Humorum Practicum: Elements, humours and temperaments in western herbalism

Humorum Practicum: Elements, humours and temperaments in western herbalism

January 26, 2017 – January 29, 2017

10-5

thursday
In order to understand temperaments, we have to understand the context they arose from. The temperaments correlate to the elements of earth, air, fire and water, and these elements give rise to humours and the energetic principles of heat and cold, dampness and dryness, tension and laxity. Understanding these patterns, and how temperaments and energetics work together gives an important framework for using the temperaments in a practical manner. We'll also look at how historical and social themes affected our understanding of temperaments, adapting, refining and misrepresenting them over time.

friday
We'll spend the day exploring the melancholic and sanguine 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 herbs can be used to exacerbate and balance them?

saturday
We'll continue looking deeply at the temperaments, this time focusing on the choleric and phlegmatic. As with friday, we'll be exploring the temperaments from various angles and discussing herbs too.

sunday
Just as the color brown cannot be reduced down to one of the primary colors it is made up of, understanding single temperaments isn't enough to make use of this constitutional model: we have to consider combinations. We have to see how an individual manifests each of their humours, which are in balance and which are not, and consider how their environment and experience has affected the expression of their temperament.

$375 or sign up before January 1st for $350

We will be meeting 15 minutes South of Bellingham in Bow, WA. The address will be given upon registration or feel free to contact leslie {at} wildrootbotanicals {dot} com for more information.

About the Instructors:
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 folk and indigenous 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 website www.herbcraft.org which lists his offerings and conveys his thoughts of plants and herbalism.

Rebecca Altman is a Scottish herbalist living in Los Angeles, California (that cool state that everyone knows the location of so it doesn't need descriptors). She began her study of bioregional herbalism interning with a herbalist and nutritionist in Palm Desert in the early aughts. After this she commenced a practice of energetic and emotional healing in the Maker tradition (a European shamanic tradition) and then moved to Los Angles to attend Chinese Medical School. Her ongoing studies have led her to a form of somatic therapy that she's now studying in Berlin, Germany. Her approach to healing incorporates energetic healing, bioregional herbalism, somatic therapy, western herbal energetics, and a smattering Chinese medicine. Rebecca makes and sells herbal products online at www.kingsroadapothecary.com and offers her writings at www.thornandwonder.com