WEEKEND 2 ~ May 17th & 18th HARVESTING & MEDICINE MAKING
Saturday - HERBAL PREPARATIONS * Rituals & Practices of Medicine Making. * Hands-on folk herbal preparations. * How to make tinctures, teas, infusions, vinegers, oxymels, glycerites, and salves. * Herbal constituents, extracts, and methods.
Sunday - WILDCRAFTING & TREE MEDICINES * Rituals & Practices of Plant Harvesting and Wildcrafting * Plant Communication & Offerings * Harvesting herbs in an ethical, respectful, and sacred way. Endangered & Native Plants * Tree Walk. Medicinal uses & lore of trees ~ Birch, Peach, Cherry, Evergreens, Willow, Magnolia, Linden, Hawthorn, Apple, Ginkgo, Elderberry * Wildcrafting and medicine making from trees, spring bark harvesting.
WEEKEND 3 - June 7th & 8th PLANT COMMUNICATION & CONSCIOUSNESS SHIFTING PLANTS
Saturday - CONSCIOUSNESS SHIFTING PLANTS * Consciousness Shifting & Plant Spirit Medicine practice. * Spirit/dream journeying, communicating with earth spirits. * Meditation, brain waves & altered states of consciousness. * Third eye opening, nervine & dream herbs ~ Mugwort, Wild lettuce, Blue vervain, Elder flower, Lavender, Damiana, Kava, Egyptian Blue Lotus.
Sunday - COMMUNICATING WITH PLANTS * Communicating and Journeying with plants. * Spring Plant & Tree identification & harvesting. * Garden Walk ~ Meditating with plants in the gardens. * Ritual & Magical herbalism.
WEEKEND 4 ~ July 5th & 6th ROOT CHARA & IMMUNE SYSTEM HERBS
Saturday - THE ROOT CHAKRA & IMMUNE SYSTEM * The Root Chakra journey. Overview & Therapies. * Honouring our lineages & Ancestors. * The Immune system overview, protection and boundaries. * Herbs for healing and strengthening the immune system. * Adaptogens, Deep-immune tonics, Immune stimulating herbs ~ Astragalus, Reishi, Siberian ginseng, Schisandra, Rhodiola, Ashwagandha, Elderberry, Calendula
Sunday - PLANT WALK & BOTANY * Plant Identification, plant families & botany. Using a plant key. * Garden & Woods plant walk * Sacred, ethical, and wildcrafting techniques. * Root Chakra & Immune System continued.
WEEKEND 5 ~ August 2nd & 3rd SACRAL & REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM HERBS
Saturday - REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM & SACRAL CHAKRA * Sacral Chakra Journey ~ Overview & Therapies * Plant allies for the reproductive system ~ Red raspberry, Shatavari, Hibiscus, Damiana, Motherwort, Ashwagandha, etc. * Endocrine system & Hormone balancing with phytosterols. * Herbs for balancing androgens and estrogens. * Herbal support for menstruation, fertility, pregnancy, and menopause. * Genitourinary herbal medicine, prostate health and andropause. * Transgender herbal health care & support.
Sunday - APHRODISIACS & FLOWER ESSENCES * Herbal Aphrodisiacs & Pleasure plants * Meditations & Healing with Flowers. * Flower walk & Flower essence making. * Communication with flowers. * Flower ID & Plants for pollinators.
WEEKEND 6 ~ September 6th & 7th SOLAR PLEXUS & DIGESTIVE SYSTEM HERBS
Saturday – THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM & SOLAR PLEXUS * The Solar Plexus - Herbs that heal and nourish the solar plexus * The Digestive System – Holistic & Herbal Healing * Healing digestive imbalances with plants ~ Turmeric, Ginger, Orange, Dandelion, Lemon balm, Mints * Sacred Plant Medicine for self love & self-care
Sunday - HERBAL ENERGETICS & SAFETY LEVELS * Herbal energetics explored. * Herb safety levels, dosages, & tastes. * Doctrine of Signatures, reading the physical nature of a plant. * Yin/Yang, Four Element Theory.
WEEKEND 7 ~ October 4th & 5th THE HEART CHAKRA & CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
Saturday - THE HEART CHAKRA & THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM * The Heart Chakra ~ Nourishing & strengthening * Herbal healing for the heart and circulatory system ~ Hawthorn, Ginkgo, Rose, Cayenne, Garlic, Linden, Motherwort, Peach * Heart & Circulatory system therapies * Herbs for grief, love, and compassion.
Sunday - WOODLAND PLANTS OF NEW ENGLAND * Forest Walk & Plant Identification. * Meditations with Woodland plants. * Endangered Native plant protection & care. * Heart Chakra continued.
WEEKEND 8 ~ October 25th & 26th THE THROAT CHAKRA & RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Saturday - THROAT CHAKRA & THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM * The Throat Chakra ~ Clearing & healing therapies. * Herbal medicine the respiratory system ~ Mullein, Elecampane, Sage, Thyme & Mints, Evergreens (Spruce, Pine, Fir, Juniper) * Breath work, song, silence, and chanting. * Sacred herbs for communication & channeling.
Sunday ~ HARVESTING FALL ROOTS & SEEDS * Harvesting roots & root medicine making! * Eating, preserving, processing root medicine and food. * Harvesting medicinal herb seeds & Seeds saving * Fall plant harvests & Tincture straining from the year
WEEKEND 9 ~ Novemebr 14th - 16th (3 days) THE THIRD EYE & NERVOUS SYSTEM
Friday - HERBS FOR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM & THE THIRD EYE * Third eye chakra ~ Thinking & Dreaming mind * Herbal medicine for nourishing and supporting the nervous system ~ Skullcap, Oatstraw, Ashwagandha, St. John’s Wort, Ginkgo, Adaptogens, Gotu kola * Holistic healing for stress, depression, and anxiety. * Herbal pain relief & muscle relaxants.
Saturday - THE SACRED WHEEL & GRADUATION CEREMONIES * The Sacred Wheel / Medicine Circle in healing and magic. * The four elements and four directions. * Journeying within the Wheel, opening doors, meeting allies. * Prayer, Meditation, and Offerings to earth spirits. * Sharing final projects from each apprentice.
Sunday - CROWN CHAKRA & CLOSING CEREMONY * Crown Chakra - Journeying & guided meditations. * Closing Ceremonies & Circle Offerings. * Final Presentations continued. * Celebration & Potluck!
Courses will be held from 10:30am - 6pm on weekends in Westminster, VT. There will be a break for lunch around 1:30pm. Students are asked to bring a potluck dish to share! Tea, herbs, and class supplies provided. Classes will be divided up into lecture and either field or hands-on study. We will be learning directly from the plants as often as possible. Please make sure you always bring your journal, potluck offering, harvesting or medicine making supplies (not needing on first class weekend), and anything for your wellbeing and comfort. We have couches, chairs, back jacks and cushions for everyone.
*** Bring warm clothes during the colder months or in case of rain. All class announcements as far as location changes and syllabus changes will be relayed through facebook group and e-mail.
Blessings on your journey!
Suppliers of *Organic* Herbs
Jean’s Greens, www.jeansgreens.com. Very high quality locally harvested herbs located in NY.
Pacific Botanicals, www.pacificbotanicals.com. Very high quality organic herbs at a fairly good price, located on the west coast.
Mountain Rose Herbs , www.mountainroseherbs.com. Generally quality (though sometimes unpredictable) organic herbs at a good price. Located on the west coast. Ask for the 10% discount as an herbal student. 40% off for group orders!
Arena Botanicals, www.avenabotanicals.com. Very good high quality locally harvested tinctures, located in Maine.
RECOMMENDED BOOKLIST
** = Assigned readings. The first five books listed are highly recommended for this course. * = Recommended additional texts for course.
COURSE BOOKS ~
** The Gift of Healing Herbs by Robin Rose Bennett ** Braiding Sweetgrass; Gathering Moss Robin Kimmerer ** Body in Balance by By Maria Noel Groves ** Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb
ALSO RECOMMENDED ~
* How to Move Like a Gardener By Deb Soule * The Complete Herbal Tutor: A Structured Course to Achieve Professional Expertise by Anne McIntyre * The Complete Floral Healer by Anne McIntyre * Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, By Gail Faith Edwards Plant Spirit Medicine, By Eliot Cowan * Herbal Rituals, By Judith Berger * Working the Roots: Over 400 Years of Traditional African American Healing by Lee, Michele Elizabeth * Healing Wise, By Susan Weed * The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature by Stephen Harrod Buhner * Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness by Pam Montgomery Healing with Herbs and Rituals: A Mexican Tradition by Eliseo Torres The Earthwise Herbal Series by Matthew Wood Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine, By Simon Mills A Modern Herbal, By Mrs. M. Grieve African American Slave Medicine: Herbal and non-Herbal Treatments by Herbert C. Covey The Yoga of Herbs, By Dr. David Frawley Planetary Herbology, By Michael Tierra Woman Who Glows in the Dark: A Curandera Reveals Traditional Aztec Secrets of Physical and Spiritual Health by Elena Avila Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings by Mary Siisip Geniusz The Energetics of Western Herbs (Vol. 1 & 2), By Peter Holmes Herbal Antibiotics By Stephen Harrod Buhner The New Holistic Herbal, By David Hoffman Sacred Plant Medicine and The Lost Language of Plants By Stephan Harrold Buhner The Book of Herbal Wisdom, By Mathew Wood A Woman's Book of Herbs, By Deb Soule Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology, By Pam Montgomery The New Age Herbalist, By Richard Mabey Wisdom of the Plant Devas: Herbal Medicine for a New Earth Paperback by Thea Summer Deer Witch’s Heal, By Billie Potts
PLANT IDENTIFICATION BOOKS:
** Newcomb's Wildflower Guide by Lawrence Newcomb * Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs, By Steven Foster & James Duke.
