As of the 15th of May, this blog will only be accessible by pointing your browser to the domain name nahualli.net. On that note, time for a name change! The Dreamtime will now be known as “Nahualli”. After all, if the shoe fits, wear it!
Warning. This is a very opinionated post. Read on, if you don’t mind my ranting.
Ritual is defined by Dictionary.com as follows:
“…an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.”
A fairly simple definition, right? After all, ritual fills our daily lives – we move from one thing to another in ritualistic format, whether it be our morning routine for rolling out of bed and getting ourselves ready for the day to those times when we must observe cultural rituals, such as those for death, birth or marriage.
But really, what is ritual, in a religious context? How do I, spiritually, define this? Why is it so important to every individual’s spiritual practice, and why do some belief systems just get it so wrong? At the risk of turning into a ranting maniac, I digress; it is important to remember, as far as I am concerned, the nature of ritual and the reason for performing it.
Cultures the world over use ritual, religiously, to honor their Gods, Ancestors and Spirits. Generally speaking, these are ceremonies or reverence and thanks; times of fear, of jubilation, of thanksgiving, of sacrifice in hopes of pleasing the Mighty Ones and ushering in a successful and bountiful harvest.
For me, ritual is still that; a time of thanksgiving and respect. It is a time to thank the Gods for their blessings, and also a time of praise. It is a time to honor them and call them by their many names and titles, to show absolute love and devotion to even the most dark and sinister of deities. For they, unlike us, expect such reverence; they are, after all, Divine beings. Our piety and our devotion to them is shown through these acts of praise.
They may – or may not – choose to grant us more blessings in return. It is Their prerogative; after all, they are the ones at the helm of the spiritual ship.
Where my issues come – and perhaps this is because I have adapted such an Aztec philosophy on the purpose of ritual – is when ritual becomes all about the Self; all about bringing things to the Practitioner, all about petitioning for Blessings or material things or manifestations of emotions or events. While these, the rites of petition have a place within any spiritual practice, they must not become the center pillar of worship.
I must preface my next words with these; I am, most certainly, accepting of the beliefs of others. However, I feel it is important – no, integral – to recall that opionionation happens, and in such a broad and diverse community as Paganism, there are broad to be many different drumbeats to dance to. Once again, I remind you, that this is my opinion.
I feel that many modern Pagan traditions, specifically those falling under the umbrella of traditional and eclectic Wicca, have stumbled into the pothole of what I like to call petition ritual. While the premise and theory is there for establishing a connection with the Holy God and Goddess of these traditions, it seems, more or less, like the rituals focus purely on bringing things to the practitioner. Rather than cast the circle, call the quarters, invite deity and praise, the offerings portion is replaced with magical workings. Perhaps, later, the Gods are thanked in the ceremony of Cakes and Ale; this, too, however, has its roots on instilling blessings upon the practitioner. Where is the piety? Where is the sacrifice? The giving of that which is due? The Gods do not ask much of us; they as for occasional observance of their sacred Rites, and praise of their names. Is it that difficult to make this a more regular occasion than pure mongering? Wiccan ritual – and indeed, that of many Neo-Pagan traditions – is too heavily-centered on the workings; that is, the magic, to bring upon blessings and gifts from the Gods.
Perhaps this is why the Aztec Teotl have never truly meshed with the Neo-Pagan worldview. Many Wiccan websites and texts warn against the welcoming of Aztec gods, for it is said they will not grand blessings and instead bring chaos. Do you blame them? The Aztec Teotl are a proud pantheon, who demand respect and do not merely bend and conform to the wants and whims of their followers. Perhaps the Gods and Goddesses of other groups merely allow things to occur and, indeed, grant their worshipers favors merely in joy that people actually care once more outside of their traditional cultures, and are bringing them back into the spiritual world.
In my own practice with the Aztec Teotl, I have done little to no magical workings. While certainly, I have prayed for their guidance, their wisdom, and their assistance, at no time has it been for material things or a non-urgent or prying matter. It is acceptable to ask for assistance with money, or love, but when does it become too much? When we begin to ask for things in excess and, truly, out of our own greed, prayer becomes begging and sheer ignorance towards the Gods. To ask the Gods for anything, we must first earn their trust and respect; we need them as our Allies, and we need them to know we come in truth and with honest intentions. Many Gods – the Teotl, at least – do not purely accept petition right off the bat. You must establish yourself as a worthy recipient of their Gifts.
In short, and in closing, I beg the Pagan community to bring back the purpose of Ritual. To honor and to convey our love, respect, piety and sometimes our respect-borne fear to the mighty Shining Ones. Do not just ask for petty favors or meaningless material things; Praise them, honor them, and develop a relationship of service to Them. Allow yourself the beauty of a true ritual, in which the Gods of your choosing are honored and praised; you will not regret the experience.
Teotlatolpan (in the Gods’ word),
– Tzopilotl
I have to be the world’s worst blogger; I’m incredibly inconsistent, awfully absent, and generally lacking motivation to post. I’d like to change this but who knows – my life is hectic, with a new job on the way and a new career path that I think I have finally settled on. My spiritual life, too, has exhibited some shifting (some, to say the least).
I will always be dedicated to my beloved Teotl; Quetzalcoatl, Plumed Serpent of the Wind, the Morning Star, Lord of Science, Spirituality and Study. Chantico, the Hearth Mother, Precious Goddess and Fire Lady. They shall always remain cornerstone to my practice.
I have started to discover – and this, perhaps by the Gods’ will – that Aztec Reconstructionism is a very broad, misunderstood and frankly underdeveloped spiritual practice. Most academic information is unclear, though we do have some understanding of how the Ancients worshipped the Teotl. My own personal experience in this tradition has been grand, but the Gods have pushed me in another direction that, while it certainly involves utilizing the traditional Aztec worship tools (Altar setup, sacrifice, etc.), is heading back more into the roots, bones and rattles of Traditional Witchcraft with a very Aztec twist.
My beliefs have always been a melting pot of spiritualities. The predominant flavour this past year, however, has been a very spicy Aztec addition. Now and again, a pinch of other things has been added; Druidry, Shamanism – which has always been a constant – and once more the path of the Witch (or for me, the Nahualli Witch) has been stirred in.
If there is one thing I’ve learned in approximately ten years of Paganism, its to trust my intuition and let the Gods guide me. If it feels right, do it – if it feels wrong, step back and reevaluate. By nature I am extremely analytical and occasionally overdo it; but that is just who I am. I’ve let the Teotl guide me towards the things I should be reading, experimenting with, and trying (now to only convince Quetzalcoatl to let me change my altar about).
Quetzalcoatl has led me towards a study of Witchcraft, once more – I firmly believe this will strengthen my connection with him. And continually, despite what I’m sure is his better ideals, Tezcatlipoca (The Smoking Mirror) is popping up in my day to day life and visions. Traditionally, Quetzalcoatl’s epic rival and co-creator of the world, is the God of the Night, God of Sorcery and God of Divination. He is, in many ways, the opposite of the great Plumed Serpent (their mythology is strife with a serious rivalry), but I’m sure the reason behind my introduction to the Obsidian Lord will assist me in workings of magic, sorcery, and other “witchy” endeavours. Quetzalcoatl is my spiritual Father; he is my guiding light on all matters of the tonalli and soul.
Chantico has recently been assisting me, I’m sure, on matters of home, hearth and career. I have found a new direction in my life, thanks to her guidance, and am sure this is the right thing for me. Now, I shall call upon Her to assist me with finding a place to live. Also, thankfully (and something else I’m sure she has assured throughout this whole process), she has found me a career close to my ADF friends in Oshawa, so that I may be happy with the wonderful pagan fellowship I have been a part of. Much thanks are in store for her continued Blessings and Guidance.
So here I am, developing a tradition of Nahualli Witchcraft. My Book of Shadows from previous Witchcraft traditions will probably remain, but many things will change as the book develops. Lets see how this goes.
With many Blessings to all of my readers (are you out there!?)
So I’ve decided to attempt the panultimate blogging experience and setup a podcast. I’ve tried this before, and failed (sounds like blogging to me!) but I’ll see how it goes this time. I figure I’ll get this going on iTunes and see if I can get some hits! Whoot.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (22.1MB)
I normally take my dreams with a grain of salt; but last night, after a day-time ritual to Quetzalcoatl asking for guidance in my love life (amongst other things – poor guy, he must get so frustrated with my shortcomings), I had a strange dream. While I cannot for the life of me remember the particulars of it, I woke up with an idea in my head that was in a voice not my own. To give you the Cole’s notes, it was something like this:
“You are a fucking witch. Stop denying it. Delve into Wicca again though, and we’ll kick your ass.”
By “we”, I’m presuming its Quetzalcoatl delivering a verbal ass-kicking. I’ve lately also been pushed towards Chantico, Aztec goddess of fire and the hearth, and am starting to wonder if I shouldn’t listen to her, as well.
I was once a Wiccan. I’ve gone through this and established why I fell out of the fluffy part of Paganism in an earlier post. I think, what the short and long of it is here, is that I’m meant to go back to being witchy; a sorceress, a shamaness, whatever you want to call it. A spiritworker. A magical person (no “k” for me!). A dreamwalker.
I’ve been here before. I’ve walked the dreamtime and been terrified of what I’ve seen. I once saw a well-trained shaman whom I was working with do soul retrievals and spirit possession – both of which terrified me. Perhaps I wasn’t ready then, and quite frankly, I doubt I still am. I’m not so sure I’m meant to be a shaman in the traditional sense; not meant to retrieve missing bits of souls, or heal the spirit of others by fighting off some malevolent entities. Instead, I think the calling of an Aztec Nahualli is more up my tree.
I will be using two sources to explain Nahualli here: Handbook to Life in the Aztec World and the fantastic Aztec Gateway website. Huzzah for academic integrity.
Nahualli, in the Aztec worldview, can mean two things; one, it is the “shadow self” – the spiritual other half of a person, most often found in the form of an animal. Nahualli is also the term given to Aztec sorcerers, skilled in magic, herbalism, healing, and generally scaring the living daylights out of the everyday citizen. The magician Nahualli were called the jaguar priests, and lived a rather boring existence (and by boring, I mean celibate).
The nahualli (improper noun) as a shadow self, essentially as a spirit animal, was a real thing; the nahualli animal counterpart existed, either physically or spiritually (very similar concept to a witch’s familiar). One was able to shapeshift into their nahualli counterpart, or was able to horse into their mind. I know damn well what my nahualli is – a vulture, the condor. For me, he exists on the spiritual plane, and I am always “hooked in” to him due to the permanent ink outline of a condor/vulture on my arm (yes, its Nazca – which is Peru.). My vulture counterpart has manifested physically, but normally I know he is kicking around as a spiritual entity.
In terms of being an actual Nahualli, a jaguar priest and sorcerer of the Aztec pantheon, I believe this is my calling. In terms of relaying exactly what the Nahualli did, I’m not sure this is possible; as Cáer over at Hazelnuts & Rowanberries said to me: “The gods change, as do people. The Aztec traditional practices are all but gone. Is it better to have nobody do it, or to have a sincere woman do it?” She’s a wise woman, and she’s right; the Aztec traditional practices are gone, and the Gods realize this – it is time to meld the traditional Aztec ways to those of today, and as such, I will begin walking the path of the Nahualli, as a priestess of the mighty Quetzalcoatl and the gracious, yet fiery Chantico.
I have a feeling I was drawn to the path of working magic again for a reason. As a Wiccan and later Shamanic Witch, I rarely worked magic for good reason; when I did it, it worked, and it worked powerfully. I’ve learned that I need to be very careful what I ask for, and what I walk through the spirit world hoping to obtain. This will be part of my journey, I am sure; realizing the limits of my abilities but also doing things for the good of all. Here’s hoping I can come up with some standard liturgy so others can follow – if not just learn – from my path.
Teotlatolpan (in the Gods’ word),
– Tzopilotl
The following is based off a variety of documents, including those of Aztec mythology and Native American theologies. While cleansing is practiced in many cultures, it is hard to understand exactly what the Aztec’s did; certainly, it would be important to cleanse oneself before entering ritual space. This modern adaptation will allow a practitioner to be spiritually and physically clean before entering communion with the Gods.
Use anointing oil, salt and water, or incense (copal preferred for Aztec rites)
Anoint the Forehead: “I cleanse my thoughts that they may be pure and honest – grant that they bring me closer to the Teotl. Grant that my mind may be filled with intellect and creativity.”
Anoint the Throat: “I cleanse my voice, that all I say might be clear and precise, and that I may cry in joy to the Gods.”
Anoint the Heart: “I cleanse my heart and my blood, that it might be open and accepting to the Wisdom of the Teotl, who may call upon it as is Their will. Grant that I might give freely of my heart to others.”
Anoint the Hands: “I cleanse my hands that I might use them for workings of betterment and of assistance, and that I may use them to better myself and my relationship with the Gods.
Anoint the Feet: “I cleanse my feet that they might take me far in this life, and that my journeys be filled with the Wisdom and Power of the Teotl.”
Great Quetzalcoatl,
Shining One, Radiant One, Wing’ed Serpent of the Sky
May You guide me in this and walk me down the right path
May my blood nourish You so that You may be my guide
O Radiant Lord of the Dawn Star, continue to walk with me
So its been a while since I blogged on here. I do suppose I could say I have good reason, but really, I don’t – there’s nowhere else that I document my spiritual journeys so I’ll be damned if I forget to do it…again.
So needless to say, updates on the way. Pretty sure I’m going to start some sort of tutorials of sorts as well – likely, they will focus on Aztec worship and culture. Whoot!
Great Quetzalcoatl
Lord of the Dawn, Plumed Serpent of the Rising Sun
Great One of the Dawn Star
As the light crests above the horizon and Your brilliance grows
May You guide me; May You guard me
O Radiant One, O Feathered One, O Blood Father of Humanity
Allow me to blossom under Your guidance today
Allow my life to nourish Yours, as Yours breathed life to ours
Last night, while doing research on the Aztec way of life and on Aztec Recon itself, the idea popped into my head about the similarities and differences between Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) worship and the worship of the Aztec Teotl. While I’m halfway convinced the idea was Quetzalcoatl’s, not mine, the seed is planted and dammit, I’m going to write this.
The World Tree
Believe it or not, the thing that is such a pinnacle of ADF and Druid belief is also a tenet of Aztec mythology and the Aztec cosmos. Actually, the World Tree spans a vast variety of cultures, but the fact it breached Mesoamerica shouldn’t be all that surprising; after all, current archaeological and historical evidence points to the Aztec ancestors crossing the Bering Straight, bringing with them their ideas of mythos and the cosmos.
The Aztecs see the World Tree as a supporter of the worlds; it is said not only is there a tree at the four corners (directions) of the earth, but one central tree has its roots in through the four realms of the Underworld, its trunk through the Midworld of the mundane, and the branches extending up through the eight realms of the Upperworlds.
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The Sacred Hearthfire
When it comes to ADF, the image of the Sacred Hearthfire is pretty much a given standard. Same with the Aztecs. They were a culture of family, and of the Hearth; in fact, there are many Gods and Goddesses devoted to the Hearth (Including Chantico). The family went through a series of devotional work to the Hearth and its God/desses throughout the year, and supplemented the state’s religious worship with their own. The period of five days at the end of the Aztec year (February 9-13) signified a time for doing nothing, to avoid bad luck and curses. During this period the hearthfire was allowed to go out completely, which otherwise was a negative omen. The fire was restarted during Atlcaualo, the first festival of the new year.
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Sacrifice
Now, don’t get me wrong; the difference between ADF Sacrifice and Aztec sacrifice is fairly large. ADF focuses on the idea of sacrifice; that being, making something sacred, and giving thanks for the work of the gods. The Aztec see it as nextlaoaliztli, “the giving of that which is right”. Those who worship the Aztec Gods see sacrifice as payment of debt; that is, the repayment of thanks and of physical goods in order to please the gods, and to pay the debt for the blessings bestowed upon them. Aztec sacrifice was more than just ripping the heart of victims (though this was certainly a common practice, and many weren’t actually “victims” – but I will get into this shortly), it was also the sacrifice of food (tamales were a favourite), grains, alcohol and of service to the gods.
In terms of the sacrifice everyone thinks about when they think of the Aztecs – you know, the blood-letting, the heart-ripping, the kicking-down-the-pyramid-stairs sort – it wasn’t always a negative experience for the sacrificee. In fact, it was seen as a great honour to die this way, especially if you were a warrior (it was seen that a warrior, to have the most honourable death, needed to die in battle or be sacrificed) or a chosen physical representation of the God or Goddess. For example, for the festival of Toxcatl, a youth who impersonated the god Tezcatlipoca for a year was sacrificed; the year previous to his demise, he was spent being pampered, trained, and given four sacred wives to satisfy his needs. He was treated as a living embodiment of Tezcatlipoca, and as he danced through the streets with his bells and playing his sacred flute, citizens came to be blessed by this godly avatar.
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ADF does not allow blood sacrifice in its rituals. I’m cool with that. They are also focussed on Indo-European cultures, so my practice of Aztec religion does not fit in there. That, I am also okay with. However, I always make an attempt to honour my Patron, Quetzalcoatl, during ADF ritual – either by extending an offering of food, fresh flowers, drink, oil or incense or my praying his praises. When I am at home, privately honouring Him, of course he will get a little bit of my Life Blood; the sacred thing that was so holy to the Aztecs. He deserves that.
Regardless, the similarities are there – I don’t actually feel so bad mixing the practices any more. In fact, I feel more at ease with it; I can set up my altar with the Well, the Fire and the World Tree, and not worry about dishonouring Quetzalcoatl or his Teotl brethren. He is a very traditional God, but so far its all seeming right and in place. We will see, however, where this goes.