Clysta Kinstler taught philosophy, religion, and women's studies at American River College in Sacramento, California. Her novel, The Moon Under Her Feet: The Story of Mari Magdalene In The Service of The Great Mother was first published in 1989 (San Francisco: Harper & Row; HarperOne paperback reprint, 1991); later entitled Mary Magdalene, Beloved Disciple (Cygnus Books, Llandeilo; 2005)