For those of you who have been with us since the beginning, you’ll know Rhodes Roots & Remedies been on a journey. We started teaching herbalism workshops at some of the most beautiful gardens in Yorkshire, and when students wanted to go deeper, we began to offer our intensive herbalism course. This winter, the time finally came to create our own teaching premises so we could fully embody our purpose as a school of herbal medicine, educating and empowering people to bring herbalism into their daily lives, into their homes, families and communities. After a very intense period (and a very wet winter), as well as a generous grant from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Business Support Services alongside other invaluable support, we made our dream reality.
Our intensive herbalism course students have already been learning in the yurt with us, but for those of you who haven’t made it over to us yet, we’d like to finally introduce you to our beautiful yurt.
Meet Grandmother Willow!
A Welcoming Space for Learning Herbalism
She's a spacious 24' off-grid home for our school of herbal medicine streaming with light through her massive skylight and two large windows overlooking our family's land.
We spent the winter foraging in charity shops and at antiques dealers to create a space that was comfortable and cosy, so all you have to do when you cross the threshold of her porch and enter her double wooden doors is relax into your herbal journey.
There are couches and cushy armchairs, alongside our very well-padded formal chairs that tuck under our tables to provide plenty of support for note-taking (and many mugs of herbal tea).
The mugs are generous and the throw blankets numerous. The wood burning stove is a fierce provider of warmth (and the entire yurt is fully insulated!).
Perhaps our favourite piece in the yurt is the apothecary table, with its smooth, solid wood that has clearly been filled with lovely memories before it came to us. This is where we'll be crafting our remedies and imbuing it with even more beautiful energy.
There is a bookshelf of highly curated herbal books and even a petite Welsh dresser where our handmade herbal products and books are available for perusal.
The second set of double doors open up onto the apothecary garden, which is enjoying a fresh start thanks to the lovely students and prospective students who came for our gardening day. We’re currently on the hunt for the perfect size picnic tables to place in the garden for summer sessions in the sun.
And of course, there are baskets... everywhere!
Whilst we have everything we need in place now, Grandmother Willow will only become more lived in and loved over time. We're planning to put up plenty of fairy lights and some tapestries over the summer break in preparation for the darker months, and some of our wonderful second-year students have already brought a few thoughtful decorative gifts for her, which was a delightful surprise.
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Although the Yurt is New, the Space Feels Timeless
Yes, the physical space is very new to us, but when we’re in it together with our students, it feels timeless. We often hold that archetypal image of the ‘wise woman’s hut’ tucked away in the countryside when we think about practising herbalists, and that’s exactly how this space feels. There is a certain magic that descends when everyone is present and we’re all in the flow of learning. It’s as if all of the wise women of generations past are drawn to us, sharing their wisdom and skills, their laughter, their discerning minds and sharp eyes. Grandmother Willow isn’t a building in which a school of herbal medicine operates - she is a portal, a channel, a sanctuary. She’s been a long time coming, and we are overjoyed she’s finally here.
Refining Our Focus Moving Forward as a School of Herbal Medicine
What began as a private herbalism practice with a wide range of seasonal workshops and other offerings has now blossomed into a burgeoning school of herbal medicine - a community of like-minded souls focused on herbal education that takes you on a journey deep into the heart of herbalism outside a traditional academic format.
Although our seasonal workshops may evolve and return in the future, at present, we are dedicating our time to supporting the development of confident empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world through our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom, which now offers up to three years of building your knowledge and skills.
So if herbalism is calling you and you're looking for a school of herbal medicine that feels like you're learning in the wise woman's hut, you’re very welcome to join us in our little corner of the Yorkshire countryside in Grandmother Willow. This is where we host our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - which spans all four seasons and gets herbalism both deep into your bones and your daily life. It’s a hybrid course that blends in-person gatherings in our yurt once a season (plus a beautiful closing ceremony) alongside one-hour live Zoom sessions in between. 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.
We would love to welcome you into our beautiful herbal home!
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!
