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artwork kindly shared by Jane Kendall
. :
humoural herbcraft : .
elements,
energetics & temperaments
in western herbalism
with herbalist
jim mcdonald
at
Proud
Lake State Recreation Area
in Commerce Township, MI
May 20th & 21st, 2023
saturday
(10am till 6pm)
/
sunday
(10am till 6pm)
This
class is offered
in support of
Mississaugi First
Nations
herbalist
and healer
Esstin Niganobe McLeod,
with a portion of the
proceeds donated to support
her and her family.
A
person's Temperament, or
"constitution", refers to a
unique set of patterns and
inclinations in their
physical body, personality,
thoughts, and emotions that
influence the way we
perceive and move through
the world, our
relationships, and our
lives. Our
constitutions aren't just an
assessment of our
personality, but may also
incline us to getting damper
or drier coughs, or to having
more rapid or sluggish
digestion. Our
constitution is a
qualitative assessment of
how we express who we are as
people.
The concept of Temperaments
comes to use from the
cultures of the
Mediterranean, and the roots
of what we now call "western
herbalism" draw from not
only Greek, but also Middle
Eastern and Egyptian
traditions of medicine.
Like Ayurveda and Chinese
Medicine, these
Mediterranean systems of
healing are energetic in
nature; they look at how
people, plants, and
everything in the world is
made of Elements,
represented by the qualities
of Earth, Air, Fire & Water;
combinations of heat, cold,
dryness & dampness.
It is more common today for
herbalists to look to
Ayurveda and Chinese
Medicine for constitutional
models, and it seems that
even herbalists who practice
within a western tradition
more often refer to Doshas
than Temperaments.
This is a great loss,
because the Temperaments are
just... pretty freaking
awesome. They're not a
"better" system than
Ayurvedic Doshas, or the
Five Elements of Chinese
Medicine, but they're
equally important and,
sometimes, they provide just
the best possible
perspective to understand a
person's inclinations.
So let's dive deep into
Temperaments; let's
understand the context they
arose from, how historical
and social themes affected
our understanding and
misunderstanding of the
Temperaments (for example:
melancholy is not
depression), and how they
can help us best work with
our innate strengths and
inclinations when we're
dealing with stress, how we
relate to others, and what
we expect of ourselves.
We'll explore each
of the four temperaments in
depth, looking at how they
incline one towards
physical, behavioral and
emotional predispositions.
How do these inclinations
present in a balanced state?
When in excess or
deficiency? When overtly
blocked? How do these
inclinations manifest in the
body, and what foods,
activities, and herbs can be
used to restore their balanced,
positive expression?
Most importantly, we'll
frame Temperaments in a way
where they don't just become
yet another label to match
to an herb. We are not
just one or two of the
Temperaments, each one of us
manifests all of them
in different ways and in
different situations.
Constitutional systems work
best when approached with
nuance.
People who've taken this
class with me over the years
have shared that it not only
informed their practice of
herbalism, but helped
reframe some of their
relationships, with others,
with themselves, and with
the larger culture (which
indeed has its own
temperament!). This is
useful, practical
information. I'll be
honored to share it with
you!
hours...
Saturday from 10am till
6ish, and Sunday from 10am
till 6ish (with breaks for
stretching and eating, of
course...).
location...
The class will be held at
the River Hawk Annex in
Proud Lake State Rec Area in
Commerce Township. ***Please
click this link here
for explicit directions to
the exact building we'll be
in; just searching "Proud
Lake State Rec Area" using
your phone's maps might
direct you to other
locations in the park.
lodging, local food & dining...
if you don't live near
enough to commute each day,
I've compiled a list of some
local
resources I hope
you'll find helpful with
regard to procuring food
and/or a place to stay.
cost...
Cost for the entire weekend is
$225.
A state park pass will be
needed if you don't have an
annual/Recreation Passport
(that little capital "P" on
your Michigan License Plate
tab).
***we'll have water &
teas, but please do to bring
along snacks and food to
tide you over
during the classes.
to
register
via PayPal...
jim mcdonald
is an herbalist in southeast Michigan (that cool state
that looks like a mitten you can see from space) where
he teaches, sees clients, wildharvests, and concocts
herbal formulas. His approach to herbalism is a blend of
traditional European folk influences mixed up with
a bit of 19th century eclectic and physiomedical
vitalism, which he tries to blend with a bit of humor
and discretionary irreverence so as not to appear to be
too serious about life. jim hosts the websites www.herbcraft.org
& herbcraft.podia.com which lists his offerings and conveys
his thoughts of plants and herbalism (and if you’ve ever
wondered, the lack of capitalization is an homage to E.
E. Cummings, who - unexpectedly - did capitalize
his name).
Have questions about
classes?
I've got answers to frequently asked questions
(like
times, weather exceptions, refunds and such)
here.
If you
have questions about the
class, you can contact jim at
jim@herbcraft.org or
call 248-238-8733
(please note that this is not a cell
number and doesn't get texts).
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