Suspects
Exhibition at Palacio Paredes (Brazilian Embassy in Argentina), curated by Nara Cristina Santos. June 9 – July 25, 2026. Photos: Georgina García
Tag: plants
Rosemary
ROSEMARY (Salvia rosmarinus) Origin: Mediterranean region Active ingredients: Essential oils, phenolic acids, and flavonoids Uses: Medicinal, ritual, and culinary Used as a postpartum tonic and menstrual regulator, in infusions, baths, and smudging rituals, it was employed to alleviate melancholy and ward off “evil spirits,” it was associated with witches in medieval Europe due to its use in love potions and rituals […]
Magic mushrooms
MAGIC MUSHROOMS PSILOCYBE CUBENSIS Origin: CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND TROPICAL AND SUBTROPICAL REGIONS Active ingredients: PSILOCYBIN, PSILOCIN Uses: MEDICINAL, RITUAL, PSYCHOACTIVE Used by Aztec, Maya, Zapotec, and Mazatec women in rituals for physical and spiritual healing, to support women in labor, and to treat menstrual pain. Called Teonanácatl (“flesh of the gods”) by the Aztecs, they were consumed in rituals […]
Glue
Cola acuminata Origin: TROPICAL WEST AFRICA Active ingredient: Caffeine Uses: Stimulant, social, and ritualistic. Used as a postpartum tonic and aphrodisiac in West Africa, the kola nut is shared during various social and religious activities. In Brazil, as an obí in Afro-Brazilian religions, it serves as a tool for divination and as food for the orixás. It was associated by colonizers with libido, with […]
Trumpet
Traditional pre-Columbian cultures used Trumpet in shamanic rituals, linked to healing practices and spiritual experiences of expanding consciousness.
Orchids
Orchids aroused intense passion during the European "orchidomania" of the 19th century. But they also inspired horror stories associated with evil women.
Jaborandi
Linked to female shamans, jaborandi reflects the role of female spiritual and medicinal leadership in indigenous traditions.
Guarana
Guaraná is sacred to the Sateré-Mawé (Amazon). It symbolizes vitality and renewal. Its origin is linked to the eyes of a child who died prematurely.
Morning glory
Mayan women used morning glory seeds in healing rituals and to induce childbirth, and the Aztecs considered them divine
Yerba Mate
The arrival of Jesuit priests in South America in the 16th century brought mistrust of yerba mate, a sacred plant for the indigenous Guarani, associated with spiritual connection.
Rue
Rue is traditionally used by mothers-of-saints and benzedeiras in purification rituals.
Absinthe
Artemisia absinthium has a long history of use in women's health, relieving menstrual cramps and reproductive problems.