Remedy Retreat

The Remedy Retreat 
The poetic science of medicine making guided by the wisdom of the land. 

Dec 6th-8th 2024, Macedon Ranges Foothills

Discounts available for past Herbal Apprentice Students & Patron Supporters!

Welcome to the Remedy Retreat! A two-night campout in the foothills of the Macedon Ranges, focusing on nature-based bioregional herbalism and intermediate/advanced botanical preparations in community.

Over the weekend you will have an opportunity to connect with and harvest plants, learn advanced preparation techniques and make a handful of herbal products and remedies that you can take home with you.

There are a variety of educational experiences through-out the day, which will include lecture-style sessions with hands-on exercises, DIY herbal remedy making sessions, folk herbalism stories by the campfire and plant exploration in the medicinal herb garden.

Join us under the gaze of the mountains, vast skies overhead, tending to the medicinal garden of our hungry minds, sensory bodies & yearning souls.

What is included:

• Over 5 Herbal Products you will make yourself
• Detailed Course Reader
• Apothecary Toolkit starter-pack
• Advanced Apothecary Handbook: Formulation & Recipes
• Fully-catered
• On-site Camping (Tiny house hire & local Air BnB’s also available)
• Apothecary garden & Dispensary tour
• Facilitator with over 15yrs experience, with a Permaculture background
• An opportunity for new friendships & networks
  
  What you will learn:
• Apothecary Toolkit: Equipment & Materials for the home herbalist
• Solvents & Solubility
• Overview of different Medicinal Applications;
  Herbal Infused oils & vinegars, ointments/salves, capsules, facial steams, syrups, infused honeys, elixirs, tinctures & creams.
• When to use certain Herbal Applications
• Advanced Tincturing: Maceration & Percolation
• Making Herbal Creams
• Plant Distillation: Hydrosols & essential oils
• Herbal Infused Honeys & Elixirs
• Tea Formulation

Is this Course for Me?
This course is for you if you:

• Are excited by Herbal Medicine Making!
• Have been learning Herbalism from lots of books & online courses, and would like to put in practice what you have learnt
• Have dabbled in making herbal products at home and would like some more guidance
• Have participated in grassroots or beginner Herbal programs, and would like to take your skills further
• Care about Ethical and Sustainable Herbalism
• Would like to learn how to make good-quality Herbal products rooted in herbal constituent chemistry
• Want a herb course that combines traditional herbalism with scientific efficacy
• Are a Herbalist or Naturopath that wants to learn how to make high-quality herbal products at home
• Have participated in The Herbal Apprentice 8 Week Course, or equivalent self learning

Although tailored for those who have participated in The Herbal Apprentice Course or have a background of herbal study in some respect, this program is definitely open to keen beginners and we are happy to support your entry.

To share the wonderful world of tincturing, there will be some maths and chemistry involved! This will be shared in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere, that caters for neurodivergence.
You are smart enough. You are capable enough. You are focused enough.

The learning environment is tailored to be engaging and comfortable, and I cannot wait to share this knowledge and experience with you in an engaging and creative way!

Your Facilitators

Taj Scicluna
Botanical Educator - Bioregional Herbalist - Awe Seeker

Taj is an artist who fuses together her love of Herbalism, Foraging, Writing, Cooking, Ecosystem Health, Personal Health and Education into a cohesive offering. Her business is a platform for creativity, a place to weave the romantic wonder of the botanical into something tangible to share with the world. At her core, Taj aims to support people as they bridge the gap between themselves and 'nature', to support the 'remembering' that we belong to the botanical, that we are woven into the photosynthetic web, and that we are truly animal. She aims to co-collaborate in repairing the rupture we have created in our experience of being 'civilized', of using language to keep us separate, believing that healing is done in this process of being in relationship with the botanical rather than treating it as a resource. Healing is within the process, not the product. To carry out this purpose, Taj lives a lifestyle dedicated to her values, and educates via workshops, courses, mentorship, patreon and client consults.

+ Special Guest Facilitator 

Testimonials

This is what people have said about The Herbal Apprentice and Taj’s facilitation style:

“I thoroughly enjoyed Taj’s teaching. She creates a wonderfully inclusive and psychologically safe environment. Her ability to break down coursework in an accessible manner is what I appreciated most. Additionally her expertise in her field shines through. I’ll be a returning student to Taj’s course work and teachings”

“The best part of the course was Taj - hands down the best teacher I have ever met.

I have studied many courses, a bachelor & master degree and during all those years, I have never met a teacher as good as Taj. As a neurodivergent, I feel that Taj made learning a pleasant and fun experience for me and I was looking forward going there every Saturday!”

“There's too many things.. Taj's style of teaching really made the course so enjoyable and palatable. Getting to be in a space of like minded individuals who are passionate about learning the same thing. Psychically making recipes with herbs that either we foraged for or that were provided. Being outside, seeing the plants and where they grow.”

“I was hoping to get "hands on herbs" time to reconnect me with plants during a very theoretical time in my uni course. It absolutely delivered this.”

“Taj makes the classes enjoyable and her passion makes you look forward to attending every week.”

FAQ’s

Where and when is the retreat taking place?
This year the retreat is taking place Friday 6- Sunday 8th December 2024, on a farm in the Macedon Ranges. 

Do you offer payment plans?
Yes. You can create a payment plan through Afterpay on our booking platform.

Do you cater for dietary requirements?
Yes. We can cater for gluten-free and vegan quite easily. If you have more nuanced dietary requirements, you may need to bring a few things to supplement, however we will do our best!
Please note that we will also be serving ethically sourced meat, and BBQing on the campfire.

What is your refund policy?
You are eligible for a full refund 2 weeks prior to course commencement. After this a 50% cancellation fee will incur. Cancellations within 2 days prior to the event will be unreturnable, or we will accept course transfers to a friend, unless you have had significant lifestyle disruptions.

When do we arrive?
Arrival will be between 4pm-7pm Friday 6th (we will save you some dinner if you are late, as long as you let us know!)
Departure will be 5pm Sunday 8th December.

Is the course completely wheelchair accessible? 
Due to the nature of the course, we will be in the garden for some parts of the program, and the farm is not wheelchair accessible (we apologize for this, however we are outside the formal education sector and do not have the adequate funding for this operation at this time). If you have any particular needs, please do ask us and we will try our best to accommodate. We do not want our offerings to have accessibilities barriers, and we look forward to learning how we can best tailor our offerings to a range of needs.

Do I need a degree in Herbalism to participate?
No. As long as you have delved into Herbalism, or you are keen to do the pre-reading required, this course is for you. This is more of an in depth course, however we do not want this to be a barrier to your education. If you are keen with not much experience, please let us know and we will give you some resources prior to the course.

Does studying at home count?
Yes. If you have been pouring over books or online courses, or making concoctions at home, this very much counts.

Do I have to camp onsite?
Onsite camping is a lovely part of the retreat experience, but is not essential. If you live closeby and would prefer to go home and come back again you would be most welcome to do so.
There will be 3 tiny houses available onsite for a rental fee of $250 for the weekend. Please get in contact if you would like to book these ASAP as they are limited.
There are also plenty of Air BnBs in the lovely Macedon Ranges, which will be accessible by car and are anywhere from 10-30mins away. You will need to book these yourself.

Can I access the retreat via public transport?
The nearest station is Riddles Creek. We can help you to arrange car pooling and v-line service pick-ups and drop offs.

Can my children attend?
We would like to accommodate for parents to learn! And, this course is in-depth and designed to give people a peaceful connection to nature. If we can make this work for everyone we will. If you are a sole parent and wish to attend, we do not want this to be a barrier to your learning - please be in touch and we will see how to best accommodate.

Can my pet come?
Unfortunately not. This is a working farm, and we have too many animals that may be affected.

Will there be showers available?
There will be an outdoor shower available with hot water. This will be available between 5pm-6:30pm before our evening meal

Enquiries: info@botanicaleducation.com.au