Castaneda's Mesoamerican inspiration : the Tonal/Nagual, the cardinal points and the birth of contemporary Toltec spirituality

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.