We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Keller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, MELISSA thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
A lot of my work now is formatted in cycle with the teachings of the Medicine Wheel. I planted the seed to take risks, while in the direction of the West, spring 2024. Since then it has been a daily practice to take risks. It could be as simple as calling that person who I miss, and feel in my heart, but just don’t always take the time to connect intimately with. Or something greater like leading a group of 20 plus peers in a retreat or workshop. I personally am more nervous around my peers when I lead.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My working world began at 13 as a model and actress of which I was successful for 30 years. My purpose was however ignited when I fell into the spell of folk herbalism during the pandemic when my herbalism studies started with the Gaia School of Healings first online course. Which I was signed up for prior to the pandemic starting. I felt the shift beginning out of modeling and acting a few years prior and decided it was time to follow my heart. My heart is with nature, with Pachamama, the elements, magic, energy, spirit, art, traditions, ceremony and ritual, the healing arts, and the like, and always has been. It has truly felt like a remembering having been connected to and following this path since I was a child. Potion making, talking to the trees and plants, the animals, stones, and preparing and creating ritual and ceremony in nature. I am now a certified folk herbalist, vitalist herbalist, somatic and shamanic healing artist, a birth doula, an energy worker, and medicine woman. I have a medicinal herbal line of products under my label Keller Made as well as a line of hand made bronze design pieces. This is all my art, my creation. I have a private practice in Los Angeles for 1:1 clients along the healing path utilizing the tools I have cultivated. Myself as the guide, helping my clients to activate their inner healer archetype, among other archetypes, to support them into wholeness and their becoming. These containers may include the medicine path with herbs or master teacher plants under my safely held nest. I have created a year long self healing program under the teachings of the First Nations People’s Medicine Wheel and I will roll out this program as well as smaller introductory programs in 2025. My father is a tribal member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Bear Clan, and I have always been drawn to the First Nations peoples traditions as well as my European ancestors traditions. I hold retreats and workshops a few times a year, time permitting, I am a mother of two first and foremost. I have been deeply touched and brought into balance walking the healing path myself, and it is my honor to bring this gift to others. I am most proud of my family and community and what this work has brought to our well being and joy. I have a wild love affair with our planet and it has been shared with me that I am a bridge from the planet to others at this time. Bringing them back home to themselves through the ancient teachings of the planet. Living in sacred relationship with Pachamama. I take great honor, and I am in deep integrity with this gift that I have accepted and get to share.
Image Credits
Rob Perry