“Ix Chel” by Hrana Janto

“Ix Chebel Yax’s themes are protection, banishing, health, providence and home. Her symbols are lunar emblems, spinning tools and baskets.  In Guatemala, this Goddess bears a striking resemblance to Ix Chel (see May 7) in that She teaches spinning, weaving and basketry to humans. More important, She is a mother figure who watches over all household concerns from the moon, Her home.

Part of the Guatemalan advent season, La Quema del Diablo (The Burning of the Devil) finds people burning bundles of garbage in ritual fires to banish the spirit of evil, negativity and sin from their midst, especially from the home. Doing so also purifies the people, keeping them healthy and staving off hunger. Considering that winter is in full swing, this isn’t a bad idea. Go through your living space and gather up any garbage (including items that have been waiting for a trip to the second-hand shop). Find one item that can be safely burned, and snip a swatch off of it. Release it to any fire source to burn away any tensions or sickness troubling your home.

Afterward, clean as much of your house or apartment as time will allow. Invoke Ix Chebel Yax’s blessing by placing a spool of thread in the room where you’re working (white or green are good choices for peace and health, respectively). Carry this spool from room to room, then put it in your pocket for the day to keep the Goddess and her providence close by.”

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)

“Ixchel, Mayan Goddess of the Moon” by Rita Torfs

My research on today’s Goddess from a few different sources seem to back up the claim that very well could have been the same Goddess known as Ix Chel.  Many of the sites that I found that had mentioned Ix Chebel Yax were in Spanish, so honestly, I didn’t browse through or translate too many of them.  In one source, I found that: “Ix Chebel Ya’ax was the wife Itzamná, patron Goddess of painting and embroidery. She was portrayed with a snake coiled on the head and a roll of cotton. Ix Chebel accompanies Itzamná Ya’ax as he also throws water on earth. [1]

Another site stated that “Ix Chebel Yax is the mother of all gods and goddesses. As consort of Itzamna, Mayan creator god, She is also therefore a creator Goddess. Weaving and working cloth was an important feature of all Mesoamerican civilizations, even before the Maya and the Aztecs. Because of this, Ix Chebel Yax occupied a very important position in the pantheon for Mayan women. ” [2]

 

 

 

Sources:

Es.wikipedia.org, “Mayan Pantheon“.

Tribes.tribe.net, “Ix Chebel Yax“.

 

Suggested Links:

Bradley, Kris. Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery: Everyday Magic, Spells and Recipes, “Ix Chebel Yax (Mayan)“.

Kampen, Michael E. Iconography of Religions: Ancient America.