2 - Teotleco

In the previous metztli of Ochpaniztli, the green Earth died, in the form of Toci, Our Grandmother. The Lords of Maize, Cinteotl and Chicomecoatl, who had ruled over the wet season of Xopan, likewise sacrificed Themselves. Now, in Teotleco, the Teteo of the dry season are born from the sacred fire, and descend to the earth, bringing the death of the corn in the fields, and the gifts of fire, in Their wake. 

Teotleco can be translated as “the Arrival of the Teteo,” for it celebrates the birth of the Lords who will rule over the dry season. However, the name also means “Place of Divine fire,” and was the name of the sacred fire into which two Teteo threw Themselves at the dawn of the Fifth Age, in order to be reborn as the Sun and Moon. They died in the sacred fire of Teotleco, were purified, and reborn as new beings, to light our way through the day and night. The ceremonies of Teotleco are ceremonies of fire. In them we light a sacred fire, and from the fire is born Painal, the Swift One, who is the light of morning before the Sun Himself is born, and Piltzintecuhtli, who is the Morning Sun. These two are the sparks, who light the fire, and are honored first. Then is born Xiuhtecuhtli, the mature Lord of Fire who turns all to ash, and Chantico, who is the household flame which cooks our food and lights our incense burners. Finally Huehueteotl, the Old Fire, who is the embers of the dying fire, from which a new fire is born.

Yacatecuhtli, The Long Nosed Lord, is also honored on this day, who is likewise born of the sacred fire. He is the lord of merchants and business, for before the coming of the Spaniards, it was in the dry season that merchants would travel throughout Anahuac buying and selling their goods, and Teotleco was the metztli when they would begin their journeys. Therefore, merchants, shop-owners and business people should give Him honor during Teotleco. Yacatecuhtli, as the lord of the merchants who traveled throughout Anahuac, also protects travelers. Those who are to begin a long and dangerous journey should give offerings to Him in Teotleco, and ask for His guidance and aide. In Teotleco we give honor to fire and the lords of light, for the many gifts They bring us. The ceremonies of Teotleco dIn the previous metztli of Ochpaniztli, the green Earth died, in the form of Toci, Our Grandmother. The Lords of Maize, Cinteotl and Chicomecoatl, who had ruled over the wet season of Xopan, likewise sacrificed Themselves. Now, in Teotleco, the Teteo of the dry season are born from the sacred fire, and descend to the earth, bringing the death of the corn in the fields, and the gifts of fire, in Their wake. 

Teotleco can be translated as “the Arrival of the Teteo,” for it celebrates the birth of the Lords who will rule over the dry season. However, the name also means “Place of Divine fire,” and was the name of the sacred fire into which two Teteo threw Themselves at the dawn of the Fifth Age, in order to be reborn as the Sun and Moon. They died in the sacred fire of Teotleco, were purified, and reborn as new beings, to light our way through the day and night. The ceremonies of Teotleco are ceremonies of fire. In them we light a sacred fire, and from the fire is born Painal, the Swift One, who is the light of morning before the Sun Himself is born, and Piltzintecuhtli, who is the Morning Sun. These two are the sparks, who light the fire, and are honored first. Then is born Xiuhtecuhtli, the mature Lord of Fire who turns all to ash, and Chantico, who is the household flame which cooks our food and lights our incense burners. Finally Huehueteotl, the Old Fire, who is the embers of the dying fire, from which a new fire is born.

Yacatecuhtli, The Long Nosed Lord, is also honored on this day, who is likewise born of the sacred fire. He is the lord of merchants and business, for before the coming of the Spaniards, it was in the dry season that merchants would travel throughout Anahuac buying and selling their goods, and Teotleco was the metztli when they would begin their journeys. Therefore, merchants, shop-owners and business people should give Him honor during Teotleco. Yacatecuhtli, as the lord of the merchants who traveled throughout Anahuac, also protects travelers. Those who are to begin a long and dangerous journey should give offerings to Him in Teotleco, and ask for His guidance and aide. In Teotleco we give honor to fire and the lords of light, for the many gifts They bring us.The ceremonies of Teotleco.

During Teotleco, the Lords of Fire and Light are born. This ceremony is celebrated with a sacred fire, for a community or calpulli, or with candles, for small families and individuals. 

The Ceremonies of Teotleco

On the first day of Teotleco, honor is given to all the female Teteo, the goddesses. Their time of power has come to an end, for they ruled over the feminine season of Xopan, which died in Ochpaniztli, and now the masculine season of Tonalco has begun. Their images are placed in woven baskets filled with flowers and corn, for it is the goddesses who weave, and thereby weave our destiny. The woven basket in which They lie is the cosmos, the world, and our own hearts. 

At the end of Teotleco, a fire is lit, and a great quantity of candles are placed on the altar and around the house. This ceremony takes place at midnight, and has two parts, for it continues the following morning. First, a prayer is made to Telpochtli. He represents the first spark of fire with which the flame is lit, and He is the first light of dawn which appears before the Sun Himself. Telpochtli means “youth,” and is a title, which can refer equally to Piltzintecuhtli, Xochipilli, or Painal, who are all young lords, and manifestations of youth, light, and fire. Their image should first be carried forth, and placed upon the altar. Those who are over 52, or the oldest person present, wash the feet of the statue of the young lord who represents Telpochtli, or if it is a paper image they clean the floor at the base of the altar. The young Lord of Light has traveled far, and His feet are dusty, and it is the old and venerable who acknowledge His sacrifice and accept Him into our lives. Those present then drink pulque, tequila, or mezcal, and give thanks to the young lords of light, who will herald the dawn with the morning to come. One then leaves a small mound of masa or corn dough on the altar, which remains on the altar overnight, and which is adorned with its offerings of fruit and flowers. Likewise, small paper figures of the Teteo of Fire are also placed on the altar, of the Telpochtli, Chantico, Xiuhtecuhtli, Huehueteotl, and Yacatecuhtli. Likewise paper images of Nanahuatzin and Tecciztecatl, who are the Sun and Moon, are placed among the others surrounding the mound of masa, and nestled among the flowers.

In the morning, the ceremony continues. To the smoke of incense, a footprint is pressed into the masa, to great rejoicing and the sound of conch-shell trumpets. This symbolizes the arrival of the other lords of light and fire, who herald the coming season, and guide us with Their many gifts. More images are added to the altar, of the mature lords of fire, who are Xiuhtecuhtli, Chantico, Huehueteotl, and Yacatecuhtli. The paper figures of the Lords of Fire are cast into the fire, or placed in a bowl and burned, as we give Them thanks. If we are so called, we pierce our fingers and earlobes with maguey thorns, and flick our blood into the sacred fire, which has become the fire of Teotleco, the first fire, in which the Sun and Moon were born. 

Finally, if there are many men present, the men hold hands and dance, and the men only, while the women watch. All the males, from the youngest baby to the oldest man, dance. They paint their arms bright colors, and cover them with feathers, for they represent the souls of warriors and brave or otherwise worthy men who have gone to Tonatiuh Ichan in the form of birds of many colors. The men dance for the season of fire and the masculine principle which has begun. They call out to the Lords of Fire to bless them, and to guide them to the celestial home of Tonatiuh, Our Father, the Sun.  uring Teotleco, the Lords of Fire and Light are born. This ceremony is celebrated with a sacred fire, for a community or calpulli, or with candles, for small families and individuals. 

 2 - Teotleco - la Llegada de los Teteo, 24 de octubre al 12 de noviembre de 2022

En la metztli previa, la Tierra fértil murió en la forma de Toci, Nuestra Abuela. Los Señores del Maíz, Cintéotl y Chicomecóatl, que habían gobernado Xopan, la temporada de lluvias, se sacrificaron y ahora, en Teotleco, los Teteo de la época seca nacen del fuego sagrado y descienden a la Tierra trayendo la muerte de los campos y los dones del fuego.

Teotleco se traduce como la Llegada de los Teteo, nombre que alude al nacimiento de las deidades que rigen la temporada seca. El nombre también significa Lugar del Fuego Divino, título que recibía la hoguera sagrada en la que dos Teteo se arrojaron en el inicio de nuestra era para renacer como Sol y Luna. Ambos murieron en el fuego de Teotleco, donde fueron purificados para regresar a la vida en forma de nuevos seres que iluminaran nuestro camino del día a la noche. Las ceremonias de Teotleco son ceremonias ígneas en las que se enciende una fogata sacra de la cual nacen Páinal, el Rápido, la luz matutina que se adelanta al Sol, y Piltzintecuhtli, el Sol de la Mañana. Son las chispas que encienden el fuego y reciben honras primeramente. Nace después Xiuhtecuhtli, Señor del Fuego que todo lo vuelve ceniza, y Chantico, el fogón hogareño que cocina la comida y da luz a nuestro incienso. Finalmente, Huehuetéotl, el Viejo Fuego, las ascuas de calor moribundo, da a luz a un nuevo fuego.

Yacatecuhtli, el Señor de la Nariz Larga, es honrado en estas fiestas, pues igualmente nace del fuego sagrado. Es el Señor de los mercaderes y los negocios, pues antes de la llegada de los españoles en la temporada seca se llevaban a cabo las expediciones comerciales en el Anáhuac para comprar y vender bienes. En Teotleco, estos viajes comenzaban. Mercaderes y dueños de negocios y tiendas honran a Yacatecuhtli, quien viaja y protege en el camino. Quienes inician un largo viaje dan ofrendas a esta deidad en Teotleco y le piden Su guía y Su apoyo. En Teotleco damos honras al fuego y a las deidades de la luz.

Ceremonias de Teotleco

El primer día de Teotleco se da honor a las Teteo femeninas. Su poder como regente de Xopan ha llegado a un fin en Ochpaniztli. Ahora, que ha nacido la temporada de Tonalco, Sus imágenes se colocan en canastas tejidas llenas de maíz que simboliza el cosmos, el mundo y nuestros corazones, pues son tejedoras de nuestros destinos.

Al final de Teotleco se inicia el fuego, una gran cantidad de velas se coloca en el altar y alrededor de la casa. La ceremonia sucede a medianoche y consta de dos partes, pues continúa la mañana siguiente. Primero se ora a Telpochtli, quien es la primera chispa del fuego, la luz solar que anticipa al Sol. Telpochtli es el nombre dado a un hombre joven lo mismo que un título que puede aplicar para Piltzintecuhtli, Xochipilli o Páinal, quienes son deidades jóvenes y manifestaciones de la lozanía, la luz y el fuego. La imagen se carga delante y se coloca en el altar. Las personas mayores de 52 años o la persona de mayor edad presente en la ceremonia lava los pies de la estatua de Telpochtli o limpia el piso que se encuentra frente al altar. El Señor de la Luz ha viajado desde lejos y tiene los pies polvorientos, hecho que notan las personas grandes y respetadas como sacrificio hecho por la deidad. Las personas asistentes beben pulque, tequila o mezcal y agradecen a los señores jóvenes, heraldos del amanecer próximo. Se deja toda la noche un pequeño bulto de masa de maíz en el altar que se decora con ofrendas de fruta y flores. Igualmente, se colocan en el altar figuras de papel de las deidades del fuego: Telpochtli, Chantico, Xiuhtecuhtli, Huehuetéotl y Yacatecuhtli, así como de Nanahuatzin y Tecciztécatl, que son el Sol y la Luna.

La ceremonia tiene su continuación en la mañana. Se imprime una huella en la masa entre humo de copal y sonido de trompetas de caracol. Esto simboliza la llegada de las otras deidades del fuego, anticipadas a la salida del Sol y guías de las personas. Se añaden más imágenes al altar, representando a deidades maduras del fuego. Las imágenes son arrojadas al fuego o quemadas en un tazón. Si así se siente un llamado, se perforan las yemas de los dedos y los lóbulos de las orejas con espinas de maguey y se gotea la sangre sobre el fuego, que se ha transformado en la hoguera Teotleco, la primera hoguera, en la que el Sol y la Luna nacieron.

Finalmente, si hay hombres presentes, se toman de las manos y danzan. De los más jóvenes a los más grandes, pintan sus brazos de colores brillantes, los cubren con plumas, pues representan el espíritu de los guerreros y los hombres valientes que fueron a Tonatiuh Ichan en forma de pájaros coloridos. Los hombres danzan por el inicio de la temporada del fuego y la energía masculina. Invocan a los Señores del Fuego para que los bendigan y los guíen hacia la casa celestial de Tonatiuh, Nuestro Padre el Sol.