From the Washington Post:
With United Nations climate negotiators facing an uphill battle to advance their goal of reducing emissions linked to global warming, it's no surprise that the woman steering the talks appealed to a Mayan goddess Monday.Ethnomusicologists have recovered ancient sounds of worship:
Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, invoked the ancient jaguar goddess Ixchel in her opening statement to delegates gathered in Cancun, Mexico, noting that Ixchel was not only goddess of the moon, but also "the goddess of reason, creativity and weaving. May she inspire you -- because today, you are gathered in Cancun to weave together the elements of a solid response to climate change, using both reason and creativity as your tools."
She called for "a balanced outcome" which would marry financial and emissions commitments from industrialized countries aimed at combating climate change with "the understanding of fairness that will guide long-term mitigation efforts."...MORE
...Ix Chel (pronounced e'shell and meaning “She of the Rainbows”), is the Moon Goddess of water, weaving, crafts, magic, medicine, health and healing, sexuality, and childbirth. She is revered by the Mayan Indian civilization of the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and Guatemala. Worshipped as an ancient fertility goddess, Ix-Chel was responsible for sending rain to nourish the crops. When fulfilling that function she was called “Lady Rainbow”....SOURCE
