Herbs & Earth Awareness, 2008
Good people, good royal greening verdancy,
Rooted in the sun,
You shine with radiant light
~ Hildegard of Bingen
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Sage Mountain. It’s been 20 years since we first began teaching and offering classes on this beautiful Mountain. I’ve lost count of how many people have traveled to this wild remote place to commune with nature, learn about herbal healing, and become more in touch with themselves through the teachings of the plants. The ‘students’ who have come have been our teachers and have gifted us in so many ways. It has been a feast for the heart and the spirits of the Mountain. Much has happened, of course, in 20 years. When we first moved here, there were no gardens or out buildings, no trails, no boardwalk to see the Ladies Slippers blooming in the early spring. But there was so much beauty and wild spirit here. It was manna for the soul.
Over the years we’ve created beautiful gardens that meander over the hillside, many of them accentuated with magical stone castles created by Uncle Eddie for the ‘little people’ of the gardens. The gardens are intoxicating and inviting to native pollinators, butterflies, birds and other creatures that call these gardens their home. Beyond the garden gates, are thousands of acres of wilderness. In many ways, these are our most favorite ‘gardens’ of all, untouched and wild.
So, it’s with a heart full of sadness that I write this newsletter to let our friends know that this will be our last year of offering classes at Sage Mountain. I started sharing and teaching about herbalism in 1972 when I was 22 years young. I opened my first herb store, began hosting large herbal events, founded the California School of Herbal Studies, and help start Traditional Medicinals all in the 1970’s. When I moved to Vermont in 1987, we started Sage Mountain Retreat Center. These have been wonderful years, filled with heart and spirit, wonderful adventures, incredible gatherings, amazing people, always with the beauty and the power of the plants guiding us.
But I feel the need to slow down, to let go, to surrender to what comes next. It’s an initiation process for me, a time of change as I pass menopause and enter into a new phase of life. People have asked me if this means I’ll never teach classes on the Mountain again. I only chuckle, because I have a hard enough time planning year to year, let along ‘forever’. But I do know that for the next couple of years, at least, I’m going on a ‘Sage Mountain Sabbatical’. We will still host the larger herbal gatherings ~ The International Herb Symposium, The Women’s Herbal Conference, and Sacred Teachings of the Plants ~ and continue to offer the Science and Art of Herbalism, my home study course, which I’m currently rewriting and updating. And, of course, we’ll continue to offer our Plant Lover’s Journey’s! We have a few new ones in the plans!
In our community in the heart of central Vermont, there is so much herbal abundance. We have a thriving Free Herbal Clinic, excellent herbal practitioners and teachers, organic herb farmers, and a new herb school has just started, The Vermont Center for Integrated Herbalism. Many of these fine herbalists were students at Sage Mountain and have gone on to create their own herbal dreams. In the traditions of our herbal elders, it’s the perfect time for me to step from the inner circle into the outer and become a voice of support and encouragement.
If you’ve never been to Sage Mountain, this is the year to visit. Come walk the trails, drum, do ceremony, and visit the beautiful Sage Mountain Gardens. Visitors are welcome on the weekdays. Please call the office first to confirm. Our Apprentice Programs and Advanced Herbal Training Program are full, but we have several other offerings, look around our site for more information.
On a last note, I’d like to encourage each of you who love plants, to join with us in our effort to preserve Native Medicinal Plants. Our work is making a difference but we need your help. Consider joining United Plants Savers and become a ‘Steward of Healing Herbs’. For a small amount you can make a big difference. For information visit the UpS website at www.plantsavers.org. Or call UpS at 802.476 – 6467.
With Green Blessings and a heart full of Love,
Rosemary Gladstar
SAGE, P.O. BOX 420, E. BARRE, VT 05649
Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 10-4 EST
• (802) 479-9825 • Fax (802) 476-3722 • http://www.sagemountain.com •
• sagemt@sagemountain.com •
Sage Mountain News
Family Herbal by Rosemary Gladstar
Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality Book Review
For over 30 years, Rosemary has been sharing her wisdom and knowledge of herbs and educating gardeners and natural healers alike about the power of plants for healing.
In the Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality, published by Storey Book, Rosemary Gladstar introduces readers to the amazing world of herbs. Through witty writing she shows average families how to use plants for a multitude of purposes in the home, kitchen and bathroom to promote health and stamina.
Ecological Impact of Herbalism
Gladstar immediately covers the growing ecological impact of herbal medicine and the damage that commercial interests can have on native plant populations. Family Herbal discusses sustainable practices for growing, harvesting and utilizing herbs and suggests how to find herbs from organic, cultivated or ethically harvesting companies.
Link : Read the Full Review
http://herbalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/family_herbal_by_rosemary_gladstar
Rosemary Gladstar, well known author and herbalist, opened HerbMentor.com's doors the evening of March 20, 2008 RIGHT at the Vernal Equinox. Enjoy this special interview...
Listen here: Rosemary Gladstar Interview
Join Rosemary Gladstar on
A Plant Lover’s Journey to Thailand, Laos, & Cambodia
November, 2008
We led our first Plant Lover’s Journey to South East Asia in 2006, and it was, truly, the trip of a life time. We fell deeply in love with this part of the world and expanded our understanding of the history and culture of these countries. The trip was heartwarming, heart opening, and at times heart wrenching as we visited people who have so much less than us materially but who are so rich in spirit. We’re going back again and invite you to join us! If you love adventure, have always dreamed of riding elephants in the jungle, love river travel, meeting new people, experiencing different cultures, and are willing to have your heart and mind opened wide by amazing experiences, then join us for this unforgettable adventure…
Sacred Gifts of the Earth, a Plant Lover’s Journey to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
South East Asia is a region of tremendous natural beauty, diverse cultures, ancient religions and magnificent temples. Though we visit some of the more renowned sites such as Angkor Watt (the ancient Khmer capitol of Cambodia), the Mekong River, Chiang Mai (Thailand’s principal northern City), and Luang Prabang (a World Heritage Site), we’ll spend most of our time in small villages meeting with the local people, immersing ourselves in village life, and learning directly from the local people about their culture and traditions.
SE Asia is renowned for its traditional healers, healing practices and natural therapies. We’ll have the opportunity to experience these first hand; the trip will include Thai massage and spa treatments, meditation and yoga, natural food cooking classes, herb classes and herb walks into the surrounding countryside with local herbalists and visits to local hospitals and rural schools. We’ll also bathe ourselves in the biological richness of South East Asia and experience the world as a group of caring loving nature/plant lovers walking gently upon the earth. This is a great opportunity for cultural exchange and sharing.
Experience a wide variety of cultural, spiritual and earthly delights
Early Registration Special
Register before March 31st 2008 & save $200
~ Press Here for Asia Journey Details ~
~ Press Here for Asia Journey Details ~
August 23, 1997 ~ January 25, 2008
Beloved friend of Rosemary, Robert, Harley, Tango, Pumpkin & Licorice
And Saint of Sage Mountain
Deva died peacefully at home in Rosemary’s arms on January 25, 2008
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