Shamanis Herbalism:

Correspondence Course

Shamanic Herbalism

Gaia’s Green Magic
“To become a true herbalist means to be sensitive to the being of the herbs, to commune in sensory awareness with the plant light of the universe. It is to learn to listen when the plant speaks, speak to the plant as another human being, and look upon it as one’s teacher.” — Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad, The Yoga of Herbs*

Course Overview

Shamanic Herbalism is rooted in the ancient traditions of Ayurveda and the Essene Way of Life, two of the world’s oldest shamanic practices. This course introduces the art and science of herbal energetics, teaching how the elements and tastes of plants reveal their properties. Beyond their chemistry, plants carry a spirit and language that open us to their hidden potential. Learning to attune to this language allows us to form a living relationship with the plants as teachers and allies.

What You’ll Experience

▸ The foundations of herbal energetics in Ayurvedic and shamanic traditions

▸ Practices for attuning to the spirit and essence of plants

▸ Herb and medicine walks that awaken sensory communion with the green world

▸ Guidance in discovering your totem plants and their unique teachings

▸ Exercises for learning to know a plant’s medicine through the five senses

▸ A hands-on and participatory journey into sacred plant wisdom

Sacred Plant Medicine

Shamanic Herbalism invites you into the sacred world of plant medicine where herbs are experienced not only for their uses but also for their spirit and essence. This path helps you remember the ancient language of plants, hear their stories, and deepen your relationship with the living history they carry.

Your Journey Awaits

This course is a celebration of plants as guides and companions. As you step into their world, you will discover a source of nourishment, inspiration, and creativity that touches every part of life. Shamanic Herbalism offers the opportunity to walk in partnership with the plant kingdom, awakening wisdom that serves both personal growth and the greater web of life.

Curriculum: Shamanic Herbalism

“Continually trying to look on the bright side interferes with finding the wisdom in the fruitful darkness. Continually striving upward toward the light means we never grow downward into our own feet, never become firmly rooted on the earth, never explore the darkness within and around us, darkness without whose existence the light would have no meaning.”

~Stephen Harrod Buhner

- The Hidden Language of Plants
- Sacred Plant Medicine: The Heart of Green Medicine
- Gaia Elemental Medicine
- Declaration of the Four Sacred Things
- The Greening: Viridatas
- The Healing Power of Plant Spirit Medicine
- The Great Elements
- The Five Elements & Man
- The Elements According to Ayurveda
- Creation Originating in Cosmic Consciousness
- Energy, Elements & Earth Wisdom of the Ancients
- Elements & Elemental Spirits
- The Ayurvedic Elements & the Gunas
- Plant Spirit Medicine: The Elements
- The Elements & Their Essence
- Plant & Elemental Spirits
- Herbs & the Five Elements
- The Return of the Elements
- History of Constitutional Medicine
- Constitutional Elemental Medicine
- Integrating Constitutional Traditions
- Understanding Your Constitution & Your Current Condition
- Prakruti: Your Permanent Constitution
- Vikruti: Your Current State of Balance & Health
- Constitutional Questionnaires
- Shamanic Healing Part I
- Shamanic Transmutation II
- Shamanic Rejuvenation III
- Ancient Practices from around the world (Ayurveda, Essenes & Native Traditions)
- The Healing Power of Plant Spirit Medicine
- The Spirit in the Realm of Plants
- Plants, Spirits and their Healing Gifts
- Herbal Energetics in Clinical Practice
- Learning From The Rishis
- Energetics and the 5-Elements
- Herbal Energetics: The Healing Tastes
- Case Study: Depression

- The Five Senses & the Sun & the Moon
- Cleansing the Senses to Enhance Spirit-Plant Communion
- Expanding Your Perception of Reality
- Tree Medicine
- Sacred Tree Medicine: Quotes & Inspirational Passages
- Tree Meditations
- Tree of Life
- The ancient Tree of Yoga
- The Sacred Tree
- Tree Spirits
- Trees, Spirits and their Healing Gifts
- How to Absorb and Channel Energies from Nature
- The Living Medicine: Shamanic Aromatherapy
- Ayurvedic Aromatherapy
- Sacred Smoke
- Making Your Own Shamanic Power Plant Essences
- Movement & Breath Opening Channels of Communication
- Rituals: The Natural Act of Deepening Your Relationship with Plants
- Fasting: The Great Physician Within
- The Benefits of Meditation or Why Meditate?
- Grounding Earth Meditation
- A Rite for the Nature Spirits
- Spirit of Herbs- by John Seed
- Earth Rhythms- by Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera

Textbooks for the Course

The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth, (Stephen Harrod Buhner, Bear & Co. 2002)
The Secret Teachings of Plants: In the Direct Perception of Nature (Stephan Harrod Buhner, Bear & Co. 2004)
Sacred Plant Medicine: Explorations in the Practice of Indigenous Herbalism (Stephan Harrod Buhner, Bear & Co. 2006)
Plant Spirit Medicine: A Practical Guide to Plant Spirit Medicine (Clare G. Harvey and Amanda Cochrane)
Shamanic Herbal Energetics Adobe DVD Reader Course Material, Shantree Kacera, D.N., Ph.D.
Conscious Living Manual: The Sevenfold Path to Peace, (Shantree Kacera, D.N., Ph.D. & Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera, 2002)
The Yoga of Herbs (Drs. Frawley and Lad, Lotus Press, 1986)

This comprehensive study course is intended for both the professional health care practitioner and wholistic medicine student. It is designed to lay a foundation for the professional use of Shamanic Herbalism within a wholistic practice and may be used in several different yet compatible ways:

As a foundation for practice as a Visionary Herbalism Diploma Program.
As an adjunct to the practice of a therapist in another natural healing modality.
As training in self-healing for nonprofessionals.

Part I (The Long-Distance Course) Is the home study part of the course. Study the material and do the lessons at your own pace. Send in the lessons through postal mail or email. We’ll check your addresses, make comments, and give you feedback on your progress.

Part II (The Advanced Study & Research) Thesis Project allows you to dive deeper into the teachings. Choose an area of study you feel particularly drawn to in the course that sparks your passion, invites your curiosity, and beckons you to explore. Write a 5,000-word thesis and conduct a research project to be submitted within the course study time. Also, we ask you to offer to your community and document a couple of workshops or lectures to build understanding, expertise and confidence.

One-on-One Sessions

These sessions are available to both support and deepen the learning experience of this course. Three sessions of 40 minutes each can be done over the phone. These are available to guide and advise you on your research thesis project. You must book these sessions in advance once you have submitted your proposed thesis topic.

Your Guide & Adviser: Shantree Kacera

Homework

Homework is sent in upon each lesson’s completion and returned to you. You do not need to send your reference files. However, it would help if you kept us posted on how you’re doing with your projects.

Time Completion

You may complete these lessons on your schedule. But to utilize them to their fullest, we recommend you set up a scheduled time to do each class; one evening a week or an afternoon on the weekends will keep your momentum going. The average time to complete the course is about one year. Some students have completed the material in 6 months, while others may take a few years.

We do ask that you complete the course in two years. After two years, if the student fails to complete the course within the allotted period, the time-extension fee is $100 for an additional year.

Questions

One of the specialties of these lessons is the personal attention given to your questions and homework. We invite your comments and suggestions.

Certificate

Students who complete the lessons and ALL the homework will receive a beautiful Herbal Certificate. The Certificate awarded states that you are acknowledged for conducting a thorough, in-depth study of energetic herbalism.

Lessons 1-10 & Adobe DVD Reader Course Material

The Shamanic Herbal Energetics Long-Distance Course comes as an Adobe DVD Reader. The Adobe DVD Reader course material makes keeping your lessons, homework, and other course material easy. The course material will be sent out once we receive your tuition.