Blazing Star Herbal School

Holistic Visioning Workshop 2023

Are you ready to bring your vision to life this year?

The Holistic Visioning Workshop 2023

is here for you! 

Tuesday  December 27th,  10-5 pm

in person, Conway, MA

“Stop dreaming about your bucket list and start living it.”

— Annette White

 

For years now I have taken the 10 days between Winter Solstice and the New Year as my personal "week".  Using the time for closure, journalling, art-ing, planning, prayer and ceremony. This year I am sharing my process (and my week) by offering a one day mini creative planning retreat.

Whether you are working on setting up a holistic health protocol for yourself, new business goals, a personal bucket list, creating work/play balance, planning new creative works or welcoming in a new direction all together this workshop will help you set the goals, and align the forces to work with you, in community we will set intentions and create ceremony. We will witness one another and work to help set up a culture of support and accountabilty.

 

 

“Action is the foundational key to all success.” — Pablo Picasso

 

Join us for a day of ceremony, art, and self care.

Space is limited to 8 people.

Lunch will be potluck style (more on this upon registration)

As a bonus for signing up you will automatically be registered to the Winter Edition of the Self Care Revolution beginning Jan 21st, 2023

$99 

Register here (venmo @tonya-lemos or PayPal Me) 

 

The Art and Revolution of Self Care- Winter Edition

 

 

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence.

It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Audre Lorde

🌻

Care to join me? 

We'll begin on the NEW MOON on Feb 9th 2024

about the program:

🫀It is an invitation to rest and re-set, to gather and grow together

🫀Each day for 30 days you will receive an email with an attached PDF, featuring a prompt,  a practice, a sample ritual, a quote/affirmation, and a seasonal recipe or two*.  Some practices will be cumulative (and others a one time experience). Some days you will find the suggested action easy and some days perhaps a little more challenging, some days the rituals will speak right to you and other days you may want pass and to create your own. 

* I try to keep them simple with items which most people have in their homes or can be found at the local grocery store, if I suggest a more specialized herb or ingredient I will offer more common alternatives also. I want to introduce nourishing herbal practices to you but also make it immediately and transformative

🫀You will be guided to create your own personal self care toolkit and manual. 

🫀We will have a private (optional) Facebook page to document your progress and share challenges with other, I will be popping in daily to cheer you all along and offer inspiration and support.

 

This email/PDF based course gives you tools you can return to time and time again.  Often all we need that one little action to shift our mindset/ the energy and to be able to take those small steps needed to start to feel more like ourselves.  Something I have learnt during my 25 years in the Holistic Health Care field is that by creating reliable self-care habits we can be more present, make clearer decision, and begin to unlock the fullness of life.

Be prepared to start feeling very full :-)

The best road to self care is to establish simple, daily practices which remind you of the gifts, benefits, blessings,  you enjoy and the goodness that prevails in your life. Step by step we can reset our past programming and begin to treat ourselves with love.

 

What you need to participate in the class:

Really just show up and participate

🌱A Journal or notebook (a place to catch your thoughts) would be helpful

🌱30-45 minutes set aside for you each day during your 30-day experience

🌱Willingness to try new things! and find new ways to be in community.

 

🌻

Together we will define Self Care and its importance. 

Create a culture, community and Practice of Self care

Explore Spiritual, Emotional and Physical Wellbeing

Be Intentional, Be Strong together

Create Ceremony and Prayer

Integrate and Inspire

Commit and Reward

 Be in Gratitude

and Love

Join the Self - Care Revolution! 

🌻

 

And remember that we are in this together! No-one needs to suffer alone. Reach out! and be kind to one another

We will begin this journey on the first New Moon of 2023, Jan 21st

Program Details:

 

Sliding Scale Price:  $33-$66

A word about the sliding scale: Please offer what you feel comfortable paying. If you are able to pay more know that you are supporting someone who is struggling financially but feels like this program would benefit them.  If you are buying the course and gifting it to someone please let me know. Once I receive your payment I will be emailing you more details.

 

Paypal: The Art and Revolution of Self-Care  

Venmo @tonya-lemos

 

about your guide:

I, Tony(a) Lemos have been a community herbalist for close to 30 years and have been the Director of Blazing Star Herbal School for 21 years guiding and mentoring herbal apprentices on their journeys with plant medicine. I am passionate about sharing my love of plants, people and the planet and helping people experience the feeling of connection which happens when communities are formed.

I am also passionate about Self Care, the intersection of herbalism and lifestyle, Sensory Plant Medicine, Spiritual Health with Plants and the Plant/Person relationship.  I also offer holistic herbal lifestyle consultations and individualized healing sessions. 

Beyond the Blazing Star Herbal School I am a published author and have lectured at multiple venues including the Northeast Women’s Herbal Conference,  the Green Nations Gathering, the Flower Essence Conference, The Northeast Aromatherapy Conference, NOFA MASS,  United Plant Savers and the CT Institute of Herbal Studies (1996-2006) and a multitude of local healing centers and yoga studios.

More than anything I love bringing people together who share interest in what it means to be in a  healthy relationship with all sentient beings. 

 

Seasonal Holiday Cards (now available for online ordering)

 

Set of 5 

original

one of a kind

seasonal card + envelope

$3o includes shipping

(venmo + paypal scroll down for details)

 

every card is unique, handmade and different!

(all are blue cyanotypes with a wintery theme)

 

Mini Enclosure cards/w/envelopes

(great for slipping into that gift bag or for a gift card/cash)

$ 6 for set of 4

 

Venmo: @tonya-lemos

or paypal

 

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes ⚡ looking ahead...

Tony(a) Lemos and the Great Pause

 

It has been a while since I introduced myself in this space. 

Hi,

I'm Tony(a) Lemos (she/her/hers). I go by Tony and more often these days simply "t". I have been running BSHS since July 0f 2020! Twenty two years! Thats 22 cycles of beginner/intermediate Tuesday Apprenticeship and 20 cycles of the Therapeutic Herbal Apprenticeship, a few memorable Aromatherapy Conferences, and many many other programs all of which I am so grateful for the most amazing community which has formed around our programing and consulting! With all that said this post is going to outline some changes, some of which are already happening and some in the works behind the scenes. It is an exciting time and I hope many of you will join me on the next phase of this journey!

                                                        (photo credit Emmy Markham)

 

As an healer and artist, the Great Pause, which is how  I refer to the CV19 pandemic, gave me time, a lot of time, for reflection and reinvention. So, I want to take a few moments to reintroduce myself in these spaces and let you know what has changed. 

One of the big things that has happened with now Zoe launched! This fills me with happiness and also creates some empty space for me to expand in directions I have been contemplating for some time. 

You may have already noticed some new offerings in Botanical Art and Alternative Photography Processes. I am partway through a personal commitment to make art every day for a year. (@365artlog)

Coming soon I’ll be offering more Creative Retreats and workshops in the Garden, kicking off with an Eco Printing one in August.

Launching before the end of the Equinox the new podcast “Dreaming in Green - Art in Conversation with Nature” and a fresh website (yes this space will be moving to) tonyalemosarts.com where you’ll find info on all the above plus upcoming craft shows, and public art exhibits.

In order to make room for these new offerings, I have discontinued the Advanced Apprenticeship in Clinical Herbalism and I will no longer be taking one on one clinical appointments. But don’t worry I will be offering some group in person and online health/creativity/lifestyle coaching sessions following my 12 month protocol. The beloved Tuesday apprenticeship will continue without changes!

And speaking of room - I am interested in how some of the space I am not filling might allow for new collaborations, creative endeavors and support for the collective good. Got an Idea? HMU. 

As you can see, my belief in connecting Women+ to Nature is still front and center and I am expanding in ways that feel true to who I am today. I will always believe that through this connection to each other and our Places, we become Whole and healthier physically, mentally and spiritually.  Our Wholeness/Holiness then contributes in turn to the health of our communities and our Planet. 

“We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we've lost our connection to ourselves.” Andy Goldsworthy

 

in deep gratitude and much love, 

-t

Cyanotype 101 Workshop

A Creativity Retreat in the Garden

Cyanotype 101

A One Day Workshop
Sunday June 28th,  11-4 pm

 

 

The cyanotype (Prussian-blue image on a white background) also known as ferro-prussiate or blue print process or simply sun prints, was invented and named by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and is one of the oldest photographic processes. It was popularized by Anna Atkins, one of a handful of women working in photography in the mid-1800s. Atkins also had the first published book (in1843) using images made with the cyanotype method, called 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Flowering Plants and Ferns.'

It is one of the easiest printing techniques you can do at home without expensive equipment or a photography darkroom. The chemicals needed are easy to find and inexpensive (because there are no precious metals involved) While this was a very popular printing process for engineers well into the 20th century, it is becoming increasingly popular with photographers and artist wanting to expand their creativity with printing.

In this workshop participants will make dry cyanotypes from found plant material, and digital negatives* as well as experiment with wet cyanotypes using suds and kitchen spices. At the end of the we’ll also discuss toning and staining cyanotypes, and how the process can be adapted to other surfaces.

Who is this workshop good for? 

Any creatives – who want to jump into the world of alternative photographic printing techniques. This is one of the easiest printing techniques for photography. All levels welcome

 

Cyanotypes are amazing for making one-of-a-kind prints and collage papers for mixed media art. Sometimes results are predicable, sometimes they are not. We will work with the sun as our UV light source, and the sun and weather at the time will determine the intensity and sort of cyanotype prints we produce.

 

Location: Blazing Star Herbal School, Conway MA

Cost $160 (including all materials) 

Register using PayPal or email  for Venmo 

An intimate garden concert ft. Doctors Xingona (Diana Alvarez) Genesis Fermin!

about Diana:

Doctora Xingona's ancestors bloom in her/their voice. Her/their songs roar an otherworldly fire against oppression, exalt queer love and liberation, and create a gripping atmosphere for healing. Doctora Xingona’s poetic songs live in-between, where borders are a myth. An expansive multimedia artist and educator, Doctora Xingona's music, poetry, performances, films, and gatherings center transcendence, kinship, and the co-liberation and nourishment of queer and trans artists of color.

Doctora Xingona is the composer and filmmaker behind the award-winning Quiero Volver: A Xicanx Ritual Opera, a multimedia performance altar for queer and trans BIPOC artists to convene and manifest futures. This performance, awarded by the New England Foundation for the Arts and multiple Massachusetts Cultural Councils, has been described by the press as an "acoustically stunning performance meant to honor women, nonbinary, and genderqueer artists of color." Quiero Volver has raised over $10,000 to support immigrant justice initiatives, and currently benefits the BridgeSong Fund: Emergency Relief for Western MA Women, Nonbinary, Trans, and Genderqueer Artists of Color, co-founded by Doctora Xingona at the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, MA. 

Alvarez's journey as a songwriter and opera composer began with her award-winning poetry, which centers genderqueer muse, Bruja Juana. In 2008, Alvarez completed her MFA in Poetry at Sarah Lawrence College, where her poetry collection, Consultations with Bruja Juana, was conceived. Consultations was published by Toadlily Press in 2009, and two of Alvarez’s poems also appear in The Best of Toadlily Press (2011). Poet Sean Nevin said of Consultations, "Diana Alvarez writes the truth through a tincture of magic and prayer, and both the spirits and the living are cupping their ears to listen."

Dr. Alvarez earned her PhD in Electronic Arts Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she was mentored by groundbreaking composer Pauline Oliveros. Alvarez's dissertation research is titled Bridge Artistx: Gatherings of Women, Non-Binary, and Genderqueer Artists of Color. At Rensselaer, Alvarez composed her opera, and blended testimonio methods and video portraiture to document the lives and work of women, nonbinary, and genderqueer artists of color. Alvarez's video art continues to expand. In 2018, Alvarez was commissioned to create a documentary for the world premiere of Sharon Bridgforth’s performance installation, dat Black Mermaid Man Lady at allgo, a statewide queer people of color organization in Austin, Texas. In addition to her documentary commissions for Bridgforth, Alvarez has directed her own music videos, as well as a music video for internationally recognized singer-songwriter and jazz musician, Pamela Means. 

Doctora Xingona Diana Alvarez has been awarded grants from New England Foundation for the Arts, Iguana Music Fund/Club Passim, Easthampton City Arts, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and Mass MoCA, Massachusetts Assembly/ArtPlace America. Alvarez is the recipient of the Agha Shahid Ali Poetry Prize from the Fine Arts Work Center (Provincetown, MA) and the Malcolm S. Morse Graduate Research Enhancement Award in Honor of Pauline Oliveros from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Alvarez has also been an artist-in-residence at Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada.

Doctora Xingona is an invited performer, guest lecturer, workshop facilitator, and keynote speaker at venues and schools across the US and worldwide, including Festival Internaciónal Cervantino, MX, Philadelphia Folk Festival, PA, Banff Centre for the Arts, Folk Alliance International, and many more.

Doctora Xingona's debut album, Ser Artista--a roaring, genderqueer, extraterrestrial, Xicanx collection of songs produced by Seth Glier--was released in December 2021.

 

About Genesis (Gela) 

enesis Fermin (they/them) is a gardener and multifaceted artist who cultivates lush fruits and soul-illuminating songs. Their music documents the ache of longing, vivid childhood memories, and a life lived against the grain, blurring every boundary. Genesis grows music and food in the Bay Area, and is the co-founder of the I Need Space Queer Music Festival, founded to support a diverse, international array of queer artists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their debut album, Genesis Fermin, was released in 2021 and produced by Gina Villalobos, and the “gentle acoustic rhythms” on this album are described by Americana UK as “smartly written, [with] a strong vocal.”

Come along on the journey – easily enjoyed, not easily forgotten.

 

About Zoe

Zoe Rinchen Lemos is an alternative musician based in NYC, she has played in bands since she was ten years old is now branching out as a solo artist. Her music is an original blend of Americana and indie pop. Her lyrics tell stories of political oppression and hope, the love and struggles through the eyes of a young queer Tibetan Greek woman. 

Her musical career began accidentally when at the age of nine when she attended pre-teen girls rock camp at The Institute for Musical Arts in Goshen Massachusetts found her tribe and future bandmates. In her spare time, she busks on the streets of Northampton MA raising money for LGBTQ+ Asylum Taskforcewhich helps people who are LGBT seek asylum from countries where being LGBT is illegal or is very dangerous. She is also makes vids for you tube.

Her pre pandemic band ZoKi Band (@ZoKiband) has opened for Antigone Rising, June Millington, NRBQ and more.  

 

 

We are thrilled to have them all here for this special May show!

Very limited space grab your tix now

Tix : https://diana-alvarez.com/reservations

Sunflowers for the Ukraine

After posting my sunflower 🌻 print to my @365art log and social media accounts I have had many requests on how to purchase (Thank you!)

 

 

 

so, 

 

I am offering up my “Sunflower Print” to anyone who makes a donation to an organization which supports the Solidarity of the people of the Ukraine in the amount of $40 or more. All you have to do is send (email) me a photo of you receipt for your donation made between March 5th and March 16th 2022 and your mailing address and I will send you one!

 

Its that simple

 

Why Sunflowers: You may have seen sunflowers popping up all over your social media. Sunflowers have long been the national flower of the Ukraine, BUT in 1996 when Ukraine gave up its last nuclear warhead on a former Ukraine missile base, on June 4th, they were also chosen as a symbol of world peace, and a world free of nuclear weapons.

 

I love seeing everyones creative take on #sunflowersforukraine and while we all know that painting/ creating/ sewing sunflowers doesn't change a dire situation, but spreading love and intentions of peace, and sending supportive energy is better than doing nothing! Energetics make a difference!

 

There are many places which you can donate, here is a starting point

 

In case you do not know where to donate here are two starting ideas I will add more as I come across them

 

https://razomforukraine.org

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/kyivindependent-launch...

 

https://www.instagram.com/lookingoutfoundation/?hl=en

(this is @brandicarlile 's foundation seems like they have done some good fundraising and research on the topic)

 

 

 

#sunflowersforpeace #sunflowersforukraine #nowar #makeartnotwar

Botanical Studio Art- Sponsored by Belding Memorial Library Ashfield

This program is free, limited space (pre registration with library is required)

The life of Tussilago (a reprint)

_____________________________________________________________________

Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara

Family: Asteraceae
European native

____________________________________________________________________

 

(click on photos for a full sized view)

"the son before the father" Very early in the spring, coltsfoot develops flat orange flower heads, but only after they eventually wither do the broad, hoof-shaped, sea-green leaves develop. Since the flowers and leaves appear at different times, they are collected separately. Coltsfoot is found along brooks and in wet places and moist clayey soil along roadsides

The flowers should be gathered before they have fully bloomed (end of February to April) and dried carefully in the shade. The leavesare best collected between May and June. They should be chopped up before theyare dried and stored. The fresh leaves can be used until autumn.

Constituents: Coltsfoot contains flavonoids, about 8% mucilage (consisting of polysaccharides), 10% tannins, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, vitamin C, and zinc. There are useful levels of zinc in the leaves. This mineral has been shown to have marked anti-inflammatory effects. The pyrrolizidine alkaloids may have a toxic effect on the liver, but are largely destroyed when the parts are boiled to make a decoction. The polysaccharides are anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant. The flavonoids are anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic.


Doctrine of SIgnatures: Coltsfoot, the dried leaves and/or flower heads of Tussilago farfara L., is one of those plants whose botanical name reflects its medicinal application. Tussilago derives from the Latin tussis, meaning cough, and coltsfoot has long been used to treat that affliction. 

Coltsfoot combines a soothing expectorant effect with an anti-spasmodic action. Coltsfoot may be used in chronic or acute bronchitis, irritating coughs, whooping coughs and asthma. Its soothing expectorant action gives Coltsfoot a role in most respiratory conditions, including the chronic states of emphysema. As a mild diuretic it has been used in cystitis. The fresh bruised leaves can be applied to boils, abscesses and suppurating ulcers.

A note regarding smoking of this plant: Since the principal active ingredient in the plant is a throat-soothing mucilage, smoking coltsfoot is not rational therapy. The mucilage would be destroyed by burning, and the effect of smoke on already irritated mucous membranes would be increased irritation. Inhaling the vapors from coltsfoot leaves placed in a pan of simmering water s again without value. The useful mucilage is not volatile and would not reach the affected tissues.

It combines well with licorice, thyme, and black cherry. In China, coltsfoot is classified as a "warming" herb that helps relieve coughing and wheezing.

Safety
Over the years, coltsfoot has been a very popular folk remedy for coughs and bronchial congestion. As early as the first century, coltsfoot was recommneded for dry coughs and for breathing problems by the Greek doctor Dioscorides. However a study carried out in Japan revealed that the hepatotoxic (poisonous to the liver)pyrrolizidine alkaloid senkirkine to be present in relatively small amounts (0.015 percent). Continued or prolonged exposure to these pyrrolizidine alkaloids may have a cumulative effect. For some time it was hoped that the rest of the plant might be devoid of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. However, a subsequent investigation of coltsfoot leaves showed senkirkine to be present in them as well.

Here are some safety considerations:

-Coltsfoot flowers should not be used.
-The herb should not be taken by pregnant or breast-feeding women.
-It should not be given to children under age 6. 
-Some countries have legal restrictions regarding coltsfoot availablity and usage. The USDA classifies coltsfoot as an herb of "unknown safety" due to the pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The amount of these alkaloids is extremely small, though, and the beneficial effects are generally believed to outweigh the risk.
-It is recommended that coltsfoot tea or syrup not be used for more than 4-6 weeks at a time.

If readers prefer to try alternative very safe herbal demulcent (soothing agent), try slippery elm bark or marshmallow root

Respiratory Decongestant Syrup

1 part coltsfoot leaves
1/2 part marshmallow root
1/2 part ground ivy
1/2 mullein leaf
1/8 part licorice
1/8 part Orange Peel
1/2 cup of Black Cherry concentrate
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 Ib (1 kg) natural honey

Simmer the herbs in 4 cups water until reduced to 2 cups. Strain and add 1/4 lb natural raw honey. Gently melt, simmering at low heat for 20 minutes. Add 1/4 cup Black Cherry concentrate. You can add a splash of lemon juice as well if you have it. Cool before bottling. Store in refrigerator. Consume within 3 months. If you would like to extend the shelf life add 1/4 cup of good quality Brandy.

Dosage: Take 1 T , 2 to 3 times a day. Even children will enjoy it!

A year of Both And...

intro to first newsletter of 2021

It's been a while, please forgive me. I did not mean to disappear, at first things were changing so fast, What seemed relevant to share one day seemed insensitive or simply not useful the next. As the days became months I started to get quiet,  taking in the world around me, studying the effect of the news on people, studying my friends, studying myself, studying peoples resilience, observing the "shit show that 2020, turned into" taking it all in, and getting quiet enough to hear my guides again. And while quiet I began to assess my work both professionally and personally. I am now ready to emerge again. 

For the past two decades I have run Blazing Star Herbal School alone, and for the past 17 years I am been a single mother, it's been exhausting, exhilarating, hectic and non-stop. I had reached my limit and needed a break! Ironically the last book I ordered from my local library in Feb was  "Chasing Slow" by the time I  finally picked up in July (when the library re-opened) life had changed so dramatically (foreshadowing perhaps) You could say life stalled. 

I begun quarantine enthusiastically taking advantage of the pause, cleaning my house, catching up on some books, thinking I had two weeks until life resumed. When two weeks became four, I decided to paint my home, and do some projects no-one has time for, such as sanding the butchers block etc, . . .then I went through all my belongings, weeding out what I no longer need, use of bring me joy!, when that was done and piled high in the basement! I then I went on a quest to find some good fitting jeans (ordered lots of pairs and returned lots- and the irony of good fitting during a pandemic where baking has become key to survival). It was about now that I realized this was a long term "pause" and I had to pace myself so I began to go on long walks, sometimes with friends sometimes solo and explore the surrounding area, photographing things that inspire me, engaging my sense of curiosity and wonder.  As I wandered deeper and deeper into the woods old parts of me returned, parts that gotten lost after parenting for so long. Remembering what brings me joy, what inspires me to create, I begun to explore plant eco printing, anthotyping and cyanotyping (alternative photographic methods) and couldn't stop. Yes -there were many days when I was frustrated with myself for not finishing my book, not creating more content, not putting out a covid care protocol, not doing enough, not sharing enough not being enough, how dare I rest! I kept hearing loud and clear! that it was time to listen time to be quiet. Time to plant seeds and dream.

 I feel strongly that it is time for us to create the world we want to live in. (I know my apprentices are tired of hearing me say this!) In order to do this we all need to show up be part of the process and be willing to do the work. We need everyone's skill set, there is a role for everyone. Growing community is the way forward, we all need to feel connected on many levels, to each other, to animals, to plants, to elements and to the planet.

 

My first offering of 2021 is an updated " The Art and Revolution of Self Care" beginning on Imbolc also known as St Brigid's day,  Feb 1st.  

 

To read the rest of the newsletter follow this link