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Winter 2012/2013

The Six Tissue States: Forgotten Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism, Pacific Rim College, Victoria, BC

January 19-20, 9am to 5pm

The system of energetics innate to Traditional Western Herbalism fits the pharmacology, tastes, and traditional uses of Western herbs into a beautiful, useful, and insightful system. Based on the work of the physiomedicalists, used also by conventional doctors, resembling Greek medical roots, this system simplifies classification and use of medicinal plants. The Six Tissue States also can be fit in with the three doshas of Ayurveda, the system probably best suited to constitutional analysis, so we will also study plants from this vantage point.

For more information, contact:
James Christian, Director, Dean, School of Phytotherapy
Pacific Rim College, 229-560 Johnson St, Victoria BC
250.483.2119, Toll Free: 1.866.890.6082
www.pacificrimcollege.ca

 

Shamanic Herbalism, San Diego, California

January 26-27

This class will be taught based on personal experience of almost thirty years practice with the 'inner medical license' granted by Mother Nature. Throughout the three days herbal lessons will be interspersed with teachings on the principles of shamanism. Many herbs have 'shamanic' applications or touch our souls and hearts in ways that open us up to Nature and the Old, Old Path of Nature Wisdom and shamanism. We will discuss the doctrine of signature 'spirit signatures' (when a plant looks like or is used by an animal), and the animal medicines in relationship to the plant medicines. Herbal knowledge interpenetrates with the animal kingdom and with human healthcare. The different functions of human society, the different constitutions and personalities of people, the different medicine gifts, the organs of the body are all represented by the animal powers or medicines, and these in turn relate to plant medicines: bear, deer, badger, panther, catfish, wolf, etc. In this class we will learn to see the inter-connections and to practice a very simple and practical herbal medicine.

Friday: The Three Selves of the Shamans
This class reveals why it is so important to dream or discover one's personal medicine animal, or the animal spirit that is our alter ego in the unconscious. It is only because of our animal self that we can see and sense in the physical world and the same is true in the dream or spirit world. When we dream of our animal spirit we can eyes and ears in dreamtime. After that our dreams turn increasingly from outer issues and the relationship between ego and alter ego, to spiritual life.

Saturday: Nature is Alive
Even before the actualization of the animal spirit we need to become attuned to the Soul of Nature (anima mundi) in order to be a true 'citizen of the world.' Without this we are like an orphan or a trespasser. The Soul of Nature is the true and proper home of our soul, both while we are in the physical world and in the afterlife. If we allow, Nature will teach us how to live in appropriate relationship with all living beings. Nature will also change our way of perceiving the outer world, so that the inner shines through. We are taught in an intuitive manner to see the inner connections. The Doctrine of Signatures, though despised by modern science, comes alive, and we see the inner form of all creatures. Our emotions also come alive we feel the inner life of Nature and creatures, human, animal, plant, and mineral.

Sunday: The Inner Medical License
Nature wants us to flourish and practice skills and open up our talents, but she wants us to do so with her approval and with input from the spirit realm, the source of individuation and talent. Thus, it is Nature that dispenses to us the right to be a healer and the inner medical license, containing her permission based on her knowledge that we know how to think and learn from her, in the wider world, in the plant world, and in the physiological world, the small, individual slice of Nature each of us possesses.

For more information, contact:
Mark Barrett
2009 Canta Lomas
El Cajon, Ca, 92019
(c) 619-990-1250
dwfromla@hotmail.com

 

The Herbal Perspective, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

February 1, 4 - 6 pm
followed by a walk in the Porcher Medicinal Herb Garden

Herbs don't work like drugs. The latter are specific molecular structures that are used to treat lesions with specific molecular structures within the body. Herbs, on the other hand, consist of a slurry of many 'active ingredients' that act as a whole. As single compounds, these 'ingredients' have almost no power, but as groups acting on a general imbalance in the tissues as a whole, they obtain a specificity which gives them great power. Thus, herbalists treat general conditions (hot, cold, damp, dry, tense, relaxed) in systems rather than specific local lesions. Thus, we define herbs in general terms: mucilage, astringent, stimulant, sedative, etc., or in accordance with organ affinities. Let's look at some simple examples (Marshmallow root, blackberry leaf, rosemary, peach leaf, lemon balm, chamomile, nettles, etc.) Questions.

For MUSC students
For more information, contact Susan Hoffius at hoffius@musc.edu

 

The Practice of Herbal Medicine, Charleston, SC

February 2-3

Saturday morning
Foundations of Herbal Practice
Herbs work holistically, that is, they are suited to general patterns and tissue imbalances in the organism, not to specific molecular lesions. Thus, to take a holistic case history we need to look at the (1) energetics (hot, cold, damp, dry, etc.), (2) organ affinities (stomach, liver, thyroid, etc.), (3) herbal actions (raise, lower, inernalize, externalize, thin, thicken, etc.), (4) specific indications. See Nicholas Culpeper (1653), A Key to Galen's Method of Physick.

Saturday morning and afternoon
The Six Tissue States, Forgotten Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism
The system of energetics innate to Traditional Western Herbalism fits the pharmacology, tastes, and traditional uses of Western herbs into a beautiful, useful, and insightful system. Based on the work of the physiomedicalists, used also by conventional doctors, resembling Greek medical roots, this system simplifies classification and use of medicinal plants. The Six Tissue States also can be fit in with the three doshas of Ayurveda, the system probably best suited to constitutional analysis, so we will also study plants from this vantage point.

Sunday
Organ Affinities of Herbs: Muscular and Skeletal System
Herbs have affinities to organs, tissues, and even regions of the body. If we understand these local affinities, plus the energetics or tissue states, then we really have a precise understanding of the action and range of the remedy and our work can be correspondingly precise. The M/S system is one which particularly demands our knowledge of organ affinities – for connective tissue, muscles, nerves, cartilage, bones, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, etc. – and therefore illustrates this area of herbalism. It is also an area I particularly like to work with.

Specific Medicine
Energetics and organ affinities give us precision in knowledge of herbal medicines. A final method is 'specificity' or 'specific medicine.' In this case we look for symptoms that very precisely indicate a specific remedy or class of remedies (warming astringents, say) or a formula. Not only, however, does a good 'specific symptom' indicate a remedy but usually a whole background condition, possibly even the energetics and organ affinities. For instance, 'large, nodulated, blue/black varicosities with yellowish color around' is specific for white oak bark, a powerful astringent. It also tells us that the tissues are not only saggy but hardened and that there is blood stagnation (or 'low blood' as you all say down South).

For more information, contact Patricia Harpell at pharpell@gmail.com

 

Florida Herbal Conference, Camp Winona on Lake Winona in DeLeon Springs, Florida

February 15-17

Matthew Wood, Friday Keynote Speaker
The Enduring Value of Traditional Herbal Medicine
Mother Nature so often knows best. The simplest remedies are often the safest and most effective; yet, they are not money-makers for big corporations. They cannot be patented, they belong to everyone. Therefore, they are treated with scorn by 'science' and big pharma. They cannot be tested in the same way that pharmaceuticals supposedly are - if we even accept the tainted money-driven research of modern medicine. The teachings of Mother Nature are embedded in folk medicine, which has captured and distilled the wisdom of the ages. This weekend we celebrate that wisdom and it's safe and effective application in the healing arts.

Historians of science recognize five or six basic approaches to obtaining scientific knowledge: empiricism (experience), rationalism (Aristotle, Greek medicine), experimental research (the 'gold standard' of modern medicine), tradition (history, expert opinion, received opinion, blind obedience and prejudice), intuitive, and visionary (dream and imagination). All are valid. No one should be ashamed by modern cultural chauvinism, which puts an excessive emphasis on logic and experimental research.

Traditional herbalism has long relied on experience, rationalism (herbal actions, energetics, doctrines), tradition (received opinion especially), and intuition. Now we also can learn from experimental research and research in dreamtime. It is up to us to determine what is approach for each of us.

Now, let us take a look at each of these methods and see what we can learn in a few cases. Empiricism (yarrow, sumach, cleavers), rationalism (marshmallow root, oak), experimental research and tradition (elder), intuition (teasel, agrimony), dreamtime (St. John's wort).

Matthew Wood, Sunday Intensive, 9 am:
The Six Tissue States: Forgotten Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism
It is often said that there is no system of energetics in Western herbalism, but this is not the case. Nineteenth century herbalists and botanical physicians developed a system based on the science of the era, which taught that every living cell reacted to 'stress' as we would say today, in three phases: excitation, contraction, relaxation. These three 'tissue states' were adopted by the physiomedicalists; later they became six in number: excitation (over stimulation), depression (lack of reaction to stimulation), atrophy (lack of nutrition, water, and oil), stagnation (fluid and toxins caught in the tissues), constriction (tension), and relaxation (loss of tone, leaking fluids, prolapse). These tissue states match the simple categories of substance and flavor found in herbal medicines: excitation (antioxidants, flavonoids, limonene, sour flavor), depression (aromatics, stimulants, pungent flavor), atrophy (mucilages, dietary oils, nutritives, sweet flavor), stagnation (alteratives, bitters), constriction (relaxants, acrid flavor), relaxation (astringents). This simple system lies within our herbal materia medica and shining forth, throws it into order.

Location:
The second annual Florida Herbal Conference will be hosted at the beautiful Camp Winona on Lake Winona in DeLeon Springs. Camp Winona is a recently renovated YMCA camp. It is located in the 'Florida Hill Country' north of Orlando.

For more information, contact:
www.floridaherbalconference.org/
Emily Ruff, Herbalist
Director, Florida School of Holistic Living (501c3)
1109 East Concord Street
Orlando, FL 32803
407-595-3731
www.HolisticLivingSchool.org

 

Living in Practice With Matthew Wood, Margi Flint, and Kay Parent, at EarthSong Herbals, Marblehead, MA

Feb 21st to 25th

Participate in all day herbal clinics with seasoned herbalists Matthew Wood, Margi Flint, and Kay Parent. This is a remarkable trio demonstrating backgrounds in holistic evaluation using energetics, tongue, pulse, face, complexion, skin, and muscular and skeletal methods. Altogether, over sixty years of clinical experience!

$170 by the day

For more information, contact:
Earthsong Herbals
Margi Flint
10 Central Street
Marblehead , MA 01945
781-631-4312
earthsongherbals@gmail.com

 

Alchemical Origins of Plant Pharmacy at CommonWealth Center for Herbal Medicine, Boston, MA

February 27, 7:00 - 9:30 pm

Alchemy views substance as analogous to the body, soul, and spirit. Thus, every substance can be separated into three parts: that which burns (sulphur), that which goes up in the vapor (mercury), and that which remains in the ash (salt). In the plant world this means that the oil soluble part (sulphur) is removed from the water soluble (mercury) and the insoluble (salt). Very simple chemistry. The vapor is the spirit or essence of the plant, the oil is the soul or vital energy, and the ash is the body. From this, all major groups of constituents (volatile oils, fixed oils, alkaloids, tannins, carbohydrates, sugars, mucilage, bitters, and mineral salts) are derived. The root is the salty part of the plant, the leaf the watery, the flower contains the volatile oils. However, any part of the plant affects us on all three levels.

Cost: $25

For more information, contact:
Katja Swift
katja@commonwealthherbs.com
CommonWealth Center for Herbal Medicine
25 St. Mary's Court, Brookline, MA 02446
www.commonwealthherbs.com

 

Thyroid and Endocrine Health at The Boston School of Herbal Studies, West Roxbury, MA

March 1, 6:30 - 9:30, Class and Webinar

An evening devoted to clinical experiences with thyroid and endocrine issues, solutions, remedies, as always (when Matthew teaches) based on experience and herbs that work! Siberian ginseng, sage (hypothalamus), black walnut hull, melissa, lycopus, motherwort (thyroid), angelica, burdock, spikenard (adrenal cortex), Siberian ginseng, borage, melissa, lycopus, motherwort (adrenal medulla).

Location:
162 Willow St., West Roxbury, MA

Sign up for a live class or webinar with PayPal at www.bostonherbalstudies.com

For more information contact: Madelon Hope at herbstudies@verizon.net 781.646.6319

 

Shamanism, Herbalism, and the Inner Medical License, at EarthSong Herbals, Marblehead, MA

Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3

This is the first time I have taught this material on the East Coast and, some of it, the first time anywhere. It represents a distillation of thirty years of practice of herbal medicine according to principles innate to the Soul of Nature and the tradition of Nature Wisdom. The emphasis the first day is on shamanism as a spiritual path; the second day on herbalism as an expression of 'Nature Wisdom.' We will start with the 'three selves of the shamans' and shamanism as a spiritual path. From there we will pass over to the Soul of Nature, learning to live within the greater group soul of humanity, animals, plants, and Nature as a whole, then learning to apply those insights to herbal practice. Practicing according to the principles of Nature: the soul level and the intuition, the doctrine of signatures, the law of correspondence, the law of similars, and the law of contraries.

For more information, contact:
Earthsong Herbals
Margi Flint
10 Central Street
Marblehead , MA 01945
781-631-4312
earthsongherbals@gmail.com

 

Pulse and Tongue Evaluation in Traditional Western Herbalism, at Gathering Thyme, San Anselmo, CA

March 16th and 17th, 10am to 6pm

Pulse and Tongue diagnosis dates back several thousand years and has been used by practitioners of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine as a diagnostic tool to help determine the condition of disease or health of an individual. The tongue and pulse can indicate a person's state of health and provide vital cues on the degree of imbalance. Matthew has been practicing herbalism for thirty years and pulse and tongue diagnosis for 25 years. He has studied and used Galenic, Eclectic, and Chinese pulse diagnosis to find specific indications for Western herbal formulas and remedies. This class is both lecture and hands-on, and is limited to 15 people. Matthew Wood is a very popular teacher, so be sure to sign-up early to ensure your spot. This class is geared toward intermediate and advanced students. Basic knowledge of herbal medicine is advised. Matthew's intention is to provide continuing education in pulse and tongue evaluation with a follow-up class provided once a month.

COST: $250. A $100 deposit is required to hold your space with the remainder due prior to the event.

For more information, contact:
Cheryl at Gathering Thyme info@gatheringthyme.com or 415-524-8693.
226 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
San Anselmo, CA 94960

Spring 2013

Advanced Apprenticeship with Matthew Wood
Forgotten Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism, and the Six Tissue States in Relation to the Organ Systems at Gathering Thyme, San Anselmo, CA

A Six Weekend Intensive for Intermediate and Advanced Students
April 6-7, May 4-5, June 8-9, June 22-23, October 5-6, October 26-27, 10am to 6pm

This class is intended to help the experienced herbal practitioner learn to understand the 'personality' and specific uses of herbal remedies. Every plant has a central, unifying intelligence which expresses through it's chemistry, uses, appearance, and taste. The Six Tissue States, an energetic system of Western Herbalism was largely forgotten by the late twentieth century. It is eminently useful and provides the logic behind so much that we do in modern herbal medicine. Matthew will be teaching specific indications for herbal application, the energetics of Greek medicine and nineteenth century botanical physicians, in relationship to the major organ systems. He will discuss this method and system over six weekends, giving plants, cases, and diagnostic tips for illustrations. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from an internationally known teacher of herbalism and is the first time the class will be taught in the immediate Bay Area.

COST: $1,500. A $500 deposit is required to hold your space with the remainder due prior to the event. If necessary, payment plans are available on a limited basis and must be discussed prior to enrollment.

For more information, contact:
Cheryl at Gathering Thyme info@gatheringthyme.com or 415-524-8693.
226 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.
San Anselmo, CA 94960

 

Classes Sponsored by the Hierophant Store, Canberra, Australia

Pulse and Tongue Diagnosis in Western Herbalism
Friday, April 19, 5-9 pm
Saturday and Sunday, April 20 to 21, 9:30 am to 5:00 pm

A thorough introduction to pulse and tongue diagnosis for the classical Western herbalist. Although we will use many indications from traditional Chinese medicine we make the terminology available to anyone and use Western herbs for treatment protocols exclusively. We will introduce the basic principles and then we will practice on each other under the guidance of Matthew and several assistant teachers (hopefully including Wesley, Prakash, Belinda, and James) and point out very characteristic pulses and tongues for the group to observe.

Shamanism and Herbalism; Nature Wisdom and the Inner Medical License
Monday and Tuesday, April 22 and April 23, 7:30 - 9:30 pm

This class represents a distillation of thirty years of practice of herbal medicine according to principles innate to the Soul of Nature and the tradition of Nature Wisdom. We will start with the 'three selves of the shamans' and shamanism as a spiritual path. From there we will pass over to the Soul of Nature, learning to live within the greater group soul of humanity, animals, plants, and Nature as a whole, then learning to apply those insights to herbal practice. Practicing according to the principles of Nature: the soul level and the intuition, the doctrine of signatures, the law of correspondence, the law of similars, and the law of contraries. The importance of the animal spirit in awakening the dream self, the raising of the kundalini, imagination or seership, actualization of dreamtime.

For more information contact The Hierophant at hphant@cbit.net.au

 

Herbalism Workshop, Melbourne, Australia

Thursday, April 25, 7:00-9:00 pm, Shamanism and Herbalism

Friday, April 26, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, The Six Tissue States

Saturday, April 27, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Energetics and Organ Systems
Sunday April 28, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Organ Systems and Specific Indications

We will discuss the 'forgotten energetics of Western herbalism:' heat/excitation, cold/depression, dry/atrophy, toxic damp/stagnation, wind/tension, and damp/relaxation. We will discuss the placement of the herbs and remedies within this context: sedatives, coolants, stimulants, aromatics, mucilages, nutritives, alternatives, relaxants, astringents, etc., and some of the pharmacology.

For more information contact Mel Claus at melclaus@hotmail.com

 

Third Festival of Traditional Medicine of the Americas, Tecate, Baja California (across the border from San Diego)

May 11-13

A small but exciting and different conference
"We have a small school and clinic in Tijauna Baja California, Mexico and for the past 2 years have organized a Festival of Traditional Medicine here in Baja. The previous years of this event included Traditional Healers from here in Mexico and this year we would like to have some teachers from the USA. Our event is bi-lingual and we provide translators for the teachers to create a cross cultural event share and help promote and preserve traditional knowledge from the Americas. We have a great group of traditional healers from here in Mexico committed for this year and the location is very nice. It should be fun for all involved." - Brian Hornbeck

Classes by Matthew Wood:
Specific Herbal Medicine. Traditional herbalists are often 'simplers,' that is to say, they use single remedies for a single, specific symptom, indication, constitution, or disease process. Specifics are seldom addressed to modern pathological concepts, and herbs seldom treat those kinds of conditions anyway, since they are suited to general tissue conditions, not molecular lesions, like drugs. This area is my specialty, and I will teach many specifics for herbs native to and grown in North and Central America.

Traditional Herbal Diagnosis. In the Southern USA evaluation of long term chronic chances is made from the blood, very much as it is in biomedicine. The major traditional category are high/low, thick/thin, fast/slow, clean/toxic, and hot/cold. This is the only system of folk medical diagnosis I know of developed by the settlers of North America. It has roots in African and probably Greek medicine.

For more information contact: brianhornbeck@hotmail.com

 

Shamanism and Herbalism, Minneapolis, MN

Tuesday, May 28, 6:30-9:15 pm

Nature wants us to flourish and practice skills and open up our talents, but she wants us to do so with her approval and with input from the spirit realm, the source of individuation and talent. Thus, it is Nature that dispenses to us the right to be a healer and the inner medical license, containing her permission based on her knowledge that we know how to think and learn from her, in the wider world, in the plant world, and in the physiological world, the small, individual slice of Nature each of us possesses.

Location: Magus Books, Ltd., 1309 1/2 4th Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-7669 (Questions)

 

Basic Herbalism Beyond First Aide, Duluth, MN

June 1-2, Saturday and Sunday Weekend Workshop

This will be one of the few beginning level classes I have taught in the past ten years and is a not-miss for beginning students (and others) in the Upper Midwest region. It is also one of the few classes I am teaching this year in my home area. In this class we will begin the study of organ systems, the organ affinities of plants, and the energetics (hot, cold, damp, dry, tense, relaxed). We will dwell on two or three dozen very basic, useful, safe, and simple plants, as well as simple conditions of the respiratory, digestive, circulatory, bladder, reproductive, and endocrine systems. This class will be suitable for the beginner, intermediate or advanced student.

Registration- $110.00
Extra-Early bird-by March 30th-$90.00
Early bird-by April 30th-$100.00

Location:
Holistic Health and Healing
in the Marshall Professional Building, 1301 Rice Lake Road

For more information or to register, contact:
Stacy Quade 218-591-2104 or email at: stacey@energyforlifeconnection.com

Summer 2013

The 11th International Herb Symposium, Norton, MA

June 28 to 30, 2013

Classes and Intensives taught by Matthew Wood:

Friday 8am-12pm
Pre Conference Intensive Tongue and Pulse Diagnosis for the Herbalist
The tongue and the pulse reveal broad conditions and patterns in the organism that lead to deep understanding of the roots of the problem while also often revealing exactly what herbs or therapies are needed. Join us as we hone our skills in these ancient and amazingly revealing diagnostic tools of traditional health care systems. This class is intended for the student with knowledge of some kind of energetic or medical system (TCM, Ayurveda, TWH, biomedicine) and/or knowledge of pulse taking. Experiential and hands on. Intermediate/Advanced

Saturday 2-3:30: Specific Herbal Medicine
The single most effective technique I have discovered in over thirty years of practice has been the use of the herbal simple or single remedy on specific indications. This is an art of the folk doctor or simpler and of the nineteenth century eclectic medical movement. We will discuss many useful herbs to be easily used (and remembered) on specific grounds. Intermediate/Advanced.

Sunday 1:30-3:
The Six Tissue States: Forgotten Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism
It is important that the herbalist treats the energetic condition of the patient to achieve real and lasting success (because herbs treat natural patterns of imbalance in the organism, not manmade disease names). This also protects the herbalist against legal prosecution and worry, since this is not the practice of medicine. The Six Tissue States explain so many of the little details of our tradition because they are built into Western herbalism. This class specially designed for beginners to advanced students.

 

The Wisdom of Nature, Munchweiler, Germany

July 4th at 2:00 PM through July 9th at 12:00 PM

I. The Soul of Nature. Nature is alive and our life is authentic, attuned, and beautiful when we live within that greater life, which is the natural home of our soul, just as physical Nature is our physical home.

II. The Wisdom of Nature. When we learn to perceive Nature as she is, in a natural and holistic manner, then we are 'better citizens.' No only do we learn to live within that greater World Soul, but to see it move and change, and we can adapt our movements and knowledge accordingly. The Wisdom of Nature is apparent to us through intuition and the visionary faculty, which is sharpened imagination.

III. Nature's Mantle of Authority. When we live in Nature and think as she does we become more and more harmonious with her and we either ask for permission from Nature and are more likely to receive it, or Nature herself bequeaths her Mantle of Authority upon us, so that our calling is true to our soul and true to the underlying laws and principles of Nature. As an herbalist I receive the "Inner Medical License," which is a 'diploma' from Mother Nature declaring that I work according to her leading, with the stamp of her approval.

IV. The Seven Guide Posts to Nature Wisdom. Treatment by similars and contraries, the law of direction of cure, or followthrough, the law of the healing crisis, and the seven guide posts on the path of Nature Wisdom and the Mantle of Authority.

V. Developing Intuition and Imagination. Looking at plants to see the patterns (intuition) and images that come to mind (imagination or potential spiritual vision).

VI. The Three Selves of the Shamans. The psychological system generated by the shamanic worldview and the Wisdom of Nature. Understanding the body, soul, and spirit. The importance of the animal spirit.

VII. Animal spirits and Plant medicines. The American Indian teachings of bear medicine, deer, turtle, rabbit, panther, underwater panther, etc., and associated plants.

VIII. The Medicine Wheel and herbal energetics: hot, cold, damp, dry, tense, relaxed.

For more information, contact:
Swanie Simon
Tierheilpraxis
Munchweiler 8
D-66687 Wadern

 

Learning the Language of Plants with Matthew Wood and Margaret Colquhoun, Pishwanton, Scotland

Thursday, July 11, 2:30 pm to Sunday, July 14, 4:30 pm

An exploratory journey on how to read the language of the plant kingdom from several different perspectives, including the imagination and intuition. Learn how to expand and develop both of these faculties. Through imagination or spiritual vision we can see into the world of plants while the intuition, through the doctrine of signatures, instructs us in the patterns that underlie creation. Matthew will bring from America the special teaching of the 'spirit signatures' - how plants resemble or are used by animals with whom they have a special relationship. But this will also be a practical class with lots of gems on the use of plant medicines for herbalists from beginner to advanced.

For more information, contact:
The Administrator
Pishwanton Centre for Goethean Science and Art
The Life Science Trust, Quince Cottage,
4 Baxtersyke, Gifford, East Lothian
EH41 4PL, Scotland

Phone: +44 (0)1620 810 259
Email: admin@pishwanton.com
Website: www.pishwanton.org

 

Wild Herb Weekend, Valle Crucis, NC

July 26-28th

Matthew Wood is a keynote speaker.
There is something for everyone at this intimate, little conference. Whether you grow herbs for a hobby, use herbs for healing, or want to start a commercial herb operation, you will find many interesting sessions and hands-on workshops and plant walks to participate in.

Questions? Please direct all Wild Herb Weekend inquires to info@ncherbassociation.org.

"By magically changing our lives, our green friends restore physical health, psychological happiness, and spiritual purpose. A little miracle occurs and the magical level clicks in, in fact, whenever an herb cures in a real and radical way. This is a sign that something great and new has come in from a different world to enrich and develop our lives to their fullest and most beautiful potential."
            -Matthew Wood