• MY STORY •
Healing Communities, One Person at a Time
My name is Verónica Iglesias. I am a curandera, healer, and a scholar, born and raised in Mexico. I have founded Papalotl to support my fellow sisters and brothers through their healing and transformation by sharing the ancestral wisdom and knowledge of earth medicine from my heritage.
I have named my practice Papalotl, which means “Butterfly” in Nahuatl, the language of my lineage—for it is a perfect emblem for self-transformation.
My innate love of learning led me to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Library Science. At the top of my career, overseeing Mexico City libraries, I grew deeply discontent. Both my mind and my body rebelled against me. I left my high paying career to take care of myself.
In the process of reclaiming myself, I began studying one of the many earth medicine modalities—plant medicine.
As I pursued this study, I was initiated as a Sahumador, the Carrier of the Sacred Fire. While the initiation ritual unfolded, I realized that I had received this role before, when I was 9 years old. My path was clear. I was called to continue my journey as a healer.
Under the tutelage of Ana Silvia Serrano, I acquired the art of crystal, gem and obsidian therapies and shamanic practices. My transformation into a healer required me to embrace both the shadow and the light in my being, to process unresolved inter-generational trauma, and learn to love all that came into my life.
When I regained my strength, I returned to academia to pursue my master’s degree in Mesoamerican Studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. As part of my research, I sought out indigenous healers in Mexico to further enrich and deepen my knowledge of the various healing methods, rituals, and ceremonies.
In 2010 I was initiated as a cihuatlamacazqui, a priestess of Ix´Cheel, the Mayan Goddess of Medicine, in a beautiful ceremony at the Mayan lands. I have since then led many retreats for those seeking transformation. I began offering my services to alternative healing and wellness centers in Mexico and the United States, aiding those recovering from addiction and trauma.
Our planet needs us all to come back into balance within ourselves. When we heal ourselves, we are able to bring this healing to our families and our communities.
I am dedicated to helping you regain your vitality, and restore your balance and clarity so that you are empowered to pursue your passion and purpose. I thank you for doing all that you can to leave this planet in a better place for our children.
About Veronica Iglesias
Papalotl: Honoring Your Transformation
I was born in Mexico City in the middle of Spring.
Since I was little I was having a very personal perception of the world around me, seeing lights around me, in the sky, also feeling different energies on spaces or at home, and several times having the sensation of flying. Nobody at home could explain it so I grew up, went to school, college, etc.
I always love physical exercise and challenges, so in high school I decided to played basquetball that help me a lot with my self esteem and confidence, also I started a good relationship with my physical body.
I had a bachelor degree in Library Science, I worked at libraries for around 10 years, something that I love from libraries and books is that they gave me an idea about the quantity of knowledge that humankind creates in a physical support like codex, books, e-books, websites, etc.! and also something that I learned was the ability to find any kind for information that I needed.
After working for some years at libraries I had a personal crisis about life, my relationships, my career, so I quit my job.
Having a lot of free time I decided to look for some classes and I found one about medicinal plants, and I loved it, because I learned how to make medicines with herbs and also I discovered the magic of a being in a group of women talking, sharing, making magic.
I had the fortune to be invited to a ceremony in Xochicalco to celebrate a Spring Equinox, there I was initiated a Sahumadora, a carrier of sacred fire, and then I remembered that this was my second initiation, because when I was 9 or 10 years old I carried for the first time a sahumador in a celebration in my Mother´s town in Puebla, Mexico, very close to Cholula, an ancient sanctuary of Quetzalcoatl.
At the same time I found my main teacher Ana Silvia Serrano, with her I learned about crystal therapy, and a wonderful therapy with obsidian, the gems and the obsidian are wonderful tools for healing, so I started my own process of healing then, it was not an easy path, but at the distance I can say that I know a lot about my self, both sides my dark side and my white side, I love my self and respect the path that everyone has to walk.
Years later I decided to studied a Master in Mesoamerican Studies and my research was about healers, how in pre-hispanic times the babies were choose to be healers and how they were learning, who teach them? and which kind of knowledge the learned, which kind of rytes fo passage they have? How they were related with the Universe?
so I was making entreviews with several indigenous healers in Mexico, and they taught me a lot!
At the same time I have my first experience in a Temazcal that is a kind of sweat lodge in the Mexican tradition, this is a sacred place that represent the womb of Mother Earth, and is a powerful place where you can have a lot of healing and conection with yourself and with the Universe.
In 2010 I was iniciated as a priestess of Ix´Cheel, the Mayan Goddess of medicine in a beautiful ceremony at the Mayan lands.
I know that is a big responsability be a bearer of the knowledge and the sacred word and the sacred medicine, and I am so happy for that!
I considere myself a practicant of the Ticiyotl, the medicinal arts, a Shaman and a Priestess (a Ticitl and a Cihuatlamacazqui in náhuatl) and I love to share what I know with the people around me, an ancient and at the same time a new way to be connected with the Universe, to find ways to be in balance, on your center, ways to heal the mind, your heart and of course the body.
13 years ago I have the blessing to become a mother, my son is on eight grade now and together we are learning a lot about the best ways for me and for him to be connected with the Cosmos, with the elements and at the same time developing the ability to understand the world were we live. Be a mother is so wonderful and is a challenge at the same time. I love it!
Several years ago I started working with the archetypes of 10 females Mesoamerican deities, to facilite our journey of healing and empowering as women. That was the origen of the Jade Oracle, a set of 52 cards with the deities and symbols of Mesoamerica.
Is and honor to meet you and want to let you know that I will be very happy to support you in your own path of healing and empowering.
May love and light be with you.
Maria Veronica Iglesias Ramos
