Find Your Spirit Guide
Alebrijes are colorful mythological creatures that capture the essence of a personality and the forthcoming soul rooted in Aztec folklore.
Spirit Guide Names and Meanings
Essentially, the Alebrijes are spirit guides stemming from the 20-day cycle of the Aztec calendar. Strongly connected with nature, the Aztec people conceived these symbolic creatures by mixing two living animals with anthropomorphic characteristics. The jaguar, eagle, and serpent are the three animals representing power. The possum, chameleon, and iguana were known for their learning characteristics. The butterfly, rabbit, and deer showed movement. One would follow the advice of the dog, frog, or hummingbird. The owl was the healer, and so on. Their role was to link the spirits and the real world and guide a person through their lives. Spiritual guides, reminders of your place in the world, and society, holders of the torch; they are meant to lead you in your path and help you become who you are supposed to be. They connect with our deepest true selves and our shared imaginary realm.
Tangible Recreations
Modern materials and design techniques, like covering the wooden or papier-maché sculptures with layers of patterns and motifs borrowed from the Aztec era, have made the most complex iterations of these fantastic creatures astonishing. Still colored with the traditional natural pigments –like it was done hundreds of years ago– to emphasize the connection with nature, each unique color connects to a feeling about the world. For example, yellow refers to legend or the village, black refers to the underworld, and red indicates power.
The small Alebrijes sculptures are still made from the Copal tree, considered sacred by the Aztecs because it was widely used in ritual offerings and ceremonies. The white smoke produced by burning copal resin was associated with good spirits and benevolent Gods. This tradition echoes contemporary artists and their actions to preserve and manage the country's natural resources.
How Can I Find My Alebrije Spirit Guide?
Where does your Alebrije come from? With a complicated calculation method the Aztecs perfected over hundreds of years combined with today's technology, we can now provide an accurate and personal result. Whether it is in our souls or in an Oaxacan store display, Alebrijes are alive, anchoring the most profound and mysterious part of the wise Aztec culture in our present.
Beyond folklore, the Alebrijes now connect the Oaxacan (and Mexican) people with their cultural heritage. To paraphrase Rick Lopez in his essay "The Noche Mexicana and Popular Arts": To hold a piece of Mexican popular art in one's hand is to hold something larger than a mere object. You are holding Mexico in all its diversity, rich past, complex present, and ever-evolving future.
Curious to know what your Alebrije is? Click here to find your spirit guide.