Our Lady of the Mayan Moon
Our Lady of the Mayan Moon, Handcast Paper Relief Sculpture
In ancient Maya religion, the moon was associated with a female deity, IxChel, who was also the Mayan Goddess of love, and fertility. She was regarded as the great generatrix of creation and was the patron deity of divination, medicine, childbirth, and weaving. She wears the implements of weaving in her hair and holds her “moon rabbit”. Mesoamerican peoples interpreted the shadowed formations on the lunar surface as a rabbit, as opposed to the man in the moon perceived by Westerners. The glyph for her name is attached to the right of the crescent moon in which she sits. The goddess possessed dual aspects of youth and age. She is shown here in her youthful aspect.