A Mayan Goddess of fertility and the moon, Ixchel was a beautiful being of the lands, the waters, and the skies.
What’s so fascinating about this ancient Mayan Goddess, is how her role has evolved over time.
It is believed that Ixchel began as a moon Goddess before she was worshipped as a Goddess of childbirth and fertility, and then a Goddess of weavers—the one whose spindle is thought to be the motion at the center of the universe. While this makes it difficult to pin down Ixchel’s exact roots, it also opens the door for a greater, richer mythology of the Goddess.
It is said that Ixchel had two main aspects: that of the young and fertile maiden, and that of the old wise crone. This allowed her to rule the moon in all its wild and ever-changing phases—becoming as fertile and full as the waxing moon, and as wise and dimming as the waning.
Her influence over the cosmos and skies was legendary. It is said that it was she who controlled the rains and the storms—that it was she who painted the calming sky with rainbows and light.
One story recalls Ixchel as the love-struck moon Goddess who fell madly in love with the God of the sun. They say that he paid her no mind, that he didn’t like her at all, but that mattered not to the young Goddess—she was still hopelessly in love with this God of light. And so, the young Ixchel followed the sun God across the skies—unknowingly causing storms and raging tides and failed crops as she did so—and running behind herself healing every chaos she caused after she realized.
While there are many versions of the mythos surrounding the beautiful and knowing Ixchel, there are many factors that remain the same: Ixchel was a Goddess of all feminine gifts, arts, and powers—throughout all stages of life.
She was the wisdom and sage advice of the crone.
The love and abundance of the mother.
The beauty and fertility of the maiden.
Ixchel was all women in all times and all places.
The power that courses through the veins of every girl, woman, and crone.
What does Ixchel rule?
Ruler of: fertility, childbirth, midwifery, the moon, the weather, weaving, water
Associated with: jaguars, rabbits, waterfalls, turquoise, rainbows, female sexuality
Why would one call upon Ixchel?
- To help you give birth to new creations
- To help you weave the story of your life under a new direction
- To help you find healing in the waters of the earth
- To help you connect deeply to the feminine power of the moon
- To bless the expectant mothers in your life
- To help you recover the truth of yourself—to rediscover the authentic “you” throughout all phases and experiences of life
