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.
Life in these times is physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. And the rest we know is necessary is not always possible. So in this class we will talk about some of the herbs that can help to sustain us as we navigate immense challenges.
The Wild Redeemer is a mythic rhizome that runs through history erupting through the concrete of civilization, bringing forth expressions of resistance, liberation, and renewal. We will explore some of those expressions from Robin Hood to Ned Ludd to Earth First! and talk about ways of engaging the Wild Redeemer in our own time.
Divination is the art of reading patterns in the world. We will look at herbs that have traditionally been seen to aid in divination – with a special focus on herbs that work with the NMDA receptors, sometimes referred to as "synchronicity detectors."
