Way of the Herbs: The Sacred Turnings
Journey through the Wheel of the Year to remember your connection to the seasons, to Irish folk magic and ancestral traditions, with a herb as your special guide
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! REGISTER HERE
See Hearth-Tending Course details below.
Join us for Way of the Herbs: The Sacred Turnings, a yearlong gathering through the anciet Irish Wheel of the Year.
Gather in community to connect with the wisdom, magic and healing of eight herbs (called simples) that align with the energies offered by each of the sacred turnings on the Irish Wheel of the Year. Open to the ways the plants connect to and play with us as they guide us through the year.
We will discuss ways to engage with the herb for body, mind, spirit and magic, before we move into ritual with them, including a plant spirit journey and elemental connection with the energies of each ancient festival celebration.
I am so delighted to be co-hosting these gatherings with Madeleen Bloemendaal, a Dutch herbalist and (family) constellation teacher, integrating (intergenerational) trauma and activating inner qualities are central to her work. Together with plant medicines she creates fields of transformation. More information about Madeleen’s work: Website Meadowmeeting (click HERE) and Instagram Waking Up With Plants (click HERE).
Some reflections from Madeleen regarding our year together: “Living in close connection to nature and the natural rhythm of the seasons opens us up to sensing the world as a living and breathing field of wisdom that we can commune with. For me this is essential to find my way through this human experience. Whenever our world gets flat, monotonous and loses meaning, there’s a call for reconnection. The plants and trees are majestic teachers that mirror great body wisdom, that we too hold within us. They help us to anchor ourselves in peace and unity in the physical. We welcome you to join us in this magical yearlong journey. Where we, plants and people together, will weave a connective field that can a support you through these dynamic times within and without.”
We meet for ritual (via Zoom) on each of the great turnings beginning with Winter Solstice in December 2024 and ending with Samhain, the Celtic New Year, in November 2025. For each of the celebrations, we will invoke a herb that aligns with the energies of that season, deepening in with their wisdom through a plant spirit journey and invitations to engage with them. ALL SESSIONS WILL BE RECORDED AND THE REPLAY SENT OUT THE FOLLOWING DAY.
May we remember that gathering in community, honoring the seasons and the cycles of the cosmos, brings us back into relationship with the land and our intimate connection to them and each other.
May we remember the magic found in honoring these turnings, reflected by the wisdom of the herbs.
In Way of the Herbs: the Sacred Turnings we will:
Connect to honor the ancient turnings
Celebrate ritual with community
Ally with a a herb for each turning
Remember and embody what it means to engage with the wild Elements
Initiate spells and other rituals throughout the season
Remember what it means to tend to the hearth
Come into relationship and intimacy with the land and their seasons
Connect with your wild nature, within and without
Immerse deeper into hearth, home and herbs, and add Hearth-Tending, a five- week gathering, to journey from the dark of Winter Solstice, guided by a Solstice candle lit at the hearth, through to Imbolc, where we tend to Brigid’s flame, protecting hearth, home and household. We will gather at our virtual and physical hearth each week to invoke the aspect of tending to the hearth, to find the simple and rich joy in nourishment for body and spirit, to create, to listen and to share. More information below.
Investment:
Option 1: $275 for Way of the Herbs, paid in full
Option 2: $400 for Way of the Herbs, plus Hearth-Tending, a five week gathering from Winter Solstic to Imbolc
Option 3: $137.50 paid now and $137.50 paid in March 2025, for Way of the Herbs
Option 4: $200 paid now and $200 paid in March 2025, for Way of the Herbs, plus Hearth-Tending
REGISTER HERE
Paid via credit card at registration. You can determine currancy conversions for pounds/ euros HERE
Scholarships (NON-needs based) are available to black, indigenous and women of color. Please contact me at tonjareichley@gmail.com.
Way of the Herbs: The Sacred Turnings Gatherings:
We will meet via Zoom. All times are in MST/ Irish Time.
ALL SESSIONS WILL BE RECORDED AND THE REPLAY SENT OUT THE FOLLOWING DAY.
Winter Solstice/ Pine- Sunday 22 December from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Imbolc/ Cleavers- Sunday 2 February from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Spring Equinox/ Dandelion- Sunday 23 March from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Bealtaine/ Hawthorn Leaf and Flower- Sunday 4 May from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Summer Solstice/ Yarrow- Sunday 22 June from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Lughnasa/ Calendula- Sunday 3 August from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Autumn Equinox/ Nettle- Sunday 21 September from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Samhain/ Mugwort- Sunday 26 October from 10am- 1 pm MST/ 5pm- 8pm Irish time
Enroll for the year/ Eight sessions: $275
Hearth-Tending
To the sacred three
To save, to shield, to surround
This house, this hearth, this household
This night, this sacred night, each sacred night
-Old Gaelic Blessing
The hearth is the hearth of the home, a place of nourishment and connection, where the flame of illumination and connection ever burn. Where we create food for the body and are fed food for the spirit. The hearth ignites the fire within, the truest essence of our being, kept alight by the breath of our ancestors and the old ways being remembered. We come to the hearth to discover the sacred in the mundane, to practice ritual and to be still, to listen and to share.
Come back to the sacredness of the hearth as we remember we are hearth-tenders: priestess, midwife priestess, alchemist.
You are invited to journey with us: from the dark of Winter Solstice, guided by a Solstice candle lit at the hearth, through to Imbolc, where we tend to Brigid’s flame, protecting hearth, home and household. We will gather at our virtual and physical hearth each week to invoke the aspect of tending to the hearth, to find the simple and rich joy in nourishment for body and spirit, to create, to listen and to share.
We will connect with the aspects of hearth-tending as priestess, midwife and alchemist, invoking Irish goddesses Brighid, Macha, Airmid and the Cailleach. From the depths of Winter Solstice through to the awakenings of Imbolc, we will gather to practice simple hearth rituals, invoke the elements, create herbal and folk remedies and listen and share story.
This offering is presented by Tonja.
