Hi! I’m Risa. My surface level human story is that I was born and raised in California, went to school for Biology and have lived in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico & Costa Rica. Over the course of my life I’ve worked as a Science Teacher, Research Assistant, Penguin & Shark husbandry, Astrologer, Bartender, Photographer, Makeup Artist, social media manager, executive assistant, reiki teacher, driver, percussion therapist, chiropractic assistant, medicine woman … all which have given me different skill-sets and experiences across many environments and lifestyles.

Over the course of 19 years in the beauty world, I freelanced for myself and worked for cosmetic companies MAC, Makeup Forever, Clinique, OCC and Beauty Blender. Many moons ago (2009-2010) I had a successful YouTube channel (55k subs) & in the fashion realm I worked 10 seasons of NYFW, keying 2 shows for Wildfox & Ann Yee and supporting brands in advertising imagery, lookbook and magazine shoots throughout the years. A list of some of my clients can be found at the “notable” link above.

I began to take Reiki classes in 2014 and received my Shinpiden (Teacher / Master) attunement in 2017 from an Amazonian maestro & death doula.

The deeper level soul story is that nature was my first friend and remains my nearest and dearest confidant. My earliest memories consist of watching lightning over mountains with my fingers pressed against a window wet with rain water, the sound of crabs click clacking as they scattered across concrete, and a frog that jumped onto my Dad’s shoulder at the dinner table. My dreams rarely ever include people but animals, plants and flying are more often than not a part of them.

My camera has been consistently in my hand since I was 7 and photography along with makeup were the art forms that most supported me via play & expression while I was recovering from cancer. I began to understand even deeper the value of vision and how it can be used as a tool to support the subconscious.

I’ve spent more time in hospitals than the average person, both supporting friends and family from a very young age, and while healing from Leukemia myself as a young adult. Navigating western medicine in both such a personal way and after years spent observing from the sidelines, sent me down a path of studying and practicing indigenous (traditional / natural) medicine. I’ve been sitting with psychedelic medicine (psilocybin, Ayahuasca, Hikuri, NN-DMT) the last 10 years and in practice guiding / supporting others the last 4. I am passionate about the medicine found within venom: I’ve watched and continue to experience first hand the beautiful depth found within the healing powers of Naja kaouthia, Bothrops asper, Crotalus atrox, Bufo alvarius, Phyllomedusa bicolor and others.

Speaking star feels like my first language. My mom loves to bring up how I wished for my sister on one. In middle school she introduced me to Astrology and I’ve been passionately engaged ever since. I feel transits in my body as they build up before becoming exact and Astrology gave me the language to be able to communicate what energy is moving, how to navigate it and how best to prepare for what’s building.

In Western Astrology I’m a Scorpion sun, Aries Moon (underworld warrior), with a chart ruled by Venus, an ENFP personality type and a Reflector in Human Design. I’ve been living in Mexico for the last 5 years exploring and expanding while deepening into the plant path and meeting beautiful souls.