(first in a series of five.) Flowers and food offerings are laid on the ground level altar in preparation for the ceremony.. Next a fire is lit and incense thrown upon it. The group then kneels and prays while the shaman (the guy in the turban chants). After around thirty minutes they stand and quietly watch the flames consume the offerings. The religion of modern Mayas is an animistic one. It involves invoking nature deities and the spirits of the ancestors. Ceremonies are carried out at sacred places such as caves, wells and cenotes (natural sink holes) and at some of the ancient sites. The purpose is to ensure good harvests, good fortune generally and also to promote a general feeling of spiritual well being amongst those who attend. Modern Mayans do not practice sacrifices other than in some cases offering the blood of animals such as turkeys previously slaughtered for eating, or symbolically in the form of coloured candles.