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STUDY HERBAL MEDICINES AT BLESSED MAINE HERB FARM

Product Description

We invite you to study herbalism here at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm School of Herbal Medicine. Cross the threshold into THE WAY OF THE WILD HEART and engage the wisdom and spirit of the healing herbs with internationally recognized community herbalist, organic gardener, author and teacher, Gail Faith Edwards as your guide.

We're excited to announce the start of a brand new herbal learning opportunity here at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm!

We invite you to join us as we immerse ourselves in the naturally nourishing and inspiring rhythm of working with medicinal plants from spring through fall.

FROM SEED TO HERBAL MEDICINE - A PLANT IMMERSION VIDEO COURSE

May 9 through October 15

Have you ever wished you could follow a well seasoned herbalist, organic gardener, wildgatherer and medicine maker around throughout the seasons to learn first hand about the process of growing and gathering herbs and producing your own effective herbal remedies? If so, this video class has been designed for you!

Join Gail in the herb gardens, fields and woods and in the production kitchen this spring, summer and fall! We'll start seeds together, transplant seedlings, tenderly cultivate, wild gather and harvest what we've sown as the plants reach maturity, each in its own time and according to its season...we'll work with annual and perennial herbs, flowers, trees, roots and medicinal mushrooms.

You'll learn all you need to know about organic gardening, herb processing and herbal medicine making - we'll cover planting, cultivation and soil building, learn when, where, what and how to harvest, properly dry, tincture, infuse and use the herbs we all love so much.

We'll spend hours together in the production kitchen as the season turns, transforming all that we've gathered and grown into herbal medicines of impeccable quality and effectiveness. I'll be sharing lots of secrets with you throughout this course!

Once weekly we'll post a video class clearly explaining and demonstrating the work that is being done on the Blessed Maine Herb Farm that week...we'll follow the season along together, from spring through summer into fall, and you'll experience the blessed rhythm of working with medicinal herbs, from seed through final medicinal product, alongside an accomplished herbalist.

Class fee $495

SPECIAL EVENTS HELD AT BLESSED MAINE HERB FARM - SUMMER 2013

Sunday, June 16 - STEPHEN HARROD BUHNER - GAIA'S MIND AND THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF PLANTS - Stephen will explore his newest work with plants and plant intelligence, including material from his newest book Gaia’s Mind. Stephen will explore the dreaming of Earth, the function of psychotropic plants in ecosystem function, cytokine cascades in human disease (and plant interventives for them), plant nervous systems and intelligence, plant neurotransmitters and sensory gating channels, and in more depth: the nature of golden threads and their uses in understanding plant function and medicinal qualities, synaethesis, the secret kinesis of things, imaginal perception, analogical thinking, and a great deal more. The development of tools to intentionally shift consciousness in order to perceive the dreaming of Earth and the medicinal nature of plants will be explored. As usual, Stephen will use a combination of personal reflection, storytelling, informational sharing, and experiential exercises in his teaching. Please be prepared to have core belief systems challenged.

Stephen Harrod Bujner is an Earth poet and the award-winning author of fifteen books on nature, indigenous cultures, the environment, and herbal medicine. He comes from a long line of healers including Leroy Burney, Surgeon General of the United States under Eisenhower and Kennedy, and Elizabeth Lusterheide, a midwife and herbalist who worked in rural Indiana in the early nineteenth century. The greatest influence on his work, however, has been his great-grandfather C.G. Harrod who primarily used botanical medicines, also in rural Indiana, when he began his work as a physician in 1911.

Stephen's work has appeared or been profiled in publications throughout North America and Europe including Common Boundary, Apotheosis, Shaman's Drum, The New York Times, CNN, and Good Morning America. Stephen lectures yearly throughout the United States on herbal medicine, the sacredness of plants, the intelligence of Nature, and the states of mind necessary for successful habitation of Earth.

He is a tireless advocate for the reincorporation of the exploratory artist, independent scholar, amateur naturalist, and citizen scientist in American society - especially as a counterweight to the influence of corporate science and technology.

His most recent works are:

Ensouling Language: On the Art of Nonfiction and the Writer’s Life, Inner Traditions, September 2010. (Although this does not appear to be, it is actually the first sequel to The Secret Teachings of Plants and develops his original work with biognosis and the pregnant point in some depth, see Works in Progress for more.)

Pine Pollen: Ancient Medicine for a Modern World, Surthrival Press, December 2011.

Herbal Antibiotics, Second Edition, Revised, Expanded, Updated: Natural Alternatives for Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Storey Books, July 2012.

Healing Lyme Coinfections: Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Bartonella and Mycoplasma, Inner Tradtitions, April 15, 2013

Herbal Antivirals: Natural Treatments for Emerging and Resistant Viral Infections (Including Influenza, SARS, West Nile and other Encephalitis Viral Infections)., Storey Books, July 2013

Sunday, June 23 - ROSALIA FESTIVAL - IN CELEBRATION OF THE ROSES – Gail Faith Edwards - Blessed Maine Herb Farm - I would love for you to join me in the gardens at the height of our rose season for a full day in celebration of the roses! We'll immerse ourselves in the wonders of their nourishing and healing qualities as well as their magic. Rosa species, as well as many of the plants and trees in the Rosacea family, have been considered sacred and revered as medicine since ancient times.

We’ll discuss traditional uses, science, legends and lore of the rose and also explore other plants in the family such as Lady’s Mantle and meadowsweet, hawthorn, apple, and the wild brambles such as raspberry. We’ll make rose mead, rose water, rose honey and rose oil, experience a spiritual bath with rose family plants and participate in the Blessing of Roses ceremony.

10-4PM - $75 includes all plants and medicine making materials and a FABULOUS MID-DAY GOURMET MEAL.

July 15 - 17 a COMMUNITY HERBALIST WEEKEND with Gail Faith Edwards – Join Gail in the Blessed Maine Herb Farm medicinal herb gardens for three days in celebration of the herbs and their many uses.

WEEK LONG AND MONTH LONG HERBAL LEARNING SESSIONS AT THE FARM 2013 - This summer we welcome you to join us for a one week, two week or full month stay here at the farm for an in-depth EXPERIENTIAL herbal learning experience.

Our Week begins on Monday and ends on Saturday. Our month’s run as posted. Sunday is always a free day. ONE WEEK STAY $500, TWO WEEKS $950. ENTIRE MONTH $1,850.

JUNE - June is Roses month here on the farm. It’s also an intensive month for learning all the processes involved with organic herb gardening, from the soil up.

We have a couple of acres of herbs being planted and cultivated here on the farm this month. If you’re interested in organic gardening, specifically how to grow herbs as well as how to use them, this is a good time to stay with us. You can expect to do a lot of gardening, including planting, transplanting, soil building and bed preparation. You’ll learn what tools work best and how to use them.

We’ll be gathering roses every day and processing them in various ways…we’ll make rose mead, rose oil, rose glycerites and tinctures, rose water, and who knows what else, with roses! Spiritual bathing with rose family plants and the Blessing of Roses ceremony will take place all through this month.

We’ll also be engaged with harvesting and processing plenty of other herbs, do a bit of wildgathering as well as learn identification and habitat choices of many wild plants as well as trees and fungi.

JULY - July is herb harvest and processing time! We’ll be gathering plants from the gardens as well as from the wild and drying and processing them all month long.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to go wildgathering for herbs such as St. John’s wort, mullein, coltsfoot, elder flowers, self heal, yarrow and many others. We’ll hunt some medicinal mushrooms and process them as well.

We’ll do intensive harvesting from our medicinal herb gardens – lavender is a highpoint during this season, as is oatstraw, hyssop and many others…and you’ll have a hand in processing all that we do. This is a great month to learn all the basics of harvesting and medicine making as we will be putting up tinctures, oils and lots more.

This month begins July 16 and goes until the end of the month. $500 for one week - $950 for two.

AUGUST - August is straight out medicine making month here on the farm. We’re still deep into harvesting, drying and otherwise processing herbs as well as lots of food from the garden – think about eating mouth watering grapes and wild blackberries by the bowl full, fresh corn, ripe tomatoes, and so much more.

Our gardens are reaching their high point now… this is a great month to come if you want to spend days filled with harvesting and intensive herbal medicine making.

We do our syrups this month, wrap smudge sticks, strip and prepare dried herbs for blending into teas, make blackberry mead, and we’re still tincturing, putting up oils and making salves and creams.

$500 ONE WEEK - $950 TWO WEEKS - $1,850 ENTIRE MONTH

We'll be serving an amazing ORGANIC, GOURMET MEAL every day at mid-day, except for Saturday's, when we go to the Farmer's Market. You're welcome to join us there! In fact, your mid-day meals will surely be one of the many highlights of your stay here. All meals will be prepared and served to you by my daughter, Rosa Jane Rosario.

Rosa is a master chef, a culinary artist and simply a downright, darn good cook. She's found joy creating in the kitchen since she was a young girl and has been building her skills in this area all of her life. A professional in the food preparation and service field for the past fifteen years, Rosa's specialty is preparing simple, well balanced, highly nourishing, colorful and creative gastronomic works of art. Her many culinary credits include preparing and serving meals annually for large crowds of people attending Wildgathering, creating an assortment of unique culinary herb blends,(Rosa blends all of our herbal tea blends as well!) and acting as the main chef for our Tours in Southern Italia. She is as much appreciated for her tasty culinary presentations as she is for her graciousness and hospitality skills.

You’ll be on your own for breakfast and dinner, though we do supply basic foodstuffs and you can pick all you want to eat from the garden as well as from the wild. We have a fabulous farmer’s market nearby, open twice a week, where you’ll find raw organic milk and butter, organic meats, an assortment of artisan cheeses, breads, and fresh organic fruits, vegetables and herbs and value added products such as jams and sauces. There is also a health food store in the same general vicinity.

Camping is primitive-style, you’ll need your own tent and camping supplies. There is cold running water available, and both a gas and wood stove for heating and cooking. Hot water is easily heated on the stovetop for bathing. You’ll have access to pure, healing, wild water from a natural running spring as well. You can expect your stay here to be not only a fabulous and inspiring learning experience but also healing, rejuvenating and restorative in the deepest sense.

See below under the heading WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR STAY HERE AT BLESSED MAINE HERB FARM for more information. Register and choose the time period you desire using the links provided at the bottom of this page.

YOUNG GIRLS HERBAL ADVENTURE – DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED FOR 2013 - 1-4PM – We’re excited to offer this entirely new program for young girls! We’ll meet each Wednesday for 3 hours during the month of August. The girls will learn to identify common plants that grow in Maine, both in the wild and in our gardens, and become familiar with their traditional uses. Each week we’ll choose a special activity, such as making a dream pillow, creating a lip balm, mixing up a healthy and nourishing tea blend and blending a sun protective lotion. We’ll serve a healthy snack, and there will be plenty of time for the girls to just enjoy the natural and peaceful setting of the Blessed Maine Herb Farm. This special camp for girls is facilitated by Gail Faith Edwards and her daughter Grace Hilmer.

$75 for all 5 weeks. We also offer a family rate of you have more than one child who wishes to attend. Ask us for the details.

Grace Hilmer is a 2008 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington with a degreee in Community Health Education. After a short period of time working as a dietary counselor for the WIC program, she realized that it wasn't with the parents she wanted to work, but with the children themselves. She began working in the Farmington public schools as a substitute teacher, and shortly after, became a 1:1 with a third grader. Grace attended the Applied Educational Psychology - School Counseling program at Northeastern University where she recieved her MS in 2011. She is currently employed as a teacher at an alternative high school in Waterville. Grace is excited to be working with the youth in Maine again, and especially on Blessed Maine Herb farm where she was born and raised.

OFF SITE EVENTS WITH GAIL - SUMMER 2013
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR STAY AT BLESSED MAINE HERB FARM

Much of our learning takes place in the Blessed Maine Herb Gardens and the wild areas that surround the farm. We also have use of our beautiful new School House at the edge of the medicinal herb gardens, for indoor class time as necessary.

Our class time will reflect the rhythm of the season, and be an enjoyable combination of technical information with a great deal of hands-on experience with both wild and cultivated medicinal herbs.

Our program is specifically designed to introduce, build upon and strengthen the skills necessary to become a capable, confident and creative herbal healer. In order to do so we must possess a deep foundation of working knowledge regarding a broad spectrum of individual plants as well as an understanding of the messages expressed by the body.

Learning here is plant based. You'll be immersed in nature, plants will be your focus and your most important teachers.

Our focus will be three-fold: grounding and deepening our relationship with the natural world, perfecting our herbal medicine making skills and creating a strong foundation of practical herbal knowledge. Developing confidence in applying what we perceive from nature, including the human body, is an indispensable skill of the Community Herbalist.

During your week-long or month-long intensive you will work and play with a group of like-minded people and be encouraged to fully immerse yourself in the heart and soul of traditional herbal medicine. Your learning experience here will be both intimate and informal, with plenty of time and opportunity for personal attention to your individual learning style.

The Way of the Wild Heart approach to healing is an earth-honoring tradition that stretches back in time to our earliest ancestors. Understanding and experiencing this unique perspective is the essential theme of our work.

Learning to open our wild hearts is a simple process that can easily be learned. It is through cultivating awareness of the heart as an organ of perception, and developing skill in using the heart to gather knowledge of the natural world, that we learn to connect with nature in an intimate, healing and reciprocal way. This work is the centerpiece of the learning you will do here and is the framework around which our work revolves. It requires diligent pursuit of a deep connectedness to the natural world.

"All our time with you, Gail, is nourishing and informative."

"You've made it all seem so simple, so much a part of everyday life. Taking this class is the best thing I've ever done for myself."

"I've particularly enjoyed being exposed to your wonderful outlook, uplifting personality, and spirituality."

I’m passionate about teaching, and my goal is to provide you with the best herbal learning experience possible. I’ll personally introduce you to a broad range of medicinal plants and their traditional uses, and help to ground your growing herbal knowledge with plenty of hands-on experience.

You'll learn how to use your body to understand the messages and energetic qualities of plants through the senses of sight, taste, touch, hearing and smell. We'll ground this knowledge with plenty of practice and experience with the plants themselves.

"It truly was a pleasure spending time with you. I think you are a brilliant herbalist/teacher and so enjoyed your wonderful energy and loving spirit."

"I had such an amazing time at Blessed Maine Herb Farm! Gail and her family are beautiful people and it was a blessing to share space with them. Gail I love your enthusiasm for herbs...It was just what I needed to continue opening my wild heart! Thank you thank you thank you!!!"

"Studying with you has changed my life. I see the natural world in a whole new way!"

"I've grown immensely both personally and professionally through my involvement with you and this awesome exploration of the herbs"

Organic Herb Gardening
Participants will explore all aspects of medicinal herbs, from the earth up. Your herbal study begins with understanding that the living soil creates the foundation for all life on earth. We’ll review the concepts and practices of organic gardening, including "natural gardening" and permaculture, cultivation, wildgathering and proper harvesting techniques, and all types of herbal processing.

Herbal Medicine Making

You will have the opportunity to prepare an assortment of herbal medicines during our medicine making segments and these will be yours to keep.

Water-based Medicines - We’ll cover the proper preparation of water-based herbal medicines, using both freshly gathered and previously dried plant material, you’ll gain confidence in making and using herbal teas, infusions, decoctions and syrups and learn when and how to use a wash, soak, compress and poultice. We’ll most likely have at least one spiritual flower bath in the garden!

Spirit Based Medicines - You will have the opportunity to explore different techniques for tincturing herbs, including using a variety of menstrums such as alcohol, vinegar and glycerin.

Oil Based Medicines - You'll also put up an oil-based medicine of your choice and we'll hope to find time to make a salve as well.

"I have to tell you that after all these years of studying herbs and being familiar with Wise Woman Ways, meeting and learning from you really helped me understand nourishment as medicine. For the first time I really felt that I was "making medicine" because it was happening in a beautiful, humble, prayerful, faithful way. Thank you, thank you."

Wildgathering

We’ll go on a wildgathering adventure together and you'll have the opportunity to meet and gather medicinal herbs from the wild mountain meadows and woods surrounding the farm. During this outing you'll learn about wild plants in their native habitats, gain an understanding through practice of ethical and sustainable gathering techniques, and learn plant identification. This will also provide you with a wealth of information and experience regarding what plants to look for in what types of locations, and when to best harvest and process them for optimal medicinal value.

Herbal Healing

An important aspect of our work is focusing on our case studies and addressing the health of the whole person. This segment will help you to acquire and develop diagnostic skills, as well as intuitive herbal skills. We’ll delve into preventive health care, how to safely and effectively use herbal antibiotics, and how to treat chronic pain and other common ailments.

"My health, and that of my family, is so much better now. You taught us so many ways to nourish and heal ourselves, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well."

Herbs are not drugs. They contain not only measurable, but unmeasurable qualities as well. During your stay here you'll be exposed to sacred plant medicine and have opportunities to experience the magical, spiritual and emotional properties of herbs. You will encounter and deepen shamanic skills, participate in earth ceremony and expand your connection to spirit.

"Your magic, your knowledge and wisdom, your connection with the earth and the plants have inspired and empowered me. Thank you so very much."

Herbal Medicine Chest

Your learning experience will continue long after your stay on the farm has ended, as you gain confidence by using the medicines you have made here.

You'll be well on your way to becoming a creative, confident and accomplished herbal healer.

"The herbal knowledge you shared with me has spilled into my practice and greatly enhanced the work I do with my clients."

"I'm a much better nurse now after taking your class."

"Thank you for a wonderful class, your time, your wisdom, your wild heart, your yummy food and you!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed everything and look forward to more time with you!"

"Thank you for all of your wise words and energy, for welcoming me on your land, in your life and heart. I am blessed to have met you."

"Thank you so much! You demystified so many key points, showed me how to harvest plants with care and reverence, and how to nourish my soul. Thanks!"

Our meals will be freshly prepared with organically grown produce, and served at mid day. All medicinal plants used in medicine making, as well as all supplies are also included in your fee. You will need to bring a tent and camping supplies, a knife, basket or bag, colored pencils or watercolors, and your clothing and personal items of choice.

Instructor: Gail Faith Edwards, is an internationally recognized Community Herbalist with more than thirty years experience. She currently has correspondence course students in many countries around the world. She is the author of three books on herbal medicine and has offered herbal education programs for the past 18 years. Some of the places Gail has taught include the Sambhavana Clinic, Bhopal, India; The Gardens of Monte San Giacomo, Italy; Yale School of Nursing; University of Maine and College of the Atlantic.

She has personally trained hundreds of students and apprentices, many of whom have gone on to serve as community herbalists, health education teachers, herb gardeners, holistic healers, herb-wise mothers, and successful herbal business owners.

ONLINE CLASSES

HERBAL MEDICINE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE - New course begins November 8, 2012.

"Dear Gail, It is a pleasure and a blessing to be a part of your herbal correspondence course. Thank you for the lifetime's work that you have pulled together to share with us - the hours in your garden; in deep listening to others, to the plants and to your own heart; your hours in research and contemplation; your hours in laughter and dreamtime; in cultivating presence and care in your medicine-making; your hours in observation and attentiveness; your hours in prayer. All of this that you have woven together to share with us, I deeply appreciate and hope to do my best to both receive, integrate, and make good use of in service to myself and others. Blessings to you, Nicole"

Consider joining me for an outstanding learning experience in the world of herbal medicine. Begin your studies in November 2012 when the next round of this thoroughly enjoyable and highly praised Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course begins.

The Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course extends for a full year and a half (18 months) of study and consists of 18 comprehensive written lessons; each lesson accompanied by 4 or 5 weekly interactive webinars, approximately 65 - 72 audio classes in all, with Gail Faith Edwards as your personal guide and instructor.

A three day weekend during the summer of 2013 compliments the distant learning process and is included in your fee; hands-on, in person learning with the plants is critically important and will ground the herbal knowledge you will be accumulating during the course of our correspondence study. All meals (prepared with fresh organic ingredients) while on the farm, as well as all plants and materials required for making herbal medicines (jars, alcohol, honey, vinegar, oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, etc.) are also included in your fee.

The entire 18 lesson correspondence course lesson plan is outlined below. The Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course serves as the first half of the 3 year Community Herbalist Program. All students enrolled in this program will have the opportunity to continue their studies at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm School of Herbal Medicine in the 3 year Program, if they desire to do so.

"In an unassuming and gentle presentation, Gail Faith Edwards has taught me more practical and hands on knowledge about herbs than I would have thought possible from a correspondence course. She captures the true essence of herbal medicine with her knowledge of folklore, scientific facts, and her wise spirit. Thank you, Gail, for giving me the foundation to make herbal nutrition and medicine a part of my daily life."

"I can't believe how much I have grown personally and spiritually. Your herbal medicine class was a wonderful enrichment. You taught me patience and opened my eyes to the wonderful local herbs available right under my nose. I just wanted to thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Gail Faith Edwards has been a wonderful teacher and mentor. Always available to answer questions and give great feedback. She has encouraged, praised and challenged me. Most importantly, as a true wise woman, she has passed on to me the deep, spiritual respect for the earth and all that grows here. My wild heart sings with the knowledge I've gained through this course and the memories that have been awakened. Thank you, Gail."

This herbal medicine home study course is designed to provide you with a strong foundation of herbal knowledge that you can build upon for the rest of your life. Its purpose is to empower you to use herbs safely and with complete confidence to nourish and heal yourself, family, friends and community.

The course offers the serious student of herbalism an excellent springboard from which to build a well grounded career as an herbalist. Nurses, healers and complimentary health care providers have always reported finding this course to be especially inspiring and fruitful for their work. It is expected to be all the more so given its recent expansion and revision.

THE HERBAL MEDICINE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE PACKAGE - At the beginning of each month you will receive a PDF file containing the current month’s lesson as well as a list of suggested and required reading. You will also receive, via postal mail at the start of the program, signed copies of two of my books; Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs and Through the Wild Heart of Mary; Teachings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary and the Herbs and Foods Associated with Them, which will serve as work and reference books, as well as a small sampling of herbal goodies.

Each Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course student will have ample individual attention and will find that the direction of the course is tailored specifically to their personal interests and needs. You also have the opportunity for ongoing and unlimited email discussion with me to review and comment on your work and progress, answer questions and offer clarifications and guidance for a full year and a half. This mentoring aspect of the program is invaluable for the aspiring herbalist. Four interactive webinar classes will accompany each month's lesson to supplement the lesson work we are working on that month.

In addition to all of the above, we will also have use of a private facebook page, Blessed Maine Herb Farm Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course, to use as a class forum and a support group during the class, if you wish. This will be a place to ask questions, talk over your current learning projects together and post activities, photos and links you would like to share. You will all be focusing on the same material - sharing ideas with each other will enhance your experience as well as help us develope a deep sense of community.

A Certificate of Completion will be awarded to you upon successful completion of the 18 month course. Note that there is no legal certification for herbalists available anywhere in the United States of America. A Certificate of Completion is the most that any herb school can legally offer.

Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course fee is $1850. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is due upon registration and the remainder is due before the Correspondence Course package is sent. A mutually agreeable payment plan may be made available to earnest students in need.

"I am amazed by the transformation that has occurred in me over the last year since beginning your course. This is a profound, completely unexpected, and much appreciated effect your course has had on me. Thank you so much."

"This was my first introduction to herbs. I knew I had a LOT to learn, but was so amazed at how my knowledge of herbal uses and the body and its systems had soared by the end of the class."

HERBAL MEDICINE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE - LESSON PROGRESSION

Lesson 1 - Foundation - The Way of the Wild Heart, Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs, The Heart as an Organ of Perception, Choosing an Herbal Ally, Sacred Plant Medicine, Earth Awareness, Women's History, Great Goddess, Shamanism, Reclaiming our Traditions, Plants and Spirituality.

Lesson 2 – All life, and therefore health, springs from the ground. Introduction to Organic Herb Gardening – The life of the soil, nourishing the soil, seed planting and plant harvesting according to phases of the moon, concepts and practices of permaculture, compost, sheet mulching, weeding and cultivation, the importance of pollinators and planting specific plants and trees to attract them to the garden, Spring Tonics, Basic Botany for Herbalists.

Introduction to Materia Medica runs concurrently with the following 4 Medicine Making lessons and continues throughout the remainder of the course.

Lesson 3 – Protecting our Herbal Heritage - Harvesting and Processing Herbs - Wildgathering with reverence and respect, ground rules and considerations, techniques for properly drying herbs, appropriate storage. What to look for when purchasing dried herbs. Herbal Medicine Making, part 1 – pills, pastiles, powders, suppositories, washes, baths, poultices and compresses. Delivery, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 4 – Medicine making, part 2 - Water Based Medicines - effective preparation techniques and choosing which herbs to prepare as teas, infusions, decoctions, syrups, meads and fermented beverages, the healing properties of honey & yeasts, herbal water baths, spiritual bathing. Delivery methods, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 5 - Spirit Based Medicines - Making herbal tinctures in alcohol, vinegar and glycerin, using both fresh and dried plant material and experimenting with different preparation methods, how to choose the most effective menstrum and ratios based on plant constituents, decanting and storage, dosages, delivery methods, contraindications.

Lesson 6 - Oil Based Medicines - making infused oils from fresh and dried plant material, cautious use of essential oils, aromatherapy, making salves, butters, lotions and creams. The skin is our largest organ of assimilation. Herbal skin care. Rashes, itches, skin afflictions and herbs that address them.

Lesson 7 - Plant chemistry – Herbal constituents and actions, terminology of the herbalist, tastes and herbal energetics, the Vitalist or Natural approach to healing, choosing appropriate herbs to treat the whole person, introduction to case study work.

Lesson 8 - Laying the Groundwork of Nourishment - Nourishing Ourselves to Optimum Health & Vitality, Vitamins & Minerals - well developed information on each vitamin and mineral, the importance of each, what they do, where to find them, specific herbs and foods that offer them, how to recognize and overcome vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Lesson 9 - The Digestive System - Physiology and Pharmacology, what foods and herbs do we consume to support over-all digestive health and vitality and how are they best prepared. In-depth examination of the role the digestive process plays in our health. Planning and executing a health supportive dietary regime. Digestive fire. Vital essence. Bitters. Food allergies.

Lesson 10 - The Reproductive System - Physiology and Pharmacology, Herbs for Women's Health, Herbs for Men's Health, fertility & reproduction, PMS, menopause/andropause, hormonal chemistry, choosing herbs that nourish, strengthen, tone and balance these systems, delivery methods, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 11 - The Nervous System & Brain, Physiology and Pharmacology, Nervines and Restoratives, herbs to nourish, strengthen and tone the nervous system, herbs to alleviate stress, anxiety, depression, addressing addiction and brain chemistry imbalances, herbal antidepressants as alternatives to Prozac, etc., Herbs for Mind and Spirit. Delivery methods, dosages and contraindications.

Lesson 12 - Chronic and Acute Pain, Physiology and Pharmacology, herbs that relieve pain, applications, dosages and contraindications.

Lesson 13 - The Immune and Lymphatic System, Physiology and Pharmacology, herbal antibiotics, herbs, roots, lichen, fungi that enhance immunity, move lymph fluids, methods of delivery, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 14 – The Endocrine System - Physiology and Pharmacology. Adaptogens - the importance of understanding the uses of this unique class of herbs, adaptogens as a bridge between the immune, nervous and glandular systems, their importance in increasing metabolic efficiency and reducing susceptibility to illness and disease. Homeostasis and the effects of adaptogens on the whole body/mind/spirit. Delivery methods, dosages and contraindications.

Lesson 15 - The Skeletal and Muscular Systems - Physiology and Pharmacology, choosing herbs to support, heal and maintain strong bones, muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments throughout life. The role of exercise in maintaining the health of our skeletal and muscular frame. Delivery methods, dosages and contraindications.

Lesson 16 - The Excretory System - Physiology and Pharmacology, choosing appropriate herbs to support and maintain the health of the kidneys and bladder, homeostasis, maintaining the balance between acid, water and salt base of the blood, the role of the kidneys in hormonal production, herbal delivery methods, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 17 – Heart, Lungs & Circulation System - Physiology and pharmacology, transporting blood, water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste throughout the body. Choosing appropriate herbs to support, nourish, strengthen and heal the heart, nourish the blood and blood vessels, lungs, air passageways, throat, mouth, and nasal passages. Delivery methods, dosages, contraindications.

Lesson 18 - Council of the Herbal Allies – Organs and Body Systems Review. Materia Medica Review. Earth Songs Heal Her - Initiation and Commencement

Hello dear, sweet, precious Gail! Words cannot even come close to expressing the amount of gratitude and appreciation I hold in my heart for you and all that you are contributing to the world with your work. You have managed to create a container in which women like myself are able to grow in awareness, expand in knowledge and share in selflessness the gift of themselves. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

It has been an immense pleasure studying under your guidance. You have always been so patient and understanding, yet firm and demanding at the same time - a perfect balance of the two. I am blessed to have come across your school and I hope that someday I will continue my studies with you at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm. With much love and respect,Anna"

Correspondence Course Refund Policy: There are no refunds or cancellations accepted once materials are sent.

3 YEAR COMMUNITY HERBALIST TRAINING PROGRAM - New class begins November 2012

The most basic health care provided around the world for all human beings through all ages is primary health care. Primary care is non-specialist health care and America is now in the midst of a primary health care crisis.

Community Herbalists are in the unique position to make a meaningful contribution to human culture at the local level in these turbulent times. Some of the ways we can do this is by supporting healthy choices, providing herbal education, focusing on preventive health care and offering affordable, ecologically sound, herbal alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs to the people within our local communities.

The Community Herbalist Program focuses on providing the student with a wide array of herbal and other solutions to many common primary care needs of human beings from birth through death and the guidance needed to present these solutions in a broad community context. The emphasis is on total family/community wellness and includes not only the physical body, but our minds, hearts and spirits as well.

The first year and a half of study for the Community Herbalist Program is the Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course which lays the foundation for the work that follows. (Details and complete lesson plan are outlined above.) This course takes a full 18 months to complete and serves as the first half of the three year program.

The second phase of the 3 year Community Herbalist program focuses on the work of deepening our knowledge and connection with the plants, and the wise use of the medicines made from them, and applying this knowledge directly within the family and community.

A major focus of the following year and a half of study will be on broadening your herbal and healing experience, knowledge and confidence in such ways that include being able to share it in meaningful ways in schools, clinics, hospitals, prisons, learning centers, holistic healing centers, community groups, your own organized classes and doing personal work with individuals seeking herbal education and support (consultations).

Upon completion of the first 18 months study program, you will receive an extensive reading list with both suggested and required reading that will keep you inspired and diligently engaged during the rest of the program. Each month or so you will choose at least one book from the various sections of the list, keep detailed notes on the reading material and compose a report which will be emailed to me.

You are required to submit 12 book reports of at least 1,000 words in length during the following 18 months, or second phase of the program. I will respond with comments and notes and your report will then be shared with the rest of your class. Monthly reports and updates on your work as well as student-teacher interaction are required.

The work you began with case study assessment in Lesson 7, during phase one of the program, will continue during the second phase of the Community Herbalist Program, which moves you more deeply into practical field work. We will work together closely via email and our private class forum while you work with at least 3 individuals for a total of three months each. Detailed initial case study reports and thoroughly documented follow up work will be required for each of the three case studies. This work runs concurrently with the book reports submitted and circulated for review.

During the last six months of the program you will design and implement a plan for introducing yourself to your community as a Community Herbalist. You may choose to work in a clinical setting, an alternative healing center, present a series of classes at a local school, initiate an herbal column for a local newspaper or regional magazine, help create a community herb garden, launch your own herbal business, or any number of projects that relate herbal medicine to your community at large.

During the summer of your final year of study you will be required to attend Community Herbalist Weekend (2014) and deliver a one hour presentation to those in attendance. Your summation and commencement will take place at that time.

Successful graduates of this program will be thoroughly prepared to enter the health field as a practicing Community Herbalist. You will be awarded a Certificate of Completion stating you have completed a 3 year Community Herbalist Program at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm School of Herbal Medicine under the guidance of Gail Faith Edwards.

The 3 year Community Herbalist Program includes the 18 lesson Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course, books and materials, 18 months of four or five webinars each month, for a total of approximately 65-72 audio classes, extensive second phase reading list, on going correspondence, feedback, mentoring, review and guidance from me for full three years, two on-site 3 day weekend study sessions and a Certificate of Completion when you finish the 3 year Community Herbalist Program.

The fee for the 3 year Community Herbalist Program is $3,900. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to hold your place for the 3 year Program. Payment schedules are available. The payment of $1,850 for the Herbal Medicine Correspondence Course is deducted from this fee.

"I have learned so much from you Gail. You are truly a wonderful teacher and healer. Thank you so much for being in my life. You are doing great things for others and have truly put your mark on Mother Earth. Many Blessing to you."

OUR LADY OF THE GREEN; RE-WEAVING PLANT WISDOM, MEDICINE STORIES AND THE FEMININE DIVINE

I'm excited to offer this exceedingly well received webinar course as a series of 13 mp3 recordings - Our Lady of the Green - Reweaving Plant Wisdom, Medicine Stories and the Feminine Divine. I'd love for you to participate in what I promise to be a life altering and deeply soul nourishing experience!

This 13 week series of webinar classes will present a historical perspective on women’s spirituality, explore the roots of the Divine Feminine, devotion to Mary in the 21st century, and examine in-depth the herbs and foods long associated with the Divine Feminine, Mary and the Mysteries of the Rosary.

Week 1 – In the Beginning – The past is our heritage. It is our roots and our sustenance. Knowing the true story of our past brings us nourishment through the ages. This knowledge opens up doors to us, presents us with a myriad of new possibilities. It connects us to our ancestors. This nourishing connection gives us the courage and strength we need to act in the present. It brings us clarity of purpose. Our prehistoric ancestors of the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras.

"I LOVE your class so far! You are amazing and have such a warm voice too! Thank you for creating this - it is an important source of wisdom for me at this time."

Week 2 –The Land of Milk and Honey – From Fruitful Mother of the Clan to the destruction of Divine Ancestress and the end of the matrilineal clan system. The Goddess Religions – the theological structures and universal features spread over large geographical areas – female kinship, rites and customs and the subsequent social restructuring. She Who Holds the Reigns of Kings, ritual drama, the dying god or consort and the grieving priestess/mother.

Week 3 – Symbols of Sacred & Prophetic Powers – Serpent/wise counsel, Sacred trees/communion. From Adam & Eve to the Prince of Peace. The Cumaen Sybil. The Feminine Face of God is shining from our faces.

Week 4 – Finding Mary – The continuing evolution of the Goddess. “Mary has a lineage; it is more than the lineage of the House of David. All Neolithic Goddess roads lead to Mary.” Great Mother - Queen of Heaven – The Triple Goddess – Mother of God. The Protestant Reformation and subsequent “de-throning of Mary.”

"Thank you, Gail! That was such an exhilarating talk. I was not raised Catholic, but I have been drawn to Mary in recent years, and I have a lovely little alabaster statue of Mary. I've always felt that she is a representation of not just the mother of Jesus, but of Kwan Yin and all of the other goddesses through time, just with another name. Thank you for your wonderful insight and wisdom." T.Schultz

Week 5 – Reclamation – Reclaiming a most important party of our Judeo-Christian heritage. The secret stories of plants, perceiving the wild heart of nature, gathering information directly from the Wild Heart of the Earth. Reading from the Book of Life. From the Songs of Solomon to the new physics. The transfer of ancient knowledge through association with plants. Acquiring true knowledge.

Week 6 – The Burning Times – Revisiting marea, strigae, lamiae and night spirits – witches and women shamanism. The Inquisition, Heinrich Kramer and The Malleus Maleficarium. The role of the local, secular tribunals, intellectuals, printed manuals and peasant participation. St. Joan of Arc.

Week 7 – The Mary Garden – The great body of wisdom accumulated through the ages regarding the wondrous earth goes underground. Gardens as devotional practice. Early Christian’s shamanic practices, the transference of ancient seasonal celebrations and local geographical goddesses into the evolving liturgical calendar. Queen of the May and the flowers/trees/shrubs long associated with the Feminine Divine. Planning and planting a Mary Garden.

"I just listened to the Mary Garden class again ... each time I listen, I get something new!"

Week 8 – The Angelic Psalter – The rosary is a string of beads used as an implement of prayer and meditation – it is a powerful tool for peace. Early history of prayer beads. Two simple and ancient prayers form the heart and soul of the rosary and their recitation leads us into the timeless sacred dance of our ancestors. How to Pray the Rosary – stepping into the mysteries of the Rosary as mythic ritual performance unfolding before our eyes. These mysteries contain the stories of our primeval theological truths, they are Medicine Stories. Prayer is a living tradition, praying for the earth community.

"What a lovely class! I love the rosary, but until now I have said "alternative" prayers. I have read books about the rosary but they all drown in "religious" terms and ideas. I really love how you present it Gail. Still traditional but in a new way. Thank you!"

Week 9 – The Sacred Mystery Stories – Examining each of the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries and naming the traditional herbs, foods and medicines associated with each of them – The Sacred Wheel of Life.

Week 10 –Our Lady of the Green - Our Lady’s Florilegia – Teachings of the Herbs, Flowers and Trees of the Mysteries, Part 1 – The Joyful Mysteries – The Eastern quadrant of the wheel – Liliaceae and Lamiaceae plant families, Figs, poppies, chamomile – Hathor, Persephone, Demeter, Hera, St. Ann, Cybele, Ceres, Flora, Mary and the Assumption, the Eleusian Mysteries.

Week 11 – Teachings of the Herbs, Flowers and Trees of the Mysteries, Part 2 – The southern quadrant of the wheel – The Luminous Mysteries – Grains, grapes, fermented foods and beverages, Brassica family plants.

Week 12 – Teachings of the Herbs, Flowers and Trees of the Mysteries, Part 3 – The western quadrant of the wheel – The Sorrowful Mysteries – Olive, St. John’s wort, Aloe vera, Passionflower.

Week 13 – Teachings of the Herbs Flowers and Trees of the Mysteries, Part 4 – The northern quadrant of the wheel – The Rosaceae family of plants – Mary’s Emblem - Roses, hawthorn, apple, pear plum, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, seaweeds.

This 13 week webinar course will begin Thursday, June 7 at 5:30 PM. A downloadable recording of each 1 hour class will be made available to students within minutes after the class. Those unable to attend the live webcast can listen at their convenience. An extensive reading list will be provided and suggested reading for individual classes will be offered but not required. Students will also receive links to YouTube videos and a weekly image album that relate to the course work and will enhance their experience.

A copy of Through the Wild Heart of Mary; Teachings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary and the Herbs and Foods Associated with Them will be sent via postal mail to each participant. This course will be life altering and soul nourishing. I welcome you to join us!

Course fee $175. There is a link at the bottom of this page where you can register.