Ayukîi,

The term "Two-Spirit” (meaning we embody both male and female spirits) was adopted by Indigenous Native American people in the early 1990s as an all-inclusive term for Native “homosexual,” “gay,” “lesbian,” “bi-sexual, “transsexual” and “intersex” people.

Two Spirit people are highly valued as medicine keepers and seers of our tribes. We hold/held many revered religious roles as healers, shamans, visionaries, and chiefs.

I am a 2Spirit/ Yurok/ Karuk/ Chimariko/Northern European ancestry, cancer survivor, and a late-in-life diagnosed autistic / neuro-divergent medicine woman. I am an enrolled tribal member of the Karuk Nation of Northern California. We live in the lush Pacific Northwest—Cowlitz & Western Klickitat first nations territory ( aka Battle Ground, WA ). Our local sacred Mountain is Lavelatla in Cowlitz; meaning ‘Smoking Mountain’, Loowitlarkla in Puyallup; meaning “Lady of Fire”, Si Yeti, meaning; ‘woman’ in Yakima, and Louwala-Clough in Klickitat— her colonized name is Mt. Saint Helens. She is still an active volcano, and it feels really powerful to live in her realm. I moved here in the Summer of 2017 with my beautiful wife, Rhae, and my Mom (Linda). My Mom passed away in Dec. 2017 from a long battle with breast cancer; her spirit is part of everything I do. We live on 7 acres of beauty with our three dogs, three cats, seven hens, and a rooster named Elvis.

We are surrounded by giant Doug Firs, Western Red Cedars, Maple, Pine, Magnolia, Willows, Red Alders, Quaking Aspen, Water Birch, Incense Cedar, Oregon Ash, Poplar, Apple, Pear, Plum trees, Horsetail, Blackberries, Skunk Cabbage, Ferns, Wild Strawberries & Roses, Burdock, Hawks, Owls, Woodpeckers, Flickers, Hummingbirds, Yellow finches, Thrushes, Chickadees, Stellar Jays, Ravens, Crows, Doves, Eagles, Herons, with a pond & creek that runs through our land. I planted many Elder Berry cuttings from my established trees in Portland. Every year they get bigger, and I hope to soon add a delicious elderberry syrup to our offerings down the road in our “Makers Special” tab. Moving away from the city was the most profound thing I could do for myself. I was having hearing problems with all the noise of the city, but now I can hear the quiet flutter of hummingbird wings 30 ft away and the whispers of my ancestors. I built a little medicine hut resembling a little barn that I use as my maker’s space. I rarely leave the house now, nor do I get properly dressed, for that matter! Makeup is my war paint for when I go to the city. I am eternally grateful to be here living the dream and stewarding this abundant land!

I have worked in herb/ supplement retail for a couple of decades and, until recently, owned a herbal apothecary in Portland, OR for the past ten years. Because of my work, I have witnessed the upsurge of more and more spiritual imbalances within our rapidly changing climate. We are now aware that we all carry intergenerational trauma in our DNA. Still, we are also navigating the constant barrage of racism, colonialism, homophobia, bullying, social media bombardment, and the ever-present patriarchal oppression. The accumulation of all these traumatic things we hold in our bodies manifests itself through spiritual & emotional illnesses like physical empaths (HSP), sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), fear, anxiety, addiction, depression, apathy, and intimacy phobias. As uncomfortable as all of this feels, I believe this era is a call to awaken all that was hidden ( Owl medicine, anyone? ). We have a lot of work to do, starting within (Bat Medicine).

The earth elements around us- plants, trees, crystals, and water- are our sacred spiritual allies. They want to help us navigate this evolving terrain. The formulas in the Two Spirit Medicinals line are spiritually crafted to restore the connection between body and spirit in these radically challenging times. I am the hands for Spirit. I do not create these medicines but rather listen for instructions from Spirit of what plants, trees, feathered friends, and stones want to be of service.

We make our medicine with only organic & ethically wild-crafted herbs, flowers, and gem essences to achieve the energetic spiritual nature of our potent drop dosage formulas.

We hope you enjoy connecting with our medicine as much as we enjoy creating them (meaning- ancestral spirits and I).
I give gratitude & honor to the Chinook, Cowlitz, Western Klickitat, Chinook, and all First Nations people that were caretakers of this land before us.

— Yôotva, Laurie Lava-Books

Karuk Tribal Member #D00973