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energetic folk herbalism...
The core focus of this course is on the foundational energetic principles of western herbalism.  Yes, that sounds both somewhat mystical and perhaps a bit complicated, but in reality, it's rooted in relearning how we perceive health and illness, and the herbs themselves, so that we learn to recognize such patterns of imbalance as hot ​& cold, dry ​& damp, ​and ​tense ​& lax. This provides a much more useful and foundational understanding of herbcraft than simply learning to associate the name of a problem with the name of a herb; it is, in fact, the part of holistic medicine that works with the person and not the name of their imbalance/condition. To effectively use plant medicines, you'll need to understand the foundational properties by which herbs work, how they affect the body's organs and systems, how to use your senses, intellect & intuition to perceive the physiological, energetic & etheric properties of herbs, and myriad other nuances that make for a solid foundation in herbcraft and allow you to develop a personal style and approach to guide your endeavors. 

Linder includes classroom days which will meet
in Commerce, MI at Proud Lake State Rec Area as well as herb hikes at local parks on northwest Oakland County, with discussions of habitat and harvest, properties, history, lore, current and traditional uses and my direct experience using these herbs. 

Basically, there are three aspects to the course: 

 Initially we'll take a big picture look at the energetics of western herbalism, and how certain underlying patterns of imbalance are revealed in a person's constitution or the way their symptoms are presented.  From this, we can initially determine the types of herbs that will best restore balance before choosing a specific plant or plants.  In doing so, we'll explore the energetic system conveyed by the tradition actions of western folk herbalism.

 After this broad perspective overview, we'll dive further into energetics, applying these concepts to the body's varied organs & systems, and exploring how some conditions uniformly require specific actions while others need to be more personalized to the way that they're presented by an individual.

 We'll also extend our exploration of energetics to the plants we study on a series of walks.  While these walks are led here in the Great Lakes bio-region, many of the plants covered have a very broad range of distribution and the concepts covered extend to all the herbs we could encounter anywhere (I've had students come from as far away as Texas and Colorado).

My goal in teaching this information is twofold:

 I want to make recognizing and addressing energetic patterns easier: less thinky and more reflexive and intuitive.  This is a craft that like many others becomes easier to exercise with practice and repetition.  The course is intended to encourage this, provide a slid foundation for future growth, and leave you more energetically savvy upon completion.

 It's also super important to me that people enjoy my teaching.  I don't want my classes to just be informative, I want them to be fun, because I believe that when learning is fun it sticks better.  So expect a bit of zaniness: pool noodles and catapults and koosh balls and floor rolling.  There won't be any power points, and I'll be more than just a talking head for you.  

You'll also be involved in an ongoing & evolving group dynamic, which allows you to likely learn as much from each other as you will from me.  The value of this could not be overstated.

If you're considering this intensive, please be willing to commit to coming to the classes and spending a lot of time outdoors with the plants, hiking (vigorous hiking up hills and down dales; you'll need to be physically able to spend a day out on the trail), dealing with bugs, perhaps some inclement weather (we will meet rain or shine), and above all be willing to put in the time outside of class to study and to find places near you that you can get out into and harvest your herbs from. This may be your yard, a neighbors yard, a community garden, a friend's property - wherever. You'll need to do the reading, most of which I've written, but including links to articles by other herbalists available online, and a few highly recommended books. 

I record pretty much the entire course as high quality MP3 files, which are available to students.  This helps not only as an info source for future reference, but also allows people to listen to any classes they may miss due to illness or unforeseen  circumstances.  I also set up an email listserve for participants to facilitate interaction and dialogue between classes. 

location... 
Classroom days will be held at Proud Lake State Recreation Area in Commerce, Michigan (north of Wixom and east of Milford) at the River Hawk Annex , which is an indoor space, with the exception of August 5th, where we'll meet in an open air pavillion, also at Proud Lake just of the other side of the road. 

Of course, there'll be quite a bit more covered as the class unfolds.  I have answers to some frequently asked questions herePlease be sure to read these.

about me, the teacher...
I'm an herbalist; I deeply love the plants I share this land with and one of the ways I give back to them is by teaching others what I have to offer.  If you're considering taking a long term course like this, you'll want to feel in synch with the person teaching it.  Ideally, you'll come to one of my classes before hand, but please also look around online and see what I've written and others have been kind enough to say about me. 

I've tried to provide a lot of content so people interested in my classes can check it out and see what I teach like and where I'm coming from.  Because people learn in different ways, I have different mediums to check out. 
 

 I have a lot of written material here.
 There's hours worth of videos you can watch on YouTube here; many of these are directly from classes so they're a very good representation of how I teach. 
 If you'd like to see "a resume" of sorts, you can click here

I'm also very happy to talk to you (and for sure want to!) and answer any questions you have about the course.


pic by lisa m. rose, from a class walk
 

dates for 2025... 

 april 12/13 (two class days)

 may 3/4 (class/walk)

 june 7/8 (class/walk)

 july 12/13 (class/walk)

 august 2/3 (class/walk)

 and august 23/24 (class/walk)

 september 13/14 (class/walk)

 october 4/5 (two class days)
 

Class times will generally be 11ish to around 6ish, though it's probably prudent to state that I have occasionally run over if no one tells me time is up.

cost...
 The cost for the intensive is $1450 if paid by February 28/29th (before March).
 On or after March 1st, the cost is $1550
 A $500 deposit will register you for the intensive and hold your space, and with the remaining balance due by/on the first class session. 

Please be aware that the $500 deposit is non-refundable for cancellations made between the time the initial payment is sent in and the first class, when payment is due in full.  One week before the class begins, ***there will be no refunds for any tuition paid***.  If you miss lots of classes or stop coming to lindera, this will not result in credit for next year's course (though we can add you to the online lindera course).

local resources...
if you don't live near enough to commute each day, I've compiled a list of local resources I hope you'll find helpful with regard to procuring food and/or a place to stay.

POTENTIAL PANDEMIC CONTINGENCIES...
I know... I feel the same way about it.  And, as things stand right now, I don't see a high likelihood of this manifesting.  BUT... please understand that IF a pandemic flares up again, and we need to be outside, socially distanced, and in masks, participation in lindera will require following these guidelines (we are largely meeting on state land and they do enforce state law).  I will likely be able to switch our indoor classes to the open air pavilion mention above, which is in the same park, but if not, I will do my best to find shelters within a short distance from Proud Lake (likely at the nearby Highland State Rec Area).  Likewise, although I don't expect it to happen, in the unlikely event that gatherings of groups is prohibited, we will rely on online classes until we could meet in person again.  Again, I am not expecting this to be the case, but if you are entirely unwilling with mask/distance/meet outdoors/meet online if need be, it may be best to wait until the pandemic is no longer creating uncertainties to take my lindera course.

Independent of a pandemic,
any classes *I* am unable to facilitate because of illness, injury, family emergency, or any other unexpected calamity will be provided as online material & discussion


So...
If you have any questions, please just let me know and I'll do my best to further clarify my plans and intentions. If you're ready and rarin' to go, please proceed as follows:

 Please fill out the application found here. After doing so, please call me to discuss any questions, particulars or whatnot that you or I may have.  Please don't make any payments until you fill out and application and we talk... I want to be sure all your questions are answered and you have a clear understanding of the course so you can make a confident decision about participating.

 Please let me know when you send a check out so I can be on the look out for it.  You can also pay via credit card through PayPal as a means of "financing" the course and making payments as you're able.

Paypal Payment Options... please choose the appropriate payment option from the pull
down menu here

(after we talk) you can also choose to send your payment to me at:

     jim mcdonald
     4535 jozwik
     white lake, mi 48383

Again, if you're interested, please let me know as soon as you're able. 
 

Thanks for your interest and many blessings...


jim mcdonald
~herbalist~
(248) 238-8733
(please note that this is not a cell number and doesn't get texts)
jim@herbcraft.org



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