Bonus Episode: Women, Mycology & Medicine: How Mushrooms Changed My Life (+ a Special Series Announcement!)

What if the key to improved health and sustainability lies within the quiet growth of forest fungi?

Welcome to Heal With Mushrooms, a space where science, intuition, and the wisdom of fungi come together to inspire healing, transformation, and connection. I’m Cassandra, your guide on this journey into the magic, medicine, and mystery of mushrooms.

In this post, I’ll share my personal journey into mycology, the vision behind Heal With Mushrooms, and introduce an upcoming series celebrating 11 extraordinary women who are shaping the future of fungi in ways you may have never imagined.

Healing With Mushrooms: A Way of Being

Healing with mushrooms isn’t just about taking a tincture or brewing a tea—it’s a way of seeing the world. Fungi have always been here, quietly teaching us about resilience, renewal, and interconnectedness.

• Reishi brings deep nervous system support, offering a sense of calm and restoring balance.

• Lion’s mane sparks new neural pathways, reminding us that growth is always possible.

• Psilocybin opens doors to deeper self-awareness, helping us reconnect with our intuition and place in the greater web of life.

But true healing isn’t just about what we consume—it’s about what we reconnect with. Mushrooms thrive in cycles, turning decay into nourishment, breaking down what is no longer needed, and transforming it into something new. They remind us that nothing is wasted, everything has a purpose, and endings are just beginnings in disguise.

My Journey Into Mycology

I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming a mycologist. But I did grow up fascinated by the unseen world—the quiet intelligence of nature, the way life pulses beneath the surface, hidden but ever-present. As a child, I spent my time mixing potions from acorns and berries, believing in the quiet magic of the forest. Even then, I knew that healing could be found in nature’s gifts.

Years later, mycology found me when I was ready to listen. One of my most pivotal experiences was taking a medicinal mushroom course at UC Santa Cruz. It was there that I realized mushrooms were more than food—they were our allies. They work in harmony with the earth, the body, and the spirit, teaching us how to heal holistically.

At the same time, I was studying permaculture, learning how ecosystems regenerate themselves. Fungi were everywhere, silently weaving life together beneath the soil. I discovered how mycelium acts as a communication network, exchanging nutrients, carrying messages between trees, and helping forests thrive. Mycelium is the underground intelligence that holds entire ecosystems together.

I started seeing these patterns everywhere—not just in nature, but in life. We are all connected. We heal in relationships, in community, in reciprocity with the land. The deeper I went into mycology, the more I saw its reflection in my own journey—how growth requires surrender, how true healing happens through connection, and how fungi are here to guide us if we are willing to listen.

Why Women & Mycology Belong Together

For centuries, women have walked with mushrooms—as healers, foragers, medicine makers, artists, and teachers. They’ve tended the land, passed down knowledge, and shaped the future of mycology. But too often, their names have been left out of history.

Fungi themselves hold a deeply feminine nature. They move in cycles, rhythms, and unseen spaces. They are both science and intuition, structure and flow, the bridge between worlds. Who better to explore this than women?

That’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to my upcoming series:

Introducing: Women Shaping the Future of Mycology

In the next few episodes, I’ll be introducing you to extraordinary women who are working with fungi in ways you may have never imagined. These women are:

🌿 A naturopath using medicinal mushrooms for deep healing.

🍽 A wild-crafting chef creating nourishment from fungi.

🧺 A forager listening to the land, gathering with reverence.

🎨 An artist capturing the spirit of mushrooms in her work.

🔬 Citizen scientists making discoveries outside of institutions.

🍄 Psychedelic facilitators guiding healing journeys.

🌲 An outdoor educator teaching the next generation to honor the land.

Each of these women brings something unique and powerful to the world of fungi. Their wisdom is needed. Their voices deserve to be heard.

An Invitation to the Listener

This series is for you. Whether you are a scientist, a healer, a seeker, or simply someone drawn to the quiet magic of fungi, you belong here.

I hope these stories inspire you. I hope they deepen your relationship with mushrooms, with nature, and with yourself. Because when we talk about healing with mushrooms, we’re not just talking about the body—we’re talking about healing our relationship with the earth, with each other, and with the unseen forces that guide us all.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Thank you for joining me on this journey into the magical world of mushrooms. Just like mycelium, we are all interconnected, and together, we can heal ourselves, our communities, and the planet.

🌿 If today’s post sparked something in you, I’d love to hear about it!

Tag me on Instagram @HealWithMushrooms and share your own mushroom stories.

🌿 Enjoyed this post?

Subscribe to the Heal With Mushrooms podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could use a little mushroom magic.

🌿 Remember:

“Healing happens one spore at a time.” 🍄✨

3 Quick Takeaways

1️⃣ Mushrooms are more than medicine—they are teachers, guiding us in cycles of transformation, resilience, and regeneration.

2️⃣ Women have always played a vital role in mycology, yet their contributions have often gone unnoticed. It’s time to celebrate their wisdom and impact.

3️⃣ Mycelium reminds us that healing is not solitary—we thrive through connection, reciprocity, and honoring our place within the web of life.