STAR ROOT MEDICINE

I have always been intensely connected to the natural world, so much so that I have often felt more comfortable in nature than with people.  My love of plants began at the tender age of four.  I was blessed to have a preschool teacher who saw something special in me.  During nap time when all the children were lying compliantly on their cots, she led me out into the magic of the surrounding woods and taught me the names of the plants that we encountered while following the animal tracks through the creeks.  My earliest memories are of exploring the green places of my home state, Connecticut, building fairy houses and making medicine with the wild flowers. 

 

It was not until 1998 when I was pregnant with my first son that I decided to formally pursue the study of herbal medicine.  I began my journey at the California School of Herbal Studies where I learned the full cycle of plant medicine; from growing herbs in the garden, wildcrafting in the forests and meadows, to harvesting and preparing potent tinctures, teas, salves and many other forms of plant medicine.  I can honestly say that there is little in life that gives me pleasure like working with plants in their natural environments. 

 

I continued my study of holistic health on a different path, completing four years of homeopathic medical school at the Institute of Classical Homeopathy.  This rigorous program taught me deep self-reflection, to become the silent observer in every situation, to be able to see every characteristic about a person as a potential symptom.  The vast homeopathic materia medica kept my interest peaked as the remedies are made from not only plants but animals and minerals as well.  While studying at the ICH we ran a free clinic where we received hands on experience working with a diverse group of clients. We also received extensive training on how to run a successful practice.

 

A few years after starting a practice of my own, my husband and I purchased land in the East Bay hills of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Here we began to realize our dream of developing our organic, permaculture farm.  We currently grow seasonal produce, medicinal herbs, raise a large flock of chickens and ducks, host an apiary of honey bees, and milk our jersey cow daily.  Some of my hobbies are creating beauty through art, gardening, animal husbandry, foraging for wild food, fermenting and canning, making herbal medicine, cheese making, and dying with plants.