The word "Coatlicue" is Nahuatl for "the one with the skirt of serpents". She is referred to variously by the epithets "Mother Goddess of the Earth who gives birth to all celestial things", "Goddess of Fire and Fertility", "Goddess of Life, Death and Rebirth", and "Mother of the Southern Stars".
She is represented as a woman wearing a skirt of writhing snakes and a necklace made of human hearts, hands and skulls. Her feet and hands are adorned with claws (for digging graves) and her breasts are depicted as hanging flaccid from nursing. Coatlicue keeps on her chest the hands, hearts and skulls of her children so they can be purified in their mother's chest. Her face is formed by two facing serpents, referring to the duality of her nature.
Let us begin by travelling back in time and across the oceans to the Aztec empire. As we stand in this ancient land let us watch the people for a while. As they go about their daily tasks we see that they are an Earth based culture, synchronized with the moons, the seasons and the sun. See the simplicity and yet the complexity of their existence and understand their unity with the Earth, something that many of us have forgotten. Let us climb now up the gentle mountain slope to the temple to Coatlicue. Take a moment to look out across this land and absorb its beauty before turning to the temple itself with its incredibly detailed carvings. Feel the sacredness of this place. Let its power fill you and prepare you for the ritual that is about to begin.
Let our circle be cast for our work this night, let us invite the Guardians within. Let it stand as a place of safety and power, let the ritual now begin
Please call the quarters.
Guardian of the element of air, winds of the east, we invite you this night and ask your aid in our work. We welcome you now – blessed be!
Guardian of the element of fire, sun of the south, we invite you this night and ask your aid in our work. We welcome you now – blessed be!
Guardian of the element of water, seas of the west, we invite you this night and ask your aid in our work. We welcome you now – blessed be!
Guardian of the element of earth, lands of the north, we invite you this night and ask your aid in our work. We welcome you now – blessed be!
Lady Coatlicue, Great Mother and bringer of life, we invite you to our circle this night as we raise energy for the Earth. In love and trust we bid you Hail and Welcome!
As the Lady enters our circle with her writhing skirt of snakes and her adornment of skulls notice that this fearsome appearance is tempered by the smile on her face and the love in her eyes.
Allow me to share with you the creation story of Coatlique.
Born of Ometecuhlti and his wife Omecihuatl, Coatlique was created in the image of the unknown, decorated with skulls, snakes, and lacerated hands. She was first impregnated by an obsidian knife and gave birth to Coyolxanuhqui, goddess of the moon, and to a group of male offspring, who became the stars. Then one day Coatlique found a ball of feathers, which she tucked into her breast. When she looked for it later, it was gone, and she realized that she was again pregnant. Her children, the moon and stars did not believe her story, and, ashamed of their mother, they resolved to kill her for a goddess could only give birth once, to the original litter of divinity and no more. During the time that they were plotting her demise, Coatlique gave birth to the fiery god of war, Huitzilopochtli. With the help of a fire serpent, he destroyed his brothers and sister, murdering them in a rage. He beheaded Coyolxanuhqui and threw her body into a deep gorge in a mountain, where it lies dismembered forever. The heavens crumbled to pieces and from the resulting chaos the world was created.
We come together tonight to raise energy to heal the earth, to reverse the wounds inflicted by man. Take a moment and think of our modern world and the effects of our mismanagement and greed on the planet. The destruction of forests, the effects of thoughtless mining, the waste products of society, all these impact on the beauty and health of our planet. Compare this with the earth-based society of the Aztecs, living in harmony with the earth and seasons. With care and thought we can combine the best of both worlds, revitalize our connection to the Earth and the seasons and use our modern technology wisely and with consideration for the world around us.
Visualise twin serpents before us in the circle, beautiful serpents of greens, blues and golds, twisted as the caduceus, the universal sign of healing and healers. These are the serpents of Coatlique, the serpents of the Earth and of life. Let us send our love and healing into these serpents, and as we do so see them begin to grow larger and larger till they fill the whole circle. See the Lady herself adding her power to our efforts as the serpents glow brighter and brighter. As the serpents become almost too large for our circle they begin to sink downwards, lower and lower, deep into the very heart of the Earth. This is their true home and from here they will distribute our energy to the areas of our planet in need of our help. Our work is done this night – so mote it be!
Our healing work is over for this night but there is more we can do. Make a vow to do one thing for the Earth over the coming month – whether it is recycling, tree planting, conservation, nature clean-up, helping endangered species or many other options. Show Coatlique that your desire to heal the Earth is true and pure.
Let us now thank the Lady for her presence this night.
Lady Coatlique, Mother of all, we thank you for your presence this night with our ritual gift of wine. Blessed be!
And now, let us move to the close of our ritual.
Lady Coatlique, we thank you for your aid this night. Till we meet again, blessed be!
Please close the quarters
Lords of Earth, we thank you for your aid and stability this night. Till we meet again, blessed be!
Lords of Water, we thank you for your aid and love this night. Till we meet again, blessed be!
Lords of Fire, we thank you for your aid and powers of transformation this night. Till we meet again, blessed be!
Lords of Air, we thank you for your aid and inspiration this night. Till we meet again, blessed be!
Let our circle be open but forever unbroken, let the work we have done this night grow and prosper
Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again, Blessed be!