#mexica
Today is the first Zenith Passage of the Sun over Mexico City, an event in which no shadow is casted on the ground. On this date the Sun defeats His enemies, the creatures of darkness, and devours obscurity to give light, wisdom and justice.
Tonatiuh is Our Father the Sun, the Celestial Lord who gives solidity, warmth and life to the world. Every night He must travel through the dangers of the Underworld to gloriously rise again in the East.
You can find prints of Tonatiuh in my Etsy store! Click here!
Yesterday was Teachers Day in Mexico, a date to celebrate and thank the work of educators.
The Nahuatl word that refers to teachers is temachtiani, “who teaches someone”, while the word momachtiani, “who teaches themself”, is used to talk about students.
Another word associated with education is tlamatini, “who knows something”, or “who perceives something”
The Underworld is a place of cold and darkness, which the spirits of the dead travel in order to be reborn. However, it is also a place of fertility, where new life is created from dead beings. Most of the animals of the Land of the Fleshless are swimming or flying beings, which connect this place with the Earth and act as messengers between the dead and the living.
You can see different animals of the fertile Underworld in my painting The Death in Mictlan of Quetzalcoatl. Click here for prints in my Etsy store!
The skull is the face of Mictlantecuhtli, Lord of Mictlan, ruler of the Land of the Dead. Together with Mictecacihuatl, Lady of the Dead, His role is to receive the spirits after the end of their lives, and cleansing them so they can return to the Earth. The skull is also a seed, a dead element which carries potential life within, and, when buried or “planted”, it sprouts and continues the cycles of the cosmos.
You can find skull necklaces in my Etsy store! Click here!
Today is Mothers Day in Mexico, a date of celebration and gratitude for the love of those who gave life to us and raised us. Maternity and education are sacred activities, dedicated to the upbringing of new members of the community. Childbirth is a triumph over death, an event of flowers and songs, and looking after a child is a hard, constant effort. From ancient times, the role of mothers has been highly esteemed, and their importance incarnates in divinities such as Coatlicue, Cihuacoatl and Tonantzin, Ladies of the Earth, protectresses and providers for Their children
Chichihuacuauhco, Tree of Breasts, also called Tonacacuauhco, Tree of Flesh, is one of the places where human spirits dwell after death. To this tree go the children who pass away before they can eat maize, the divine fruit which gives matter and strength to our bodies. The flowers of Chichihuacuauhco are breasts, which eternally feed the spirits of these babies with milk, while they await the moment of their return to the Earth. Tonacacihuatl and Tonacatecuhtli, Lady and Lord of Our Flesh, are in charge of keeping this tree alive, nurturing the spirits that depend on it.
You can find prints of Tonacacuauhco in my Etsy store! Click here!
Today’s card is Nahui Topilli, the Four of Staffs, a card of celebration and retribution.
In it appears a scene of tlamacehualiztli, of offerings to the Teteo in gratitude for all Their gifts. A man and a woman, as well as a group of dancers, celebrate victory and success with songs and flowers.
This card reminds us that everything we own and achieve has been granted to us by the Teteo, and we must retribute Their love and generosity through ceremony, communitary actions and selfless everyday activities.
You can find the Tarot Yohualli Ehécatl in my Etsy store! Click here!
Today is the International Day of the Midwife
The role of priestesses and women physicians who helped during childbirth in ancient times is extremely important. However, it has not been studied enough.
Giving birth to a child is taking a life from Death's hands and bringing it into the World. It is, thus, a combat, a battle in which a woman’s own life is put at risk. The patron divinity of birth is Tlazolteotl, Lady of Filth, who inspires sinful thought into people, which leads us to sex, and sometimes to error and wrongoing. Tlazolteotl is also the great purificator, who cleanses all that is dirty and regenerates the cycles of life.
You can find prints of the Temple of Tlazolteotl in my Etsy store! Click here!
Tonatiuh is Our Lord the Sun. His name means You Are Like a Shining, a reference to His role as illuminator and creator of the World. Every morning He defeats the forces of darkness, who seek to conquer the cosmos, and He brings order to the places where chaos reigns. In the evening, however, He is defeated by the creatures of the night, who devour Him, and in death He descends to the Underworld, from which He emerges victorious at sunrise.
One of His nahualtin or spirit animals is the deer, which, like the Sun, jumps all over the sky.
This painting of Tonatiuh is part of the art of the Tarot Yohualli Ehecatl. You can find Him as a print in my Etsy store!
Tlemaitl is a Nahuatl word that refers to a horizontal incense burner. The expression means “fire hand”, since it was used as an extension of the penitent’s arm, so that they could offer fire directly to the Teteo.Thanks to archaeological examples found in sites such as the Huey Teocalli or Major Temple of Tenochtitlan, we know that some tlemaitl incense burners were also rattles. When shaken, they would simulate the crackling sound of the sacred flames.You can find examples of the ritual use of the tlemaitl in my paintings of Mayahuel and The Sacrifice of Xolotl. Prints are available in my Etsy store!
