Rain God and White Whistle

I'm a practitioner of Mexicayotl, a modern revival of Mesoamerican culture and spirituality. It's a type of animism that many decolonizing and reconnecting individuals look to reclaim when they break free from the colonial chains of the Church. Like others of Mexican descent, I've existed on the border of two cultures my whole life, unsure of where to place myself before I discovered Mexicayotl.

This Aztec death whistle is a recent addition to my altar. It was sculpted in the form of Tlaloc, the Central Mexican god of rain. I ordered him with a natural white glaze instead of green-blue so that he is like my very own White Whistle from Made In Abyss. I use this bad boy to ward off evil spirits before I begin ritual work.

Tlaloc often appears with a mask-like face, goggled eyes and jaguar fangs. He is more animal-like in Aztec depictions compared to his reclining Mayan counterpart Chac. The rolling thunder is his jaguar call. To the Aztecs, Tlaloc was the provider of rains that brought the harvest, creating a link between himself and the dietary staple maize. It is said that where lightning strikes the earth obsidian is born, and so Tlaloc is believed by some to be the father of obsidian. He lives within caves in the mountains, and rules over the dwarf-like Tlaloque (aka "the tlalocs") who embody mountain spirits and storm systems.

Tlaloc required much in terms of sacrifice, such as the infamous cutting out of captive hearts atop Templo Mayor or the notorious sacrifice of tearful children at mountain shrines. Sorrow signified rainfall, so the children were provoked to cry and the observants wept to encourage more precipitation. More peaceful offerings were also given to Tlaloc, such as shells and coral. The Mexicayotl practitioner offers these traditional non-violent alternatives to the rain god. However, auto-sacrifice may also be given to Tlaloc from those that have the will to do so.