For Deb, the natural world has always been a part of life, whether canning vegetables, spinning wool, or managing her own woodlot with her forestry degree. Prior to retiring in 2020, Deb worked as a natural resource conservationist, running programs for USDA and NRCS. And before her role in helping landowners, she was a nurse's aide and an administrator for a human resources agency. Since retirement, she has become a Reiki practitioner, volunteer hospice worker, End-of-Life doula, and the proud owner of Ancestral Moon Herbals. 

But her very first job? “Being a mom of three was my first and most fulfilling profession,” she said. Her ability to nurture growth and care for others was invaluable as a mother.

For many years, Deb’s eldest son would support her gardening, helping with soil prep and plants. “In the fall of 2023, my oldest son died of suicide from PTSD in the military…My younger son, a disabled vet, became stricken with a debilitating disease requiring ongoing care and my husband underwent several years of medical treatment…I took that winter to re-evaluate my life and my purpose. I chose to be of service. In 2024, I sold the farmstand, a hoop house, and the flock of sheep to young local families.” 

Deb transitioned the land, and a year ago, on May 29, 2025, Ancestral Moon Herbals was born. From hardship sprung flowers and herb gardens, a space for Reiki and healing, a place others could come and experience the wisdom of ancestral plants. 

Ancestral Moon Herbals is a space designed to help others, to give people grounding and peace. The four walls, wrapped with grapevines and the sprawling limbs of a birch tree, represent the four cardinal directions and their associated earthly elements. It’s filled with generations-old furniture, a stained-glass window, and jars of dried herbs, soaps, flower essences, aromatherapy sprays, bath salts, products made with flowers and herbs grown by Deb in her garden. Organic methods and no chemicals, the only additives being Reiki-infused intention. 

Herbalism holds a special place in Deb’s life. “How many of us remember a great grandmother who used plants to cure what ails you?” she asked. “Since early times, women have been known as the healers of their tribe or community serving as midwives, herbalists and shamans. They identified, foraged and had intimate knowledge of plants and herbs not only for food but for medicine…”

Everyday remedies made with medicinal plants, the “people’s medicine,” as Deb calls it. At Ancestral Moon Herbals, she taps back into these healing properties and brings them to life with flower essences and teas. She offers books for anyone interested in the herbal products right in their own backyard: chamomile to promote sleep, holy basil to reduce stress, yarrow to clear congestions, calendula to promote healing skin. It’s a way to educate people, a way to discover how our ancestors used to live.

“It is a remembering of what was once forgotten,” she said.

In her Reiki, hospice, and doula work, she said, “I use the power of listening and the gentle holding of a hand at the ever-so-sacred bedside end-of-life passage for those who do not want to walk this journey alone. I let the universal energy flow through me during Reiki standing alongside those seeking understanding, release, alignment, peace and closure.”

The healing journey for those she cares for and their families can start with something as simple as a cup of tea and a conversation. Just taking the time to hear everyone’s stories, providing a safe space and a sense of comfort can make all the difference.

“It's so simple to be kind, show compassion, and take time to listen. For every person I serve, I learn something about myself and grow. It comes down to the golden rule, ‘Treat others the way you'd want to be treated,’ and ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world, one person at a time.’ There is a ripple effect.”

From birth to end-of-life, we all need support. As Deb said, “From a calming bath tea for babies made with soothing chamomile, lavender and lemon balm to a relaxing foot bath tea for hospice patients…everything we need has been provided for us by Mother Nature if we just remember!”

The Ancestral Moon Herbals shop at 46 Middle Rd, Hancock, NH 03449 is open Friday through Sunday, and Reiki services are available by appointment Sunday through Saturday. Contact Deb at (603) 525-8127.

She is also planning to hold educational workshops in the near future, so stay updated for more information!