The ancient Maya were a complex and fascinating people, and their gods reflect this complexity. While some gods were associated with specific natural phenomena, such as the sun or the rain, others were responsible for more abstract concepts, like love or death. The Maya also believed that their gods could take on many different forms and that they could interact with humans both in the natural world and in the spiritual realm. As a result, the Maya religion was rich and diverse, and it continues to play an important role in the lives of modern Maya people.
Ixchel - Mayan goddess
Ixchel is one of the most powerful Mayan goddesses. She represents females in different forms. We will talk about all forms of Ixchel and try to explain why we chose Ixchel to be on AURA MAYA logo.
![Ixchen Mayan goddess](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0526/1013/8294/files/aura_maya_3_240x240.jpg?v=1653918705)
Ixchel was a Mayan goddess who was associated with the moon, fertility, medicine, and childbirth. She is often portrayed as a young woman wearing a skirt of blue feathers and a headdress made of rabbit fur. Sometimes the skirt is made of serpents, or there is a serpent on her head. Ixchel is said to have been very wise, and she taught the people of her village how to grow crops and make medicines.
She is also credited with helping women through childbirth. Many people believe that if you pray to Ixchel for help, she will grant you blessings in all areas of your life. Her symbols include the moon, water, and rabbits. Ixchel is an important figure in Mayan mythology, and her worship can be traced back to the Preclassic period.
Duality of Ixchel
Ixchel is one of the most significant deities in the Maya Pantheon (approximately 250 – 1550 AD), and she appears in both the Classic and Late Postclassic periods. She was also the wife of Itzamná, one of the gods with the most power.
Like many Mayan gods, she possesses strong powers and dual identities that made her a popular figure, and she is still honored today.
One image describes her as a young and attractive seductress who fosters fertility, marriage, and love, as well as being the goddess of harvesting and weather due to her control over the moon cycles.
She was also depicted as a wise old lady with the ability to both create and destroy the earth, and she was frequently depicted with claws, fangs, and a red body covered with death symbols and skulls.
https://www.ecured.cu/Ixchel
Ixchel was a woman who represented both the yin and the yang of female power. She represents the power and dualism of women.
Water and fertility
Ixchel was also associated with water and rainbows. She was worshipped by Maya women who wanted to conceive. Her festival was celebrated on the full moon in the month of May. Today, Ixchel is still worshipped by some Maya people in Mexico and Guatemala. Offerings are made to her in order to bring rain and abundance. Statues and images of Ixchel can be found in many Maya homes and temples.
AURA MAYA and Ixchel
Ixchel is a Mayan goddess who presides over textile arts such as weaving, sewing, and embroidery. Her image frequently appears in Maya art. When Ixchel is depicted as an old woman with a hooked nose she is wearing a skirt decorated with crosses. These crosses represent the four points of the compass, and they symbolize Ixchel's role as the weaver of the universe. In Maya mythology,
Ixchel was the wife of the sun god, Kinich Ahau. She gave birth to thirteen sons, who became the stars of the Pleiades. Ixchel was also associated with the planet Venus, which plays an important role in Maya calendar calculations.
.As the goddess of textile arts, Ixchel presided over all aspects of Maya women's work, from spinning thread to embroidering cloth. She was also believed to bestow her creative power on those who invoked her name. For this reason, Maya women often called on Ixchel when they needed help with their sewing or weaving. Today, Ixchel is still venerated by Maya women, who see her as a powerful source of inspiration for their own creative endeavors.
Photos found at
https://neomexicanismos.com/mexico-prehispanico/ixchel-diosa-maya-luna-amor-fertilidad-medicina-leyenda/
https://www.ecured.cu/Ixchel