Herbal Basics Class 2023-24

Herbal Basics 2023-24

The purpose of Herbal Basics is to bring herbs into your daily life. Learn to identify the plant helpers in your yard, garden and surrounding area.

Build health and resilience for yourself, your family, and your community. And, have fun! 

Please sign up for any or all classes  at www.elderspiritherbals.com

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September 17, 2023

Alteratives, Adaptogens, and Tonics

Our circulatory systems are the river of life. Alteratives have historically been thought of as “blood cleansing” agents or "detoxifying". Think of them as change agents. Help problems as diverse as skin issues to mood through the use of herbs. Tonic herbs slowly build up strength and energy by  improving our appetite and encouraging increased absorption of nutrients and elimination of wastes. Adaptogens are specific herbs that protect us during times of stress.

October 15, 2023

Digging the Roots: The Heart of Herbal Medicine

In early Autumn, we harvest edible and medicinal berries, competing with the birds for the harvests. The first frosts sweeten rosehips and but turn hawthorn to mush. It’s a lesson in the push and pull of nature, the same way of life itself as we age. Sap, energy, vitality, and nutrients are sent down to the plants’ roots, and autumn is prime bark and root harvest time. Learn about herbs for promoting circulatory and heart health. Hawthorn, garlic and other systemic stimulants. Learn how to harvest and prepare roots and barks. Aging herbally. 

November 19,  2023

Winter Preparations

Learn to make your own cough, cold and flu remedies The respiratory system and strategies for acute problems like cold and flu and chronic problems like asthma and apnea.We'll consider the art of formulating and herbal care for the sensitive ones in our lives. Change the taste and the texture for the finicky ones, tricks and tips for compliance.  Lessons from the pandemic, antiviral herbs, being prepared. Demulcent, diaphoretic and expectorant herbs. 

 “To take a break from our busy lives in this competitive world, we must stop and celebrate every occasion no matter how mundane it may sound. Winter solstice acts as a breather that we all need.”

February 18, 2024

The Family Herbalist

Herbal remedies "A to Z"  are already in your kitchen when you need them RIGHT NOW! Aromatherapy and other ideas for staying well when everyone’s sick. Learn about herbal home keeping, make products to clean with herbs, including laundry, pets, bath, and kitchen. There are ways to clean without killing off all our good microbes as we clean. Formulating for children and the sensitive ones in our lives. Herbal healing for common ailments of kids, elders and others we’re caring for. 

March 17, 2024

Smooth Move, Digestive Health

You are what you don’t eliminate.  Learn how herbs, ferments, wild foods and especially nourishing herbal infusions can help your digestion. Discuss common digestive complaints and herbal strategies to heal them. Learn about anthlemitic and carthartic herbs.(Yes we sometimes still need them!)  We’ll be studying the herbs that help us eliminate toxins through our urinary tract and our skin, the diuretics and the diaphoretics. Herbal strategies for common urinary tract problems. Discuss some of the reasons we might need help to sweat.

April 21, 2024

Botanica Erotica, the Secret Language of Plants

What's love got to do with it? We'll make the connection between our love of the plants and their love of us! Study the magnificent rose family and its long connection to our physical and spiritual hearts. We'll have a medicine making review of electuaries, exhilarants and other herbal treats . Of course  we'll tip our cups to Ostara and dive into Botanica Erotica.

May 19, 2024

First Things First

We'll look at the musculoskeletal system and our second largest organ, our skin. Learn about herbal first aid using materials that are widely available, like kitchen spices, weeds, and wild plants. Herbal tooth care.  Most of the remedies we will discuss can be purchased inexpensively at your local herb store, grown or made at home. Anodynes, analgesics, antiseptic herbs and wound care. Create a first aid kit.

June 9, 2024

Soothing the Body, Mind, and Spirit

Relaxation and stimulation are our first introduction to herbs for many of us.  Even Peter Rabbit’s mom knew about chamomile tea. Nervine and antispasmodic herbs; safe and effective sleep and mood helpers. Stimulant herbs (not the usual suspects) that increase the sensitivity of the nerves and that stimulate and energize the entire body. Introduction to homepathy, flower essences and other vibrational healing. 

July 21, 2024

Spend a day creating a basic home apothecary. You'll learn to create herbal preparations for each of the categories of herbs we’ve studied through the year. We’ll jump right in and start with flower essences and then go on to preparing dried herbs for teas and infusions. Prepare electuaries and honeys. You’ll learn to make tinctures by the folk method and percolation. How to use herbs in poultices and baths. We’ll make infused oils and prepare salves. Our day will end with making all of the ingredients needed to enjoy an herbal facial. A list of supplies for you to bring will be emailed to you on receipt of registration.

August 18, 2024

Plant Spirit Medicine

The capstone of our year’s journey together. Pick up where we left off the heart journey in April.  Based on the teachings of the Stephen Buhner, Nikki Scully, Heartmath Institute and others you will learn clear techniques for accessing the heart for knowing the plants around us. Many of these skills are not relegated to only the healer or shamanic realms but are meant for our everyday relationship with life. This experiential class will teach simple techniques for developing intimate relationships with the plants around us. These include wide angle vision, sketching, organoleptics, journaling and other methods in order to understand the depth of the relationships that are available to us with plants.  We will be outside all day so please dress appropriately for the day. A welcome letter will be sent upon registration.

Learning how to use the locally available herbs and “weeds” for yourself, your family and community will change how you think and DO about many aspects of life. We’ll gather and discuss the use of herbs, get to know one another and face the strange changes!

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