The Wasiwaska project was conceived in 1996 while Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna was teaching in the Department of Anthropology at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Florianópolis, Brazil (1994-1998), first as a Visiting and then as an Associate Professor.
The vision was the creation of a centre where all the materials collected by Luna through the years (photographs, audio and video tapes, books, artwork) could be preserved and studied. The centre includes a specialized library, an ethnobotanical garden, and facilities where serious studies, particularly on psychointegrator plants such as ayahuasca, can be carried out. It is conceived as a beautiful place where researchers, scientists, therapists, artists, writers and other people interested in personal development can meet.
Wasiwaska is situated on a hill overlooking the ocean and the forest hills. It has seven rooms for guests, all with wonderful views. The house combines stone, brick and wood, avoiding right angles as much as possible. The serpent motif is present in different ways in the architecture and decoration. A beautiful garden with an increasing number of sacred, medicinal and ornamental plants surrounds the house, mostly planned by Adriana Rosa, Luis Eduardo’s wife, with the cooperation of South African naturalist Dale Millard. An orchard is gradually providing more of the vegetables consumed. All organic materials are recycled. Kitchen and maintenance staff are hired when needed.
During seminars, a few times per year, meals at Wasiwaska are rich in fruits and vegetables. No salt, refined sugar, alcohol or red meat is consumed. Fish, seafood and poultry are however served. Special dietary necessities are taken into consideration.