MidAtlantic Women s Herbal Conference October 4-5, Rosemary: Sage and Thyme

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1 October 4-5, 2014 Rosemary: Sage and Thyme Schedule for the Saturday,October 4: 8am 8:45am: Registration ~ Vendor booths open. Coffee, tea and snacks available for purchase from local vendors. 9am: Opening Circle ~ All meet in the Great Tent. This is a prayerful moment to begin the day s journey with mindfulness, connection and joy. Bring drums or other instruments if you would like to join the drumming circle. Vendors closed until 10:15. 9:15 am: Voices of Our Herbal Elders ~ Rosemary Gladstar This is an honoring, a remembering, as we meet, via photos and story-telling of remarkable elders who influenced the herbal teachers of today. In this delightful and memorable slide presentation, you ll meet such notables as Juliette de Bairacli Levy, Adele Dawson, Norma Meyers, Ann Wigmore, Dr. Christopher, and many others who have had a profound influence on American herbalism. All meet in the Great Tent 10:15am: Break ~ Vendor booths open 10:30am: Classes begin Great Tent: Between the Heart & the Head: Nurturing Your Thyroid ~ Maia Toll At some point in their lives, many women will have thyroid troubles. Problems may be brought on by pregnancy, menopause, or stress; this reactive gland easily gets out-of-sorts! We will discuss the energetics of the thyroid, food and environmental factors that cause it unhappiness, and botanical remedies to bring back balance.

2 Tent A: Better Than Ok: How to be Radiant on a Daily Basis ~ Kerry Smith Many of us spend a large part of our lives nobly battling overwhelming stress, feelings of inadequacy, depression, frustration, burn out, and apathy as well as all those physical imbalances that can come from the daily struggle. The result so often is living our lives in a state of being just ok at best. This workshop will joyfully present herbal allies, Ayurveda and other indigenous healing wisdom that will give you tools to lift yourself out of the ho hum and radiate your amazing self everyday. Tent B: The Fundamentals of Growing & Processing Medicinal Herbs on a Working Herb Farm ~ Andrea Reisen Learn the how-to of growing and producing medicinal herbs, including propagation, garden design, maintenance, harvesting, processing techniques, and marketing. Tent C: Awakening the Divine Feminine ~ Michelle Synnestvedt In this class Michelle will discuss the disappearance and recent re-appearance of the Sacred Feminine in the world today. She will use East Indian Goddess archetypes and stories as a way to talk about how this re-appearance is crucial for balance in our own lives and in the world at large. Tent D: Plant Communication ~ Jen Frey Science has revealed that Plants are intelligent beings. When we connect and communicate with a Plant, we are able to tap into this wisdom. Through this incredible skill, which everyone has, you can receive the healing gifts of the plant, experience spontaneous healing, receive guidance, and many other gifts. We will cover the basics of Plant Communication, listen to a Plant sing through the Music of the Plants device, and meditate/journey with a Plant. Noon 1pm: LUNCH break ~ Vendor booths open. Lunch available for purchase, including gluten free and vegan options.all vendors open for shopping! Time to walk, shop, relax, socialize. (Moms of Kids Campers: pick up kids promptly for the lunch hour). Natural Dye Demo: Bring your lunch to the Great Tent (or maybe to the fire pit) and watch Kira Frech use dyes made only from plants to color local wool and organic cottons, including past conference t-shirts for sale!! Page 2

3 1 pm: Afternoon Classes Begin Great Tent: For the Love of the Liver ~ Tammi Sweet As herbalists and health-conscious individuals our attention is drawn to the liver. Treat the liver first! Cleanse the liver! Flush the liver! Have you ever wondered why? Or wondered what is so special about the liver? In this work shop we will begin to answer some of these questions and go deeper into the structural and cellular world of the liver. We will not cover all five hundred functions of the liver but enough to leave you in awe of this miraculous three pound organ. You will leave knowing why herbalists treat the liver first, why supporting the liver is so important, some of the plants known through the ages for supporting the liver (many of them are growing right outside your door), and how the plants support and protect our largest organ. Tent A: The Art of Fermentation ~ Suzanna Stone Learn to make delicious lacto-fermented foods in this demonstration workshop. Fermentation is a traditional way of food preparation and transformation that not only preserves the harvest but also yields greater nourishment, a healthier digestive system, and thus increased vitality. There will be a wide array of samples and you will leave with the skills and recipes to begin lacto-fermenting foods at home. Tent B: Herbal First Aid Kit ~ Donna Bryant Winston This class will focus on which items should be included in the Herbal First Aid Kit for travel and household emergency situations. First aid techniques everyone should know will be demonstrated as well as discussion of herbal treatments for common ailments and injuries. Participants will be shown how to apply herbal poultices and plasters, compresses, castor oil packs, eye washes and more. Tent C: Botany for Herbalists and Plant Lovers ~ Annie Hasz. A hands-on, vivacious exploration of the patterns and wonders of the plant realm. Open your eyes to the language of botany and it will speak to you wherever you go. We will use magnifying loupes to experience the minute complexity of flowers, leaves and shoots and also take in tree canopies and the big picture of the plants that weave our earth together.! Page 3

4 Red Clover Field: Plants From The Far Side Herb walk with Andrea Reisen Gain a different perspective on how to connect and use the plants on this walk identifying and discussing local medicinal plants. Held in the field, or in case of rain, meet in Tent D. 2:30 pm: Break ~ Vendor booths open 2:45pm: Mid-Afternoon Sessions begin Great Tent: What the Hawthorn Said ~ Maia Toll. In this class, Maia shares tales from her herbal training in Ireland, including herb lore, the wheel of the year and it's energetics, lunar astrology, Celtic mysticism, and seasonal rituals. Tent A: Pain What is it Good For? ~ Tammi Sweet. Absolutely everything. Many of our clients come in with acute or chronic pain. What better way to assist their healing than to have a deeper understanding of the mechanism and benefit of pain? We will explore the pain pathway from the origin at the source, all the way up to the recognition in the brain. From here we will discuss the myriad of methods to interrupt the pain pathway, how they work and their indications and contraindications. Tent B: Getting Down with Dandelion ~ Karla Parker. We will explore many uses for all parts of this prolific and much maligned plant including dandelion winemaking demo(samples of those 21 and older!) Dandelion legends/folklore, harvesting and preparations, dandelion leaf and root as medicine and dandelion leaf as a nutrient dense food. Recipe sharing if time permits Tent C: Plant Spirit Botanical Drawing ~ Elisabeth Weaver. Join us in our classroom of nature while we connect to plants around us. We will portray their form, personality and learn to capture their spirit through drawing. Eli teaches a variety of ways to observe, draw and document plants as a way of building deeper relationships to them. She will provide you with some techniques to take with you when you are in the field with sketch book in hand. All experience levels are welcome. Bring blank paper 5x7 or 9x12, #2pencils, erasers, and colored pencils. Instructor will also have supplies to use if you need them.! Page 4

5 2:45 pm classes, continued... Red Clover Field: Yoga: Fluid Bodies-Fluid minds ~ Michelle Synnestvedt. Michelle will lead students in a safe and fun yoga class that is suitable for ALL levels of students. We will focus on breath, movement in various poses, meditation and relaxation. Bring your own mat and blanket, or just use the good brown earth. Meet in Tent D, if rainy. 4:15 pm: Break: Vendor booths open 4:45 pm: Evening Keynote ~ Rosemary Gladstar. Preserving our Herbal Traditions In this lively and informative discussion, Rosemary will share her insights and thoughts on how we can help preserve our herbal traditions and care take them into the future. How can we help cultivate this unique eclectic body of herbal knowledge and wisdom that has evolved through past centuries and ensure that it s passed on? What s our role in this? How do we preserve our native plant resources that our traditions are based on? And what about the habitat they thrive on; is there anything we can actively do to help ensure there is land for the plants to thrive on? How do we preserve our traditional herbal legacy products for future generations of herbalists and plant lovers so they are freely available for them to use. And how do we preserve our health freedom rights and our right to use herbal medicine? These are a few of the issues we ll look deeply at, empowering ourselves to make a difference for each other, the plants, and our future. 6:00pm: Closing Circle: Raffle drawing and Pumpkin Carving Contest winners announced. Please stay for drumming, prayer and song as we wrap up the day. 6:15pm: Celebratory Dinner: Dinner available for purchase local food vendors, including gluten free and vegan options. All vendors open for shopping! (Moms of Kids Campers: pick up kids promptly!) 7-8pm Wild Women s Fire Circle ~ Suzanna Stone. Let's celebrate this gathering of amazing women by circling around the Women's Herbal Conference fire- singing the sacred songs, drumming, and dancing as the wild woman spirit moves you.! Page 5

6 Sunday Intensives: 9-11:30 am Great Tent: Everyday Herbalism ~ Maia Toll. We are often so focused on using herbs for illness that we forget the wonderful support they can provide us in our everyday lives. In her work, Maia uses herbs, food, flower essences, and essential oils (as well as lifestyle changes) to help people connect the dots and create meaning in their own lives. In this intensive, you will learn how to use plant medicine and seasonal awareness as tools to live a more connected life. You will get to observe Maia do an intake (and some lucky person will get to be coached by her!) so that you can see how easy it is to integrate herbs and ritual with daily living. You will also receive a beautiful workbook to help you find the places where you need support and the herbs best suited for lending their magic. Tent A:The Heart as an Organ of Perception ~ Tammi Sweet. The time has come for us to return to our natural way of being in the world. The way we were born to live and interact with life around us. For eons we knew this way of health-full and heart-full being. Healers and shamans have carried this knowing, this way of being forward for our re-membering and now our present belief system, science has come full circle and started validating what we ve always known. This heart literacy can be used in everyday life to access and communicate with the world around us, benefiting our own health and the health of those we come into contact with. Research shows that using these techniques improves the quality of our responses and decision-making, increases our immunity, lowers high blood pressure and our risk of heart disease. This workshop is based on the teachings of the Heartmath Institute, Stephen Buhner, Tom Brown Jr., and Paul Pearsall. This intensive will be a mixture of lecture, hands on activities and wandering in the natural world to practice heart-centering techniques. Red Clover Field (or Tent D if rainy): The Medicine of the Drum ~ Suzanna Stone. Drumming is your heart-song made audible for the world to hear. In this empowering workshop we will cover the basics of drumming while learning the intricacies of drumming in a group. Through traditional West African rhythms we will explore the drum as a healing extension of the spirit. This class is appropriate for all skill levels. Please bring a hand drum.! Page 6

7 Just for Kids: KIDS CAMP! Ages 3-12 are invited to participate in projects and activities geared for FUN, MUSIC and LEARNING! 9:00 am until noon and then 1 pm until 6:00 pm. Little ones must be fully potty trained. Saturday ONLY and advance registration required. We are so lucky to have two wonderful Kids Camp Teachers: Aven Lindrooth and Lori Odhner! 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest! Let your creative spirit flow and carve or decorate a pumpkin and bring it Saturday morning to the registration desk to enter it in our Pumpkin Contest - win a conference T-shirt! Remembrance Altar - Bring a photo, plant or any token to remember a woman who has inspired you in your life. Once again we will decorate a beautiful Sacred Space to place these objects, a place for contemplation and remembering.! Page 7