GAIA 2010

Hi everyone, here is the listing with dates, activities, prices and contacts for our upcoming Herbal Apprenticeship Program beginning in February of 2010.  Brita and I are both excited to once again be co-teaching this class, and we are both very grateful for the enthusiastic response to the program.  We will start ‘interviewing’ (remember it is just an informal chance to get to know each other and make sure the class is a good fit for each student, it’s not a test!!) on the 21st of November.  I will be contacting some of you that are taking Brita’s Medicine Weekend Classes and see if we can do some short interviews with you over the weekend, since you will already be there!  We will contact the rest and make arrangements to meet with you after Thanksgiving.  Thanks and Namaste, Rose 
 
2010 Gaia Herbal Apprenticeship Program
 
We are proud to offer this program in a beautiful natural and magical setting and would love to have you join us for this journey into the sacred, time honored, magical realm of healing herbalism.  This is a program designed to give birth to the inner healing shaman and follows the lunar, solar, and seasonal cycles for mother earth and works with her energy and her green children.

Brita Wynn is an experienced herbalist of 25 years training and practice and grew up in a household that always used herbs and magic.  She has taught healing herbs and herb crafting, anthropology and shamanism, and Wicca classes in the US and the UK and has studied many different herbal traditions.  She currently teaches all of the above  listed areas in the greater San Francisco, Mendocino, Sacramento, Davis, Vacaville and Roseville areas.  Rose Loveall-Sale is a trained horticulturist and owner of Morningsun Herb Farm, with 20 years experience growing and nurturing culinary and medicinal herbs.  She has taught many classes on growing herbs and crafting with herbs.
 
The Program dates and activities are as follows (activities may change slightly with weather and availability in the garden!):
Feb 20-21: Getting acquainted, more in-depth outline of the class, chanting to open, herbal walk to great the green ones of the early Spring.  Brita:  tea formulation strategy, herbs as food, digestive system, ailments: physical and energetic, treatment protocols, beginning detox protocols, close energy. Rose: Discussing plans for a student project in the garden, a first look at the primary herb families, reviewing seed catalogs to order for propagation, close energy.
March 13-14 : ROSE WEEKEND:  checking in, chanting, herb walk to see the early spring garden, hands on weekend to learn the basics of propagation by seeding, cuttings and division, basic plant and seed physiology, propagating plants for students personal use and for the student garden, discussion of student project. Close energy.
April 17-18:  Brita:  Checking in physically and energetically, chant to open herbal walk to see how the green ones have changed, discussion of the late Spring energy, discussion of healing practice and ethics,  urinary system, ailments: p&e, treatment protocols, diuretics and demulcent herbs, herbal baths and soaks, close energy.  Rose: Checking in with propagation, looking at the ‘roots’ of the herb garden, caring for the soil, herb gardening basics, student garden project, transplanting from March seeding and propagation, close energy.
May 22-23: Brita:  Checking in, chanting, Herb walk to embrace the energy of Summer and flourishing garden , moon tide and harvesting, Liver and endocrine system, ailments: physical and energetic, treatment protocols, more detox protocols, herbal capsule making, close energy.  Rose:  Hands on identification in the garden, growing organic and with least toxic methods, good and bad bugs in the garden, transplanting from the greenhouse, taking plants home, close energy.
June 26-27:  Brita:  Checking in, chanting, Herb walk to embrace the energy of Solstice and energy of the Midsummer Garden,  nervous system, ailments, treatments, making dream pillows, sachets, stress relieving formulas and preparations,  Rose: Working with lavender, making lavender oils and hydrosols (and others), composting, discussion of individual plant needs, work with student garden projects, close energy. 
July 24-25:  BRITA WEEKEND: Check in, late summer herb walk, Preparing for the first harvest.  Harvest and storage information. Muscular/skeletal health, ailments, treatments, prevention and maintainence.  Heart and circulatory system, ailments: p&e, treatment protocols herbal and spiritual, diet and exercise and how they help, benefits of meditation, tonics and elixirs, checking in and working with the green ones in the student garden. Close.
August 28-29:  Brita:  checking in, chanting, herb walk to see the seasonal changes of the green ones, preparing for Fall and cold season and the balance of energy, immune system, ailments, treatments, tonic,tinctures, and extraction making, Eyes, ears nose and throat. Close energy.  Rose:  Diseases and cultural problems in the garden, fall pruning basics, herb garden designs, work with student garden project, close energy.
September 11-12:   Brita:  Checking in, chanting, herb walk, collecting for sacred smudge, smudges and incense making, respiratory system,, ailments, treatments, preparations for allergy seasons (fall and spring) , herbal steams, plasters and poultices.  Rose: Herb walk to see who is ready to harvest and work with, harvesting and preparing culinary and crafting herbs for winter use, seed collection, close energy.
 October 9-10:  Brita and Rose:  Checking in, chanting, final herb walk and a very informal and fun plant ‘quiz’,  energy of Winter and sleeping garden, discussion of healing practice and ethics, herbs and the law, drug and herb interactions, a look at plant identification journals, ceremony and feast, exchange of sacred gifts for remembrance,  final closing ritual and blessings.

Cost of the class:  $1,450.00 if paid up front,$1,650 if paid in payments ($500 down payment required)

If you would like to join us on this journey please email your name, address, day time contact information and email address to Rose at roseloveall@morningsunherbfarm.com or Brita at cronewytch@yahoo.com, or send the information to Morningsun Herb Farm,  Attn: Herbal Apprentice Program, 6137 Pleasants Valley Rd, Vacaville, Ca  95688.  We will contact you to schedule a very informal interview.  Please email either of us or call the farm at (707) 451-9406 if you have any questions.
 
Blessings____