What moving days, welcoming this year's intensive herbalism course students into the yurt for the beginning of their journeys deep into the heart of herbalism. Seeing the first sparks of their journeys was genuinely magical, and it's clear each group is an assembly of some truly lovely and incredible people. As we said at each gathering, this isn't just a course - it's a community.
The synergy of each cohort was palpable. So many connections and commonalities bubbled straight to the surface, and it was wonderful to witness.
A theme that emerged across all the groups was a desire to reawaken the knowledge of herbalism they know has been lost through the generations, to be in an empowered position when it comes to their own health and that of their families and to bring together the many threads each student has been following, collecting and acquiring throughout their lives.
All of our students began by setting their intentions for the year, selecting from the twelve herbs they'll be developing intimate relationships with over the coming four seasons and placing them in what we lovingly call the wooden basket cauldron.
Then they each received what can only be described as a massive box of goodies bursting with their course materials. I always love seeing the excitement on everyone's faces when they open their gifts and start to explore what's inside. I just can’t help but make the journey feel like a celebration for everyone, because for me, that’s exactly what it is - a celebration of the start of coming into resonance with oneself, with the rest of nature, with one’s inner knowing, with our ancestral knowledge, skills and connection.
Our first-years were introduced to the five elements and the three doshas (an Ayurvedic concept, which is interwoven into my practice of herbalism and how I teach), as well as the Western herbal concepts of organoleptics (namely, taste) and the Doctrine of Signatures. These are the core concepts we work with as we get to know our twelve herbs and our bodies, so we discuss them in-person to make sure everyone's foundation is clear and solid.
Our second-years got stuck straight back in (which was admittedly a bit difficult, as everyone was so pleased to see each other again - lots of sore cheeks from constant grinning!). The focus for this stage of their journey is attuning more deeply to the seasons and exploring the pathways in the body in greater detail, so we'll be creating and practicing seasonal and daily rhythms infused with thousands of years of Ayurvedic observations on their energetics and timings in the context of our eight more local seasons (often called the wheel of the year), whilst getting to know twelve more herbs and bringing along our herbal familiars from year one.
And if all of that wasn't enough, we enjoyed the most delicious lunch and afternoon cake from a wonderful local caterer, bursting with fresh ingredients, colours, flavours and textures.
Our live biweekly Zoom sessions begin after our spring in-person gatherings, so everyone gets busy drinking their tea of the week and getting to know a new herb and taste or herbal action at a very thorough and personal level. Although we may be connecting digitally for these sessions, our connections with the plants and each other grow each step of the way, so by the time we gather again in the yurt for our summer in-person sessions, each cohort is like a group of old friends - people and plants.
If you’re here in the UK and feeling inspired by our students’ journeys, you’re very welcome to take the next step on your journey building your knowledge, skills and confidence as a home herbalist with us on our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - which spans all four seasons and gets herbalism both deep into your bones and your daily life. Although it is intense, it’s suitable for a wide range of herbalists, including beginners! You can learn more about our herbal medicine course here. Be sure to put your name on the waiting list to see what the current cohorts are up to and get first access to enrolment before it opens.
Whatever your next step is with learning herbal medicine, I hope you enjoy the journey!
At Rhodes Roots & Remedies School of Herbal Medicine, our practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Through our intensive herbalism course, we facilitate the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically. We do hope you'll join us on your journey!
