An Axis to the Spirit World
The Rewe is a central altar in the spiritual life of the Mapuche people. It functions as an axis mundi, or cosmic axis, connecting the physical world of the living, known as Nag Mapu, with the upper world of spirits and ancestors, the Wenu Mapu. This connection is managed by the machi, a spiritual leader and healer who uses the Rewe to communicate with the divine. A machi can be a man or a woman and is called to their role through dreams and visions.
Each machi has their own personal Rewe, typically erected near their home, facing east toward the rising sun. The pole is usually carved from the trunk of a single sacred tree, often a canelo (Drimys winteri) or a laurel (Laurelia sempervirens). Into the trunk, a series of steps are cut—sometimes three, five, seven, or more—each representing a level of the cosmos. The number of steps can also signify the spiritual power and experience of the machi. The top of the Rewe is frequently carved with a human face, representing the spirits that the machi communicates with during rituals.