There’s something magical about what our students experience as their learning journey rounds the wheel of the year into autumn. As much as we focus externally on getting to know the plants in spring/summer, now is about turning our gaze within and getting to know ourselves that much better, so we can pair plants and people effectively.
And nothing lights me up quite like when those first sparks - those aha! moments - start happening for our students.
Our first-years have spent their first week back exploring fever from many different angles - what’s its purpose, how does it develop and resolve, which herbs and remedy forms to work with to support, etc. But there’s a reason we look at the message of fever first. Within the course, we refer to it as ‘breaking through socialised fear of nature’s processes’.
The body isn’t broken when it’s fevering - it’s working. And yet, there is so much fear around fever. What if you get it wrong? It’s so scary, it should just be squashed as swiftly as possible. Just be ‘good’ and ‘do what you’re told’ by the systems and powers and pharmaceutical companies that be.
What if most of society could be convinced they should be afraid of an essential body function? What if the majority of people could be sure they couldn’t trust their own bodies? Their intuition? Their instincts? Their innate desire to care for themselves and their loved ones, not harm them? If that were the case, what else could people be persuaded to believe or disbelieve? Would they trust themselves or relinquish that trust to another person or system or product?
Aha.
If you’re wondering what we’re really up to, what drives us at Heritage School of Herbal Medicine, that’s it in a nutshell. We help turn up the volume on your own intuition so it’s louder than the marketing and the messaging. We share the knowledge and skills to fill in those gaps so you know what you can do in those moments when you’re trusting yourself.
Powerful stuff.
And what about the practical side? The ‘what do I actually do?’ part?
The first time you trust your gut and apply your growing knowledge and skills and it translates into a tangible difference in your family’s health? That’s also powerful stuff.
If our students’ journeys are inspiring you and you’re here in the UK, you’re very welcome to join us on our intensive herbalism course - Awaken Herbal Wisdom - which spans all four seasons. With up to three years of development available, our course gets herbalism both deep into your bones and your daily life, without either having to do a clinical degree or a traditional full-time apprenticeship. Although it is intense, it’s suitable for a wide range of herbalists, including beginners!
Be sure to join our mailing list to hear more about what the current cohorts are up to, learn some of the golden nuggets that emerge from our sessions and receive other school community updates. Enrolment opens after dates are announced each spring for the following year, and places are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re ready to join us on the journey, you can request an application to join an upcoming cohort.
Whatever your next step is with learning herbal medicine, I hope you enjoy the journey!
At the Heritage 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!
