~ A Year of Gaia ~

Sacred Plant Medicine & Traditional Herbalism Course
Online with Sage Maurer & Guest Teachers

12 Months of Modules ~ Open Enrollment
Registration still open through the summer!

A Year of Gaia is a comprehensive year long distance course in traditional folk herbalism, based on the popular Year One Sacred Plant Medicine Apprenticeship we have run for 20 years. This is the foundational course we offer that has nurtured hundreds of budding herbalists and plant lovers over the years! A Year of Gaia will deepen your relationship to the world's healing plants, and provide a strong foundation in the herbalism of our ancestors. The plants we will be journeying with become intimate guides and teachers for a lifetime.

Every month on the new moon we will send you lessons corresponding with each session of The Year One Sacred Plant Medicine Apprenticeship for a full year. Go at your own pace, and join us for twice monthly live classes, or watch class recordings on your own time. Lessons will include plant medicine journeys, herbalism lectures, recorded guided meditations, plant profiles, understanding body systems holistically, and healing rituals that make up the roots of our practice at The Gaia School.

Course content will be accessed through A Year of Gaia website. Every new moon you will receive 5 - 10 videos every month, audio lectures, guided meditations, optional twice monthly live zoom classes, written content, and handouts. After 12 months you'll receive lifetime access to all course content, moving at your own pace through each lesson. All live zoom calls throughout the year are recorded, so no matter when you start you’ll be able to watch the recorded live classes from home. Year of Gaia as well as all our in person courses combine plant spirit medicine, traditional herbalism, ethnobotany, holistic anatomy and physiology, guided meditation, earth based ceremony, medicine making, and journeys with the healing spirits of Gaia.

For students wishing to repeat Year of Gaia, join us for a discounted rate and continue joining live classes for another year! Please use the discounted rate if you have finished our in person Year One Apprenticeship as well.

SAMPLE MONTH $45 ~ We’re offering our first module as a sample to see if you’d like to join us for the full year! * Live classes are only for students registered for the full course.

Learn at your own pace.

Throughout this course you will receive Sage's mentorship through live classes, videos, audio recordings, and written content each month, as well as an online community of others journeying with the plants. Through our online class group you will be able to ask questions and receive guidance for an entire year.

Optional live zoom classes meet 2 times a month on Wednesdays, at 1pm EST and 6pm EST to accommodate different time zones. Our live classes are only available for students who have purchased the full course. Live classes include guided meditations, lessons for that module, simple rituals, and time to ask questions. All 24 live zoom calls are recorded and made available on the Year of Gaia website for future viewing!

Registration for Year of Gaia

The Gaia School of Healing’s sacred plant medicine courses from home!

PAYMENT PLAN ~ Monthly tuition payments via credit card

Pay your tuition spread out over the course of a year! Automatic payment of $65 a month for 12 months. You will receive each module monthly on the new moon from April - March 2023. Includes 12 months of lessons, bonus lessons, and 24 live zoom calls (over 2 hours each). *** No matter when you start your payment plan, you will you will only be charged for 12 months for your course tuition. After 12 months you will receive lifetime access to all course content including all live recorded zoom classes.

Payment Plan will open again in the winter for the 2023 courses. If you need a payment plan option, you will need to pay for the months released so far (beginning April 2022) before we can begin a payment plan for you. Please email us if you need this option!

COURSE TUITION VIA PAYPAL OR CREDIT CARD ~ Discounted single payment

One discounted single payment of $680 ~ You will receive access to the full course April 2022. Including 12 months of lessons, access to two monthly live zoom classes for a full year, and bonus lessons. Includes unlimited access to all course content, 24 live zoom classes (over 2 hours each) all recorded for future viewing.

Join us for a full year of plant magic and healing…

A Year of Gaia ~
Sacred Plant Medicine Course

Online Course Includes ~ 16 Sessions

Course Syllabus

You are welcome to start the course anytime and watch the modules at your own pace.
Live Two Hour Zoom Classes ~ Twice Monthly
All 24 classes recorded for future viewing. Live classes are only for students who have signed up for the full course. Go at your own pace with unlimited access!

Nourishing Roots - April

Session One ~ Welcome ceremony, and guided meditations. Offerings to the Earth & Spirits. The Wise Wo/man Tradition (Tradition of the Elders). Plant allies. Nourishing medicinal herbs. Restorative herbalism. Nettles, Oatstraw, Chickweed, Burdock, Dandelion, Violet. Making fresh herbal juices. Daily nourishing self care. Harvesting & preparing spring edible plants. 

Live Zoom Classes (Optional and recorded)~
April 6th ~ 1pm EST
April 20th ~ 6pm EST

Ritual & Offerings - May

Session Two ~ Offerings & Creating sacred space with earth spirits. Blessings herbs: Spruce & Pine Resins, Mugwort, Juniper, Sage, Cedar, Sweetgrass, Frankincense, Copal, Dragon’s Blood, Myrrh and others. Sacred Plant Conservation & Cultural Appropriation. Traditions of our Ancestors & Sacred offerings. Cleansing, clearing, protecting, and banishing herbs. Consciousness Shifting Herbs ~ Mugwort, Passionflower, Blue Lotus, Kava kava, Damiana, and Blue Vervain. Beltane & Spring Rituals. Meditation, brain waves & altered states of consciousness.

Live Zoom Classes (Optional and recorded)~
May 4th ~ 1pm EST
May 18th ~ 6pm EST

Harvesting & Wildcrafting - June

Session Three - Ceremony & Practice of Plant Harvesting & Wildcrafting. Plant Communication & Energy exchange. Offerings to the Earth. Harvesting herbs in an ethical, respectful, and sacred way. Wild foods and edible plants of the spring and early summer. Endangered Native plant protection & care. Litha & Summer Solstice rituals.

Live Zoom Classes (Optional and recorded)~
June 8th ~ 1pm EST
June 22nd ~ 6pm EST

Sacred Medicine Making - July

Session Four - Ceremony & Practice of Medicine Making. Hands-on folk herbal preparations. How to make tinctures, teas, infusions, and salves. Medicine making with the moon phases, incorporating blessings and prayers. Herbal constituents, extracts, and methods. Herbal energetics explored. Herb safety levels, dosages, & tastes. Yin/Yang, Four Element Theory.

Immune System & Root Chakra - August

Session Six ~ The Root Chakra journey. Rebuilding, nourishing, & strengthening. 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 (Eleuthero), Schizandra, Holy basil, Ashwagandha, Elderberry, and Maca. Lamas/Midsummer Rituals.

Reproductive System & The Sacral Chakra - September

Session Seven ~ Sacral Chakra & Plant allies for the reproductive system. 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. Herbal Aphrodisiacs & Pleasure plants. Red raspberry, White peony, Red clover, Vitex, Motherwort, Angelica, Cacao, Vanilla, and Hibiscus. Mabon / Fall equinox rituals.

Solar Plexus & Digestive System - October

Session Eight ~ The Solar Plexus - Healing plants for the solar plexus. Solar plexus prayers, rituals, and healing practices. The Digestive System overview – Holistic & Herbal Healing. Healing digestive issues with plants. Sacred Plant Medicine for self-care and self love. Ginger, Turmeric, Lemon balm, Sweet & Bitter Orange, Marshmallow, and Dandelion. Samhain Rituals.

Heart Chakra & Circulatory System - November

Session Nine ~ The Heart Chakra ~ Healing & strengthening. Plant allies for the heart and circulatory system. Heart chakra prayers, rituals, and healing practices. Heart & Circulatory system therapies. Herbs for grief, love, and compassion - Linden, Rose, Motherwort, Hawthorn, Wild Cherry, Rhodiola, & Gingko.

Respiratory System & Throat Chakra - December

Session Ten ~ The Throat Chakra ~ Holistic therapies to restore health. Throat chakra prayers, rituals, and healing practices. Herbal medicine the respiratory system. Strengthening plant allies for the lungs. Sacred plants for channeling, expression, & breath - Mint family, Sage, Elecampane, Mullein, Angelica, Calamus, Pine, and Evergreens. Yule / Winter Solstice rituals.

Nervous System & Third Eye - January

Session Eleven ~ Third eye chakra ~ Awakening the dreaming mind. Herbal medicine for nourishing and supporting the nervous system. Holistic healing for stress, depression, and anxiety. Adaptogens, nervines, herbal pain relief & muscle relaxants. Brain tonics for memory and cognition. Supporting left & right brain communication. Third eye opening, dreamwork, & dream herbs. Oatstraw, Skullcap, Peach, Blue vervain, Heather, Sage, Butterfly pea, Gotu kola, Valerian, and St. John’s Wort.

Plant Spirit Medicine & Crown Chakra - February

Session Five - Plant Spirit Medicine. Communicating and journeying with plant allies. Guided journeys & Meditations. Working with spirit guides and ancestors. Spirit/dream journeying and communicating with earth spirits. Crown Chakra & Crown Chakra plants ~ Holy basil, Elder flower, Egyptian blue lotus, Rose, Sage, Jasmine, Valerian flower, Meadowsweet, and blessing herbs (Copal, Frankincense, Sweetgrass, Juniper, Cedar, etc.). Imbolc rituals.

The Sacred Wheel & The Medicine Path - March

Session Twelve ~ Guided journeys & meditation with our plant allies. Offerings & thanks to our plant teachers. The Sacred Wheel / Medicine Circle in healing and magic. The four elements and directions - Earth/North/Winter, East/Air/Spring, South/Fire/Summer, West/Water/Fall. Journeying with the spirits of the wheel, gathering medicine and connecting with allies. Journeying with our elders and continuing the self care journey.

Herbalism Education for Everyone!

We price our courses lower than most because we believe in keeping herbalism training affordable. This course is priced with the intention of fighting the ever increasing high prices of herbalism and natural medicine training. We hope to ensure that plant medicine is available to everyone, as it is the primary and most ancient method of health care globally. Our offerings are in service and gratitude to our ancestors, our communities, the plants, and this beloved earth. We hope all our alumni will also help keep prices for herbal education low enough for all people to access, and set an example for herbalism education to be affordable.

Nourishing Roots ~ Sample Module April

SAMPLE MONTH $45 ~ We’re offering our first month as a sample to see if you’d like to join us for the full year!

Join us for a full year of healing journeys, falling in love with Gaia…

Bonus Lessons ~

Flower Essences & Learning Botany

Bonus Session ~ Plant Identification & botany. Using a plant key. Learning Plant Families. Meditations & Healing with Flowers. Flower walk & Flower essence making. Communication with flowers. Flower ID & Plants for pollinators. Doctrine of Signatures.

Fall Roots & Seeds

Bonus Lesson ~ Harvesting roots & root medicine making. Eating, preserving, processing root medicine and food. Harvesting medicinal herb seeds & Seeds saving. Fall plant harvests & gathering our apothecary from the year’s harvests. Root harvesting of Yellow dock, Burdock, Elecampane, Dandelion, Valerian, Echinacea, Marshmallow and others.

Spellcraft & Magical Herbalism

Bonus Lession ~ Spellcrafting & Magical herbalism. Sacred Plants of the Witch. Ritual & magic for healing & transformation. Working with the spirits of plants & earth. History of Witchcraft & Magical herbalism around the world. Poisonous plants for protection & banishing.

Tree Medicine & Magic

Bonus Lesson ~ Communicating with Tree Spirits. Guided meditations & meeting tree allies. Medicinal uses & lore of trees. Wildcrafting and medicine making from trees. Outdoor Tree Walk and ID. Black birch, White pine, Spruce, Cherry, Peach, Willow, Elder, Hawthorn, Gingko, Linden.

Testimonials for Year of Gaia

" A Year of Gaia - The Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education and Sage L. Maurer is something extraordinary. I have learned so much about the plant world and myself. This is something of a magic carpet ride where you are fully supported and loved and cared for. Sage is the gatekeeper and the ancient wisdom holder. She does not just teach you facts, she encourages you to develop a relationship with the living world around you, especially with the plants… and from there on supports you in your individual journey. Even though it is online you really become an apprentice and you are given so much support. Witnessing Sage's relationship with the plant creates safe haven for you to ease into everything that comes naturally once you open your heart towards the plants. The support material, the videos, the playlists, the book recommendations, and the calls are really something that allows individual development. You can go as deep as you wish. So many people have asked me about my plant journey and I wouldn't recommend any other course than this. " - Amy Neuman

“The Gaia School of Healing and Earth Education's year-long course was a life-changing one for me. I do not usually enjoy online courses, but this material was delivered in such an interactive, self-paced, and beautiful formate that I was deeply absorbed in the material from start to finish. I had heard about the in-person course for years from many herbalists I know and admire, and had long dreamed of accessing this material, so registered immediately upon finding out that it was available online. Then COVID-19 hit, literally right before the first month of the course. I found myself becoming friends with the plants in my area: wild-harvesting nettles along the creek half an hour away with my nine-year-old son, wild-harvesting mugwort by the ocean at my sweetheart's home, scavenging huge trash bags of calendula flowers my friend had pulled from her garden as unwanted weeds and was eager to get rid of. I harvested elderberries along the nature preserve behind my home. And with all of this, I made healing skin salves, face oils, tinctures, cordials and other immune-supporting gifts for my friends and family. I've now devoted an entire area in my home to preparing, making, and storing herbal medicines. Sage also offered supplementary zoom calls -- recorded for those who could not attend -- which I have returned to time and again. Just tonight, I was rereading all of her notes on herbs for COVID-19 and sorting through the seeds I've ordered during this class, to be sure I will have a garden full of anything my friends and family may need in the uncertain months ahead.”

“I feel so deeply grateful for this course. I had a background working in natural food and herb stores, and had dabbled in gardening and in making some of my own skincare products in the past. But this course was so comprehensive, and so deeply addressed not only the mechanics but also the deeper body-mind-spirit issues so intrinsically essential to working ethically with plant medicines, that I learned more about plants this year than I have in the past 20 years. Sage's expertise and generosity with her knowledge are unparalleled by anyone in her field. Not only did I learn myself, but I became part of a thriving online community of budding herbalists who shared their own creations throughout the course. A lively dialogue ensued on the group's private Facebook page, and many meaningful friendships were forged. The plants in my area have now become my friends. I look forward to when they are up to be harvested, and have also begun to teach my children about the many powerful medicines growing all around them all the time. I feel deeply empowered to care for myself and my loved ones in a new way. And I am forever changed. Thank you, Sage! ~ Ellen Katharine Anderson

“The Gaia School of Healing came into my life as the most beautiful gift from my guides and the universe! To be honest I was not looking to be an herbalist and my guides were leading me on a journey to know my soul and awaken to who I truly am. Sage and the students are so open and welcoming creating a safe and welcoming environment. In Sage’ s presence I can feel her love for the Earth and us as students.  Her knowledge about the material flows through her and is truly beyond description.  The style and method of the way the lessons are designed and implemented surpassed my expectations. Sage guides us through ritual, meditation, and wisdom on how to connect with the spirits of the plants, the Earth, the land, our guides, our ancestors and so much more. The Gaia School of Healing has taken me on a healing journey I never expected and am so grateful to be on.  Since I started the courses in July the way I live and perceive the world has shifted! I wake up every morning and do a blessing ritual, go on a nature walk and talk with the spirits! I am connecting with the spirit of the plants through infusions, teas, and tinctures. Sage, I am so grateful for you and the experiential learning you have created through your school! Words cannot express my gratitude. Thank you from my soul!” ~ Cynthia Taylor

“This has been by far the most comprehensive class I have taken since graduating from college. Anyone who is interested in learning more about plants and plant medicine will get an outstanding education. There is so much valuable information here that I will be going through the course again to absorb all of the information. I appreciate that Sage provides so much information as well as tangible information (such as physiology, astrology, etc.) so that I get a holistic and world view of what I'm learning. Doing the certificate path was the right move for me because it helped me retain and learn more. Sage also brings a sensitivity to all beings and walks of life that you rarely find these days. What has been most incredible and profound for me is the healing that I have received doing this course. I am new to plant medicine and have found that I have a connection to the plants that has delighted me. I know that I will use plants in my tool box to support others. I feel confident with the materials that Sage has given me to go out in the world and do no harm.” ~ Julie Coraccio

“I experienced "A Year with Gaia 2020" as a profound soul journey to connect with the plant spirit world, expertly guided by Sage Maurer. Sage's depth and breadth of knowledge truly held the group beautifully. She shared so much of herself in this course with such ease and grace, teaching us with her patience and ability to navigate the technical landscape without stress. Sage is a rare selfless connected Spirit Guide and she has generously shared her insights in this course. It is an honor to sit in meditations and private zoom calls with her. Each session is filled with stories, teachings and embodied wisdom. I am truly grateful for her guidance.” ~ Lee Yen Anderson

“I have followed the school for a while but do not live local so I was so excited when it came available for online this year. While this year has had the very known widespread challenges of a pandemic, this was also the hardest year of life changes for me personally. I started this coursework broken hearted, disconnected, and unaware of my own magic. Each month I have found connection, to Mother Earth, to myself, I have found myself inspired, worthy, strong, and completely full of love. I have gained so much knowledge of plant uses, participated is beautiful rituals and ceremonies, and now a full, life changing library of books recommended throughout this course. More than anything, I have found true healing of the body, heart, mind, and soul. I couldn’t be more in love with this process, this course, Sage as the beautiful guide, and all the women who partake and share their experiences. Thank you.” ~ Issa Travino

“The Year of Gaia Online Course was so amazing for me. I have to admit that I haven't kept up with all the material, because Sage offers so much!! There are riches here for the mind, body, and soul. And Sage is so generous -- I will always have access to this course material. So, that's great. I can enjoy what I need in the moment. Some months, I just needed the tea meditation and to check-in. Some months, I dove deeply into everything I could read, and I feel the shifts happening. For me, Sage is a dear friend and a once-in-a-lifetime teacher who points the way to your own relationship with the Plants and your own healing and learning path. This course is a very personal program. Sage gives a lot of herself to her students, you get to know her heart for teaching and for the Plants. Thank you, Sage!!” ~ Rachel Heerema

“Taking a Year of Gaia is one of the best decisions I have ever made. The plant wisdom and healing spirit that Sage offers in this class will nourish me for a lifetime. The monthly modules of healing, plant medicine, shamanic journeys, and chakra attunements filled me to overflowing. Her classes are extremely well thought out and comprehensive, the website interface is easy and elegant, and there is pure beauty on every page with Sage’s poetry, journal suggestions, and stunning photographs. There is so much technical plant information I will be re-reading for years to learn it all. I have been a plant person for 35 years, and my plant life just got a whole lot richer and deeper this year, as well as my understanding of the physical body and it’s systems. Sage is a master teacher and healer and she not only teaches the brain stuff, but offers spiritual transmissions throughout her classes, so that you will find yourself evolving and opening into the radiant being that you are quite rapidly in her course. She also tirelessly shares her incredible community building skills on facebook and the zoom meetings so that you feel held and loved the whole year! I don’t know how she does this actually, but I’m humbled from it.  I could go on and on. What a gift to the world! Thank you Sage, keep teaching, keep writing, keep sharing your pure wisdom spirit!” ~ Beth Lenco

“In the uncertainty of the world right now, one thing for sure is the certainty of Mother Nature’s cycles of life and how we intertwine with her seasons. A Year in Gaia online program gives you the tools you need to tune back in to the earth’s rhythms and truly explore and understand the world around you. You can truly make this experience what you need it to be for your own journey, and that’s what I love SO MUCH about this opportunity! I have reclaimed my sovereign power; my overall personal confidence and the ability to rely on myself has drastically changed my life for the better. Not only has my personal growth been noticed but the improvement of communications with others and relationships have benefitted from it, as well. I am so thankful for the knowledge, guidance, patience, and love that Sage provides with everything she does in this course from how the class unfolds to zoom calls to nurturing our souls with books, playlists, and meditations that allow us to dig in deeper with ourselves and understand how we can heal from within. “Choose your own adventure,” is how I like to describe this course to people who ask me about it because you can truly take this in the directions which greatly interest and resonate with you the most! Sage and the other teachers are with you every single step of the way. You will be able to make new connections and friends that may last a lifetime too! It’s all up to you! So what are you waiting for? Gaia is calling you home.” - Maria Gigante

”There is so much to learn and when you take the time to really be with yourself; to be in this body, this form, and under your own skin, you realize that there is SO MUCH to be excited about and it is a great gift to be here ~ despite all of the difficult things that come with being a human being. The Year of Gaia program is more than learning about plants. It is about honoring yourself, your being, about remembering lost dreams and finding new ones. It is an invitation to move in this world in a new way, to see the plant beings as teachers and guides that have always been with us, it's just a matter of letting their whispers in. Once you meet the spirit of one plant, it's hard to ignore the spirits of everything that surrounds us. You will be amazed and see your heart and imagination as a portal to everything. Plant medicine is amazing and magical, but it is also practical. There are so many ways you can learn to heal yourself with plants ~ teas to drink for headaches and grief, teas to bring out your own inner lion... This course is broken out into different modules that teach you about the practical methods of the plants and the science and systems of your own body. Sage is an incredible teacher, she channels the wisdom of the plant spirits and is also incredibly smart, funny, and overall a wonderful being. I cannot recommend this course enough.” - Kim Tateo

Gratitude to our incredible Gaia family!