The Aztec Gateway

I feel the need to elaborate more on this subject; both for the reason that the term "priest" has been used in various ways and given various meanings that do not necessarily apply to me, and for the fact that the idea of priests has been somewhat corrupted among Pagans- both by certain Pagan "priest" themselves, and by general Pagan attitudes towards clergy.

Among many (though not all) Pagans, the title of priest or priestess is given to a person not so much playing a devotional role as a magical one. Such clergy are more magicians than true "priests" in the more traditional sense of the word (by traditional, I do not mean Christian tradition, but really the traditions of most ancient religions that had priests). Many Pagans have a bad taste in their mouths about the idea of clergy, due either to negative experiences with Christian clergy, or run-ins with Pagan "priests" or "priestesses" who were simply using their titles for power trips. Add to this that there are countless members of the Pagan community proclaiming themselves priests and priestesses, shamans, ascended masters, or what have you.

But, none of these things have anything to do with what I mean when I say that I am a priest. Firstly, I should talk about the terms most naturally used to describe what I do mean. These are the Aztec terms for their own priests, and they do the most justice to my intent. The first term, "tlamacazqui," is the most commonly used. It literally translates as "provider." The second, "teopixqui," means "keeper of the god."

When I say that I am a priest, it means that I am a provider for my god; a servant to Him. The things that I provide are devotions, sacrifices, worship, and love. I do this for the glory and honor of my Lord, out of a genuine desire to serve, and no other inherent reason. For me, the title of priest does not automatically deal with my relations to others, or any authority I may have over them. Others have asked me to be their priest, and I have accepted their requests on occassion, and given them spiritual guidance when they requested it. I will give guidance to any interested in Aztec worship as long as I am capable of doing so, for through my studies I have accumulated a great deal of knowledge of this subject. My god made me these things; I did not claim them for myself. Others have asked for my direction; I did not proclaim this authority for myself, I did not seek out people to lead. My Lord has chosen me to be a tlamacazqui, a teopixqui, for Him. My natural domain is not to command over others, but to keep His temple and His worship well.

Furthermore, while I am well versed in Mesoamerican magical practices, such things are separated from my religion. While the traditions of the Aztec priests often included "magical" practices such as divination, any such practices were said to proceed from the gods and be done in their names. In Aztec spirituality, spells and magical rites are not synonymous with religious rituals as they often are in modern Paganism. As such, the duties and goals of an Aztec priest are much different from those of the High Priest of a Wiccan ritual. Most of my rituals are about reverence for my god, not magic.

Lastly, some have referred to me as a High Priest. I have never called myself such a thing. I generally discourage the use of this title in regards to myself, as I do not consider myself a High Priest. While the Aztecs had High Priests which presided over the various temples (and even "higher" priests that presided over the spiritual welfare of the entire nation), such a title does not apply to me at this time. The title of High Priest does imply a status over others (as well as a spiritual status) that I do not possess, and may never possess. Unless or until Tezcatlipoca deems me worthy to be His Left Hand, I am not in my opinion a High Priest.