Ruiz claims that the ancient Toltec people of Southern Mexico named the light of the stars tonal. The tonal is one side of a picture that encompasses all reality. All things in the world are either tonal (the light of the stars) or nagual (the light between the stars). Together, the tonal and the nagual describe all reality as an all-encompassing abundance of light, infused with life and universal love, which is the true nature of existence.
Get the entire The Four Agreements LitChart as a printable PDF.
Tonal Term Timeline in The Four Agreements
The timeline below shows where the term Tonal appears in The Four Agreements. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Introduction: The Smokey Mirror
...is alive, and it is one being spread throughout the universe. He calls the stars “tonal” and the light between them—including himself—“nagual.” The student concludes that “Everything is God,” and that...
(full context)
...clouds. He perceives that life as we know it manifests as varied mixtures of the tonal (starlight) and the nagual (light between the stars). Suddenly, the student feels an overwhelming sensation...
(full context)
