Ancient Plant Wisdom for a Changing World

July 4 - 6, 2025

“As we walk the path of plants, gathering medicine from the heart of nature, it sprouts and grows within us. We become the living forest where we are the medicine.”

Herbalism is a powerful way to participate in the green transformation underway in our culture. We’ll examine herbalism’s radical and non-hierarchical roots, the growth of spiritual awakening and social radicalism.

Shantree, an elder in the field of herbalism for 50-years, honoured by the Canadian Council of Herbalist Associations, will provide a comprehensive weekend on the modern landscape of this ancient healing practice. He explores how these modalities are becoming prominent again when our planet needs them the most. As a species, we are on an ecologically unsustainable course. Shantree will guide you to reconnect with the land and yourself through energetic herbalism – a powerful way to participate in the earth-centred green transformation happening in our culture.

The Herbalist’s Path: From Knowledge to Practice is an invitation into the living world of plants through a hands-on journey into applied plant wisdom. This workshop explores viriditas—the belief that nature is infused with divine intelligence—and guides participants to experience this through direct relationship with the land. Walking through fields and forests untouched by cultivation, we enter into an intimate dialogue with the more-than-human world, discovering the ecological intelligence embedded in every leaf, root, and flower.

Through the lens of co-evolution, we examine the reciprocal relationship between humans and plants—how together, we’ve shaped biodiversity and chemo-diversity over millennia. These dynamic interactions point to the vital role plants play in both ecological balance and cultural resilience.

Participants will learn simple, effective herbal practices rooted in traditions that have long existed outside of dominant paradigms. These approaches remain deeply relevant today, offering practical tools for everyday life. Shantree shares insights from the radical and non-hierarchical traditions of energetic herbalism and elemental medicine, illustrating how this path of plant knowledge parallels movements of spiritual awakening and social transformation.

This is not merely a study of herbs, but a lived exploration of how ancient energetic systems—once confirmed by ancestral cultures and now increasingly supported by modern research—can offer guidance during times of global change. Through this experiential journey, we cultivate the skills, awareness, and connection needed to walk the herbalist’s path with purpose and presence.

“Herbalism is a calling that runs deep within the heart of the true herbalist. Their passion and knowledge are not defined by any certification or degree but rather by an invisible mark etched into their heart by the hand of Mother Nature herself. It’s a mark that drives them to seek out the rejuvenating properties of plants and their natural gifts and to share it with the world in a helpful and meaningful way.”

Curriculum

Unlocking the Foundations of Energetic Herbalism

A hands-on introduction to elemental plant wisdom

• Elements in Nature
  Explore how Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Ether shape plant and human energetics.

• Dual Nature & 5 Elements
  Understand how herbs balance opposing forces (e.g., hot/cold, wet/dry) through elemental dynamics.

• Energetic Herb ID
  Learn to recognize herbs by taste, temperature, and effect.

• Vitalist Actions
  Apply herbal actions like tonics and nervines from an energetic lens.

• Seasonal Herbal Practice
  Align plant use with seasonal rhythms for greater impact.

• Elemental Formulation
  Create simple remedies using the 5-element system.

Engaging Practices

• Living the Essential Keys

• Field & Forest Studies

• 5-Sensory & Plant ID

• Reflections & Insights

• Interactive Format

• Key Lessons