Coyolxauhqui: Aztec Moon Goddess

Coyolxauhqui may be a goddess you are not familiar with. Most Pagans I know are drawn to lots of European deities as well as those from Greek and Egyptian mythology. However, the legends from Central America are often overlooked. I have been fortunate enough to tour a number of Aztec and Mayan ruins on my trips to Mexico and fell in love with the art and stories of these amazing ancient cultures. In this post I’d like to introduce you to Coyolxauhqui ((koh-yol-SHAUH-key) who is the moon goddess of the Aztecs.

There are two versions of her story. According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia, the first version depicts Coyolxauhqui as the mother of Huitzilopochtli, the sun god. A conflict arises when Coyolxauhqui insists on staying at the sacred mountain of Coatepec (Snake Mountain) instead of following her son’s plan of resettling at Tenochtitlan which, historically, became the capital of the…