Human minds translate our emotional experiences into physical sensations that mirror what we our experiencing — we feel sick to our stomachs when we encounter something we find morally revolting, we gasp in the presence of beauty, we feel ourselves cool down when anger subsides. As herbalists, understanding how our bodies experience metaphor can guide us in our practice. In this class, we will explore that poetry of healing.
Holy wells and sacred springs have played a role in healing traditions around the world throughout human history. We will explore the blessings, the mysteries, and the spiritual ecology of these wild waters rising from below.
Cortisol is a hormone that regulates our metabolism and stress response. In times when most of us are under constant stress, chronically elevated cortisol levels contribute to physical, mental, and emotional imbalances in our own bodies and in the body politic. We will explore the roles cortisol plays in our lives and discuss herbs that can support our bodies in bringing this hormone into balance.
"If you don't know the kind of person I am / and I don't know the kind of person you are / a pattern that others made may prevail in the world / and following the wrong god home we may miss our star." -William Stafford
In our own healing and in our work with others, it is easy to get led astray by others' ideas of who and how we should be. In this class, we will explore what healing looks like when we let ourselves be curious about the unique nature of each being and the ways such an approach redefines order and disorder, disease and health.
In troubled times grief, anger, fear, and despair can overwhelm us. Our plant kin can help us navigate these emotions so we can better show up in the ways these times require of us. Learn about some of the allies available to help us right now.
Research into the ways psilocybin helps people navigate and heal from depression has taught us a great deal about depression itself. We will discuss this research and also how to balance this scientific knowledge with respect for the living intelligence of both people and mushrooms.
In the season of the ancient Irish fire festival of Imbolc, we will explore the myth, magic, and mystery of sacred flames – and how to work with the element of fire in our own lives, even in a burning world.
We did not evolve to live the lives our culture demands of us — and all of us reach points of emotional and cognitive exhaustion and burnout from trying to push beyond our natural limits. This hits neurodivergent people especially strongly — and often results in a reduction in or complete loss of the capacities we call "executive function" — the ability to plan, prioritize, and carry out tasks, to perceive the passage of time, to make decisions, and to assess our own capacities. People with chronic Lyme and long COVID face similar challenges as well. Through the lens of Autistic burnout we will look at ways of coping with the challenges of diminished executive function — including when to work with plants to push through these challenges and when to accept them as invitation to another way of being.
Around the world, across cultures, and throughout history, people have worked with the smoke of burning plants (and mushrooms) to purify their bodies, their homes, and their ritual spaces. Join us for an exploration of some of the medicine allies we can call on in this work.
