Reason

So, why exactly are we moving to Brazil? Well, my husband Matthew (view his blog) will be conducting his PhD fieldwork among the founding religious group Alto Santo. From the many ear-bending conversaions that we've had, I have gleaned that this church, founded in the 1930s during the collaspe of the rubber industry, is a unique religon that borrows aspects from Catholism and uses an indigious amazonian brew called Ayahuasca (aka yage, daime, or vegetal). From what I understand, Matthew's project deals with the cultural politics surrounding the church's struggle to maintain its authority and authenticity among the splinter churches that have sprung up. All this very intriguing and I can't wait to hear what he finds out while there.