The mighty Aztec Goddess Coatlicue (pronounced koh-at-lee-kway) is the all-powerful Goddess of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Her name means "Lady of the Serpent Skirt." She wears a necklace of human hands and hearts. A human skull is the buckle on her serpent belt. Her fearsome attire is topped by a double-headed snake that can also be seen as a single, forward-facing snake.
But those serpents are not Coatlicue's head. She has no head. Along with some other goddesses, Coatlicue willingly sacrificed her own life by decapitation in order to bring about the current 5th Solar Era of our world. These deaths served to put the Sun in motion again so that Time itself could continue and the Cosmos would not end. It is from Coatlicue's severed neck that the two snakes arise, symbolizing her gushing blood, the fertile liquid of life.
The altar cloths reflect the Solar Yellow and Blood Red colours of Coatlicue's sacrifice. A red stone serpent and red candles complete the scene.
The famous basalt statue of Coatlicue was carved around 1500 C.E., weighs 12 tons and stands over 10 feet tall with its base. After the Spanish Conquest, the invaders systematically destroyed all evidence of Aztec religion. This statue was buried deep in the earth, perhaps by Aztecs themselves in order to protect it from defacement or destruction. In 1790, the statue was found and horrified Catholic priests ordered it reburied after it caused a sensation in the archeological world. In the 20th century, the statue was again dug up and finally given a place of honour in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology. (If you're interested in seeing a good 7-minute YouTube video about this statue, click here).
There are two more depictions of Coatlicue on the full moon altar. The first is a tarot card from the Universal Goddess Tarot deck, showing a much more conventional representation of the goddess, with a beautiful headdress and symbols of power.
The other representation is a small statue which I bought in Mexico in 2004 from an artisan who was selling them not far from Chichen Itza, the ancient Mayan site. In this version, Coatlicue has a head and the double snakes arise above her headdress, nuzzling a human skull between them. Clearly the skull represents Death, but Life is also present -- the goddess is simultaneously giving birth. Between the goddess's crouching legs, you can see the baby's small head emerging out of the birth canal.
I've always loved this little statue because it celebrates Coatlicue's life-giving (or rebirth-giving) powers. According to her myth, Coatlicue gave birth to all the other deities of the Aztec pantheon, plus the moon and the stars. These little grey/black statues were available everywhere in Mexico, but I love the fact that this particular artisan had taken the time and trouble to carefully highlight some details in gold paint, as if to honour Coatlicue just a little bit more.
And speaking of Aztec childbirth, here's a relevant concluding meme --
[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026; Meme courtesy of the internet]
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