#mother earth

This is a detail of my painting of Tlaltecuhtli, Lady of the Earth.

Above Her arms, in the painting, is the surface of the earth, upon which we dwell. Before the coming of the Spaniards, the dry season was the time of hunting, because the fields were dry and there was little work to do as a farmer. It was also the season when men went to war, and merchants travelled throughout Mesoamerica trading goods. On the left side of the painting, a merchant climbs up Her arm, which is a hill, with a pack on his back, and he speaks to two hunters who carry their game. On Her other arm, a woman gathers the now-dry corn into piles, where the corn is stored for the Winter. On Her hands men and women dance in Her honor, and offer Her pulque and smoke of copal. They make Her offerings in order to give Her the strength to bloom again, and to thank Her for Her gift of life.

You can find this painting as a print in my Etsy store! Follow the link in my bio!

These are some details of my painting of Tlaltecuhtli, Earth Lady.

On either side of Tlaltecuhtli appear two Teteo, Mictlantecuhtli, the Lord of Death, and Tlaloc, Our Lord the Rain.

The land of the dead is under the earth, and the lords of rain live in the hollow mountains. Both are accessed by caves which pierce the earth. The joints, such as elbows and knees, are thought of as openings by which one can enter the body and the solid bones. Therefore, her joints are painted with Tlaloc faces, or, sometimes, with skeletal faces. These represent the caves by which one enters the world of the Teteo of death and rain. They also represent her two poles, of life and death, and of the duality which she incarnates.

At the feet of Mictlantecuhtli are two quail. The white spots on the quail’s feathers symbolize stars, and the quail is a symbol of the night time sky. At the feet of Tlaloc is a rattlesnake. The curving, sinuous body of the snake is like the movement of lightning across the sky, and like the curving of rivers as they wind across the earth. Both animals live in caves in the ground, and therefore are bridges between the dark and mysterious world of the Teteo beneath the earth, and the world of humanity on the earth’s surface.

You can find prints of Tlaltecuhtli in my Etsy store!

Tlaltecuhtli Mother Earth Mexica Aztec Earth Goddess | Etsy México

Earth Day

In recent years it has become evident that we need to create conscience on the damage that we are inflicting on our planet. Acting as a society is extremely important in order to make a change.

The Earth is Tonantzin, Our Beloved Mother, who gives birth to us, nourishes us, and finally devours when we die. She receives different names: Coatlicue, She of the Serpent Skirt; Cihuacoatl, Serpent Woman; Cipactli, the Earth Alligator, or Tlaltecuhtli, Earth Lady/Lord.

Our ancestors were aware of the complete dependence of humans towards the Earth. This is why they had a relationship of reciprocity with Her, repaying what She gave them, offering all things precious, hard and joyful. They knew that extraction without retribution is theft, so they were very cautious that nothing was taken from the Earth without asking for permission and without giving Her something in return. Working in the fields, for example, weeding, planting, watering and looking after the crops is a kind of “payment” Her abundance.

Today this balance has been broken. We no longer thank the Earth, and we no longer give Her back what She gives us. Earth Day is an opportunity to remember our responsibility and to take action so that we stop harming our wounded Mother

This is a detail from my Tonalco Tlaltecuhtli painting.Tlaltecuhtli is the Lord and Lady of the Earth. During the summer She is all abundance, and She provides for every living thing that thrives on Her surface. Her gifts are great, for they are life itself. But during the dry months of Tonalco She asks us to reciprocate, and pay back the debt we had incurred during Xopan. The tongue of  Tlaltecuhtli is therefore a flint-knife, which reminds us that She is hungry, and that She needs us to pay our debt. In the painting, blood flows from Her open mouth, from the flint knife to Her navel, upon which lies a precious jade stone. From the jade-stone are born the first man and woman, who represent all humanity. The blood flows between them and Her, as a sign of our mutual dependence and our responsibility to Her.

I’ll explain more details of Tlaltecuhtli in future posts, and She will be on display at the Art Bug Gallery from April 23rd!

You can find this painting as a print in my Etsy store!

Tlaltecuhtli Mother Earth Mexica Aztec Earth Goddess | Etsy México

This is my oil painting of Tonalco Tlaltecuhtli, the Earth during the dry season.

Tlaltecuhtli is the Earth Lord and the Earth Lady. She is the Earth itself; Her elbows, breasts, and belly are mountains, Her navel, the hollow of Her throat, the folds that wrap across Her stomach are valleys, and Her mouth and womb caves, entrances by which to enter her body. She is all abundance and all life, but likewise, She is the tomb who shall swallow us all in the end. We do not have four seasons in Mesoamerica, but rather two, Xopan or rainy season, and Tonalco or dry season. As Tonalco Tlaltecuhtli, Her body is painted yellow, to represent the yellow grass of Winter. She is dry, tired, and lacks the energy for growth and life.

I’ll be explaining more details about this painting in other posts!

Tlaltecuhtli will be on display at my upcoming show at Art Bug Gallery in LA! You can also find Her as a print in my Etsy store! Click here!

So Mote It Be!