Zoe Helene

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Zoe Helene
woman in jungle with ayahuasca vine
Zoe Helene with ayahuasca vine in the Peruvian Amazon photographed by Tracey Eller for Cosmic Sister
Born (1964-07-18) July 18, 1964 (age 57)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationFeminist, Cultural Activist, Artist, Environmentalist
Spouse(s)Chris Kilham (2007-present)
Websitewww.zoehelene.com

Zoe Helene (born July 18, 1964) is a classically trained multi-disciplinary artist, environmentalist, and cultural activist who founded Cosmic Sister, an environmental feminist collective, and originated  “psychedelic feminism.”[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Early life and early career[]

Helene grew up in New Zealand, where she moved in 1974. Both parents fought for a Nuclear Free Pacific.[10] Her mother, Ewanna Castanas, is a retired artist, gallery curator, and restaurant entrepreneur of Greek descent from Karyes (Arachova).[11] Her father, William Sprott Greene, Jr. is a retired artist of Jewish and Scottish descent. He was founding faculty of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and taught gifted performing artists and advocated for the sciences and arts as allies.[12][13] Helene left New Zealand at age 19 to attend college in the United States, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Brandeis University under mentor Patricia Zipprodt.[13][14]

During the 1990s, she was a high tech creative executive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she helped combine the arts and artificial intelligence and led a creative team of artists and engineers in developing early interactive media campaigns for Fortune 500 clients.[13][15][16][17] She also worked in the performing arts, and trained as a Disney animator.[16]

Cultural Activism[]

Helene is an advocate for the use of naturally occurring psychoactives and psychedelics, the “sacred plants,” and “psychedelic feminism,” a sub-genre of Eco-feminism she developed to help popularize intentional work with psychedelics for women’s “healing, empowerment, and self-liberation.” Many of her advocacy efforts are for education about gender equity in the psychedelic field and industry, and the benefits and risks of ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis as well as their legalization.[18][19]

In 2007, Helene founded the environmental feminist collective Cosmic Sister to provide women in the natural products industry with feminist support.[2] Cosmic Sister also promotes the responsible use of psychoactive and psychedelic plants and fungi with a focus on women’s rights and issues, and works toward gender parity in the field and industry of psychedelics through a series of interconnected educational advocacy projects.[5][6][7][20]

She is also a wildlife advocate who has published about animal rights and critically endangered species such as Mexican gray wolves and New Zealand's Maui's dolphin.[13][21]

Medicine Hunter[]

At age 40, Helene left her tech career.[20] In 2007, she married ethnobotanist Chris Kilham.[22] She has traveled the world with him for over a decade as part of the Medicine Hunter team, promoting sustainable medicinal plant trade, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability.[23][21][24]

She is a spiritual agnostic.[25]

References[]

  1. ^ Hewitt, Kim."Psychedelic Feminism: A Radical Interpretation of Psychedelic Consciousness?." The Journal for the Study of Radicalism. February 2019
  2. ^ a b Friedman, Leia. "Where Eco-Feminism and Psychedelics Meet." Psymposia. April 20, 2017
  3. ^ Boston Business Journal. [Boston Business Journal, March 1, 2018
  4. ^ MAPS./ "Psychedelic Feminism Grants Hand Talking Stick to Women." Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). July 10, 2018
  5. ^ a b Woodward, Lynn. "Empowering Women's Voices of the Psychedelic Renaissance." Utne Reader Mind and Body. June 2015
  6. ^ a b Richardson, Kate. "These Women are Fighting Sexism in Psychedelic Research." Vice. May 10, 2017
  7. ^ a b Jenny, Valentish. "Ayahuasca is the New Frontier for Psychedelic Feminism." Australian Broadcasting Corporation. August, 2018
  8. ^ Susan, Strongman. "The Woman Who Says Psychedelic Medicine Cured Her PTSD." Radio New Zealand. October 24, 2018
  9. ^ Tierney, Allison. "The Global Ayahuasca Community Is Reeling in the Wake of Recent Murders." Vice. May, 2018
  10. ^ Benson, Deborah. "Fresh Thread for Gallery." Rodney Times ARTBEAT. Feb, 1993
  11. ^ Neill, Rolfe. "Epicureans." The Charlotte Observer. September, 1960
  12. ^ Staff Reporter. "Course Stresses Originality, Blends Ballet, Geometry." Charlotte Observer. Feb, 1966
  13. ^ a b c d Kitchen, Patricia. "Artistry for the Small Screen." Newsday. September 1999
  14. ^ Tapp, Fiona. "The Feminist Who Helps Women Find Their Voices with Psychedelic Plants." The Wisdom Daily. May 11, 2017
  15. ^ Benavides, Lisa. "Marrying high art with high tech." Boston Business Journal. Aug. 9, 1996
  16. ^ a b Reidy, Chris. "As far as the Senate is concerned, Dr. Email is in." The Boston Globe. June 4, 1999.
  17. ^ Imperato, Gina. "The Email Prescription." Fast Company. April 20, 1999
  18. ^ Dazed (2021-07-02). "The women psychonauts taking on macho magic mushroom culture, and winning". Dazed. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  19. ^ "Massachusetts Woman Provides Grants to Try Psychedelic Plant Ayahuasca". BostonMagazine. January 1, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ a b Bess, Gabby. "Feminists are Going to the Amazon to Drink Ayahuasca." Broadly. Dec. 29, 2016
  21. ^ a b Hendricks, Steve. "In the Jungle with Dr. Feelgood." Outside Magazine. December 2013
  22. ^ Short, April M. "A Feminism on a Mission to Introduce Women to Ayahuasca, the 'Cosmic Spirit.'" Alternet. March 11, 2016
  23. ^ Ducharme, Jamie. "Massachusetts Native and Professor Chris Kilham is 'The Medicine Hunter.'" Boston Magazine. Dec. 3, 2014
  24. ^ Branson, Richard. "Screw Business as Usual." December 2011. Penguin Group. Pgs. 236-240
  25. ^ Godard, Julie K. "What is Psychedelic Feminism? An Expert Explains." Bust Magazine.

External links[]

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