On the Spring Equinox

Both the Aztec Nemontemi and the Andean Mushuk Nina are rooted in indigenous Mesoamerican and Andean cosmologies, and they reflect similar cyclical understandings of time, renewal, and the transition between seasons — particularly around the Spring Equinox.

Sacred Transitional Periods

• Nemontemi: In the Aztec calendar, the Nemontemi are the five "empty days" at the end of the 360-day solar year (made up of 18 months of 20 days each). These are considered a liminal or transitional period where time itself is unstable, and people engage in fasting, meditation, and ceremonies to cleanse themselves and prepare for the new year.

• Mushuk Nina: In the Andean tradition, Mushuk Nina (meaning "new fire") is the celebration of the Andean New Year, which aligns with the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere (around September). It represents a period of renewal and rebirth, where fire ceremonies are held to purify and start a new cycle of agricultural and spiritual life.

  
  

Spiritual and Cosmological Cleansing 

• During the Nemontemi, the Mexica doing anything that could invite bad luck or disrupt cosmic order. People remain indoors, abstain from work, and engage in reflective and purification practices.

• Mushuk Nina also involves spiritual cleansing through fire. Communities gather to burn offerings, symbolizing the shedding of the old and the welcoming of new life, particularly tied to the agricultural cycle.

  
  

Agricultural and Cosmic Rebirth

• The end of Nemontemi is seen as a moment where the gods "restart" time, ensuring the continuation of cosmic order and agricultural fertility. 

• Mushuk Nina marks the beginning of the planting season in the Andes, reinforcing the connection between cosmic balance and agricultural prosperity.

 Fire and Light as Catalysts for Renewal

• Both traditions involve fire as a central element. The Aztecs would ceremonially light fires to mark the completion of the calendar cycle (especially during the New Fire Ceremony every 52 years).

• The Mushuk Nina ceremony also centers on fire, where people symbolically light new fires to purify and energize the land and their lives for the coming year.

Human Relationship with Nature and the Cosmos

• Both the Nemontemi and Mushuk Nina reflect indigenous worldviews where human existence is intricately tied to cosmic cycles and natural patterns. The equinox, as a moment of balance between light and darkness, symbolizes a moment of recalibration spiritually, agriculturally, and communally.

• In essence, both ceremonies reflect a deep understanding of cyclical time, the importance of renewal, and the human role in maintaining harmony with nature and the cosmos. The parallelisms underscore how our ancestral cultures aligned their spiritual and agricultural practices with celestial rhythms.