text: Come and pamper yourself with delicious and healing herbal therapeutics. We will spend our time together creating delicious and skin nourishing herbal treats. Come prepared to create a spa like experience and be deeply nourished, oily, herbacious and beautiful. We will make and apply a variety of skin food during class including; clay facial masks with hydrosol, cooling herbal body mask, soothing facial serums, and more. We will offer an exploration of time tested herbal wisdom merged with modern knowledge of essential oils, hydrosols, infused oils, to tend and nourish our largest organ. We will demystify some current skin care trends; learn about beneficial herbal skin food, and the benefits of feeding the skin. We will discuss simple and effective topical protocols for home and family and care of our planet.
  2. Essential Oils For Home And Family Care Expand
  Are you an aroma enthusiast? I am! For over 20 years I have studied, practiced and offered education about the safe use of Essential oils for home and family care. We will discuss: Essential oil safety practices Topical applications , Safe use with children, When not to use essential oils, We will get chatty about lavender, tea tree and rose geranium and their hydrosols to help address:, Colds and the flu , Fungal challenges, Herpes, Lice, Dandruff, Minor first aid. You will leave feeling giddy and anointed by aromatic treasures.
  all levels
  all levels
  DeAnna Batdorff
  1. INTENSIVE: Lymphatic Breast CareAyurvedic Breast Health and Immunity: The River of Life Expand
  The lymphatic system is called Rasa in Sanskrit, meaning the river of life. Keeping this river flowing allows our tissues to receive nourishment, which is the secret to being and looking healthy. Our lymph fluids allow hormones to get from one endocrine gland to another and play an important role in our reproductive health. The lymphatic system is also called the Immune system, which we all know is important for fighting foreign invaders and staying healthy. There will be demonstrations on how to map the lymphatic system in your body with an emphasis on breast health. There will be time for Q &A about our breasts and immunity, massage assessments for experiential learning & what tools can support change and prevent diseases. Students will leave having a clear understanding of the lymph system and how to keep it and their breasts healthy.
  *Breast Checks will be continued throughout the entire weekend.
  There is strength in a river that is flowing
  2. TBA Expand
  all levels
  K. Ruby Bloom
  1. & 2. Making Mead. Metheglin & Melomels Infused Honey Wines, part 1 & 2 Expand
  Mead is a traditional drink made from water, honey and yeast with other fruits and spices added in to enhance the pleasure in drinking it. In this class we will learn the basic process of making wine from honey including equipment, ingredients and fermentation techniques, tips, tricks and troubleshooting, Emphasis is on making wines with natural ingredients instead of chemicals and a range of brew-styles from simple to technical will be presented. We will start one batch and taste several others. As a bonus we will explore the creation of medicinal elixers & bitters using the honeywine process.
  3. & 4. Pollination to the People: Introduction to Native Bees and Pollination Ecology, part 1 & 2 Expand
  This is an introduction to pollination ecology, the wild world of bees and pollinator friendly gardening for folks who are curious and want to nurture an awareness for these beloved hardworking critters. There are over 25,000 species of bees worldwide, 4000 in the US and 1000 in California. We will learn about the lifecycles and biology of honey bees, and native bees, the differences between the two, the special relationship between bees and flowers and what you can provide to support more bee and insect life in your garden. We learn to how to tell the difference between a bee, a wasp and a fly and how to identify a few of our local native bees. We will also introduce the idea of natural beekeeping and offer possibilities for natural beekeeping. We’ll taste some honey, observe both honey bees and native bees at work, and get the lowdown on Colony Collapse Disorder.
  all levels
  beg/inter
  Delia Carroll
  Cassandra Ferrera
  1. INTENSIVE: Permaculture From the Inside Out Expand
  INTENSIVE: Permaculture From the Inside Out
  Join the teachers of the 13 Moon Collaborative for a uniquely feminine approach to permaculture. This four hour journey will satisfy your head, your heart and your body as we ground into the natural fundamentals of what has become an international grassroots movement. We will explore the ethics and principles of permaculture in a manner that includes the outer, inner and social landscapes. Witnessing principles in action at Black Oak Ranch, we will also do a small hand-on placemaking project that will give us a chance to embody our instinctual awareness of how to co-design with nature.
  2. The State of the Communion Expand
  This lively presentation will give a unique perspective on the growth, status, and evolving edge of the communities movement. Informed by years as a community catalyst consultant, community real estate agent, and permaculture educator, Cassandra & Delia bring real life experience as well as a unique systems perspective. The State of the Communion will positively juice up your own perspective about where you are at in your life and your journey toward more community cohesion.
  Anole Dahlstrom
  1. Fire Making Expand
  Join in for some fire making! We will be exploring the art of ancestral fire making using a bow drill. This will be an opportunity to use and make fire kits and experience the magic of making fire in this ancient way. There will be kits to use and practice on as well as materials to make your own kit to take home! Bring a knife if you have one ( please no kitchen knives as they don’t work very well for carving wood ). This is a journey that has no end and will forever teach you lessons and stoke your inner fire! Kids with an adult helper please. If you have some previous firemaking experience this will be a great opportunity to practice and mentor. all levels kids with an adult helper
  2. Adorn Thyself! Expand
  Come use natural pigments from the Earth and some other materials to adorn your face and body! We will have rock paint, clays, face paints, & bindi’s to use. Be adorned for our evening Ceremonies! all levels & ages welcome, age under 5 with an adult helper
  see descriptions for levels
  Lynda Emashowski
  1. The Sacred Fire—Creating Sacred Space Through Conscious Fire Tending Expand
  Experience matchless fire starting and become a member of the fire devas, the sacred fire tenders for this session. Establish an intimate relationship with this powerful elemental. Holding the central fire is an act of service, a source of healing and a teacher of awareness. The sacred fire tenders team will be formed in this class.
  2. & 3. Medicine Bowl Making, parts 1 & 2 Expand
  Co-taught with Melanie Clintons
  In the manner of the grandmothers, we will make a medicine bowl using the coals of our sacred fire. This takes time so plan on attending both classes. We will provide 20 burls. To accommodate more women collect a burl now and bring to class. Best if it is dried. Only collect from dead trees, please. This class respectfully begins on time.
  4. Whispers Wisdoms of the Moon Expand
  When to plant and when to sow? The moon is our ruler of water, and the seasons. Come learn her influences on you and the planet. Apply her teachings to effectively run your herbal practice or life. Her sixteen phases help you understand yourself as a cycle, as circle, as wemoon. This class respectfully begins on time.
  all levels
  all levels
  all levels
  Kris Freewomyn
  1. African Dance Expand
  African Dance
  all levels
  Tina Goat/Glaessner
  1. Why Grow Your Own Herbs, part 1: Bringing the Direct Plant Connection Back To Herbal Medicine Expand
  Come explore the plant growing side of Herbal Medicine. We will explore the numerous forms a small plant based business can take along with the rising demand for high quality , locally grown Herbs . Get inspired by the Local Herb Movement !!
  2. Why Grow Your Own Herbs, part 2: Eight Herbs From Seed to Harvest Expand
  We will discuss in depth the propagation, growing requirements and harvest technique and timing for each herb. This class will be oriented to folks already actively gardening as well as those just getting started on their Medicinal gardens.We will cover these herbs: Elecampagne, Echinacea, Astragalus, Spilanthes, Ashwagandha, Skullcap, Tulsii, Passionflower, Motherwort
  all levels
  all levels
  Sena Kugbega
  1. Ghanaian Drum Expand
  Ghanaian Drum
  2. Ghanaian Dance Expand
  Ghanaian Dance
  all levels
  all levels
  Jessi Langston
  1. Breaking Down Boundaries of Self Expression (in front of each other?) Expand
  If you have self chatter that says phrases like: “I can’t dance, I am a bad singer, or I don’t play an instrument because my sister does, I hate my voice, or I wish I could draw, paint, sculpt, write, express without hearing the opinions of others of the past, present, and future go through my head,” then this class is for you.
  all levels
  Kate Lundquist
  1. Love Your Beaver: How This Keystone Species Can Help Restore Our Watersheds Expand
  2. Building With Earth: An Introduction to Cob Construction Expand
  Come learn the basics of this highly sculptural, family friendly technique. Cob (a Welsh word for lump or loaf) is a type of earthen building that has been used for centuries by various cultures around the globe. This easy to work with ecological building form is simply made with clay soil, sand, straw and water. Through lecture and hands-on demonstration we will learn the uses and benefits of building with cob, the components used to make a good mix, where to source materials, how to apply cob and where to go to learn more. Come prepared to have fun while getting your hands and feet dirty!
  all levels
  beg/all levels
  Moria Merriweather
  1. Growing Sprouts For Fun & Health, With And Without Soil Expand
  Come to sprout class to learn about how to grow food in the form of sprouts and baby greens! It is easy and fun, and it is not all about alfalfa sprouts.
  Sprouts are super nutritious, and probably the easiest gardening ever. Growing a sprout garden takes very little space, and very little time. After you buy the basic supplies, the cost is minimal. This is as local and as fresh as food gets!
  The class will cover:
  ~ Growing sprouts, both with and without soil
  ~ How to sprout small seeds and large seeds
  ~ How to set up an on-going sprout garden at your home
  Bring your cup and a plate or bowl: we will be sampling some sprouts, and a probiotic drink made from sprouted grain.
  all levels
  Larissa Montfort
  1. & 2 Women and the Drum, 1 & 2 Expand
  Bring your playful drumming spirit to this all level drum class. We will review basic drum technique and learn rhythms and songs from West Africa. Bring your hand or stick drums and percussion instruments such as shakers and bells. There will be a few extra drums to share. Let’s drum up some magic! This class repeats, with different rhythms taught.
  all levels
  Jessica Prentice
  1. The Community Supported Kitchen: An Introduction To Our Model Expand
  Ten years ago, Jessica co-founded Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley to be a model of deeply nourishing, community-scale food preparation and processing. In this presentation she will introduce the basic elements of her model, and also explore the journey from “personal passion” to “cooperative organization.” She will address questions such as: how can we take something that we are individually passionate about and co-create an organization that holds its own purpose? What organizing structures can support this work as it manifests in the world? How does the individual relate to this collective endeavor in a healthy and transformative way over years of work?
  2. Food and the Hunger for Connection, parts 1& 2 Expand
  This participatory workshop will explore our relationship to food on many levels, inspired by the Traditional Moon names I used in my book, Full Moon Feast. We will delve into our personal healing journeys around food, using ecological, spiritual, emotional and nutritional lenses to help us uncover what will nourish our hunger for connection. Please come on time and stay for the entire workshop to honor the space for participation and sharing.
  all levels
  all levels
  Elizabeth Sailer
  1. INTENSIVE: Demystifying Chinese Medicine: When is a Kidney More Than a Kidney, and What is Spleen Qi Anyway? Expand
  Curious about Chinese medicine? Wondering what your acupuncturist is talking about when she tells you your Liver is attacking your Spleen and your Kidney Yang is weak? This is an overview of the Organs in Chinese Medicine; their functions, personalities and relationships. We will discuss Chinese herbs and foods with affinities for each organ and when and how it’s appropriate to use them.
  2. Revitalizing The Essence Expand
  What is the Jing, or Essence? How can we protect it? How can we restore it once we’ve really messed it up? Come explore this deepest, most precious substance of the body and plants, foods and lifestyle adjustments to help you live a long and healthy life.
  3. Staying Well This Winter - Beyond Yin Qiao Expand
  It’ll be cold and flu season again before we know it. Chinese Herbal Medicine is uniquely effective at preventing and treating colds and flus. Learn to distinguish between Wind Cold and Wind Heat and how to apply TCM principles to keep yourself and your little ones healthy this year. We will cover some popular Chinese patent remedies as well as single herbs, supplements and diet and how to use them most effectively.
  all levels
  all levels
  all levels
  Kathren Murrell Stevenson
  1. INTENSIVE: Dreaming with Oak Expand
  During this workshop, we will enter into the dream of the ancient ones, meeting the spirit of Oak and discovering possibilities for co-creative partnership. We will explore relationship through direct perception, communication, meditation and ritual. Be prepared for experiential somatic and imaginal practices that bring you into the re-dreaming of yourself and our world.
  2. Exploring Regenerative Relationship with the Plant World Expand
  In this workshop we will discuss ways of stepping into co-creative partnership with the plant world, the qualities of regenerative relationship, and how to foster long term relationships with plants and plant spirits based upon reverence, reciprocity, and mutual respect.
  all levels
  beg/inter
  Sage Tracey Trucano
  1. Herbs for Psycho-Spiritual-Emotional Distress Expand
  We all experience times of grief, times of loss, heart ache, and emotional and spiritual pain. Stressors can affect digestion, sleep, hormones, neurotransmitters. Learn to use nervines and adaptogens to help support your emotional and physical health during these times. We will be looking at specific constitutions to develop your own herbal formulas for healing.
  2. Healing Herbal Baths Expand
  The herbal bath is used in many cultures as a way to heal, release and rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Bath salts/scrubs, fragrances, flowers and herbs are powerful healers. Used to detox, increase lymph flow, or simple relaxation and rejuvenation of the body and spirit. Learn to make bath salts, scrubs and healing bath using fresh and dried herbs and flowers as well as essential oil blends.
  3. Journey to the Womb Expand
  The womb is known as the little heart. It holds the power of dreaming, it holds the wisdom of your ancestors and of the grandmothers. Join Sage on a journey to this dream center, to connect with your inner wisdom, your sisSTAR hood.
  Bree Watson
  Hari Darshon
  1. Sound Healing, 1 & 2 Expand
  Give yourself an hour to drop inward, lay on the earth and experience the restorative and healing medicine of the sound current, as you are bathed in a variety of instruments and song. Bring a blanket and pillow or simply come as you are.
  all levels
  Melissa Weaver
  1. & 2. Wheat Weaving, parts 1 & 2 Expand
  all levels
  Jamie Martinez Wood
  1. Womyn Meets Death Expand
  The journey to face and accept death is among the most intense and empowering mysteries of our human experience. With the strength, courage and grace of the Goddess, we can awaken to an immense ALIVENESS as stories are shared, healing and forgiveness arises and barriers formed by fear of success or failure or disappointment melt away. In this class we will take a look at ways to create our own ritualistic way to pass into the Spirit World including an Earth Blessing Pouch, creative advance directives and four important herbal allies to help during the dying and death process.
  all levels
  Crones
  High Crone Jill
  1. Loving Life After Menopause Expand
  Crones, come share lunch with other Wise Crones. We will discuss loving life after menopause, finding joy, appreciation, and health in our Crone years. We will also discuss our part in the Maiden’s Rites of Passage Ceremony and our own Crone’s Honoring Ritual.
  2. The Spirit Side of Being a Crone, part 1 Expand
  This is time to reflect and share our experiences of Cronehood and our love for our Wise Crone ways and bodies. Past menopause and into memorypause, we will tell our stories. A time to make a ritual Crone Broom will follow.
  3. The Spirit Side of Being A Crone, part 2 Expand
  Crones, come share another lunch with other Wise Crones. We will continue our plans for the Maiden’s Rites of Passage and our own Crone’s Honoring Ritual.
  4. Honoring the Loss of an Unborn Child Expand
  Join us for a quiet honoring of the loss of an unborn child through miscarriage or abortion.
  Young Women
  Terri Jensen
  1. Dragon Time for newly menstruating young women Expand
  Welcome maidens, to the Circle of Women! Join us in celebrating the beauty and strength of this phase of your life, the time of your bloods. We will explore ideas and feelings, hear stories, make things to care for ourselves and prepare for the Maiden’s Rites of Passage Ceremony to be held Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. Any young woman who would like to go through the Maiden Ceremony must attend this class.
  Sarai Shapiro
  1. Moon Rites And Changing Woman - for Young Women and Their Mothers & Aunties (or any women who want to join) Expand
  Throughout time, woman has had a special connection with the moon because she mirrors the changes we experience throughout our life and within each menstrual cycle. This class for maidens and mothers will explore menstruation and how our body’s cycles are connected to moon’s cycles. We will explore the physical, hormonal, and psycho-spiritual changes that happen during each moon cycle. Women will have a chance to share their own experience with their moon time and mothers and daughters will have a chance to discuss how to hold moon time at home. Whether or not a girl has gotten her first moon, she will come away from this class with information to help her feel excited about her special time and make a moon bracelet, that, if she chooses, can be worn during her “moon time”.
  2. Weave Our Friendship Web Expand
  Have you been coming to the symposium for years and you have lots of friends here? Is this your first time and you’d love to get to know some other girls? The symposium is a great place for deepening your friendships and making new ones with awesome girls! This is an invitation to let your sillies out through fun and improvisational theatre and nature based activities, to work in teams to accomplish a challenge, and to weave the web of our maiden’s community here at the symposium through sharing who you are. Come join us sister weaver.
  3. Pine Needle and Black Walnut Baskets - for Young Women and Their Mothers & Aunties Expand
  Come make a small coiled pine needle basket. I will teach how to make an elegant and simple pine needle basket with a sliced black walnut in the center. Whether or not you’ve done any kind of coiled basketry before, you will catch on quick.
  4. Pine Needle Earrings Expand
  Make a pair of earrings from coiled pine needles, and attach beads if you like. These are fairly simple to make and beautiful!
  all levels
  all levels
  all levels
  all levels
  Jamie Martinez Wood
  1. Living a Magick-full Life Expand
  Living a Magick-full life is a matter of choice. It’s training the way you see things. Magick is a combination of interpreting omens, trusting your intuition, tapping into the collective conscious, receiving the gifts, sharing the best of you and remaining connected to All That Is.. No Matter What Happens. In this class we will learn which herbs can help us to Move with Energy, Magick on a Desert Island, Give Up the Drama and Go with the Flow. E-zines of this class will be available at marketplace.
  all levels
  Young Children
  Melita Silberstein
  1. Singing With The Children for children 7 and under with their mamas & aunties Expand
  Bring the little ones each day and enjoy a morning of music, puppets and movement in nature. Lots of engaging and interactive songs about trees, bugs, birds, animals and more! The class will vary slightly each morning, but will have many similar songs that the children will remember. Please come prepared to dance! This class is intended for children 7 and under to enjoy with an adult companion.
  all levels
  Mid Kids
  Lauren Ari
  1. & 2. Mother Earths Mud, 1 & 2 Expand
  Come play in the cool wet mud! Make a fairy house, cup or bowl a small animal or a bird in a nest. We can make anything your heart desires and Lauren will help you along the way . We will have plenty of clay and tools for you to work and many decorative items like feathers and beads. If time allows we can go down to the river and dig for clay and create a group sculpture. Come to the shade of the tall trees and lovely grass where we will meet and create in each others company. We look forward to making art together. This class repeats.
  all levels
  Anole Dahlstrom
  1. Garden Fairy Head Wreath Making Expand
  Using materials found on Earth we'll make head wreaths.
  An easy to do experience that will leave you with a beautifully smelling and looking creation. Come make one to wear to the Sunday ceremonies!
  all levels
  Ahri Golden
  Sara Nicoletti, MFT
  1. & 2. Diving Deep - Connecting With Mermaid Magic, part 1 & 2 Expand
  Come on a Mer-tastic adventure of the heart. Together we will weave a magical tale through the use of guided imagery, story-sharing, creative writing prompts, movement, music, and crafting. We will create original spirit doll mermaids with special powers to reflect the gifts and magic of each unique child. This creative process will be one to integrate and draw on when we need to remember our courageous power.
  Sarai Shapiro
  1. Make An Herbal Salve Expand
  Come learn how to make a medicinal oil and salve. We will work from a previously infused oil since there won’t be time to do it here… but you will learn all the steps, from learning several healing herbs used in salves for skin conditions, including dry skin, allergic reactions, swelling, itchies, stings, how to turn them into a medicinal oil, and then how to turn that into a salve! The salve we make will be useful for anything from chapped lips to healing small scrapes and cuts.
  all levels
  Musical Unicorn
  1. Orientation to the Land Expand
  Through the magic of fairies this class will have a focus on giving the children the rules and guidelines to care for themselves and others during the symposium. We will walk the perimeter of the gathering and be introduced to the local dangers with guidelines (ie: poison oak!! let's steer clear...and to be at the river requires adult supervision!) We will discover and honor some of the 13 alters placed about for the weekend. We will collect natural materials on our walk to make into Fairy Houses while we talk about what it means to be an ambassador of the land. Children under 7 must come with an adult. Adults welcome too!!! Please bring a basket or vessel to place natural materials in while we walk. At the end of the class, each participant will wear a special colored ribbon that signals to the other symposium sisters that you just may hold the answers she is looking for...like, where is the bathroom?
  Early Morning Classes
  Laura Walker
  1. Morning Yoga Expand
  Begin the day with yoga.
  Bring a mat or blanket and wear loose clothing.
  all levels
  Other Classes
  Stargazer Li
  1. Stargazing with Li, 1 Expand
  2. Stargazing with Li, 2 Expand
  All Levels
  Intensives
  Ayurvedic Breast Health and Immunity: The River of Life all levels ~ DeAnna Batdorff
  INTENSIVE: Permaculture From the Inside Out ~ Delia Carroll & Cassandra Ferrera
  Demystifying Chinese Medicine: When is a Kidney More Than a Kidney, and What is Spleen Qi Anyway? all levels ~ Elizabeth Sailer