In stressful times and intense situations, thoughts and emotions can spiral like a wild storm – especially for neurodivergent people. We will explore plant allies that can help calm these storms for people of all ages.
Our medicine, our magick, our lives, all arise within a cosmology - a story about the nature of the world. Animist cosmologies are based on relation. What does it mean to let the living world weave us into its story? We will explore practices for letting a rooted cosmology rise through and around us.
The color and the scent of Goldenrod capture the essence of late summer. Join us as we explore the medicine of the underappreciated medicine of this beautiful plant.
Curses take many forms. Some come are focused prayers or spells. Some are simply the etheric residue of jealousy, envy, anger, hatred, or judgement. Some are personal. Others befall an entire community or nation or lineage. Our wild green allies, by connecting us with the abundant well of life, can help us break free of them. In this class we will speak about traditional and not so traditional herbal allies for breaking curses.
When life unsettles us, when our heart and minds and souls grow restless, our wild kin, the plants and fungi, can help us find solace. We will explore some of the medicines that can aid the restless spirit.
Drawing on the work of Stephen Harrod Buhner, whose birthday it will be, we will speak about the heart as a sensory organ for perceiving and experiencing "the touch of the world upon us" – and to engage directly with the intelligence of plants.
Exuberance is an expression of the joy of life flowing through people and communities. It is also inextricably woven with liberation. We will explore herbs that free us to allow joyful ecstasy to rise and find expression.
Our brains are constantly facing challenges from physical, chemical, mental, and emotional stress. We will explore herbs that can help the brain mitigate the damage.
The living world thinks in fluid ways. The culture around us encourages more linear and predictable modes of thinking. Recent work by Autistic scholars suggests that flow is the natural state of Autistic minds – and much of what Autistic people struggle with comes from trying to conform to other modes of being. At the same time, psychedelic research is showing that transformational psychedelic experiences involve “entropic brain states” where thought is more fluid. We will explore these insights and what they tell us about consciousness, healing, and transformation in a living, flowing world.
Elder. Yarrow. Linden. In the heat of Midsummer, white flowers bloom. They help to clear heat, soothe the heart and mind, and open us to the shimmering beauty of the season's magick.
Histamine both stimulates immune response and acts as a neurotransmitter. We will explore the nature of this molecule, its impact on the human brain, and the role of herbs in mitigating that impact.
