Sisters of the Burning Branch
Goddess Gallery Presents...
Shamanic Goddess
Ixchel
A Level 1 Final Project
Creator: Rev. Ravynsea )O(
Ixchel (pronounced
Ishchel) was the Mayan goddess of the moon, of love, gestation and
childbirth, of medicine, and of the textile arts, particularly weaving.
She was often accompanied by a rabbit or a jaguar. In Mayan
hieroglyphics her name appears as Chak Chel, meaning “large rainbow.”
ASSOCIATIONS:
Related Names: The
Queen, Lady Rainbow, Eagle Woman, Our Mother, the White Lady, Goddess
of Becoming, Mother Earth, the Womb, the Cave of Life, Keeper of the
Bones
Related Patronages: Water, Healing, Medicine, Weaving, Sexuality, Fertility, Childbirth, Magic
Related Animals: Dragonfly
(symbolizing sense of self and creative imagination); Feathered Serpent
(symbolizing energy of transformation); Snake (symbolizing renovation,
renewal and medicine); Rabbit (symbolizing abundance and fertility);
Jaguar (symbolizing authority and power)
Related essences: Almond, bergamot, marigold, oriental lily, vanilla
Related gemstones: Agate, brown jasper (orange stones), carnelian, coral
[1]
MISCELLANY:
Fresh flowers
Jungle
Turtles
Fish
Mayans referred to Ixchel in many forms, Maiden, Mother and Crone, which is partly what makes this Goddess so fascinating. She is all three!
As
a young woman she was likened to the waxing moon. As an elder or Crone,
she was connected symbolically with the waning moon, pouring a jug of water onto the earth, or sometimes as an elderly woman weaving on a loom. [2] Note: the jug (or vessel) is an archetypal symbol for women and of the Goddess. For more on this, read Chapter 4 in The Great Mother: An Analysis of the Archetype by Erich Neumann.
On
her head she wore a serpent, and the pattern on her skirt was of bones
in the form of a cross. She was celebrated during the month of “Zip” in
the Maya calendar under her role as goddess of medicine. She had four
symbols in four different colors: red, white, black, and yellow, which
were associated with the four segments of the universe. She is
therefore, associated with crossroads and gateways between worlds.
Red,
black and white are sacred colors of the Goddess. Interestingly enough,
this is true across cultures and across space and time. We
can ask ourselves what these three colors mean to us and list them.
Intuitively, red represents the color of life, of blood, of
menstruation and of power. Black represents the Great Between Time, nightfall, Mysteries, caverns, and the New Moon. White represents the Full Moon, pearls from the sea, wave caps, purity, sacredness and The Goddess.
As
a midwife Goddess, She protects the fertility of women and helps ensure
a healthy birth by overturning Her sacred womb jar so that the waters
flow. The snake on Her head signifies She is a Goddess of medicine. All
plant medicine and sacred healing is under Her domain. Truly a gateway
Goddess, She is also the keeper of the souls of the dead. [3]
Calling to and Connecting with Ixchel
- Make moon water by setting a jar of fresh spring water in a jar under the light of the Full Moon.
- Visit your favorite body of water and meditate on the Great Mother, on the primordial power of water.
- Utilize all the colors of the rainbow in a spell or collect stones (the "bones" of the Earth) in a rainbow of colors.
- Start a dream journal and ask Ixchel to bless your dreams with Her wisdom.
- Explore a weaving art.
- Collect jars (symbolic of the womb) or bones of some kind
- Create
an altar for your ancestors…if you have ashes or any sacred objects
that belonged to your departed loved ones, place them there.
- Journey
to Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) in Cancun and visit a temple that
still remains. This is a sacred place dedicated to Ixchel.
"In
Pre-Columbian times, this island was considered sacred to the Mayan
goddess Ixchel, the goddess of the moon, happiness, fertility, and
medicine. It is believed the only inhabitants of the island were Ixchel
and her court of women. Later, when the people of Spain came to the
island in the 16th century, they found many statues and images of the
goddess and named it “Isla de Mujeres.” What does the name “Isla” mean?
Isla means “island,” and mujeres means “women.” So the title given the
land was “Island of Women.” It has since been shortened to simply,
“Isla Mujeres. The temple of the
goddess Ixchel was situated on the south side of the island and was
used as a lighthouse for ships. Torchlight could be seen through holes
in the walls and gave sailors a guiding point in the dark."
Jaguar Spirit Meditation by Sarah Merron
ORIGINAL CHANT
M. Ravynsea )O(
Ixchel, Moon Lady, Keeper O' the Bones,
Carry us in your teeth, deeper to the Earth… home.
Ixchel, Moon Lady, Keeper O' the Bones,
Heal us with your waters, for we are not…ever...alone.
Ixchel, Moon Lady, Keeper O' the Bones,
Weave us a new path, aid us as e'er as we roam.
SOURCES
Web:
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
Books
The Great Mother: An Analysis of the Archetype by Erich Neumann.
