Blazing Star Herbal School

🌿🎨Botanical Art In-Studio Summer Session🎨🌿

Botanical Art In- Studio Program

Summer Session 

Starting Friday June 2nd 2023

Class meets 1 friday per month starting in May for 8 months

🌿

This is a journey to find new creativity through our connection with the natural world and is suitable everyone who is curious about the world around. This is cumulative program in which creating an artist community is important. 

 

Learn "new" ways to connect with the magic and medicine of plants. Our ancestors drew health, strength, nourishment, and meaning from their relationship to the natural world, and yet today most of us have lost that vital connection leaving us ungrounded and lacking a deep sense  of place. There is such healing when we connect materials to place, I use found materials from a particular place to help establish a relationship with it. The result has me feeling more grounded, content and spiritually freer. We will explore a series of ideas working with nature—in its widest sense—to nurture our creativity, inspire us, make us more sustainable as artists, and breathe back energy and flow when our artistic streams run dry. The study of nature through art allows the “student-artist” to experience, observe, value, analyze, synthesize and express their understanding of, and relationship to, nature,  the environment and elements.

Art making has been part of the human experience for since prehistoric times: more than 39,900 years ago, some of their first marks left by our ancestors on walls of caves were the outlines of their hands and crude drawings of animals. Our need to be creative is in our blood! Art has scientifically been proven to help our mental health, boost our brains, relieve anxiety and stress, and even boost our immune system.  Botanical art adds another layer of healing potential by using the plants as our main inspiration and whenever we can to make the tools we will use. While deepening our connection with our natural evvironement

You do not have to be an artist to herbalist to join. Just a creative being who loves plants and wants to explore new ways of self expression and deeper connection to plants. If you can trace your hand you are ready for this class!  The techniques shared in this class are super exploratory and fun, easy to grasp and practice at home without a lot of expensive equipment. 

🌿

Course covers:

Techniques 

• Basics of eco-printing on paper and fabric (steam printing, heat press, bundle dying)
• Botanical Dyeing on fabric (inc. clay resist printing, and indigo dying)                                                         
•  Intro to Printing (monotype/gel/relief/intaglio collagraph)
• Botanical Dyes intro
• Alternative processes in Photography (Anthotypes + Cyanotypes+ Lumen and Cyanolumen)

Practice and Mindset

• The language of plants and Printing
• Seed and Earth Art
• Getting + Staying creative (practices)
• The Art of Seeing
• Finding and developing your unique style
• Finding inspiration from the world around you
• Self Care for the artist
• Reading list
• Suggested/optional field trip

Projects 

• Creating an Herbarium and record keeping
• For the final project students are invited to create / design/ embellish an item of clothing
• Research project on color of their choice

🌿

 

 

 

Studio Class Dates:One Friday per month beginning June 2 2023 (8 day long classes total)  Conway MA 

the remainder of the classes will be  first Friday of the month June through Jan

Class times: 10am-4pm

Cost: $850 plus $80 materials fee payable in cash on class 1

 ($200 deposit to register PayPal/venmo/checks)

Location: Conway MA

Payment Options

Pay in full ($50 discount) $800.00 USD Deposit $200.00 USD Balance $650.00 USD

 

Student testimonial:

"I took Botanical In-Studio Art class with Tonya Lemos (Blazing Star Herbal School Fall 2021) having no prior background in art or herbalism. I was intrigued by the topic and felt it might help me expand my sense of connection to and understanding of plants and beauty in my backyard while inspiring creative play in the visual arts. OMG has this been true! I’ve had the time of my life printing, playing, and eco-dying using plants on fabric and paper, and also cyanotype! Tony’s been an outstanding teacher– clear, organized, warm, generous, and intentional as she’s built community, and nurtured skills and artistic inspiration in each one of us. This course truly opened my eyes much wider to the beauty and wonder all around. Thank you Tony for sharing your gifts, passion, materials, and knowledge in this class that has been magical for me!!!" AJK

Images of said student work"

The End of an Era-

Goodbye typepad, hello www.tonyalemosarts.com

 

When I begun this space in 2008 it was a stand in for a website, my plan was to temporarily use it as a website until I built my website!

And just like that 15 years went by!

 

It's hard to believe that I have been running Blazing Star Herbal School since 2000! So much has changed since then, personally, in the field of herbalism and in the world around us. Over time this space stopped reflecting me or the business. I have known for a while that it was timer a change but struggled to find the way to move forward. This past Winter, thanks to a grant from "Digital Empower" designed to help small business in the Hilltowns upgrade their digital presence I was finally able to address this. 

First challenge was finding a web designer that understood my vision and was able to reflect that it a site. As a woman owned business I knew I wanted to hire a woman. So I reached out and asked my friends who they worked with and loved. I interviewed several women all over the country, but ended up deciding to stay local, and support a young women in the Hilltowns who was just starting her business. That was one of the best decisions I ever made!

Enter Sedona LeBlanc .

I wholeheartedly recommend Sedona (find her on insta @sedonalenblanc, her own website is coming soon ) She was super easy to work with, timely and professional. She was creative, independent and thoroughly understood the vision. I could keep on raving about her!

So today we are ready to launch my new online home

 

https://www.tonyalemosarts.com/

 

I will be taking this site down at the end of August, and moving everything over to the new site in an effort to streamline! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2023 Teaching Schedule

at Blazing Star Herbal School,   Conway MA

 

Botanical Cyanotypes @New England Botanical Garden

 

🌿2023 Beginner/Intermediate Herbal Apprenticeship, begun April 25, rolling admissions until July 2023

🎨 Botanical Art In Studio Spring Session begins Friday June 2nd 2023

 

 

On the Road (listed by location not chronologically)

 

 

Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, Boyelston MA

🎨Intro to Eco-Printing on Paper , Sunday July 16, 1-3PM

🎨Intro to Eco-Printing on Paper Sunday August 13, 1-3PM

📔Artist Book Making: Flag Books Sunday, November 5, 1-4PM

📷Botanical Cyanotype Seasonal Cards,. Sunday, December 3, 10AM-12PM

 

Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, Sommerville MA

📷Walk Up Cyanotype 

Sat July 22 , 12-3pm 

🎨Eco Printing Workshop

Thursday Oct 26, 3-5pm

 

 

Westborough Library, Westborough MA (made possible by Westborough Cultural Council)

📷Intro to Botanical Cyanotype   FREE July 13th 10-12pm

🎨Intro to Ecoprinting   FREE July 20th 5:30-7:30

 

New class!!!

Looky Here (Greenfield, MA)

🎨Eco-printing(Botanical Contact Printing)🎨

July 15th 1-3om

$50.00

28 Chapman Street

Greenfield, MA 01301

 

River Valley Coop

🎨 Intro to EcoPrinting *in person outdoors!

Wednesday, August 9th from 4-6 PM (rain date Wednesday, August 16th). 

 

 

Ashfield Belding Library  (made possible by Ashfield Cultural Council)

🎨Eco Printing, May 17th  6-8pm FREE

📷Intro to Cyanotype  June 24th FREE

 

South Deerfield, MA (made possible by the Deerfield Cultural Council)

📷Intro to Cyanotype  (date coming soon) FREE

 

 

MidWest Womens Herbal Conference, Almond WI.   May 26-28th 2023

Intro to Botanical Cyanotype Photography

🎨Friday, May 26, 2023 | 9am-12pm

🌿 Conference workshops on Pediatric Herbalism

 

 

I'm thrilled to have been awarded a deep ecology Artist Fellowship w/ United Plant Savers

🎨 UPS Artist Fellowship : on either July 24- August 5 / Oct 9-Oct 21 (I am not 1oo% sure which session I will attend yet)

 

 

Internship Available 2023

Internship Available:

Social Media and Video Blazing Star Herbal School April 1 2023 - December 30, 2024

 

BSHS is looking for a social media/video intern for the 2023 season to help us grow by creating a better virtual presence.  The individual would be responsible for taking and editing video clips of some classes, demos and events. We are looking for a creative thinker, someone with a strong aesthetic sense, marketing experience or training and proven video making and editing skills.

An interest in community herbalism, plants and botanical art is also a plus.

Expected time commitment will be 5 hrs weekly, combination of on site time plus time spent designing, editing and publishing content. Candidate will be given a full scholarship ($2250) to participate in the Herbalist Apprenticeship Program and/or the studio program in Botanical Art ($850) . College credit may also be possible.

. 

If you are interested please email your resume, samples of your work and interest to Blazingstaclinic(at)gmail.com 

Email subject should "BSHS23 intern"

 

 

 

 

 

Apprenticing In the times of COVID

A testimonial

 

To My Green Sisters and Brothers in Training, 

 

It’s been a hard year so kudos to you for signing up and signing on. I happened to be chatting with Tony and she told me that some apprentices are concerned about moving inside and are therefor considering leaving the program. She did not say this in a blaming way or in any way except responding to my question about what was happening with the trainings. I have to tell you, I am so sad about this. Each one of us has to make the decisions we need to make to take care of ourselves. However, my apprenticeships are such a source of strength and health, I want to tell you that the best is yet to come. In this time of pandemic weirdness, the circle holds. Knowledge, herbal medicine and support flow freely in my year one and year two circles. I finished clearing racks and putting dried herbs and tinctures into inventory today. Some of these were gifts from the circle, grown or made by other hands. Some of my medicines have likewise gone where needed. I am healthier, more prepared and more confident that I have what I need to take care of myself and my community should CV19 or other illness occur. I have even sent medicine upon request to a friend who is an MD on the front line. So, if you are concerned about moving inside, I want to honor that but also to ask you to check in and see if there is something you can ask of others in your circle to make it work. Are there practices or boundaries that can be implemented? Medicines that can be taken and/or protection invoked? Because the world needs us. As many of us as possible. In small ways and big ways you are changing and connected to each other and the plants. That very connection is Health. 

So whatever you choose, I wish you peace, and health and deepest contentment. Lisa

 

Lisa Bassi

Fairy Godmother, Ltd. 

Pronouns: she,her 

 

Update: Dec 1st 2020 We have not yet moved indoors but have created a plan that feels good to most. 2021 Apprenticeships are now open for registration. 

 

Book Review: OPENING OUR WILD HEARTS TO THE HEALING HERBS

Book Review: OPENING OUR WILD HEARTS TO THE HEALING HERBS : A FLORILEGIA FOR THE WILD HEART TRIBE

by Gail Faith Edwards

 

❤️Now added to class texts for Year 1 Apprenticeship!❤️

 

From the opening dedication to her Grandsons and the opening Prayer of Forgiveness i knew I was going to love this book. In fact i already loved this book for I was a student when the original copy came out almost 20 years ago and have introduced this book to many a cycles of first year apprentices. The tone of this book is a perfect introduction to community herbalism accessible and user friendly, inspiring and respectful emphasizing the need to develop a relationship with the green world. The book also includes over 70 full monographs including traditional uses, scientific studies, personal experiences, magical and spiritual uses, directions for growing, harvesting and parts used, dosage recommendations, as well as cultural traditions from around the world, all rooted in ceremony and earth awareness.

I am also very pleased with the updates and what the author has chosen to include, her personal journey within the wise woman tradition leading to a more wild heart centered approach. "The Way of the Wild Heart speaks of the need for a conscious re-wilding of the human spirit and intentional cultivation of what I have long referred to as our wild hearts." Which seems super in sync with the "Heart Math" all my apprentices are introduced to.

I am also excited that Gail has chosen to include her "10 Fold Path for Becoming an Herbalist." and article i have been sharing with all apprentices just starting on their journey (Though applicable at any stage of the journey) .The article was originally written in response to Paul Bergners interesting paper entitled "How to Become a Master Herbalist in Thirty Years or More" You can read the original article here

In short Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs:A  Forigelia to the Wild Heart Tribe Student Handbook in engaging and I am so excited that a new generation of students will have access to this book!
 

❤️

Simple Prayer for Remembering The Motherlode

We do not become healers. We came as healers. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become storytellers. We came as carriers of the stories we and

our ancestors actually lived. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not become artists. We came as artists. We are.
Some of us are still catching up to what we are.

We do not become writers, dancers, musicians, helpers, peacemakers.
We came as such. We are. Some of us are still catching up to what we are.
We do not learn to love in this sense. We came as Love. We are Love.
Some of us are still catching up to who we truly are.

 

Excerpt from The Contemplari manuscript ©2001 by CP Estés

❤️

FOR THE LOVE OF PLANTS

Taken from our Jan. Newsletter

FOR THE LOVE OF PLANTS
Article Review
Written by Blazing Star Herbal School Apprentice
Meaghan Weeden
@wildflowersgrowwhereyouare

In the latest issue of Herbal Gram, the American Botanical Council followed up on the question posed by their 2009 article, “Climate Change Impacting Medicinal Plants?”—to which the answer is a resounding YES. In that article, they conducted an extensive review, aided by scientists on the ground, of the measurable effects that Climate Change was having on medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). 10 years later, they’re back, having followed up with most of the scientists quoted in the original article. Focusing on traditional food and medicine plants in arctic, alpine, rainforest, and island ecosystems around the world, their findings are both unfortunate and unsurprising. From rapidly warming Himalayan mountaintops to dissipating cloud forests in central Mexico, biodiversity hotspots around the globe are under serious threat. 

In the alpine regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, mountain surface area temperatures are increasing at a faster rate than the global average. This combined with precipitation changes is directly impacting endemic alpine flora. As these regions warm, tree lines and lowland species advance upward, putting competition pressure onto the slow-growing native species that have adapted over thousands of years to conditions that no longer exist. As one scientist put it, they’re running out of mountain. Specifically, in the Himalayas, cordyceps fungus, which is already impacted by over harvesting and ecosystem degradation, faces amplified pressure thanks to climate change. The mountaintop landscape of this region is rapidly changing and diversifying as climatic conditions change and lowland species flee the warming temperatures of their native altitudes. These heat-loving, drought tolerant plants crowd out their more sensitive cousins, fueling the rise of local extinctions. 

On the desolate arctic seashores of Alaska and Canada, Rhodiola is threatened by warming temperatures and eroding shorelines. In the interior, wild berries, a vital survival food for the Inuit, adapt to rising temperatures by growing taller and shifting their chemistry, affecting accessibility and nutritive benefits. In the Pacific Islands, threats include rising sea levels, extreme weather, foreign logging and fishing, changing ecology of mangrove swamps and coastal stand zones and, interestingly, international aid that favors foreign foods and medicines over local and indigenous ones. Some endemic species may, thanks to this ecosystem degradation, be lost to history. 

In Central and South America, scientists are attempting to measure the affects of cloud dissipation on the Tropical Montane Cloud Forests and paramo across Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, Northern South America, and parts of southeast Brazil. These unique ecosystems are home to thousands of unique species and, in Central Mexico, provide vital overwintering habitat for millions of Monarch butterflies. Their findings are showing that the vegetation, adapted to mist and fog, will be significantly impacted by these changes—specifically, “threatening the growth and survival of both mature trees and a range of eniphytic plant groups.” A 30 year study in Amazonia shows that the composition of the forest is evolving in response to warming and drought, but that these changes aren’t keeping up with Climate Change. In the Andes, species are migrating up the mountains to cooler elevations, but again, not fast enough to avoid species loss. 

Plants are no strangers to harsh conditions necessitating adaptation, and every species we know today has survived the inevitable ecosystem shifts of a fluid planet by evolving with it. What we’re seeing now, however, are major climatic changes happening in real time and at breathtaking speed. This unprecedented speed is what threatens the existence of all species, including humanity. With every new offshore drilling project, climate change denial, or uncontrollable wildfire, we hurtle towards a barren, desolate future that will test our collective will to survive. 

Even with the odds against them, plants and ecosystems are valiantly adapting and adjusting to the harsh new realities they face. However, what is encouraging for plants may be less so for us. Many of the medicinal compounds (active plant secondary metabolites) that we rely on for nutrition and herbal medicine are produced in response to specific environmental stressors and may decrease or disappear altogether as the climate changes. For example, the wild berries that the Inuit depend on have been found to produce higher levels of antioxidants in the coldest regions of the arctic, which are rapidly warming. Thus, scientists are concerned that our treasured medicinal and traditional food plants will lose their potency at a time that they are most needed. 

To address these threats, scientists are developing ways to determine which plants will need the most help and how to manage them. To this end, they've determined what characteristics are best suited for the coming climatic changes, both experienced and expected. Plants that are more tolerant of drought have higher wood density, thicker leaves, higher water use efficiency, and deeper roots. Plants that are tolerant of higher temperatures have thicker leaves, greater below-ground biomass, and adaptive height. Plants that can tolerate frequent wildfires have thicker bark, serotinous cones, and the ability to resprout after fires have torn through. Plants with a combination of these traits will likely cope best, while plants without them could easily fall behind—and should be the focus of conservation efforts. 

In the face of Climate Change, human ingenuity and intervention are going to be needed more than ever to keep MAPs growing and thriving. In Oregon, one scientist is experimenting with several orchard management techniques to develop ways to continue growing apples in less than ideal conditions. So far, he has found the most success with a simplified version of Huerta, the integrated orchard-garden systems of Spain and Italy. Another industry that they expect will be greatly affected is wine. Already, vintners wise to the reality of Climate Change are looking for new areas to move their orchards to once the traditional wine regions become unsuitable. 

Patterns have emerged regarding the relationship between plant phenology (seasonal activities) and the climate. In general, the phenology of many plants has already changed, especially in temperate zones. One contributing factor is the rise of earlier, warmer springs, and of false springs (when the temperature warms up enough to cue the production of buds and leaves in temperature reliant plants, but the last frost has yet to occur). For many frost-sensitive plants, these false springs can prove disastrous. For other plant species that become active later in the season, these timing shifts can cause serious phenological mismatches—from flowers that bloom before the pollinators are out to fruits that appear after birds and other dispersers have migrated. 

The challenges presented by an increasingly unpredictable climate are clear and give the upper hand to invasive species that are more phenologically labile (fluid). Plants that can better adapt to temperature changes increase their performance accordingly, while those that can’t will decline and die out. The most vulnerable species are the ones that not only fall victim to false springs and phenological mismatch, but are also less mobile and cannot migrate quickly enough to more favorable habitats. 

“In the face of a changing world, plants have choices: die out, move, or adapt.” Those species with the ability to migrate are increasingly being found outside of their ranges, which will eventually lead to the decline of their native ecosystems. Surveys of European mountain summits dating back to 1871 have shown some troubling trends, including an increase in species gain over the last 145 years, with a significant acceleration over the last 20-30 years. Scientists observe that this acceleration is “strikingly synchronized with accelerated global warming”. This frenzied growth may seem like a good thing, but, in reality it is not a good sign. In the future, the ability to track and forecast phenology and range will play an large role in the conservation of both wild and cultivated plants. The plants have always helped us, but they cant save us from ourselves.

All of this information can feel incredibly overwhelming, but with great struggles come great opportunities. The climate crisis is our collective wake-up call, and forces us to take stock of the ways we are living. Is this the direction we want to go in? Is this the end, or just the beginning of a new age? While we can’t truly know what the world will look like in 50 or 100 years, we can work towards the brighter future that our children deserve. In the words of the Independent Alliance of World Scientists, “We declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatures from around the world, clearly and unequivocally, that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency. The climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than scientists expected. It is more severe than anticipated, threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity. To secure a sustainable future, we must change how we live. The good news is that such transformative change, with social and economic justice for all, promises far greater human well-being than does business as usual.”

Welcome 2020 January Specials!

20 years of Tuesdays

220+ apprentices

 

Join the growing circle of herbal apprentices in 2020

Year 1: Herbal Apprenticeship

Program begins April 23rd 2019-Feb 2020

Meets in Conway MA every Tuesday from 10am-3pm 

April 2020-February 2021

 

Topics covered in Herbal Apprenticeship Year 1:

Traditions of Healing:: Wise Woman Tradition, Shamanism, Indigenous Healing, Traditional Medicine, Scientific Tradition, The Witch

Herbal Allies:: Hearing the call, Plant Connection, Plant Communication, Plant Meditation, Doctrine of Signatures, Immersions

Deep Nourishment:: Food and Nutrition, Self Nourishment, Connection, Self Love, Seasonal Medicine

Herbal Energetics::Energy, Tastes, Vitalism, Plant energetics, Energetics of Disease, Chakras

Tools of the Trade:: Books, Tools, Organizations, Resources, Understanding Herbal Actions,

Medicine Making:: Water Based, Oil Based, Spirit Based, Honey Based, Vinegar Based, Powders and more

Materia Medica:: Profiles of 64 Western Herbs, 10 Chinese Herbs, 10 Ayurvedic Herbs, Sea Weeds, Mushrooms

Herb Gardening:: Garden Design, Growing from Seeds, Propegating, Seeds Saving, Optimal Harvest Times, Design, Gardening by the Moon

Botanical Art:: Photography, Drawing, Watercolor, Pressing

Herbs for Common Ailments :: Chronic Vs Acute Conditions, Family Health, First Aid

The Art and Ethics of Wildcrafting:: United Plant Savers, Gratitude, Medicinal and Edible Mushrooms, Field Identification, Therapeutic Uses, Recipes, Sustainability

Creating powerful and effective Healing Ceremonies:: Ceremonial Uses of herbs, Medicine Wheels, Earth Awareness, The Four Directions, Animal Allies, Elements, Living Alters, Spiritual Healings, Sacred Cacao Ceremony, Tulsi Tea Ceremony, Spiritual Cleansings

Radical Self Care and Herbal Body Care:: Facial, Skin, Hair, Body Care and Pampering! Spa Day!

Understanding and Connecting the Bodies Systems:: Nourishment and Support for the nervous, digestive, immune, respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, urinary and muscular systems

and lots of creative projects including creating a Willdcrafting Calender, Herbal Ally Poster, 12 Month Protocol, Herbal Timeline/Herbal Trivial Pursuit! and lots of Medicine Making Challenges!

$2000

Register this month and pay in full and 

receive

 

::The 13 Month Pilgrimage to Radiant Health Workbook::

 

and a 1 hour complemetary consultation as a bonus gift

A personalized journey to radiant health, a health pilgrimage which will lead you to a deeper understanding of your body and it’s workings, a deep rooted connection with the world around you, and a profound understanding of self care. The pilgrimage can be likened to an individual herbal health protocol arriving to you in a choke full  three ring binder, separated into monthly sections, named for the moons filled with recipes and grocery lists, kitchen witchery, love and inspiration.

 

Included you will find Monthly Support Sections on

 

Deep Nourishment        *        Digestion        *    The Heart        *        Immunity        *

*    Spiritual health        *         The Liver        *        Inflammation        *        Stress and Mental Welbeing

 *     The Respiratory System        *    The Muscular Skeletal System        *     The Urinary System

      The Reproductive System  

 

 In each of the monthly sections you will find information on Supportive Herbs, Star Players, Nourishment, Recipes, Inspiration and Self Care and Soul Care.  Plus herbal alchemy, sacred ceremonies and kitchen witchery for you to try your hand at! As well as links to articles that will deepen your understanding of a particular concept.

 

Read what past apprentices have said about the Apprentice program here and what they are doing now here

 

More info on apprenticeship program here

 

Register here to take advantage of the January Special

 

                                                                       

 

(if you would prefer to pay by Venmo please email me for code)

 

 

 

#18yearsoftuesdays #tuesdayapprentices #blazingstarherbalschool

Distance Learning Program Highlight: Creative, Tasty and Nourishing Medicine Making

Creative, Tasty  and Nourishing Medicine Making

This is the most foundational and comprehensive of our distance learning programs! It is a great program to get you started on your journey, or to fill in any gaps you may have. 

 

 

It is for you if you are a homesteader or homestead wanna be!, its for 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 Harry Potter wanna be, or 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  kitchen! 

 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! either just as they are or possible add your own twist and create a family grimoire of recipes. Wherever in the world you are these recipes can be adapted to herbs and spices you have available to you! and should be adapted based on your ancestry and bioregion. 

 

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, Oxymels, Elixirs, 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!

   ON SALE NOW for $200 

(usually $250)

 

                                                                      

 

 

Ceremonial Plant Healing:Healing the world, Healing ourselves -an Apprenticeship Program (round 4)

 

Plants are our ancestors and our teachers, and living their medicine can transform our lives. 

 

One Friday per month

     Begins on January 11th 2019

(and Second Friday of every month there after!)

Register now! 

 

I offer such gratitude to my teacher whom I studied these Healing Practices with, Ecuadorian Curandera and ethnobotanist Rocio Alarcon Phd, the specific details of the practices have been passed down to her by her grandmother and have been in her family for many generations, and I practice them with her guidance and blessing. 

To learn more about Rocio and her work in Ecuador please check out her website Iamoe Center

 

Ceremonial Herbalism is an exploration into the ancient ways of honoring and using plants in a sacred way for personal and global healing.10 months of Ceremonies that build our relationship, deep connection and bring us into alignment with the Earth, the elements and humanity. Rituals of deep apology, thanks, love, and forgiveness. A hands-on course, in which we will intimately explore Cross-Cultural Shamanic Arts and practice which supports and encourage balanced living in a modern age.

 

 

As we have evolved, we humans have lost direct connection with the plant and spirit world which has resulted in many forms of psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual dis-ease. Using plants in ceremony supports the evolution of our consciousness, our spiritual growth and helping us find our right livelihood. Reconnecting with the plants and elements through ceremony, we are gifted with offerings from the heart of Nature. As our ancestors and indigenous peoples around the globe have done since the beginning of time we will work on our communication with nature and tap into her sacred medicine, spirit, essence and guidance. This is important work which helps create much needed balance.

  

Prayer clears the mist and brings back peace to the soul. ~Rumi

 

 

  

The course outline includes but is not limited to:

 

 

Working with Ayni

(concept of mutual/sacred reciprocity, prayer and gratitude)

 

Power of the Heart 

We take action that is born out of awareness, compassion and love, not out of reaction, fear and anger. 

Using plant medicines to work with our Hearts Cohesiveness

 

The Elements of Life 

(Water, Fire, Air and Earth, Honoring and becoming allies with and for the elements) 

 

Understanding Spiritual Disease and Learning Spiritual Cleansing Techniques

(Energy hygiene, limpias, plant bathing, understanding spiritual disease)

  

Ancestral Healing

(we carry in our bones the trauma, illnesses, grief and pain of our ancestors, these stories are trapped and passed down generation to generation and the energy of these wounds effect us on daily basis, Ancestral healing involves clearing these imprint from our bodies)

  

Sacred Communication and Connectivity

(Relationship Building, by healing separation and restoring oneness everything can be healed, exploring our limiting beliefs, hearing and talking with the spirits of stones, plants, animals, working in the right way and being able to understand the universal language of connection)

 

The Power Of Seeds/Sacred Plants

(Protection & Grounding, medicine bundles, plant ceremonies/altars) 

"Plants have long been primary teachers for those who travel deep into the heart of the world, for those who seek the soul teaching that only the wild can bring." ~Stephen Harrod Buhner  

Our Shamanic Roots

(History of Shamanism/cross cultural Shamanism/Curanderismo)

 

Learning to Create and Hold Sacred Space

(create your own "healing team" Learn to work with your council of Elders, Ethics & Permission, Spiritual Activism)

 

Working with the Labyrinth

 “The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.” ~ Thomas Merton

 

Land Healing/Earth Ceremonies

(To help us as humans to understand, the earth as a planet, as a being, and ask her to guide us today to understand how to be here in human form in a good way on this planet which contains life in so many different forms) To teach us how to walk softly with power and grace and beauty on this earth,to live here in a good way with a feeling of grounding connection and belonging.) 

 

 

"Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. If you stand together and profess a thing before your community, it holds you accountable. Ceremonies transcend the boundaries of the individual and resonate beyond the human realm"

-Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

 

 

If you are ready to take a leadership role in your community working within a network of people all over the globe working to bring people back to right relationship by creating meaningful ceremony,  and by creating a deep and meaningful sacred practice for yourself, this course is for you. THE TIME IS NOW

No prior herbal experience necessary. Ceremony allows us to speak to the heart, the soul, and the spirit.

 

 

“Our work is to hold to our own internal devotion. This is why we keep up our practices – to keep reminders of reverence nearby, so when doubt enters our environment (our own or another’s), we can hold the space naturally and effectively until the doubt dissipates.”

~Elena Brower

 

Class meets second Friday of every month, first class Friday January 11th 9:30-3:30 pm

Program Cost $1000 ($250 non-refundable deposit) (Please email for application form)

  If you prefer to mail a check made out to Blazing Star Herbal School, Po Box 154, Ashfield MA

 

Payment Options

Pay in Full and Save $850.00 USD Deposit $250.00 USD Payment 1 $250.00 USD Payment 2 $250.00 USD Payment 3 $250.00 USD

 

Required class texts:

Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds  by adrienne maree brown

Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-pa Turner

Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based  by Sherri Mitchell

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants  by Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

 

Please note: this is not a "how to be a shaman" training, you do not get a certificate, there is no formal initiation. Transformation is the only constant we know so in that respect you will likely experience many personal initiations! but none that bestow upon you any title or elite membership! I will share with you all some of the shamanic practices that I work with, have permission to practice and share.  Practices which I believe when taken on in right relationship will help you gain access to the deep well of knowledge inside of you and the invisible realms. The shamanic path is one of opening the heart, learning to trust as you create a doorway that leads you to the hidden realms. By undertaking this work you are committing to being part of the change to hold space, managing the forces as people return home.

 

Spirit chooses a person to be initiated into a path of shamanism, it is not a chosen profession but a destiny. With all the great challenges out there in todays experiences of being alive more and more people are looking within and becoming spiritual seekers, looking for more inclusive and sustainable ways of subsisting on this earth at this time in a good way. 

 

Further Reading: Why I am not a Shaman, and neither are you

  Again, I offer such gratitude to my fierce and fearless beautiful teacher Rocio Alarcon who has taught be so much over the past few years and seems to have great faith in what I am able to do! This offering is for her! 

 

 

Apprenticeship Reflection

 

This journey was more than an apprenticeship in the ways of ceremony and the spirit of the plants. It was an invitation to apprentice to my sense of self, to my soul, to my compassion, and to my truth. It was a Deep Dive into the things I most adore!

 

This monthly circle became a touchstone to return to rhythmically, providing a container for my healing journey, and inspiring friendships that I hope last a lifetime. In the end, I found that this journey brought me through the muck and mud of my soul’s existence, breaking down the layers of all I once thought myself to be, birthing me on the other side with a newfound sense of clarity, drive, and purpose.

 

As I emerge, I am finding my “work” lies in bringing the clarity of spirit, discernment, and truth that I discovered in this journey, out into the more mundane layers of my life. We need this medicine, not just in our cozy circles of spiritual development and sacred ceremony, but in the day to day, humble-human interactions of our lives.

 

Ultimately, this course was a journey in re-discovering my humility and my humanity. It was a radical re-orientation of how I understand our shared human existence and a recalibration of who I know myself to be. I seem to see life now through the eyes of humble compassion. I know now, in a new way, how to hold the heartbreak of humanity alongside our utterly resilient nature. It has awakened within me, an activist’s spirit, with the grit, will, and determination to be humbly me, in my medicine woman roots, wherever life may take me. 

 

Within this circle I was given a set of tools, sacred ceremonies, and time honored practices with which to support the ongoing evolution of my being. My deepest learning came as I integrated and embodied these practices within my day to day life. I hold such deep gratitude for this medicine, for these plants, for the beautiful souls I shared this circle with, and for Tony(a), for guiding us with her gentle grace. 

 

Kristen avonti, soul midwife
Www.soulmidwifery.org

 

 

 

 

Immerse your heart & soul in the exhilarating world of herbs! 2023

 Beginner/Intermediate Herbal Apprenticeship  now in its 23th Year!

"planting the seed"

 Register Now for 2023!

apprentice (uh pren' tis), n., v., -ticed, -tic*ing.-n.

1. a beginner, a learner who is bound by contract/agreement to work for another for a specific amount of time in return for gaining practical experience and instruction in a trade or art.
2. one who is committed to working with a small group of people, over an extended period of time, delving deeply into the heart of herbal knowledge.

 

 

ABOUT THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

Immerse your heart & soul in the exhilarating world of herbs! The seasonal cycles here are exceptional. Winter is sparkling white, roots are waiting deep below the earth. In Spring, new shoots poke up from the earth, the lilacs & forsythia bloom; we begin work in the garden. Summer is abundant with fresh herbs, weeds, vegetables & bright fragrant flowers. We are busy planting, harvesting, wildcrafting. The Fall brings us pumpkins & roots to harvest, herbs to dry, wreaths of sage & lavender. Learn by immersing yourself in the green world of plants, reclaiming your ancient roots. Apprenticeships are designed to focus on your particular areas of interest and to support & empower the Wise Woman/Man that you are. 

 Whenever you choose to apprentice here, you will find open hearts, enthusiasm & a bountiful way of life. 

 

"When wo(men) come together and make a commitment to each other to be in a circle with a spiritual center, they are creating a vessel of healing and transformation for themselves, and vehicle for change in their world. These are circles of compassion that can become incubators for personal and political change."                ~ Jean Shinoda Bolen ~

Have you ever longed to be part of a community of like minded folk, by committing to this Apprenticeship you will automatically be part of a close knit community of supportive friends. 

 

Begins Tuesday April 2023  Ends Feb 2024

 

Class is held weekly,  every tuesday....it starts at 10am and ends at 3:30pm.

There will be a break for lunch around 12:30pm, which will last for 45 minutes.

 We will be learning  directly from the plants and Earth as often as possible! It is also expected that each apprentice will spend a minimum of 2-3 hours per week on integrating the material provided, homework assignments and self study.  

 

 

Topics covered:

Traditions of Healing

Wise Woman Tradition,  Shamanism, Indigenous Healing, Traditional Medicine, Scientific Tradition, The Witch

Herbal Allies

Hearing the call, Plant Connection, Plant Communication, Plant Meditation, Doctrine of Signatures, Immersions

Deep Nourishment:

 Food and Nutrition, Self Nourishment, Connection, Self Love, Seasonal Medicine

 Herbal Energetics

Energy, Tastes, Vitalism, Plant energetics, Energetics of Disease, Chakras

Tools of the Trade

Books, Tools, Organizations, Resources,  Understanding Herbal Actions,

 Medicine Making

Water Based, Oil Based, Spirit Based, Honey Based, Vinegar Based, Powders and more

Materia Medica

Profiles of 64 Western Herbs, 10 Chinese Herbs, 10 Ayuervedic Herbs

Sea Weeds, Mushrooms 

 Herb Gardening

Growing from Seeds, Propegating, Seeds Saving, Optimal Harvest Times, Design, Gardening by the Moon

 Botanical Art

Photography,  Drawing, Watercolor, Pressing 

Herbs for Common Ailments 

Chronic Vs Acute Conditions, Family Health, First Aid 

The Art and Ethics of Wildcrafting

United Plant Savers, Gratitude, Medicinal and Edible Mushrooms, Field Identification, Therapeutic Uses, Recipes, Sustainability

 Creating powerful and effective Healing Ceremonies

Ceremonial Uses of herbs, Medicine Wheels, Earth Awareness, The Four Directions, Animal Allies, Elements, Living Alters,

Cacao Ceremony, Tulsi Tea Ceremony

Radical Self Care and Herbal Body Care

Facial, Skin, Hair, Body Care and Pampering! Spiritual Cleansings

Understanding and Connecting the  Bodies Systems

Nourishment and Support for the nervous, digestive, immune, respiratory, reproductive, cardiovascular, urinary and muscular systems

and lots of creative projects including creating a Willdcrafting Calender, Herbal Ally Poster, 12 Month Protocol, Herbal Timeline/Herbal Trivial Pursuit! and lots of Medicine Making Challenges! 

 

The apprenticeships home base will be in Conway MA but we will be exploring the local trails and conservation land of Western Massachusetts including Bear Swamp, Chapel Hill Falls, The Chesterfield Gorge, The DAR, High Ledges, Garden in the Woods (Framingham MA) as well as other spots of botanical interest. 

By joining us in 2023  you are committing to embarking on a journey towards wholeness. As well as the study of medicinal herbs, you will be deepening your connection nature and the seasons, creating exceptional self care practices, exploring the local economy and sustainability and creating seasonal rituals with a group of green allies both human and plant...the result will be a deep and unforgettable connection. 

 

A Certificate of Completion for 200 hours of Herbal Studies will be awarded to the student who meets course attendance requirements (attending at least 80% of classes) and hands in all completed course assignments/projects. 

The Cost of the program is $2000 which includes the $250 non refundable deposit which holds your spot (non refundable unless the program is cancelled).

Full Payment is due on the first class or student can participate in Payment Plan (monthly checks of $185 payable on the first Tuesday of every month- late fee applies!) While payment may be made in installments, enrollment in the program constitutes a commitment to pay the entire tuition.

You can register for the course by sending in your non refundable deposit of $250. Payment by check or PayPal. Please let me know if you need our mailing address. 

SAVE $150 BY PAYING IN FULL BY  Dec15th 2022

Venmo or PayPal 

 

Apprenticeship 2023

Deposit $250.00 USD Full Payment by Sept 15th(save $150 ) $1,850.00 USD Monthly Payment Plan plus pp fee $180.00 USD Full Payment after Sept 15th $2,000.00 USD

                                                                                                           

     

 

 

 

Refund policy:  Refunds less the deposit are given if students drop within 30 days of first class.  There are no refunds on tuition payments after this time even if the student is no longer in attendance.