If you are looking for the Ojo de Dios meaning, here is the short answer: the Ojo de Dios (“God’s Eye”) is the tsikuri of the Wixárika (Huichol) people of Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango and Zacatecas. It is a cross of sticks woven with colored yarn and understood as an offering and a form of protection. Its name is usually translated as “the power to see and understand the unknown”: the diamond at the center is an eye that watches over whoever receives it, especially young children.
In the tradition recorded for more than a century, a father weaves the central eye when a child is born and adds a ring of color every year until the child turns five. The tsikuri is still very much alive in the mountain communities, and it is also one of Mexico’s best-known crafts. Here you will find its origin, its colors, how to weave one and how to buy one ethically in Nayarit.
What the Ojo de Dios is: the Wixárika tsikuri
The tsikuri (also spelled sikuli or tzicuri) is a ritual, votive object. Its basic frame is two sticks of cane or wood crossed at right angles; yarn is wrapped around them, round after round, until it forms a diamond with an “eye” in the middle. The four points of the cross are linked to the four directions of the world, and the center to the fifth direction, the place of fire. That idea of five directions runs through the whole Wixárika worldview, which also has five main sacred places, one for each direction.
Not every tsikuri looks the same. There are single-eye pieces, pieces with several eyes in a row, double crosses with eight arms and large compositions that combine many diamonds. The O’dam (Southern Tepehuán) people, neighbors of the Wixaritari in the Sierra Madre, also weave crosses like these.
To understand the mountain region where it is made, start with our guide to Del Nayar, Wixárika and Cora land, the largest municipality in the state.
Origin of the Ojo de Dios and its ritual use
The Ojo de Dios comes from the ceremonial life of the Wixaritari, one of the Indigenous peoples of Mexico that has kept its own religion most strongly. There is no old written record that dates it; what is documented is its use, described by ethnographers such as Carl Lumholtz, who traveled the sierra in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and recorded these objects as offerings that ask the deities for protection.
In ritual practice, the tsikuri is placed alongside other offerings: votive arrows, decorated gourd bowls, candles and nierikas (small tablets or discs that “allow one to see”). It is left at family shrines, at ceremonial centers and at the sacred places visited by pilgrimages, such as Wirikuta in San Luis Potosí or the coast of San Blas.
The God’s Eye and the protection of children
The most widely cited use is linked to childhood. According to the tradition recorded by several researchers, when a child is born the father weaves the central eye and adds a round of a new color each year. When the child turns five, the piece is considered complete: the most fragile stage of life is over. That is why many families connect the Ojo de Dios with health, long life and caring for children.
Details vary between communities and families: if you can, ask the person who wove it; their explanation is worth more than any chart.
What the colors and diamonds mean
There is no single color code. Artisans combine shades according to the purpose of the piece, the materials at hand and their own style. Still, some associations come up again and again in Wixárika tradition and in weavers’ own explanations:
| Color | Common association | Link to the worldview |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Water, rain, the sea | The mothers of water and Tatei Haramara, mother of the sea at San Blas |
| Yellow | Sun, ripe corn | Tayau, “our father the sun”, and the corn mothers |
| Red | Fire, blood, life | Tatewari, “our grandfather fire”, who sits at the center |
| Green | Plants, growth, peyote | The cornfield and the hikuri (peyote) of Wirikuta |
| White | Clouds, purity, the sacred | The clouds that carry rain in from the sea |
| Black or purple | Earth, night, ancestors | Fertile soil and those who have passed on |
What the diamonds mean
- The central diamond (the eye): the protective gaze that “sees” what human eyes cannot.
- The rings of color: in the childhood tradition, each ring is a year of life; in offering pieces, each round carries a request.
- The four points: the four directions of the world; the crossing of the sticks is the center.
- Small eyes at the tips: on multi-eye pieces, they extend the protection toward each direction.
Ojo de Dios meaning, spiritually
The spiritual meaning of the God’s Eye comes down to three ideas: seeing, protecting and asking. Seeing, because the central eye stands for the ability to understand what is hidden. Protecting, because it is placed to look after a person, a home or a cornfield. And asking, because each piece carries a specific request to the deities: rain, health, a good harvest, a safe path.
For the Wixaritari it is not a lucky charm in the commercial sense but part of a relationship of reciprocity with the world: something is offered so that life can go on. The same logic explains the yearly pilgrimages to the sacred places, which you can learn about on the Guardians of the Peyote Route.
Ritual object vs. souvenir: what’s the difference
The God’s Eye you buy at a market and the one left at a shrine share a shape, not a function. Knowing the difference helps you buy respectfully:
- The ceremonial tsikuri is made for a specific person or request, given as an offering and not sold.
- The handcrafted piece is made for sale. It is legitimate and an important source of income for many families, but it does not carry the ritual weight of an offering.
- The mass-produced copy (made in series, with synthetic yarn and no known maker) does nothing for the communities.
Buying crafts is fine; what to avoid is taking offerings from sacred places or photographing them without permission.
How to make an Ojo de Dios step by step
Weaving a simple one is a good way to understand how it works. You need two sticks of wood or cane of the same length (15–30 cm / 6–12 in), yarn in 3 to 5 colors, scissors and a little glue.
- Cross the sticks at right angles and bind the center with several diagonal wraps of yarn in both directions until they are firm.
- Start the eye: with the first color, bring the yarn over one stick and wrap it fully around; move to the next stick and repeat. Always go in the same direction.
- Keep the tension even and lay each round snugly against the last so the diamond stays smooth.
- Change color by tying the new yarn to the old one on the back of a stick; trim the ends.
- Vary the technique: if you pass under the sticks instead of over, the diamond looks recessed on the other side. Alternating both creates a relief effect.
- Finish 1–2 cm from the tips, knot at the back and add a drop of glue. You can add yarn tassels to the points.
A 20 cm piece takes a beginner about an hour; large multi-eye pieces take days.
Where to buy an Ojo de Dios ethically in Nayarit
We don’t recommend specific shops, but these are the kinds of places where your purchase is most likely to reach the artisan:
- Directly from Wixárika artisans in Tepic: in the center of the state capital, around the Plaza Principal and the cathedral, families often sell their work. See our guide to Tepic to find your way.
- Cooperatives and community workshops: they usually name the community and the maker of each piece.
- Museum shops and cultural centers: they work with identified artisans and fair prices.
- In the sierra: in Jesús María, seat of Del Nayar, and other communities, some families sell from home or at open festivals. Ask before taking photos.
- On the coast: in Riviera Nayarit towns there are also Wixárika artisans selling directly.
To place these areas on the map, see our page on destinations in Nayarit.
How to get to the places where it is made and sold
| From | To | Approx. distance | Approx. time | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guadalajara | Tepic (center) | 210 km / 130 mi | 2 h 45 min | Toll road 15D |
| Puerto Vallarta | Tepic (center) | 170 km / 105 mi | 2 h 30 min | Highway 200 |
| Tepic | Ruiz | 63 km / 39 mi | 1 h | Toll road 15D |
| Tepic | Jesús María (Del Nayar) | 180 km / 112 mi | 4–5 h | 15D to Ruiz, then mountain road |
The mountain road is very winding and has long stretches without gas stations; drive in daylight, in the dry season (November–May) and fill the tank in Ruiz.
Tips when buying
- Ask who made it and which community they are from. Most artisans are glad to explain their work.
- Price depends on size, number of eyes and hours of work. Don’t haggle hard: a large piece can take days.
- To learn more about the state’s Indigenous peoples, visit our About Nayarit page.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Ojo de Dios mean?
It is the Wixárika tsikuri, a yarn-woven cross that stands for the power to see and understand the unknown. It is used as an offering and as protection, especially for children up to age five.
What is an Ojo de Dios?
A ritual object of the Wixárika (Huichol) people made with two crossed sticks and colored yarn forming a diamond with an eye at the center. Today it is also a well-known Nayarit craft.
What is the spiritual meaning of the Ojo de Dios?
Seeing, protecting and asking: the eye sees what is hidden, watches over whoever receives it and carries a request to the deities, such as rain, health or a good harvest.
Why is the Ojo de Dios linked to Nayarit?
Because it is woven by the Wixaritari of the Del Nayar and La Yesca mountains, who make it as an offering. It is one of the state’s best-known cultural symbols.
Where does the Ojo de Dios come from?
From Wixárika ceremonial life in the Sierra Madre Occidental. It has no recorded date; ethnographers documented it as a protective offering from the late 19th century.
Where can I buy an Ojo de Dios in Nayarit?
Directly from Wixárika artisans in downtown Tepic, at cooperatives and museum shops and, in the sierra, in communities such as Jesús María. Always ask who made it.
Area map
- 1Jesús María (Del Nayar) Seat of Del Nayar, a Cora community in the sierra. Approx. 180 km from Tepic (4–5 h).22.2513, -104.518 · Open in Google Maps
- 2Tepic main square Downtown Tepic: Wixárika artisans sell their work around the square.21.5123, -104.8925 · Open in Google Maps
- 3Nayarit Regional Museum INAH museum on Avenida México, downtown Tepic.21.51, -104.8926 · Open in Google Maps
- 4Guadalupe Ocotán (La Yesca) Wixárika community in Nayarit, in the La Yesca mountains.21.8898, -104.3551 · Open in Google Maps
