"Venus of the Forest" - "Weñulfe"

“Venus of the Forest” - “Weñulfe”

The Indigenous people of Patagonia, the Mapuche, noticed radiant beauty from a star that would rise at dawn every morning over the volcanoes and the peaks of the Andes Mountains. This star disappeared as the sun rose, and then, again, she would be the first one visible in the evening sky. They named her Weñulfe. The shamans of these Southern regions honored and revered the rising of this star. Much of the water used in the Mapuche healing concoctions was collected from the dew that gathered on the plants.

The legend of Weñulfe is depicted in this painting of her daily morning ritual. Every morning she enters into the forest and bathes under the waterfall. This is her cleansing and her offering. She lives in dedication to healing and in deep communion with the Earth.

As spring water runs from her crown into the ground, visions of plant medicine appear upon her. Barks, roots, moss, flowers, leaves and sprouts reveal their secrets. Whispering recipes, elixirs, concoctions and tinctures, the Plant Kingdom tell her the brews she is to prepare. In eagerness they sing their delight in helping humanity heal and live in Unity.

All the waters, lakes, glaciers, rains, springs, rivers, oceans and dews also offer their particular life force. They offer Weñulfe new realms of awareness where she can be reborn and bring forth new life. The contact of her feet on the ground draws divine Earth force, spiraling like a serpent up her spine. She holds her visions in honor of Creation.

The Snake and the Hummingbird are her allies, her totems for healing and for unconditional love.

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