Americas

In Latin American culture, adolescent girls cross an important threshold when they reach the age of 15. The arrival of their 15th birthday means they’re ready to make the transition from childhood to womanhood, a significant life change that has social, cultural, and biological implications. This is a time for celebration and public acknowledgment, and that is what the quinceañera provides.

As their daughters reached adolescence, Santa Barbara-based Janet Lucy and Terri Allison noticed a lack of spiritually focused resources to guide young women in understanding their changing bodies and monthly cycles. Searching for answers, they delved into the past, uncovering goddess mythology from different cultures and periods that highlighted the qualities they wanted to share.

For those looking to taste out of the box, chicha—a fermented beverage from Latin America—may not be the obvious choice. The drink encounters some resistance, largely due to the fermentation process associated with it, which involves chewing starch-rich ingredients—such as corn and yuca—before spitting them into a container to ferment.

The Choctaw creation story, as told by Isaac Pistonatubbee at the end of the 19th century and recorded “word for word in his native tongue” by Henry Halbert who published the story in volume 4 of the Publications of the Mississippi Historical Society, begins with a vivid depiction. According to Pistonatubbee, the narrative of these tribes' emergence from Nanih Waiya—a sacred site in Choctaw tradition—unfolded as follows:

Watching Encounters at the End of the World, Werner Herzog's 2007 documentary about scientists living and studying in Antarctica's harsh climate, was one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences I’ve had to date. If I share any trait with arguably one of the greatest film directors, it’s my fascination with unique, offbeat individuals driven by passion and living outside the boundaries of convention.

In a remarkable fusion of software technologies and human imagination, we are now able to experience disparate worlds simultaneously. Seamlessly intertwined, the past meets the present and cultures collide through immersive and extended reality. The possibilities are endless, as demonstrated by the innovative projects pioneered by OurWorlds.

Popular throughout Central and South America, the tamal is a traditional dish made from ground corn filled with a variety of ingredients, wrapped in leaves, and steamed until cooked.

Interview excerpt

When you delve into news related to historic reconstructions, one name consistently emerges: Cícero Moraes. His remarkable talent has brought faces from the distant past back to life, including Mary Magdalene, Saint Anthony of Padua, the Woman of Pumapungo, and even the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.

Since the dawn of humanity, countless civilizations have engaged in ritual sacrifice. Often, these sacrifices involved other humans, and were so common they were considered a normal aspect of life. In some cultures, it was even an honor to be the one chosen for sacrifice!