Serving as Diana's Grove Staff

Cynthea 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. Cynthea 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, Cynthea 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.


Patricia Storm was “sponsored” by the vision of Diana’s Grove in 1993. Her preparation for following that vision includes a MA in Psychology and experience in working with special needs children, adults, and families. Additional preparation came from working as a telephone engineer and supervisor for 8 years. She can now wire the Grove for phone service and lead a group to discuss the philosophy of communication. Since founding Diana’s Grove with Cynthea Jones, Patricia has worked with everyone who has passed through the gate - in person, on line, or on the phone. She is committed to the philosophy of leadership and personal growth that is a part of and a continually developing process at Diana’s Grove. Patricia’s special interest in drumming has been fostered and grown by her work with Layne Redmond, Tommy Brunjes, and Glen Velez. She now has her own introductory frame drum video: The Frame Drum as a Tool for Transformation.


Jim Carey has been a member of Mystery School since 1997 and he has been a part of the greater Diana’s Grove community since 1995. Jim joined the staff at Diana’s Grove in 1998 and has been serving as a facilitator and presenter while being deeply committed to land management.

Jim is a lifelong devotee of rhythm and movement and he has studied extensively with Gabrielle Roth and Vin Marti. Jim teaches Slipping Into Dreamtime, a form of ecstatic trance movement and personal meditation. Jim presents this work at Diana’s Grove and in workshops around the Midwest . He has also studied frame drum and tambourine with Layne Redmond and he is actively seeking new ways to merge these two forms of rhythm together. Jim has been staffing and teaching since 1998.


Charles is a wandering spirit who has come to this work by daring to follow his heart and listening to the yearning of his soul. With faith and curiosity he has spent life roaming North America gathering an eclectic set of skills and experiences.

From these journeys have learned many lessons: how to survive on what is at hand, how to live in community, and how to solve problems without first worrying whether a solution can be found. His life is his spiritual practice, and sustainability and Earth stewardship are his passion.

He teaches skills in alternative and sustainable living through the Stewardship program, focused weekends and long-term apprenticeships.

Charles has taught at Sterling College, Diana’s Grove, Earth ActivistTrainings, Farm & Wilderness, Adirondack Leadership Expeditions, Witch Camps, Sacred Places, numerous mass mobilizations and workshops around the country.


Laurie Dietrich is a theatre artist and ritualist. Particularly interested in the intersection of spirituality and art, she functions as clergy in several earth-based spiritual communities, supporting growth and personal development work. She maintains colleagues and contacts in many alternative spiritual traditions and is herself a practicing Buddhist. She works with sisalfish to offer trance-based facilitation to educational, artistic, medical and spiritual communities in ritual and workshop formats. Closest to her heart, though, is their work with the dying, and those who care for them. Certified in thanatology by the National Institute for Death E ducation, they also offer trance- and ritual-based workshops in Deathwork – the process of entering into a relationship with death that supports a fuller, more vibrant life. More information about that work can be found at dreaminggate.com.

Laurie is the Managing Editor of Between the Worlds, the Grove’s quarterly online magazine, and co-facilitates the Ritual Arts email list. She teaches and coaches trance and ritual skills, and will help support the work of this year’s October Intensive.


Constance Fleming has been a student of nature's wisdom since her youth, when she spent long hours exploring and studying the woods and prairies around her home. Her intense curiosity about the plants, and the environments in which they make their homes. Deeply touched by the inter-dependence of all life, she later began to explore human community and studied psychology, earning a BA in that field, followed by a year of graduate study in social work.

Constance joined the Diana's Grove Mystery School community in 2000, bringing her love of both the natural world and healthy, life-sustaining communities to her work here. For two years she taught our online class, Nature Wisdom, and has taken groups of Mysteries on informative and magical nature walks during many intensives. She works closely with Cynthea Jones in the Diana's Grove Dog Rescue.


Lucinda is a passionate learner and teacher, devoted to building healthy, viable community. She has been a part of the Diana's Grove Mystery School community since 2001, and joined the staff in 2007. Lucinda's education and experiences as a voice/speech pathologist, vocal coach, percussionist, massage therapist, teacher, and choral music conductor unite in her work at Diana's Grove. Her focus is building group intimacy through voice, breath, sound, and movement. She facilitates groups in bringing an experience of the energy of sound and voice into the realm of the sacred and magical. She loves working with other vocalists and percussionists to hold sacred space through the magical energy of sound.

Lucinda loves the earth, and finds her spirituality tied closely to the outdoors. An avid dog-lover, she serves on the board of the Diana's Grove "Take a Friend Home" dog rescue. Outside of Diana's Grove, Lucinda offers a variety of community building, voice-related and wellness workshops including her newest "Weaving the Web of Sacred Interaction". She also owns and operates Elements of Wellness, a massage school and education center in St. Louis, Missouri (www.eowmassage.com).


Shaun Perkins is a poet, teacher, storyteller, and workshop presenter. She has a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in liberal studies and has been a high school/college teacher for over twenty years.

She facilitates the Grove's online writing class, and her Journey in Words workshops have been presented many times at Diana's Grove and for other organizations, such as the National Storytelling Network, the Popular Culture Society, the National Association for Poetry Therapy, Story Circle Network, and Tellabration.

For more information about her and her work, see www.journeyinwords.com. She is the co-author of two books, and information about them can be found at www.rumorperkins.com.


Raven is a wife, mother, and friend, massage therapist and massage therapy instructor. In other words, she is a Priestess. She has been a member of the Diana's Grove community since 2001. Raven is excited to join the staff this year, and is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence as she serves this community. She also continues her personal quest for health and wellness.

As the Rides Coordinator for the Grove, Raven is the Priestess who will contact drivers and coordinate your travel from St. Louis to Diana's Grove and back again whether you are traveling by plane, train or bus. She has been a proud member of the Board of Directors for the Diana's Grove "Take a Friend Home" dog rescue since its inception in 2005. She continues her work of transporting and fostering dogs when needed.


River Roberts has been involved in earth-based spirituality for over fifteen years, and has been involved with Mystery School since 2000. She has dedicated her life's work to the exploration of ecstatic ritual arts, authentic risk-taking, and connecting to Spirit with body and voice. An accomplished drummer and vocalist, River is often involved in making music of all kinds, and it's rare to find her not humming or tapping out a rhythm on a table or steering wheel. As a teacher in the Reclaiming tradition, River has traveled all over North America and Europe teaching everything from ritual creation to tarot at week-long intensives and in several local communities. Contact her at River@dianasgrove.com to find out how to bring her to your community. River lives in Chicago, IL with her roommate (another Mystery) and a very ornery tabby cat named Theseus.


Dr. L. Carol Scott (Canyon) has a mission: to develop human potential using the wisdom of childhood. Her programs and publications apply lessons from child development to adult relationships. Canyon believes that we can all have more authenticity, success, satisfaction and joy in those relationships, whether they are with friends, family, or romantic partners. Her PhD in developmental psychology, 30 years experience in that profession, and her training and experience in leadership development form the foundation of her work in this arena. In more than a dozen states, she has provided workshops, seminars, online and college courses, focus groups, and leadership in statewide and community initiatives to support human development as it was meant to be. As Dr. Scott, Canyon has been a participant in leadership development programs at the Center for Creative Leadership, the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Still, she proudly proclaims that her most profound leadership training has been, and continues to be, at Diana's Grove. She is currently writing a book on 7 Childhood Treasures. Learn more at www.LCarolScott.com


Michelle Solvej believes the work of Diana's Grove leads to transformation and growth that we can each take into our own hands. The personal work she has done in the Mystery School program has impacted her life on every level. Believing deeply in the value of creating healthy community through empowering others in personal growth, Michelle completed the Diana's Grove leadership training program in 2005 and joined the staff.

Michelle has taught at the University of Utah in women's studies, Gay and Lesbian issues, and for several years she ran a program at the University of Utah Medical school on empowering women patients. She began her personal growth-focused teaching experience as a Youth Leader at south Valley Unitarian Universalist Church leading spiritual growth for teenagers, and teaching classes on world religions. . As a licensed day-care provider, Michelle lives her values by nurturing children and offering them opportunities to develop their individual gifts and talents.

Michelle hopes to bring the opportunity of self-discovery and self-creation to the community of the Kansas City area by offering Grove-style classes, workshops, and events. Learn more about Michelle's work to build and sustain healthy community in Kansas City at www.MichelleSolvej.com


Elizabeth Wilson believes in the dream of a place where the values of respect, compassion, and integrity are lived; where a community of fellow seekers all have a place. She has found this dream at Diana's Grove, where she has been a staff member since completing her leadership training in 2003. She serves as the Rites Team mentor, where she helps leaders develop by seeing them both for who they are, and who they are becoming.

For over 20 years, Elizabeth 's profession has been working with and supporting disadvantaged people and those living with HIV and AIDS. As a case manager and advocate for people who can feel there is no hope, she helps them find their strength.

Elizabeth offers a movement program at the Grove that opens to door for people to fully experience their bodies. She has found the pure ecstatic joy that happens when we integrate mind and spirit with the sacred vessel of the body. Elizabeth hopes that the life-changing experiences at the Grove open people to the possibility of a better world.


Jennifer Wilson is an educator from Milwaukee, WI who holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and has extensive experience in adult education and professional development. In her home community, she is an Adventure Life Coach for people who seek to climb personal and professional mountains, and an educational consultant who focuses on systemsl reform, small school development, and teacher induction and retention. Jennifer has co-founded t wo high schools and is a National Facilitator with the National School Reform Faculty which conducts equity and leadership in education workshops around the country.

Jennifer's work as a member of the Diana's Grove staff centers around leading workshops such as The Art of Facilitation, serving as a leader in the Grove's online community, and writing for the online magazine. Jennifer believes that by learning about ourselves through myth and ritual, we can be of better service to the world in which we live. The outdoors is an integral part of her life and is where she goes for renewal as an avid backpacker, rock climber, mountain biker, whitewater kayaker, and cross-country skier; she is a NOLS certified Outdoor Educator.


Pamela Wilz is a facilitator, counselor and coach who holds an MA in Counseling with emphasis on Group Dynamics. In her home community, she offers workshops and seminars on Compassionate Communication and currently serves as a director in a social service agency. Pamela’s extensive background in the field of domestic violence expanded into a passion for understanding the complexities of human interaction. She believes in the potential of the human spirit and in the healing power of healthy interaction. Her desire to integrate skills and learnings from Diana’s Grove with all facets of her life led to her creation and continued development of the Taking it Home program. She also serves as co-mentor of the leadership-centered Initiatory Priestess Program.