What did the eagle, snake, and cactus symbol mean to the Aztecs?

To the Aztecs, the image of an eagle perched on a nopal cactus with a serpent in its beak served as a powerful prophetic sign. According to Aztec tradition, the god Huitzilopochtli instructed the people to search for a permanent home, promising that the location would be revealed by the appearance of this specific scene.1

In 1325, after a long pilgrimage, the Aztecs reportedly witnessed this exact vision on a small island in Lake Texcoco. Interpreting the eagle, cactus, and serpent as the fulfillment of their prophecy, they established their capital, Tenochtitlán, at that site. Today, this foundational myth is memorialized on the flag of Mexico, where it serves as a central emblem symbolizing Mexican nationality.12