On the basis of his most celebrated bestsellers, Carlos Castaneda has usually been analyzed as a precursor of the emerging pre-Harnerian Neo-Shamanism, one that was chiefly inspired by the cultures of the so-called Oasisamerica and the spirituality of the Great Plains. Nevertheless, in his transitional period (the 1970s and the early 1980s), Castaneda also explored ancient Mesoamerican symbolism. The fruit of this new inspiration mainly consists of three concepts – the Tonal/Nagual, the symbolism of the cardinal points, and the Toltec. The term "Nagual" as well as "Toltec" persisted long after Castaneda's death and proved to be one of the most popular traits of the author's doctrine. Such contemporary celebrity authors as Miguel Ruiz owe their idea of the Toltec to Castaneda.
The article is focused on the human sacrifice and bloodletting, and the differences between these two practices, as they appear in Diego de Landa's Relación de las cosas de Yucatán, an important document from the colonial Yucatán. We can see in his work some references to a problematic status of the human sacrifice. Mainly, it concerns the interpretation of the sacrificing priest, ah nacom, as poorly respected in the society. From other sources we know that the Maya interpreted human sacrifice itself as foreign to their culture and brought in by Kukulcán and his people from central Mexico. On the other hand, the bloodletting is always seen as positive and as a certain privilege or sign of status. It was restricted to the male part of population and the ones who practiced it were highly respected by the community. Thus, there is a gap between bloodletting and human sacrifice: one is seen as desirable and honorific, the other at least as ambivalent.