Folk Medicine
The Sacred Path to Traditional Healing
Step into the ancient wisdom of the Earth and reconnect with the sacred traditions of indigenous folk medicine. This course invites you to honor the natural connection between plants and people, guiding you through the preparation of herbal remedies infused with intuition and intention. Learn to craft fire cider, tinctures, salves, and syrups, blending powerful natural medicine with ancestral traditions and practices.
With each module, you’ll deepen your connection to the land, embracing the teachings of ancestral healers who understood that plants not only heal the body but also touch the soul. This course offers both practical skills and a spiritual journey through indigenous folk medicine, making it perfect for herbal enthusiasts, healers, and those who feel called to work with the energy of plants.
At the end of the course, you are invited to continue your herbalism journey through our Herbal Alchemy Program, our foundational course in clinical herbalism, perfect for those ready to expand their herbal practices, work professionally with clients, lead workshops, or even create their own herbal line.
The Folk Medicine MasterSeries:
What You’ll Get
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Six live, weekly modules that provide a deep understanding of medicinal plants, from energetics and body constitutions to their uses, safety, and preparation techniques, providing a foundation for your herbal practice. Two weeks of personal integration time included.
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Step-by-step instruction on how to blend herbs into 100% natural, deeply effective remedies, focusing on creating personalized formulas for a variety of common imbalances, both acute and chronic.
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An in-depth exploration of holistic approaches to wellness, understanding how herbs support various body systems as well as dietary and spirutand promote overall health and longevity.
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An ethnobotanical view of herbalism. Learn how cultures past used plants for healing not only the body but also the mind and spirit. Explore time-honored rituals and learn to create your own.
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Curated space for practical projects like creating a personal or family materia medica in addition to medicine-making, for herbalism you can apply to your world immediately.
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Access to our student community and experienced instructors. This course offers instruction from experienced and professional herbalists, ensuring students receive high-quality, personalized feedback as they learn in real time.
What’s Inside
Module 1: An Introduction to Folk Medicine & Herbalism
Folk medicine, rooted in cultural traditions, has been passed down for generations, and its resurgence in modern wellness practices emphasizes its value today. Herbalism, as a key aspect of folk medicine, involves understanding the energetics of herbs (such as hot, cold, dry, or moist) and classifying them into categories like adaptogens, nervines, and tonics, for example. This module explores the healing power of plants, their connection to both nature and the human body, and teaches safety practices including proper dosage and documentation. Key concepts like balancing the body’s systems using herbs and distinguishing treatment approaches for chronic versus acute conditions are also covered.
Module 2: Fire Cider - A Time-honored Remedy
Fire Cider, a traditional remedy, has long been used for immune support and digestive health. Its base ingredients typically include garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, vinegar, and honey, with variations that add herbs like turmeric, rosemary, cayenne, and echinacea for extra benefits. The step-by-step process of making Fire Cider involves infusing these powerful ingredients in vinegar, often with honey added for flavor. Clinically, Fire Cider is employed to boost immunity, support digestion, and reduce inflammation, offering a natural, time-honored way to maintain health.
Module 3: Herbal Tinctures - Potent Plant Medicine
Herbal tinctures are concentrated liquid extracts made using alcohol, glycerin, or vinegar to extract the medicinal properties of herbs. In creating tinctures, it’s important to have the right tools and ingredients, as well as to use specific ratios for effective extractions, while carefully selecting herbs that provide the desired therapeutic effects. Customizing tinctures allows for the creation of tailored blends aimed at achieving calming, energizing, or hormone-balancing effects. Clinically, tinctures can be used for various purposes, including stress relief, immune boosting, and aiding digestion, making them a versatile option in herbal medicine.
Module 4: Herbal Infusions & Decoctions
This module focuses on the distinctions between infusions and decoctions, highlighting that infusions involve gentle steeping of leaves and flowers, while decoctions require longer simmering of roots and barks. The module provides practical guidance on preparing nourishing herbal infusions using ingredients like nettles, oatstraw, and red clover, as well as creating decoctions with roots such as ginger, burdock, and licorice. Additionally, it emphasizes the clinical applications of these preparations for daily nourishment, energy support, detoxification, and hydration, showcasing their role in promoting overall well-being.
Module 5: Herbal Salves, Balms, and Oils - Healing from the Outside
"Healing from the Outside" encompasses our focus on herbal salves, balms, and oils, emphasizing their therapeutic applications for skin healing and pain relief. It begins with the art of herbal topicals, exploring the use of oils, salves, and balms in addressing various skin conditions. The module provides guidance on how to make infused herbal oils using medicinal herbs such as calendula, comfrey, and lavender, which serve as the base for creating healing salves and balms. Finally, it discusses the clinical applications of these herbal preparations, highlighting their effectiveness in treating skin conditions, promoting wound healing, reducing inflammation, and alleviating muscle pain.
Module 6: Herbal Vinegars and Oxymels - Tangy Medicinals
Dive into making herbal vinegars and oxymels, as we highlight their unique benefits. This module begins with an overview of these preparations, emphasizing their potential health benefits. We’ll explore recipes for creating preparations to boost immune function and support digestion, using ingredients like thyme, rosemary, and garlic. Following this, it offers instructions for making oxymels, which combine tangy and sweet flavors to create medicinal syrups, featuring herbs such as elderberry, ginger, and sage. Finally, the module discusses the clinical applications of vinegars and oxymels, focusing on their roles in promoting digestion, enhancing immune support, and improving respiratory health.
Module 7: Creating a Family Materia Medica
Module 7 focuses on creating a Family Materia Medica, emphasizing the significance of herbs in holistic family care. It begins with a definition of materia medica and outlines its purpose in understanding and utilizing herbal remedies. Key criteria for selecting herbs include safety, accessibility, and effectiveness, with an overview of herbs beneficial for immune support, digestion, stress relief, and skin care. The module continues with guidance on creating herbal monographs, detailing the essential components such as botanical name, parts used, key constituents, medicinal actions, and dosage. It encourages researching and documenting herbs that are safe and suitable for family use.
Finally, practical applications for various herbal preparations are discussed, along with important safety considerations for vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly. This comprehensive approach helps families integrate herbal remedies into their daily lives effectively and safely.
Module 8: The Future of Folk Medicine and How to Continue Your Practice
Module 8 delves into the future of folk medicine and how individuals can continue their practice effectively. It begins by emphasizing the importance of integrating folk remedies into modern life to promote holistic health and adapting traditional methods to address contemporary wellness challenges. We’ll cover practical tips for building a personal herbal apothecary, including sourcing herbs, storing preparations, and growing one’s own medicine. It encourages participants to explore various resources, books, and communities, as well as practical methods for deepening their relationship with herbs.
If you are excited to dive even deeper into herbalism, advanced herbal preparations and professional clinical protocols, this and more is offered through the Herbal Alchemy program, our foundational certifying program in clinical herbalism. It not only teaches deeper concepts in herbalism but also helps learners consider their desired paths, whether as a hobbyist or professional herbalist working in a business capacity. Graduates of the Folk Medicine Series are given special discounts for enrolling in this program.
Finally, we’ll reflect on the enduring legacy of folk medicine, its relevance in today’s world, and we encourage you to share and practice folk healing traditions, so that you can foster your own community dedicated to holistic wellness.
