Soothing the Soul: The Role of Aromatic Herbs in Grief Support & End of Life Care
Community Herbalist
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Medicine Maker & Guide
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Herbal Death & Grief Tender
Offering a unique approach to deathtending - focused on nourishment, herbal medicine, and mindful guidance - tending the portal of sacred transition.
Supporting individuals, families, and community deathcare workers alike.
Summer Goon
About Summer
Hi, I'm Summer!
I've been steeped in self study of plant medicine for over a decade, and my formal herbal education began at the Self-Heal School of Herbal Studies in San Diego, CA in 2016.
Shortly after, in May of 2017, my life was profoundly changed when both of my parents, and my dear father in law, all passed within the short span of 10 weeks. My walk with plant medicine has been heavily influenced by my experience with grief and I have since endeavored to nourish my community in the ways that supported me most in my own time of sorrow.
In 2019, my herbal focus shifted to bioregional herbalism of the Southwest U.S. and I completed a wild food and medicine apprenticeship with Daisy Jones of Daily Daisy Botanicals.
Throughout this year-long apprenticeship with Daisy, I nurtured a deeper understanding of plant wisdom and traditional uses in food & medicine.
I continued my studies with Kami McBride, completing the Healing Herbal Body Oils course in 2020, and the Traditional Incense Crafting, and Botanical Resins & Gums Course with Evan Sylliaasen at the Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine, where I am also employed in the role of Operations Manager & Student Guide.
In late 2022, I began deepening my understanding of home funerals by offering my time as a volunteer with the National Home Funeral Alliance, and participating in their educational offerings. And in 2023 I began volunteering with the Center for Conscious Living & Dying in Asheville, NC, where I completed direct care training and now offer my time as a volunteer providing end of life care. My hope is to expand my community offerings to include non-medical end of life care, and home funeral guidance in the near future.
I'm a mother to two adult sons, love to cook in my downtime and find great pleasure in leading medicine-making circles and workshops in my local community. I'm passionate about supporting local regenerative agriculture and my husband and I moved to Western North Carolina to pursue a shared dream of building a tiny homestead where we can grow food and medicine to share with our friends and neighbors.