Now accepting applications!
Roots of Sacred Gaian Herbalism
Our inspirational, foundational course! Create your own herbal remedies, foods, and wisdom tools and take your place in an ancient, global lineage. Meets virtually Wednesdays 6-9pm EST October 5th, 19th; November 2nd, 16th, 30th; December 14th and in small learning pods on alternate weeks.
Re-Membering Our Roots
Join a tight-knit group of those who feel called to heal our witch-wounds and reclaim your authentic ancestral connection with the wild! Discover Earth-based Herbal & Spiritual traditions from the Neolithic to today, how to go deep into your her-story and care for your inner child as you walk the herbal path to becoming the healer you were born to be! Meets virtually Mondays 6-9 EST on Oct 24, Nov 7 & 21, Dec 5 & 19 and in small learning pods on alternate weeks.
Upcoming Winter Apprenticeships:
Kitchen Witching 101
Gain ancestral and global kitchen and remedy making skills for creating healthy, nourishing, healing, and magical creations whilst learning even more about herbalism and plant allies! Meets virtually Wednesdays 6-9 January-March.
Trees & Seas.
Grow your skills and knowledge as we explore herbalism, mental health, and self and community care from the highest treetops to the deepest oceans, in and through different wisdom traditions and directions, connecting ancestral forests and seaweeds with our modern lives and needs. Whatever continent(s) your people came from, and wherever in the world you live, this is a powerful course. Intermediate herbal knowledge suggested. Meets virtually Mondays 6-9 January-March.
See application letter for more details.
This deposit is non-refundable, and will be subtracted from your tuition upon acceptance to the program. (not necessary for stand-alone classes or events)
To apply:
read the application letter
fill out the application
submit your application deposit
Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals is a proud UpS Partner In Education AND a UpS Registered Botanical Sanctuary!
Create your own herbal remedies, foods, and wisdom tools.
Take your place in an ancient, global lineage.
Develop a deep, authentic relationship with the plants, the planet, and your ancestors.
Be prepared for this apprenticeship to CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Our goal is to help you fall ecstatically in love with the Green World and recognize your birthright as a natural healer. If you’re ready to immerse yourself into a richer understanding of how interconnected life on this planet is, and discover your part in the pattern, READ ON!
Please note, this is not a clinical program and these are NOT YOUR TYPICAL classroom-style learning experiences... Instead, our classrooms are the student-run apothecary, woods, fields, gardens, your local community, our virtual Cohort Cauldron, and your kitchen! You'll grow incredibly close to your cohorts, as we go deep, get dirty, and stretch our minds and hearts to understand the green world around us in ways you never thought possible!
Some of the many kinfolk with whom we co-create the Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals sanctuary, gardens, and trails.
Dear herbkin (herbal family),
Thank you so much for your interest in our Sacred Gaian Herbalism Apprenticeship program! We’re proud to support students from around the world and from all walks of life with an in-depth, life-changing program that is service-based, accessible, and affordable. Read on for more details:
During Fall and Winter terms we’ll meet virtually. You will also have opportunities to gain hands-on experience (even if you live far away) through practicum projects that will benefit our Social Justice Scholarship fund as well as Herbalists Without Borders. On alternate weeks, students meet in small groups (either in person here in the apothecary, at your home, or virtually) from 6-9 to work on at-home explorations.
For Spring and Summer terms, you may attend in one of two ways: in-person, or virtually. There is also one 4-day in-person immersion per season that is open to the public, which all students can attend at a discounted rate.
In-Person Spring and Summer Cohorts meet every other week at Blackbird's Daughter from 10-6 EST for practicum hours and class. On alternate weeks, students meet in small groups (either in person here in the apothecary, at your home, or virtually) from 3-6 to work on at-home explorations.
Virtual Spring and Summer cohorts meet once a week for 9 weeks, as well as in-person for the 4 day Immersion. The cost of the Immersion is not included in the semester tuition.
We run our own School Apothecary! Located at Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals Sanctuary and stocked with our own sanctuary-grown, wildcrafted, and ethically sourced dried herbs, tinctures, bottles, books, beeswax, and herbal creations, it’s a magical space! All sales benefit our Sliding Scale Tuition, Social Justice Scholarships, and Travel Stipends.
For students who require lodging, we offer free on-site camping, as well as rental guest quarters in our adjacent Bower and Nest for an additional fee. There are also many local bed & breakfasts.
In addition to our Social Justice scholarships, we have an income-based sliding scale for apprenticeship tuition, as well as one income based partial scholarship per quarter.
Thank you for your interest in the program--we’re excited to welcome you into our community!
Green blessings,
Jessica and the Blackbird's Daughter Botanicals team
Each semester lasts approximately 3 months, and apprentices-track students who complete all graduation requirements for that semester receive a Certificate of Completion. (Students who complete the entire 3 year program receive a Diploma). Each year ends with a Final Ceremony that all students are invited to, no matter how many semesters they’ve attended. Each semester includes:
Cohort Cauldron: the online community where you and your classmates keep the magic bubbling, sharing discoveries, learning together, and creating your herbal community! Throughout the season, the Cauldron gets filled with questions & answers, photos of our at-home activities, recipes, readings, songs, poems, exercises, and frugal, luxurious, practical, spiritual, and ingenious tips and insights!
Bi-weekly Class Time: 6-9pm Fall & Winter, 3-6pm Spring & Summer for virtual students and 10-6 for in-person (lessons take place intertwined with practicum hours)
Cooperative Learning Time: on non-class weeks, students meet in small groups virtually or in-person to complete group kitchen witching and research projects.
At-home Explorations (about 5-10 hours +/- a week) which you can download for lifelong access. You’re welcome to do as many or as few as your life allows; certificate-track apprentices are required to complete at-home explorations to receive a certificate.
Topics and projects vary per course, and include Herbal Experimenting and Research, Discovering Ancestral Wisdom Traditions, Kitchen Witching (cooking and remedy making), Altarcraft, Journeying, Meditations, Art (making your own Oracle Deck and Year Wheel), Music, Journaling, Media (watching Videos, listening to Podcasts), creating your own Materia Medica, Plant Tending and Outdoor Explorations (suitable for city, suburb, and country dwellers), and more!
Practicum Hours: 24 hours of hands-on interning and project making per quarterly semester. During Fall & Winter semesters, your practicum hours will be spent on projects that contribute to our Social Justice Scholarships, Herbalists Without Borders, or NH Mutual Aid Relief Fund, or interning in the apothecary (if you are local). During Spring & Summer, practicum hours are spent in the gardens and apothecary at Blackbird’s Daughter. Here you’ll work directly with Jessica behind-the-scenes, learning about and contributing to a working herb farm, wellness center, apothecary, and United Plant Savers botanical plant sanctuary! Some things you might find yourself doing: watering, weeding, terracing a hillside, hauling dirt/rocks/compost/leaves, laying trails, gathering herbs, pressing tinctures, packaging products, labeling jars, help with social media and newsletters or orienting new students, inventorying herbs, assisting with classes, cleaning, getting dirty, and cleaning up again… there’s always something to do!
Bring your children to herb school! Families are welcome during practicum hours, as long as you have another adult with you to be their point-person.
Prepare to sing, taste, laugh, play, make messes, and fall even more in love with herbalism and Nature!
Ready to join? Hooray!
This deposit is non-refundable, and will be subtracted from your tuition upon acceptance to the program. (not necessary for stand-alone classes or events)
Fill out this form and submit your deposit.
We’ll get in touch with you to schedule a phone interview.
Upon acceptance into the program, you’ll pay the remainder of your tuition and we will send you a welcome packet filled with a book list, information, and suggested tools and materials to begin your path as a Sacred Gaian Herbalist!
Full payment is due before the first day of class.
About us:
Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals Sacred Gaian Herbalism Apprenticeship Program is an interactive, ecologically and spiritually based herbal educational community, designed to offer in-depth herbal education and meaningful connection to the Planet. As Herbkin - our inclusive term for all people connected through our work with the healing plants- we pride ourselves on learning together in an academically intense, collaborative, and welcoming environment. Together we learn to embody herbalism in ways that support us as individuals, as a learning community, and as inhabitants of a quickly changing world, through study, ritual, projects, and hands-on experience tending our school apothecary, herb gardens, and United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary.
We offer the complete program in 12 3-month modules, which you may register and pay for all at once or on a semester-to-semester basis, and which you may participate in as your interest and circumstances allow. Tuition is income based. The more people who learn this form of herbalism, while honoring the mission of the school and their own boundaries, abilities, and time constraints, the stronger, healthier, and more sustainable our communities become.
Not everyone will take the whole 3 year course, nor is it expected.
For those students who wish to become professional herbalists and are looking for a rigorous, academic experience grounded in deep ecology, spirituality, and the art and history of herbalism, THIS IS IT.
For those looking to learn herbalism as a hobby and are seeking a supportive community of learners, we also have options for you! How can I take this course
Tuition
We offer this program at a low cost with the goal of returning this wisdom back to people everywhere. In return, we ask participants to agree to share some of what they make and learn with others, (especially regarding where the plants and practices originate and which cultures are the traditional wisdom holders), to ensure the ethical knowledge of wellness spreads.
Tuition: Sliding scale from $175-$700 per semester, (not including materials). See application letter for the sliding scale rubric.
Social Justice Scholarship for BIPOC and Trans/GNC students: Prospective apprentices who identify as BIPOC, trans, or GNC may apply for a 50% off scholarship. Simply check the box on the application form. This scholarship seeks in a small but meaningful way to replace systemic injustice with the skills necessary to heal and nourish all community members.
Income Based Scholarship: one offered per quarter.
More good stuff to know
Accessibility and Accommodations: If you need accommodations for learning differences or physical needs, please let Jessica know, and we will create a plan to personalize your learning and optimize your success! At this time we regret that the outhouse is not wheelchair accessible (though you can wheel directly up to the door, there is a small rise inside). The outdoor terrain is uneven, though navigable with all-terrain wheels. If you use a chair, and would like to attend in person classes, reach out and we’ll take you on a zoom tour of the grounds, outhouse, etc and brainstorm possible modifications together, so you can determine your best course of action. We do have a wide wheel walker available to use on premises.
Lodging: For non-local students, we have opportunities to tent camp or RV (no hookup) for free. The Nest (a private, 2 room suite with deck and balcony overlooking the woods) and the Bower (a single room overlooking the gardens and Wild Medicinals & Mushroom Trail) available for rent in Summer 2022. We currently have an outhouse available for guest use, and anticipate installing a composting toilet and outdoor shower. There are many other B&B rentals, campgrounds, hotels, and motels available in the scenic Seacoast area. Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals is 27 miles from the Atlantic Ocean beaches, and there are many museums, trails, galleries, and restaurants within a 40 minute drive.
Extension: If you feel you cannot complete a semester in the given time, talk to Jessica as early as possible to discuss joining the following year’s cohort. Please note, there is a $100 fee for joining the next year’s cohort, and not all assignments will be the same.
One of our gardening guru fairy godmothers, Marie!
Attendance: Class starts promptly; please arrive with enough time to settle in. Your presence is so important to the group, and the time we spend together is intrinsic to your learning! That said, each student is allowed to miss 1 class but must make them up at a cost of $65/hour (this usually takes significantly less than the full 3 hours) as soon as possible. Any more than 1 absence and the student is welcome to continue attending, but is ineligible to receive a certificate of completion for that semester. Please plan on attending each class for the entire time; arriving late/leaving early is frowned upon. If you must miss part or all of a class, please inform Jessica beforehand. All make-up classes, intern hours, and homework must be completed by the second to last class.
Extra Benefits
Co-working: If you would like a quiet place to come and work on your own stuff (including homework) when I don’t have clients, you are welcome to arrange times do so! I tend to work better with some quiet company nearby, as long as you’re self-sufficient, and we can occasionally break for a communal quick walk, some yoga, etc.
Garden/Permaculture/Carpentry Skillbuilding: Interested in getting your hands even dirtier and leaving your mark? Talk to me about helping out with infrastructure projects like making garden beds, building projects, laying trails, etc. Intrepid intermediate apprentices can request to take on a specific crop/area to cultivate, including sylvaculture.
My Library: you are welcome to arrange times to come and browse through my book collection. I do not lend them out, but you can curl up with them here!
Buying Books: The ones in the apothecary are always 10% off the cover price. Once or twice a year I place a large book order, and you are welcome to look through the catalogue ahead of time and add to the order.
Materials: The apothecary is stocked with hundreds of freshly dried local herbs, spices, oils, beeswax, honey, bottles, jars, etc. for all your remedy-making needs! If you’re looking for something specific, feel free to call/text me and I’ll put it aside for you.
Vitamins and Supplements: Every few months I restock supplements through my distributor, Emerson Ecologics, and you are welcome to add items onto my wholesale order (typically they will be 50% off retail prices). You can see what they have in stock by signing up for a free Wellevate account, and you can also order supplements/vitamins directly that way. Wellevate is a professional program for practitioners (it is not an MLM), and I use it for my online dispensary because they ship directly to client’s homes so I don’t have to keep supplements in stock, and because they let me set a 20% discount on everything so more folks can afford their vitamins. Feel free to share the link.
Bulk Herbs: You can coordinate within the FB group to place a large order through Mountain Rose (we receive a 10% discount). I have a wholesale account with several organic (dried and fresh) herb companies and growers, and will typically place an order 1-2 times a year. Let me know if you are interested.
The New Hampshire Herbal Network’s Annual Herb and Garden Day: Volunteers work for several hours and can attend for free. Want to team up with other apprentices and have an apprentice table to vend your herbal creations? Let me know!
United Plant Savers: Blackbird’s Daughter Botanicals apprentices are eligible for a $20 membership through United Plant Savers Partners In Education Program. Simply let me know if you’re interested in the first class.
Ready to take the next step? Hooray!
Read the Application Letter carefully, fill out this form and submit your deposit today!
