Herbalism & Plant Medicine
Herbalism at Providence Hill Farm is taught as a relationship, not a reference system. Rather than memorizing long lists of actions and contraindications, students are guided into an intimate way of knowing plants through direct experience, story, and embodied learning.
Each workshop focuses on one to three related herbs, allowing time to listen, observe, and understand how a plant reveals its medicine in different contexts. Students build their own living materia medica over time, shaped by hands-on preparation, seasonal observation, and symbolic understanding.
Archetypal Herbalism
Plants speak in patterns. Their growth habits, environments, textures, tastes, and stories all reveal how they work within the body and psyche. Through myth, symbol, and traditional lore, students learn to recognize the deeper character of each herb and the type of support it offers.
There are many herbs that can settle the stomach. What matters is knowing which herb is appropriate in a given moment, for a specific person, in a particular season. This kind of discernment cannot be found through quick reference or online searches. It develops through relationship.
Hands-On Medicine Making
Workshops include practical preparation methods such as teas, tinctures, infused oils, and simple formulations. Students learn how to work with plants respectfully and effectively, developing confidence through repetition and seasonal rhythm rather than speed or volume.
A Living Practice
Herbalism is not taught here as a static system, but as a practice that deepens with time. Plants become familiar allies. Their nuances become recognizable. This is what transforms information into wisdom, and study into true herbal understanding.
Workshops are offered in small doses and small groups, allowing space for observation, dialogue, and integration.
