Herbalism Apprenticeship

[clevermanka]

I start an herbalism apprenticeship in March. The program is set up as a barter. Student labor for instructor knowledge, which I love. Hands-on training, which I also love. Six hours every Saturday for nine months I don't love as much, but I've got to at least give it a shot. I've always been interested in herbalism, but I am flat terrible at book-learning and even though I'm not the biggest fan of human beings as a species, classroom learning environments are a better fit for my particular brain.

When I found out about this program a couple years ago I was intrigued, but I'd just dropped out of a year-long yoga teacher training class and  there was no way I could commit to something similar while I was still holding down a job. My health/stamina just wasn't sufficient. So when I lost my job, I applied to the program and got accepted!

The instructor has been practicing herbalism for more than fifty years and isn't up for working in her garden so much anymore. So her students will be prepping the garden, planting, maintaining, harvesting, and storing, etc., for a couple hours every Saturday and then it's lecture time. That's pretty much all the detail I have at this point--she doesn't even have a website, so this is Very Old School Indeed. 

Between this and learning to read tarot this year, I'm drawing ever closer to my retirement plan of being a Hedge Witch. Come to me for potions and advice!

Comments

[rlyqueer]

This sounds awesome!! The witchy vibes are palpable, and what a cool thing to be hands-on learning about a thing you love.

(My online marketer brain is a little tweaked at the lack of website cries but I know exactly the type of old school entrepreneur she must be and that definitely tracks lol.)

Also, yay learning to read tarot! I've been practicing more often, myself. I finally found a deck that I really vibe with, which — shocker — has helped tremendously! If you ever want to trade practice readings, hmu. :D

[clevermanka]

I used to be fairly involved in a local pagan group, but I drifted away for various reasons (one of which is I'm not a terribly spiritual person--it just took me a while to clue into that). However! The community service aspect of witchery has always been very appealing to me.

I'd love to trade practice readings sometime. I'll let you know when I have sufficient grasp of it to give it a try!

[trobadora]

That sounds very cool!

[clevermanka]

I'm very excited!

[solo]

I'm drawing ever closer to my retirement plan of being a Hedge Witch.

That is the best retirement plan I've ever heard of!

[clevermanka]

This is me, swan-diving into Crone status.

[yantantether]

That sounds fascinating, what a cool thing to do!

[clevermanka]

I'm sure y'all will be hearing more about it, so I'm glad it sounds interesting to so many people!

[kazoogrrl]

I should really up my gardening skills so I too can work on this retirement plan.

[clevermanka]

TBH I don't know I'll be gardening myself unless The Apocalypse. If you can't make your own store bought is fine, etc., etc., but it will be good information to have!

[seascribble]

A hedge witch apprenticeship! Very cool.

[clevermanka]

Taking healthcare literally into our own hands down here.

[umadoshi]

This sounds so neat! I hope it's a wonderful experience and you learn tons of stuff.

[clevermanka]

Same on all counts!

[asya_ana]

I think this sounds like a lovely next step for you! <3

[clevermanka]

Thank you! I think it suits, too. <3

[winter_blossom]

Tarot, though? Sounds amazing! (Herbalism does, too, though my lazy ass would never be up to so much work in the garden ^^)

I'm drawing ever closer to my retirement plan of being a Hedge Witch.

That's the best retirement plan I've heard of in a while! (You wouldn't happen to have a local, I dunno what they're called, coven? I've heard that some parts of the US have practising witches still, but had no way of verifying that, so...)

[clevermanka]

I've never been much for divination, but I like how some people use them as a means of introspection and looking at a person or situation from outside one's usual point of view. A sort of "here's where you are" and less "here's where you're headed."

Full disclosure re: gardening, I hate being outdoors so this is going to be quite the Learning Experience for me.

I'm sure there's still a local community coven here, but I haven't been active in more than 25 years. I dropped out because it wasn't teaching me anything anymore, and also I was running out of patience with a lot of the people involved. These days I generally avoid white-western paganism and witchy stuff because (frankly) the "tradition" is exploitative, appropriative, and racist. I can attest to the fact that there are many practicing witches in the US, though! I'm not personal friends with any (anymore), but they're definitely out there.

One of the reasons I like the term "hedge witch" is it puts the emphasis on "hedge"--the practical, non-mystical aspects of witchery. Basically I wanna be the old woman who lives alone on the edge of the forest and dispenses care to those with enough pluck (and manners) to ask.

[winter_blossom]

Thanks for the titbits about witches! That was really interesting.

Basically I wanna be the old woman who lives alone on the edge of the forest and dispenses care to those with enough pluck (and manners) to ask.

This sounds so cool! I'd totally come visit you, myself. And I have plenty of manners, though not nearly as much pluck... ^_^

[jo_lasalle]

That's pretty much all the detail I have at this point--she doesn't even have a website, so this is Very Old School Indeed.

Wow, VERY old school!

Best of luck for the start of the program! I hope the garden work won't be too hard on your health and that you enjoy the lectures!

[clevermanka]

Thank you! I already warned her I'm not good for a lot of physical stuff and got the impression I'm not the first person to enter the program with mobility and stamina issues.

[calystarose]

that is so cool!

[clevermanka]

I'm really excited about it!