She Who Seeks

Monday, 12 May 2025

May Full Moon Altar: Triple Goddess Ixchel

This month's full moon altar honours the Mayan Goddess Ixchel, represented here in her three divine aspects of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Ixchel's name (pronounced ee-shell) means "Rainbow Woman" or "Lady Rainbow." Her Mayan civilization flourished 2500-3000 years ago in Mexico and Central America before both the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquest.

In her Maiden aspect, Ixchel represents the power of youth and fertility. She's obviously great pals with her Rabbit buddy and of course, rabbits are potent symbols of Fertility, Spring and the Divine Feminine in many cultures. The original of this statue dates from around 800 CE.

In her Mother aspect, Ixchel births and sustains all life on earth with her body and breasts, and was prayed to for protection in childbirth. During her lifetime, a Mayan woman would make two pilgrimages to Ixchel's temple on Isla Mujeres ("Women's Island") in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula -- once as a little girl taken there by her mother, and then once again later in life as a mother bringing her own daughter(s) to the temple. In this reproduction of a stone carving, Ixchel beckons us to approach her temple.

In her Crone ascpect, Ixchel controls the power of hurricanes, which she pours out and unleashes from her water jug. In this manifestation, Ixchel is known as "The Stormbringer." Her hurricanes embody both destruction and creation by transforming the earth and bringing new growth. This dual power of death and life, transformation and healing, is symbolized by the Sacred Feathered Serpent headdress which guides her.

All of these reproduction statues were purchased many years ago from SacredSouce.

On the altar, sacred space is created for the Triple Goddess Ixchel by casting a circle of cornmeal. For most indigenous peoples of the Americas, maize/corn was a central support of Life. Using cornmeal to cast a circle was taught to me many years ago by a woman who attended my Women's Drumming and Goddess Chanting Circle. Born and raised in Mexico, she was a practising curandera (medicine woman) and artist. So I have respectfully applied her teaching to this altar.