Cosmology

There are several key features that all, if not nearly all, Mesoamerican cultures have in common with each other. They tend to hold that:

• We live in a quadripartite universe. The cosmos can be divided up into four primary directions based on the movements of the sun, oftentimes with a central point that is sometimes thought of as a fifth "direction". Each of these directional systems corresponds to our East, West, North, and South, and bears specific colors, characteristics, and spirit agencies.
• There is a sacred count of 240 days. This day count determines the influence of various gods and their energies on any given day, and can be thought of as a form of astrology. People born or named, endeavors undertaken, or things built, are timed in accordance with the most auspicious conjunctions of these patterns, especially as they overlap with the 365-day calendar.
• The gods created the world with acts of sacrifice, therefore as humans we owe them sacrifices of our own to give thanks, maintain cosmic order, and win the favor of various spirits and divinities.
• The earth was created from the body a primordial monster. Usually, this monster is reptilian in nature, and is a great being from a previous age.
• The world was create multiple times. Most mythologies speak of these previous eras in terms of which divinities fulfilled the role of primary solar god. They were often very different from our current era, or "sun".
• Every person has a spirit double, or alter-ego, born the moment we are born. Shamans and sorcerers are said to be able to transform into or otherwise utilize their spirit doubles to various ends.
• There is an axis mundi bridging the worlds. Most times this sacred structure is in the form of a tree, but sometimes it can be a maize plant, or a mountain.

The Mexica