The God’s eye is a spiritual and symbolic craft made by weaving yarn or string around a simple frame of crossed sticks. While the origins of this traditional handicraft are uncertain, the God’s eye holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning for several Indigenous cultures in Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
Origins and History
The Nahuatl name for the God’s eye craft is ojo de dios, which translates to “eye of god” in English. The God’s eye is particularly associated with the Huichol people, an Indigenous group from the Sierra Madre Occidental region of western Mexico. However, similar versions of the God’s eye craft have also been made by other Indigenous tribes including the Anasazi, Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo peoples.
For the Huichol people, the God’s eye carries spiritual meaning and is used in sacred rituals. The crossed sticks are said to represent the fire of life while the woven threads symbolize the paths of life. The four points on the God’s eye are thought to signify the four cardinal directions. The Huichol believe the God’s eyes act as a pathway for prayers to reach the gods.
According to Huichol mythology, a central creator god named Tatewari taught the Huichol ancestors how to make God’s eyes. The Huichol use these crafts to represent visions seen by shamans during spiritual ceremonies. The God’s eyes are offered to the gods at huiricutis (sacred sites) and kept in homes to maintain a connection with the deities. They are commonly made using colorful yarn, feathers, beads, seeds, and other natural materials.
Historians trace the possible roots of the God’s eye back to Pre-Columbian cultures in Mexico. Simple crosses with woven fibers have been found in Anasazi ruins dating back to 700-1500 CE. Early Spanish accounts also described Indigenous Mexican tribes using crosses with woven strings in spiritual rituals. However, the origins remain uncertain and the God’s eye may have independently developed among several different tribes.
While the God’s eye has an extensive history among Indigenous tribes, it did not become widely popular in the mainstream crafting world until the 1960s and 1970s. A reference to a woven “God’s eye” first appeared in 1968 in Craft Horizons magazine. The craft gained popularity through the hippie and folk art movements of that era.
Symbolism and Meaning
For the Huichol and other Indigenous peoples, the God’s eye holds deep spiritual symbolism and meaning:
- The crossed sticks represent the basic elements of fire, air, water and earth
- The woven threads symbolize the paths of life and prayers
- The central point focuses energy and intention
- The four points signify the sacred cardinal directions
- The weaving technique creates balance through symmetry
- Vibrant colors and natural materials reflect offerings to the gods
Beyond Indigenous cultures, the God’s eye craft has taken on additional meaning:
- The radial symmetry represents the cosmos and interconnectedness
- The basic frame reflects the dualities and cycles of life
- The process of weaving embodies spiritual focus, creating order from chaos
- The final craft embodies personal intentions, meditations, or prayers
The God’s eye continues to fascinate craft lovers and spiritual seekers. Creating these weavings can be a meditative process to find balance, focus, and connection. They make meaningful gifts and altar tools representing nature, harmony, spirituality, and personal growth.
How to Make a Traditional God’s Eye
While new variations have emerged, the traditional Indigenous God’s eye is made with simply two crossed sticks and colorful woven yarn, thread, or string. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Find two sturdy sticks or branches of equal length. Pine, bamboo, or grapevine works well. Cut or break to 12-18 inch lengths.
- Cross the sticks at their midpoints and tie together securely with yarn or string to form a “+” shape. This is the God’s eye frame.
- Choose your weaving material such as colored yarn, embroidery floss, twine, hemp cord, or cotton string. Cut into 3-4 yard lengths.
- Anchor the end of your weaving material by tying a simple overhand knot around one stick near the cross point. Leave a 6 inch tail.
- Begin weaving by going over the first stick, under the next, over, under, rotating around the frame. Work in a clockwise or counterclockwise spiral.
- As you weave each round, pull gently to snug up against the previous round. Continue weaving until you fill up the frame, or for as many rounds as desired.
- To finish, tuck the end of the weaving material into the web on the back and trim any excess. Add beads, feathers, or other embellishments if desired.
Simple variations can include using more than 2 sticks, uneven stick lengths, different tying techniques, or incorporating beads and charms into the weaving. Try with different colors and textures for unique God’s eye designs.
Modern God’s Eye Crafts
While traditional Huichol God’s eyes are made by hand using natural materials and no loom or frame, many modern interpretations have emerged using new materials and techniques like:
- Plastic lacing or embroidery hoops as a sturdier frame
- Wrapping the sticks with yarn prior to weaving
- Using cardboard, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, or twigs instead of branches
- Incorporating beads, buttons, feathers, and other embellishments
- Weaving on a cardboard loom or plate in a circular pattern
- Freeform crochet God’s eyes made into wall hangings or jewelry
- God’s eyes made from upcycled t-shirts or fabric strips
Modern God’s eyes may also use acrylic yarn or other synthetic fibers instead of natural materials. While moving away from the spiritual roots, these creative variations allow more people to enjoy creating God’s eye crafts.
Common Modern God’s Eye Techniques
Some popular modern techniques for making God’s eyes include:
Plastic Lacing Frame
Plastic lacing frames or embroidery hoops provide a sturdier base for weaving than simple crossed sticks. The circular shape also allows for continuous weaving in spirals.
Loom Weaving
God’s eyes can be woven on circular cardboard looms or plates. Different colored yarn is woven in and out of holes punched around the edge. A freeform design is created working from the center outwards.
Crochet
Yarn is crocheted in rounds from the center out to create a sculptural wall hanging God’s eye without any frame or loom. Advanced patterns can create 3D shaped God’s eyes.
How to Start Weaving God’s Eyes
Here are some tips for beginners wanting to start weaving their own God’s eyes:
- Look for a simple written or video tutorial to follow the basic techniques.
- Start with cheaper yarn like acrylic to practice before using nicer natural yarns.
- Allow extra length for yarn ends rather than cutting lengths ahead of time.
- Use a lacing frame or hoop if you don’t want to deal with sticks.
- Focus on consistency in your over-under weaving pattern.
- Don’t pull yarn too tight. Leave some slack for adjusting as you weave.
- Try different colors and textures to see what you enjoy working with.
- Start small with 4-8 inch frames. Larger ones take much more time to fill.
Weaving God’s eyes takes patience and persistence, but this meditative process brings a sense of calm, mindfulness, and satisfaction with the finished creation.
Conclusion
The God’s eye has origins as a sacred craft used for spiritual rituals and offerings among the Huichol and other Indigenous peoples of Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Traditional God’s eyes are simple weavings made on a crossed stick frame using natural fibers like yarn, string, twine, or cord. The radial symmetry and process of weaving has deeper cultural symbolism representing the elements, the cosmos, prayers, and intentions.
While the traditional meaning and purpose remains specific to Indigenous cultures, the God’s eye craft has also become appreciated in the mainstream through the folk art movement. Its popularity endures due to the meditative practice of weaving and the charming aesthetic of the finished product. New generations continue to innovate on the traditional God’s eye with new materials and techniques, keeping this ancient craft alive.