(a Saori Sus “To live inthe "The actual physical bordesland that fm dealing with ip borderlands mis book isthe Toras ‘outhwest!Mexican border MEANS ——_The paychologicalbowderands, the eu bordelends, and spitual bordertands are not particular othe South: west. In fact the Borderlands are physicaly present Gloria Anzaldti Borderlands La Frontera The New Mestiza @é2 wherever two of arora cultures edge each other where pope of dlifrent aces occupy the same ttn, der, lower, mide and uoper classes ouch, space bolwnen two indicuats shrinks with slora Anzaldia where intimacy” andy re Ret oe na art 1098, ea | Hoi i+ cision y So Sava, Acct Poer Sirti vik Conese 2 a txipower.alingiages cope nd su apes fier crete cron bea Aan caeatn enon ene? Af! nba extent ting” =Pe Wge Voce ‘after onpprmuy POL) BIQQUOLY B7/Spue|s3.0G "powaldel pean weg ol npc wth ‘pase efomate prose rings us dep ot the isdevouer Women's Review of Books ‘Second Eulto. i2 Movimientos de rebeldia y las culturas que traicionan Bros movlmlentos de rebelde que tenemos en la sangre nosotros Tos mexicans surgen como ros deshocanades en ‘mis venas.¥ como mi raza quo cada en cuando deja caer (ha exclavtud de obedecr de callarse y acopan en ti est la rebetdiaencimita de mt came. Debaj de mi bumilada ‘mirada esta una cara insolent lista para asplotar Me enst0 muy earo nt rebeldia—acalambnada con desvlos 9 ‘tudas,sonttendome intl estpida, « impotonte Me enira wna rabia cuando alguten—sea mt mamd, la {lesa ta cultura de as anglos—me dice haz eto, bax ‘in considerar mis deseos, epele. Hable paras. Put micybactcons, ra indiforente 14 muchos valores de mt culture. No me dee de ks born bres No ful buena n! obedient Povo be credo. Ya no slo paso toda mt vida botando tas costumbres yor valores de mi cultura que me tatcionan Tambien recofo las costumbres que por el tempo se ban ‘probado y las costumbres de respeto a las mujeres: Ba ‘espite my growing tolerance, for his Chicinafa gor de Independencia sa const ‘The Strength of My Rebellion {havea vivid memory ofa old photograph: Lam sx years old. Istiad between my father and mother, head cocked to the right, the toes of my Nat feet gripping the groan. U hold my"otis day tm not sure where Hound the strength 0 leave the source, the mother, disengage from mn fay, mi terra, mt {gomte, and all tha picture stood foe. 1 had to leave home 801 persoaaly that had bea imposed on me. Te the ist in sx generations to leave the Valley the only fone in my family o ever leave home. Butt dda’ eave all he Darts of me: I kepe the ground of my own being. On it walked sway, taking with me the land, the Valley, Texas. Gané me ‘camino y me largue. Muy andartega mi bij, cause Lief of| Iny own accord me dicen, Como te gusta la mata vida?” “Ata very caly age Uhad a rrong tense of who 1 was and ‘what Iwas about and what was fair I had a stabboen wilt Tele constantly to mobilize ay soul under my own repime, 0 live fe om my own term no mates how unsuitable to others they were. Teron Even 4 child I would nor obey. Cw ny" Instend of toning my younger brothers shits of cleaning the upboards, 1 would pass many hours studying, reading, paint ing, woking, very bie of seth Ta painstakingly gathered took 2 beating day. Nothing in_my culture approved of me: Haba agarrado matos pasos Something was" wrong" Wilh Me haba mds ala de ta tradicion "There io reel in me—the Shadow Beast, Iisa part of me that refses to take orders fom outside suthortes. Rehan {ake order rom my conscious wil, i Uizeteas the svereigaty ‘oftmyrulership. Is that pact of me that hates constraints of ny ‘indy even those selfimposed, At he least hin of limitations on iy time or space by oes, kicks out with both fet. Bolts. Cultural Tyranny Calta forms our beliefs. We perceive the version of cell ty tat it commanicates. Dominant parsdigms, predefined con cepts that exist a¢ unquestionable, unchangeable, inlied to-ur thraugl dhe culture. Culture is made by those in powermen Males make the rules and laws; women transmit them, How many times have {east mothers and mothersin Taw fel hele son co eat thei wives for not abeying them, for being hociconas (big mouths), for belng calejferas (oink to ist and gossip with neighbors), for expecting thelr husbands to help withthe tearing of children and the housework, for wane {ng tobe something other than housewives? “The culture expects women to show gscater acceptance of, and commitment 10, the value system than men. The ctare Sind the Church inset hat women are subservient co males, Ia ‘woman rebels she i a mujer mala 2 woman doesn't ‘enounce herself in fvor ofthe male, she ie selfish fa woman ‘remains a virgen unt she martes, she is good wonman. For 4 ‘woman of my culture there used tobe ont tree directions she ‘oul turn: the Chueh asa nun, 1D the stee asa prostute, fF the home sp a mother. Today some of us have 2 fourth choice: entering the word by way of education am career and ‘becoming selfautonomous persons. A very few ofus. As work Ing class people our chiel acuity it put fond in our mouths, ‘roof over our heads and clothes on ob hacks. Edating ont Children is out of reach for most of us, Educated or nat, the ‘onus i tll on woman to be a wite/motber—only the aun can ‘scape motherhood Women are made #9 fel total lures i they don’t matey and ve children. "ZY eudndo te casas, Gloria? Se te aa pasar el tren” 90 tes digo, Pos si me caso, no 0a ser con un hombre"Se quedan calladias. i soy bija de {a Chingada. ve aways been her daughter. No te chingando, ‘Humans far the supernatural, both the undivine ihe a smal impulses such ay sexuality, the uneonselous, che unknown, the ali) and the divine (he superhuman, the ged in 3), Cultuce and religion seek wo protect us fom these two forces. ‘The female, by virwe of creating entities of flesh and blood in ther stomach (che bleeds every month but does not die), by) = ‘tue of ing in cane with nature's cycles feared. Because, Acconfing to Christianity and most other major religions, woman is cama, animal, and closer wo the undivine, she must he proceeted. Protected from hersll. Woman is the Woman i the stages the oer She. ans recognized ghtmacsh_peses his Stones Te sight her sens isnt ey of ger and fea. 1a gorna ol reboro, la manta ate symbols of my culture's proteclon” of women, alte ead males) proteses 6 pro. tecewomen, Actually keeps women An igi defined foes. It keeps the ged from other men—doa't pouch on my pre serves, oaly ean touch ay cull’ body. Our motes aught us ‘well, "os Bombres nomads quieren una cosa”; men aren't be usted, they ate sesh xd ate Uke chilies, Mothers mdeSore we di wal no soom of boters fathers unees ws guns or short, We were never lone with meD, Hot remiss ato ow fl oa "vou our ther te cue gave 8 mined meses own dear que ningun petado desgractado malate am Mesa ud ext heath we sy, Ea ier Hee que Btn net ombe Whisk wa eH ‘be, rebeltons or conforming “fr agh over thowe ofthe iia inset dhe Sut atria te nese he an ce ano wrnsietaous peoples in the word wh are sll fighting of ane premeatated user (enocie),shey re tl 6 em ch of what the cule condemns focuses on nti eat taioa The wells ofthe py, the commun nd the a et ii fe aT jhdividual exists first as kin—as sister, as father, a3 Padrino— tana ye, selihness Is conned, eapecialy a or cy sh senescence sen ca arte passing hale with meme cams ey cned a you wal mate Po at ego theese o he woul ot me creas yom yon gear ous you a ene ‘Tiron tone cron cea get wl 0 tr dom oar tiers uf cer grande Wa I ckinned ia the Menicen ctr apd vated the eee set of rules s0 that me ape case ithe Tr ices wi keen oe: expel can el pop ptr, tose wih power te Se cae te pt a he aero 6 Simeone chen, meen, an om dan a eee ance tr arance,bernce haere cata ey comm on oes BL 1 sees have bur and eaten tht th dev anes wh dev om he eal comin aoe nem singe aeons Paani! Genco leer sero om, tna Movimiento de rbeia yl euturas que telionan Half and Halt ‘There wasa muchacha who lived near my house, La gente dle push talked about her being wna elas obra, “ot the Others” They sid that for six iontha she was « woman who had a vagina that Bled once a month, and that for the other ix months she was a man, ada penis and she peed standing up “They clled herbal and half, tay mia’, nether one aoe the ‘ther but sirnge doubling, «deviation of asture tha horied, 4 work of nature inverted. hut there is + maple aepect in abnor ‘malty and socalled deformity, Maimed, mad, sr sexvally dit ‘ezeat people were Helewed. to possess sipeinatual powers by wl cultues: magico religous thinking, Hor them, bora inborn extra ‘Theve ls something compelling sbous being both mate and female, about having aa_ealry into both wo1ld Contrary t “some paychistic tenets, half and hails are not sullen from confusion of sexu entity, or even from a contusion of ene ‘What we are auleing. fom isan absolute despot duty that ‘says we ate able to be only one or the wher It claims that ‘human tute i ted an cannot eveve into something bet {er BULL ike other queer people, am. In-one: ody both ‘nakeand ema, 1am the embodiment ofthe biers amo: the ‘coming tozether of opposite qualities within Pear of Going Home: Homophabia or the lesbian of cole, the wkimate rebellion she can make against her native culture i trough her sexual behavior. She Hoes aptinst two moral prohibitions: sexuality and homosexval 1. Being lesbian and raised Catholic, indoctrinated a rsight, 1 aie the choice o be queer (for some iis genetically inerent), 1s an interesting pat, one that continually slips in and ut of the white, the Catholic, the Mexican, the Indigenous, the Instincts. In and out of my head. Ie makes for fogueria, the ert ies. 135 path of kiowledge—one of knowing Cand of fering) the history of oppression of our raza. tis 4 way of balancing. of riigating day, Ina New England college where [taught the presence of a few lesbians threw the more conservative heterosexual studentsand faety to a pale, The so Isbin stant nd we owe {Rian nneuctrs met with dhem to duce thei fears One of the students salt thought homophobia meant er of glne Inne era resdeney “tad thought, how ap. ear of goag home. And of nt being ken in, Wee ald of Being abandoned by the mothe, eStore, te Race for being unaccepae, fay, danas Noa ow ieonciy eve at ve evel ho ce She spect te set onr momeveatre/race wl ally eject i Totwoid rejection, some of conform the Yalu ofthe ‘ie posh the unacceptable pat ino he shadows, Which icrver ony oe fear—iiat we wil be found out and that the Sndnweeat wl break out of cage Some of sake mother True We ey toate ouscves consis the Shadow east Stare the sea nt rnd at for pomer and destrcton we se nits ce, dacern among ks fetres the undesidow tht the ‘Tgsing srr of heteroverea mas project on our Best. Yet ‘Siloti of us take Wranother sep. we ty to waken the Shadows inside us Not many Jump 2 the chance (0 cOo- font the Stow Basin the eo witout Minching a he KGsesepent jes, hero canny most hand draging us under {found ngs bared and hissing, How does one put eaters ‘Einpureulcserpent But few of shave been ack) the {Beco he Shades we have seen no lst Du tenderness, its lace we have uncovered the He Intimate Terrorism: Life inthe Borderlands ‘he worl i a0 safe place ove in. We shiver in separate ‘els in enclosed cites, sioulders hunched, barely keeping che panic elow the surface of the ski, dally drinking shock slong ‘with gor morning cote, fearing the torches being se t0 oUF Filings, the stacks in the streets, Shating down, Woman docs hot fet safe when her own euler, and white eurur, are xt fal of her, when the males ofall aces hunt er a8 prey ‘enated from her mother culture, allen” in the dominant ‘eure, the woman of calor does not fel safe within the fanee tte of her Set Petrified, she can’t respond, her face caught bpetmeca os fnterafctos the spaces between the diferent words she inhabits. ‘The ability to respond ie wht is meant by responsibly, yet four cltures take away our ability to aet—shackle us inthe name Movimtetos de rebelde» tas caturas gue tatonan Of protection. Blocked, immobilized, we can't move forward, can't move backwards. Tht withing serpent movement the ‘ery movement off, swifer than lightning, lrazen. We do no engage fuly_We do not mae fill re of Que fac tis, We abnenate. And therein front of ui the crossroads and choice: wo feeLa victim where someone.clke si cant and therefore responsible and o blame theing a victim and transfer fing the blame on cultwe, mother, fther, exiover, friend aiolves me of responsibly), orto fel stron art, in cont My Chicana Went i groaned inthe nian woman's his- tony of sistance. The Azle female ites of mouraing were rites ‘of defiance protesting the cultural changes which diaeupted the equity and balance between female and male, and protests their demotion to a lesser status, their denigstion Like la “Horona, the Incisa woman's onty means of protest was wailing 0 mama, Raza, how wonderful, no tener uve ron cuen fas @ nadie {fel perfectly tree to rebel and to rl against my alte. Year no betrayal on my part bees, like Chicanas and other women of color who grew up white or sho have only fecemtly returned to ther native cults roots, {was totally Immersed in mine. It wasn’ unt T went to high school that 1 saw" whites. Unul I worked on my master's degree {had not gotten within an arm's estance of them, L was trallyiimersed fo fo mesicano, rural, peasant, isolated, metcantsma To sep- tte from my culture (es rom my fay) had to fel competent ‘enough on the outside and secure enous inside 10 lve life on ny own, Yetin leaving home Id lose ouch with yong Diccause fo mosicamo is ia my sytem. Tasha tule wittevee 0 Teaeey “home” om my back, Not me sold out my people but they me. So yes, hough “home permeates every sinew and cartilage in my boy, too sm anid of going home. Though Ul defend my race and culture when they are atacked by non menicanos, conosco el malestar de mt cultura. 1 abhor some of ay catare’s ways, how it erp less women, como burras, our srengthe used pains lowly Ourras bearg amity with dignity. The ability co serve, ‘alm the mates, is our highest view. tsbhor how my cole makes macbo carieatures of ts men. No, Udo not buy all the“ Inyths ofthe tbe into which Twas boon, T can understand why the mote tinged with Anglo blood, the more adamantly my cok bred and colorless sisters glorify thee colored culture's vales— Xo offic the extreme devahuation of i by the white culture. 15 Sicghimate reaction. But I wil not glorify those aspects of ay ‘ultore which have fnjured me and which have injured me in fname of protecting me ‘So, don’t give ate your tenets and your lis. Don't give me ‘your nkewars gods What I want ss accounting with all three Tattoreswhite, Mexican, Indian I want the frcedom to cave Sind chvel my own face, to staunch the bleeding with ashes, 10 fasion my own pods ou of my entalls. And going home 5 ‘enled me dhen twill ave to stn and elim my space, making ‘Tocw eultore—tona cultura mastizawith my ove lmber, ay town bricks and mortar and ay ow feminist architectae. “The Wounding ofthe india-Mestiza tas carnes indias que desprectamos nosotros fos met canes ast como despreclames condenamos 1 muestra madre ‘Matinat Nos condenamos a nocotrs mismos, Hs rita ver ‘cha, enemigo cuerpo. ote sol out my people bt they me, Malina Tnepat ox Metin, has become hn 0k Cigadthe fhe seh ome te bal word at pes 4 doe ies 2 es pe of Chicanos wwe, Pome he amin rai oe her people tothe Spaniard se eels Ces Spreutwih concig ‘Te std tape. aking up eve hate nae RT ERE BETAS. We nds y mesic, police {REIRIGr iss btoe and ona et ale care hs dines god jo on w. Sun la cotunres que ralonan. La inant es sombre Lt Coat, Tate, Coa. rn que oer lamentend's us bias prdias Re rest my pop tty tr Dena o the colt aay aia they beeajed me he ak inned woman as seer Sentero, caps, bn to servitude with mar Me, cone fr 300 etn, ered a eased nthe aS try. Bor 30 year she haem alate, a force of SERS sla byte Spend the Ang, by Ber owe _Mosimtentos dere y las cataras gue talonan ople anda Neoainerc Nero wader the an pacha tra no ee of wounding). For 300 yeas se was ve he ‘ra ao hea Many ties the whined o speak ta Protest 0 caloge The od were hentai he She hee fees heh rth, she conceded et fre: but the tept stollng the ine fame. scmaied facts nd Yes tem bt light shoe trough Re self ence. and tho she'was enable to spades inbsand tough fret igh no the imac nik wer the ath and thee no mee She co es 0 tnd the ate spn of the espe he eight for her own skin and lec of romeo sand ons grow from whch 0 ew the wort pergecie 2 homey ‘where she ean pani te eh acest ns noe ample Pst ea She ws te wr te nt oes thea a apr wh athe ed ats, herbie throwing er ck apo ee ad ‘tree ple othe emine Crane wats with ee ‘Aqui en ta soedad prosper su rebel ‘rn la soled Ba prospera3 Entering Into the Serpent Serio con serplentes, com serplentes del mar om cterto man ay de sorpentes suet yo larga, transparontes, en sus barrigat llevan To que puedarsarobatarte al amor 00, 0b, ob, la matd y aparece una mayor (0b, con mucho me tnfierna en digestion 1 dream of serpents, serpents ofthese, ‘cern sea, 0, of serpents Idea Tong, transparent, in thei belles they carey All hat they ean saath away from love i ooh 1 Kill one and a larger one appears ‘O, with more here During inside! “Silvio Rodriguez, “Sueno Com Serptentes" In the predawn oringe haze, the sleepy crowing of rosters stop the wees No uayas at excusada en 10 oxen, Dont go to the outhouse at aight, Peta, ny mother woul! say, No se fe ‘wpa a moter algo por alld A shake wil eset int your naga? take you pregnant They sec warmth ia the cold. Dlcen ice las culebras ke 0 ck chiches can daw mile vt of ou: ‘in el escusado inthe halfight spiders hang Uke glides, Under my bare ortocks and the ough planks the deep yawning tugs at me, Tecan see my legs ly up to my face a8 my body falls through the round hole into the sheen of rwacming msegots Doelow. Avoiding te sakes under the porch {walk ick into the ‘Guchen, step 0m big black one sithering across the aoeEats nt the Serpent Eile tene su tonot nee we ware chopping soton in the felt of Jen Maca Ranch Ait around the words Duutte somcred above me, choking the say cnn hat hed = T swung ef azadéné hard. Bt qua baray shook, showered nei on ny sms td fe. ‘fen heard her the wor ove Trl fe ts fine. Hoe et all the senena” My mother came sree, singing het oe high cing the ea, the writhing Doc Tord the su beat down. Aerwast smi where fen had ben: back of eck, et fim eteen ny eels est aie down my boy wa tied etek areed in ‘ce Mans had gone down the row and was ot of sgh, tak ou my pocket ade Xovereich pick, My body fllowed the lod fl oto the sot found {pet my smother the od and che 2nd sp Etec tt sows of coon I picked up the pce, pliced tem en on end. Cura de cateael® counted the rate twelve Tewould shed no mote bund th less hence he towrot coaon, hat ight (watched the win dow sil, watched the moon dry the blond on the tl, deeamed tater fangs fled my mouth, scales covered my body. tn the ‘morning I saw through shake eyes, fe stake blood course ‘through my boxy. The sexpent, mi tno, my animal counterpart {ras immune touts venom, Forever snmune wakes, vitoras: ace that day Ive sought and shunned toca, Always when they ross ny path, ear ad elation flood my body. Tow things older than Teeud, older than gender. she— that’s how I thiak of la Vibor, Sake Woman, Like the ancient ‘Olmecs, 1 know Earth is «coiled Serpent. Forey yeas i's ken me to enter int the Serpent, to acknowledge that I have a body, tha Lam 4 body and to assimilate the animal body, the aad *o erg tote Serpent Coatlatopeuh, She Who Has Dominion Over Serpents ML mamagrandte Ramona toda su vida mantuve tn altar ‘equeno on la exquina det comedor Stemipre tent las elas ‘Prondidas. Aut bacta promesas a la Virgen de Guadalupe, MY family lke most Chicanos, dd not practice Roman Caholcsm Dou a fot Catholicism with maay pagan elements. La Virgen de Guadalupe’s indian name in Coatlalopeuh. She iy the cena ‘deity connecting uw one Inn ancevtey ‘Coatlaopout is descended from, of at sepect of, easier ‘Mesoamerican fertility and Fath goddesses The ealiet is Cow cue, oF Serpent Skirt” She had'2 an skull or senpeat fort head, «necklace of human hear, skirt of twisted serpents ad faloned fect. As creator poddess, she was mother ofthe celestial seis, and of tutedopochas and his sister, Cayolvaubgua, She “With Golden neti, Goddess ofthe Moon, who was decapitated by her brother. Another aspect of Couticue is Tomantst? The ‘Totonacs, tied of the Aztee human strifces to the male god Muitetopocht, renewed thet severence for Tonantt Whi pre {essed the scefice of bis and small snl. “The male dominated Aztec Mexea culture drove the power fl female deities underground by giving them moastous ati Utes and by substituting male deites i thei place, chs sping fhe female Seif and the female dees, They divided fet who hae been complete, who possessed both upper (light) aad under: ‘world (dar) aspects. Coates, the Serpent goddess, and het more sinister aspects, Mazoltett and Cibwacoat, were “dare ‘ened and disempowered much a the same manne a he Indian ‘Tomantst—spie from her dark guises, Coaticue, Nazlteoh sind Cbacoat—became the wood mother. The Natoss, through ‘tual and prayer, sought oblige Tonantt to ensue thelr health land the growth ofthele crops. I was she who fave Metin the ‘iets plat to provide her people with ik and pulgue, was she who defended fer children guns dhe wrath ofthe Christian God by challenging God, her son, to produce mather's alk (3 she had done) to prove that his benevolence equated his dsc Plinary harshness" ‘ARer the Conquest, the Spanitrds and thelr Church com Unwed to split Tonantsl/Guadaupe. They desexed Guadalype, laking Coatlatopeud, the seepent/sensalty, ov of her They‘Completed the spt begun by the Nahas by making la Virgen de GuadapeViegen Maria into chaste viegne snd asolcot/ Goattone/ta Chiagada nto putas oo the Benties and the Beant. They went even further hey made all Indian dies and he dv. Fallow pcos the or thas Tonante became Guadalupe, the chaste protective mother the defence of the Mexican people ‘1 mueve de dclembre det ano 1531 (ta atv deta madragade {in pobre indo que se lamaba juan Diego {a erazando ef cr de Tpeyde ‘San oy wn canto de pagar ‘is ta cater oo gue tact del oro ‘be cuban con na rete abe blanca ‘aruda en frome de sot {br wna hana ceconte ‘estonia por dngel, ‘abe sma atvea Mantra Stora Marta de Coatalnec sale parc nan Dep, gue babi comoundgtls” ini etme ten Dita gente que yo s0y ta madre de Dios ‘sino 90 tes eydare™ ‘seo contd a aan uma ero el bso no leer. Juan Diego ott, tend nu trea!® CGeclondo milagrosamente onl neve. Stas eo at obo, 5 euando ais ou ima Uitte dela Virgo ‘ni eataba pintado Guadalupe appeated on December 9, 1831, on the spot where the Artec goddess, Tomanta! COur Lady Moher), had been worshipped by the Nahuate and where 4 temple to her nad stood. Speating Nahuatl, she old Juan Diego, a poor Inalan crossing Tepeyse Hil, whose Indian name was Cuautlaobuac and who belonged to the mazehual cas, the humbest withn ‘he Chichimeca te, hat her name was Maria Coatlalopen, Goat's the Nahuatl word for serpent. open means the one ho has dominion over serpents interpret his "the one who Js at one with the beasts" Some spell her aime Coatlawypeud pronounced “Cuatiachupe” in Natu) and sy that spew means “erushed or stepped on with csi. Some sy it ea “se who crushed the serpent withthe serpents he Syaibol of the indigenous religion, meaning tit her religion was toe the place of the Aztec religion"? Hecaise Coutlalopend was hhomophonous to the Spanish Guadalupe the Spanish klentited her with the dark Vingin, Guadatupe, patroness of West Ceuta From thot meeting, aun Diego walked away withthe image of ta Virgen punted on bis cloak. Soom afer, Mexico ceased to belong co Spain, and ia Virgen de Guadatupe began to cclipee al the other mate and female religious figures in Mexico, Centra America and parts ofthe US. Southwest “Desde entonces pret sf mexicano ser Guadalupano es algo esenctalsinc theh for the Mexican, to he a Guadatupano is sonnething essemile"? MA Virgen Morons My browa virgin IME Virgen Ramcbora ary connty veg Eres muestra Reina you are our queen ‘Mexico es tu tierra Mexico is your and Y isu bandera and you i ag, "la Virgen Ranchera'S i 1660 the Roman Catholic Church named her Mother of God, considering her synonymous with la Virgen Marta, she became fa Santa Putrona de fos mexteanosThe role of deeader (or patoo) has tadtonally been assigned to male gods During the Mexican Revolution, Emulino Zapats and Miguet Hida lied her image to move el pushlo mesteano towed fteedone During the 1955 grape stke in Delano, California and in sues ‘quent Chicano famworkers’ marehes in Texas and other parts of the Southwest, her Image on banners heralded and united the farmworkers. Pachucos (z00tsuters) tattoo her Image om thers bodies. Today, in Texas and Mexico she Is more venerated than ‘ess oF God the Father, Inthe Lower Rio Grande Walley Of southTexas is Ja Virgen de San Juan de los Lagos (an aspect of Guadalupe) that worshipped by toussnds every day at bet shrine in San juan, I Teaas she is considered the patron stint of Chicanos. Cuando Garsto, mit bermantio, was missing in action land, later wounded i Vit Nam, md maya pot oa her knees y le prometts a Haque st su bijtovotuia vito she would cra ‘on ter knees and light novenas inher honor “Tay, la Virgen de Guadalupe isthe single most potent re ‘ious, pllcal and eatorl image ofthe Chicano/mestcana. she, Tike my race, i synthesis ofthe old world and the new, ofthe feligion and cultare of the two races ia our psyche, the com ‘quero and the conquered, she is the symbol of the mestiz0 true to bie or her faa vals, La eure chfcanatwleaties tvth the mother Celian) rather than withthe father Spanish) ‘ur faith is rooted in indigenous attbutes, images, symbols, imapicand myth. Hecause Guadatupe took upon ners the psy chological and pliysical devastation of the conquered and ‘oppressed fade, she is our spina, political and psychological Symbol. Asa symbol of hope std th, she sustains and insures ‘ur survival ‘The indian, despite extreme despa, stfering a fear genocide, has survived. To Mexicans on both sides of the order, Guadalupe is the symbol of our sebelion against the fich, upper and middleclass, agaist thelr subjugation ofthe poor tnd the dnd ‘Guadalupe unites people of diferent races, religions, lan quagers Chicano protestants, American Indians and. whites, "Nunes aboada siempre serde/Ous medlatrs yon wil aways ties she medlater between the Spanish and the Indian cules Corehree etres as the ease of mexicanas of afiean or other acest) aad betwen Chicanos and the white work. She medi ‘es between humans and the divine, betwen this reality and the realty of sprit entities. La Virgen de Guadalupe the symbol fof eihnie identity and of the tolerance for ambigulty tha CChieanosmesicanos, people of mixed race, people who have Indian blood, people Who cross cues, by accessy possess. Twente Chicana iene tes madres Al ee ae mediator Guadalupe, she vsgin ar who tas not abandoned le Chingada (Atatincbe), the raped mother whom we have abanr ‘ones and da Horona, the mother who seeks hes lost children Sand ins combination ofthe other two. Ambiguity srr the symbols of these dice “Our Mothers" Guadalupe ax bon soe by the Cc eee ot insttutoraned eppresn: to pact the Indu and ce anos snd Chicanos. Inport, rw Many of athe ee been sibveredGuadaipe to make ws doc nen te hing oak ted oo Ina seta ena tomas lnesifering people This cburns a cnconaged Sheen ior nom et we have nal embraced ths dichotomy. ta the Sout Me, Cnt an Suh Ane ao sa he imartzo contin t0 movhip the ol pe een oncology, Gradatipe) an heir sper power wader the ie ay SoU SENT, AE, EBS ‘tas Invoco diosas mas, ustedes las indias ‘sumergidas on mt carne que son mis sombres stedes que poristen mason sus cuts Ustedes Sehoras que abora, como yo, ‘stan en docgacta or Waging War Is My Cosmic Duty: The Loss ofthe Balanced Oppositions and the Change to Male Dominance ‘Therefore I decided 1 leave "The country (Az), ‘Therefore Ihave come as one charged with special ay. Because Ihave been given arows and shits, For waging war is ny dat, ‘And on my expeditions t Shall se all the lands, {stall wait forthe people and meet them al Four quarters and shal give them, Food teat and drinks to quench thee thie, For here 1 shall unite al the clffeent peopies! Huitsttopochit Speaking tothe Astece Mexica!® Defoe he Autes Decame 4 miltariic, bureaucratic wate ‘were male predatory wart an comuest were bse on pth Teal nob, te prtacipic of alanced oppaston twee te sexes existed” “the pedple worshiped the Lo and Lay ofsalty, Ometecubt and Omecibuat efore de change to male fominince, onthe, Lay ote Serpe Si, contaned Tulane heats of at and femal, ight aod dat, ie ard The changes hat ed othe low ofthe Balanced oppositions gun when thehutcea, ane ofthe twenty Tec eis, made the tat pgrmage trom a place called alan. The migration sul bepan tbo the year AD. 0, Tce hunted years ater the vance pus acted neat Tua, the cal of the deci Tee cnc. ny the Lh cotry, they had joined With te Cheese a et aerial enc moe tein administrative oganzion win Aza, the te tcrntoy The Mena, with hei tbe god Tetzaubeett Inutebpochtt Magicnt Heng Bia ote Le, gated ontol ote elu ystem Cin some sts Muteopec fea hisses the mov yoo tinted who wed het Suiperatual power over annals contol he tbe rater han wae wer) tuto poch assigned the tcc Mesica the ts of keep- tg dhe human ace (he recat cos age called the Fh Sun, iQuinte SoD aves They were to gua the harmonious freeration ofthe human face by sniffing al the people on Exh lv ne sci slg and adminstatie organ The fee people conaered themes in charge of eptatng ll ‘inniy macro! Tetrnstruent contol or egusted War to pisend excrete powes he 100 yen te ra ey, te cr ena went to Chapatepee, where they seed i Ta (he preeat Sie ofthe pa onthe oust of Wexie Gg). There 1343, {he Anecalesicechowe these ofthe cai Tenochn. by Lan they dominated the Cel esl eae. “The Ante rae, econ, destroyed al te panied doc mens (books cated code) and rerote ay ony that val {ic ine was of cones and hs conned the se om a th ned en clans tone bated on lanes rom 1423-140, the acs emerged asa ili ee ha preyed on eh tering bes for ilbuce and captives” The “wars of flowers Wren eacousers between cal aris wh «Ried number of ‘itn, operating whine ate Wor, pd coding to set Tees it stl bates fed times and ca predetermined iuetcay "The sclgous purpose these wars wat proce Ey Drisoncrs of war Whi could be sacrificed tothe deities of the ” Deas, te doctor by the operating table sd ipumed between the tyo fines the Metering tongue ring come tro the nh of he sexpext, i oulowe, ound myst deny in the dct, don dan into an even cake carta. ang rose the portal the sed hinged owt taving entered the serpents bly now there was no loklng Back. no go bck ‘Why do Teast no shadow? ‘Are there lights from all sides shining on me? ‘Aiea, ahead tesing tothe Serpent curted up inside the serpents col the damp breath of death om ny lace "new a that instant: something must change Algo tenia que cambiar ‘After each of my four bouts with death 1 eatc glimpses of an otherword Serpent Once, in my bedroom, Leaw a copes the size f the room, her hood expanding aver me. Whi 1 Baked she was sone. Trealzed she wat, in my peyehe, the mental pie, ture and symbol ofthe tastinetwa in is collective impersonal, ‘refuman, She, dhe symbol ofthe dak ser deve, the chukes ‘© (anderworld, she feminine, the serpentine movement ofc ‘ually, of creativity, the basis fal energy and tie "The Presences Se appeared in white, gated la white, Sanding white, pure white. Rernardino de Sahai? (On the gif where {was mased, on ef Vale det Rio Grande ‘in South Texas—that triangular picce of lind wedged Detucen the river y ef golf which serves a th Tense /Menican Border 4 Menican puebito called Hari (at onetime ia the history of this onegrocerystore, ewoservcestations town there were thie fen churches and thirteen camtinas). Down the roa hile ways fom our house, was a deserted church. Tt was known, among the mexicanos that if yo walked down the road Ine oe night you would sce a woman dresed in white floating about peering out che church window. She would follow these wg had done something bal or who Were aftid. Los mexicanoe falled her a Ja. Some thought she was fa Horona. She eva 1 think, Cibuacoaty Serpent Woman, anclent Ate goddess ofthe cath, of war and birth, paton of midwives, sid antecedent ofa orona. Covered with chalk, Cuacoatt wensa white dees ith 4 ecoraton half red and half black, Her hair forms two litle horns (which the Axtecs depicted a8 kaives) crossed on her fore he. The tower par of her fice ts « bare jurbone, signiving death, On her hack she carries a erade, the Kale of ereieg ‘waded as ft were hee papoose, her chi" Like la Boron ‘Clouacoatt bows and weeps inthe night, sreams.as if dementedShe brings mental depresion and sorsow. Long before I takes lace she Is the Best to peedice someting i 0 happen. Tack then |, an wnblever scofled a thee Mexican super stone sya taught in Anglo school Now, L wonder tis Story and simlar ones were the caltre'satempts to "protect ttenbers af the fey, eopecally gy rom wandeving Stories ted nig ong gave ania hi ey wae Ciscoursed ws fom going out There's sn ancient ian tech tion af bain the tna cord of a gt ander te House so she will never stay fom and her domestic rl ‘A mis ancas caem los eueros de culebra, ‘cuatro veces por af Tos arrasio, Ime troplezo y me eaigo _y cada vez que miro tna caleba te pregunta, ‘due traes conmigo? Four year go a red sake crowed ny path 381 walked shou the moots, The dncton of te movement, ts pce ators the'mood"of teres and he wind sth se—they Sipe mc to me thing. too for omens everywhere Srerponere catch limprs of the pater a ce fy i Stones spel no sah Tesh Sec ev whisper ele Secrest Chest a Native Amerie member tenn ‘heticesof fe wind a chia and ndertaning ts mesates ar eqns th re the back of the south ind: Temember thet taaton lowing in throug heats the dor dog those ho Teas aterno est Of win aig the acim Siem et leg br, ren emg Pfc not supposed to enemies terwondy eco wesc tipo olor get we etng age of the Sout precnce snd tte apts presence. We've been ugh tha te spt ouside our bodes or above our hex ome ttese pin the sky wih God Weve pposd fora hat {ery cell or bc, every Bone and ba and wor hap Tike many fans and Menicns, 1 ot dem my psychic expenence eI denied thir occerences and lt my tone ‘ice atopy T flowed whe ena o tell me ta the sence ef the “other world wes eve agin sopersion I Ce ihe reais theo resy othe tion, reson lng mode which i connected with exteral reality, the upper world, andisconsideved the most develope consciousness the Consciousness of daly ‘The other mode of consciownness facilitates images fom the soul and the unconscious through dreams aad de ination, ts work is Iabeled “tion” make believs, wish flillsent White anthropologists claim that Indians have “primitive” and Imerefore decent minds, that we cannot think in the higher mode of cansciousness—etionality They are fascinated by what they call the “mapical" mind, the “stvage” mind the participation mystique of the mind that says the word af the imagination the ‘world ofthe soul—and ofthe spr inst as els phyiealel. ity tn trying to ecome “objective: Western culture made “objects of things and people when fdstanced self rom then thereby losing "touch" with them. This echotony the rot of Not only was the brain split ito ewe functions but so was realy: Ths peopl who inhabit both eeates ae forced Wo Ive in the Interfice between the two, forced to become adept a ‘itching modes. Such the ease withthe dial the mesa lnsittionalized religion feats teaficking with the spe ‘world ai stigmatize tas wlchcrat thas sec taboos agaist this Kind of inner knowledge. Re fears what Jung. calls the Smidow. the unsavory aspects of ourselves. Bu even more it fears the supesuman, the god in ourselves, “The purpose of any eSaished religion... isto glonty, ‘smcton and bless with superpersoral meaning ll personal and interpersonal acivides, This occurs through the ‘sserwments! and indeed throug most retigious tes Hut it sanctions only 5s own stcraments and ites. Voodoo, Santeria, Shamanism and ‘other native religions are ealed cult and their beliefs ae called thologies. In my own lie, he Catholle Chueh fas to give ‘meaning to my diy acts, to my cootinaingcacouaters with the “other world" I¢and other insueutionalied relipions ipoversh allie, beauty, please ‘The Catholic and Protestint religions encourage far an dis rust of life and ofthe body; they encourage a spit between the oxy and the sprit and teal ignore the soul they encourage us {0 kil of parts of ourselves We are taught tht the boxy ban ‘gnorant animal; inteligence dwells only in the head. But theody smart. It does not eiscern berween external simul and ‘tm rom the iagiation. treats equaly viscerally events ftom th Imagination a does to “real” events So grew up in the interface trying no to give countenance to ef mal aigre,# evil aon human, non corporeal entities siding the wind, that could come in teovgh the window, cheDugh my tose with my breath. T was not supposed fo believe in susto, 2 Sudden shack of fall that frightens the soal out ofthe ody And rowing up herween such opposing spriualites how could Feconele the two, the pagan ata the Chistian? [No matter fo whit use my people put the supranaturl woe, ie evident Co me now thatthe spit world, whose exis fence the whites fe so adamant in denying, does ia fact exist, This ery amiaite I sense the prescice ofthe spits of my ances: tors in my oon. And Tuiak fa ita Is CibuacoatSaake Woman, she isla Horoma, Daughter of Nigh, taveling the dak terrains ‘ofthe unknown searching for the lost parts of herself. Vemen= her la Ja following me once, remember her eerie lament. 1d like to think dit she was exying for hee lost children, Jos (Chicanos/mentcanos La facultad 1a facts he capac to 8 tn race phenomena he nant of deper reales, 1 ace the deep sre below he Site nan itn "sensing: 4 suck perception are a Src consrarrecning, isu uate swe eed Byte prea te aye tha doe ot spel hat commnictr 2 images and symbole whch ar the ero etn, hat Bend ch Sengs renee. "The one posses he se Sv i xcruiting alive tothe wos “hose who ate pet vt ofthe efor eigen ae itty tobechme mre sesited Cohen ot reset ne Siig, hove who donot fe ayo or pyscaly ae inne word e more pet develop th sense. Thove whe pomced the most have Ite aongest=e ens, the Femesents of al ces, the darted he ook the per Scud the oto, the el ‘wren wee up agunt tne wa, when we Dave all sor of onpresons coming ats, we a0 fice 0 dew th fly 20 mht wet know when the next person is going wo al va or lock us aay. Weil Sense the cps when he Ive Bods dover {he sect Pan rakes us aestly anions to avd moe oo wwe hone that radie I's + kind of surat tcc that pele, Caught eeneen he werd unknowing cant. Bent 1 walk into a house and {know whether tis empty or acct led Hel he ingerng charge inthe tc oa ecen igh ox lone taking or depression. sense the emotions someone esr Ie cmiting—wteterfcndly or threatening. Hate and fer the ‘more intense the emotion, the greater ay sxepton ef {eel 4 unglng on ay skin wea someone i staring me or hin bout me" cin te how other fe by te way they where oters ae bythe ar pressure on my shin, Tan pot the Jove or areed or generosy tai inthe tues of seas ‘Often I see the erection of and ny dace fom people bjets—In he day or with my eyes closed, without ot. 1 ‘mus bea vestige of proximity sense, ssn scase that's an orm rom tneago tines. Fear develops the proimty sake aspect ofl facultad But {here ba deeper sensing tha is another aypect of hs fac. It is anything that breaks into e's everyday moe of percep io, that causes a rea in ones defenses and rstancessajing {hat takes one frm ones habit grounding causes the depths te.open up, cases shin perceplon, This shin perepeny deepens the way we sec concrete jects an peopl; the sence Become so acute and piercing that we can see tru things ‘lew evens in dept,» plein tnt races the unermosel {Ge ream ofthe su AS we plunge vera, the brea with ‘accompanying new cing takes pay ateaion othe an we ate thus eared sto soeness a experienlng of sou ei We lose something in this mode of ition, something is taken fom us our innocence, otrunknowing ways, ousted ‘iy ignorance, There #4 prejudice anda exe ofthe. dre, thon anderword, mer suchas depression, ines dest and the vicltions that can’ bring "on this Break Content anything tha ters the fabie of er everyday mode of consciousness and that thrusts into ales er andl more Pryehic sense of reality increases ates and fafaI La herencia de Coatlicue The Coatlicue State protean being dark dumb windowless no moon glides across the stone the nightsky alone alone po lights ust mierorwalis obsidian smoky’ inthe Imirrr she sees woman with four heads the heads turning ound and round spokes ofa wheel her neck anaxle shestresat etch fice exch wishes the ‘other not there the obsidian knife inthe ait the bulling 90 high should she jamp would she fel the breeze fanning er face tumbing down the steps ‘ofthe temple eat offered up to the sun wall ‘owing thin thinner she seyeless a mole burrowing deeper tunneling ere tuning there funneting through the aie inthe photogeah a double Jmage a ghost arm slongsde the flesh one side her head the erksricacheting bisecting crsscrossing she hears the ralesnakes tring In ‘jar being fed with her flesh she litem to the seam between dusk and dark they ae talking. she hears their frozen thumpiags the soul encased in back ‘sidan’ smoking smoking she bends to each a feather of hersel!_ var she fills lost inthe silence ofthe empty ae taening turning at midnight taming nto a wild pig how so get back allthe feathers pot them lathe jar the ratingfall circle and back dase ides across the wightsky ‘windowless 0 moon righsky ihe Enfrentamientos con e alma ‘When fer ded, my moter pu anes over the mir soot Coacloly se had no ea wy, Rethaps + part a het ew ma mor ts 2door tough whith the oul my ar In le ie an shed ant occa” thom our fer to the pace wher thes of the dead ie “hemor ran aban syn. Nox ony does p90 dace hangs Ge tin tht sand for thes sedans na ah nine es he exe nae ‘Rid vos of vane ac wn an obiian. Sees wou {vem a mor oot they fli stance Within the Dk, Sonny suie, ey sa cous of sane wich would par © ‘eat son concerning the feo the tie andthe Wl OF oe? Sere is another quit the mor ad hat te ae of seeing Sen and being Seen, suet a objet. Uae she Ine pine down the obec of sere si I gunce can fect us nace; i esn-pomenywW can eect ‘Nutr apna he weil But oa gance aj es amare, nowicige Tree seemingly conteicory sapects—the act of ny sen, bets inched by a ince, and selng ug” eMipcence ae symbutned bythe wnderround pets of Thais, Cibuacytl ned Tasntoe! which caer im wha Site conten te Bl secreto terrible y larajadura Shame i wound fl from the inside, dividing bs borh from ouriclves and rom: one another. wm Gersen Kafnan® | was two of thee yeats of the fest tle Coailcwe vised sn psyche, the fist ime she “devoured” me (and {fell into che Iinderword) by te worried Joke on my pareats faces learned ‘ary tha something was fundamentally wrong with me. When I twas older T would 1ook into the miso, afd of mi secret ter Pte, the secret iF tied to conceal ia sea, the mark ofthe beast. {was afi ic yas i psn sight fr allo see, The secret 1a been de Coates / he Coatewe Sete tried to conceal was that 1 was not norma, that twas not ike the omers. 1 fet alien, T knew I wa allen. Twas the mutant ned out ofthe herd, something deformed with ev inside She has this ear that she his 90 names hat she thas many names tha she doesa’t know her ames She has his fear hat she's an image that comes and goes clearing and darkening. the fear that she's the dreamwort Inside someone ese’ shalt She ha this eat havi she takes off her cothes shoves her bein aie pees olf her skin tha i she drains the blood vessel" “rip the flesh fom the bone fuses out the marrow "She as this fear that when she does reach hersel turns around to embrace herself a tom's or witch's or serpents head swallow her ind grin ‘he has this fear that she digs into herself she won't fed anyone that when she gets there” she won't nd her aotches onthe wees. th birds wall have eaten all the erumbs ‘She has his fee ‘hat se won't find the way bck She fle same for Deing abnormal. The Bleeding distanced her from others. Het body had betrayed het, She could not trot het intinets, her "horses; because they stood for her core sell, her dark Indian Sel a consenta, ta ramcherita que se er somzaba de su cuerpo ied 0 0 show pain but the ids com read hes fice Her soft belly exposed to the sharp eyes of everyone; they see, they see. Ther eyes penetrate fet hey sitet fro head (0 belly Rajada. She i at theie merey, she eat do net to defend herself And she is ashamed that they sec her so exposed, ‘0 vulnerable. She has learn to push theie eyes away She has 10 tl her eyes from looking a thelr feelings feelings that can ‘atch erin thei gaze, Bind her to heen “Ob, silencio, silencio... en torma de mi cama Mu boca bien amada dulcemonte me tama” Alfonsna Stora, “Silene Interna en mi curt con mi ‘ntocada pie, en ef oscuro velo com ta noche. Embnacade en‘Pesaditas,excarbanco ef bueso de ta tormura me envejezeo, Ya ters tan bajo que me be caldo. Dias entores me la paso atran cada com candado. Bea Gloria, qué estara baciendo en su ‘cuanto con la santa y la perverea? Mosuita muterta, por Te ‘tartan quietecita? Hor que la vida me arremolina fea pa ya como befa seca, me arana y me golped, me deshuesa— Int culpa por que me desdeno. Ay mara, tan bajo que me Ie cain a Gorda ta que nts ta ae feme correrdesenfrenada, ta que ene miedo renegar al papel de vitima, Esa, a que voltea 2 cara tla pared descascarada, ‘Miro, tan bajo ques ba cal, Despleta mi encuentra la ma drugad, una desconocida aullando profectas entre centeas, Stongrando mi cara con tas wiles, excarbando la desgracta Adebajo de ni mascara Ya wes, tam bajo que me be cdo Se enmudecen mis ojo a saber (que la vida no se entrega. Mi pecado no os la vebeldia nt et Linajamienta fs que mo amé mucho, que anduce indecisa ¥ a ta pris, que tv poca Joy 0 fut dispuesta de querer se 10 (que ay Tatciond a mt cammina. Ya veras, 1an bajo que me be aldo, Aqut nomas encerrada en mi cuari, sangrandome ta ‘cara con las uta. fsa Gloria que recbaza entregarse su des tino, Quiero contenerms, no pueda y desbord, Vas a vero allo ‘que voy a Subir aut venga. ocked the door, kept the world out; Ivegetated, habernat- cd, femained In stasis, led. No telephone, no television, 20 ‘dio. Alone with the presence in the room. Who? Me, my psy he, the Shadew-Beast? During the darkside ofthe moon something inthe mor ‘catches my give, Lacem all eyes and note. Inside my sll some ings, Ivsce" my face, Gloria, the everyey face; Peet its, my childhood faces; Gaul, the face my mother and sis eran brothers Know, And there ithe black, obsidian mirror of the Nahwas is yet another fice, 1 strangers face Simultineamente me miraba la cara desde dstintos angules. Yt car, como la reabidad, tena un caracter multiple ‘The gaping mouth sit heart from mind. Between the Hw ‘yes in her head, the tongucless magical eye andthe loquackus lions eye, was la rjadura the abyss tit bridge cowl spa, Separated, they cold not vist cach other and each Was to far sway to heat what the other was saying. Silence rose like rivet fnd could not beheld hack, I flooded tnd drowned everything ‘Nopal de castilla Sey nopal do castle tke the spiackss and therfore sefenscess cactus that Mammagrande Hanons grew in back of hee shed. Thave no protection. So cultivate needles, ates xr Sharp spikes to protect mel rom others, Tere are many defense strategies that the self uses to escape the agony of inadequncy and't have wed all of thea. 1 Ive spit fom and disowned hose parts of myself that others rejected. 1 have used rage to deve others way and to lalate snyself against exposure have reciprocated with contempt for those who have roused shame in me, Ihave internalized ri and contempi, one part ofthe self ihe accusatory, pessecutOry. hide ‘mental using defense sirsteyles agsinst another part of the self he object of eontempd). As a person 1, as people, we. Chicanos, blime ourselves, hate ourselves, terrorize aurscves Most of this goes on unconsciously; we only know that we ate hurting, we suspect that there It something “wrong” with us, something fundamentally woo.” In order to eseape the thtet of shame oF ear, one takes on a compulsive, epettious activity as though to busy onesel, to Astaet nese, 0 keep awareness bay. One fiaates om dri Ing, smoking, popping pil, acquiring friend after frend who hetays: repeating, tepedting, to prevent oneself from “seeing” eld in thrallby one's obsession, by the pod or pods syn botzing that addiction, one isnot empty enough to hecome pos sessed by anything oe anyone else. One's attention cannot be Captured by something ese, one does not “sce” and awareness ‘does ok appen. One remains ignorant of the fac that one i aa, and wat itis fear that holds one petted, frozen in stone Tt we can't see the fice of fea in de miror then fear must not bere. The feelng i censored and erased before It reper in4 sual to help one ‘hn addiction (a repetitious at) is 4 si ies He repetition sfegvards the passige Scones nz ialnman, one tuto it iis sean ‘er having ted cn, we Doe "ck I a itakes possesion of ue. But we need io Be arested. Some p sperence or condi us ceed ths peed. Ts topping sa Surval metanin, u one wich must vanish when I 89 Tongcr needed if promt sto occur ena We nced Coioue to low sop 90 thatthe payee “previo expericcer and proces the changes. I we artane te than ness, forcing to ‘ot take the ne, shel ayo ow with mo “rt Come, ile ren al. Ta the wou cated y the tpt be ued bythe wept The wes cea 0 Tae ts own skin. Tome atten or hate ste ‘ch cp noth flv Santry oe cat mt propel she sul 0 doe work make oul, neesse cone Ninuneaoftself" Our pretest appointees and pai Capercnces—i we can mae meaning ou of thers «a ead foward becoming more of who we are. Or they ca femain Inenninglss The Coaticue sate can bea way sation oF Wea bea way fe "The Coatlcue State oa a9 tnd dvr a mae stray sn tag todos ts tre eter) tsar es Imonsrao que so tga a at cada tone te da ca manana, Coates rupre tn Ou cveryay Wo. A> he Tar, she open and swallows us plvegng sto te Under ‘wold where the soul side alow 0 el in ares Saat oe of pow chet that nabs or pases roy payee” For me, ta Che tee conning ca wi eal he tinergound spect ofthe payce. Caatewe the moun, the rh Meter who conceived il celestal beings out of her Cavernous womb! Goddew of bith snd death, Coatou gives ‘taker a le; he te nero eee pone Simutncous depending onthe person, she represents iualtyn fe sys of thal, a08 hed perspective something mre an sere duality os synthe of day. 1 frst sow the starve? ofthis Meindeath and destin, headless “monster godess (3s the Village Voice dubbed Ne) the Museum of Natural History in New York Ciy She bee ae head In its place evo spurt of blood gush up, transfiguring lato ‘enormous twin ratiesnakes facing each othe, which symisoice the earthbound chareter of human lle. She bas no bande Ta thet place ae two more serpents in the foun of eagle lite claws, Which are repested at her fect claws which symbolize ie cg, ing of graves into the eardh a8 well y the sky bound cae, te masculine force. Hanging ffom her neck is « necklace of open handy alternating with human heats, The hands synbohie ae ctor giving ie; the heats, the pain of Mother Eacth ging bith foallher children, as Wella the pan that humans ste teow ut life in their hand struggle for existence, The heats ass top reseat the taking of fe through strife tothe ods in exchane {or thei preservation ofthe world. In the center of the collae hangs «human skal with ving eyes in its sockets. Another wen ‘casas attached to her belt. These symbolize life and death together a pats of one proces, Coaticue depicts the contradictory. In het figure, alt the “symbols important tothe religion ana philosophy ofthe Aztecs ate Inteprited. Like Medusa, the Gorgon, she Is 4 sptobol ofthe fusion of opposites: the eagle aid the scrpeat, heaven aa the Lnderword, ie and death, mobility and inmobily, beauty sd horror ‘When pain, sfering and the advent of death become iol rable, there is Nlazolteot! hovering a the eresstoads of le oo ture person away ftom his or her seemingly appolnted destin tion and we are eld embrifadas, kept fom bor destiny cag soul arested. We ae nc living up (oot potentials and heey impeding the evolution of the soul—or worse, Coat, the Earth, opens and pangs us int ts maw, devours ws By keeling the conscious mind occupied or unmobile, the germination wore ‘ales place in the deep, disk earth ofthe unconscious Frozen in sts, she perceives 1 sight ‘movement—a thousand sihering serpent hairs, Coaticwe. tes activity (aot tmobile ‘most dynamic stage, butt san underground ‘movement requiring aller energy. I brooks a0 Imerterence fom the consclous mind.“The Coatlcue State Is A Prekude To Cross toy cagandome de miedo buscando tgares acuevados | ont want to know | don't act tobe seen. My reste, my {eta to ow some tut aout myst rigs that prays Aepresion~brigson the Gowtleuestate At fat eel exposed i opened wo te depth of my dsnalacton, Then fee mye ‘osne, hiding, holding myst together rather than allowing mrsecating, with a Headache, unwilling ‘0. communicate, frightened by siden kee, ety asta I the Mexia e- fine ts ealled gute the soul faghtened oot of the ody “The fled one is allowed to test and recuperate, to wits into {he underwort without desing condemnation Tescnd ns mit, the uerworltn he “place of be diet wallm, soking deeper and deeper When each bo tom, something forees me to post up. walk toward the mitts, Conon he ace in the mireor Bi in my heels ad eis Tow want to sce what's behind Coates eyes, he hatow Sockets 1 can't confoat her fice to face, Lest ake smal ipo ter ice tough the corners of my eyes, cp away athe ee eh the ie mask ae my own eye. They wil oa ok at ne Mir ue estoy encabronada, miro la resistencia tes tance to Knoming to feting go, o that dexp ocean where nee Talved ato death am atid of drowning, Resistance to er, Intimate touching, opening myseif tothe len cer where =m fu of consol, not on patel, The outcome on the other se known the ne fang nd the Hore planing ly over the crumbling path inning the eg of te if, plunging to ie thomnd or drop very increment of conscionstess, every step forwan 82 travesta, «crossing. am agin an alien In pew territory. And again, snl again. hut CT escape conscious awareness, escape knowing’ I won't be moving Knowledge makes me more aware, H makes me more comscous. “Kaowing” Is painful because ater i happens {can stay in dhe same place ad be Comfortable. ¥ ant no long the same person I ws before No, fan enough tht ef female—a secondiclass mem ber oft congucred people whe ae taught to believe they are inferior because they have indigenous blood, believe in the ‘supernatural ad speak a deficient language. Now she beats hee self over the head for her “nacuvtya sage that is as eceseary 25 breathing, Dut that means being Mexican. All her hfe shes been told that Mexicans are lazy. She has had to work twice at hard as others to meet she standards of the dominant culture ‘Which have, in part, become her standaeds Why does she have 10 go and try #0 ake “sense” of i all Every time she makes “sense” of something, she has to “cross ‘ver Hcking a hole ont of the old boundaries ofthe self sa aie, ping under or over, dragging the old skin slong, suanbling once 4 Ie hampers her movement in the new tcrtery, desnging the shot of the past with her teva dey birth, a Breech beth a seaming bith, one that fights her every inch ofthe way, hi only when ste ison the other side and the shell cracks ope sod the lid from her eyes is that ste sees things in eiferen go spective. Is only en that she makes the connections, ons lates the insights, 1s only then thither consclousness expands {tiny notch, another rile appears on the rtlesnake tld the ‘ued giowth slighty alters the sounds she makes. Suddenly the fepressed energy rites, makes decisions, connects with con Selous energy anda new ie begins. Is her reluctance to cross ‘over, to make a hoe in the fence and walk actus. to cos the fiver, to fake that ying leap into the dark, chat dees her to ‘scape, that fores her ino the fecund eave of ee inagnation cre she i cried in the arms of Coatcue, who will never let he go, If she doesnt change her ways, she wil main stone forever. No bay masque cambiar ‘The ove who watches, Darkness, ay night. Thete 1 dake ‘es and there darkness, Though darkness was “present before world and al things were created, itis equated with atte, the aaternal, the germinal, the potential The aan of Hght/darkness