, and embrace your out-of-the-box thinking and excellent image-based creativity.
Because of their innate need for privacy and their deep sensitivity, usually cleverly masked by a strong presence of being in control at all times and in all circumstances, Crocodile individuals can be quite overwhelmed by the outside world and people, and therefore exhibit introverted qualities. They are home-oriented and their lives revolve around finding, defining, building, and protecting their own space, both tangible and intangible. This space is a shield against the outside world. It allows them to be themselves without having to hide who they are under socially accepted ways of suppressing primal, untamed, raw energies.
They may not realize it at first, but in their life journey, the real purpose of this private space is to serve as a stepping stone to what they are here to create and express in tangible reality. Tangible expressions of their mind and spirit come very easily to them, as Crocodile is far from being described as ephemeral or otherworldly compared to some of the other Signs in the Tzolk’in Calendar, as their power is very much about marrying their highly powerful mind with their great physical strength.
The Crocodile Sign has an emphasis on ownership and territoriality that comes from the need to stay away from all the outside noise and the “ordinary” nature of life and people so that they can settle down in their unique ways and blossom like a water lily (another name for the Crocodile). They need to be physical, using their energies in a direct and uninhibited way, creating a “hands-on” experience of life in all aspects. Their passionate and emotional nature makes them crave a wild, passionate, and even dramatic love life in which their passion, emotion, and initiative can manifest.
They have the power of hypnosis to use if they choose to become psychologists or psychiatrists. It just so happens that they already use it casually, even if they don’t consciously choose to, and even without any training, because the ability to access and hypnotize others is given to the Crocodiles to heal and sublimate what is buried. No trait or special ability is attributed to any Mayan Sign without a purpose. Crocodiles are also nurturing thanks to this ability, and coupled with their maternal quality, they can make excellent parents who love to feed their children both literally and figuratively.
However, they must be careful not to be overprotective and let their children and loved ones breathe and be who they are. They also need to put the brakes on their mothering tendencies when it comes to others, lest they become parental figures and kill the fun and passion of romantic relationships or friendships. By achieving this balance of knowing who and where and when to be motherly and protective, they will be able to manage being overly dominant.
The Mayan Sign Crocodile: Keywords
Some of the attributes and keywords given to this Sign by the Maya are:
Sensitive, unique, hypnotic, healer of the hidden corners of the mind, protective, primal, holder of primitive energies, physically and mentally superior and very strong, genius, forerunner, dominant, warm, private, maternal (even if they’re the fathers), nurturer (both literally and figuratively), homemaker, business builder, able to materialize dreams.
Interested in learning more?
This is just a small introduction to the Mayan Sign Crocodile, and there are many amazing aspects and treasures to it. If you are a Crocodile or have this Sign somewhere in your Mayan Tree of Life, or just want to help a child, partner, family member, or friend who is a Crocodile, don’t hesitate to contact me for my detailed and solution-oriented Mayan Astrology consultation for embodied power and self-actualization in all areas of life.