by lee warren Sisters Leah and Chloe, education, international travel, and environmental and human of Rising , rights issues, playing at bars was are a well-known duo not going to be sustainable for in this part of the us.” mountains. Spoken It was in those early days that we, the organizers of the Southeast word poets, Women’s Herbal Conference, and playing based in Black Mountain, asked them to be a part of our annual songwriters and fall event. Our event is folksy in singers, acrobats, and nature with a focus on health, just all-around cool herbs, women’s empowerment, and, of all things, community. cats, these gals make It was a great fit and awesome a splash that’s hard to collaboration for the conference LEAH & CHLOE IN 2007, PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN to incorporate Leah and Chloe. In miss. the first few years, they led Song Herbal Symposium, not to through various conferences. Having grown up on Appalachian Circles and a class here or there mention her many appearances This herbalist saw that they old-time mountain melodies, but in time they stepped up to at gatherings and events all would be at Floyd Fest in July they began focusing on music as play a more prominent role in over the country. As Leah and and surmised that they would their creative voice and full-time many aspects of the conference. Chloe describe it, Rosemary be weary from so much travel. occupation five years ago. They They’ve spun fire, participated became their “Fairy Godmother.” She wrote to ask them what they decided early on that the big in ceremony, led songs at our Everywhere Rosemary went, might need, and showed up at industry record label and all the opening and closing circles, held Leah and Chloe were soon Floyd Fest to deliver a basket of hype that went with it was not for space at fire circles until late into to follow. They are now the herbs, tinctures, teas, and potions them. They wanted to be involved the night, and have just been darlings of the herb conference to support their health. in community-based music. general all-around performance circuit, appearing at festivals and Leah says, “We now have this Community is a central theme magicians. gatherings from the Northeast to web of incredibly grounded the Southwest. to them. It means not going on Along about 2007, our keynote women who are always extending stage focused on their mission, speaker Rosemary Gladstar, a Asked how they feel about that [themselves] to us and checking agenda or ideals but making prominent herbalist from the role, Leah says, “It’s been such a in. We continuously get cards, music for the circumstance and Northeast, was awe-inspired by blessing. In general we have been and notes, and letters from offering inclusion. They use Rising Appalachia when she saw carried into the music world by a Rosemary and others asking us words like fluid and interaction them work their magic at our bunch of different communities how we are.” and service. Early in their musical conference. Rosemary is well in such a supportive way.” As independent-label musicians, careers, this meant playing to connected in the herb world – She goes on to tell how, when finding niches where they are teahouses, children’s centers, running two conferences herself, Rising Appalachia was on a recent well loved is crucial. Mostly Unitarian churches, and juvenile both the Northeast Women’s music tour in , they received a for morale and audience and detention centers. Leah says, Herbal Conference, now in it’s touching email from an herbalist networking. But the relationship “Given that we are activists and 23rd year, and the International in Virginia who had met them is symbiotic. They feel embraced deeply involved in alternative

40 western north carolina woman wncwoman.com 828-689-2988 by the solidness of our herbal Herbal Conference program has Along: Becoming True Friends community and we have them been busy trying to empower with Women of Color, and this to help us build our community, women by encouraging the year Leah and Chloe will sit on which comes naturally to them. Wise Woman Ways of earth- a Panel Discussion on Diversity, It’s hard to fully describe their based healing, local plants, along with conference teachers music. Their current bio says and deep nourishment, Leah Osunyemi, Marcia Jones, and that they “tear into sound with and Chloe have brought us Ada-Belinda DancingLion for a sensual prowess as stages ignite something in addition to their dialog on race issues. revolutions and words light soul artistic talent. They helped It is wonderful to know they fires...” using “poetic voices in shape our conference in a are spreading song and sound divine harmonies, spoken word direction that we sorely wanted around the globe. In the rallies, , , many but didn’t know how to create. moments we are with them, they beats of many drums, kalimbas, True to their mission to “ignite take us out of our head- and spoons, washboard rants, and a cultural revolution and birth worry-oriented worlds into the waves of bridge buildings...” a new movement,” they held a rhythm of timelessness that All true. Yet with us they are strong voice for our conference music can bring. But the most acoustic and encouraging. They to take a stand in healing racial important and ongoing gift that share roots and traditional separation. A core element in only true artists can give is that their work, they encouraged and combine they inspire us to stretch. their knowledge of world and us to incorporate more racial to teach us simple diversity in our teaching staff, harmonies we can chant to enrich attract a more racially diverse Lee Warren is an organizer our times together. Like the participation, and offer some of the sixth annual Southeast traveling bards of old, you see consciousness-raising classes. Women’s Herbal Conference, an annual event being held on the street performers in them, And they helped us get there. October 1-3 at Lake Eden in Black the yoginis, and the homegrown This year’s teaching roster offers Mountain. She and the other staff poets. Each year they bring us six women of color out of 30. of the conference work year- new tattoos and funky outfits We continue to look at ways to round to offer this conference that awe the fashion-challenged increase participant diversity to women from across the among us. They lead us with their and have been successful along Southeast. (sewisewomen.com) trend-setting ways. those lines. Additionally, in 2009, She is also a homestead farmer, It’s curious to find these radical we offered a class called Getting writer, and member of Earthaven Ecovillage in Black Mountain, NC. artists amidst a bunch of middle-class and in large part middle-aged women at these various herbal events. When asked about the cultural divide, Leah graciously offers, “As I get older, my edges have soften a bit. I realize that pursuing an alternative way of living, an active and involved existence, doesn’t mean that everything has to be hard. I like reaching desolate souls that need to be reached, sure. But I never say to myself that this isn’t radical enough. This is important too.” While the Southeast Women’s PHOTO BY REBECCA D’ANGELO september 2010 celebrating the wisdom, strength and grace of women 41