Presenter Bios:

Cynthia Jones
Cynthia Jones followed a call to manifest the vision of a place where people could come for personal and spiritual growth, as well as leadership development. When she and Patricia Storm founded Diana's Grove in 1993, both a retreat center and a spiritual philosophy dedicated to healthy group interaction and community building was born. She is the primary force behind the Mystery School stories and material, and designs the weekend and week-long intensives. Cynthia has taught metaphysics, Tarot, and astrology for over 20 years, and her video, The Priestess' Journey through the Tarot invites the viewer into her unique process of bringing the cards out of the box and into conversation. In addition to her passion for myth and community development, Cynthia devotes much of her time to the Diana's Grove Dog Rescue operation, one of the no-kill independent rescues in Missouri, where she has helped to save the lives of countless dogs and puppies and find them homes across the United States and Canada.

River Higginbotham, Joyce Higginbotham
Joyce and River live in the St. Louis area, where they have been active as teachers and pagan community organizers for many years. They are the authors of Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions, and Pagan Spirituality: A Guide to Personal Transformation. More information on their books is available at RiverandJoyce.com. Joyce and River helped found the Council for Alternative Spiritual Traditions (CAST), which hosted public Pagan events in the Midwest, including the region’s largest free festival, the St. Louis Pagan Picnic. CAST itself disbanded a few years ago but one of it's major events, The St. Louis Pagan Picnic, is in its 15th year and continues to attract more than 2,000 each summer. River and Joyce also are participants in Diana’s Grove Mystery School where River is completeing a Rites of Passage intensive leadership training.

River (From Chicago)
River considers herself a lifelong student of ritual, and has dedicated much of her life to teaching and facilitating ecstatic ritual arts. She has served on the program staff of the Diana's Grove Mystery School for four years, taught throughout North America and Europe as a teacher in the Reclaiming tradition, and helped to organize and support several Earth-based communities throughout the Midwest. River lives on the north side of Chicago with a roommate, sixteen drums, and an obnoxious (but adorable) orange tabby cat. For more information on River including workshops she offers, visit her website at: www.rivermagic.org.

Lucinda Sohn
Lucinda is a Nationally Certified Massage Therapist, and Usui and Karuna Reiki Master Teacher. Lucinda has studied and practiced massage therapy techniques since 1994, and as a Voice Therapist specialized in techniques to relieve muscle tension in the neck and TMJ since 1984. Lucinda has been teaching courses and holding workshops in the St. Louis area since 1990, teaching nearly 1000 hours a year the past four years, and is also a staff member at Diana's Grove. Through her business, Elements of Wellness, Lucinda offers continuing education for massage therapists, offers an Internship program and sponsors network and study groups. She also teaches Usui and Karuna Reiki and meditation classes, and sponsors a Reiki share group.

Cynde Meyer
A publisher, teacher, bodyworker, consultant, and psychic, Cynde is a visionary whose mastery includes bringing large groups together - particularly through her Spirit Seeker magazine and Wholistic Living Expos. Cynde is a talented Bodyworker, nationally known clairvoyant, Feng Shui consultant, and teacher/presenter who is committed to bringing out the best in a person. Her specialties include readings, bodywork sessions, psychic parties, mind/body certification and classes, breathwork, conscious relationship coaching, teaching reiki, Feng Shui consultation, and holographic sound healing. Contact her at www.cyndemeyer.com

Charlie Bettis
Charlie Bettis has been involved with the St. Louis pagan community for 16 years. He has been a Celtic pagan teacher for most of that time and is a past member of the ruling council for the Clannada na Gaedelica, a Celtic traditionalist pagan group. He lives in the St. Louis area with his wife, Andrea.

Shauna Aura
Shauna dreams of impossible projects and brings them into being; creativity is her primary form of spiritual expression. She creates events, experiences, and spaces that facilitate personal growth. Formerly corporate consultant, Shauna freelances as a designer, artist, writer, and marketing strategist. She is completing a Rites of Passage leadership intensive year in the Diana’s Grove Mystery School. With her design and leadership experience, she has produced theatrical designs, themed parties, a masquerade ball, rituals, fundraisers, and recently enjoyed hauling rocks to build an outdoor shrine to Brigid.

Michelle Solvej
Michelle is an experienced facilitator of personal growth and spiritually transformative work. She is a teacher passionate about building and sustaining healthy community. Michelle believes that the spirarl path of seeking leads to transformation and growth, and she works to suport each person taking transformation into their own hands. Michelle Solvej is an experienced facilitator of personal growth and community building. In 2005 she completed intensive leadership training at Diana's Grove Mystery School and joined the staff. In the leadership program she studied group facilitation, ritual arts, personal growth, community development, and more. Michelle has taught at the University of Utah Medical School in women's studies, Gay and Lesbian issues, and for several years she ran a program at a medical school on "Empowering Women as Patients."

Ellen Bartin
Ellen Bartin has been in love with the art of astrology her whole life. She has studied with two internationally know astrologers, first as a member of the Steven Forrest Astrological Apprenticeship program and with Demetra George, author of the Asteroid Goddesses. Ellen holds a B.S.B.A. from the University of Missouri. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist and energy worker. Her previous career was in Marketing, specializing in employee motivation and helping entrepreneurs expand their businesses. She has been consulting with astrology clients since 1997. Ellen currently is in private practice in Wildwood, MO. She can be contacted by e-mail or by phone (636) 938-6343.

Bill Duvendack
Bill has been studying the metaphysical and the occult for most of his life in one form or another. A member of NCGR, as well as the Astrological Association of St Louis, Bill is very active in the astrological community, teaching as well as chart interpretations. Bill is also Secretary of Circle of Light Church, completing the ordination process while serving his community. His articles have appeared on Witchvox, as well as in the Astrological Association of St Louis' newsletter. Bill is also a longtime member of the Fellowship of Isis, and is a member of B.O.T.A. Bill constantly strives to experience all he can as he walks his path to better pass along his wisdom and insight for the growth of others. Familiar with many different aspects of spirituality, Bill is able to use this well-rounded knowledge base to reach many different people. He offers a number of Astrology workshops at Pathways in St. Louis

Steve Smith
A dancer and martial artist, Steve loves movement as a form of expression and divine communion. He is beginning an intensive year of leadership training at Diana's Grove and has facilitated movement workshops to help people discover their own presence and movement that connects them to their greater selves, and ecstatic movement that connects them to community. Steve dreams of creating a retreat center that works like a monastery where people can go and create whatever is in them to create, and explore forms of spirituality and creativity.

Selene
Bio coming soon