Beadwork
Goddess Necklaces

Click on image for a larger view

Tlazolteotl was an earth, sex, childbirth and a mother goddess. She is goddess of the Ritual Cleansing, and of human fertility. Tlazolteotl is associated with the moon. In her incarnation as Teteoinnan, Mother of the Gods, she is protector of the midwives, doctor women and of those who tell fortunes. The Aztec and Toltec Goddess of Guilty Pleasures, carnal love and desire, she both inspires and forgives carnal acts. She is a Love and Earth goddess who is said to remove sins from Her worshippers by absorbing them into Herself. She is a goddess of witches and witchcraft. She is sometimes pictured as four sisters (the four ages of woman) who are present at the crossroads of one's life: a young and carefree temptress, the lover of Quetzalcoatl; the Goddess of gambling and uncertainty; the Great Priestess who consumes and destroys the sins of mankind; and frightful old crone, persecutor and destroyer of youth. These aspects correspond to the phases of the moon. Like Kali in India, she is portrayed as a horrible, devouring figure yet is also honored as a moving, creative principle. Tlazolteotl is that deep part of ourselves that we fear because it is so powerful and unfamiliar. Yet when we touch her through her fearsome countenance, we find absolute mercy. She is proof that anything that can overwhelm and destroy us also has the power to heal and grant forgiveness.