Blazing Star Herbal School: January 2013

I am very happy to say that as an apprentice I have learned how to identify many new plants and have become better friends with those that I already knew about. I am able to make oils, vinegars, honeys, salves, lotions, medicinal tea infusions, elixers and tinctures. I have learned how to take time to draw and sit with plants, meditate and make mandalas, come up with a health plan for myself that entails a true understanding of the word nourishment! I very enthusiastically recommend this apprenticeship to anyone I know! Anyone who is interested in learning more about identifying plants, using them in self care, and wanting to ensure that their lifestyle as an herbalist is practical and can be applied in daily nourishing ways with themselves and people they know- would benefit greatly from the apprenticeship. I really wish I could take it again next year!

-N. from Northampton

To put my exeperience as an Apprentice is a rather impossible task. I have learned so much, and experienced so much, that to truly do it justice would take several hours. Yet what I can say is that I have learned more about myself, and more about the natural world in this short year, than I ever expected too. My connection to the earth and to myself is so strong as a result of this course, that I shall forever be grateful. I am more intune with my body than I think I have ever been, and my heart is lighter and happier than I can ever remember it being. Tony is a wonderful teacher who is clear, conscise and passionate. My sisters in the practice are each unique and insightful and have brough much joy wisdom and perspective to my new life. My apprenticeship has also evolved my spiritualiy and allowed me to connect better and stronger to my family to my friends, and to my community as a whole. I am def continuing to the second Level, and my intentions are to start my own medicinal farm, and spread the knowledge and healing as my life's work. Blazing Star Earth Ninja's for LIFE!

In Love and Eternal Gratitude -A.from Dalton

My experience as an apprentice at Blazing Star Herbal School has been one of magical awakening and an even deeper appreciation of the plant world. I have taken quite a few herb classes over the years from correspondence courses to a 5 month intensive as well as community college courses and this one is by far THE BEST! The thing I feel most gives this apprenticeship the edge over the rest and sets it apart from all of the classes out there being offered is the true garden and plant based connections. You really can't replace or replicate the garden based experiences of planting, learning, growing and harvesting the plants on your own. Nor can you learn everything from books alone. Also having class every week makes it flow so well versus a one weekend a month type apprenticeship. It is a big committment but one you won't regret! I have never been confident up until now in identifying many plants on my own, but now I am very confident and have learned so much in such a short time. I also have learned how to interact better with naysayers and disbelievers. I can finally hold my own with the most challenging of beliefs and come out feeling like I offered the other person something tangible. If you are contemplating taking the course I urge you to go for it! You will graduate as a competent and confident herbalist and will have many memorable and happy experiences during the duration of the course.

-A from Vermont

Our Tuesday class has been the highlight of my week this whole year. Not only have we deepened our connection to the plants in our area (my original goal) we have formed beautiful friendships which will last a lifetime with people and plants we resonate with on a deep level. Tony has helped me reconnect to the world through plants in a way that I understand intuitively and have not felt since childhood. It means so much to me to feel a part of the world again and revel in its beautiful gifts. This apprentice woke me up, brought me back down to Earth, healed my spirit. Totally unexpected. I am overflowing with gratitude.

D. from Shelburne

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January 10, 2013

Distance Learning program profile:

I thought I would take the time today to profile one of the courses in the "DIY Distance Learning series". It is the one that receives the most praise and enthusiasm again and again" It is also the most recent one so perhaps many of you do not know about it.

Creative, Tasty and Nourishing Medicine Making

for the Beginner Student!

This course is for you if you are a homesteader or homestead wanna be!, urban dwellers and rural farmers both, crafters who dream of shelves of bottles and jars filled with herbs and potions, alchemy and magic, for the stay at home mom who wants to nourish her family, for the life long student curious to try something new... for anyone that wants add a little colour and creativity to your kicthen! Learning to create your own herbal medicines at home is both empowering and eye-opening. Herbs are magical but preparing and using them doesn't have to be mystical. These are recipes you will use again and again!

Here's what you'll learn:

-Water Based Preparations (infusions (hot/cold), decoctions, medicinal baths, compresses, formentations, mouthwashes, inhalants)

- Alcohol based preparations (tinctures; maceration,percolation & spagyric methods)

- Oil Based Preparations: Oils, Liniments, Salves, Cremes

- Acetates, Glycerites and honeys

- Understanding interactions of plant phytochemicals to make better medicine

- Recognizing and assessing the quality of dried herbs, Choosing the appropriate form of the remedy

- The importance of effective record keeping

- Terminology and definitions

- Equipment needed for creating herbal preparations

- Principles of Ethical Harvesting

- Basic Herbal First Aid remedies

- Intro to Food as Medicine, Herbal Nourishment

- Learn to your own body care products

- How to Grow (your own) Medicine!

Through out the course you will receive individual mentorship while cultivating plant wisdom and meeting your wise woman within.** You will also receive bonus inspirational material, poetry, meditations, recipes and resources to aid you in your study**Making your own medicines at home adds opportunity for creativity, beauty, nourishment and richness to an ordinary day, more blessings to be thankful for...as your olfactory senses are stimulated it helps the brain register more happiness!

You can start this 12 module on line program anytime! and work at your own pace though we recommend one module every 2 weeks.

Course fee $250

"I've taken several correspondence courses and non so fun as this one! Once a month I turn my kitchen into a magical herb apothecary and make all kinds of medicines and potions. This course has reminded me stop, breathe and take care of my needs! as a stay at home mom of 3 a lesson I needed to learn. My daily routine now includes teas, meditaion and plant study! This course helped me introduce my family to a healthy lifestyle that we will be living for many years to come! So much gratitude to the plants and our lifelong friends at Blazing Star Herbal School!" Rena from PA

These are the ways of our grandmothers, the ancient ones. The joy of life is the give- away. You are the center of your universe. You are the axis, life's matrix, the still point in the ever-moving. The designs of the universe radiate through you. You are god, goddess, unique and whole.

- Susan Weed

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