Ixchel and the Island of Women

Having looked at the Colt of Neith and Sobek with regards to the Cult of the Labyrinth in Ancient Egypt and how that provided a basis for the Atlantis Flood Myth of Plato as related from Sais, i want to look here at a quite close equivalent of the Mayan of the Yucatan and region of Isla Mujeres, that of Ixchel, were the contemporary underwater statues have been created, the island of women, were in the absence of an actual sunken Atlantis one has been created.

In the early 16th century, Maya women seeking to ensure a fruitful marriage would travel to the sanctuary of Ix Chel on the island of Cozumel, the most important place of pilgrimage after Chichen Itza, off the east coast of the Yucatán peninsula.

To the north of Cozumel is a much smaller island baptized by its Spanish discoverer, Hernández de Córdoba, the 'Island of Women' (Isla Mujeres) "because of the idols he found there, of the goddesses of the country, Ixchel, Ixchebeliax, Ixhunie, Ixhunieta

The Cult of Ixchel is similar in many ways to that of Neith of the Fayum, with regards to her association with weaving and the pouring out and management of the flood waters, and with regards to giving birth, were water is life.

These carvings were the product of the Mayan worship of the goddess Ixchel.
The Mayans built a temple to the Goddess Ixchel at the South-eastern most tip of the island and within this temple they incorporated an observatory.

Ixchel was the Mayan Goddess of the Moon and childbirth and was closely associated with the sophisicated Mayan astronomical readings taken here and elsewhere.

The rabbit seen with Ixchel is of the exact same derivation as the Jade Rabbit of Chinese myth, it is as seen on the Moon, she isn't a Moon Goddess as such, and her water pouring qualities relate to the Dragon of the Earth, more the principle of the Earth and Moon acting in harmony.

Referring to the early 16th-century, Landa calls Ixchel “the goddess of making children He also mentions her as the goddess of medicine, as shown by the following.

In the month of Zip, the feast Ihcil Ixchel was celebrated by the physicians and shamans and divination stones as well as medicine bundles containing little idols of "the goddess of medicine whom they called Ixchel" were brought forward

In the Ritual of the Bacabs, Ixchel is once called 'grandmother In their combination, the goddess's two principal qualities birthing and healing

There were at least two aspects to this Goddess, and it's perhaps more the case that the elder is Ix Chebel Yax, that she is associated with the colour red and the younger sister is a white Goddess, in some ways perhaps similar to the White Nile of Upper Egypt and the lower Red Nile, were the white is younger and fresher.

The Two faces of Ixchel

Assuming that the name originated in Yucatán, chel could mean "rainbow". Her glyphic names in the codices have two basic forms, one a prefix with the primary meaning of "red" (chak) followed by a pictogram, the other one logosyllabic. Ix Chel's Classic name glyph remains to be identified.

It is quite possible that several names were in use to refer to the goddess, and these need not necessarily have included her late Yucatec and Poqom name. Her codical name is now generally rendered as 'Chak Chel'. The designation 'Red Goddess' seems to have a complement in the designation of the young goddess I as 'White Goddess'.

There was probably also a Black sister to form a Triad, as there are associations with death and sacrifice, that the flood waters could cause the end of the world as well as new beginings, and there is a somewhat cynical suggestion that she gave birth in order to create potential victims!

In the Dresden Codex, goddess O occurs in almanacs dedicated to the rain deities or Chaacs and is stereotypically inverting a water jar. On the famous page 74 originally preceding the New Year pages, her emptying of the water jar replicates the vomiting of water by a celestial dragon.

Although this scene is usually understood as the Flood bringing about the world's and the year's end, it might also represent the dramatic onset of the rainy season. The image of the jar filled with rain water may derive from the sac holding the amniotic liquid; turning the jar would then be equivalent to birthgiving.

A God she is associated with is the rain God Chaac, and their relationship to the Cenote underground water networks, in some ways Chaac the equivalent of Sobek in Egypt perhaps, which was born of Neith, were the cosmic Dragont is an aspect of Ixchel.

More than 100 years ago in 1890 in the ancient colonial settlement of Ecab (Boca Iglesia) at the northern tip of Quintana Roo, several fishermen , discovered three "sister" statues of the Virgin. They were carved out of wood with their hands and face made out of porcelain.


And so it was said, each one of the fishermen believing so strongly in the Catholic religion carried a Virgin to his own village. It was also said that the Spaniards had brought the "sisters" to Ecab many years before in about 1770. On Isla Mujeres the Virgin's first shrine was a small palm and wood Chapel and at a later date moving "Her" to the place that "She" presently occupies in the church was not easy. More than eight men could scarcely lift her…upon finally moving "Her", the small palm chapel burned down completely to the astonishment of all those present. It is said that the Virgin walks on the water around the island from dusk to dawn looking for her "sisters"

As can be seen statues of three sister Goddesses were discovered and i do expect the cult had the triple aspect, and attempt was made to incorporate them into the Catholic shrines which doesn't always seemed to have gone to well, Ixchel struggling to adapt to the role of the Virgin Mary, but i think the cults of Hathor-Neith-Isis would be more compatible.

History of Isla Mujeres

Underwater Sculptures

a reply to: Kantzveldt

Beautifully researched and presented thread.

I spent a month on Cozumel and Chichen Itza in the early 60's well before it became a tourist area with high rise hotels.

It was a mesmerizing, sacred feeling place. After reading your OP, I wonder if one of the lagoons I swam in daily, was once a sacred place the women in your OP visited for spiritual reasons . It certainly felt like a very special place with a ancient history..

Thank you for the walk down memory lane. and the back story to a place I fell in love with. S&F

Des

a reply to: Destinyone

Thanks, i think the islands off the coast were generally most associated with Ixchel due to the waters, there are Temples on Cozumel;

Ixchel on Cozumel

I watched a video on a dive in a Cenote on Cozumel were she was mentioned as important, a lot of those have coastal entrances as well as inland and a a mix of salt and fresh water, so i'd expect all waters of land and sea were sacred to her in the region.

a reply to: Kantzveldt

Yes, the lagoon I swam in, was a mix of fresh and salt water. An underground tunnel from the ocean fed it as well as fresh springs. At Chichen Itza, we did some cave diving along the coast, where it appeared the underwater caves were once used as places of worship. Niches carved into the rock walls and even a few carved stone idols remained. Our local guide, told us those caves had once been above water line, but over a long period of time were now submerged.

This was before the government had taken over the area, and there were no real roads to reach the large temples in Chitzen Itza. We had hired locals with machetes to reach some areas. Now it's all a big tourist trade, I won't go back to. Would rather retain the memories.

Your OP is so very interesting in bringing to light the woman's role at that time and place.

Des

a reply to: Destinyone

Your sentiments of not wanting to go back to those places because they will likely have changed for the worse are interesting with regards to the Cult of Ixchel because in her capacity of pouring flood she could cleanse and purify, end the old world and bring in the new, with regards to the sculptures placed in the region there seems to be that sense of pathos that all aspects of the modern era will be submerged, given over to the flood, which could be in the spiritual metaphorical sense, not that everyone is going to literally drown...

a reply to: Kantzveldt

Fascinating. Here we have, on the far side of the world, the Mysteries of the ancients. The rabbit associated with the woman (Ostara, for example), the association of red and white with fertility, the moon association with the feminine (surely that would mean the sun was also masculine), the triad of divinity.....its all right there.

Even the rainbow as a feminine creation symbol. Its mind blowing.

So the question that is begging here: is this an example of the human mind being geared to think in certain ways? Or an example of exchanges in esoterica predating records available? Is there an ancient connection? I am always drawn to ask who the Phoenicians were in cases such as this.

Great thread!!!

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Yes those are the right questions, whats Jade Rabbit a Chinese cultural hero think he's playing at on the Yucatan, the Easter bunny, the one to be followed down the rabbit hole, were the young maiden Ixchel is Alice.



The answer as far as i'm aware partly cultural transmission, with regards to Near Eastern, Egyptian and European religious comparatives, but also owing everything to a strong tradition that was taught way back at certain points around the globe, the Near East, North East Asia, and the Americas which was based on observance of nature and the Heavens and mankinds' place within the whole, i could more or less re-create that manual and it's based upon observing things as they naturally are, deriving a symbolic metaphorical interpretation within the context of the greater whole, extending this toward metaphysical realizations and scientific applications.

This was taught when mankind knew little yet was willing to learn, now they think they know it all and taught themselves

Oh yes the mystery and evolution of this goddess who's name is so juxtaposed, and so hard to pronounce, all these letters in almost the right place and such. Into and over time evolving into the mysterious and full figured entity we know today as Jessica rabbit is always such a fascinating tale.

Sorry couldn't help it, these threads are always so lolzy. My bad OP its a good thread, but still, cant help it.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird


You're right i should have called the thread 'Jessica Rabbit and the Mystery of Pleasure Island', gone the whole way with the theme park angle...

Houston: Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning, there's one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit. An ancient legend says a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-o has been living there for 4000 years. It seems she was banished to the Moon because she stole the pill of immortality from her husband. You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is always standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree. The name of the rabbit is not reported.

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin: Okay. We'll keep a close eye out for the bunny girl.

a reply to: Kantzveldt

That would at least be more entertaining, that old goddess and her bunny buddy, shagging on as rabbits are want to do. Funny no? How some things reincarnate themself over the centuries and eons. Everyone of us has been here before and will be here again, even me - well not me. But definitely you all, and yes even and including you and your type, some things just never change it seems. Right down to the whole meaningless hints things you all like to drop, as if it means something almost completely incapable and devoid of any real meaning, always almost completely incapable of understanding anything, and always to late, abide by and by, forever, etc. That widowed spider just waiting in its web, in the stillness you will find all things, and in all things you will find yourself.

Ah just messing with ya! Carry on there Kantzveldt. I sometimes run into the most bizarre of threads and charters, this however is not one of them.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

What was it Destinyone was saying earlier in the thread about roads and development ruining the magic of the Yucatan and what was the plot of 'who framed Roger Rabbit' about, the destruction of Toon Town in order to create the LA Freeway, this is why things are going to change once and for all, the Pixies aren't happy, so time for something weird...of course only hints as the essence of Divine comedy is timing and surprise.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

I would recommend, when you have time to read a large book, reading "The Secret Teachings Of All Ages" by Manly Hall.

All the symbolism and what not essentially boils down to:

- being able to pass concepts along by making parables about them. In a time without writing, this is a good way to do it
- Being able to hide what you are saying so as to keep yourself safe

There is another reason: to not show people information that they have not been prepared to see. These are concepts that take a foundation of understanding to be able to grasp (think physics as an example of something that requires similar foundations). This is why secret societies keep their secrets secret.

I suspect part of it harkens back to times when secrets were the norm, and part of safety and culture. Nowadays, there are no real secrets. Not that I am a mason or any other esoteric initiate....but good lord have I studied the texts.

Manly Hall's work named above is considered by many to be the definitive source on the subject. It is in the library of esoteric societies the world over. Reading through it you will find that it is mostly about information relating to the world around us. And in finding all the ways the world relates to itself, seeing the eye of God therein. As above, so below.

It isn't hokey unless hoaxsters make it hokey. I am what most would consider a logical and rational man. So take that for what you will.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
Maybe when I have time, seems like a good read when I have a day or so to read.

There is another reason: to not show people information that they have not been prepared to see. These are concepts that take a foundation of understanding to be able to grasp (think physics as an example of something that requires similar foundations). This is why secret societies keep their secrets secret.

Most if not all secret societies keep there secrets secret for the same reasons stock brokers or giant corporations keep there secrets secret, to create a scarcity situation and habitat. That or they just dont know what there talking about outside there talking points. There would be very few actual secrets out there in the whole of this universe that can not be understood if explained in the right time at the right place. Its also just a good way of spreading memes or just a form of compressed data impacting generally on emotions or traits in certain memetic thought patterns, just a way of passing on something that at one time may or may have not been relevant, and may or may not be relevant at some other point in time for a creature which exists in a transient material world, and does not retain such things generation to generation. Man learned to write, then he learned to write in parables.


As I said I will read the book when I have time and if I remember it or this thread.

a reply to: Kantzveldt
That is a whole lot of words just to say you are grasping at things. You know you could have just said that to begin with.

Listen here you, I dont like you posting videos at me, most especially hinting at things to which you so annoyingly assume things. What are you now the arbiter of all that is right? Am I to believe that you are correct in things? Now if we were dealing with historical accuracy then yes your right the name of the thread should have been "Jessica Rabbit and the Mystery of Pleasure Island"

But were dealing in make believe here, and even in that your timing just sucks if your trying to pass on some sort of essence in any sort of divine comedy, or anything divine at all, in fact you just may want to stick to the facts, that or trying to say what the hell your getting at. Its hard to take it or you serious when obviously its a joke and nobody would suck this much at expressing such simple things, unless they are just not aiming for that. Nobody really sucks this much at saying simple things, you know you remind me of a bunch of certain people all female who I run to into now and then including my former doiky bestest internet friend, you all have eerie similarities right down to to the stupid hints thing, sometimes it was like talking with a 5yr old I tellz ya. But anyways!

And besides everybody knows all the bunnies are at the mansion now, and they still follow the same rituals there as they did back then. So ya, what exactly are you trying to get at, and why do you keep posting these videos which mean nothing my way? What is you point, and the point of this thread? But then again, forget that, its probably just another link to a book, I suppose some people have a hard time expressing things in there own way. That or you are actually doing that with this whole fairy tale mythological thing. If so! OK then. In all I do not think this Ixchel or any of them could have been much of a goddess, probably sucked at that job, must be why she got deposed by the barbi doll.

What is the point of what you say, and of this thread?

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

As i mentioned at the start of the OP this thread was triggered for me by looking at the relationship of the Egyptian Labyrinth to the flood mythos, the pouring out of waters (from above) and their channeling and management toward the generation of life, or destructive force if not managed. the cult of Neith of Sais.

So i wanted to look at a Meso-American equivalent that had the same concern with pouring down a potentially devastating flood and how this would also relate to death and birth, endings and beginings, the Yucatan example intrigued me the most because of the capillary system of the Cenote, as i also want to consider this in terms of what was refered to in the movie John Carter of Mars as the 9th ray.




This is something of a fluid approach i guess.




Now of course if i simply wanted to consider the principles involved in such i could have looked at electrical grid networks or circuit boards, but i wanted to understand the principles as taught at the onset of the bronze age some 6,000 years ago, the onset of irrigation and water management giving rise to the City States, everything before that is Ante-Diluvian in that they had not learnt the flood management module.

a reply to: Kantzveldt

Ah OK! I suppose that is a sufficient answer, it explains some thing at least, thought not fully this whole mythos thing you seem to drag into your threads and I think pretty much every other post I ran into something from you. Your good at it in you own way, thought I do think some of the parallels you draw or like to instill are kind of far off and have nothing to do with anything but the fact that you seem to like to install them. But I will chalk that up to a matter of opinion, preference, and idiosyncrasies as to not bother more with it. So ya! Sorry to bother you, carry on there Kantzveldt.

There is also an interesting Aztec comparative to Ixchel were as well as being associated with water she is also related to lightning, in the general sense of storm perhaps, but also there is the mountain of descending light and water in the watery paradise of Tlalocan, and the underground waterways that were associated with this.

Tlalocan is described in several Aztec codices as a paradise, ruled over by the rain deity Tlaloc and his consort Chalchiuhtlicue. It absorbed those who died through drowning or lightning, or as a consequence of diseases associated with the rain deity. Tlalocan has also been recognized in certain wall paintings of the much earlier Teotihuacan culture

shamanic entry into Tlalocan, achieved during dreams and often with the objective of curing a patient, is via underground waterways.

For the Aztecs,Chalchiuhticue was the water goddess who was a personification of youthful beauty and ardor. She was represented as a river from which grew a prickly pear cactus laden with fruit, symbolizing the human heart.

Chalchiutlicue's association with both water and fertility is derived from the Aztecs' common association of the womb with waters. This dual role gave her both life-giving and a life-ending role in Aztec mythology In the Aztec creation myth of the Five Suns, Chalchiuhtlicue presided over the fourth sun, or creation, in her aspect as goddess of streams and standing water. This world—in the mythology, the world preceding the current (fifth) one—was destroyed by a great flood and its people transformed into fish