The story behind the JFest logo — Ixchel

Back in February of 2010, Jenny and I were married in Riviera Maya, surrounded by 65 of our closest friends and family. After the wedding, we honeymooned in Tulum — a place widely known for its spiritual energy, healing, connection to nature, and personal transformation. At the time, we had no idea this trip would become one of the most meaningful chapters of our lives.

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During our stay, we visited ancient Mayan ruins overlooking the sea and traveled to Cozumel, one of the Mayans’ most sacred sites. Women once made pilgrimages there to pray for fertility, healthy childbirth, love, and protection. We also swam in cenotes — natural sinkholes the Mayans believed were sacred entrances to the underworld, places tied to healing, reflection, rebirth, and spiritual reset.

It was during this trip that Jenny and I first said:
“If we ever have a baby girl, we’ll name her Maya.”

 

But getting there wasn’t easy.

 

For nearly three years, we struggled to get pregnant. There were emotional highs and devastating lows that tested us deeply. Looking back now, it feels impossible not to connect that journey to the spirit of Ixchel — the ancient Mayan goddess of fertility, medicine, healing, love, water, creativity, childbirth, and transformation.

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Then, on October 1, 2013, our triplets were born.

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The very first time we walked into the NICU to meet our daughters, my grandmother Rose — a deeply spiritual woman with an incredible connection to God — was immediately drawn to one incubator. Without hesitation, she pointed and said, “This one’s mine.”

 

That baby girl had not even been officially named yet, but in that exact moment, we knew: She was Maya Rose Izzi.

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As the years went on, Maya would endure multiple surgeries and medical challenges that required incredible strength, healing, and resilience. Through it all, our family leaned on love, hope, faith, and each other.

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Fast forward again to planning JFest 2025.

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I spent countless hours trying to find a logo or symbol that truly meant something personal — something beautiful from a branding perspective, but also deeply connected to our story. That search eventually led me back to Mayan culture, Tulum, and finally to Ixchel.

The more I learned about her, the more everything started to connect.

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Ixchel is known as one of the most powerful and fascinating deities in Mayan mythology:

• Goddess of the Moon 

• Fertility and Childbirth 

• Medicine and Healing 

• Rain and Water 

• Creativity and Weaving 

• Transformation and Rebirth ​

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And somehow, every part of her story mirrored ours.

The Moon — guiding emotions, femininity, spirituality, and fertility.
Maya has always had a deep connection to the sun, moon, and stars — something reflected all over her bedroom walls and throughout her personality.

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Fertility — representing hope, creation, and new beginnings.
After years of struggling to conceive, the birth of our triplets felt nothing short of miraculous.

Medicine & Healing — protector of healers, mothers, and children.
Maya’s survival and recovery through surgeries and medical challenges made this connection especially emotional for us.

Rain & Water — symbols of life, cleansing, renewal, and spiritual rebirth.
Our experiences in the cenotes of Tulum became symbolic of healing, reflection, and transformation long before we fully understood their meaning.

Creativity & Weaving — symbolizing creation itself.
 

JFest was built from love, family, friendship, music, community, and the idea of bringing people together to celebrate life.

Transformation — the reminder that hardship can lead to rebirth.
Our story is proof of that.

 

One of the most important symbols tied to Ixchel is the rabbit. In Mayan mythology, people believed they could see rabbits in the face of the moon. Rabbits symbolized:

• Fertility 

• Prosperity 

• Abundance 

• Sexuality 

• New beginnings 

 

That’s why the three rabbits in the JFest artwork matter so much. To us, they symbolize not only fertility and abundance, but also our triplets, our family, and the journey that brought us here.

Today, Ixchel represents far more than mythology for our family. She has become a symbol of:

• Strength through adversity 

• Healing and protection 

• Spiritual connection 

• Creativity and celebration 

• Family and community 

• Rebirth after hardship 

For JFest, Ixchel became the perfect guardian spirit — watching over a celebration rooted in love, music, friendship, moonlight, healing, and transformation.

 

What started as a honeymoon in Mexico became the beginning of a story that shaped our family forever. Looking back now, it truly feels like Ixchel was with us the whole time — from Tulum, to our fertility journey, to Maya’s survival, and ultimately to the creation of JFest itself.