Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – My dream just came true when our sweet Shamen/Mexicas Itzcax and Mayahuel fully welcomed me into their magnificent Atzinyolohtli Dance group, through a ceremony where they gave me the Aztec/Nahua name Chantiko. Mayahuel said it basically means one who unites the loving warmth of Heaven with Earth, which you’ll see this ceremony exquisitely did.
My neighbor Raul Romero helped make that magical dream happen through hosting us with Rosio, a friend of his and Xiuhatzin, overlooking our stunning Banderas Bay at his eagles’ nest perched atop the high mountain next to La Cruz (the Cross). Raul’s family also owns La Capella, my favorite restaurant with angelic Art and violins. It felt that sharing this story could help both cultures better understand and appreciate each other.
After a touching series of traditional dances and offerings, Mayahuel had us all shout “Chantiko” in all directions, to be carried on the winds – very empowering! At sunset Itzcax yelled and pointed to a cloud formation in the shape of an eagle, which I didn’t see at first because I was looking for a real eagle among the birds happily encircling us, not understanding fast Spanish.
Mayahuel later described it: “As the dancers said goodbye with songs at sunset, we discovered in the solar trail, a great bird in flight, formed by clouds, as a great gift from our grandparents. That allowed us to realize that the work carried out was from the heart and to their liking.”
That was likely inspired by our giving gratitude to the full magnificence there of Mother Ocean and Mother Earth. Plus to Her Nature spirits on high mountains who direct the winds and our critical rain and snow clouds. Especially for their “historic fire dousing rains and snows” in the U.S. and around the world that our Aztec group compassionately danced for in solidarity. In turn, according to the law of the circle/karma, Vallarta’s weather was also balanced and they got needed rains while other parts of Mexico suffered droughts. So this ceremony also blessed Raul’s home. I also thanked Creator for helping Peace, Equality, Justice and Joy win in Ukraine and globally.
Mayahuel declared that I deserved to be so named since I’ve participated in PV’s bi-weekly dance practices, (at Parque Hidalgo and the Sports Stadium), for over 10 years. All while running the Native American Olympic Team Foundation, co-founded with the Utes, using my Olympic Downhill racing and Freestyle fame for the last 25 years to inspire ski areas to invite over 20,000 tribal youth in the U.S. and Canada to joyfully ski and snowboard down their beloved ancestral mountains. These outreaches that help their youth rise and shine again, inspire the Elders to lead snowdances that have been inspiring snowblessings that the press has proved have ended droughts and fires for 60 years.
Mayahuel brilliantly explained some more highlights of my Chantiko Naming Ceremony:
In the year Chiknawi Calli, of the trecena Izcalli, the day Chiknawi Akatl at 5 pm, the Atzinyolohtli dance group met at Raúl Romero’s eagles nest/Nido de Águilas. The dancers included: Itzcax, Mayahuel Ilammazatl, Xiuhatzin, Zitlalpopoka, Ehekatzin, Huitzin, Zitlaltezcatl, Guille, Mwieri, Paco, Huitzilin, and Don Rodo, who captured the memory of the group on his cell.
We created an altar/tlalmanalli and smoked the place and each other with coppal to purify any dark energies (like 3 Wise Men did for Jesus with Franensese and Myrrh) while Suzy was in Raul’s sky garden sheltered by a huge tree, meditating on the Aztec name she was about to receive.
The dance opened honoring the 4 Directions, the sky spirits and Mother Earth. Itzcax carried the fire and Xiuhatzin carried the wind through blowing the first conch horn, then joined by Paco and Huitzilin. Ehekatzin carried the water of Mother Earth, Zitlalpopoka carried the tobacco and Huitzin beat the drums to call in our spirit helpers. Itzcax gave the Dance guide stick to lead the dances to Zitlalpopoka, Suzy’s dear friend, to coincidentally also honor his birthday. (He brought her food for 3 months when she had a hip replacement).
The guide stick adorned with ribbons chose Guille to lead the first dance, to the Deer, to receive all the strength and grace of the Spirit of the deer on the mountain. To a drumbeat/Huehue, the dancers moved like a snake looking for Suzy in Raul’s garden with the fire and horns opening the way. Ixcax then smudged/smoked her with Copal to clear any dark spirits and led her back to the circle and seated her in the center of the altar/tlalmanalli adorned with Suzy’s favorite stargazing lilies.
The second dance was performed by Xiuhatzin for Mother Earth to thank and receive Nonantzin Tlalli’s/Her unconditional love.
Next we delivered to Suzy the elements: First the fire, where Itzcax put 2 coals and ocote/wood in her new incense burner and mentioned this traditional passing of the sacred fires from bearer to bearer. The water of life was shared by Ehekatzin. The wind was shared by Xiuhatzin by blowing the conch with Suzy, ending with Zitlaltezcatl giving Suzy Mother Earth’s medicinal plants and Zitlalpopoka giving her tobacco to help bring the prayers to the heaven. Each of these dancers talked about the importance of establishing a link with the 4 elements we are made of. Later, Guille gave Suzy a small clay pot representing the importance of kitchen utensils, and knowing how to use fire to heat the home and feed loved ones.
I, Mayahuel gave her a shell representing femininity so Suzy can be of divine service to ALL Life Forms with her new name, plus a turquoise stone representing the celestial heat and the essence of Mother Earth, the rivers and the sea.
The third dance was performed by Zitlalpopoka and Mayahuel, for the essence and strength of Mother Earth, leading to Xiuhatzin crowning Suzy with her stunning headdress/copilli adorned with Macaw and Pheasant feathers, Xiuhatzin graciously designed. She also received from Mwieri and Zitlaltezcatl the 5 flavors of life from Mother Earth: salt, a green pepper, Neem, honey, and a lime, to recognize that they must always be savored also as medicinals. It included a sprig of Romero/Rosemary, a super purifying herb, which Raul explained that Greeks and Romans used to also enhance harmony.
They also gave her a spring water with 10% of the purest Bay water used to restore the sick, like New Zealanders, the greenest country thanks to their government listening to their Maori, who also guide Stanford’s Woods Institute on the environment.
A 20-year-old Aztec in Colorado, Xiutezcatl Martinez, has also done wonders to restore the U.S. and world’s environment, why he was given President Obama’s highest award, through helping unite and train world’s youth through his Earthguardians.org. I already felt a little part of the Aztec family since Xiuhtezcatl asked me at 12 to be his godmother after first holding world leaders accountable at RIO’s Earth Summit. To further empower him, I taught him and his family my secret to joyfully skiing down his Rocky mountains with elegant balance – using the eagle’s wings as a model.
Back to the ceremony, after helping Suzy to stand up, Itzcax doused Suzy with sea water with his feathers, touching each of key points of human beings: the head, eyes, mouth, heart, liver, hands, feet and the joints so that from now on, Suzy’s life will be strengthened in each of these points, and enjoy her full potential with her new name.
At sunset, I had Suzy shout her new Aztec name, Chantiko, 7 times in each of the four directions and the universe, Mother Earth and our hollow Earth. Then the entire group shouted Chantiko so that it could be heard everywhere. From that moment on, Chantiko was born, bringing the warm and loving essence springing from the heat of Mother Earth together with heaven, and her temple.
That is when we saw the amazing eagle formation for which we cheered in delight and gratitude. Chantiko then performed her first dance, the Water Dance with Xiuhatzin’s support, in appreciation for all Madre Tierra’s/MotherEarth’s compassionate rain and snowblessings here and worldwide. If done every day like all our ancestors, we can prevent these horrific wildfires and instead bring in a breathtaking New Dawn.
At the end, Chantiko received many gifts from the dancers, and said goodbye to Suzy as she started a new stage in her life as Chantiko, steeped in even more tradition and deep ties with the celestial heart of Mother Earth to continue to grow spiritually.
Suzy/Chantiko: I appreciate how Mayahuel helped me and all Gringos better understand all the touching nuances that Alex/Citlatilpocoa who lived in California, graciously helped translate during the ceremony.
After all those heart swelling, empowering gestures, we enjoyed a little feast, befitting the Aztec and most Indigenous traditions. Raul and his beautiful wife Irma squeezed a delicious tangerine agua/juice and many of the dancers brought some of their favorite Mexican foods they lovingly prepared. And I, Chantiko, brought some roasted Chicken and Cacoa Flan a la Costco.
Mayahuel, a psychologist, kindly didn’t mention I flunked my sacred conch moment. After three weeks of practicing I’m still erratic, so the others blowing at the same time, covered me. Yet years ago I quickly learned to play the sacred Aborigine Didgeridoo, and the flute. I had the honor of playing a solo at a tennis benefit on TV with my two rock heroes, Joe Cocker and Santana, a sweet favorite son of Jalisco. (On NAOTF.org “video” below my ski ballets I helped invent, which is like embracing the mountains, after the Olympics.)
For me, Aztec dancing is healing Mother Earth while getting a multi-faceted workout (so I can still ski dance at Sun Valley at our Hall of Fame reunion later this month).
Having served as a bridge between the cultures in the U.S., and even worldwide thanks to 60 million BBC radio listeners hungry to learn more about the snow and raindances of the Indigenous of the Americas, (and worldwide) who prevented fires for eons, and the U.S. ski areas have helped spread. That’s why the UN and Stanford’s Nobel Prize winner Dr Stephen Schneider urged ALL the world ski areas to follow to inspire “enough deep snowpack across the world Mt chains to prevent years of droughts,” say hydrologists.
I also hope this brings even more understanding and appreciation between the warm Mexicans and 10,000 U.S. and Canadian Gringos of our paradisiacal Vallarta where so many greet each other with an “Hola” or Buenos dias/Good day, and a smile.
Many of both cultures do a double take or give me a thumbs up when they see a blond dancing with the Aztecs, especially at the Solstice and Equinox ceremonies on the beach next to Los Muertos Pier and “Cuates and Cuetas Restaurant.” We usually give out flowers to the throngs of watchers and invite them to join us in giving gratitude to Mother Earth and our loved ones, as we fling them into Mother Ocean as the sun dips into our beautiful Bay. Together we’re happily helping heal Her Body, Her Waters, Her Climate and ourselves, as we are ONE.
Raul and I first met several months ago when I was climbing his mountain with his spectacular views, which my wonderful Aztec friends got to delight in, too. I learned he was from one of the first families of Vallarta and is spiritual and wanted to connect with his remote Aztec roots. He said he always wanted a ceremony like this in gratitude for his casa still standing and family who climbed the mount like Olympians for years until he installed a funicular.
Raul was intrigued learning that he also survived the 250 mph Hurricane Patricia, the world’s fiercest, thanks to the united prayers of locals and compressed prayer power in batteries that can be sent anywhere in the world, thanks to British American astrophysicist, Sir George King, head of the Aetherius Society. Thank God, my dear gifted chief advisor, Olivia Ellis PhD, (Czech-Cherokee) was his student.
As we boarded his funicular to descend from a little bit of heaven on earth, we all hugged each other with such warmth. Like me, Raul looked euphoric also getting his dream on his windy mount, where some dancers had to give up wearing their most majestic headdresses, so they wouldn’t still be soaring like eagles up there!
Suzy Chaffee, a former Olympic skier who helped invent dancing down mountains, has turned activist, journalist, filmmaker, and has worked with seven U.S. Presidents. She is now co-chairman of a non-profit partnership of the Elders of the Americas and Olympians, called the Native American Olympic Team Foundation, which aims to heal Mother Earth for all our children through joyful sports and education. For more information, contact Suzy at suzynativevoices(at)aol.com, or visit Snow-Riders.org or NAOTF.org.
