Welcome to my 200th Post. My initial reason for starting this Blog began with a single herb; Papaloquelite. I first came across this herb when I was searching for cilantro substitutions and it was a book by a German chef (Christian Teubner) that introduced me to the first in this family, Quillquina (Porophyllum ruderale) (1). Richters Herbs in Canada has been growing and selling herbs … Continue reading Ayauhtona. Another Poreleaf?
The Avatar (1) of Xochipilli an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person (in this case a statue) The most common reference for the discovery of this statue that you will find will likely be “In the mid-19th century, a 16th-century Aztec statue of Xochipilli was unearthed on the side of the volcano Popocatépetl near Tlalmanalco” (1) although others state “His … Continue reading El Avatar de Xochipilli
Yaoehecatl, dancer (1), historian, writer, instructor, lecturer, and Primera Palabra o Jefe del Calpulli Metzcualo-Tonalyeztli (First Word or Chief) of the Calpulli (2) Metzcualo-Tonalyeztli (3) has recently published some material which places Xochipilli into the “force of nature” category from the indigenous point of view of the Mexica. The work “Xochipilli y San Juan Bautista. El sincretismo del Solsticio de Verano” (4) equates the current … Continue reading Xochipilli : A Force of Nature
Cover image : cacaloxochitl (Nahuatl raven – flower)(Plumeria rubra) or the Frangipani tree. This tree was highly prized in Aztec society. It was planted in the gardens of the elite classes of society and, amongst the Maya, plumeria was associated with deities representing life force and fertility. The flowers became strongly connected with a wide range of expressions of female sexuality (Zumbroich 2013). Intoxication need … Continue reading Xochipilli : Intoxicating Scent.
I think we may be overlooking the obvious. In my continuing quest to understand Xochipilli, both in spirit and in form, I am drawn to the floral imagery portrayed on the idol. I am unconvinced of the current paradigm which would have me believe that all of these plants are intoxicants designated for shamanic usage. Wasson, to fit a theory, has perhaps projected his own … Continue reading Xochipilli : Is it a Dahlia?
Lyric wordplay is a rich cultural tradition in México. In the days of the Aztec poetry and its performance was known as in xochitl in cuicatl (“flower and song”) and those adept in it were known as xochitlahtoanime (flowerspeakers) or cuicapicque (songmakers). Flowers contained deep symbolic meaning in Aztec philosophy and the very structure of the Universe itself was modelled after that of a flower. … Continue reading Xochipilli : Hymn to Xochipilli
This is the Xicalcoliuhqui symbol that can be found all throughout Mesoamerica on buildings, artwork, clothing, and even war shields. It is the oldest and most widespread symbol of duality that exists in Mesoamerican cultures. Xicalcoliuhqui, also referred to as a “step fret” or “stepped fret” design, is a common motif in Mesoamerican art. It is composed of three or more steps connected to a … Continue reading Xochipilli : Beyond Gender
Xochipilli is so intimately linked with another deity, Xochiquetzal, that they are sometimes conflated into one being. This brings up some interesting questions into the nature of transgender behaviour and hermaphroditism (1). These are interesting questions but as neither of these necessarily has to involve homosexuality I will not delve into either in any particular detail in this Post. This is a conversation to be … Continue reading Xochipilli and Homosexuality : Part 2
**Revised and Updated** This has become a larger project than I initially imagined it might be. There is more than enough information available for this exploration to become the basis for a thesis. To make it easier to write (and read) I’ll break this chapter into two parts. In Part 2 I will delve into the relationship between Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal. I expect this will … Continue reading Xochipilli and Homosexuality : Part 1
The Aztec universe has been poorly represented and even less eloquently articulated. This is in some way to be expected as our understanding of this universe has been in many ways limited by the existing written sources that describe this universe. These sources were, by and large, written by the very peoples who destroyed the culture they were inadequately attempting to describe and were also … Continue reading Xochipilli : New Floral Identifications
Masa Americana 