Christina Pagano

Certified Flower Essence Practitioner and Educator, Botanical Wellness Educator, Intuitive….

I have walked a path inspired by plants since childhood.

I can remember a particularly dreamy spring day when I sat entranced, a sacred receiving of the precious gift of the flowers.

Sunlight illimuned drops of dew on velvet petals.The songs of the birds provided a divine musical background to these nearly perfect moments.

When I look back, this day stands out as my first initiation into a deeper connection with nature.

The magic of this blissful and fateful encounter with the plants was anchored into my consciousness and changed me forever!

The seeds of love for plants that found there way into my consciousness, began to germinate and grow in my twenties. After receiving a B.A. in Communication Disorders and working as a speech and language therapist/teacher for a number of years, I began to study plant medicine.I had the great honor of  learning from Herbalist, Spiritual Ecologist and Plant Spirit Medicine Practitioner, Pam Montgomery. This was my next initiation on my path with the plants.

My apprenticeship with Pam was a transformational experience that I still hold as a pivotal “moment” in my personal and professional evolution. Pam guided her students through a deep dive into healing the severed connection that is so prevalent with our bodies and souls, the plants and the planet. Her work touched me in ways that evokes gratitude in me still today.

My quest to connect people with the healing power of plants led me to complete a Flower Essence Practitioner Training with Alice Van Kamp of Planetary Energetics in NYC and an Advanced Herbal Training The Sage Mountain Retreat Center in Vermont. I had the blessing of having Rosemary Gladstar and other accomplished herbal pioneers responsible for the herbal renaissance in the U.S. as my teachers.

And then came my third initiation! More healing for me with the assistance of the plants!

I had just recovered from Lyme Disease, was coping with trauma from the past and my marriage was falling apart. I was so anxious I could hardly eat and dropped 30 pounds in 7 weeks. My soul screamed for growth like the screech of an eagle in flight.

Like something out of a classic American road trip movie, I took to the road for 3 months. I got in my car the day I had set to leave, shaking but…my body and soul knew I was on a journey to discover, recover and experience. This was a huge leap from the life I had created to keep me safe.

I had never done any traveling, not to mention solo, had just learned to drive my stick shift car and was driving into unknown territory (inner and outer). I had moments in the beginning of my journey when I seriously thought of turning back to go home to what felt safe. What helped me push through to a greater knowing?