Few plants are more controversial among herbalists than Comfrey. Seán has long been very cautious and conservative when it comes to working with the herb, but he has begun to re-examine the assumptions and conclusions that have made him wary of this herb loved and honored by so may people across time and around the world. In this class, he will share his evolving thinking about Comfrey, and the importance of re-examining deeply held beliefs about plants.
Monoamine Oxidase A and Monoamine Oxidase B are enzymes that break down our neurotransmitters. People have long worked with plants to slow the action of one or both of these enzymes to shift perception and sensation and to potentiate other medicines. We will explore the blessings and risks of doing so.
Calamus is a plant known for its ability to help bring clear perception and clear expression. Join Seán for a deep exploration of the medicine of one of his most beloved plant allies.
Join herbalist and poet Seán Pádraig O’Donoghue as he takes you on a journey through the approach to working with plants and fungi as partners in healing, magic, and transformation that he introduces in his new book, The Silver Branch and the Otherworld. Each week, Seán will offer deeper insights and answer questions about the topics covered in one chapter of the book, and assign a set of practices to put the insights he shares to work in your own life. You will emerge with new ways of relating to the living world around you, and a new way of seeing the world.
In Irish tradition, sovereignty goddesses are embodiments of the spirit of the land who are the source of freedom and blessing. In this class, we will explore what it means to weave connection and relationship with these powerful beings while living an ocean away from the land that is sacred to them.
Dr. Timothy Leary famously defined "set" – a person's mindset and intentions – and "setting" – a person's surroundings – as factors shaping psychedelic experiences. In this class, we will explore ways of collaborating with the living world to shape the set and setting of our healing journeys psychedelic and otherwise, and touch on the dangers of letting human institutions set the parameters for our experiences.
Join Séan as he celebrates the release of his new book, The Silver Branch and the Otherworld. He will read passages from the book and answer questions about the approach to medicine and magic it is rooted in.
The air this summer feels thick and hazy with illusion – the kinds of illusions that keep us from seeing ourselves and each other clearly. Join us as we explore plants that can help us cut through the spiritual fog.
Midsummer Eve was once known in Ireland as "Oiche an tine cnámh" – "Night of the Bone Fire." As we gather on this holy night, we will speak about old and new ways of relating to the dead and the Otherworld at Midsummer.
Throughout human history, people have looked to their plant (and fungal) kin to help them to connect with and carry their petitions to the spirit realm. We will explore the ways plants aid in prayer and what it means to pray with a plant rather than simply "using" a plant in a spiritual context.
We are used to thinking of our bones as merely the scaffolding that gives shape to our form. But emerging understandings suggest that bones are complex living and changing organs that play a fundamental role in how we experience and move through the world. Come explore the science and magic of bones and the plants that work with them.
Contemporary herbalism and contemporary science often fall into the habit of looking at a particular herb in narrow and limiting ways. This class will be the first in a series that looks at broadening our perspectives on such herbs. We begin with Black Cohosh, looking at the plant's roles in working with the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems – roles that we often forget about when we think of Black Cohosh only in relation to its equally important roles in relation to menstruation and childbirth.
