Beæz: water lily jaguar

Size: 60x96cm; 2x3ft 

Materials and methods: criollo sheep wool hand dyed with colorfast aniline dyes using an exhaustive dye vat. This tapestry work was handwoven on a Zapotec walking loom of the 16th century style using a 7 ends per inch reed. 

Weaver: Zenon Mendoza

The sacred Jaguar represents the Beæz energy that connects us to nature through our intuition and to the spirit world through our dreams, this energy is hosted on the organs on the left side of our body. This water lily jaguar is depicted with the sacred water lily plant that allows us to communicate with the spirit world.

The Jaguar is an apex predator, our ancetors observed its behaviour to model our behaviour in the pursuit of excellence. The Jaguar walks on the ground, swims in cenotes and climbs up trees; simbolically this put the jaguar as the lord of the underword and the cosmos. It is said that the Jaguar delivers the most efficeint death and has written the patterns of the cosmos in its fur; with its jump, the jagaur bridges the sky world and the underworld on earth. 

The governors traced their lineage to Jaguars because they represent the order of the cosmos and the ruling over the creatures on earth. There have been found abcient burial sites with Jaguar offerings, mostly associated with governors. The rulers in Mayapan actually shape their skulls to look like Jaguars, by placing horizontal boards they shrunk the forehead in relation to the eyes just like the jaguars skull. Governors dressed like jaguars, behaved like jaguars and died like jaguars. 

The jaws of the jaguar represent the entrance to the underworld. Our nomad ancestors were probably very cautios of stepping into a Jaguar's cave as they seek refuge from the weather. In the myths of the after life there is a Jaguar waiting for us in the underworld to feed from our heart, meaning the emotions and lived experiences on earth. These experiences are our  ultimate offering to the divine. The Jaguar being a creature that is active at dawn and dusk represents the transition of worlds and cycles. 

Jaguars also represent the force of life. In Dishzaa (Zapotec) we call new borns, chilli seeds and incence holder with sounds that sound similar to jaguar. Jaguars also protect life because they maintain the balance of the ecosystems in order for it to flourish; farmers know that if they want to protect their cornfields from deer, rodents and birds they can spread jaguar scent around their fields. There are ancient depictions of Nahuales dressed as jaguars while planting seeds. The most efficient and excellent hunter is also a symbol of fertility and life protection. The duality of the jaguar is complete, from life to death. The roaring of the Jaguar calls the thunder that will bring the rains to the land for life to flourish. 

We recommend hanging this rug in your ritual space or wearing it over the shoulders during meditation or ceremonies or drape it over your blankets at night to call the Jaguar spirit and teachings into your dream world. The Jaguar is an endengered animal in the Anahuac (American) continent and it is the largest cat roaming these lands connecting South America with North America and influencing all cultures in its range. Part lf the problem with the USA-Mexico wall being pushed by the Trump administration is that it will isolate the northern population from the rest of the corridor. Please consider supporting the Jaguar's habitat and freedom.