The meeting was through plants, a dialogue between two people from Afro and indigenous cultures and their knowledge. It happened in the late 1950s during the pandemic known as "Asian flu."
The person who told this story was Mãe Stella de Oxóssi, an important saint-mother for Bahia and also for all Afro-Brazilian culture. This story is the account of an event she experienced, a few decades ago.
That was a difficult time for humanity, as it has been now with COVID-19, as the Asian flu pandemic was ravaging every corner of the planet, including Bahia.
With healthcare systems overwhelmed, the solution was (and continues to be) to keep people at home. Health nurses, visitors, as was the case with Mãe Stella at that time, had (and still have) a very important role in supporting patients and their families.
On a certain visit during her work, Mother Stella witnessed a very interesting scene.
In the home of an indigenous family there was an infected curumim (child) being treated by a shaman in a healing ritual. The indigenous master used plants in different ways as medicine to alleviate pain and remove disease from the curumim's body. 
Stella knew nothing about indigenous culture. However, even at that time, at his young age, he already knew a lot about the power of plants. Both for connection with the sacred and for healing the body.
She carefully observed that curious scene, with a look of enchantment at the new, at what is different. From a very early age she learned about respect for others, with what is unknown. He also learned about the mystery, that which is not said.
After the ritual, Stella approached the Shaman and they developed a friendly conversation about sacred plants and how they used them in their respective cultures.
This was a real encounter told by Mother Stella. But it became a book and now it is also symbolic. The meeting between representatives of cultures originating in Brazil through knowledge of plants.
The book does not go into depth about plants, nor does it go into aspects of culture or religion. Yes, these matters are mentioned during the conversation between the two wise men. What you will find in this book is a loving story about the exchange of knowledge, the welcoming encounter between two human beings from different cultures in Brazil, and respect for life.
A story you can read to your child, or to your grandmother. But mostly for you. It's a book for all ages.
This book A Ialorixá e o Pajé published by Solisluna Editora, was written by Mãe Stella and illustrated masterfully by Enéas Guerra, also son of Oxóssi.
Two sons of the king of the forest, a hunter with just one arrow, authored this work about the love for the cultures of our Brazil.
Kin War
Graduated in cinema and audiovisual from the Institute of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of the Federal University of Bahia. He is a photographer and editor at Solisluna
