I was living in Portland, Oregon when I encountered my first medicinal herb farm. The start of their CSA season was just a few weeks away, with freshly dug echinacea and ashwagandha root to be included in their first share. Without a clue as to what I would do with all the herbs these farmers grew, I signed up for their program without thinking twice.

I remained loyal to this endeavor in spite of my impulses. Intimidation plagued me each month as I approached the new pile of herbs illuminating my kitchen counter. I had no experience making at-home, herbal remedies and had never before considered myself an herbalist.

Those piles of herbs quickly became a mirror into my own conditioning, inviting me in to identify self limiting biases and stories long held deep in my psyche. Why hadn’t I believed I was skilled enough to work with herbs? My studio apartment quickly became a processing center. I built drying racks, cluttered my cabinets with all sorts of infusions, tied drying lines across my ceiling.
To consider myself someone that could make ‘medicine’ felt naive and presumptuous, as though I was treading territories that belonged to 'experts', or to those with certifications and institutional training. 

But I soon realized I was not as incapable as I initially considered. I started to remember times and places where herbs held their role. My body knew things I couldn’t intellectualize. There was knowledge inside of me I wasn’t aware I already had. A sense of power slowly settled in that summer, and a sense of purpose emerged. 

I began to feel called to teach others what I had learned for myself. I felt called to empower others to integrate medicinal plants into their everyday lives in ways that are realistic, sustainable and deeply empowering. From this desire came the emergence of Matriarch Medicinals.  

I am based out of the Hudson Valley region of New York. I am currently apprenticing with the Gaia School of Healing and Earth Education based in Southern Vermont.