HERE TO WALK WITH YOU
THROUGH PIVOTAL MOMENTS

FULL SPECTRUM DOULA - HERBAL EDUCATOR
SILVERSMITH + ARTIST

Rooted in Western New York - nestled among
the Great Lakes on the edge of so called Rochester, NY.
Seeing beyond the Green Wall.
Helping people connect to their bodies + the Earth.
Holding space for birthing people and beyond.

ABOUT ALYSSA ACTAEA

Containing multitudes. Mother + Alchemist.
Forever Student.

At a young age I found community among the freaks, weirdos, + outcasts. With a great appreciation for the arts and self expression - I discovered a healthy distrust for authority. I am deeply rooted in punk rock, DIY ethic with a passion for social justice. Giving platforms to those less heard. Always asking “why?” - with that I have a deep appreciation for science - this has helped to inform an integrative approach.

Infatuated with the living world. I believe the Earth has so much to teach us if we could just slow to just listen. I believe in reciprocity - that it is our responsibility, as stewards, to care for the plants the way they care for us.

The common thread that I find consistently woven within the tapestry that is my life is Alchemy. The magick of change + transformation. As an activist, I know that change is necessary to build a better future for us all. For us to achieve this we must care for one another through these transformative moments.
Care work is my passion.

Nothing in my life has been as transformative for me as becoming a mother.

Birth Work is political.
Herbalism is political.

FULL SPECTRUM DOULA

It is my great honor to support birthing people through some of the biggest moments of their lives. From Pregnancy, Loss, Abortion, Postpartum and everything in between. I am here to support people through the entire spectrum of reproductive health. I support births in Hospitals and at Home. I believe in the innate power and wisdom that birthers behold. It is my absolute pleasure to share education and resources I have gleaned on my journey as a Doula. I am so grateful to sit at the feet of birthing people as they pass through this portal.

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HERBAL EDUCATOR

To know plants is a pleasure and privilege. When I say “know” - I don’t just mean their scientific names or even their uses. To sit and listen and understand their ecology - how they interact with each other, their environment, + us, as humans. To understand and appreciate their virtues. I believe in the power plants behold - their ability to repair, heal, nourish, and even cause harm. I have been on the plant path, seeking knowledge and getting to know them more deeply, for the past two decades and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

As an Herbalist and certified Herbal Educator I offer several workshops to help people deepen their relationship with nature and themselves.

This includes:
Educational Plant + Fungi Walks
Imagining Our Landscapes: Ecology of Flora + Fungi in WNY
Marc + Menstruum: Introduction to Making Plant Extracts
Bound + Blood: Cycle Tracking + Herbal Support
Herbalism 101: Wading into the Plant Portal

Learn with me

SILVERSMITH
+ ARTIST

Alchemy takes precision and patience.

In silversmithing - every subtle movement matters - even a flick of the wrist. Timing of the torch is everything. A keen eye for detail and noticing subtle transitions is crucial. This is a gift I am honored to behold and I bring this to each facet at the intersection of my passions - silver, plants, birth + beyond.

For over a decade I have been able to express myself creatively through the flame of the torch and create timeless family heirlooms. To infuse each piece of personal armor with intention is truly so special. From wedding bands,
to promise rings, to personal gifts of empowerment.
Thank you for inviting me into your ritual.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t appreciate and honor the creativity that I find through herbal formulation and kitchen witchery. The slow alchemical process of extraction and isolating plant constituents. Prudently recombining and pairing in the perfect carrier. Pouring love from the pen to paper and thoughtfully curating and illustrating labels.

These are the tangible parts of myself that I have to share with the world. That which you can hold.

Actaea Alchemiae

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  • Settler colonialism, structural racism and erasure of Black and Indigenous traditional knowledge has caused irreparable harm.

    I acknowledge that I am writing this section as a white person, who is female presenting, and have never had to face racism or racial bias in a medical setting or on my journey as an Herbalist.

    So called Rochester, New York has been built on the unceded land of the Haudenosaunee peoples. As an herbalist - this informs how I interact with the land and responsible harvest practices. As a settler, I believe it is important to move slowly and observe our impact on our environment. In my herbal teachings, it is pertinent to me to share education around the ecology of native, endangered, at risk + non-native plant friends as well as responsible land stewardship.

    It is important to me to learn, listen, and provide reparations for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community. I offer sliding scale services of my care work to all BIPOC identifying peoples and prioritize BIPOC folks for scholarship opportunities in educational workshops.

    If you’re looking to connect with BIPOC Caregivers, Doulas and Birth Workers in Rochester, NY I can refer you.

    Birth Work is Care Work
    Herbalism is Care Work
    CARE WORK IS ANTI-RACIST

  • I am a queer femme that uses They + She pronouns. It is important to me to use gender-inclusive language. I will always respect your pronouns, and I aim to create a safe space for transgender and gender non-conforming people within the birthing and plant persons communities. I believe people of ALL genders can have babies + support non-traditional family structures of all shapes and sizes.

  • Mutal Aid isn’t just a buzzword to me - it lies deep in within my heart and bones. It rings true with to values. This is what reciprocity among humans looks like to me. I believe everyone deserves access to care + education. As an anti-capitalist trying to survive in this wicked, beautiful country - I try to find ways to give myself freely without burning out.

    Right now, this is what I got:

    Birth Doula Support at a sliding scale rates.

    Educational Workshops at sliding scale rates with free scholarship offerings always.

    20% off ALL apothecary items with coupon code MUTUALITY

  • I wouldn’t be the multifaceted person that I am if it wasn’t for my teachers and mentors alike.

    It feels critical that I lay thanks firstly to community that has held me, lifted me up, and shared such valuable knowledge so freely. To those who share skills on dirty forest floors to those who captivate crowds at conferences. To those I’ve had the opportunity to forge deep relationships with, those I’ve shared great grief and growing pains with, and those whose names I don’t remember. You’ve made more of an impact than you’ll ever know and helped shape who I am proud to be today. Thank you.

    Certified as an Herbal Educator through Herbal Medicine for Women - I lay thank you to Aviva Romm

    On my pathway to become a Clinical Herbalist with the Eclectic School for Herbal Medicine - I lay thank you to Thomas Easley + Mel Kasting.

    Certified as a DONA Birth Doula - I absolutely could not have found my place in the Birth World without the help and encouragement of my teacher Julia Sittig - I lay thank you.

    Trained as a Full Spectrum Doula through BADT - I lay thank you to Sabia Wade, Iya Mystique and all of the other magnificent teachers at BADT

    Certified as a Lactation Counselor by The Healthy Children Project I lay thank you to Karin Cadwell and the rest of my teachers at HCP.

    My Botany teacher at Community College - I lay thank you to Professor Tim Tatakis.

    Silversmith + graduate of Studio Jewelers LTD comprehensive Jewelry Training Program - I lay thank you to Robert Streppone, Hiroko M. Streppone, and Michiyo Fujiwara

    As a member of Cocoon - I lay thank you to my mentor Evan Cohen.

    Special thank youse to…
    My Mother, Kim.
    My Partner, Billy.
    My Child, Sylvius.
    My dear Lavender Wife, Rohsennase.

    The trees. Plant Friends. Fungi Friends. The wind. The sunshine + darkness. The critters. The wild.

    I am truly, eternally grateful.

Contact Me

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