Women the new psychedelic explorers?

Ayahuasca is regarded by indigenous communities as a sacred feminine plant, so it's ironic that female exploration of the medicine tends to be framed as a wellness fad, as though serious self-discovery is only for men.

“The conversation should be about defending the rights of indigenous people while supporting them to champion the environment they steward.” – Zoe Helene

In the heart of the Amazon, women travel by boat to the wild town of Iquitos before driving deep into the jungle.

Inside thatched huts, the symphony of frogs and insects builds to a crescendo and the jungle seems to come in through the netted walls, expanding like sacred geometry. By candlelight, shamans sing while pouring the ayahuasca, a foul-tasting brew that will provoke "la purga" — vomiting and diarrhoea.

Estella Pangosa Sinacay, a Shipibo healer who owns and runs Aya Madre Healing Center. This photo was taken at DreamGlade, another fine ayahuasca retreat outside of Iquitos, Peru, where Estela was working at the time.

Photos by Tracey Eller Cosmic Sister