"These are the ways of our grandmothers, the ancient ones. Every pain, every plant, every problem is cherished. Night is loved for darkness, day for light. Uniqueness is our treasure, not normalcy.

These are the ways of our grandmothers, the ancient ones. Receive abundance with compassion, knowing you will be food for others. Know that dying is a portal just as birth is. Celebrate all comings and goings, they are the turnings of the spiral.

These are the ways of our grandmothers, the ancient ones. The joy of life is the give- away. You are the center of your universe. You are the axis, life's matrix, the still point in the ever-moving. The designs of the universe radiate through you. You are god, goddess, unique and whole."
-- Susun Weed  

"One of our greatest fears is to eat the wildness of the world.

Our mothers intuitively understood something essential: the green is poisonous to civilization. If we eat the wild, it begins to work inside us, altering us, changing us.

Soon, if we eat too much, we will no longer fit the suit that has been made for us. Our hair will begin to grow long and ragged. Our gait and how we hold our body will change. A wild light begins to gleam in our eyes. Our words start to sound strange, nonlinear, emotional. Unpractical. Poetic.

Once we have tasted this wildness, we begin to hunger for a food long denied us, and the more we eat of it the more we will awaken. It is no wonder that we are taught to close off our senses to Nature. Through these channels, the green paws of Nature enter into us, climb over us, search within us, find all our hiding places, burst us open, and blind the intellectual eye with hanging tendrils of green.

The terror is an illusion, of course. For most of our million years on this planet human beings have daily eaten the wild. It's just that the linear mind knows what will happen if you eat it now."
--Steven Buhner

I am wise even from within the womb of my mother. I am the woman of the winds, of the water, of the paths, because I am known in heaven, because I am a doctor woman.
--Maria Sabina

"I have some prayers for you. They are spilling out of my prayer basket and trickling into your wild heart.
Hear them and they will grow like nettle shoots in the spring:
I pray that you come to trust in your own spirit power.
I pray you can put the power of prayer to work for you in your daily life.
I pray that the God/dess, in her many names and incarnations, comes into your life.
Allow her to inspire your days.
I pray that you understand that herbs are not drugs.
They carry powers and properties not measurable by scientific means.
They are gifts from Great Mother intended for your spiritual, emotional, and physical sustenance.
Herbs will assist you greatly along your life and spirit path.
I pray that you open your wild heart and learn to listen to the herbs.
They are important friends and allies and have many secrets to share with you."
--Gail Faith Edwards

Heart Centered Sacred Plant Medicine and
the Direct Sensory Perception of Nature

A nine-month hands-on herbal training focusing on sacred plant communication, traditional herbal medicine making, healing, and herbal adventures with herbalist, healer and intuitive
Mary Ann Copson.

Registration is now open for the next series beginning April 24, 2010

Did you ever walk along outside and get a sense that you might have heard some message – or something. Plants talk. We rarely listen though. But if you think they might be calling you to come join them in a journey through your mutli-dimensional awareness to the wholeness of yourself – now is the time.

Come and connect with the spirit of the plants – the great healers of the earth.

• Discover and explore your personal herbal allies
• Connect with your medicine gifts and guides
• Build your powerful herbal medicine bundle and healing herbal medicine chest
• Learn to communicate with your herbal allies using your right brain, left brain, and multi-dimensional awareness
• Reclaim your healing powers
• Reclaim and expand your position as the protector and shepherd of your and your family’s health, wellness, ad well being
• Let the plants guide you on your path of deep healing
• Learn how to incorporate the medicine of the earth into your integral life practices

Come join us for a mystical, practical, profound, and exciting adventure in this intensive hands-on course. We will explore: 

• Communicating with the plants and nature spirits
• Herbal medicine making – tinctures, oils, baths, teas, infusions and more
• The health, wellness, well-being, energetic, magical,  and ritual use of herbs
• Your Personal Deep Healing Journey
• Case Studies
• Basic personal and family wellness care
• Healing/ Dialogue / Wisdom Circles
• Plant Walks
• Plant spirit meditations and inner journeys 
• Magical You – finding and developing your medicine gifts

Play, explore, experiment, learn, and discover with your herbal allies as your guides and end up firmly grounded and connected with these magical plants. At the end of this course, you and your herbs will have truly become allies – supporting, helping, understanding, and expanding each other.

The Art and Science of Herbal Medicine

The Magic and Meaning of Herbs will focus on the art of herbal medicine. This is not a professional course for you to go out and use herbal medicine on others. This is a course in which you will immerse yourself in the multi-dimensional experience of herbal medicine. It is a deeply personal course between you and your herbal allies that will prepare you to be shepherd of your own deep healing, health, wellness, and well-being, and the steward of the ancient and leading secrets of the plants.

Your most important journey will be to learn – well, actually to allow - the communication with the plants to be heard and to understand what your herbal allies have to say to you.

Not that the science of herbal medicine is not important - for the science and the art stand as two sides of the same hologram – but in this time and place we will sit more often on the art side than the science side. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think you should be using herbal medicine without some understanding its science - so although this is not a text book course we will be using plenty of reference books to  substantiate your multi-dimensional awareness of the herbs.

Don’t worry - you will get plenty of science preparing your own presentation about the plants and writing your own herbal ally booklet.

And of course, you will learn facts and figures, dosages and precautions - and all that stuff – but that is not the grist of what you need to know – anybody can open a book and memorize some information.

The power of herbal medicine lies in its art. If you only ever stay in the science aspect of herbal medicine, it loses its power. It atrophies and  becomes corrupt - transforming into but a vague shadow of itself.

No previous understanding of, or exposure to, the science of herbal medicine is needed (and sometimes it actually gets in the way). This course is appropriate for all levels of experience with herbs. 

Sample Curriculum

Our curriculum will be a living breathing entity responding to the unique needs of the group and each individual in the group. However, we will follow this basic structure:

Communicating with the plants

• Intuitively  – learn to listen and hear the plants through your expanded wisdom sense
• Multi-dimensional awareness – inner journeys into the world of the plants (no crazy drugs here) just your natural ability to access your own multi-dimensional  awareness and to meet the spirit and essence of the plants
• Linear – presentations to the group, case studies research and discussion, and the creation of your own herbal allies booklet
• Plant spirit communication

Herbal Medicine Making

• Traditional Wise Women Medicine Making
• Tinctures
• Herbal oils
• Baths
• Teas
• Infusions
• Learn everything what you need to know to harvest, prepare, and wildcraft your own herbal medicines

The Many Medicines of Your Herbal Allies

• Health and wellness use of your herbs
• Well-being use of plants
• Ceremonial and ritual use of plants
• Tonics
• Nourishing herbs
• Stimulating and sedating herbs
• Break and entry herbs
• Energetic plant medicine
• Magical herbs

The Healing Journey

• You and your herbal allies will take a personal journey through the different stages and phases of Deep Healing
• What is Medicine?
• Journey through the Seven Steps of Healing (modeled after Susun Weed)
• 12 stages of healing (modeled after Donald Epstein)
• Integral life/healing practice (modeled after Ken Wilbur)
• Walk through each step with your herbal allies and become a student to their wisdom in each step

Houses of Healing

• Creating community
• Group and individual discovery, exploration, experimentation and sharing
• Buddy work
• Healing circles
• Dialogue circles
• Wisdom circles
• Case studies
• Basic personal and family wellness and well being
• Group presentations
• Creation of your herbal allies reference book
• Healing journeys

Magical You

• Your medicine
• Medicine walk
• Medicine bundle
• Medicine bowl
• Medicine chest
• Medicine name
• Medicine animal
• Spirit, deva, and plant guides  

Classes begin in Spring and Late Summer in rural Nelson County.

When - Next series begins Saturday, April 24 . We will meet two days a month over nine months. The class dates will be chosen by the group at the first class.

• We will meet two full days each month for nine months.

• In addition, during the first month each group member will have one personal session with me for a guided meditative journey to meet your herbal allies.

• You will have access to continuous email follow up with me for the entire 9 month course. This email access will allow you to opportunity to ask questions and get individual guidance and support from me even outside of group meetings.

Where - Our meetings will take place at the Creative Transformational Living Center in Shipman, Virginia where we will have ample access to wildcrafted and cultivated herbs – and be immersed in the natural rhythms of the great teacher – nature.

Registration – Register by calling 434-263-4996.

Magic & Meaning of Herbs Tuition - Sliding scale. Full tuition is $1935. Minimum tuition is $765.
Pay on a sliding scale from $215 to $85 a month.

To honor the real economic difficulties now manifesting in so many lives, if you are not able to pay the regular fee of $215 a month, choose to pay any fee between $85 and $215 a month that reflects your economic resources. No questions asked – it is entirely your choice. What is important is that we find a way to honor everyone’s needs. First payment due at registration and is non-fundable and non-transferable. Sliding Scale/ Blue Pot/ Exchanges/Barter/Donations

Registration now.

• Guarantee a place for yourself in the training.
• Lock in your monthly fee.

No previous experience with herbs is necessary. Experienced herbalists are welcome. Everyone will start with beginner’s mind.

To register – call Mary Ann Copson at 434-263-4996
Final Registration Deadline is April 22, 2010.

Just Imagine ...

At the Creative Transformational Living Center you find a curious mixture of the cultivated and the wild, with splashes of color from garden flowers and flowering trees. Under the wisteria your new friends are gathering. You walk over to the gazebo and look over the ravine out into the surrounding woods. It is still early in the season so there are not quite full green leaves on the trees. In front of you, as far as you can see - is all forest.

And as you take a few minutes to be still, you feel the power of the woods calm and center you. It is that way with nature. It entrains you to your own natural rhythms and all you need to do is stand in her presence and be still.

It is warm and sunny so the class is meeting outside, and you are excited to learn what will be happening today.

Last month everyone laid down on the earth and journeyed inward to meet the plant spirit Chickweed. You were so surprised when you realized that you were actually learning about this herb from the plant spirit itself. After that inward journey, you engaged the linear part of your brain and recorded what chickweed had revealed.

You were a bit unsure about what you were writing down. But heck, no one was grading you. And when the class had been sent out to “Hear the call of Chickweed and find it” there was uncertainty. But - lo and behold - you actually stumbled upon its little white star flowers and its juicy green baby leaves. What a delight!

Gathering with the group and sharing your experience you find - to your astonishment - that much of what you found out in your inner journey is actually being collaborated! Now you are surprised and amazed but a little freaked out. Could it possibly be that you can really connect with the spirit of the plants?! And learn from them?!

Practicing the art of receiving you come together with the group to

• Go over some case studies that the group members are bringing to the group
• Hear one member’s presentation about her “stimulating and sedating North herbal ally with a narrow therapeutic range”
• Draw together into the healing circle,
• Spend time sitting with periwinkle (one of your herbal allies),
• And then work with the group on crafting your Herbal Medicine Bundle.

And it is all wonderful, deeply healing, and intimately satisfying as you recognize that the plants are truly revealing their ancient secrets to you.

This journey can become your reality.

If you haven’t yet signed up for this nine month Herbal Training you may be wondering - What’s in it for me?

Learning about herbs may seem like a weird thing to be doing in the midst of a world economic crisis. But it’s not at all.

Herbal medicine has been the medicine of the people for ages - for a reason. When you become comfortable in using herbal medicine as a viable part of your overall health and wellness care you get a quantum leap toward awakening your access to your own deep healing.

We are in a time when we must find our way to heal ourselves of lifetimes of personal and cultural ways of being that we are rapidly outgrowing.

Herbal medicine is more than reading some books, memorizing some facts and passing some tests. Herbal medicine is a journey into the heart of yourself - both in your personal bodymind and in the collective bodymind.

Taking this amazing journey into the heart of herbal medicine will propel you to find your own deep healing and chart your course toward living with an energized mind, vibrant body, peaceful heart, and magical spirit.

In the midst of fear and uncertainty, these are the experiences that will keep you sane, whole, and evolving.

The Meaning and Magic of Herbs is a course about deep compassion. Working with herbs is an act of deep compassion. And the first act of compassion is for yourself – and this is where the herbs become your allies.

Herbs are healing – not just because of their chemical constituents but because they are living entities - living energy dynamics. And the healing that comes from herbs comes from the interaction between one living system and another – you and the herb.

Go look up herbs for hayfever in a book and you will see: elder, ephedra, eyebright, ground ivy, nettles, plantain, peppermint, sage, white horehound, garlic, Iceland moss, lobelia, St. John’s Wort, Echinacea, bayberry bark, yarrow, and more. How do you know which herb to use?

Beyond the science, the answer lies in your intimate relationship with the herbs and in your ability to connect deeply with the flow of balance and imbalance that is happening and then to find the herb that carries the dynamic that can be the catalyst for healthy flow and balance.

The Meaning and Magic of Herbs has at its center compassionate loving healing for all the bruised and battered parts of yourself. In this age and time, we are in the center of a large and strong morphogenic field of fear and survival. And it is bound to strike at you in some way or other. We can create an upward spiral of healing energy within you that moves you off to the side of this survival energy and instead reverberates compassion and love through the reuniting of yourself with the compassionate centered energy of the earth.

Just imagine you had confidence in making your own herbal medicines to lovingly care for your family’s basic health and wellness.

Just imagine you had confidence in understanding the paths of healing that are open for you and your family and knew what you could handle on your own and what you needed to reach out to others for.

Just imagine that this confidence was something you embodied and trusted - not just some info you picked up in an internet search.

Just imagine how much money this would save you - both in the short term and in the long term.

Just imagine what a difference self reliance, knowledge, and wisdom could make for you and your family.

The plants are calling – is it you they want to speak with?

To register – call Mary Ann Copson at 434-263-4996

What people are saying...

Taping into the Essence

In one of the classes we did some intuitive work on a case study and I presented some herbal recommendations just using my intuitive awareness. The night before the next class I did some quick research on what I had suggested and found that it was pretty much on target. The funny thing is that until we started discussing my recommendations in class, I didn’t recognize the importance of what I had done by tapping into that previously unknown information about the herbs. I had been able to access that information and then found out that it agreed with the conventional use of the plants.  It was true. I could talk with the spirit and essence of the plants- and I hadn’t thought it was possible before.
--DF, Afton, VA.

My Magical Adventures With Chickweed

I have always seen chickweed as just a troublesome weed. But after doing the Inner Journey with chickweed and seeing that my intuitive discoveries about the plant were right on, I realized how great chickweed is. Now I love chickweed and after seeing it in class I found it at my Dad’s place while I was staying there. Every day I would make a chickweed salad. It was delicious. I’d have it with tomatoes and such. It was such a good feeling. It tasted so good and  I felt it was so good for me. Usually the things I eat that taste good aren’t good for me at all. And this was just delicious.

And going outside to pick the chickweed every day got me outside with the plants if even for a just a few minutes each day and that was nourishing in itself.

My dad would look at me weird and ask – “What are you eating?” And then horrified he’d say  “You’re eating weeds!” And I thought - well these weeds are nicer to me than you are being right now and it gave me comfort and strength to notice how supportive just eating “weeds” can be.

I hadn’t noticed it until today – as  I am having these allergy symptoms – that while I was eating chickweed I didn’t have any allergy symptoms at all and today since I stopped eating chickweed – because it is all gone for now – I see I now have allergy symptoms again.
-- HCK, Waynesboro, Va.

Re-Awakened

I came alive again from taking this course. I got my enthusiasm back about my acupuncture work and learning about herbs. I have been reading at least 7 herb books at a time and it feels so invigorating. Being with the plants reminds me of the blessed and beloved time I spent many years ago when I first started learning about herbs and this class has brought back that feeling. I am eager now to revamp my practice to reflect my new insights from the class.
--MJ, Charlottesville, Va.

Medicine Making

I am so excited about these medicines we are making. It is like I am a kid at Christmas. I can’t wait to open up and use these exciting gifts. Waiting 6 weeks is just too long for me. Everyday I am saying, “Oh come on isn’t it ready yet?”

I absolutely can’t wait for my wild rose oil. I am giddy to get to use it. There is something about it that I just am so excited about. When I was picking it I kept getting pricked until I realized that maybe I shouldn’t be reaching into that spot. I stopped and listened to the plant for a minute and when I reached to pick what I felt drawn to  - I swear it like dropped down into my hand. I was amazed.
-- HCK, Waynesboro, Va.

There is Magic Here

Your place is magical and after being in class here I am making changes to make the place I live be more reflective of me. It is a 4 year decision in the making and through this class I have been prompted to begin the start of my new life.
-- CM, Afton, Va.

Herbs Revealed

I am so amazed at these herbs. They are all over the place. I never noticed them before but now that I have been introduced to them and shown what they are and where they are I see them all over the place and it is magical. I am so excited by it.

I went home and made Hawthorne flower tincture for my self and a fellow student (it felt really good to be able to share that). I told my husband the Hawthorne tincture would be good for his cardiovascular problems – and even he got excited.

After the last class I started reading like crazy. I was reading 4-5 books at a time about the herbs. I couldn’t get enough. It was great.
-- GW, Shipman, Va.

The Web of Life

My first class was such an amazing initiation into the world of herbs. Now as I drive along the road, I am noticing all the plants that I never saw before. The plants are always catching my attention now, whereas before I didn’t even know they were there. It is very exciting. I now feel connected to something so much greater than myself. I feel like I am a real part of the web of life now.
-- DF, Afton, Va.

Plant Amazement

We were all so amazed at how the plants had changed in such a short time - from one month to the next. I would have never believed that this gigantic plant that is taller than I am was the same gentle little comfrey plant I had tinctured the month before. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I would have sworn that I had been hallucinating before. But that is the magic of being able to follow the plant from month to month. It is such a gift and I am learning more from being with the plants then I ever could from reading about them in the books.
-- HCK, Waynesboro, Va.

Herbal Transformation

After the last class, my son was having a heavy thing going on for him and we talked and talked about it and it was getting very heavy for me, too. I was having a hard time with it. Then I remembered that there was some ground ivy down on a part of our property. I had been introduced to ground ivy in class. While I was picking it I noticed that the heaviness was lifting and soon I was just feeling joy. That heaviness just lifted and I saw it drift away. And even now it has stayed with me – that joy. It was amazing.

When I got home from the class there were lots of things going on in my life and I just pushed aside the homework and the things I wanted to do for the class. I had so much else to deal with. But I kept meeting up with one of the class members in town and I usually don’t see very many people in town whom I know. I decided I better get home and get my herb books and homework together – which I did. As soon as I did that I stopped running into my classmate!
-- PD, Shipman, Va.

Letting Go

As I was driving home from the class where we had talked about using the Severance Journal, I had this profound experience of joy and sadness both at the same time. I experienced the letting go of both simultaneously and for the first time in my life I really understood the concept of letting go and surrendering. It was exquiste.
-- MJ, Charlottesville, Va.

Personal Growth

I am just amazed at how taking a training about herbs can have such an impact on my own personal growth. For the first time in a long time I was able to not take on other’s anxiety about things that are happening in their lives. I could listen to them and offer support and guidance, but I just let their anxiety go and not make it my anxiety. That is one of the first times for that – and that is a big thing.
-- PC, Charlottesville, Va.

Surprised

It came as a big surprise to me that one of the effects of taking this course is that I no longer feel the need to explain myself to people. I always felt that I was a little out of step with others and all of my life I have felt I had to explain myself and justify my actions. Well, after being in this herb training – even for only a few classes – I just don’t feel I have to do that. And I am dancing and singing and drumming and I don’t care who sees and hears me! It is exciting and freeing and I love it!
-- DF, Afton, Va.

Wisteria Impresses

Being here with the Wisteria blossoms in that first class just sparked something in me. I bought a wild plant cookbook and I cannot tell you how excited I am to find out that wisteria blossoms are edible. I want a piece of wisteria to take home with me to my garden- and some of the other wonderful plants here. I just have to have them they feel so alive and I think they will help me connect to those lost parts of myself.
-- CM, Afton, Va.

I hope that you will be one of those who hears and answers the call of the plants.

To register – call Mary Ann Copson at 434-263-4996

About Herbalist Mary Ann Copson

Ready?

At its heart, herbal medicine is about taking the journey into deep healing for yourself. The plants have things to say to you about yourself, your healing, and how you can become the steward of their secrets. They invite you to step into this deep healing and, with their assistance, carry it into yourself and in doing that take a step to heal the world.

The plants have power, healing, guidance and ancient and leading edge secrets that it is time for them to give you – are you ready to receive their transmission?

For questions or to register please call 434-263-4996.

"We need the tonic of the wilderness. The ocean, the mountains, the deserts, a wooded grove – all contain the magic needed to restore  pure radiant energy to a stressed soul. Mother Earth in all of her infinite compassion and strength has remarkable powers to restore vitality. Wash yourself in the pure water of the streams, put your bare feet on the good earth, fall asleep in the arms of an ancient tree. There is good medicine to be found in nature. It is long lasting and heals the soul."
--Henry David Thoreau

The Creative Transformational Living Center
Shipman, Virginia

The Fine Print

Payments – upon registration you will indicate the fee you will be paying monthly. All of your payments will be automatically processed by credit card or from your checking account automatically each month.

If you wish to pay in cash, you will still to need to supply a back-up automatic payment option in place with us. If you are paying in cash your payment is due on or before the monthly due date. If your payment is late (without prior arrangements having been made) your payment will be processed through your back-up automatic payment option.

If you wish to pay the entire course fee upfront you will get a 10% discount if you are paying full price.

Withdrawals and Refunds – once a payment has been made there are no refunds given for any payments.

There are no refunds for missed classes. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to make arrangements to catch up with the class.

The course includes several added value features such as a Medicine Walk, meditative journeys, etc. If you choose not to make use of any of these features there are no refunds given on your course fee. That fee will remain the same.

You do have the option to withdraw from the course with a full month’s notice. For example, if your payments are due on the first of the month, and you wanted to withdraw from the course beginning in May you would need to notify me before April 1st . Your last payment would be April 1st and your last participation month would then be April. Starting in May no further payments would be made and you would no longer be participating in the course.

If you fall out of contact with the course and have not withdrawn from the course with a 30 day notification, your automatic payments will continue to be processed as agreed even if you are not actively attending the course during this period. In that case, your payments will be forfeited.

Accommodations - For those traveling from outside the local area, a reasonably priced motel is nearby. I can assist with finding a buddy to split costs.

Supplies – you are responsible for the cost of any supplies needed during the course.

At times I will have available certain supplies which you may buy from Evenstar. However, you are not obligated to get these supplies from Evenstar and may substitute any similar supplies from another source of your choosing.

No recommended books, herbs, supplies, and other resources are included in the course fee.

Curriculum – the described curriculum is a guide and is subject to change without notice.

Private Sessions – you are welcome to arrange an additional private session with me for individual instruction, a healing session, meditative journey, health concern, intuitive session, or a life coaching session. Fees range from $85 to $215 depending on the nature of the session.

Contents © 2009 by Mary Ann Copson and Evenstar. All rights reserved.
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