Teachers

Theresa Finkbeiner, BA, LMT, and Master Herbalist, has teaching "weed wisdom" since 1985. She is the owner of Coyote Moon Herb Company a retail herbal products company offering high quality tinctures made with the lunar cycle, aromatherapy therapeutic massage oils, birthing needs, skin care products and first aid salves. Theresa enjoys sharing her knowledge of herbs, swapping seeds and travelling!!

Susan Wolf Star is a shamanic teacher and healer in Charlottesville, VA. She leads introductory and advanced workshops in shamanic studies as well as classes for women, full-moon ceremonies, and fire walking. Susan’s training includes studying with the shaman, Black Bear, for five years, a BA in psychology from the University of Virginia, "Alchemical Hypnotherapy," channeling, and bodywork.

Susan DeLaney, ND, has been in private practice for 22 years in Carrboro, NC with a focus on nutrition and homeopathy. She began her adventure in health care as a nurse and then graduated from National College of Naturopathic Medicine in 1984, and spent time in India studying Homeopathy. For the past 15 years Susan has helped to organize and run The Wellness Alliance a group of health care practitioners offering traditional and alternative care.

Suki Roth is a Community Herbalist and Educator in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Years ago she co-founded the Piedmont School of Herbal Studies which has transformed into a sought after Wise Woman Apprenticeship Program. Her greatest teachers are the plants themselves, communicating to her their unique gifts during plant meditation. Her line of teas and tinctures, Suki's Blends, are a natural extension of the plant knowledge received. Growing, exploring, and communicating her love for plants is her life's passion.

Silvia Pancaro is a poet, author, mother, teacher, and archetypal astrologer with a passion for assisting others to reconnect with Nature’s Cycles. Her facilitation work, recent book, and TV program: The MoonCoach™ Process focus on intention setting according to LunarAstrology. Silvia is also working on projects involving Celestial Archetypes™ , Elements of Alchemy™, and Tarot Mystery School™, Cosmic Child™  and Cosmic Moon~Dance™ as well as a Tango musical production.

Sierra Hollister is a certified yoga teacher in both Kundalini and Ashtanga yoga and has been teaching in Asheville for fourteen years. It is her deepest hope to uplift and empower others to return to the vitality, health, and happiness that is their birthright. Sierra is an environmental and political activist and co-owns Sundance Power Systems, a local renewable energy business. She lives with her family on a beautiful mountain farm in Western North Carolina.

Ricci Ackerman is a third generation herbalist and aromatherapist from Germany whose approach to herbalism is based on knowledge of healing traditions from various earth-based cultures.  The medicine ways of her ancestors were matriarchal: her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed on the skills of energetic healing and plant communication.  Ricci practices as a therapeutic clinical herbalist, wellness mentor, aromatherapist and reflexologist in the Atlanta area.

Phyllis D. Light is a fourth generation herbalist, teacher and author with over 25 years of healing experience. Her early teachings came from her grandmother, whose herbal knowledge had its roots in her Creek/Cherokee lineage and Southern Folk Medicine. Phyllis teaches traditional Southern and Appalachian Folk Medicine at the Appalachian Center for Herbal Studies in Arab, Alabama, is an assistant professor at Clayton College of Natural Health and an American Herbalist Guild professional member.

Patricia Kyritsi Howell, RH (AHG) is the author of Medicinal Plants of the Southern Appalachians and director of BotanoLogos, an herb school in northeast Georgia that emphasizes the edible and medicinal plants of the Southern Appalachians. She is co-owner of Wild Crete, a travel company that offers travel seminars on native herbs, wildflowers and traditional cuisines on the Greek island of Crete.

Mimi Hernandez, MS, RH(AHG) is an herbal educator whose courses balance traditional reverence with scientific understanding and intuitive awareness. She is the Director of The One World Healing Arts Institute, which offers herbalist and astrologer certifications in West Asheville, NC.  She is the Vice President of the NC Herb Association, a Professional member of the American Herbalists Guild, and the primary instructor for the NC Bionetwork at AB Tech.

Mieko Aoki Flynn is a certified herbalist specializing in women's health, Maya uterine massage, herbal birth control and menstrual health education. Her practice offers a holistic approach based on listening to the body’s natural rhythms, which birth the intuitive and creative self. She teaches women to emphasize the power is inside of Y.O.U., the Yoni, Ovaries, Uterus. Mieko is a Medicine Woman of the Nemenhah Band and Native American Traditional Organization.

Maureen Jablinske, dancer, artist, drummer, and gardener, she has been teaching body-mind-spirit dance for over a decade and is honored to share Nia as a vehicle for healing, empowerment, and growth. A published writer and editor, Maureen has also worked with the journal HerbalGram and the “Medicines from the Earth” conference. An avid fan of the healing power of play and vibration, she also offers Toning/Sounding and Laughter Playshops, incorporating movement and mirth.

Maureen Burns-Hooker is the owner of The Herbal Sage Tea Company and a gifted teacher and visionary. Maureen’s blending philosophy takes a health-based approach to tea development. An entrepreneur, since the age of 19, Maureen has taught classes and workshops focusing on Herbal Medicine, and Business Education and Entrepreneurship. Her current passion is creating The Sanctuary Lodge, located in SE, Ohio, on sacred land surrounded by 1200 acres.

Marcia Jones has a MFA (Masters in Fine Arts degree) from UNCG and a BA from Clark Atlanta University. She was selected by Fulton County Arts to attend a printmaking fellowship in South Africa and was awarded an Artist in Residency at the Studioplex Arts Complex in Atlanta, GA. Marcia has served as a W.E.B Dubois Faculty Fellow at Clark Atlanta University where she was a Lecturing Professor of Art.

Linda Star Wolf has been a shamanic, psycho-spiritual midwife and guiding light in thousands of people’s lives for more than 25 years. She is the founder and co-Director of Venus Rising Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts, and creator of the Shamanic Breathwork™ Process. She has a Doctorate of Ministry in Shamanic Psycho/Spiritual Psychology, is a nationally certified alcohol and drug counselor, a Reiki Master, and a member of the Wolf Clan.

Linda Metzner has composed music and poetry since she was a child. Founder and director of the choral group, Womansong, in 1987, she now teaches workshops and directs the Sahara Women's Peace Choir. Linda composes music and poetry by listening to Nature, a skill learned with Playback Theatre for eleven years. She has a passion for encouraging others to bring forth their soul’s voice and for using song to change the world!

Laurel Mamet is a gifted healer, and teacher of the spiritual arts whose life focus has been to understand the energetics of the body.  She has over 30 years of training with master healers in such arts as dance, massage, cranial-sacral therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and esoteric healing. Laurel is in private practice as well as the Dean of Education and senior faculty for the Inner Focus School for Advanced Energy Healing.

Kim Roberts is a level 2 Commando Krav Maga instructor at WNC Center for Self Defense. Her passion is to help women gain empowerment by teaching them practical concepts and techniques of self defense. Many self defense programs offer complicated techniques which are difficult to learn and often leave women feeling vulnerable. Kim's work through the WNC Center is designed to be effective, easy to learn, and easy to remember.

June Ellen Bradley is an herbalist, naturalist, artist, and teacher. She is a clinical practitioner at Adawehi Healing Center in Columbus, NC and a member of the NC boards of both the American Herbalist Guild and United Plant Savers. June Ellen has a degree in biology, trained with Tom Brown, Jr. for 7 years, and apprenticed with Rosemary Gladstar. She offers a passionate commitment to plant conservation, understanding the natural world through outdoor education, and Earth-care.

Juliet Blankespoor has been sharing her love of plants by teaching about medicinal herbs and botany for over 16 years. She owns an organic herb nursery specializing in medicinal and native plants and is the director and primary instructor of the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine, which offers all-outdoor, hands-on herb courses. Her training includes a B.S. in Botany and programs at the NE School of Botanical Medicine, the California School of Herbal Studies, and the SW School of Botanical Medicine.

Jessica Godino, L.Ac., co-founder of Red Moon Herbs and graduate of the wise woman herbal training with Susun Weed, is a Asheville-based licensed acupuncturist and herbal teacher at the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism. She aspires to bring the perspective and wisdom of eastern herbalism to deepen an understanding of western herbs.

Eshe Riviears, “The Herb Lady,” is an herbalist, organic Master Gardener, nutritional counselor, kinesiologist, teacher, entrepreneur, conference organizer, children’s advocate, and author. With 20+ years in the holistic health industry, Eshe is still strongly connection to her southern roots, which inspires her to walk in the way of her Big Momma, and aunt, and uncle who dispensed herbal remedies, tonics and creations as Utica, Mississippi’s town herbalists.

Elspeth Odbert, aka Grandmother Elspeth and The Crone on the Road, has been teaching workshops on spiritual growth all over the US since 1991.  A seventy-seven year-old great-grandmother, environmentalist, healer, teacher, pastoral counselor, shamanic practitioner, storyteller, and member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, Elspeth is a living example of the messages that she teaches.  She is also co-founder of The Haven Way, an eco-spiritual path of personal and planetary transformation.

Dorisse is a Respiratory Educator, dancer, mother and RN of 33 years with an extensive medical background. She is the founder of BreathDance ~ Wellness Through Breathing and specializes in Buteyko breath training. She has lived, taught, and published internationally, and her studies with Susun Weed in 1985 led her to embrace herbs as her medicine of choice in developing new health care models based on the Wise Woman Tradition.

Cynthia Johnston has been studying herbs for over 25 years.  She is the founder (in 1995) and owner of MoonMaid Botanicals, a successful herb company dedicated to providing high quality herbal alternatives to hormone replacement therapy for women experiencing menopause, PMS, and infertility as well as salves, creams and other products. Cynthia has a strong commitment to women’s health and natural products grounded in a deep connection with the Earth.

Corinna Wood has opened the hearts of thousands to the wisdom of the plants and their own bodies. She is director of Red Moon Herbs, making herbal medicines from fresh, local plants, with a focus on women's health. Corinna's background includes an extensive apprenticeship with Susun Weed in 1993 as well as a B.S. in Biology. Corinna is certified as an herbalist, a fertility awareness teacher, and also in permaculture design. Corinna lives with her family at Earthaven Ecovillage, an intentional community in Black Mountain, NC.

Ceara Foley is the director of the Southeast's oldest herbal studies school; Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, where she also teaches. Ceara is vice president of NC Plant Savers and president of the NC Natural Products Association board. A certified herbalist and beekeeper, Ceara is steward of Soulflower Botanical Sanctuary in Leicester, NC, where she has empowered adults and children to honor their inner and outer environments for over a decade.

Bevin Clare, MS, RH(AHG) is a clincial herbalist, nutritionist, teacher, and Chair of the Herbal Division of the Master of Science in Herbal Medicine program at Tai Sophia Institute. She is also adjunct faculty at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and a guest researcher at the National Institutes of Health. She holds an MS in Infectious Disease from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Bevin serves on the board of directors of the United Plant Savers and the American Herbalists Guild.

Barbara Nerenz-Kelley studied Sacred Circle Dance in Munich, Germany, where she also joined dance classes with Bernhard Wosien, the founder of Sacred Circle Dance. During her sabbatical in the late 90s she participated in Sacred Circle Dance at the Spiritual Community of Findhorn, Scotland with Laura Shannon among others. Barbara relocated to Asheville, NC from Germany in 2004, and is now working as an artist and Sacred Circle Dance teacher.

Anyaa McAndrew is a psychotherapist and teacher with 31 years experience in the sacred work of emotional, sexual, and spiritual healing. She’s facilitated The Shamanic Priestess Process ™, the Sexual Priestess Process™ and the Shamanic Magdalene Mysteries™ around the US and in Costa Rica, integrating a lifetime of therapeutic work with women. Anyaa is also a Master Shamanic Astrologer, Shamanic Breathwork Practitioner, Sacred Sexuality Educator, and Imago Couples Therapist.

Ada-Belinda DancingLion, ND is a Naturopathic Doctor, Hypnotherapist, Certified Massage & Reflexology Professional, Aromatherapist, Certified Doula/Child Birth Assistant, traditional African/Native American Medicine Woman. Ada-Belinda is a Peace Warrior, Sun Dancer, Pipe Carrier, and Lodge Pourer in the Anishinabe' Nation, carrier of Eagle Medicine and 10 year member of the Iroquois Star Sisterhood of the Dancing Shields. Ada-Belinda's herbal training began at age 8 to her Lakota Sioux/Blackfoot great-grandmother.

Susun Weed is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish health/wholeness/holiness. She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine of the green nations for three decades. Susun’s four books focus on herbs women's health including: menopause, childbearing, and breast health.