As an earth-based young woman, it seemed like I had it all.
I birthed a little family in a solar home in community out in the woods.
The papers hailed me my wildcrafting potent herbal medicines for women's health.
I quickly became a leader in my field—known as a force of nature, leaving legacies in my wake.
Yet long after I learned to nourish the body, parts of my soul were still starving.
Inside, I was a hot mess.
Caught in old wounds and traumas, harmful patterns, and painful relationships.
Exhaustion my constant companion. Stress-induced illnesses popping up.
The only place I felt safe was out in nature.
Even in intentional community, I was alone and lonely. My temper short. My mind unraveling.
I sank down in despair.
My scream pierced the wall. A neighbor rushed to my door.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” She doubtfully backed away, unconvinced. I shut the door.
Today's paradigm of self-denial and spiritual bypassing runs deep—and I'd learned it well.
"Just keep pushing through," I told myself. "What's your problem? Get over it already—all that old fear, anger, jealousy, Just think good thoughts!"
Yet there's no denying the body. My marriage in shambles, soon I was drifting between sleeping and waking, living and dying. Pneumonia so deep in my lungs that no herbs could reach.
It’s time, I declared under my breath. Self-denial isn't working. The nourishment and safety I find in nature—I have to find that within myself.
I set out on a quest to go deeper, to the roots of healing…
I created space to rest and to heal. To think and to feel.
I grieved. I sorted. I self-mapped my internal landscape—reflected by the cycles of nature.
Ultimately, I synthesized feminist psychology with neurobiology, through an earth-based, woman-centered lens. Grounded in the wisdom of my most trusted mentor, nature herself.
With the tools I developed, to my delight, I got “un-confused.” Clear. Grounded. Replenished.
Reclaiming my capacity to love and be loved. Cultivating secure bond with my life partner. Whole and safe within myself.
With healthy boundaries. Authentic intimacy. Meaningful priorities.
Now I've witnessed similar transformations in countless students—women of all walks of life.
Whether young or old, black or white, straight or lesbian. Many healers themselves: herbalists, doctors, midwives, therapists, leaders in their communities.
All finding, at last, clarity on how to discern what's healthy for their heart and soul.
I'd love to show you how to engage your connection with the Earth as your inner compass. The wise woman way.
Together, we'll navigate your road home to yourself. You'll gain practical, accessible tools and techniques crafted by, for, and about women.
Think of it as a medicine chest for your mind, heart, and soul.
Let's get startedDecades of holistic teaching expertise to support your journey
- Over 30 years teaching holistic healing for women
- 20 years running Red Moon Herbs, making medicines from local plants for women’s health
- 15 years founding and directing Southeast Wise Women Herbal Conference, the largest herbal conference
- Academic background in biology and feminist spiritual psychology
- Over 50 years in the school of life, through many cycles of a woman’s life
Today, my online programs are at the cutting edge convergence of natural healing with spiritual psychology, feminist thought and earth-based wisdom.
What that means for you is that I weave science and spirituality to support you in cultivating a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Get startedLet's get to know each other
Hey there, sister. I'm a teacher, mentor and writer. A naturalist and a feminist. A survivor and a visionary. A partner and a mother. A hiker and a gardener. An amazon like you.
Here's 8 snippets from my journey that you might enjoy...
- When I turned 18, my feminist mother gave me 18 books written by women. Alice Walker's "womanist" definition still hangs on my wall.
- I turned down Ivy League schools to follow my heart to my life’s work with women and the Earth.
- I handwrote the first Red Moon Herbs medicine catalog by candlelight in a chestnut board cabin where I chopped wood for my cookstove and carried water from the spring.
- I gave birth in a yurt without electricity, a tiny trailer for my kitchen.
- I was married to a man for a decade. I was a single mom for a decade. And partnered with a woman for a third. Plus I lived in the cauldron of community. The truth is, I've honed my communication skills through countless challenges, immersed in relationships of all kinds.
- I fell in love with a woman and fought maternal guilt to move out of the house to live with her. My 16 year old son preferred to stay close to the community center where he was born and raised. He quipped, “Mom, don’t the kids usually move out first?”
- As wild as I am about the green and growing things, my favorite time of year is the dark season as the year wanes between Halloween and winter solstice.
- I’ve been through an ocean of grief and got to the other side.
When I'm not doing my work in the world, what else might I be up to?

gardening
lovin' up the plants and herbs cultivated and wild

savoring
the sweetness of secure bond with my beloved

biking
or hiking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains

swooning
over the moon–proud to call myself a moon photographer
Now let's bring this back to you~
Are you a nature-loving woman?
Are you ready to be deeply grounded in a strong sense of self—
with authentic relationships, healthy boundaries, and meaningful priorities?
I'd love to support your thriving from the roots up!
Whether you're . . .
- A passionate seeker determined to find your way out of heartbreak or difficult patterns––and curious to connect with the wise (or wild!) woman inside who you already know is there waiting for you
- A strong woman who others lean on––while inside you recognize you've got to get your own feet on the ground in the midst of the whirlwind
- A therapist, herbalist, midwife, nurse, or leader in your community recognizing the need––in yourself and others––for inner growth and healing tools by, for, and about powerful women
You're in the right place, sister.
You'll deepen your relationship with the natural world and the cycles of the earth to cultivate a truly holistic approach to healing. From the inside out!
Get started