What is Shamanic Herbalism?

Description

Thursday, September 19

7:00pm – 9:30 pm

Shamanism is the name I prefer for the “Nature-based” spiritual path which was innate to Earth and humanity long before there was writing, when teachings were passed on by stories–“shaman stories”–and personified in the Alphabet of Nature (plants and animals). It is a timeless spiritual path not in conflict with any religion (unless the religionists pick the fight), because it is based on timeless themes and lessons.

In the preparatory, or “outer court,” we learn disciplines, practices, and laws of life that ready us for the inner life of the shaman: spiritual discipline or warriorship, the worthy opponent (Snake Medicine), reliving of experience (Alligator Medicine), learning from experience and the Wisdom of Nature or Secrets of the Earth (Turtle Medicine).

But the inner life of the shaman is experienced in dreamtime or vision (or even hallucination). The crucial moment is when we dream of our animal self. Shamanism is based on accepting and making peace between our human self and our animal self–that is to say, our warm-blooded animal self that gives us a loving heart, love for the young, the partner, the community. All these are characteristic of the mammalian lifewave. Human nature only added an ego, self-consciousness, alienation from God and Nature, by combining our human frontal cortex with the reptilian backbrain.

In this class we will study some favorite herbs: angelica, osha, burdock, lomatium, elder (Bear Medicine), agrimony, cinquefoil (Wolf), Monarda, elder, sumach (Elk, Deer), St. John’s wort and yarrow (Warrior Medicine).

Cost: $45