Tlazōlteōtl: The Aztec “Filth Eater” and the Sacred Power of Spiritual Cleansing

Among the deities of the Mexica (Aztec) pantheon, few are as misunderstood, and as powerful, as Tlazōlteōtl.

Often translated as the “Filth Eater,” her name can sound jarring at first encounter. But like many aspects of Mesoamerican spirituality, the meaning is layered, symbolic, and deeply tied to the realities of human experience.