Charming Efforts of Worth

This past week I made time to go through my studio shelves … shelves of works-in-process as well as my shelves of materials and supplies. Things were organized and tidied. Over the weekend I was compelled to use some of my new materials, yet chose to do so while leveraging some of the works-in-process, as well as some older works to breathe new life into them. Know what I mean? I settled on creating note cards because I needed some and I figured it would keep me working small while trying my hand at products I've never used before. You know, a way to control potential waste.

It was fun. I made some hot messes that no one will ever see as well as some cards that actually delighted me. I even made use of some of my spouse's little works that had been hanging around. As a result of this effort I have some new note cards that I'm listing in my ArtFire shop as well as some two-dimensional experience with new materials that I'll be expanding on in the weeks to come … to add some three-dimensional delight to my work. That's the plan, anyway. And plans change in my world.

I invested time in developing and fine-tuning some healing art workshops, including the creation of some personal Spirit Cards. I'm looking forward to sharing this process with folks in my community! I also revamped a three-day heART workshop into a one-day workshop and am working on another one-day heART workshop penciled in for May.

Today I'm making time for bills and paperwork, tax-ish half-efforts, and listing some new items. I have three new non-fiction books to read and new things to learn to nurture this charmed life of mine. Charm takes effort and dedication. And collaboration. And lots of LoVe. And it's worth it.

That's what I made. Peace.

Time to Art Journal

Next week I'll be teaching two journal-making workshops at my sweet little studio at Whiting Mills in Winsted, Connecticut, and I'm excited about them! We'll be learning a super-simple method of bookbinding to create our very own handmade journals. I have Effy Wild to thank for teaching me this method, and I'm so grateful to her for it. I've been rather addicted to the process since I learned it and use only my own handmade journals for my art journaling. I'm creating some others for writing and for sketching too. It's such a joy!

On my shelves you'll discover handmade journals created by others, as well as my old moleskins that I started with many years ago. I almost always have a journal with me, no matter where I am or where I go. Journals are just another bit of holistic Goodness in my Medicine bag. Know what I mean?

But it's art journaling that is my dedicated daily practice. I fill journal after journal with color, texture, symbols, forms, words, feeling, heart, and play! Again, Good Medicine.

As the pages fill, the journals line up on the shelves like loving sentries, colorful faeries, divine guides. And they are those things, and more.

So if you're anywhere near the northwest hills of Connecticut I'll hope you'll join us to learn this wonderful skill on either Thursday evening, January 9 or Sunday afternoon, January 12! 

As for now, I have a fire to tend, heArt journaling to do, and who knows what else? 

Peace.

Holistic Art Journey at The Phoenix Rising Center in Thomaston, Connecticut

Today I made art in my art journal and splashed a little paint on canvas. I carved out a block of time to take photographs, edit them and prepare them for phase II of action. I made a nutritional herbal blend for myself so that I may reach for on jar off the herb shelf instead of three. I made plans.

And now I'm making an announcement and offering an invitation to my regional friends to join me on an eight-week journey of soul, heart and art!

Next tuesday I'll be facilitating the first session of the holistic and artful journey into the question, "Who Am I?" So if you ever find yourself asking that question you might want to join us at The Phoenix Rising Center in Thomaston, CT for this introspective, expressive and creative workshop.

As we explore the query, "Who Am I?" we'll be expressing our discoveries through the magic of mixed media art. This is a workshop that is perfect for those with art experience as well as for those who have never created with paint, pens, collage and the like. Each week you'll go home with an artful expression of your Self … and you'll likely be inspired to create on your own between classes!

So if you're in the region I hope you'll join us. The eight-week workshop is only $140 and you have so much to gain by taking it ~ mixed media skills, enhanced self-awareness and appreciation, and anything in between.

Contact Doreen at The Phoenix Rising Center to learn more and to register at 860.294.1156 or email her at doreen@thephoenixrisingcenter.com

Peace.

What I Offer - Classes, Workshops, Consultations

One-on-One Holistic Wellness Services

All one-on-one private sessions ~ in person or over the phone ~ are offered PWYW (Pay What You Wish).

This includes all wellness consultations, healing sessions, readings, private sessions of every kind. Classes and workshops are offered separately (see below), though consultations can be highly educational ~ in fact, I hope that they are!

All sessions are By Appointment Only. Phone consultations also available.

Walk in the Woods School of Herbal Wellness

Herbal Courses of Study, Learning and Experience

Walk in the Woods School of Herbal Wellness offers herbal studies in a combination of Core Modules, Electives and Apprenticeship, that may be taken as desired or with an objective to complete certification - your choice. Course changes are made to these offerings most every year, though the basic structure remains intact.

Core Classes are scheduled with the current student/s in mind. This means many classes are offered one-on-one, and scheduled to fit your need/s and availability.

Walk in the Woods School of Herbal Wellness offers a certificate of completion that is awarded upon fulfillment of required Core and Elective studies as outlined below, including 25 hours of Apprenticeship and demonstration of mastery. Commitment to the certification program is not required and need not hinder you from exploring any of these classes. Your herbal studies may be pursued over time as desired or needed, allowing for flexibility of schedule, commitment and financial considerations.

A certification course overview, including average cost information follows:

Average Cost of Full Certification Study - $2955
~ 18 Core Modules $1530
~ 20 Workshops / Electives $1050 (avg.)

~ 25 hours Apprenticeship $375

CORE CLASS MODULES - $85 per class - Scheduled on a monthly rotation

1. Intro to Herbalism and Physiology / Systems and Intro - Materia Medica
2. Physiology ~ Digestive System
3. Physiology ~ Integumentary System
4. Physiology ~ Cardiovascular / Circulatory System
5. Physiology ~ Renal / Urinary System
6. Physiology ~ Respiratory System
7. Physiology ~ Nervous System
8. Physiology ~ Endocrine System
9. Physiology ~ Lymphatic System
10. Physiology ~ ‘Liver System"
11. Physiology ~ Reproductive System
12. Physiology ~ Muscular & Skeletal System
13. Herbal Pharmacology
14. Treatment Determinations / Dosage and Treatment Plants - part 1
15. Treatment Determinations / Dosage and Treatment Plants - part 2
16. Cautions and Contraindications
17. Food as Medicine - Nutrition
18. Making Herbal Medicines (taught as an open workshop)

For more information regarding these studies please contact me for a FAQ sheet.

WORKSHOPS and ELECTIVES

The workshops offered are also referred to as "Electives" by Walk in the Woods students. These workshops are open to anyone, regardless of knowledge or experience! For dates and times, please contact me or join us on FaceBook to receive event notices. Here are some of my current offerings:

• Sip Your Way to Wellness - A Tea Workshop 
• Pamper Yourself! - A Holistic and Herbal Workshop 
• Breast Wellness - A Holistic Herbs and Attitude Workshop 
• Wellness & The Wheel of the Year - Autumn 
• Wellness & The Wheel of the Year - Winter 
• Wellness & The Wheel of the Year - Spring 
• Wellness & The Wheel of the Year - Summer 
• Plant Spirit Medicine
• Mystical, Magical, Spiritual Herbs 
• Making and Enjoying Your own Herbal Oil Infusions 
• Making Vinegar Infusions for Nutrition, Wellness and Delight 
• Making Oxymels 
• Making Herbal Elixers 
• Herbs to Relax By 
• The Organic Garden - Planning, Growing, Tending, Sustaining 
• Essential Oil Applications 
• Holistic & Herbal Aphrodisiacs 
• First Aid Herbals 
• Gaia Friendly Cleaning 
• Sprouting an Herbal Business 
• Tasseography
• Wild Foods 
• Fermenting Spirit! The Art of Wine, Mead and Ale 
• Making your Own Botanical Cordials and Liqueurs 
• Making Herbal Medicines - A "Core" class open to everyone!
• ~ and more!

HEALING ART - healing expression
~ creative play and intuitive art workshops inspired to nurture holistic health, wellness and growth.

• Create your own Art Journal - learn a simple method of bookbinding to create your very own art journal.

• heART journaling Sundays - informal gathering to create together in intention and community. Seasonal.

• Why heART journal? - a mixed media art journal workshop to explore some of the (infinite) motivations, reasons and benefits to journaling with imagery as well as words. 

• Who Am I? - a mixed media heART journal workshop to explore all that you do, all that you love, all that you are. 

• Divine Your Divinity - a workshop to explore the "Face of the Feminine Divine" as you perceive it, as you relate to it, and to create “Her” image using meditation, intention, paint and mixed media techniques,  all the while nurturing relationship with your spiritual connection to Life.

• Waking the Wild Womyn - a workshop intended to excavate, wake, love and express your wild-womyn-child! You will be guided in creating journeys and pieces of healing art that open you to your inner wildness, that part of you that's be tamed, tempered, even caged, perhaps since you were a we one.

You can join us on Facebook to receive class notices, stay up to date and partake of other creative fun and sharing that we engage in there.

Peace.

Who I Am - At the Moment

Greetings! My name is Rosemari Roast. I am owner of and caretaker to Walk in the Woods, LLC, a holistic wellness practice and creative studio at Whiting Mills in sunny Winsted, Connecticut.

I am called Medicine Womyn, herbalist, healer, artist and backyard farmer (among other things).

As an herbalist and healer, I am dedicated to *returning home* the Medicine of the People. I do this by offering you opportunities to reconnect with your own power through exploring the wellness choices that you have - and have always had. I strive to help you to see, acknowledge, honor and act on the choices and behaviors that nourish and sustain you, and that may best serve you in your life.

Everything I do, I teach. I feel that my name, originally spelled Rosemary, like the herb, is a key to my life purpose, for it is often described and the herb of remembrance. That my maternal grandmother clung to and adapted the ways of the "old country" to a "new" country is a holistic taproot for me, for it both saddens and motivates me to remember and revive the empowering practices that she employed. Practices that were discounted and forgotten in a single generation. She wild harvested, made Medicines and engaged some mystical healing practices as well. I feel a a duty to keep these practices alive, for they are surely overflowing with Medicine of meaning and value!

When I was a little girl just starting school, the teachers and administrators were worried about me because I wouldn't talk to the teachers. I was responsive with my peers, but not the authorities. I can say that, in many ways, this behavior is still with me. But I digress... I was sent to the school psychologist. I wouldn't talk to him either. So he gave me paper and crayons. I drew. And from those drawings he made the judgement that I was fine, and the recommendation to return me to my class, and allow me to evolve in my own way. In this experience is another taproot to an important Medicine in my life: Creative expression, also known as art.

These taproots are, from my perspective, rooted in Mystery. So it is that herbs, art and spirit guide my Life with the Medicine that they all offer. I do my best to share my Medicine-experiences through workshops, lectures, private consultations and classes. 


Private consultations take on many flavors, from conventional holistic approaches to instructional sessions, which may include customized herbals, eclectic healing sessions, plant spirit healing, meditation, creative expression or some other intuitively guided wellness option that is fitting for you.

If herbalism is of interest to you, My School of Herbal Wellness offers one way for you to explore your botanical choices and your holistic power. It's a pay-as-you-go course of facilitated self-study currently offered to folks in my region, so you learn and grow at your own pace. You can learn more about these offerings here.

Other self-care workshops offered regionally include Reiki training, guided and free-form meditation, herbal, holistic and creative workshops, lectures, weedwalks and more! An herbal apothecary is also available to you for all those supplies for the home and village herbalist. Spiritual counseling and rites of passage are offered as well.

I also support personal healing and growth through the arts and creative expression - journaling, drumming, chant, movement, art, craft, tarot and Crone Stone readings. Creative expression is a vital tool that supports holistic healing, growth and awareness on all levels as we explore our personal relationships with symbols, metaphors, archetypes and stories. I can support you in this journey, and - more importantly - offer you ways to support yourself.

With every service that I offer, I strive to help you re-discover the natural healer within, so that you may nurture peace with yourSelf, love yourSelf, and offer these qualities to those you love … and to help bring the Medicine of the People back home - to all of us.

I invite you to join me in working together to return wisdom, wellness, healing back to the hands of their rightful and most grateful owners - To us. To all of us. Together let's reclaim our power and return the Medicine of the people back to the people.

Let's bring it home together!

MY CREDENTIALS (such as they are)

While I consider myself Self-Taught in most every aspect of my life, be it with herbs or art or whatever, I have studied formally, and continue to read, take classes and workshops that support and nurture all the parts of me.

These are my "Credentials" - as they say:

• National Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)
• Certified Herbalist, Village West Prescriptives, School of Clinical Botanical Medicine
• Certified Herbalist, Northwestern Connecticut Centre for Holistic Studies
• Certified Transformational Energy Healer, Northwestern Connecticut Centre for Holistic Studies
• Certified Reiki Master
• BGS, University of Connecticut
• Ordained Minister, Universal Life Church 2001
• Member, Connecticut Herb Association (CHA)
• Member, Northeast Organic Farmers Association, CT  (NOFA)
• Member, International Association of Reiki Professionals (IARP)

So, if you have any questions about who I am, what I do and how I can help you to help yourself, please just let me know! Join us on Facebook to stay in touch, receive event/class notices... or sign up for my monthly eNewsletter here!

Be well by Nature! Peace.

rose