Xicalli: The Natural Ways of Mother Earth, Father Sky

 

“Don’t call them ‘old ways’ or ‘ancient ways.’ Call them Natural ways. They are not old, they are Natural. They are ways to help us live in harmony with Earth.”

Thomas Banyacya, Hopi elder

 

Understand Creation, her invisible and visible forces place us in a better place to participate with Earth’s Life-giving cycles. Much of the framework to do this was guarded and passed on by our Nahuatlaca ancestors who constructed this knowledge across thousands of years of experience and five centuries of brutal repression by western colonialism.

 

We are coming to the “end” of an important period in Earth’s dance with the Sun, her grandmother Moon, and his sisters the stars. Here is a review within the context of other Natural cycles.

 

Nine days before the Winter Solstice (birth of Huitzilopochtli), Earth begins a significant internal change that prepares her for receiving the solstice sun and eventually use that radiant power to renew that region of Earth, a process which culminates with the Spring equinox (when Tlazolteotl and Meyahuel integrate the forces from above and below for the creation of Life).

 

The nine days of Huitzilopochtli are part of a 13-day cycle before the Winter Solstice. On the ninth day there is manifestation of an integration involving Earth’s tonalli (solar vibration), ihiyotl (gaseos formation), atlachinolli (the electrified forces in water), and teyolia (electromagnetism). This can be detected at the bottom of Earth’s waterways, whose movement is detected and monitored by Tlalzolteotl’s Wolf, of one her animal companions.

 

It is important to note that this 13-day cycle is preceded by a 260-day cycle which began after the first day after the last Spring equinox. In this way, Huitzilopochtli’s birth mirrors a human gestation cycle (260 day of formation and 13 days of internal forces integrating). Thirteen days after the birth of Huitzilopochtli, the integration of those invisible Life-giving forces rise from inside Earth to her surface. It is at this time that Tlazolteotl’s Jaguar brings this force on his head.

 

This Tlazolteotl “season” occurs to the northern half the Earth during December and January and then to the southern half during July and August. It is important to know that this season is manifested in regions, not just the entire hemisphere at once. Our Nahuatlaca ancestors where careful always to identify and begin relationships with the “jicaras” or Xicalli (centers of life) and begin a relationship with the Invisible Forces of those Xicalli.

For our west Texas southern New Mexico community this Xicalli is Hueco Tanks State park.

 

 

Carlos Aceves Yolohuitzcalotl