TONANTZIN: Baptized Paganism

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;... 2 Cor. 6:17

"Catholicism in Mexico features the “Virgin of Guadalupe” who is a

thinly disguised goddess Tonantzin, long worshiped by the native Aztec/Mexica before the arrival of Cortez and his conquistadors. 

 

"TONANTZIN", in the "Náhuatl" language, means our mother, and it is the name we give to the loving archetype of Mother Earth.

According to tradition, the Virgin appeared to a Nahua man named

Juan Diego in December 1531 on Tepeyac Hill, north of Mexico City, where there was a shrine dedicated to the female Aztec earth deity Tonantzin. 

 

To this day, in Nahuatl-speaking communities (in other communities as well), the Virgin continues to be called “Tonantzin” and her appearance is commemorated on December 12 each year.

 

It is not known precisely how the pre-Hispanic deity Tonantzin

became connected to the Christian Virgin of Guadalupe, however, we can assume that many people of the time believed that her appearance represented a return of the Aztec mother deity. There are many myths surrounding the Virgin of Guadalupe but she has been recognized by the Catholic church as a manifestation of the Virgin Mary. 

 

In conclusion, in the minds of many people living within and outside of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe and the ancient Tonantzin are one and the same."

David Read-F7/AztecsMexicolore/PBS