Meet our Founder and The Director of Twin Star herbal education & community apothecary

Lupo Passero, Community Herbalist, Flower Essence Practitioner & Sacred Travel Guide

Lupo Passero is a Clinical and Community Herbalist, Flower Essence Practitioner, and the founder of Twin Star Herbal Education & Community Apothecary, established in 2009. With more than three decades devoted to the study and practice of botanical medicine, she has guided thousands of students in reconnecting with plants, deepening their knowledge, and stepping into their roles as healers and community practitioners.

Her journey began in the 1990s as a young mother tending her family with herbs and flower essences, a path that soon grew into a lifelong vocation. She spent over a decade studying in Asheville, North Carolina, immersed in the rich plant traditions of the Appalachian Mountains, where she began teaching herbalism and flower essences within the vibrant healing community. Since then, her work has evolved into a practice that bridges traditional herbalism, ritual, and plant spirit connection with a deep commitment to accessible education, mutual aid, and community healing.

Through Twin Star, Lupo has created a hub for herbal education and community medicine in both Connecticut and North Carolina. She has shared her teachings nationally and internationally, leading retreats and trainings across Central America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Her dedication to “Herbalism in Action” has guided her in bringing herbal support to communities in times of crisis, from her hometown of Newtown, Connecticut to her current home in Asheville, North Carolina, where she continues to offer free and accessible care in the wake of Hurricane Helene. When not teaching or traveling, Lupo can be found foraging the mountains, tending her medicine gardens, or creating ritual spaces that honor the cycles of nature. Ceremony and community are at the heart of her work, and she remains devoted to the belief that a shared love for plants can heal, inspire, and bring people together

“What a privilege it's been for me to have the opportunity to walk this joyful herbal path with Lupo. A passionate herbalist and teacher, she is one of the most dedicated and generous individuals I know. Always growing personally and sharing her wisdom.” 

-B. Lewis 2012 graduate.

Lupo can be contacted at twinstarherbs@gmail.com

A Living Lineage of Women in Herbalism

Twin Star is proud to be a woman-owned and woman-led herbal education center and a safe community space. From the beginning, our vision has been rooted in the belief that women’s voices, wisdom, and leadership are essential to the vitality and future of herbalism. We are honored to stand in a circle of powerful women teachers who carry forward ancestral knowledge, practical skill, and the spirit of the divine feminine. Together, our faculty embodies a living lineage of herbalism, weaving tradition, ritual, and resilience in service to healing and community care.

While we celebrate and honor the lineage of women at the heart of our work, our circle is not exclusive. We are grateful for the contributions of guest teachers of all genders, whose diverse wisdom and perspectives enrich our community and help carry this medicine forward. We warmly welcome students of all genders who feel called to study the plants with us, knowing that this work is made stronger, more resilient, and more whole when held in a diverse and inclusive community.

Jenna Faccenda, Marketing Coordinator, Folk Herbalist & Writer

Jenna is an Italian American folk herbalist, witch, and writer whose work is rooted in her southern Italian ancestry of Sicily and Campania. She has pursued a myriad of herbal trainings, weaving those experiences into her folk practices and writing. At Twin Star, she serves as our Marketing Coordinator, supporting the growth of our programs and community. She is currently completing the Practices & Protocols of Herbalism program and is soon to graduate from The Practicing Herbalist training. Jenna also works with her herbal ancestors through the Sacred Path Collective and Widow Apothecary. She can be reached at twinstaroutreach@gmail.com.

Elyse Sadtler, Office Goddess, Community Liaison & Henna Artist

Rebekah Sutter, Twin Star Herbalist, Apothecary Goddess & Botanical Artist

Rebekah first joined the Twin Star Tribe in 2013 and has since completed extensive training, including Foundations of Herbalism, Practices & Protocols, Flower Essence Practitioner Training, and helped to design our Wildcrafted Apothecary program. Over the past decade, she has grown into one of our main (and most beloved) teachers at Twin Star North, sharing her wisdom in Foundations of Herbalism, Practices & Protocols of Herbalism, and the Backyard Herbalism programs. Rebekah also helped to guide the 13 Moons Women’s Circle for more than ten years, holding space for women’s ritual and community. In addition to her teaching, she is a talented artist whose work celebrates the divine feminine and botanical forms.

Jeannie DunN, Community Herbalist & Herbal Product Procurer

Jeannie Dunn is the owner of Red Moon Herbs, a company rooted in the Appalachian tradition of crafting herbal products from abundant, local plants for over 30 years. A North Carolina native, she has been wildcrafting and making herbal medicines for more than 20 years, with training from the NC School of Natural Healing and One World Healing Arts. Jeannie hosts our Twin Star South students at the Church of the Holy Basil and serves as a guest teacher in our Foundations of Herbalism and Backyard Herbalism programs. When not teaching or tending herbs, she is creating community at Spiral Mountain, where she weaves sustainability, family life, and plant wisdom together.

Melissa Fryar, Community Herbalist & Natural Products Specialist

Born and raised in Asheville, Melissa is an Appalachian herbalist who has spent her life learning from the mountains she calls home. She studied with beloved herbal elders Rosemary Gladstar and Deborah Francis, as well as from her grannies, local traditions, and the plants themselves. Melissa is a core teacher in our Twin Star South Foundations of Herbalism program and leads the Wildcrafted Apothecary course, where she shares her love of food as medicine and regional folk plants. A lifelong student of the green world, Melissa brings warmth, humor, and deep roots in community to her teaching. She can be reached at rootmama13@gmail.com.

Ilana Sobo, Herbalist, Aromatherapist & Ayurvedic Practitioner

Ilana has over 25 years of experience in Ayurveda, Yoga, and Herbalism, with formative training at the Ayurvedic Institute under Dr. Vasant Lad. She has apprenticed with pioneers in botanical medicine across the U.S. and brings decades of apothecary practice to her community, crafting remedies from tinctures to flower essences. At Twin Star, Ilana teaches in our Foundations of Herbalism and Practices & Protocols of Herbalism programs, and co-leads The Practicing Herbalist, helping prepare the next generation of clinical herbalists. She is also the co-creator of The Botanical Bartender, blending plants, ritual, and mixology. Learn more at flowerpowerproject.com.

Tina Parziale, Clinical Herbalist & Owner of Fable Tea House

Tina has studied herbalism for nearly a decade with teachers including Lupo Passero of Twin Star, Lisa Fazio of The Root Circle, and Jade Alicandro of Milk and Honey Herbs. Captivated by the power of story, from folktales and myths to the voices of ancestors and the land, she weaves storytelling into her teaching and facilitation, encouraging participants to draw wisdom from the past to shape the present. At Twin Star, Tina is a new teacher in our Foundations of Herbalism and Practices & Protocols of Herbalism programs at Twin Star North. She is also the owner of Fable, a tea house, artisan gift shop, learning space, and cocktail lounge located on the lands of the Tunxis and Quinnipiac people in Southington, CT. Connect with her on Instagram @ctfable and @fable_underworld.

Linda Shreve, Herbalist, Ceremonialist & Goddess Within Us Instructor

Linda has been teaching the Goddess Within Us program at Twin Star since 2017, an intimate monthly circle that explores global goddesses through story, ritual, song, movement, and herbal crafting. Now available online, this program welcomes students from around the world to deepen in myth, magic, and plant wisdom. For many years, Linda also co-led Spiral Path: A Medicine Women’s Apprenticeship at Twin Star. She is a trained community herbalist, flower essence practitioner, ceremonialist, singer, Reiki Master, and ritual developer with over 35 years of corporate experience applying spiritual practices in daily life. Linda is also the co-host of the podcast Two Crones and a Microphone, where she shares cultural wisdom and practical spirituality.

Melody Wright, Herbalist, Farmer & Community Health Nurse

Melody is the founder of Pleasant Valley Botanicals, a “farmlet” in Northwest Connecticut devoted to growing vibrant medicinal and culinary herbs for the local community. As both a farmer and Community Health Nurse, she is passionate about making plant medicine an accessible and integral part of holistic health care. At Twin Star, Melody is a regular teacher in our Foundations of Herbalism program, hosting students at Twin Star North each year to explore the wonders of growing and cultivating medicinal plants. She also leads our annual Medicinal Plant Sale, putting healing plants directly into the hands of the people. Learn more at pleasantvalleybotanicals.weebly.com.

Kaitlyn Scott, Herbalist, Integrative Wellness Practitioner & Reiki Master Teacher

Kaitlyn is the founder of Rose & Ritual Apothecary, a community-based project offering herbal preparations, spiritual tools, and Reiki healing at low-to-no cost for underserved communities. An integrative wellness leader, intuitive, and licensed Reiki Master Teacher, she is passionate about decolonizing wellness and bridging alternative healing with the BIPOC community. At Twin Star, Kaitlyn is an instructor in our Foundations of Herbalism course, where she teaches Energetic Herbalism and the Sacred Chakras. She holds a B.S. in Advertising & Promotional Communications, an M.A. in Urban Studies & Community Development, and received her herbalism training from Twin Star.

Laura Watkins, Astrological Counselor, Educator & Jewelry Designer

Laura has been studying astrology for over thirty years and counseling clients for more than twenty. She is also a jewelry artist, creating personalized pieces since 1986 that weave together natal chart wisdom and crystal energies for balance and support. At Twin Star, Laura teaches our Introduction to Astrology course, now offered online, and provides natal chart readings. Her work integrates astrology, Reiki, shamanic practices, crystals, and plant medicine into a holistic approach to healing. Laura’s handcrafted jewelry, designed to align with astrological energies, is also available through Twin Star.

Cassandra Purdy, Local Chef & Cannabis Expert

Cass holds degrees in Anthropology from Vassar College and in Tibetan Studies, and has devoted her life to studying sacred plants and ethnobotany through travel, research, and training with teachers around the world. She translated Michka Seeliger-Chatelain’s seminal works Medical Cannabis and Healing with Cannabis into English, and has judged at international Cannabis Cups since the mid-1990s. With over 25 years of experience in the cannabis field, she now owns Sweet Grass Botanicals, voted Best Dispensary in Massachusetts in 2024. At Twin Star, Cass teaches Canna Care for Herbalists, a course soon to be available online, where she shares her deep knowledge of cannabis as medicine, sacrament, and ally.

Heather Wright, Creative Director & Tarot Instructor

Heather is a graduate of Twin Star’s Foundations of Herbalism and Practices & Protocols of Herbalism programs and the creative force behind our best-selling online training, The Art of Flower Essence Therapy. With over 16 years of experience in video production and corporate marketing, she collaborated with Lupo to produce this cinematic course, blending her passion for storytelling with the wisdom of flower essence healing. Heather is also a certified health coach and intuitive tarot reader, offering her six-week Holistic Tarot course at Twin Star. She is the owner of Tea & Tarot The Magickal Herbpothecary in Madison, CT, where she creates herbal remedies and tarot offerings alongside a collective of women-, minority-, and LGBTQ-owned businesses. Learn more at teaandtarot.org.