In January, we caught up with supermodel Candice Swanepoel with the latest release of her Spring 2024 Tropic of C sustainable swimwear brand, with its new henna pattern beach beauties.

Today we follow up on that post to share images of the colorful Tropic of C x Agua Bendita swimwear collection. To All the Mamas!

In what AOC thought was a mistake initially, Swanepoel modeled for Agua Bendita [IG] in 2014, before eventually launching her own Tropic of C [IG] label in 2018 with co-founder Daniela Manfredi.

A Gaia Love Letter

Respect and joy over the gifts of the natural world are center stage for both brands: Tropic of C and Agua Bendita. Sustainability and a deep-seeded respect for Gaia are key brand planks.

Equally important, connections among mothers and their children are also a vitally-important visual message to Candice Swanepoel and then-36-wks pregnant mom Carolina Sanchez [IG] in a campaign lensed by Jerome Duran [IG].

Mushrooms on Two Levels of Symbolism: Ancient Worship and a Global Mushroom Network

The creation of a charming mushroom print for the Tropic of C x Agua Bendita drop has deep roots in many ancient cultures around the world.

In particular, our focus on psilocybin or ‘magic mushrooms’ is fundamental to the much-acclaimed rise of western civilization.

As we noted in AOC’s 2023 article Unraveling the Mysteries of Psilocybin Mushrooms: An Exploration of Their Uses and Potential Benefits, “Plato and Aristotle used psilocybin. There is strong evidence that early Western civilization and the Abrahamic religions were created in cultures rich with magic mushrooms as a medium for experiencing and communicating with the divine.”

Ancient Use of Psychedelic Mushrooms in Modern Colombia

In Colombia, South America — home to Agua Bendita —certain indigenous tribes such as the Tukanoan people have traditionally used psychedelic mushrooms as part of their spiritual practices. These mushrooms, known for their psychoactive properties, were believed to facilitate communication with the spiritual world and were used in rituals for healing, divination, and connecting with nature.

Ancient Psychedelic Mushrooms in Modern South Africa

Rock art found in various caves throughout the region of modern-day South Africa depicts images that some researchers interpret as representations of trance-like states induced by psychotropic substances.

Additionally, there are accounts by early European explorers and missionaries documenting the use of psychoactive plants by indigenous groups in different parts of southern Africa for medicinal, spiritual, and ritual purposes.

Female spiritual leaders and goddesses were fundamental to worship in early cultures. Their fecundity as birth-givers was core to their magic and influence over others.

‘Moms on Mushrooms’ is a new online community featured in many major media segments on TV and online. M.O.M. “bridges the gap between uncertainty and community by providing education and support, exclusively for mothers, through multiple offerings centered around the sacred practice of microdosing mushrooms.

Among the many rediscoveries humans are making about the world prior to the hammer of patriarchal, autocratic religious thinking is the possibility that mycelium is fundamental to Gaia’s — or our Earth’s — physical structure. AOC explains this concept in Is Mycelium the Connective Tissue of Nature's Global Communication Network?

Standing on its own, there’s no direct evidence that Candice Swanepoel’s Tropic of C x Agua Bendita collab sought to explore the world of mushrooms in such an intimate and informative way. Shrooms are ‘hot’ on every level.

If Anne were a betting woman — which I am not — I’d say it’s 70/30 in favor of these very smart women knowing exactly what they are doing.

Every serendipitous detail happens within a larger-purpose world. Which is exactly why these womderful mamas are considered to be very dangerous in certain circles. ~ Anne