Prayer Tehuantin Tlazohcamatic - the Prayer to the Five and Seven Directions

In truth we give thanks five and seven times!

We were born, we were given a mouth, a face

We speak, we hear, we meditate, we move:

Well do we know, the near, the far.

Well do we see, the great, the small, the sky, the earth. Therefore:

We give thanks to Tlaltecuhtli, Our Mother the Earth,

We honor Her for Her bounty, for Her gift of life,

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Tlazolteotl, Our Lady Filth. Through Her, feces becomes humus, rot nurtures, wrongdoing is forgiven, and death becomes life. We thank Her for Her gift of transformation. 

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Chalchiuhtlicue, She of the Skirt of Jade

We honor Her for Her gift of water, Her gift of life,

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to the fish, who dwell in Her waters

Through them are Her waters cleansed. We thank them for their gift of flesh.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to the plants who grow from Tlaltecuhtli´s back

They, who sustain our animal brothers. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Xochiquetzal, the Plumed Blossom, whose flesh are the flowers who coat the fields of Spring. We honor She who is all beauty, all poetry, and all love. We thank Her for Her gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Centeotl, Our Lord Maize. We honor all the plants we eat, and who die for our sake. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Patecatl, Medicine Lord, whose flesh is the healing herbs.

We honor the medicines and the keepers of medicine. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to the animals and the birds, our teachers and brothers. We honor those who give up their lives as food and as clothing, who fill our lives with joy and wonder. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to the trees who with their bodies provide us wood for shelter, copal for ceremony, fruit for our bodies, and flowers for our hearts. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Ehecatl, Our Lord the Wind. We honor Him as He sweeps the road clean before the storm. From the four directions He comes, carrying the changing of the seasons on His back. We thank Him for His gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to the Tlaloqueh, Our Lords the Rain, Our Lords the Thunder. Banging on Their jars of rain, wielding Their lightning serpents, They bring the waters that cause Tlaltecuhtli to bloom. We thank Them for Their gift of life. 

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Tonatiuh, Our Father the Sun. In His fire is burnt away ignorance and shadows, in His light is tonalli and growth. We thank Him for His gift of life.

           Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Coyolxauhqui, Our Mother the Moon. In Her light is the intuition and the growth of all women. In Her glow, their bellies wax as the moon grows full. We thank Her for Her gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Huehueteotl, Grandfather Fire, Lord of Wisdom, the hearth about which creation spins. He cooks our food, He burns copal, He lights our way in the darkest night. We thank Him for His gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks) 

We give thanks to Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, Our Young Prince the Plumed Serpent, the greatest of our teachers, and we give thanks to all the other enlightened teachers who have come to guide our path. When we forget the way, they remind us to walk in harmony and wisdom. We thank them for their gift of life.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

We give thanks to Ometeotl, Dual Divinity. From Their weaving is creation woven, from Their dream is creation dreamt, from Their book of days is creation written. They are the weaving and the cloth, the dreamer and the dream, the book and its words. In Them is all life, in Them is all joy, in Them is all love. 

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

Now do we close our words. We have called out in gratitude to the Teteo and to our brother beings who share existence on Tlaltecuhtli´s back. Perchance we have forgotten to give thanks to someone, to some Teteo who brings life and beauty into our lives? We leave it to each of you to give them thanks as your heart dictates. 

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (we give thanks)

In truth we give thanks, five and seven times.

And now our hearts are one. Ometeotl

Inspired by the Haudenosaunee “Thanksgiving Address”

Tehuantin Tlazohcamatic - Oración a los Cinco y Siete Rumbos

¡Damos gracias cinco veces!

¡Verdaderamente damos gracias siete veces!

Nacimos, se nos dio una boca, un rostro,

hablamos, escuchamos, reflexionamos y nos movemos: bien conocemos lo cercano y lejano;

bien percibimos lo grande y lo pequeño, el Cielo y la Tierra. Por tanto:

Agradecemos a Tlaltecuhtli, Nuestra Madre Tierra. Honor a Ella por Su dádiva y Su don de vida.Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Tlazoltéotl, Señora de la Inmundicia,

pues por Ella la hez en abono deviene,

la podre alimenta, el mal es perdonado y la muerte se hace vida.

Gracias a Ella por Su don de transformación.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Chalchiuhtlicue, La de Falda de Jade. Honor a Ella por Su don de agua y Su don de vida.

          Tehuantin Tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a los peces,

pues por ellos Sus aguas se ven lavadas.

Gracias a ellos por su don de carne.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a las plantas del dorso de Tlaltecuhtli

que mantienen a los animales.

Gracias a ellas por su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Xochiquétzal, Retoño Emplumado,

cuya carne en primavera son las flores que reviste el campo.

Honor a Ella, toda belleza, toda poesía, toda amor.Gracias a Ella por Su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Centéotl, Señor Maíz.

Honor a las plantas que consumimos y por nuestra causa mueren.

Gracias a ellas por su don de vida.

           Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Pahtécatl, Señor Medicina,

cuya carne son las plantas curativas.

Honor a las medicinas y sus guardianes.

Gracias a ellas por su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a los animales y las aves, hermanos y maestros.

Honor a quienes se entregan como vestido y alimento,

que colman la vida de dicha y portento.

Gracias a ellos por su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a los árboles

que dan refugio y madera con su carne,

copal para ceremonias, fruta para el cuerpo y flores para el corazón.

Gracias a ellos por su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Ehécatl, Señor Viento.

Honor a Él, que barre los caminos previo a la tormenta

y de cuatro rumbos viene cargando el cambio de estaciones.

Gracias a Él por Su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a los Tlaloqueh, Señores Lluvia, Señores Trueno.

Al golpe de jarros de lluvia, serpiente de rayo en mano,

traen a Tlaltecuhtli las aguas para que pueda florecer.

Gracias a Ellos por Su don de vida.

           Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Tonatiuh, Nuestro Padre Sol,

en cuya hoguera se consumen la ignorancia y la sombra;

cuya luz es tonalli y crecimiento.

Gracias a Él por Su don de vida.

           Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Coyolxauhqui, Nuestra Madre Luna,

en cuya luz intuyen y crecen las mujeres;

en cuyo brillo crecen sus vientres como plenilunios.

Gracias a Ella por Su don de vida.

            Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Huehuetéotl, Abuelo Fuego, Señor Sabio,

fogón en torno al cual se mueve la creación;

quien cocina nuestra comida, quien quema el copal

e ilumina los caminos en la penumbra.

Gracias a Él por Su don de vida.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, Joven Príncipe Serpiente Emplumada,

maestro de maestros, y a todos los iluminados que han venido a guiarnos,

a quienes nos dan sabiduría y equilibrio cuando perdemos el camino.

Gracias a ellos por su don de vida.

            Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Agradecemos a Ometéotl, Deidad Dual,

cuyo tejido es textil de la creación,

cuyo sueño es semilla de creación,

cuyo libro de los días es escritura de creación;

tejido y tejedora, sueño y soñador, libro y mensaje.

Toda vida, todo goce, todo amor es Ometéotl.

            Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Cerramos aquí nuestras palabras.

Hemos hablado con gratitud en los labios a los Teteo y a nuestros hermanos,

seres con quienes compartimos vida en espaldas de Tlaltecuhtli.

¿Acaso hemos omitido, acaso hemos olvidado agradecer a alguien?

¿Algún dador de belleza y vida?

En cada quien quedará agradecerle según su corazón.

          Tehuantin tlazohcamatic (agradecemos)

Verdaderamente damos gracias cinco veces. Siete veces damos gracias.

Ahora son uno nuestros corazones.

Ometéotl

Esta oración está inspirada en la Oración de Acción de Gracias de la Confederación Haudenosaunee