Frequently Asked Questions

As I have begun to recieve very frequent emails, I have decided it would be helpful for me to write an FAQ. Since many topics come up time and again, and though some of these subjects may be glossed over in other areas of my site, I thought I should take the time to answer some of them in more detail. Other topics I do feel are covered in detail elsewhere on my site, but I understand that it is often difficult to find exactly what you're looking for on any given website. Because of this, if I have provided this information well enough elsewhere, I will be placing relevant links to these areas where the answers may be found. I have also updaed the answers to several of these questions, as things have changed for me over time.

I am interested in Aztec religion. Where can I find more information?

You may check out any of the recommended reading in my book reviews section. There are also valuable resources in the links section. However, I have not included all useful reading materials in these areas. Because of this, I have decided to make a reading list. If you are looking for more specific information on a given subject, you can also ask me. The more specific you are with your question, the more detail and help I can give you.

I am interested in practicing Aztec religion or Aztec magic. Will you teach me?

I am changing the answer to this question. The answer used to be a definite yes. But, due to many factors, I am no longer offering this directly. While I am glad to assist people with knowledge when applicable, I am not taking "students," as it were. I am glad to know that people are interested in practicing this religion, and I encourage them whole-heartedly to do so. However, I am no longer able to take a mentoring role in this. If you would like to know further the reasons why, you may read this.

I feel drawn to the Aztec deities and would like to worship them. But... they don't really need blood, do they?

I have tried to give politically correct answers to this question, but I simply can't do it anymore. Yes, they require blood. It is not simply that they would appreciate it if you're comfortable with it. They expect it. I have had students who did not give blood willingly, and eventually had it extracted from them through an "accident" that the gods made clear was their doing. I have seen others whom the gods simply lost interest in due to their unwillingness to give them what they feel is deserved.

I have talked elsewhere on this site about the historical practices of sacrifice, and my personal views on it. Here is a new section I have added where I will extrapolate on my experience with the gods and how They seem to react to sacrifice. These are simply my personal experiences, so you may take them or leave them as you will. I will say, however, that of those friends and students I have known who have practiced blood sacrifice to the Aztec gods, none have come back with a contradictory experience.

Can you give me an Aztec name?

Well, first think about what you're looking for in an Aztec name. The Aztecs had two names: a day name, assigned by the date they were born under in accordance with the tonalpohualli, and a personal name. You would be called by your day name until you were 7 years old, then you would visit a name giver who would divine an auspiscious adult name for you. To figure out what your day name would be, you may check out this site. Once you enter your birthday, your day name would be whatever number and sign is under the "Tonalli" section; for example, 9 Monkey, the day I write this.

If you want a personal Nahuatl name, I used to offer to translate names that people had chosen into Nahuatl. I no longer feel comfortable with this for a few reasons. The first is that despite what I had written here before, I did get a lot of vague requests ("something that has to do with birds"). The second is that many people wanted names that sounded like they came from the pagan name generator and aside from being silly, didn't have any Nahuatl equivalents ("Purple Sparkling Monkey"). The third is that the people who had made "sane" name selections often involved names that were simple to find the translation for if you simply looked up Nahuatl and didn't really need me if they had just did a small amount of research on their own. The fourth and final reason is that since I don't have much time for email anymore, I am much more likely to use what time I do have to respond to emails that are more important than giving other people names.

How can I find my nahualli?

Originally, a person's nahualli was divined through a combination of personal signs and the tonalpohualli. Unfortunately, many of the more subtle uses for the tonalpohualli and the many factors that influenced it have been lost. This leaves us with signs (which is still a decent thing to be left with considering that signs and omens were also taken into high account), and guesswork as to how the tonalpohualli may have been used in regards to these things. Chances are, you may already have an idea what your nahualli is. Perhaps you often dream about a particular animal, or animals of this type seem drawn to you. Maybe you even had an unusual experience with a particular animal. Your nahualli may not always, however, be your favorite species of animal: as nahualli are supposed to be individual animal souls connected to you, it is the charactaristics of the individual creature and how they match with your charactaristics, rather than the appeal of the general charactaristics of a species. If you do not already have clues in this regard, you may pray to the gods for signs, or undertake dream workings to try to summon your nahualli in the underworld.

As for the guesswork with the tonalpohualli, I am uncertain as to whether or not this is "officially" how it would have been done in ancient times, but it is my best guess given what has been preserved of the Count of Fate. It would almost undoubtedly have to do with your birthdate. However, it is doubtful that the name of the daysign itself would dictate your nahualli. There are a few reasons for this. One is that not all daysigns are named after animals. Another is that we have records of people having nahualli that have nothing to do with daysign names (crows or coyotes, for example). Yet another reason is that the number of the day is generally considered just as influential as the daysign name, as it denotes the Lord of the Day, Lord of the Night, and "Bird" of the Day. The trecena (13 day "week") was also very important in divining birth omens, so chances are that would have been considered as well. My guess then, is that the full aspects of the tonalpohualli would be consulted in tandem with any signs or omens already surrounding your life, and that animals that are symbolically connected to the ruling forces of your date of birth may be considered. These are my pointers to anyone interested in finding their nahualli.

One thing that I strongly caution against is trying to force this knowledge to come. Knowing what your nahualli is isn't about a hunch, a like, or a desire. It's different than most peoples' ideas of a "totem animal," so you can't just guess based on what charactaristics you believe to be universally symbolic of a species matched with your idealized view of your own personality. If you have to pick apart the clues too much and grasp at straws to figure out what your nahualli is, it's my personal opinion that you probably have no idea what it is and latching onto something simply because you want to know your nahualli very badly is only likely to prolong your lack of awareness of it. One thing that the primary sources are very clear on is that if you meet your nahualli, the fact that it is your nahualli will be clear and without question. Any of the suggestions I've made above are only meant as techniques to help that experience along. If they don't result in a lightbulb going off in your head, then my best advice to you is to be patient and not sweat it.

Can I have a nahualli that is not a Mesoamerican animal?

Sure, why not? The idea of a nahualli is that it is an animal that shares part of your soul, and there is no limitation as to where that animal would be from - although I would argue that it must be an animal that exists in the physical world. I have no doubt that if the Aztecs had moved further north or south, the range of nahualli that people had would have increased with their increased exposure to new species. After all, after the conquest, the idea of nahualli continued in the form of the nagual and expanded to include new animals that had been introduced from Europe. Even today in rural Mexico, the burro is considered a common animal for a sorcerer to have as a spirit double. So, it seems clear to me that a nahualli could be any kind of real world animal.

Can I have more than one nahualli?

Not unless you are a skilled sorcerer who knows how to trap one or steal that of another person, or perhaps a skilled sorcerer who knows how to impress the Lord of the Animals. In that case, the extra nahualli are more like tools than anything else, and do not share a portion of your soul. They are merely in your service, and you will not have the depth of connection to them that you would have otherwise. If you consistently have dreams regarding more than one animal, this does not mean that the other animals are also nahualli for you. They could very well be the nahualli of someone else, or simply other spirit entities. There is also a possibility that you may dream of your tonal, but the tonal is more of a symbolic animal than a literal creature or spirit. And of course, as Freud said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Have you ever read Aztec by Gary Jennings? Did you like it?

Yes, I have read Aztec by Gary Jennings. Yes, I liked it. No, you cannot base your religious practice on the information in it. No, it is not 100% historically accurate; but it is one of the few fiction books out there about the Aztecs that is respectable at all as far as accuracy level. Any mistakes on Jennings' part were minor and traceable as to their origins, or understandable considering the theories at the time in which he wrote his book, which was several decades ago.

If you're for real why don't you call yourself Mexica, not Aztec?

I am so sick of this question. Go here and read the answer I've given over and over again.

Are you against anyone practicing Aztec religion who is not a reconstructionist or traditionalist?

No, actually I'm not. I have assisted various Neopagans, LHPers, Thelemites and even Christians. As long as people have the appropriate attitude, I do not consider it necessary to be a reconstructionist or hard traditionalist. When I speak against Neopagans, it is due to common attitudes I see becoming prevelent. However, not all people hold these attitudes.

There is a difference between respecting tradition and dedicating your spiritual life to reconstructing tradition. Respecting tradition simply means that you respect where a belief system came from, you respect that different gods have different ritual preferences and desires, and you incorporate these things into your rituals when possible. You don't need to spend huge portions of your life learning all the details, but you spend enough time learning to really know what you're doing for a given ritual. For me to be a reconstructionist, I have dedicated great amounts of time and patience to reawakening these things in as much detail and loyalty to the original as possible. I try to be as traditional as possible, and where innovation is required, I try to do it in a way that resembles the original traditions. It does not need to be that way for you, but I feel that the respect must be there. If the respect isn't there, then yes, I'm against it. But I would be against this lack of respect in regards to the practice of any religion, not just my own.

Many people in the alternative spiritual community do not respect tradition at all. They would never admit this if you asked them, but it is evident in their entire attitude. These are the people who don't care if they're breaking a cultural taboo in their ritual to a certain deity, because they don't want to admit that the gods could be dissatisfied with anything they do. These are the people who try to please gods with offerings that are completely foriegn and meaningless to them when offerings that held traditional value would be just as easy, because to admit that certain deities had different preferences would mean that they'd have to spend more time getting to know the gods they call upon. These are the people who read a one-paragraph list of deity traits and think that qualifies them to be a priest or priestess for that deity. These are the people who disregard any traditional beliefs that make them feel uncomfortable with a simple, "We know better now." These are the people who won't take even a slightly more difficult road, so seek only easy outs and what seems glamorous or cool to them at the time. If you're not one of those kinds of people, then I respect you.

I think it's mean/intolerant/judgmental that you are not inclusive towards eclectics and Wiccans. Why are you such a meanie?

I don't have to agree with everything out there. Just like many people don't agree with my practice of bloodletting or my beliefs as a hard polytheist, I don't agree with mixing and matching gods like you're at a buffet. I am not actually against eclecticism or Wicca. People percieve it that way because they like to believe that a rejection of some of the people or practices popular with a religion is a judgment leveled against the whole religion. Not so. I respect Wicca as its own valid religion. However (and this is an opinion that many Wiccans themselves share), I don't like what Wicca has popularly become. A lot of people see Wicca as being a name to tack on to doing whatever they like, when in reality it is its own unique religion with its own set of beliefs - beliefs that go beyond the Rede and the Threefold Law. Other people see Wicca, or really any pagan religion (Wicca just gets the worst of it because it's so popular) as a way to endorse what is essentially roleplaying as spirituality. When I go to a pagan festival and see that many of the people are more interested in partying and wearing fairy wings than going to a ritual that is supposedly dedicated to their patron deity, then yeah, I find that disturbing. Not that there's anything wrong with partying or even wearing fairy wings, but if that is your primary concern, you're not practicing a religion here. You should be able to have some fun with your religion, but if all you're doing is having fun with it, chances are you're not growing spiritually from it. Many Wiccans and other Neopagans who take their faith seriously find this just as disturbing as I do, so rather than being righteously offended, maybe people should see it as a wakeup call that they need to practice some damage control in their own community. As for eclectics, many of my issues with Neopaganism are exemplified in the eclectic movement - which again is not the fault of eclecticism itself per se, but rather what people do with it. I've been exposed to two kinds of eclectism, one which I don't have a problem with (even though it's not my thing), and one which I do. Some eclectics might worship deities from different pantheons, or practice traditions from different pantheons, but they don't simply mix random things together. They keep their worship of different gods seperate, or honor them in different ways in accordance with how They would like to be honored. I respect that. Other eclectics simply create a hodge-podge religion based on what they think is cool, while putting very little thought into it and not considering that some things just don't work well together. That, I don't respect, and I don't have to.

What are some appropriate offerings for the Aztec gods?

Stones, such as jade, turquoise and obsidian. Do not offer money, as this seems to offend them for some reason. Flowers are great, not simply for goddesses, but also for the gods. Beautiful feathers are also nice, though preferably natural feathers rather than chicken or turkey feathers dyed in atrocious colors. Hair from your head gives an offering of the energy of your tonalli, your fate soul. As for food offerings, chocolate (the darker or more bitter the better) and tamales are good. They also enjoy alcohol, though as octli is generally not available outside of Mexico, you may have to experiment with what alcohols they prefer (surprisingly, though they will "drink" tequila, they do not seem to like it much as they find it too harsh for agave liquor!) And beyond all things, copal incense is appropriate for all rituals as it was traditionally burned nearly constantly in the temples.

Since half of you are waiting to hear about blood; yes, but you may be surprised to hear me say it is not always appropriate. Blood offerings are very personal in their nature, and thus I would not suggest them for a casual or introductory ritual. Also, though a blood offering does not specifically bind you, it does imply you are interested in fostering a relationship with the deities. As a final pointer about blood offerings, the Aztec gods like it fresh and bled specifically for them. You may have to let it dry somewhat before burning, which is the preferred method of offering. If you bleed due to an accident, you may give the blood to them in offering and they will appreciate it, but it does not constitute true sacrifice unless you undergo an intentional act to draw blood for them.

By the way, some people have asked me if something like blood from a nosebleed is appropriate. Um, no. If you're dealing with "accidental" blood, I would ask yourself this very technical question before you offer it: Is this just nasty in some way? Simple as that. If all blood disgusts you, then take the blood out of the equation and ask yourself, "if someone offered me some food that had come in contact with this, would I want to eat it?" if the answer is no, then don't offer it. It might sound weird to ask yourself if you would eat food that had been in someone's nose, but this is the best way I can think of to articulate the kind of mindset you should have in regards to this.

Is there anything I should specifically avoid if I'm interested in doing a ritual to the Aztec gods?

Yes. Never, ever decide to begin calling on them specifically because you want to ask something of them. Only call upon them if you are interested in experiencing them, honoring them, or fostering a devotee or priestly relationship with them. You may simply want to experience them or honor them as a sort of "one shot deal," or perhaps you're curious and not sure whether you would like more with them. This is all fine as long as it is done respectfully. What will offend them, however, is to call upon them specifically to ask for things or send them on errands when you have no previous relationship with them. The Aztec gods do not take well to this sort of thing, and you may find your wish is denied to you rather than fulfilled if you do this sort of thing! If, however, you have established a good rapport with them, it may be appropriate to call upon them for worthy things. Always have the appropriate attitude, however; never act as if they are here to do chores for you. Also, if you ask, always be prepared to give something to them beforehand as a show of honor. Note that I am speaking of rituals designed to call upon their assistance magically, rather than prayers (there is a difference).

I would recommend against calling quarters and the like as there is really no equivalent to this in Aztec ritual. If you do call the directions or do a similar thing to create sacred space, do not ask the gods to hold your space sacred for you. They do not like to be given minor tasks like that.

Also, they usually do best if called upon individually. What I mean by this is that, except in a few circumstances, they tend to prefer a ritual be dedicated to only one of them at a time. They don't like sharing the spotlight, essentially. Some of the Aztec deities don't even get along with each other. All these things must be considered for a ritual. The occassional exceptions to the rule would be deities who have gone through marriage or sexual rituals, such as Huitzilopochtli and Toci, or deities who have a "working relationship," like Xochipilli and Xochiquetzal (make sure you don't confuse such things with marriages, however; this is a good way to get in trouble!) Despite this, if doing something such as a daily prayer or the like, it is acceptable to address the prayer to multiple deities when applicable.

Do you believe that the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Aztec goddess Tonantzin are one in the same?

I believe that the Virgin of Guadalupe was a cultural adaptation of the goddess Tonantzin made in response to the pressures of conversion. The Virgin of Guadalupe was originally intended to be Tonantzin in disguise, and the Spanish allowed the native people to venerate the Virgin because they realized it would assist in the conversion. This is a very common theme you'll see among many varied cultures in response to Christian conversion attempts, and it accounts for many saints, virgins, and even culturally-specific views of Jesus. What I do not believe is that the goddess Tonantzin is purely expressed as the Virgin of Guadalupe. Over 500 years, many of Tonantzin's original qualities as an Aztec goddess have been replaced by fairly universal perceptions of the Catholic Virgin Mary. I also believe that it's very likely that the Virgin Mary, not Tonantzin, is the one listening to many of these prayers. I suspect it depends more on the spirit and ideas of the person behind the prayer. I devout Catholic that has no interest in connecting to an Aztec past would have nothing in their mentality to direct a prayer to Tonantzin, and the Virgin Mary would have much more reason to be interested in their prayer than an Aztec goddess. I believe that in some circumstances, Tonantzin may still be the one listening when people pray to the Virgin of Guadalupe; however, I do not believe that she prefers that form, or that Christian-influenced ideas of what Guadalupe is truly apply to Tonantzin.

Think of it this way: If a group of strangers forced their way into your house, took all your prized possessions, raped your family, and then gave you some strange clothes to wear, would you want to keep those clothes on when your attackers left? People truly interested in the goddess Tonantzin now largely have the freedom to explore that interest, and no longer need to hide her in the trappings of a Catholic virgin. There is a faction of Guadalupe devotees who believe that the Virgin of Guadalupe is the correct manifestation of the goddess Tonantzin, and that she appeared as the Virgin in order to guide the Aztecs away from their previous bloodthirsty beliefs. I do not subscribe to that, and despite the nationalistic tendencies of many such believers, I personally find it to be an insult to the original Aztec people.

How can you live with yourself, perpetuating cruel stereotypes about the innocent native people?

Nothing I believe the Aztecs have done is at all comparable to the slaughter perpetrated upon the native populations by the conquerors. But it is just as much of a lie to romanticize the past. Furthermore, I find it insulting to their memory, and frankly boring, to pretend that all of Mesoamerican culture was one homogenous and united group of peaceful, Great Spirit worshipping pyramid builders. It is the quirks of a culture that make it interesting, colorful - and ultimately, human. I love these people because they wrote poetry and built great cities, but I also love them because they fought wars against each other and got blood on their hands sometimes. This makes them real, fallible, and more noble for their humanity than a stereotype of angelic perfection ever could.

But the native cultures didn't perform human sacrifice or do anything but watch the stars and pray to the one true creator. Anything else is a European lie!

I could talk here about historical evidence, but you'd plug your ears because you'd simply see it as the lies of the conquerors, so let me point out something else to you. Talk to some native people sometime who have not been cut off from their past so thouroughly as you have. In Nahua communities in rural Mexico today, native practitioners STILL practice animal sacrifice and pray to differing deities, though their beliefs have merged very visibly with Catholicism. In the U.S., why don't you try asking some of the Native Americans here. ASK them, don't put it upon yourself to educate them on the "truth" of what they should think. You'll find that many will discuss their very non-monotheistic beliefs or some of their more violent traditions of the past.

None of this demonizes anyone, nor should any of this be met with guilt, as you would be hard pressed to find any human culture in any continent that contained no violence, or had no examples of sacrifice. Why should I think the Mesoamericans were any less human?

Your website focuses too much on human sacrifice and bloodletting. Don't you think that's awfully sensationalist of you?

I do not see it that way, but rather see it as realistic. It is realistic for several reasons. One is that, regardless of what people may prefer the public associated the Aztecs with, the main association is blood and human sacrifice. What most people know of the Aztecs, if anything, was the result of an elementary school education informing them that they sacrificed people to "feed the sun" or some other such oversimplification. What I have learned over time is that it does no good not to speak of these things in hopes of distracting people to look at the more stereotypically "pleasant" side of Aztec culture. That avoids the subject. Instead, what I choose to do is openly and thoroughly discuss these topics, because they are what people think of when they think of the Aztecs. The only way to educate people is to discuss the reality of things and present them in a better and more accurate light, rather than ignoring it and hoping it will go away.

A second reason is that as a LOT of the questions and discussions directed at me have had to do with sacrifice and what it means both historically and in my religion now, it is clear to me that people need these questions answered. These questions will NOT go away, and there is a lot of material to be discussed in regards to them, so naturally, a lot of my site covers these topics. And finally, these subjects are at the heart of my religion. Sacrifice, whether of a human life or human blood, was considered the most sacred and integral act by the Aztecs. Whatever your personal feelings are on it, it is vital and inseparable to the religion, and must be discussed in detail to do any justice to the religion.

Is there a group dedicated to the practice of Aztec Reconstructionism?

If you are looking for official religious groups with physical locations and members, I know of none at this time. While there are a few groups and organizations claiming to revolve around Mesoamerican spirituality (everything from sects of the Temple of Set to New Age psuedo-shamanism groups), there are none dedicated to Aztec reconstructionism, nor are there any that I can endorse as being firmly rooted in actual scholarly knowledge of Mesoamerican religion. However, I recommend joining the Yahoo group Black and Red if you're interested in an online community.

I have seen a website/read a book/went to a seminar by someone who claimed to be an Aztec Healer/Holyman/Whatever, and they said totally different things from what you do here. Why?

One of the most unfortunate side effects of the New Age movement has been the realization that anything that sounds exotic and/or Native American in origin can be marketed to the masses. These things don't have to contain any real resemblance to the cultures they purport to be from - all you need is a person who looks mildly convincing as a guru or elder, or at least mildly convincing to people who don't know enough about the subject matter to judge well. Outside of the New Age movement, there is also the Mexica Movement, which is basically a political/social movement that has embraced a monotheistic view of Mesoamerican cultures as their spiritual ideal, and there are also several real traditions in Mexico which take more of a syncretic approach, mixing various different indigenous Mexican traditions with Catholicism and even some African practices (more similar to Santeria than a form of reconstructionism). These syncretic traditions often do have roots in indigenous Mexican practices, and I give them the utmost respect, but our views will differ somewhat because I am taking a reconstructionist approach rather than a syncretic one. Most people who have asked me this question had probably run across one of the New Age "holymen" I mentioned earlier as they are by far the most common, but I put the other two possibilities here just in case.

Why should I listen to you instead of them?

Well, you shouldn't for any specific reason at all. I'm not here to gain followers or feel important about myself, only to share my religion and offer an example to anyone else with similar interests. Because of this, I'm not really interested in proving why you should listen to me over anyone else. I don't claim any kind of authority over anyone else, nor do I purport an exotic background to validate my position - I'm not an old man, I don't wear eagle feathers or carry smudge sticks with me, I was not born in the mountains in Mexico, I was not taken under the wing of a Maya shaman, and I was not appointed to holy status by a mythical council of Mexica elders. I am of the opinion that the proof is in the pudding, so to speak, and so I offer this website as my pudding. Rather than prove why you should listen to me as a person, I'll prove my knowledge instead. I'm here to share information freely, based on what I have learned and experienced. When I have a strong opinion on something, I have offered my arguments here on this site, and it is up to you to judge those arguments for youself. I have tried to offer proof and sources for my opinions on controversial issues, and I personally believe that such proof is more valuable than vague statements of "facts" which cannot be backed up, even if those supposed facts are delivered by someone who sounds really, really mystical. I ask, and in fact encourage, that anyone with an interest in Mesoamerican religion read as much as possible on the topic. That way YOU can be the judge. Unlike some of the gurus you might find, I want you to figure things out yourself. Self-sufficiency is a great thing - it's how I figured this out, it's how some others have done it, and it's how we continue to do it.

Can we at least correspond?

I used to encourage correspondence. However, due to recent decisions, I am also removing my email address from this website. What I recommend instead of writing to me is to join the Yahoo group Black and Red. It's owned by the friend I have passed my website on to, and I am a moderator there as well. Several great Aztec recons are on that list, and joining will allow you to correspond with several people in a community setting, getting several perspectives on questions you may have instead of just mine.

I still want to read about the annoying, repetitive emails you used to recieve!

While I recieved far more positive responses from people than negative or irritating, I got my fare share of emails in one of these categories.