Analogies between cycles of human life and other cycles in ...



Analogies between cycles of human life and other cycles in the tonalpohualli (key iconographic symbols in bold)

|Human family |Analogies with plant and |Analogies with animal |Analogies with heavenly |Analogies with cosmography |

|Kinship relations (social |mineral kingdoms The |kingdom |bodies The “head” of matter |The “houses” or stations of matter |

|functions) |“heart-seed” or essence of |The external soul or |as source of vital energies | |

| |matter |animal double of matter|whose rays are like arrows | |

| | | |that “pierce” various parts | |

| | | |of the body | |

|Ancestors |NOBILITY: The condition of |Butterfly (spirit |Deities: Lords of fire and |The “house” of the center, the tree |

|(founders of the major |possibility for both life and|double of flames) |the hearth, Ancient ones |of life, the place of seven caves |

|ethnicities) |light. Plant kingdom: |Vulture (spirit double |(associated icons: fire | |

| |teocintli or primitive corn. |of those of advanced |serpents) | |

| |Mineral kingdom: turquoise, |age) |Body parts: navel, womb | |

| |obsidian, granite, basalt | | | |

|Grandparents |CREATIVITY: Originators of |Coyote and peccary |Deities: Lords of duality, |The place of duality (home of the |

|(first humans, diviners, |the principle of dynamic |(spirit doubles of |Lords of sustenance |numeral two), the place of origin |

|healers, daykeepers) |equilibrium. Together they |matchmakers) |(associated icons: bone |(home of the broken tree) |

| |form the divine duality that |Opossum and coati |piercing tool, calendar) | |

| |underlies the cycles of life|(spirit doubles of |Body parts: organs of | |

| |and light . Plant kingdom: |midwives) |knowledge and judgment (eye | |

| |the elote or kernel of corn |Caiman or fish-reptile |as organ of reasoning, nose | |

| |used as basis for new harvest|(spirit double of the |as organ of truth and | |

| |as well as for divination. |sky-earth) |morality, ear as organ of | |

| |Mineral kingdom: flint as | |counsel and understanding) | |

| |condition of possibility for | | | |

| |fire | | | |

|Lovers (first couple, |PRODUCTIVITY: Those who |Lizard (spirit double |Deities: Rain god, Goddess of| The bath “house” (sweat lodge, |

|fertile ones, patrons of the|engender life and light. |of rain) |flowing waters, Gods of |temascal) |

|arts) |Plant kingdom: the flower, | |springtime (associated icons:| |

| |the seed, the jilote or | |cloud serpents, rain stick or| |

| |unripe ear of corn, the | |rattle) | |

| |maguey plant. Mineral | |Body parts: sexual organs and| |

| |kingdom: jade | |their by-products, skin, | |

| | | |hair, nails | |

|Human family |Analogies with plant and |Analogies with animal |Analogies with heavenly |Analogies with cosmography |

|Kinship relations (social |mineral kingdoms The |kingdom |bodies The “head” of matter |The “houses” or stations of matter |

|functions) |“heart-seed” or essence of |The external soul or |as source of vital energies | |

| |matter |animal double of matter|whose rays are like arrows | |

| | | |that “pierce” various parts | |

| | | |of the body | |

|Parents: mother and |LEADERSHIP: Those who nurture|Eagle (spirit double of|Deities: Solar gods, lunar |The cardinal directions (home of the|

|mother’s sister, father and |life, who light the way for |the sun), hummingbird |gods, earth gods |year bearers): The “house” of the |

|father’s brother (those who |their children. Plant |(spirit double of the |Parts of the body: head |rising sun, the “house” of the |

|teach by example, those who |kingdom: the mazorca or |valiant warrior), snake| |midday sun, the “house” of the |

|rule over us) |mature ear of corn, pulque. |(spirit double of the | |setting sun, the “house of the |

| |Mineral kingdom: gold as |earth), rabbit (spirit | |midnight sun) |

| |“excrement” of the sun, |double of the moon) | | |

| |silver as “excrement” of the | | | |

| |moon | | | |

|Children |ACTIVITY: Those in whom life |Deer (spirit double of |Deities: Venus deities |The horizon or heart of the sea-sky |

| |and light unfold in manifest |Venus as morning star),|(associated icons: wind |(home of the plumed serpent) |

| |ways. Plant kingdom: amaranth|dog (spirit double of |instruments, speech scroll) | |

| | |Venus as evening star) |Parts of the body: breath | |

|Siblings |The companions, those who |Monkey (spirit double |Deities: Pleiades, Mars gods |  |

| |form the entourage for the |of the elder brothers) |(associated icons: numeral | |

| |unfolding of life and light | |400) | |

| | | |Body parts: Extremities, | |

| | | |right-hand side, left-hand | |

| | | |side | |

|Children of the night |ACTIVITY: Those in whom life |Jaguar (spirit double |Deities: gods associated with|  |

| |and light unfold in hidden |of the nighttime |magic and sorcery (associated| |

| |and invisible ways. Plant |hunter) |icons: mirror) | |

| |kingdom: hallucinogenic | | | |

| |plants | | | |

|Parents of the night |LEADERSHIP: Those who nurture|Macaw (spirit double of|Deities: Lords of the |  |

| |life after death, who light |the Big Dipper) |underworld (associated icons:| |

| |the way through the | |skull, skeleton) | |

| |underworld | | | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download