Festival of the goddess Ixchel among the pagans

Ish-chel (Ishchel) in the Mesoamerican civilization was the goddess of childbirth, the rainbow and healing. Sometimes her image was correlated with a spider, weaving the finest threads of life, so Ish-chel was also considered the goddess of weaving and needlework. She communicated with people with the help of eagles, which flew into villages and brought news from her. According to Mayan beliefs, this divine being was associated with nature itself and was responsible for biological cycles. The mother goddess Ish-chel and her husband, being the first gods, once gave birth to this entire world. The Mayans believed that every year from mid-August the mother goddess retired to give birth to the new year. Difficult childbirth lasts a very long time, it ends on the day of the autumn equinox. Like all the ancient gods, Ish-chel was very capricious, sometimes even cruel. People believed that she should not be angry, otherwise in anger she could send a hurricane and flood. The goddess was depicted as a seated woman with a rabbit in her arms. Later, the Mayans began to imagine her as a terrible old woman with snakes instead of hair, with eyes like a jaguar, and instead of hands she had claws. In images that have survived to the present day, Ish-chel holds a shuttle, and the strap of a loom surrounds her. Sometimes she holds a flask in her hand, upside down: according to legend, this is the only way the water of life can saturate the earth. Sometimes a baby’s cradle is placed in the other hand as a symbol of childbirth. December 8th is the day of Ish-chel. In South America, on this day the goddess is glorified by performing various rituals. Specially trained people bless boats and fields. Suffering and disease-stricken people organize pilgrimages to the sanctuaries of the goddess. On this day, pregnant women turn to her to ensure a safe birth. During the Mayan era, priests sacrificed the most beautiful girls to Ish-chel. Modern people remember the great goddess with the goal of returning to their roots.