I Am Coatlicue
by Rubi Martinez-Bernat
I am Coatlicue. I am the Aztec Mother Goddess. Many also call me "Toci," or grandmother. I am the Mother Goddess of the Earth. I give birth to all celestial things. I am the Goddess of Fire. I am the Goddess of Fertility. I am the Goddess of Life, Death and Rebirth. I am the Mother of The Stars. I am the patroness of women who die in childbirth.
You’ll recognize me right away. I wear a lovely skirt of writhing serpents and I have two heads, serpent heads. These serpent heads face each other, to represent the duality found in all things. Sometimes I wear a necklace made of skulls, hands and hearts.
I currently reside in the Museum of Anthropology that is in Mexico City. That’s been my home for quite some time now.
I have many, many children. My first litter was born after I became impregnated by the blade of an obsidian knife. The first child born was my daughter, Coyolxauhqui. Then, I gave birth to several hundred male children.
I have several sisters and I often go and visit them. They often look to me for advice and input on their affairs. Thus, I often sit in the middle with them sitting around me as we chat. This may seem like an incidental thing to mention, but later on you’ll understand why how we sit together has become somewhat historic.
One day I was performing my household chores. I was busy sweeping. Suddenly, I saw a most beautiful white ball descend from the heavens. When it came closer, I saw that it was a ball of white feathers, the most exquisite I had ever seen. I decided that I would use these to adorn myself. After all, a goddess must look her best! But at the moment I was busy about my daily chores. So, I took the feathers and hid them in my bosom. This just goes to show you, ladies, that you never know what you’ll find when you clean and straighten up your home a little!
Later, after all of my household chores had been completed, I went to look for the feathers. To my surprise they were gone! I was shocked to learn that I had been impregnated by them.
My children were outraged. A goddess can only give birth once, to the original litter of gods. Anything more is scandalous. I never intended to get pregnant again. I only had the intention of adorning myself with these beautiful feathers. Alas, sometimes we all find ourselves living through circumstances that we never intended for ourselves. Yes, it can even happen to an Aztec goddess.
My children refused to accept my situation. Coyolxauhqui, my daughter, conspired with her brothers to kill me. This would free them from the public scandal. But before they could carry out their murderous plot, my son, Huitzilopochtli, was born. My son: the fiery war god of the sun, born in full warrior garb.
He slaughtered is brothers and thrust their bodies into the sky. Thus, they became the stars. He dismembered, Coyoxauhqui, his older sister. He threw her body down the hill of the Templo Mayor, but her head he thrust in the sky as well. She became known as the woman who glows in the dark: the moon. So you see, even my family is not without tragedy.
They discovered my daughter’s remains a few decades ago near the Cathedral of Mexico City. If you ever go to Mexico City you’ll find that the subway can take you almost anywhere, except to the cathedral area. While excavating for the subway system there they uncovered much of my family history. The most important find was my daughter, Coyolxauhqui.
They tried to lift her remains from the ground. The heavy trucks and machinery, they tried. But it was futile. The heavy stone slab which embodied my daughter weighs eight tons and is made of volcanic rock. This stone, my Coyolxauhqui, was silent but intact for so many centuries. But the modern day machinery cracked her as they tried to excavate. What sadness fills my heart as I tell you this story.
Eventually, the Christians would come and build their cathedral on top of the ruins of our Templo Mayor. So, in may ways, my daughter, Coyolxauqui, is a prequel goddess to your Lady of Guadalupe. My Coyolxauqui formed part of the solid rock foundation on which Christianity is built in Tenochtitlan, in Mexico City.
Dismembered by her brother, cracked by the modern day machinery, with a history of a Christianity that tried to erase memory of her forever, Coyolxauqui is the bent over woman you read about in your Gospel. Sadly, the Coyolxauquis of your world continue to suffer. But perhaps one day my daughter will share with you her story and tell you how, from eternity, she is using her experience for good works.
But more about my son, Huitzilopochtli, the god of Sun and War. He told the Nahuas that to find their promised land, they were to find the place where an eagle landed on a cactus while devouring a serpent. This new Aztec home was named Tenochtitlan, meaning place of the nopal cactus. And in the year 1325, they built what is now called Mexico City. And Mexico City is where I live now, as I mentioned, in the Museum of Anthropology.
Do you know what else is in Mexico City? The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe! Yes, Lupita and I have been neighbors for many, many years. In fact, in many ways, I can consider her my a’hijada, my goddaughter.
Guadalupe. You know, there are many who believe that what she actually said was "Coatlaxopeuh," which means The One Who Crushes the Serpent. This makes sense as she came speaking Nahuatl. And the Spanish word "Guadalupe" sounds very similar to the Nahualt word, "Coatlaxopeuh." The One who Crushes the Serpent. That may be a reference to Quetzalcoatl, but that, my friends, is another story!
When the Christians saw Her, they immediately recognized the woman clothed with the sun of the Apocalypse. But do you know what St. Juan Diego saw? I am certain that he saw my children.
He saw my daughter, Coyolxauqui, as the moon at Lupita’s feet. My daughter paved the way so that God’s favorite daughter could have a place to stand firm.
I am certain that St. Juan Diego saw my son, Huitzilopochtli, as the rays of sunlight surrounding Her. My sun illuminated the mother of God’s Son.
Surely St. Juan Diego saw my other male children, the stars, as they were arranged on Her mantle the way they arranged themselves in the sky that morning: Centzonmimixcoa, my sons of the northern constellation on the right side of her garment and my Centzonuitznaua, my sons of the southern constellation on her left.
And even today the most popular images of Guadalupe are the ones that have the apparitions in each of the corners. I’m sure you’ve seen it. There’s a large image of Guadalupe with four smaller images, one in each corner. Do you know why Lupita shows herself in that fashion? Because she is imitating me! She is copying the way I sit with my sisters with me in the middle and them all around me. Even more, five is a special number to the Aztecas. Our Lady of Guadalupe represents the age of the Fifth Sun. But the Fifth Sun is another story that I must share with you at another time.
So, when St. Juan Diego saw Lupita, through the various apparitions, he also saw me: Coatlicue, Aztec Mother goddess.
And you know, I don’t mind too much that many have said all sort of evil things about me through the ages. For the fact of the matter is, we cannot acknowledge the light without also acknowledging the darkness. For how can you sing "Ave Maria" without knowing that Eve is also a necessary part of your salvation history? You can’t sing the "Ave" without acknowledging the "Eva."
Yes, I am the Aztec earth goddess with two serpent heads. I mother to the moon and to the sun. There is duality in all things and I am here to remind you of this. I am the Aztec mother goddess. And, in many ways, I am your mother or Toci, your grandmother.
I am Coatlicue.
(c) 2008, Rubi Martinez-Bernat. Rubi has worked in the area of Music and Liturgy in the Archdiocese of Detroit for over 25 years. Rubi owns several websites, including http://NicanMopohua.org. Permission is granted to use this article in your blog or website provided that nothing is changed or edited. The full content of article together with this paragraph and clickable links must be included. All other use in all other media prohibited.