Copal incensePaperMarigold flowersFood for the deadPulqueMaize
Invocation Approach
Tone
Dark guardian
Address
MictecacihuatlLady of the DeadQueen of Mictlan
Relationship
The queen who keeps the bones and guards those who died
Warning
She is not punishing she is keeping
Resonance
The bereaved those who keep the day of the dead
Symbols
SkullMarigoldOwlBone
Mythology Summary
Mictecacihuatl is the Aztec queen of Mictlan, the underworld, who guards the bones of the dead and presides over the festival that becomes the Day of the Dead. She died as a child in one telling and grew into the queen of the dead, which is a story about death as a place rather than a punishment.
Modern Practice
Mictecacihuatl is honoured at the Day of the Dead with marigolds, food and an altar for the named dead. Her practice is the remembering done properly.