Awaken Herbal Wisdom

An Intensive Herbalism Course
Year One ~ Opening to the Messages of the Plants and Ourselves

botanical sketch herbal medicine courses uk

If you’ve been awakening to the inseparable connection between our health and the health of our planet, if you’ve been pulling back the veil of the status quo that is disconnecting us from our wellbeing and our power, if you’ve been yearning to transform snippets of information into knowledge and skills that are alive in the breath of your every day, we invite you to join us on a journey…


Deep into our bodies…
Deep into time…
Deep into the woods and the hedgerows and the gardens…
Deep into our collective memory as members of the complex ecosystems of nature…
Deep into herbal medicine.

Join us for a unique 24 week learning retreat experience spanning all four seasons where we will be remembering, reclaiming and relearning what we all once knew - how to understand the messages our bodies are sending us and how to support them naturally with whole plant medicine.

During this intensive herbalism course you will:

  • Develop an intimate knowledge of a select group of medicinal herbs able to be grown or foraged in the UK
  • Cultivate the skill of medicine-making with your own hands to begin to establish a resilient home apothecary
  • Peel back the layers of human health and energetics, enabling you to be able to understand how the body works, decipher, then address the messages our bodies express, without memorising extensive lists of medical terminology
  • Attune to the constitutions of people and the qualities of medicinal plants to craft effective and safe herbal treatments
  • Root deeply into your confidence in taking ownership of your health
  • Become part of a tapestry of like-minded, curious and empowered souls
  • Bring and spread joy in cultivating deep health for yourself, your loved ones and your community

'I absolutely love this course and would sign up for another year immediately! Meghan makes it informative and fun. It’s a wonderful way to learn about herbs and their many uses. I’ve met some wonderful people and feel I’ve found something very special. It’s a total treat!'
~ Kate

Is this herbal medicine course for me?

This course is for you if you are:

  • A beginner to herbalism who is eager to learn
  • A person who has always had an interest in herbs
  • A student of an academic course who wants to get hands-on and translate theories into tangible, practical knowledge and skills
  • A home herbalist who wants to go deeper into your practice in community
  • An independent thinker who wants to develop resilience and self-sufficiency in natural medicine
  • Someone with a fire in your belly to take ownership of your health and be able to use herbal medicine safely and confidently.


'This course has transformed my life, allowing me to access a portal to a magical wonderland of herbs. Meghan's supportive teaching has changed my life, from what I eat, drink and bathe in, to how I garden and view the world around me. I would highly recommend learning about herbs with Meghan.'
~ Sue

chamomile sketch studying herbal medicine

What will the journey look like?

Your journey opens and closes with the changing seasons at full day in-person gatherings at our cosy yurt tucked away in a small rural village in the East Yorkshire countryside, just one hour's drive from York.  

We will meet for the first time in Spring to weave ourselves together as a group, familiarising ourselves with our foundational energetic concepts, exploring our apothecary garden and engaging our senses as you begin to meet and work with the select plants we’ll be getting to know intimately over the many months and moons.  

We will then connect for an hour twice a week live online to sink our hands into the soil of focused topics all designed to develop your understanding of the tastes and qualities of herbs and to build your close relationship with our twelve herbal familiars, bringing herbalism into your daily life in a way that is digestible and absorbable.  

In the Summer, we will gather again in person to make medicines and to continue to build on your developing skills. 

We will reconvene in the Autumn, to acknowledge the inward turning of nature, expand your practical skill sets and lay the foundations for understanding how dis-ease manifests and evolves in the body.  

We will then resume our hourly sessions twice a week live online, travelling ever deeper into your awareness of your body and the plants, increasingly understanding the nuances and complexities of interpreting messages, energetics and affinities to combine herbal medicines and people safely and effectively.  

Our final practical session will be in person in early Winter, when we will bring all of the knowledge and skills you have developed over the course together.

A few weeks later, we will meet as a group one last time in ceremony and celebration to conclude the course, as well as to recognise and reflect upon your journey.

'I’m loving getting to know herbs in more depth and the ways they can support our health on this intensive course, but without the pressure of written assignments and deadlines. I’m absolutely fascinated to be learning about Ayurvedic principles. Meghan’s extensive knowledge and experience about herbs is boundless and studying and learning from her feels very reassuring. The space Meghan has created where myself and the other course students can share information and ideas and ask any questions is so supportive.'
~ Hannah

The course includes 75 live teaching hours across:

Four full day immersive in-person sessions at our beautiful yurt in rural East Yorkshire, just an hour's drive from York:
Spring - March/April - 10am-4pm
Summer - June/July - 10am-4pm
Autumn - September - 10am-4pm
Winter - November- 10am-4pm

Two 12 week seasons of hourly deep dive sessions live online
Tuesdays and Thursdays each week​:
April - July
September - November/December

A closing ceremony and celebration at our yurt​:
November/December

There will be two cohorts of first-year students in 2025.

The Plantain Cohort
In-person session dates:
Spring - Saturday, 29 March 2025 - 10am-4pm
Summer - Saturday, 21 June 2025 - 10am-4pm
Autumn - Saturday, 13 September 2025 - 10am-4pm
Winter - Saturday, 22 November 2025 - 10am-4pm

Live online sessions:
Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 10am-11am​:
1 April - 19 June
9 September - 27 November

Closing ceremony and celebration​:
Saturday, 6 December 2025 - 9am-12 noon
The Yarrow Cohort
In-person session dates:
Spring - Saturday, 12 April  2025 - 10am-4pm
Summer - Saturday, 5 July 2025 - 10am-4pm
Autumn - Saturday, 20 September 2025 - 10am-4pm
Winter - Saturday, 29 November 2025 - 10am-4pm

Live online sessions:
Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 3.30pm-4.30pm​:
15 April - 3 July
16 September - 4 December

Closing ceremony and celebration​:
Saturday, 6 December 2025 - 1pm-4pm

'I cannot tell you how much this year has made my heart dance!! Meghan’s knowledge is beyond comprehension and the like-minded people I have met on this course will remain in my life.'
~ Shelley

To facilitate your journey, you will also receive:

  • A fully interactive heirloom course book with all of the information we will cover across the four seasons, including in-depth plant profiles (monographs) of the medicinal herbs we will be getting to know
  • Recordings of every session to refer back to, with lifetime access
  • A private Whatsapp group for our cohort to discuss, share and ask questions
  • A few surprises along the way
red clover sketch studying herbal medicine

Practical topics and skills you will learn include:

  • Organoleptics -  understanding a herb's medicinal properties through the senses of taste and smell, blending Western herbal and Ayurvedic perspectives
  • The Doctrine of Signatures - the ancient approach of using sight and touch to discern affinities different plants have to specific parts of the body
  • Remedy Making - including tinctures, teas, salves, creams, body butters, herb infused oils, vinegars, elixirs, electuaries, poultices and salts
  • Tongue Diagnosis - interpret the signs of imbalance in the body manifest on the tongue
  • Constitutions - the three core states of balance from an Ayurvedic perspective (vata, pitta, kapha) and how they apply to people, plants and pairing the two
  • The Development of Dis-ease - how illness manifests and moves in the body and tracing back to the root cause
  • Medicinal Herbs – develop an intimate knowledge of a curated set of core herbs and work confidently with them
  • Formulation - the craft and skill of pairing herbs with people and in what forms to provide effective support
  • Safety - considerations of age, pre-existing conditions and other medicines when supporting yourself, a loved one or community member, as well as when to refer someone to a professional

'Hugely different. Mentally, I've changed. I never thought I'd be one of these people who communed with the plants, but now I see weeds and I think - should I leave it? It's just a whole different mindset.'
~ Meg

'Learning herbal medicine was the
best investment I ever made in my health.'

~ Cathy

There are three options for joining the journey:

One-Time Investment
£1197
save £200
Split
Investment
£598.50
x 2 equal instalments and save £200
Monthly Investment
£349.25
x 4 monthly payments

Places are limited to 10 intrepid individuals who want to join in the journey.

The 2025 cohorts open for enrolment to the waiting list in
September 2024.

So if you’re yearning to remember how to thrive together with the earth, if you’re inspired to reclaim power and sovereignty over your health, and if you’re ready to relearn the knowledge of your body and plant medicine, join us on this journey into herbalism like no other.

Reclaim your power to cultivate deep health.

botanical sketch school of herbal medicine

Questions and Answers

Do I need to live nearby?

No! You are welcome to join the course no matter where you live, just be sure to make suitable arrangements for joining our in-person sessions. We are located in a quiet rural village just an hour from York with plenty of independent accommodation within the village and camping and caravan accommodation in nearby seaside town, Bridlington. There are ancient monoliths and serene private beaches nearby, so plenty of peace, nature and history to explore. As the course progresses, some of you may want to find accommodation to share. There’s an extra bit of magic that happens when you can create a special home away from home and enjoy extra after-hours conversation with your fellow journeyers.

How much time do I need to commit outside the course sessions?

As much or as little as you want! There are no formal assignments, papers to write, assigned reading to do or exams to revise for. We go through all of the knowledge and skills live together between our in-person gatherings and Zoom sessions, so even if you didn't read, do or make anything outside of that time (although I'm sure you won't be able to resist!), you will still get a deep and solid foundation in the knowledge and skills of herbalism. Whatever you feel inspired to read, do or make beyond our sessions together is completely up to you and very welcome for discussion and questions within the cohort. It's your journey!

Which energetic systems will we be working with?

As the original medicine, herbal medicine spans all cultures, continents and civilisations. We are fortunate so many of these ancient lines of observing the natural world - both plants and people - are in tact today and that we are able to explore and consider so many valuable perspectives that contribute to our better understanding of how all of nature can thrive together. Each practising herbalist finds their own inspiration and creates their own alchemy, and you will, too. On this course, you will have the opportunity to explore the energetics, concepts and terminology of both Western herbal medicine and Ayurvedic perspectives, intimately woven together in a way that facilitates embodied, elemental and experiential learning.

Is catering provided?

Yes! Catering for our in-person gatherings is included in the course fees, and there will be plenty of herbal tea available to drink when we are together.

When is registration?

Registration for the 2025 cohorts opens to the waiting list 16th September 2024. If any places remain, open registration takes place from 1st October - 30th November 2024.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes! You can split the cost into two equal instalments of £598.50 and still save £130 off the total cost or you can pay in four monthly instalments of £349.25 for a total of £1327. 

What if I can’t make all of the dates?

You are strongly encouraged to join in all of our sessions, as there is a tangible benefit to attending live and in a cohesive group. All of our live online sessions will be recorded for future reference or if missing any sessions are unavoidable due to life circumstances or schedule clashes. Plan to be fully present to your journey, but if there are a few small (or regular) diary clashes that are unavoidable, don’t let that hold you back from joining. You are still very much welcome!

Is there an opportunity to progress beyond the first year?

Yes! Whilst continuing on is completely up to you, two further years of development are available after completing the first year of the course so you can continue to go deeper into your exploration of herbalism, health and your body. You can explore what the second and third years of the journey look like here and here.

Is this a certification/qualification course?

This course and its successive years have intentionally not been designed as a formal qualification because we believe the wiser we become in ourselves, our homes and our communities, the more we are able to lift each other up to create a stronger society organically. There are many brilliant clinical training courses available across the globe; however, not everyone wants to complete 500 clinic hours, conduct a research project and sit exams. Whilst not everyone wants to become a clinical herbalist, many do want to develop a high level of skill and knowledge for personal reasons - and that's the journey of empowerment we love to provide.

For any further questions, do feel free to email us and ask.

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