Herbalismo! A Medicinal Plant Festival of the Deep South

Herbalismo! Conference Begins with Classes by:

Comparing Remedies: A Dozen Astringents—Matthew Wood (WI and CA)

This class will help the student understand how to compare and use remedies of similar nature. First, when do we use an astringent, and then, which one? Raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, sumach, lady’s mantle, witch hazel, horse chestnut, collinsonia, oak, red root, yarrow, agrimony.

The Herstory of Herbal Medicine—JoAnn Sanchez (AZ)

Based on the ideas that her-story is as important as his-story and that looking to the past can provide healing for the present. A time line will be presented along with images representing those who have come before us, men and women, to pave the way for our contemporary herbalism. Interwoven with the time line: Thomsonianism, Physiomedicalism, Eclecticism, the Regulars, the Botanics, the Mystics, the Suffragettes, the Naturopaths—all of these are the colored threads that make up the picture of our past. We wil discuss overlap, distinctions and how each has influenced present herbalism practices. Also, philosophies from Hippocrates to present day still hold keys to our understanding modern beliefs about medical care. Lastly, the stories behind the people who color our past give us insight into human plant relationships, philosophy of stewardship, and shoulders to stand on as we march forward in time as caretakers of plants and people.

Creating Sacred Space Through Scent —Beth Ebbing

Scent is very powerful. This class is intended to open the doors to using plant medicines through smell. We will be focusing on creating sacred space through scent. We will explore smudging with herbs, smelling the essential oils, burning the resins and incense. We will look at and experience how plants like Sage, Sweetgrass, Myrrh, Frankincense, Copal, Dragons Blood and a few other common ceremony plants resonate with us. We will also look at different thoughts on the intention these scents create, when to use what plant, the traditions of cultures and what some of the “experts” think as well. (Please note that we will be smelling and burning plants in this class in case you have any sensitivities to the plants.)

The Sensual Herbalist: Identifying Plants in the Field—Karen Keaton (CA)

Basic Botany and Field Identification Skills for Herbalists. What am I looking at? A beginners class on looking at the basic parts of a plant, 4 whorls of flower, defining botanical terms, Monocots versus dicots, the use of field guides and keys, and how to use a hand lens.

Bridging the Gap: Sharing Holistic Ideals With Your Companion Animals—Margarat Nee (CA)

Even people involved in the healing arts sometimes forget to include their companion animals in their holistic health lifestyle, creating a disconnect between how they care for themselves and how they care for their pets. Focusing on dogs and cats, this class will take a holistic view in presenting information, some of it familiar for our own self-care. Specifics to be discussed will include: the importance of natural, species-appropriate diets and a framework for introducing such diets to your pet; insights on behavior that will help you understand how to deal with incompatible behaviors and stress; the importance of intellectual enrichment; recognizing the hard work pets do handling our personal issues; and the health impacts of living in our homes. Herbal use will be found throughout the conversation, not with in-depth case studies, but rather to knit together an overview to encourage a new perspective on the way we care for our four-legged family members.