Cover Image : ‘Vocho Teotihuacano’ : Héctor Garnelo Navarro etal

The tendency of Christianity (regardless of which form you wish to discuss it in) is to destroy that which does not fit within the confines of its dogma. If it cannot destroy then, much like the Romans (1) it will appropriate and absorb. This appropriation is problematic as although they are appearing to take something in on its face value this is not the case. The teachings will be constricted and ultimately transposed with meaning that is potentially opposite of that which was originally intended.

1. the main Christian church, that of Roman Catholicism, was created in such a manner. When the government of Rome found it too difficult to wipe them out it absorbed the followers of the Nazarene (which were an offshoot of another troublesome religion – that of Judaism). The followers of the Christ however soon became the dominant religion over the pagan polyglot that was Rome and the papal politics of the Holy Catholic Church of Rome has had a continuing pernicious influence over the practices of religions other than their own from that day until now (and presumably on into the future).

Calmecac Anahuac has recently published an interesting little titbit on the Smoking Mirror Tezcatlipoca.

“This wicked Tezcatlipoca, we know, is Lucifer, the great devil who there in the midst of Heaven, even in the beginning, began war, vice, filth. The ancients worshipped him… So much were the ancients in confusion.” Fray Bernardino de Sahagún

• Calmecac – “the house of the lineage”, was a school for the sons of Aztec nobility during the Late Postclassic period (1200 – 1521), where they would receive rigorous religious and military training. The calmecac tied together the military, political and sacred hierarchies of the community. The children of both pipiltin (nobles by birth) and tecuhtli (commoners who had captured four enemy warriors in combat) could enrol in the religious college, or calmecac, where they could be trained as priests or political administrators. The calmecac was also open to certain other commoners, such as wealthy and influential merchants (pochteca) and craftsmen.
• Anahuac – place name used by the Aztecs to refer to the Basin of Mexico

The mission of Calmecac Anahuac is simple: Host an online community of people who are working together to reconstruct the knowledge of Anahuac to allow them to continue their cultural heritage that was interrupted in 1492 and 1519 with the arrival of the Spaniards.

The response to Sahagúns statement is enlightening

“Tezcatlipoca is not a god, it is the mirror who shows you who you really are.
So when the occupiers came, Tezcatlipoca showed them their own reflection and in this case, what they saw frightened them. For this reason they said he was an evil god.” – Miktlan Ehekateotl Kuahtlinxan

Serpent and The Sun : Tales Of An Aztec Apprentice is a film written and directed by Shaahin Cheyene. It takes on the story of Tachi a disenfranchised youth living in México City. He is soon taken under the wing of a 52nd generation Aztec medicine man and traditional healer (Curandero) Miktlan Ehekateotl Kwautlinxan or “Ehe”. Tachi embarks on apprenticeship with Ehe and he follows his teacher into the mountains of rural México on a journey of initiation into the Tezkatlipoka tradition of the Wewepahtli healing knowledge.

Miktlan Ehekateotl Kuauhtlinxan is the curandero at the heart of the story. According to his bio he is…..

Tlamatini (1) and Bearer of the Word of the Eagle of the Continuous Tetzkatlipoka Tradition. Appointed since 2015, by the Supreme Council and the Greater Council of the Continuous Tradition Tetzkatlipoka. He was for 26 years (1989/2015) the Bearer of the Word of The Continuous Tezkatlipoka Tradition. In addition, he is in charge of the Continuous Tetzkatlipoka Tradition to exercise ceremonies and public celebrations; Instructor of Sciences, Arts, Customs and Disciplines of Tetzkatlipoka; Carrier of the Healing of what Generates the Heart of the People and Instructor and Traditional Doctor of the Wewepahtli System (2).

1. Tlamatini (plural tlamatinime) is a Nahuatl language word meaning “someone who knows something”, generally translated as “wise man”. in tlamatini tlauilli ocutl, tomaoac ocutl apocio, tezteatl, coiaoac tezcatl, necoc xapo, tlile, tlapale, amuxoa, amoxe, tlilli, tlapalli, utli, teiacanqui, tlanelo, teuicani, tlauicani, tlaiacanqui = The wise man [is] exemplary. He possesses writings; he owns books. [He is] the tradition, the road; a leader of men, a rower, a companion, a bearer of responsibility, a guide.
2. The medicine system of the Tetzkatlipoka Tradition is called Wewepahtli, meaning Great Medicine. It encompasses sophisticated health maintenance practices and a healing philosophy developed over more than 9,000 years. It includes all forms of traditional medicine developed through experience, observation and continuous practice since ancient times. Everything is medicine: food, art, laughter, colour, sound. And Wewepahtli also includes more commonly understood therapies that employ herbs, energy work, therapeutic massage, talk therapy, exercise and tematzkal (temazcal/temascal – sweat lodge). For example, two systems of healing are KETZALXIUHTEOTL (Beautiful Brilliant Energy, Ketzal Energy Work) and TLAWAYOTL (The Heart Generates the Earth). The TLAWAYOTL system is maintained and cared for by the KWAUHTLINXAN family.

The book of the movie (more or less). The book delves into the teachings of Ehekateotl and the balancing of lifes extremes. This exactly matches the Mesoamerican philosophy of balance as it applies to every aspect of the universe we inhabit. A curandera (1) and follower of the Wewepahtli philosophy explains further “the Aztecs life goal was to live in harmony with this universe of which they are a part. The universe is made up of an immense net of energy channels that meet and combine at different points.” (Hendriksen 2014)

1. Elena Avila

The album Sounds of Darkness features the chants and songs of curandero Miktlan Ehekateotl Kuauhtlinxan with the music of award-winning composer Austin Wintory. For the first time in history, the Supreme High Council of Elders of the Tetzkatlipoka Tradition have given permission to record and release these sacred chants.

The most enlightening aspect of this though is that the (Catholic) Church gazed upon itself and saw the Devil.

This is what happens when you view the unknown through the lens of religious intolerance and try to stamp it with meaning derived from your own belief system. You yourself are exposed and your hypocrisy is reflected back upon you revealing the devil that lies within.

References

• Avila, Elena. (1999). Woman who glows in the dark : a curandera reveals traditional Aztec secrets of physical and spiritual health. New York :J.P. Tarcher/Putnam,
• Hendrickson, B. (2014). Border Medicine: A Transcultural History of Mexican American Curanderismo. NYU Press. Retrieved July 13, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x0pzq
• Cheyene, Shaahin (2009) : Darkness: The Power of Illumination : Victory Films Incorporated, 2009 ISBN : 0982565100, 9780982565100