Corn Woman - Goddess of Nourishment

In my book, Shamanic Drumming, I describe the shamanic journey in which I met the spirit guide who became my mentor in the ways of the spirit world. Known as Corn Woman, or Corn Mother, she is an important deity archetype in Pueblo mythology. She represents fertility, life, and the feminine aspects of this world. The importance of corn deities in Pueblo mythology reflects the importance of corn in the Pueblo diet. The ritual corn dance is performed to honor Corn Woman and pray for rain, growth, and fertility. A drummer and a chorus of chanting men support the lines of dancers who move in a continually changing zigzag pattern. The dancers make gestures to indicate their requests to Corn Woman: lowering the arms depicts the lowering clouds, moving the arms in a zigzag motion denotes lightning, lowering the palms signifies rain, and lifting the hands symbolizes the growing stalks of corn. Read more.