The Messengers of Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent
The foundation of Toltequidad is Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent. In this vision, the word Quetzalcóatl refers to the Supreme Being and represents totality. While the serpent refers to the material aspect of the Universe, the feathers represent energy or spirit. In reality, more than a god in the literal sense, the metaphor of the serpent taking flight encompasses a concept of transcendence. This is why Quetzalcóatl can be understood as the image of our potential for development as human beings, not only from a purely social standpoint but particularly in terms of spiritual transcendence.
The Toltequidad view conceives Quetzalcóatl as the creator of the world through cycles of gradual development, progressively imprinting his evolutionary intent as follows: first creating the mineral kingdom, then the plant kingdom, followed by the animal kingdom, and later the first embryonic human societies emerged, leading to the appearance of cultured human beings. At this point, the Quetzalcóatl Consciousness then incarnated in a human physical body, initiating a lineage of messengers or heralds who kept the flame of his message alive in civilization.
According to the Mayan calendar version, the present Fifth Sun began in the 32nd century BCE. It is stated that on June 16th, 3122 BCE, a being named Hunnalye, Unique Corn Seed, the first manifestation of Quetzalcóatl, was born. Since the Mayan and Olmec counts started at zero, Hunnal or Hunnalye doesn’t have an ordinal number.
First Messenger or First Step of Quetzalcóatl: Approximately one thousand years later, around the 21st century BCE, during the time when the Olmec culture began, the first representations of the Feathered Serpent and its messenger appeared in art, surrounded by glyphs identifying him as Huracán, First Step.
Second Messenger or Second Step of Quetzalcóatl: Again, approximately one millennium later, during the emergence of what would later become the great civilizations of Teotihuacan and the Maya, the Popol Vuh places the character called Cabracán, Second Step, as the next messenger of Quetzalcóatl.
Third Messenger or Third Step of Quetzalcóatl: Approximately one thousand years later, around the 1st century BCE, when Teotihuacan transformed into a cultural empire, the next messenger of Quetzalcóatl named Yekshitl, Third Step, appeared. His presence is documented due to his participation in a calendric congress held in the city of Huehuetlapallan, the date of which was recorded.
Fourth Messenger or Fourth Step of Quetzalcóatl: Again, approximately one thousand years later, a figure named Ce Ácatl Topiltzin appeared in the second half of the 10th century CE as the fourth messenger of Quetzalcóatl. His full name is Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Nakshitl Quetzalcóatl: Our Lord One Reed, Fourth Step of the Feathered Serpent.
Fifth Messenger or Fifth Step of Quetzalcóatl: As we can see, the returns of the Quetzalcóatl Consciousness, as we have witnessed, maintain a separation in time close to twenty New Fires. Each cycle of New Fire is 52 years. Therefore, 52 years multiplied by 20 New Fires gives us approximately 1040 years, the approximate time between the appearances of the messengers of Quetzalcóatl. And 100 New Fires corresponds to the complete time of the current Fifth Sun in the Mayan calendar, which spans 5125 years, starting in 3113 BCE and ending in 2012 CE, marking 1040 years since the presence of the last fourth messenger of Quetzalcóatl, Ce Ácatl Topiltzin.
This text concludes with words that reflect both the departure of Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl in the 10th century CE and his return to the world: “Behold, Our Lord returns to his origin, and we go with him, for we accompany him wherever he goes. The One who is wind and darkness departs, but he will return; he will come again to visit us and conclude his journey on Earth.” (Matritense Codex)
The Return of Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent
As we saw in the text “The Messengers of Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent,” Toltequidad conceives that the Quetzalcóatl Consciousness actually manifests in a person (or a group of people simultaneously: “Their god Quetzalcóatl went to the heavens and told them before departing that he would return again and bring his children with him.” (Tezozomoc)), thus becoming the mediator or messenger between divinity and human beings. This phenomenon is referred to by anthropologists and historians as “messianism.” And when this vision includes the prophecy of the return of this consciousness or mediator, the messianic phenomenon is called “millenarianism.”
- Therefore, the Toltequidad vision regarding the periodic appearance of the Quetzalcóatl Consciousness in a human being to keep the flame of his message alive is, in fact, a messianic-millenarian vision, as shown in the following texts:
“The day will come when he will return to know his mat and his throne again.” (Sahagún 12.9)
- In fact, Ce Ácatl Topiltzin himself promised to return to the world (or, more accurately, the Quetzalcóatl Consciousness manifested in him), as we can read in the following texts:
“Topiltzin (N)acxitl Quetzalcóatl left his people in Tollan and went by the seaside. And as he departed, he said that someday he would return to them.” (Chimalpahim, Original Revelations of Chalco Amaquemecan)
“They say that Quetzalcóatl arrived at the sea they called Tlapallan (east), and when he entered it, he was never seen again. It was said that he desired that at the moment of his departure, they would contain their sorrow and await his return. He ascended to the heavens and became the star visible before dawn.” (Vatican Codex)
“Among other doctrines he gave them, he told the people of Cholula that they should believe that in times to come, he would return to rule over and console them.” (Las Casas, The Indians of Mexico and New Spain).
3. And as for the date of Quetzalcóatl’s next return, it is recorded in both the Nahuatl and Maya versions:
The Nahuatl date was reported by Ixtlilxochitl, who claimed that Ce Ácatl promised to return “in a year that bears his name.” However, the date Uno Caña repeats every 52 years, so this promise is ambiguous. But if interpreted in the context of the Cycle of the New Fires, it makes sense because only every 1040 years does the date Ce Ácatl fall on the same astronomical day again. If we count from Topiltzin’s birth year, this count takes us to 1987 AD, the beginning of a 52-year block that extends until 2039.
On the other hand, the more precise Maya version is preserved in the following text: “The Katun Four Ahau settles in Chichén Itzá. The quetzal, the precious bird, will arrive at the golden tree. The vomit of blood will return for the fourth time. The Feathered Serpent will arrive at the Itzaes (“initiates”). It is the fourth time its cycle speaks, the fourth time it returns to the Itza.” (Chilam Balam, Second wheel of Katuns)
As we can see, it is claimed that the current manifestation is the Fifth Passage or fourth return (first return: from Huracan to Cabracan; second return: from Cabracan to Yekshitl; third return: from Yekshitl to Ce Ácatl Topiltzin; and the fourth return: from Ce Ácatl Topiltzin to Xochipilli), and it will shake and be of such a nature that it will affect everything like “a vomit of blood.”
To decipher the exact date for the fulfillment of this Maya prophecy, we must consider that Maya katuns were cycles of about twenty years arranged in packages of thirteen, generating a periodicity of 260 years, so any katun repeats in that amount of time. But if we consider the combination of this prophecy with the aforementioned Nahuatl version, we can conclude that the referred katun is the one that started on April 8, 1993, and will conclude on December 21, 2012, the end of the great cycle of the Maya calendar of 5125 years.
Brief overview of the life and work of Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl
Year One Ácatl (947 AD): Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl was born to a virgin named Chimalma, who died while giving birth to him, near the town of Amatlán (between Tepoztlán, San Juan Ocotitlán, and Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl). His adoptive father was called Mixcóatl, a famous hunter from the Anahuac Valley. From his birth, negative forces sought to kill him, but he survived all attempts.
Year One Tecpatl (960 AD): His grandparents sent him at the age of 14 to the city of Xochicalco to be trained by the priests of Quetzalcóatl, passing all the lessons and tests he received there.
Year One Calli (973 AD): When he was nearing twenty-seven years old, he went to the city of Tulancingo. He stayed there for four years in the Calmecac monastery (column of rows), where future kings received mandatory education. It was in this place where he received instruction on how to seek divinity within himself and where he was granted the investiture as a priest of Quetzalcóatl.
Year Five Calli (977 AD): At the age of thirty-one, he was sought by the Toltecs to be their king and high priest in Tula. During his reign, the kingdom enjoyed abundance, and its inhabitants were happy, unaware of poverty or sadness. And while ruling, he never abandoned his predisposition for retreat, meditation, penance, and fasting.
Year Nine Calli (981 AD): But behold, Ce Ácatl’s heart became negligent, and the people became negligent as well. The degradation of the kingdom began, and the savages from the northern populations settled nearby, introducing human sacrifices into the kingdom. Ce Ácatl tried to resist, but the advance of dark and negative energies increased, presaging the end of the Toltecs.
Year One Tochtli (986 AD): The kingdom’s main ministers conspired against Ce Ácatl to usurp his power. They held a celebration and urged him and his sister* (a priestess of Quetzalcóatl) to drink mushroom wine until they completely lost control of themselves. As a result, they were together in bed. News of the drunkenness and what Ce Ácatl had done with his sister quickly spread throughout the city, leading to the people’s rejection of their king. Consequently, Ce Ácatl was finally expelled from the kingdom to begin his exodus accompanied by a small group of close followers.
- This passage of the story requires clarification: Ce Ácatl’s supposed sister could not truly be his sister: 1. It is stated that Chimalma was a virgin when she gave birth to Ce Ácatl, and she died when the child was born. That is to say, she never had another child apart from Ce Ácatl. 2. It is stated that Mixcóatl was Ce Ácatl’s adoptive father and not his biological father. Therefore, even if Mixcóatl had a daughter, she would be Ce Ácatl’s sister-in-law and not a blood sister. The passage should be interpreted as a metaphor for the fusion of masculine and feminine polarity but distorted in intention and original purity due to the use of hallucinogenic mushroom alcohol in the midst of a complacent orgy.
Year Two Ácatl (987 AD): Ce Ácatl traveled everywhere with his original followers and others who joined along the way. He arrived in Chichén Itzá, where he was received with honors. As his fame grew over time, he also traveled to Cozumel and present-day Nicaragua. Wherever he went, he left his teachings and some of his followers to represent him and guide these peoples in the Toltec way of life.
Year Six Ácatl (991 AD): It was during this time that Ce Ácatl decided to return to the Nahuatl region. He and his followers endured great hardships on their way back because the kingdom was divided, and its inhabitants had forgotten the worship of Quetzalcóatl. However, amidst such contamination, only the city of Cholula remained pure, as the teachings of Quetzalcóatl were strong there. Ce Ácatl directed himself there. He was so well received that he decided to stay in the city. The locals built a magnificent and beautiful temple for him and also offered him some caves not far from the temple, where he took refuge with his followers. During the entire time Ce Ácatl stayed in Cholula, he dedicated himself to imparting his teachings according to the guidance of his inner spirit and what he had learned since childhood and in his travels through the southern lands.
Year One Ácatl (999 AD): Ce Ácatl lived with the Cholultecas for about ten years. However, one day, through a dream, he knew that he had to leave. He left Cholula heading towards the birthplace of the sun and settled in a plain between the sea and a very high mountain (Pico de Orizaba) with all his followers, approximately eight thousand people. He ordered the construction of a temple made of wood on the mountain while he fasted. Then, after saying goodbye to his people, he ordered them to dress him in royal insignia and entered the wooden temple, setting himself on fire. No one else did it: he raised his arms and set the entire temple ablaze at once, and he burned.
- This passage in the narrative about the ignition of Ce Ácatl alludes, from an esoteric point of view, to the so-called Tonemmiki, the activation of the internal fire, through which it is said that the physical body of the one who experiences it is transmuted into pure consciousness or pure light (Corporeal Ascension).
And the elders say that Ce Ácatl remained absent for only eight days: he spent four days in the realm of the dead and another four days in the higher realms. Then, he reappeared, and he was seen again. He spoke with many, and he told them many things. He also gathered four young Cholultecas for whom he felt a particular love, and he entrusted them to bear witness to what they had seen and heard. He also ordered them to divide the land into four parts or regions, with the city of Cholula as the fifth part and central region, as the very capital of Toltequidad.
Finally, he asked the people to gather on the seashore to receive his blessing and promise. He said to them, “Now I must depart. But do not fear, I am not leaving forever: you will eternally hear my voice, my song will always return. Do not weep for the departed prince: I have left you my face, my words, my treasures. Rejoice! The new day is approaching, the magnificent day of radiant beauty, when I must return to my face. Then you will see me! Brothers, you will understand the divine reasons; I will raise my harvest and gather what has been sown; the Evil Animal will disappear forever, and you will be able to walk in peace… Within the distance of a shout, within the distance of a day’s journey, your man, your elder brother, the one with green jades, beards, and the pilgrim’s staff, is already here. The time is approaching, the hour is coming, the humanity of the New Sun is born. Contemplate its sign now! Raise the wooden stake!” (The “árbol” or “madero” erguido signified, for the Nahua people, the axis of the world, the spinal column, and spiritual enlightenment).
Having said this, he took his serpent mantle and threw it into the water, where it remained firm like a raft. He then climbed onto it and, as he moved away, he spoke his last words and blessings to them. And the elders, those who know, say that Quetzalcóatl truly lives, that he did not die. And that once again, he will return, he will come to reign.
Teachings of Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl in the City of Cholula
During his time in Cholula, Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl shared profound teachings with the people. He spoke to them about God, saying, “God is One. Serpent with Feathers is His name. He demands nothing, He needs nothing. Offer only serpents and butterflies (body and soul) to Him.” He also told them, “Our parents and grandparents exhorted us, saying that He created and formed us. He is our lord Quetzalcóatl. He also created the heavens, the sun, and the earth. Keep this in mind.”
Ce Ácatl instructed the people on how to be Toltecs, saying, “The Toltec is wise, a light, a torch, a bright torch that doesn’t smoke. He enlightens others’ faces, gives them courage. He never rushes through things; he stops, reflects, observes.”
He spoke about the wise person, stating, “The wise person is light, a torch, a mirror with holes on both sides. He possesses both black and red ink, and he is writing and wisdom himself. He is a true guide to others, leading them through human matters with authority.”
Ce Ácatl also spoke about the false wise person, comparing them to a doctor who doesn’t know his craft or a man without sanity. He said, “They claim to know about God, to possess and guard tradition. But it is all vanity, mere pride. They complicate matters, boast and inflate themselves. They are torrents, precipices. They love darkness and corners. They are ‘wise’ in mystery, ‘sorcerers’ with secrets, ‘dreamers’ who steal from their audience, taking something that belongs to others. They are deceivers; instead of clarifying, they obscure things, make them more difficult, create hardships, and destroy. They cause those who follow them to perish with their mysteries. They bring about the end.”
Ce Ácatl emphasized the importance of charity, saying, “Love one another, help one another. Assist each other in times of need with blankets and breechcloths, jewels, wages, and food. It is not true, it is not real if you despise those around you. Give alms to the hungry, even if you have to give up your own food. Clothe those in rags, even if you yourself become naked. Help those who need you, even at the cost of your own life. Remember, they are one flesh and one humanity.”
One day, a young cholulteca approached Ce Ácatl and expressed his wavering heart when faced with the suffering and misery of humanity. Ce Ácatl responded, “Do not despair over human misery and poverty. Do not become sick or torment yourself, or let your spirit wither. Is tepidity and goodness our only fate? Be a warrior.”
“Do not let your heart falter in the face of twistedness, of that which separates us. Instead, throw yourself toward Him, the Being of the Sky, the one who gives us life. With all your strength, with all your breath, bind yourself to the divine, go to Him, throw yourself at His feet. And it will happen that He becomes the root of your being.”
“Focus on Him from where you are; bring Him closer to your face, to your heart. Find out what is required of you on this Earth. Just as when you search blindly or when you paint a book, do the same: slowly, but do it.”
“Recognize what constitutes misfortune, unhappiness, inhumanity, and loss. Even if you don’t live that way, move forward with your inner peace and prudence, without hesitation, so that your heart does not sorrow. Live wholeheartedly, serenely.”
Once, there was a discussion among some individuals about what happens to a person when the hour of their death arrives. Unable to agree, they turned to Ce Ácatl for guidance. He said to them, “Do not deceive yourselves. The dead do not die; they awaken. Those of us who live here do not truly live; we dream. To die is to become a god, a sun, a moon, a star, wind, sea, earth. Understand this: the dead awaken from the dream of this life. Whether they were wise, noble, or slaves, all go to the Region of Mystery.”
This is how Ce Ácatl taught the cholultecas. His followers learned and became Toltecs. They were meticulous in matters divine. They worshipped only one God: the one and only God whom they invoked and supplicated, whose name was Serpent with Feathers. They did everything Ce Ácatl instructed them to do without fail or omission. His disciples believed and thus became wise, rich in love, and truly happy.
The Three Commandments Given by Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl to the Cholultecas
The three commandments that Ce Ácatl gave to the Cholultecas before definitively leaving Cholula, after having self-incinerated and reappeared eight days later to give his final instructions, are as follows:
He said to them: “I desire to entrust you with only three commandments. The first one is to seek with longing to befriend the One who is everywhere, in all bodies and at every moment, for He is night and wind, the Lord of intimate proximity. In this endeavor, be careful not to become proud, desperate, or cowardly, but rather be humble of heart, placing all your hope in Ometeotl and daring to uphold His prescriptions.
The second thing you must remember is to have peace with all people; do not harm anyone, respect everyone. Under no circumstances should you shame another person. Remain calm, let them say whatever they want about you. Stay silent even if you are attacked and do not respond. In this way, you will demonstrate your true masculinity and nobility, and everyone will know that you are worthy representatives of mine, if you actively train yourselves in the exercise of peace.
And the third thing I ask of you is not to waste the time that Ometéotl has given you in this world. Engage in what is good day and night, do not disregard time. For you do not know if you will live again, if you will recognize your face there, where in some way existence continues. Make the most of your life.
This is enough, for it was my mission. Do from now on what seems right to you. Every person who adheres to their own good will attain excellence for themselves and conquer life.”
Farewell Speech by Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl before Departing Definitively
Finally, Ce Ácatl asked the people to gather on the seashore to give them his blessing and promise: “Listen to me, brothers: I, Quetzalcóatl, feather dyed with snake’s blood, have been reborn. In the battle, I made myself, thus becoming my own father. I have come to understand the cycles of destiny, there, where the waters expand and time stands still. I only came to prepare a path.
Now I must depart. But do not fear, I am not leaving forever. You will eternally hear my voice; my song will always return. Do not weep for the departed prince, for I have left you my face, my words, my treasures. Rejoice!
A new day is approaching, a magnificent day of radiant beauty, when I shall return to my face. Then you will see me! Brothers, you will understand the divine reasons; I will gather my harvest and reap what has been sown; the Evil Beast will disappear forever, and you will be able to walk in peace.
The golden gates will open, and you will unite the peoples of the Earth in marriage at the Temple (or House) of the Four Directions, where you will be asked not to remove your shoes. The sign of unity will manifest in an Upright Tree*. The world will witness it when it happens; it will be the dawn of Ometéotl.
The power of goodness comes to you to revitalize you, to eradicate all fear from the world. The power of unity, the power of the heart of the sky. Those who receive us do not receive anyone but their own being. Devote yourselves to truth, believe in its power! Illuminate the light in your hearts, oh brothers! The world will dawn for those who understand.
At the distance of a shout, at the distance of a day’s journey, your man, your elder brother, the one with green jades, the one with a beard and a pilgrim’s staff, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the one who becomes the abode of light (Lord of the House of Dawn), is coming. The time is near, the hour is coming, the Humanity of the New Sun is born. Witness its sign now! Raise the upright log!*”
- The “upright tree,” “upright log,” or “tree of origin” signified for the Nahuatl people the axis of the world, the spinal column, and spiritual enlightenment.”
Having said this, he took his mantle of snakes and threw it into the water, which remained firm as a raft. He then boarded it and drifted away from the shore, while blessing the people, saying, “May the inventor of man, the knower of man, look upon all of you with love! May you be happy and fulfill everything I have given you to eat from my lips and my mouth! May the earth remain, may the mountains stand! May the roasted corn flowers, the fragrant cocoa flowers, spread throughout the world! May the earth remain!” And so, the raft of snakes drifted away over the waters of the sea, heading toward the eastern horizon. And the elders say that he entered the heavens. This happened in the year Ce Ácatl, the year of his birth. And the elders, those who know, say that Quetzalcóatl truly lives, that he did not die. And that once again he will return, he will come to reign.
The message of the Fifth Step of the Feathered Serpent can be summarized in three points:
- The major spiritual traditions of the world share and provide the necessary knowledge to achieve conscious union between human beings and divinity. Therefore, it is completely wrong for humans to rival one another based on their various religious belief systems. On the contrary, it is correct, having understood this, for humanity as a whole to unite in one body, one mind, and one heart, in order to collectively advance toward its own awakening and spiritual ascension, and ultimately toward the remembrance of its divine origin.
- The upcoming sixth sun will not be a creative experience in an exclusively material region of existence, as the fifth sun, which is now coming to an end, was. Rather, the sixth sun will finally be a creative experience in an ascended spiritual realm of being.
- In order to “ride the wave” of the sixth sun, the candidate must become a Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, one who becomes the abode of light (Lord of the House of Dawn). That is to say, one in whom the light dwells. This is achieved by ascending the sacred fire from the base of the candidate’s trunk to their crown, and, on the other hand, by descending the divine light from above and outside the head, allowing it to penetrate the candidate and take residence within them. By accomplishing this, the candidate progresses on the Spiritual Path and achieves the two indispensable objectives for actively participating in the sixth sun: creating their light body and awakening their spiritual consciousness.
The Return of Quetzalcóatl and the Humanity of the New Sun
“Forever, my voice will be heard proclaiming the word of truth!” (Chilam Balam, Jaculatories)
“The time has come, the hour has arrived, the Humanity of the New Sun is born.
Behold its sign now! The world will dawn for those who understand.”
(Chilam Balam, “Book of the Priest-Interpreter,” Maya sacred text)
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