Ix Chel Graces My Garden

Her glistening white bottom shakes and droplets of water cling to her skin. My daughter is totally in the moment – light dancing, water sprinkling, bum dancing naked in the garden mist. Ix Chel - goddess of the rainbow, is right here in my backyard, sprinkling angel prisms all over my grass.

I was first introduced to Ix Chel, the Maya Goddess of Fertility who also goes by the name "Rainbow Goddess", over five years ago on my first trip to Belize. Since then we are gradually becoming better acquainted as I dive deeper and deeper into my training in the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage™. This massage owes much to the work of Maya Shaman Don Elijio Panti, and to his apprentice Rosita Arvigo, who now carries on his tradition. Don Elijio conversed regularly with the nine Maya spirits (as does Rosita) and incorporated their guidance into his healing techniques. When I entered this professional massage training I was not sure I could relate to this aspect of the work. I spent my entire week of training in Belize last year contemplating the role of faith in our practice and in the healing process. As a long-time agnostic I just wasn’t sure it was in me to use prayer or intention in my role of helping women with their reproductive health issues. As if in answer to my contemplation, the winds whipped closed Rosita’s window shutters during the final hour of our week’s training near San Ignacio last February and moments later an incredible rainbow arched across the sky above Rosita’s home. I knew in my heart this was more than mere coincidence.

I began writing this piece during a class last week with Chris Fraser, our inspiring writing coach who prompted us to finish the sentence "I don't want to forget this...". I couldn't help but smile when I came home that night to find a picture on our breakfast bar that Mattea had drawn during Goddess Girl camp that day. At the bottom a grown-up had clearly written "Rainbow Goddess" under her dictation. Mattea smiled at me. "It's for you Mama."

It seems everywhere I look these days, rainbows are blessing my path.