I’m Nicolina, founder of Casa Alchemista Botanica. I am an herbalist, medicine maker, wild-crafter, tarot diviner, & energy healer. I am Panamanian-American, with a diverse ancestral heritage spanning from Indigenous, African, and Caribbean lineages.  

I am deeply inspired by Madre Tierra/Mother Earth/Pachamama and all her magic— the plants, animals, oceans, mountains, and medicines she unconditionally provides us. 

Since I was a young girl, I have been tapped into the spirit and the unseen worlds. As a quiet and shy child, I developed a keen understanding of energy and intuition that led me to explore and study the worlds of magic and mysticism.  

Many years ago, after spending time studying and teaching yoga at an Ashram, I moved to the Appalachian Mountains in the native lands of the Tsalaguwetiyi (Eastern Band of the Cherokee). I was blessed to find myself in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. It was here that I found my passion for herbal medicine and plants.  

I began to spend lots of time in the forests with the plants. Learning from them, listening to their stories, harvesting and learning to make medicines from them, growing them, and constantly being in awe of their wisdom and medicine. I knew I found my purpose and the path I was meant to walk. I started my self-study in herbalism in 2015 and decided to go for my formal herbalism education and graduated from the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in 2020.  

Spending time with the plants in the forests ignited a long-lost memory in my soul— the healing traditions and ways of my ancestors. It is now my life’s work to reconnect with the old ways of healing, in the footsteps of our ancestors. I am committed to continuous learning and decolonizing wellness by connecting back to ancestral traditions and creating spaces that support accessibility to herbalism and culturally relevant healing.

The idea of Casa Alchemista came to me several years ago sitting in my kitchen. My purpose for creating this space is to empower and help others (re)connect to Earth, to the plants, to traditional ways of healing, to ancestors, to one’s own alchemy and knowing. I believe we are our own healers; my work is to simply serve as a guide into the gateway of your own inner alchemy.