Herbal Beginnings

Contents:

1. Nutshell description

2. Longer description

3. Course outline

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1. In-a-nutshell...

We're going to admire beauty and mystery and make medicine together. You in?

2. Maple-syrupy-waffly description...

Herbal Beginnings is a gateway, inviting you deeper into the secret garden of your herbalism adventure. Follow the breadcrumbs of your curiosity and see what you find along this exploration of plant communication, medicine making and herbal healing.

Over the three months of Spring, we're going to sink into deep relationships with just one plant. One plant. Three months.

So how does that feel in your body?

Uncomfortable? Exciting? Relieving? All the things?

Me too.

This is a slooow course, inviting us to notice the edges between the parts of us who want to go faster, do more, learn more, make more, achieve more, be more. And the parts of us who want to be still, to soak in the sun and watch the bees in the flowers and follow our own sense of what feels good in each moment and trust that we are enough, just as we are.

What happens when we really let ourselves move slowly through a garden, receiving without holding, all the sights and sounds and scents of our surrounds? What will the plants share with us when we really come to be present with them, week after week, month after month?

If nothing else, this will be a beautiful space of grounding presence. But there is always the possibility that something unexpected might happen.

But we won't be wandering aimlessly. In a practical sense, we'll be simply finding our ways through each step towards making a herbal healing balm from scratch.

We begin with connections, plant communication and using our senses to discern medicinal properties in plants. Once our relationships with the plants and land are anchored and our inner-ears are attuned to nuance, we'll sink into harvesting and processing medicinal plants. Finally when our herbs are ready, we will start making medicines with them. Along the way, we will learn not only how to make medicines, but also how you use them for healing and how to gather and understand herbal information from a range of resources (ie, how to discern your way through the wonderful and plethoric universe of herbal websites).

You'll come out of this course with handcrafted medicines that you have harvested, processed and made yourself.

You'll come out of the course with a plant ally who you will have formed and intimate relationship with, which will be totally unique to you and them (as all good relationships are).

You'll come out of this course with the essential knowledge and skills to step onto the next leg of your herbal journey with tools in your pocket, curiosity in your heart, integrity in your roots and a sparkle in your eye.

3. Course Outline...

Given the nature of this course (and these times), there maybe be alterations or fluctuations to the course plan as we move through. It's important to me that we have both a clear structure and also plenty of breathing space and flexibility within that structure, allowing us capacity to be present to the needs of the group as they arise. So, this is the loose skeleton:

Week One: Introductions

Introductions to land, plants, people and herbalism.

Week Two: Senses

We have a cornucopia of herbal information at the tips (and whole surface areas) of our tongues and the rest of our body. We'll delve in and practice using our senses to begin to learn about plant medicines.

Medicinal teas - how to make potent herbal teas for healing.

Week Three: Herbal actions

Herbal actions are a good place to begin understanding the commonly used language of western herbalism. Rather than rote learning, we will draw from our previous sessions to learn about actions in an experiential, embodied way.

Week Four: Harvest

We'll be harvesting, talking about all the elements of the honourable harvest and ways to retain the most potency in your plants through various drying and storing options.

Let's pray for clear skies!

Week Five: Medicinal oils

Turning our dried herbs into healing infused oils

Week Six: Going deeper with actions

While our oils infuse we'll dive deeper into western herbalism a look at the specific healing properties of the plant we're working with and how to use them in different ways/situations.

Week Seven: Medicinal balms

Making our medicinal oils into healing balms.

Week Eight: Wrapping up

Bringing it all together, wrapping what we've learnt and shared into a bundle to carry home. I will reveal the details in our first session.

Other:
along with medicinal teas, oils and balms we will probably also play with honey, poultices, compresses, eye and nasal washes and maybe more.

Each day will begin with a little gardening (weather and physical capacity depending), as a way of tending the land and dropping in together. From here, the sessions will be a blend of meditations, discussions and practical exercises to explore whatever the topic of the day is.

Participants will need a journal and some clean jars (nothing fancy). Details will be provided as necessary.

All other materials and notes for each session will be provided.

Every part of this course is an invitation to listen to what feels good for you as we go along.

This is a course for anyone who feels drawn to it, regardless of where you're at in your herbal journey.

Where: We will be meeting on Dja Dja Wurrung country and acknowledging the Djaara elders of the past, present and those on their way, with gratitude for their care and custodianship of this land, waterways, animals and plants.

Paradiso del Amore is a garden and home of wondrous delight, with nooks to explore and plants to discover. Located in the centre of Guildford, Victoria. To just spend the day in this incredible place will make it all worth while.

Dates:

Friday 10th of September

Friday 24th of September

Friday 8th of October

Friday 22nd of October

Friday 5th of November

Friday 19th of November

Friday 3rd of December

Friday 17th of December

Time:

9.30am-2pm

BYO lunch and snacks

Cost:

Full: $800 (which breaks down to $50 a week)

Concession: $550

Payment plans are available for both ticket options

I trust you to choose the option that feels best and most honourable for you.

Please be in touch if you have any questions about payment options or anything else you might be wondering.

Email me (Rosie) at kin.botanica@gmail.com

I look forward to sinking into the green magic with you