Wild Roots And Woodlore

Here's another Omega offering that seems to me to be an even better course for a Witch than one more workshop on (not that there's anything wrong with that!) The Magical Uses of an Athame or Which Goddess Type Are You?

Wild Roots, Woodslore
& Wildwoods Wisdom
A Hands-On Workshop

The natural world is our source of life—not only of food, clothing, and shelter—but also of mythic lessons and universal truths. Guided by one of America’s most beloved naturalists, Doug Elliott, we take a weekend journey to roam the woods, swamps, and fields of Omega’s Rhinebeck campus and rekindle our mythic connection to the great web of life.

Together, we hunt edible wild roots and plants, healing medicinal herbs, and savory wild mushrooms. As we move along, Elliott shows us how to make medicine out of common wild plants and explains the virtues of poison ivy and what might happen to you if you eat it. We discover ancient plant lore, solve plant riddles, and are entertained by songs about weeds and berries.

We also observe birds, mammals, insects, and other critters, listening to their calls and following their tracks. And, we learn lots of natural history through the stories, legends, and lore of the native wildwoods of New York’s Hudson Valley.

Doug Elliott’s enthusiasm, humor, and reverence for the earth is infectious. For many years, he made his living gathering and selling herbs. Elliott now teaches worldwide, including programs at the American Museum of Natural History, and has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival. He is the author of five books including Wild Roots and Swarm Tree. Doug Elliott.

Could you eat off your landbase, if you needed to? Could you heal using native plants? How deep is your relationship to your landbase if you don't even know what grows there?

Now if Omega would just offer the same course based in large urban areas, rather than the woods of Rhinebeck. . . .

Picture found here.