Meetings With Remarkable Women

A wealth of information passed from during the conference--no one woman could harvest all of it, as five classes occured at once throughout the conference.

Tents full of simultaneous classes on healing

I attended Bevin Clare's fascinating talk The Herbal Traveler: Keeping Healthy on the Road. Bevin explained that when she was growing up, her family would skimp on other expenses so that they could travel for pleasure frequently, and she has continued this into her adult life. She said that in third world countries, people would ask her for medicine simply because she was an American. She found that many of her favorite remedies, notably ginger and garlic, were available almost everywhere, and she would teach people that the herbs they have on hand are effective. I hope she writes a book.

Bevin Clare teaching

My class, A Natural and Spiritual Approach to Weight Control, drew a crowd--standing room only! I packed in as much information as I could into the mere ninety minutes of class time, but I played it for laughs. We had a wonderful time.

Alicia tells it like it is.

That evening, Rosemary threw a dinner party for the teachers by the lake. I hope I can introduce you to them all. Sincere apologies to any teachers I missed!

Missisquoi Abenaki Indian storyteller Marge Bruchac

Margi Flint, an herbalist with a scientific approach

Rita Bykhovsky, a scientist and writer from Russia
who teaches Russian folk medicine. The embroidered
gown she wears is one hundred years old.

India Collins, who lectures on the medical
practices of America's black Indians.

Herbalist Pam Montgomery, author of Partner Earth
and organizer of the Green Nations Gathering

Herbalist and traveler Bevin Clare, English herbalist and
author Annie McIntyre, and Sarah Avalon, who is
Margi Flint's daughter

Herbalist and author Kathi Keville, and Rosemary's right hand
conference organizer Katie Pickens

Mohawk herbalist, teacher, and baker Cecelia Mitchell,
with her grand-niece, Danielle, both wearing traditional ribbon shirts.

Herbalists/teachers Jane La Force, Linda Patterson, and Mindy Green

Kathleen Maier, founder of the Dreamtime Center for Herbal Studies, who also teaches
herbology at the University of Virginia Medical School, herbalist and artist Candis Cantin Packard,
and Isabelle Hadley, an herbalist and teacher, who also enchants children by teaching them
how to be fairies. She made an appearance later as the Fairy Queen.

Roberta Horsman, who teaches wheat weaving,
and herbalist/teacher Donna Bryant

Author/teacher/herbalist Susun Weed, and Alicia Bay Laurel

The teachers' dinner ended with an enormous carrot cake painted with the
conference logo--the maiden, the matron and the crone holding up the earth.

An eager audience awaited the talent show of that evening

Rosemary Gladstar introduced more of the teachers,
and, later, all of the performers--with the help of her friend, Gracie

We were all blown away when Ariel Wohler played
the tango, La Comparsita, on her flute.

Poet Didi Pershouse read her powerful verse.