 Ixchel
Goddess of Childbirth and Creativity
Among the
Maya of the Yucatan peninsula, this was the name of
the snake goddess of water and the moon, of childbirth
and weaving.
Once, it was said, she took the
Sun as her lover, but her grandfather hurled lightning
jealously at her, killing the girl.
Grieving dragonflies sang over Ix
Chel for 13 days, at the end of which time she emerged,
whole and alive, and followed her lover to his palace.
But there the Sun in turn grew jealous of the goddess,
accusing her of taking a new lover: his brother,
the morning star.
He threw Ix Chel from heaven and
she found sanctuary with the vulture divinity. The
Sun pursued her and lured her home, but immediately
he grew jealous again. Ix Chel, weary of the Sun's
behaviour, left his home and his bed to wander the
night as she wished, making herself invisible whenever
he came near. The night-riding goddess spent her
energies in nursing the women of earth through pregnancy
and labour, taking special care of those who visited
her sacred island of Cozumel.
The two symbols in this story
are very significant. Snake medicine asks us to shed
our skin, to be less resistance to change. Dragonfly
is worth contemplating ...
Dragonfly...
Dragonfly strips away
the illusions that say to us we cannot achieve
our dreams and goals.
Dragonfly is the keeper of
dreams, the knower within that sees all of our
true potential and ability.
The iridescence of Dragonfly's
wings reminds us of colors not found in our everyday
experience. Dragonfly's shifting of colour, energy,
form, and movement explodes into the mind of the
observer, bringing vague memories of a time
or place where magic reigned.
Some legends say that Dragonfly
was once Dragon, and that Dragon had scales like
Dragonfly's wings. Dragon
was full of wisdom, and flew through the night
bringing light with its fiery breath. The breath
of Dragon brought forth the art of magic and the
illusion of changing form. Then Dragon got caught
in its own facade. Coyote tricked Dragon into changing
form, and the shape of its new body became like
Dragonfly's. In
accepting the challenge to prove its power and
magical prowess, Dragon lost its power.
Dragonfly is the essence
of the winds of change, the messages
of wisdom and enlightenment, and the communications
from the elemental world. This elemental world
is made up of the tiny spirits of plants, and
of the elements air, earth, fire, and water.
In essence, this world is full of nature spirits.
On the psychological level,
it may be time to break down the illusions you have
held that restrict your actions or ideas.
Dragonfly
medicine always beckons you to seek out the parts
of your habits which you need to change. Have
you put on too much weight, or have you
started to look like a scarecrow? Have you tended
to the changes you have wanted to make in your
life? If you feel the need for change, call on
Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion
to the pathway of transformation.
This
is a portion of Dragonfly Medicine. Read all the
animal medicines in the book, Medicine Cards by
Jamie Sams and David Carson. Visit www.medicinecards.com to
choose a medicine card and learn more.
From 'Goddesses and Heroines'
by Patricia Monaghan (Used by permission. This
text is NOT included in the Goddess Oracle) www.patricia-monaghan.com Illustration
from The Goddess Oracle Copyright Hrana Janto, used
by permission of the artist.
www.goddessoracle.com www.hranajanto.com
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