Xochipilli: The Queer, Psychedelic Soul of the Aztecverse | Cesar Torres
The Prince in the House
The Prince is the soul of the emergence. This section is a living documentation of Xochipilli—the Aztec god of flowers, ecstasy, and queer transformation—as he manifests within the world of Our Lord of the Flowers.
I. A Queer & Indigenous Legacy
Xochipilli stands as a profound icon of queer and non-binary experience within the Aztec pantheon. Scholars like Pete Sigal (The Flower and the Scorpion) have highlighted how Xochipilli’s domain over pleasure and "flowery" speech transcended traditional gender binaries. For me, born in Tlatelolco, CDMX, this is a homecoming. I am not just studying a myth; I am communicating with my ancestors to bring a Mexican Queer Identity into the English-speaking literary world.
II. The Body as Canvas: From Spandex to Silk
My work has always used the human body to explore the sacred. While my previous series, HTKS, used spandex as an allegory for the ritual dressing of Tezcatlipoca, Our Lord of the Flowers moves into more intimate territory. Here, pantyhose and lingerie become the flower petals—the "second skin" that must unfurl to reveal the true nature of the human being. Through the lens of fetish and non-binary experience, we explore the shedding of shame to find the divine bloom underneath.
III. The Entheogen Experience & 2026 Gallery
Xochipilli is the master of sacred psychedelics. His 16th-century statue is carved with the images of psychoactive plants: Poyomatli, Tobacco, and Sinicuichi. In this novel, these substances are a literal plot point—a gateway to the "Nexus." This reflects my own journey with entheogens, which have served as tools to shed attachments to the things that do not matter, allowing the soul to witness its own flowering.