flower and song

i recently read a fascinating paper on aztec philosophy. particularly the section called "flower and song", about the nature of art in that culture was really interesting to me, because it resonates a lot with my own ideas. i've always been interested in ancient cultures, but it's still kind of surprising and cool when i encounter something that feels really fresh and relevant from them. plus, this is interesting in light of my fascination with quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. i'm kind of considering starting a large painting on related themes. a short excerpt:

"Flower and song" comes from a ritually prepared heart that embodies and presents a proper balance of reason and passion, male and female, active and passive, etc. This balance was symbolized in popular Aztec religion by Quetzalcoatl, the "Plummed Serpent", who served as patron deity of artists and sages. By combining the attributes of birds (heaven) and snakes (earth), the "Plummed Serpent" symbolized the union of male and female. Indeed, Quetzalcoatl's joint patronage of sages and artists points to their ultimate identity and to the equivalence of sagacity and artistic excellence.