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Winter 2011/2012

Kim Dudley Memorial Lecture, Canberra, Australia

January 27 to February 4

Presented in memory of our dear friend, Kim Dudley, a long time practitioner in the Canberra area, I will be speaking for two weekends. This class will be an intensive on the nuts and bolts of energetic herbalism, including the six tissue states, organ systems, with a discussion of the inner, intuitive and spiritual elements of Nature Wisdom and the herbal healing path.

For more information, contact Contact: The Hierophant store, Canberra at hphant@cbit.net.au.

Herbal Medicine and the Wonders of Nature, Los Angeles, California

February 11-12

Nature is Alive and no other discipline, except perhaps agriculture, brings us closer to the Living Nature than herbalism. Every simple in the garden or the forest is an expression of some lesson, honed by millions of years of evolution, to deal with some kind of stress in the environment. At the same time, the humble herb personifies the attributes of its Creator, teaching us to see the spirit within Nature and within ourselves. In this class, taught by an herbalist of thirty years experience, we will learn both practical herbalism and the wonders of Nature revealed by herbalism. Subjects: Nature Wisdom, the doctrine of signatures, animal medicines/plant medicines, herbs for heart and soul.

For more information, contact Yolanda Lowery at energyworks1@att.net.

Living in Practice, an Intensive Clinical Week with Margi Flint, Matthew Wood, and Kay Parent at EarthSong Herbals Marblehead, Massachusetts

February 21 (morning) to 26 (evening)

Learning how to take a case and perceive the client, taught by three masters of herbal practice and evaluation. Face, complexion, skin tone, tongue, and pulse evaluation, questioning. For serious students with a good background in herbal medicine looking towards clinical practice this is "the next step."

For more information, contact Margi Flint at margi@earthsongherbals.com

Continuing Intermediate/Advanced Class (3rd out of 6) at the Philo School of Herbal Energetics Philo, California

March 10 to 11

Organ systems, tissue states, practical uses of herbs. Little Philo is located along the "golden mile" (referring to vineyards) in the Anderson Valley of Mendacino County. This class is rather small, so we will still accept students for the remainder of the course.

For more information, contact Mary Pat Palmer at mpatpalm@herbalenergetics.com

Spring 2012

School of Traditional Western Herbalism Portland, Oregon

March 23 to 25
March 30 to April 1

Opening sessions of the Foundation and Advanced Courses. The School of Traditional Western Herbalism is an herbal education center in Portland Oregon offering a comprehensive 3-year herbal studies program for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students. Each course includes several classes with internationally recognized herbalist and author Matthew Wood teaching a core part of the curriculum, as well as classes taught by other highly regarded part-time and guest instructors.

For more information, contact Hanna Jordan and Chris Smaka at info@portlandherbalschool.com

Continuing Intermediate/Advanced Class (4th & 5th out of 6) at the Philo School of Herbal Energetics Philo, California

April 14 to 15
May 5 to 6

Organ systems, tissue states, practical uses of herbs. Little Philo is located along the "golden mile" (referring to vineyards) in the Anderson Valley of Mendacino County. This class is rather small, so we will still accept students for the remainder of the course.

For more information, contact Mary Pat Palmer at mpatpalm@herbalenergetics.com

Introduction to Traditional Western Herbalism, New York City

April 20 to 22

The Re-emergence of Traditional Western Herbalism
Friday April 20th, 7-9 pm
Join master herbalist and author Matthew Wood when he comes to NYC to talk about renewing the traditions and "lost energetics" of our local North American & European herbal medicine. He will discuss basic concepts which assist physiological evaluation as well as a number of useful herbs and insightful examples through case histories. Matthew is renown for his clear and memorable herbal indications as well as practiced knowledge of lesser known energetics such Native American plant - animal affinities.

Weekend Intensive: The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism:
Muscular Skeletal System, Detoxification & Clinic
Friday April 20th, 7-9 pm
The intensive will build on the Friday talk by focusing on the muscular skeletal system (Saturday) and detoxification (Sunday) where the application of energetics and herbs will be discussed in detail. In the afternoons methods of holistic evaluation will be demonstrated and practiced through a clinic.

For more information, contact Claudia Keel at Claudia@wprice-nyc.org

Five Day Glastonbury Retreat with Matthew Wood at shekinashram in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK

June 13 to 17

Specifics and Energetics in Herbal Medicine
This class is intended to help the experienced herbal practitioner learn to understand the 'personality' and specific uses of herbal remedies. Every plant has a central, unifying intelligence which expresses through it's chemistry, uses, appearance, and taste. In this class we will study the 'six tissue states,' an energetic system used by our herbal antecedents, the physiomedical movement, 'specific medicine,' used by another group, the eclectics, and North American Indian methods (animal medicines, doctrine of signatures). We will also be learning how to study the individual in terms of energetics, specifics, and the 'signatures' of disease in color, complexion, skin tone, etc., so that we will know how to apply our knowledge.

For more information, contact Gisela Lirusso by phone at: National 01458 832 300 or International 00 44 (0) 1458 832 300
or by email at info@shekinashram.org

Note: the above class is intended for experienced herbal practitioners. Beginners and intermediate students can hear Matthew speak at the Association of Master Herbalists yearly conference near Birmingham the following weekend.

Summer 2012

AMH & URHP Conference at Purley Chase Centre in Atherstone, Warwicks, UK

June 22 to 24

Matthew Wood will be presenting at the Conference of the Association of Master Herbalists (AMH) and Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners (URHP), held at The Purley Chase Centre in Purley Chase Lane, Mancetter, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 2RQ.

For more information, contact Hilary Loder at hilaryloder@hotmail.co.uk

Hats Off To Plants! Montana Herb Gathering 2012 at Diamond Bar X Guest Ranch in Augusta, Montana

July 13 to 15

I will be presenting at this wonderful conference. Last year I taught at the Alberta Herb Gathering and let me tell you, these Western herbalists have a lot of spirit and a great deal of knowledge of Prairie and Mountain plants. Join us if you are an herbalist of the West or the East, for that matter. Take a vacation and a conference. Diamond Bar X Ranch, Rocky Mountain Front, Bob Marshall Wilderness. Stay for the July 16, Monday Intensive on "North American Mushrooms" with Robert Dale Rogers, an eminent authority from the Alberta division of herbaldom.

Medicine Plants, Medicine Animals
In traditional herbalism many plants are named after animals. In Native American lore in particular plants are classified according to whether they bear a "spirit signature" (resemblance to an animal) and or are specially used by an animal. Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Deer, Rabbit, Elk, Raven and other medicines.
Medium and advanced best suited, but some beginners might benefit.

Energetics of Traditional Western Herbalism
Not lost but only forgotten, Western herbalists can reclaim their own system of energetics from Greek medicine (four qualities, two tissue states) and nineteenth century physiomedicalism (six tissue states). The latter method carried down to the present by L. R. and A. W. Priest (1981, 2001).
Medium and advanced best suited, but some beginners might benefit.

For more information and to register contact www.montanaherbgathering.org

Herbal Medicine and Nature Wisdom Retreat in Rural France with Kate Gilday and Julia Graves

July 18 to 26

I have taught and learned with Julia Graves and Kate Gilday many times over the years and there are FEW TEACHERS I CAN RECOMMEND MORE HIGHLY. Anyone who has enjoyed my classes should check out Julia's classes because we are so similar but also different. The slightly to very different perspective will be highly stimulating. Her knowledge of the doctrine of signatures, Western energetics, the tissue states, and organ systems is rivaled by few. Her knowledge of the extracellular matrix (general background of the 'inner ocean' surrounding the cells) is, in my opinion, unrivaled. Kate Gilday is an experienced practitioner of many years standing, knowledgeable in the ways of the wilderness and garden herbs of North America and elsewhere, of Ayurvedic medicine, and practical herbal medicine.

Endocrine, Lyme & Cancer
Join people from all over the world at the herbal summer school set in one of the most beautiful parts of rural Europe. A rare opportunity to train with Kate Gilday and Julia Graves in a block course of 8 days. We will study the endocrine system including all the different glands, the female and male systems (from the endocrine as well as the tissue state stand point) with the relevant specific herbs to treat them, as well as the treatment of lyme disease, cancer, and more. Including principals of all major herbal traditions, the summer school teaches planetary herbalism. The systematic training also includes discussions and training in pulse, face and tongue diagnosis, plant study, etc. While open to beginners, the course is designed for pracising herbalists. Students who did not attend the previous modules are required to attend the 4 1/2 day Intensive prior to the course to learn the necessary basics.
For more information, click HERE

Precourse Intensive Information

Travel Information

A Summer Weekend of Herbalism in Omaha, Nebraska

July 27 to 29

July 27 Herbs for Women's Health

July 28 to 29 Secrets of Herbal Medicine
This class is intended both for graduating students of herbal medicine program and people with a well developed interest in the subject. "I will be going for specific indications for useful remedies, guidelines for practice, herbal energetics, and answering questions." Also an herb walk on Sunday.

For more information, contact Nicholas Schnell at spiritbear4@msn.com

Fall 2012

2012 Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference at Mormon Lake Lodge in the Coconino, Arizona

September 13 to 16

I am presenting at this conference. The TWHC is one of the funnest conferences I have ever attended.

For more information and to register contact traditionsinwesternherbalism.org

Sacred Plant Traditions in Charlottesville, Virginia

October 5 to 7

Another wonderful weekend at beautiful little Camp Albemarle, near Charlottesville, Virginia...

Friday Night: The Shamanic Side of Herbal Medicine
Depending on the interests of the audience, Matthew will speak on experiences and themes of shamanism that associate with herbalism.

Weekend: Energetics of Western Herbalism
The Six Tissue States. The innate, in built energetic system of Western Herbalism was largely forgotten by the late twentieth century but survived in British herbalism and is recorded in late nineteenth century American herbalism. It is eminently useful and provides the logic behind so much that we do in modern herbal medicine. It also reflects Greek medicine (four qualities, two tissue states). We will discuss this method and system all weekend long, giving plants, cases, and diagnostic tips for illustrations.

For more information contact Kathleen Maier at info@sacredplanttraditions.com

Weekend Retreat at Greenstar Farm in Blacksburg, Virginia

October 13 to 14

Join us for a weekend of practical herbalism with a mix of Nature Wisdom in the lovely hills of southwestern Virginia at Green Star Farm, an organic vegetable and herb farm near Blacksburg.

For more information contact Lauren Cooper at greenstarfarm@hotmail.com

"By magically changing our lives, our green friends restore physical health, psychological happiness, and spiritual purpose. A little miracle occurs and the magical level clicks in, in fact, whenever an herb cures in a real and radical way. This is a sign that something great and new has come in from a different world to enrich and develop our lives to their fullest and most beautiful potential."
            -Matthew Wood