In Pueblo cosmology, three principal figures are Thought-Woman, Corn Mother, and Sun Father, who are interlinked and reliant on one another. Thought-Woman is a pivotal character in the novel, credited with creating the universe through her words. She shaped the fifth world (the earth) and the four underworlds where the spirits of the deceased dwell. She appears throughout Pueblo mythology and the narrative. Tayo must connect with her and the community's story to present a tale to the elders in the kiva. He tells them he has encountered her. "They started crying/the old men started crying...."

The Corn Woman is arguably the most crucial deity because corn is essential to the people's economy. Corn Woman is synonymous with Mother Earth and represents growth, life, and feminine reproductive energies. She is honored with prayer sticks and offerings of blue and yellow pollen (Tayo places yellow pollen in animal tracks). Dances in her honor feature zig-zag or lightning patterns. Large dances involve the whole community, while smaller ones are performed only by men. The purpose of the Corn dance is to call for rain, ensure abundant harvests, and boost fertility. Female powers provide support and reward based on performance. In the novel, a male protagonist acts as a sacrificial intermediary, performing the small dance—Tayo is the fly. Throughout the story, from Harley's entrance to the journey on a donkey, Tayo engages in a series of zig-zags and notices zig-zags on T'seh's comforting blanket.

The story of Corn Woman includes a malevolent Ck'o'yo magician. The moral is that neglecting the Corn Altar and failing to make offerings disrupts the life processes that sustain the community. This narrative introduces the final deity, Sun Father. He is a creative force unleashed by Thought-Woman to interact with Corn Woman. Sun Father represents masculine powers and light, responsible for stirring the rain clouds. The offering to Sun Father is cornmeal—a product of Corn Woman. Tayo's connection with Sun Father occurs when Old Ku'oosh gives him blue cornmeal, which Auntie feeds him, and he manages to keep it down. Tayo's ceremony parallels the Sun Father's story; however, instead of bringing back rain clouds, he must recover the cattle, restoring prosperity to the family.