Introduction to the Aztec Calendar

The Calendar and the Sun Stone

Mistakenly, one often refers to the Sun
Stone, or the Stone of Axayacatl, as the
Aztec Calendar. This sculpure does depict
the 20 daysigns, and even the four era's of
Suns that preceeded the current Fifth Sun
but is was not used as a calendar. Instead it
was used as a sacrifical altar. So, what
actually is the Aztec calendar?

Not just one calendar

There is not just one Aztec calendar, there
are two more or less independent systems.
One calendar, called the xiuhpohualli, has
365 days. It describes the days and rituals
related to the seasons, and therefor might
be called the agricultural year or the solar year. The other calendar has 260 days. In
Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, it is called the tonalpohualli or, the day-count. Most
information on this Internet-site refers to the tonalpohualli, which is the sacred calendar.

The tonalpohualli and Aztec cosmology

The tonalpohualli, or day-count, has been called a sacred calendar because its main
purpose is that of a divinatory tool. It divides the days and rituals between the gods. For
the Aztec mind this is extremely important. Without it the world would soon come to an
end. According to Aztec cosmology, the universe is in a very delicate equilibrium.
Opposing divine forces are competing for power. This equilibrium is in constant danger
of being disrupted by shifting powers of the gods, of the elemental forces that influence
our lifes. This struggle cannot be won by any god. The notion that everything ultimately
consists of two opposing forces is essential to the Aztec worldview. The world is always
on the brink of going under in a spiritual war, a war of gods competing for supreme
power. To prevent this from happening, the gods have been given their own space, their
own time, their own social groups, etcetera, to rule over. The tonalpohualli tells us how
time is divided among the gods.

The system of the tonalpohualli

The system of the tonalpohualli can be best understood by imagining two wheels that
are connected to each other. One wheel has the numbers "one" to "thirteen" written on
it. The second wheel has twenty symbols on it. In the initial situation, number "one"
combines with the first symbol. This is the first day of the tonalpohualli. Now the
wheels start moving and number "two" combines with the second glyph. This is the
second day. After fourteen days, an Aztec week (trecena in Spanish) of thirteen days has
passed. The wheel with the numbers shows number "one" again. The other wheel now
shows the fourteenth symbol. After 260 days, the two wheels have returned to their
initial position. The tonalpohualli starts all over again.

Dividing time among gods

A day (tonalli) in the tonalpohualli consists of a number and a symbol or daysign. Each
daysign is dedicated to a god. The twenty dayssigns and their gods are successively:

Nr. Daysign God Nr. Daysign God

1 Cipactli Tonacatecuhtli 11 Ozomahtli Xochipili
2 Ehecatl Quetzalcoatl 12 Malinalli Patecatl
3 Calli Tepeyollotl 13 Acatl Tezcatlipoca
Cuetzpalin
4 Huehuecoyotl 14 Ocelotl Tlazolteotl
5 Coatl Chalchihuitlicue 15 Cuauhtli Xipe Totec
Cozcacuauhtli
6 Miquiztli Tecciztecatl 16 Itzpapalotl
7 Mazatl Tlaloc 17 Ollin Xolotl
8 Tochtli Mayahuel 18 Tecpatl Chalchihuihtotolin
9 Atl Xiuhtecuhtli 19 Quiahuitl Tonatiuh
10 Itzcuintli Mictlantecuhtli 20 Xochitl Xochiquetzal

Each daysign is ruled by a god. The nature of a day is also influenced by its number.

Nr. (Nahuatl) God

1 Ce Xiuhtecuhtli
2 Ome Tlaltecuhtli
3 Yei Chalchihuitlicue
4 Nahui Tonatiuh
5 Mahcuilli Tlazolteotl
6 Chicuacen Mictlantecuhtli
7 Chicome Centeotl
8 Chicuei Tlaloc
9 Chicunahui Quetzalcoatl
10 Mahtlactli Tezcatlipoca
11 Mahtlactli-once Chalmecatecuhtli
12 Mahtlactli-omome Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
13 Mahtlactli-omei Citlalicue

More important, each trecenas has a god that rules over that very 13-day period. The
twenty trecenas and their associated gods or elemental forces are successively:

Nr. Trecenas God Nr. Trecenas God

1 Cipactli Ometeotl 11 Ozomahtli Patecatl
2 Ocelotl Quetzalcoatl 12 Cuetzpalin Itzlacoliuhqui
3 Mazatl Tepeyollotl 13 Ollin Tlazolteotl
4 Xochitl Huehuecoyotl 14 Itzcuintli Xipe Totec
5 Acatl Chalchihuitlicue 15 Calli Itzpapalotl
Cozcacuauhtli
6 Miquiztli Tonatiuh 16 Xolotl
Quiahuitl
7 Tlaloc 17 Atl Chalchihuihtotolin
8 Malinalli Mayahuel 18 Ehecatl Chantico
9 Coatl Xiuhtecuhtli 19 Cuauhtli Xochiquetzal
10 Tecpatl Mictlantecuhtli 20 Tochtli Xiuhtecuhtli

The xiuhpohualli
The 365-day year or xihuitl consists of 18 months (meztli) of 20 days plus five extra
(unlucky) days. The last day of the last month of the year gives its (tonalpohualli-) name
to the xihuitl. This name is the "Xihuitl" information that is displayed by the calendar. A
simple calculation learns that only four daysigns can "bear" (i.e. give their name to) the
year. These are Calli, Tochtli, Acatl and Tecpatl for the Aztec calendar. A similar
calculation tells us that the number of the xihuitl is raised every year. So year 1-Calli is
followed by 2-Tochtli, etcetera. This means that every 52 years (4 times 13) the name of
the year will be the same. A combination of 52 years is called a calendar round or
xiuhmolpilli (bundle).

Daysign Cipactli
The protector of the day Cipactli (Crocodile) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or
Tonalli is Tonacatecuhtli, Lord of Nurturance, the primordial god of creation and
fertility. Cipactli is an auspicious day, signifying advancement and honor. It depicts
energy and work, rewards and recognition. A good day for beginnings.

Daysign Ehecatl

The protector of day Ehecatl (Wind) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Quetzalcoatl. Ehecatl is a bad day for working with others. Its influences are inconstant
and vain. A good day to root out bad habits.
 Daysign Calli

The protector of day Calli (House) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tepeyollotl, Heart of the Mountain. Calli is a good day for rest, tranquility and family
life. Not a good day for participating in public life. Best spent cementing relationships
of trust and mutual interests.

Daysign Cuetzpalin

The protector of day Cuetzpalin (Lizard) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli
is Huehuecoyotl, Old Coyote, the Trickster, god of deception. Cuetzpallin signifies rapid
reversals of fortune. It is a good day to work on your reputation through actions, not
words.

Daysign Coatl

The protector of day Coatl (Snake) and provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Chalchihuitlicue. Coatl is the day of the snaking river that always changes without
changing. It signifies the fleeting moment of eternal water. A good day for humility, a
bad day for acting on self-interests.

Daysign Miquiztli

The protector of day Miquiztli (Death) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tecciztecatl, god of the conch, symbol of Metztli, the Moon God, sometimes identified
with Tezcatlipoca. He has the conch as an attribute, which is associated with the
feminine. Miquiztli is the the Unknown, that which emanates shadow. It is a good day
for reflecting on your priorities in life, a bad day for ignoring possibilities. It is a day of
transformation, signifying that briefest moment between old endings and new
beginnings.

Daysign Mazatl

The protector of day Mazatl (Deer) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tlaloc, He Who Makes Seeds Sprout, god of rain and thunderstorms. Mazatl is the day
of the hunt. It is a good day to stalk your quarry, a bad day to be stalked. Mazatl is a day
for breaking old routines and to pay close attention to the routines of others. This is a
day for doubling-back on your tracks.

Daysign Tochtli

The protector of day Tochtli (Rabbit) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Mayahuel, goddess of the Maguey and of Fertility, a pulque goddess. Tochtli is a day of
self-sacrifice and service to something greater than oneself. It signifies the religious
attitude which holds everything sacred and results in experiences of self-transcendence.
It is a mystical day, associated by the passages of the moon. It is a good day for
communing with nature and spirit, a bad day for acting against others.

Daysign Atl
The protector of day Atl (Water) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Xiuhtecuhtli, Lord of the Year, the old god of fire. Atl is a day for purification by
subjecting oneself to the ordeal of conflict. It is a good day for battle, a bad day for rest.
Water brings out the scorpion, who must sting its enemies or else sting itself. Atl is the
day of the holy war, which is always a battle with one's own enemies within.
 Daysign Itzcuintli

The protector of day Itzcuintli (Dog) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Mictlantecuhtli, god of death. Itzcuintli is the guide for the dead, the spirit world's link
with the living. Itzcuintli is a good day for funerals and wakes and remembering the
dead. It is a good day for being trustworthy, a bad day for trusting others of questionable
intent.

Daysign Ozomahtli

The protector of day Ozomahtli (Monkey) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or
Tonalli is Xochipili, god of the arts, god of pleasure, feasting, frivolity. Ozomahtli is a
day for creating, for play, for celebrating. A good day for lightheartedness, a bad day for
seriousness. Ozomahtli is a warning about how easily the noble person can be trapped
by the lures of public life.

Daysign Malinalli

The protector of day Malinalli (Grass) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Patecatl. This day signifies tenacity, rejuvenation, that which cannot be uprooted
forever. Malinalli is a day for persevering against all odds and for creating alliances that
will survive the test of time. It is a good day for those who are suppressed, a bad day for
their suppressors.

Daysign Acatl

The protector of day Acatl (Reed) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tezcatlipoca. Acatl is the scepter of authority which is, paradoxically, hollow. It is a day
when the arrows of fate fall from the sky like lightningbolts. A good day to seek justice,
a bad day to act against others.
 Daysign Ocelotl

The protector of day Ocelotl (Jaguar) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tlazolteotl. Ocelotl is a good day for doing battle. It signifies power, valor, and reckless
abandon in the face of danger. This is a day of the Warriors of Tezcatlipoca, those who
willingly sacrifice their lives to keep the flame of the Old Ones burning forever.

Daysign Cuauhtli

The protector of day Cuauhtli (Eagle) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Xipe Totec, god of the shedding of skins, God of Seedtime, the elemental force of
rebirth. Cuauhtli is a day of fighting for freedom and equality. It is a day of the Warriors
of Huitzilopochtli, those who sacrifice their lives willingly to keep the present age, the
Fifth Sol, moving. It is a good day for action, a bad day for reflection. A good day for
invoking the gods, a bad day for ignoring them.

Daysign Cozcacuauhtli

The protector of day Cozcacuauhtli (Vulture) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or
Tonalli is Itzpapalotl. Cozcacuauhtli signifies long life, wisdom, good counsel and
mental equilibrium. It is a good day to confront the discontinuities, disruptions, failures
and deaths one suffers in life. Cozcacuauhtli is a day for tricking the Trickster.

Daysign Ollin

The protector of day Ollin (Movement) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli
is Xolotl. This is an auspicious day for the active principle, a bad day for the passive
principle. Ollin is a day of the purified heart, signifying those moments where human
beings may perceive what they are becoming. A good day for transmutation, which
arrives like an earthquake that leaves in its wake the ruins of rationality, order and the
preconceived.

Daysign Tecpatl

The protector of day Tecpatl (Stone Knife) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or
Tonalli is Chalchihuihtotolin. Tecpatl is a day of grave ordeals, a day of trials and
tribulations. It is a good day to test one's character, a bad day to rest on one's past
accomplishments or reputation. Tecpatl warns that the mind, the spirit, must be
sharpened like the glass blade which cuts to the marrow of truth.

Daysign Quiahuitl

The protector of day Quiahuitl (Rain) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Tonatiuh. Quiahuitl is a day of relying on the unpredictable fortunes of fate. It is a good
day for traveling and learning, a bad day for business and planning.

Daysign Xochitl

The protector of day Xochitl (Flower) and the provider of the Shadow Soul or Tonalli is
Xochiquetzal. Xochitl is a day for creating beauty and truth, especially that which
speaks to the heart who knows it will one day cease to beat. Xochitl reminds us that life,
like the flower, is beautiful but quickly fades. It is a good day for reflection,
companionship and poignancy; it is a bad day for repressing deep-seated wishes, desires
and passions.

Gods

Tonacatecuhtli
Codex Borgia
Tonacatecuhtli, Lord of Our Sustenance, is a primordial creator god, a god of fertility
and beginnings. Tonacatecuhtli is the being at the "center" of existence, a place around
which everything revolves but where everything is still and at rest.

With his wife, Tonacacihuatl, he resides in the uppermost heaven, Omeyocan, "Place of
Duality". Tonacatecuhtli is sometimes associated with Ometeotl (Lord of Duality).

In the tonalpohualli, Tonacatecuhtli rules over day Cipactli (crocodile).

Quetzalcoatl
Codex Borbonicus

The god Quetzalcoatl, is the Feathered Serpent or Precious Twin. He is the god
intelligence and self-reflection, a patron of priests.
Quetzalcoatl is a primordial god of creation, a giver of life. With his opposite
Tezcatlipoca he created the world. Quetzalcoatl is also called White Tezcatlipoca, to
contrast him to the black Tezcatlipoca.

As the Lord of the East he is associated with the morning star, his twin brother Xolotl
was the evening star (Venus). As the morning star he was known by the name
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, "lord of the star of the dawn." An other representation of
Quetzalcoatl is Ehecatl, the Wind God. His calendrical name is Ce Acatl (One Reed).

After the last world, the Fourth Sun had been destroyed, Quetzalcoatl went to Mictlan,
the land of the death, and created our current world, the Fifth Sun, by using his own
blood to give new life to bones. Quetzalcoatl is also the giver of maize (corn) to
mankind.

In the tonalpohualli, Quetzalcoatl rules over both the second day, Ehecatl (wind), and
the second trecena, 1-Ocelotl (jaguar). He is Lord of the Day for days with number 9
("chicunahui" in Nahuatl).
 Tepeyollotl
Codex Borgia

Tepeyollotl, Heart of the Mountain, the Jaguar of Night, lord of the animals, darkened
caves, echoes and earthquakes. Tepeyollotl is a variant of Tezcatlipoca. The spots on his
coat represent the stars in the sky.

In the calendar, Tepeyollotl rules over both the third day, Calli (house), and the third
trecena, 1-Mazatl (deer). He is the Lord of the Night number eight.

Huehuecoyotl
Codex Borgia

Huehuecoyotl, the Old Coyote, also known as the Ancient Drum. He is a trickster,
capable of reversals and pranks, often cruel ones. Huehuecoyotl is also a god of
storytelling, music, dance and merriment. Further, he is the patron of uninhibited
sexuality - his partners can be female or male of any species.

Huehuecoyotl's tricks are often played on other gods but frequently backfire and cause
more trouble for himself than the intended victims. He is a great party-giver, but also
alleged to foment wars between humans to relieve his boredom.

He is related to Tezcatlipoca family of gods. Like Tezcatlipoca, he is a frequent shape-

shifter, capable of transforming himself into another animal or human at whim and
unpredictably.
Those who have indications of evil fates from the gods can appeal to Huehuecoyotl to
mitigate or reverse their fate.

In the tonalpohualli, Huehuecoyotl is both the ruler of the fourth day, Cuetzpalin
(lizard), and the fourth trecena, 1-Xochitl (flower).

Chalchiuhtlicue
Codex Fejérváry Mayer

Chalchiuhtlicue (also Chalchihuitlicue, Chalciuhtlicue), "She of the Jade Skirt", or "She

whose Night-robe of Jewel-stars Whirls Above", Lady of the Maintenance. As
Acuecucyoticihuati she is the goddess of oceans, rivers and any other running water, but
also a goddess of birth and the patron of women in labor.

Chalchiuhtlicue is the wife of Tlaloc, the Rain God, and mother of Tecciztecatl, the
Moon god.

Chalchiuhtlicue was the ruler over the previous Fourth Sun. This world was destroyed
by a flooding.

In the tonalpohualli, Chalchiuhtlicue is the protector of both the fifth day, Coatl (snake),
and the fifth trecena, 1-Acatl (reed). Chalchiuhtlicue is Lord of the Day for days with
number 3 ("yei" in Nahuatl). She is the sixth Lord of the Night.

Tecciztecatl
Codex Borgia
Tecciztecatl (or Tecuciztecatl), the Old Moon God, represents the male aspect of the
moon. Tecciztecatl is the son of Tlaloc and Chalchihuitlicue.

In the beginning of the current world, the gods gathered at Teotihuacan and asked "Who
will take on the charge of illuminating the One World?" The beautiful and wealthy
Tecciztecatl volunteered. When the moment arrived to complete the necessary rituals by
throwing himself into the sacrificial fire, he became scared. The gods passed the
opportunity to the sickly and blistered Nanahuatzin. She went and became the sun.
Ashamed, Tecciztecatl followed her to become another sun. However, the gods threw a
rabbit at him to dim his radiance. This is how the Fifth Sun started and how Tecciztecatl
became the moon.

Tecciztecatl is often pictured he carrying a large, white seashell, representing the moon.
He is also called He is called "he who comes from the land of the sea-slug shell."

In the tonalpohualli, Tecciztecatl is the ruler of the sixth day, Miquiztli.

Tlaloc
Codex Borgia

Tlaloc, He Who Makes Things Sprout, the god of rain, lightning and thunder. Het is a
fertility god, but also a wrathful deity. He is responsible for both floods and droughts.

Tlaloc is commonly depicted as a goggle-eyed blue being with jaguar fangs. Often he is
presented wearing a net of clouds, a crown of heron feather and foam sandals. He
carries rattles to make thunder.

Tlaloc was first married to the goddess Xochiquetzal, but then Tezcatlipoca kidnapped
her. He later married Chalchihuitlicue. With Chalchihuitlicue he became the father of
Tecciztecatl. Tlaloc has an older sister named Huixtocihuatl.

He is the ruler of Tlalocan, the fourth heaven. Tlalocan is the place of eternal spring, a
paradise of green plants. Tlalocan is the destination in the afterlife for those who died
violently from phenomena associated with water, such as by lightning, drowning and
water-borne diseases.
Tlaloc ruled over the third world, 4 Quiahuitl, the world that was destroyed by a fiery
deluge.
He is served by various rain spirits called the tlaloque.
In Tenochtitlan, ancient Mexico City, half of the central temple ("Huey Teocalli") was
dedicated to Tlaloc. The other half was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of the
Mexica.

Tlaloc is both the protector of the seventh day, Mazatl (deer) and the seventh trecena, 1-
Quiahuitl (rain). He is Lord of the Day for days with number 8 ("chicuei" in Nahuatl).
Tlaloc is the nineth and last Lord of the Night.

Mayahuel
Codex Laud

Mayahuel is the goddess of the maguey plant and of fertility. Protector of mature
wombs that turn into life.

From the milky sap of the maguey plant, aguamiel, the alcoholic drink pulque (octli in
Nahuatl) was brewn. Mayahuel is often depicted with many breasts to feed her many
children, the Centzon Totochin (the 400 Rabbits). The Centzon Totochin were thought to
cause drunkenness.

Mayahuel is the wife of Patecatl, who is also a pulque god.

The deity Ome Tochtli (Two Rabbit) represents all pulque gods.

The spines of the maguey were used by ancient priests and nobles for autosacrifice.

According to myth Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl took Mayahuel from her grandmother and the
fearsom star daemons, the Tzitzimime. The Tzitzimime caught her and tore her to pieces.
Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl buried her remains from which the first maguey grew.

Mayahuel is both the ruler of the eight day, Tochtli (rabbit), and the eight trecena, 1-
Malinalli (grass).

Xiuhtecuhtli
Codex Borgia
Xiuhtecuhtli is the Turquoise Lord, Lord of the Year, god of fire, creator of all life.
Xiuhtecuhtli, also called Ixcozauhqui and Huehueteotl, the Old God, is considered
"Mother and Father of the Gods, he who stands at the center of the world." He is the
personification of light in the darkness, warmth in coldness, food during famine, and
life in death.

Xiuhtecuhtli is often depicted with a red or yellow face, with a censer on his head. As a
patron of kings and warriors he is shown wearing a crown and ornaments made of a
Turquoise blue stone. As Huehueteotl, he appears as an elderly man, usually bent over
and carrying a brazier, or small stove, on his head.

Chalchiuhtlicue is mentioned to be his wife. With Chantico as his feminine counterpart,

he is seen as a representation of Ometeotl. His nagual is the Xiuhcoatl, the Fire Serpent.

Xiuhtecuhtli is the central deity in the New Fire ceremony, held every 52 years in year 2
Acatl (Ome Acatl, which is also a name for Tezcatlipoca).
In the tonalpohualli, Xiuhtecuhtli is the protector of day Atl (water). He rules over the
last trecena of the tonalpohualli, 1-Tochtli (rabbit). Xiuhtecuhtli is Lord of the Day for
days with number 1 ("ce" in Nahuatl). He is the first Lord of the Night.

Mictlantecuhtli
Codex Borgia

Mictlantecuhtli is ruler over Mictlan, the lowest underworld, the northern realm of the
dead. Mictlantecuhtli's wife is Mictlancihuatl. He is associated with the spider, the owl
and the bat.

To create life, Quetzalcoatl needed the bones from those that lived in the previous
world, the Fourth Sun. First Mictlantecuhtli agreed but when Quetzalcoatl came to
collect the bones Mictlantecuhtli changed his mind. Fortunately, Quetzalcoatl managed
to escape. However, on his way back up he dropped some bones and broke some of
them. This explains why humans have all different sizes.

Mictlantecuhtli is both the ruler of the tenth day, Itzcuintli (dog), and the tenth trecena,
1-Tecpatl (knife). He is Lord of the Day for days with number 6 ("chicuacen" in
Nahuatl). He is the fifth Lord of the Night.
 Xochipili
Codex Borgia

Xochipili, the Flower Prince, is the god of flowers, pleasure, feasting, frivolity and
artistic creativity.

Xochipili is closely related to Macuilxochitl (Five Flower), who is one of the

Ahuiateteo, the gods that embody the dangers of excess.
The Ahuiateteo are related to the direction of the south. They share characteristics of
Tezcatlipoca. The Ahuiateteo are often paired with the dangerous Cihuateteo.

Xochipili rules over the eleventh day of the tonalpohualli, day Ozomahtli (monkey).

Patecatl
Codex Borgia

Patecatl is the Lord of the Land of Medicines, a god of healing and fertility. He is the
husband of Mayahuel.

With Mayahuel, he is the father of the Centzon Totochtin (Four Hundred Rabbits), the
divine rabbits, and the gods of drunkenness. Like Mayahuel and the Centzon Totochtin,
Patecatl himself is a god of pulque, the alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant.

Patecatl is the protector of the 12th day of the tonalpohuall, day Malinalli (grass).
 Tezcatlipoca
Codex Borgia

Tezcatlipoca is the Smoking Mirror.

He is the god of the nocturnal sky, god of the ancestral memory, god of time and the
Lord of the North, the embodiment of change through conflict.

Together with his eternal opposite Quetzalcoatl, he created the world. In this process,
Tezcatlipoca lost his foot when he used it as bait for the Earth Monster Cipactli. As a
god of creation he is known as Ipalnemoani, "He by whom we live".

Tezcatlipoca has many aspects. As Tezcatlipoca Yaotl ("Enemy") he is the patron of the
warrior, as Tezcatlipoca Telpochtli he stands for eternal youth. Other names are
Necocyaotl ("Enemy of Both Sides"), Tloque Nahuaque ("Lord of the Near and Far")
and Yohualli Ehecatl (Night Wind), Ome acatl ("Two Reed") and Ilhuicahua
Tlalticpaque ("Possessor of the Sky and Earth").

Quetzalcoatl is also called White Tezcatlipoca, to contrast him to the black Tezcatlipoca.
Tezcatlipoca is usually depicted black with yellow stripe painted across his face. He is
often shown with his right foot replaced with an obsidian mirror or a snake.
One of his Naguals is the Jaguar, and his Jaguar aspect is the deity Tepeyollotl "Heart
of the Mountain". Another Nagual of Tezcatlipoca is Chalchihuihtotolin, the (blood-)
Jewelled Fowl. Chalchihuihtotolin is a symbol of powerful sorcery.
Tezcatlipoca can tempt humans into self-destruction, but when he takes his turkey form
he can also cleanse them of contamination, absolve them of guilt, and overcome their
fate.

In the tonalpohualli, Tezcatlipoca is the ruler of day Acatl. He is Lord of the Day for
days with number 10 ("mahtlactli" in Nahuatl).

Tlazolteotl
Codex Laud
Tlazolteotl, "Filth Goddess", a mother-earth goddess.
Tlazolteotl is the goddess of the human fertility and of sexuality. Tlazolteotl is
associated with the moon.

As Tlaelcuani, "the Eater of Filth" she is the goddess of the Ritual Cleansing. She is the
mother of Centeotl, a maize god. In her incarnation as Teteoinnan, Mother of the Gods,
she is protector of the midwives, doctor women and of those who tell fortune.

In the tonalpohualli, Tlazoteotl is the protector of the 14th day, Ocelotl (jaguar), and the
13th trecena, Ollin (movement). She is Lord of the Day for days with number 5
("mahcuilli" in Nahuatl). She is the seventh Lord of the Night.

Xipe Totec
Codex Borgia

Xipe Totec, Our Lord the Flayed One.

Xipe Totec is the god of the shedding of skins, God of Seedtime, the elemental force of
rebirth. He is associated with rejuvenation and spring time.

Xipe Totec flayed himself to give food to humanity, symbolic of the maize seed losing
the outer layer of the seed before germination.

Xipe Totec is the patron of the goldsmiths.

Xipe Totec is also known as the Red Tezcatlipoca, to contrast him to the black
Tezcatlipoca.

In the calendar, Xipe Totec is the protector of day Cuauhtli (eagle) and of the trecena
that starts with day 1-Itzcuintli (dog).

Itzpapalotl
Codex Borgia
Itzpapalotl is the Obsidian or Clawed Butterfly, the Feminine Warrior.

Itzpapalotl is often depicted as a skeletal being with jaguar claws and wings edged by
obsidian knifes.
She is one of the Tzitzimime, the powerful and dangerous star daemons. With other
female deities like the Cihuateteo, Tlaltecuhtli, Coatlicue, Citlalicue and Cihuacoatl, the
Tzitzimime are protectors of midwives and women in labor.

Itzpapalotl rules over Tamoachan, the heaven where the gods created the human race.
Tamoachan is the home for the victims of infant mortality. Here grows the Suckling
Tree which bears 400,000 nipples. Here the children can comfortably regain strength for
re-incarnation.

Itzpapalotl stands for purfication or rejuvenation by sacrifice of that what is precious.

In the tonalpohualli, Itzpapalotl rules over day Tecpatl (knife) and over trecena 1-Calli
(house).

Xolotl
Codex Borgia

Xolotl, the Twin, the Shapeshifter, Venus as the Evening Star, the Lord of the West,
Double of Quetzalcoatl.

Xolotl is the dog-like deity, often depicted with ragged ears. He is identified with
sickness and physical deformity. As a double of Quetzalcoatl, he carries his conch-like
ehecailacacozcatl or wind jewel.

Xolotl accompanied Quetzalcoatl to Mictlan, Land of the Death or the underworld, to

retrieve the bones from those who inhabited the previous world (Nahui Atl) to create
new life for the present world, Nahui Ollin, the sun of movement. In a sense, this re-
creation of life is reacted every night when Xolotl guides the sun through the
underworld.

In the tonalpohualli, Xolotl rules over day Ollin (movement) and over trecena 1-
Cozcacuauhtli (vulture).
 Chalchihuihtotolin
Codex Borgia

Chalchihuihtotolin, the Jewelled Fowl, Tezcatlipoca's nagual. Chalchihuihtotolin is a

symbol of powerful sorcery.
Tezcatlipoca can tempt humans into self-destruction, but when he takes his turkey form
he can also cleanse them of contamination, absolve them of guilt, and overcome their
fate.

In the tonalpohualli, Chalchihuihtotolin rules over day Tecpatl (Stone Knife) and over
trecena 1-Atl (Water).

Tonatiuh
Stone of Axayacatl, recolored detail

Tonatiuh, the Sun or the Sun God. Symbol of the Fifth World, the present era.

According to Aztec Mythology, there have been four historical ages, called Suns - those
of earth, wind, fire and water. Each has been destroyed. The present era is that of the
Sun of Movement, Ollintonatiuh. It is also known as Nahuiollin or 4-Ollin (Movement).
In the famous stone of Axayacatl, as you can see on the left, Tonatiuhs face is embedded
in this calendrical sign. The wings of the Ollin symbol show the calendrical signs of the
past four eras. Tonatiuhs claws are aspects of the Earth Goddess, Tlaltecuhtli.

In the tonalpohualli, Tonatiuh rules over trecena Miquiztli (death). He is Lord of the
Day for days with number 4 ("nahui" in Nahuatl).
 Xochiquetzal
Codex Borgia

Xochiquetzal is Flower Feather, the ever young and pretty goddess of flowers, love,
pleasure and beauty. She is a patron of artists.

Xochiquetzal represents the sexual power of young women. In this way she is related to
the Ahuitateteo and excess. She also resides over childbirth and pregnancy, relating her
to mother-goddesses like Toci and Tlazolteotl.

Her twin is Xochipili. Her husband was Tlaloc, until Tezcatlipoca kidnapped her and
she was forced to marry him.

Xochiquetzal is often displayed surrounded by flowers and butterflies, and accompanied

by a hummingbird or an ocelotl.

In the tonalpohualli, Xochiquetzal rules over the last day, Xochitl (flower) and over
trecena 1-Cuauhtli (eagle).