![]() The best and most accurate way to discover your spirit animals by birthdate is to travel to Oaxaca where they can do an accurate reading. And my sister's tona is the eagle and her nahual is the serpent. When I visited Oaxaca, the artisans used the Zapotec calendar to confirm that my tona (protective spirit) is the turtle and my nahual is the coyote. It is both powerful and fascinating to see how the concept of fantastical creatures, protective spirit animals, and shapeshifting men have influenced Mexican culture and the beautiful work that Mexican artisans continue to create today.Īs mentioned earlier, there is not one direct path to discover your spirit animal.Įveryone's tona and nahuale is different and is determined by their exact birthdate and the year they were born. Regardless of the discrepancies, there is one common and influential theme which derives from this ancient Mesoamerican belief, which is that animals and humans are capable of fusing together. While others, might suggest that these shape shifters communicate with nature to perform healing. It's important to note that the Mesoamerican belief of nahuals and their role has changed over time and can vary depending on who you talk to.įor example, some might say that nahuals transform themselves at night to do evil. This refers to the ancient mythology that certain men are capable of shapeshifting into different animals.Īccording to Mesoamerican beliefs, men would escape into nature, fall asleep, and the animal which appeared in their dreams would become their official nahual (nah-wahl). The nahual (also spelled nagual), on the other hand, is associated with the Mayan, Toltec, and Mixtec cultures. ![]() Some of the animals include coyotes, lizards, armadillos, turtles, snakes, rabbits, deer, frogs, monkeys, owls, eagles, jaguars, butterflies, fish, hummingbirds, and snails. ![]() The traditional Zapotec calendar, includes a total of 13 months divided by 20 days with e ach day of the month dedicated to a specific animal or tona. In the Zapotec culture, the tona (meaning animal and/or protective spirit), was assigned to each individual based on their birthday. Though alebrijes are not a centuries old tradition, when we look back at history, we can find evidence that Mesoamerican cultures did believe in a version of magical spirit guides-known as " tona" and " nahual". Universally, alebrijes remind us not to be afraid to pursue adventure, new opportunities, and to remember to see beauty and magic that surrounds us. Some are silly, while others are more peaceful and loving. ![]() Their features are always exaggerated or contorted, emphasizing their playful and mystical nature and their facial expressions can vary. While Oaxacan alebrijes (more commonly seen today) feature realistic interpretations of animals and are less monsterlike.Īrtisans will also typically use vibrant colors and shapes like stripes, polkadots, flowers, flames, and more. ![]() Some have wings, while others have antlers, horns, and/or fins.įor example, the original alebrijes that Pedro Linares created were more fantastical and otherworldly––sometimes even frightening. Every artisan who designs one gives the spiritual animal its own unique traits and personality. Overall, alebrijes celebrate and honor the magic of creativity, and the beauty of a more ethereal and spiritual world.Īlebrijes are special because no two are ever alike. The purpose of these animals depends on who you ask. ![]()
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