The Ravensong Herbal Apprenticeship Program
Registration for the 2024 Ravensong Herbal Apprenticeship Program is now open! Classes start March 30th.
We are now welcoming applications! Please read through the entire course description and FAQ below. If you are sure this program is the right fit for you, please fill out the application form at the bottom of the page and submit asap. Please note that space is limited and this one-of-a-kind course is known to fill up quickly.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Your guides
Jessy Delleman has been working full time with the medicine plants as a herbalist, teacher, herb grower, wild-crafter, and medicine maker since 2008. Previous to falling head over heals into the magical world of plant medicine, she studied horticulture, fine arts, and biology. Jessy is the founder of Ravensong Seeds & Herbals, and created the Ravensong Herbal Apprenticeship Program in 2015. Each year she works to evolve the Programs teachings, striving to create an offering that is guided by, and deeply infused with, the wisdom of the medicine plants and the rhythms of nature.
The Apprenticeship is supported by assistant instructor Harmony Pillon who has been an intrinsic part of the Program since its creation. Harmony has attended each apprenticeship year since the program's conception, and is the assistant manager of Ravensong Seeds & Herbals. She offers a wealth of unique experiential knowledge that ties together many modalities and traditions. She enjoys steeping herself fully in the exploration of the plants though plant meditations, botanical drawing, and the study of medical astrology.
Location
All classes take place in person, on location in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island BC. There will be additional field trips to local natural areas for plant walks and wildcrafting.
Accommodation
Accommodation is not offered on site. There are several campgrounds accommodating vehicle and tent camping, as well as several Airbnb rentals available in the area. Plus dozens of cabin rentals at nearby Seratoga Beach.
Program fees
$2950 total. Fees include all course books and materials, as well as herbs and medicine making supplies for all lessons. A tuition deposit of $350 is required upon acceptance into the program. The remaining tuition can be paid in full on the first day of class, or in 4 instalments throughout the course.
Class Dates
Classes take place one weekend per month from March 30th through October 27th, for a total of eight weekend intensives (112 hours of in-person instruction). Each class day is held from 9am-4pm. Attendance is expected for all classes. Class dates can be found in the COURSE DETAILS PDF.
COURSE SYLLABUS
Vitalist Herbal Theory
Fundamental to Vitalist theory is the awareness of nature's intelligence. There is a wisdom, or vital force, in nature that is always returning to balance. Within our bodies lies that same wisdom, and vital force.
Daily life is continually throwing us off balance and we are continually readjusting to maintain health and wellness. In an attempt to heal itself and return to balance the body expresses symptoms, these symptoms are the language of the body.
“This herbal apprenticeship filled me up in ways I couldn’t have expected. While of course I learned so much about various plant species and their properties, Jessy and Harmony offer so much more than just another program on the science of herbalism. These two facilitators are humble, dedicated interpreters of plant teachings and wisdom, gently guiding students to learn how to listen and hear for themselves this mysterious language of roots, leaves and flowers. With warmth and curiosity, students are encouraged within an environment of true community to develop their own herbal medicine path by forging direct relationships to the more-than-human world.”
To foster wellness, this language must be listened to rather than suppressed. When we learn to listen to the wisdom of our bodies, and of the earth and nature, a deep wellness and vitality can emerge. Plant medicines are valuable in supporting the body's natural ability to heal itself and return to homeostasis, through their effects on our physiology and mental health, as well as our spiritual well-being.
Throughout the Apprenticeship we will be returning to rest in these foundational principles, helping to ensure our practice of herbal medicine is truly holistic in nature.
Materia Medica
With our materia medica lessons we explore the medicinal uses and actions of the individual plant species, as well as how to identify the plants in nature, and species-specific harvesting and medicine preparation.
The program focuses only on plants that can be found in our local ecosystem. It includes native plants and weeds growing wild, as well as Ayurvedic and traditional Western herbs growing in our herb gardens.
Timed with the first burst of emerging buds in spring and concluding with the fallen leaves and restfulness of autumn, the Apprenticeship takes place through the most vital time of the year when the plants are awake and abundant all around us.
Surrounded by nature and the medicine plants at the farm and in the wild, a unique feature of the program is the opportunity to meet and spend time with each and every plant covered in your materia medica. We will be using our senses to discover the plants medicine by looking, touching, smelling, tasting, listening, and feeling each plant as we spend time with them through the season.
Medicine Making
The Ravensong apprenticeship offers a solid foundation in the art and science of herbal medicine making. This is a strong component of the course providing students with the opportunity to produce plant medicines from start to finish: from seed to plant to finished herbal product.
“Before I entered into the Herbal Apprenticeship Program, my knowledge of plant medicine was limited to general information I’d picked up from textbooks. Following eight months of highly experiential learning, my life has been transformed by the relationships I’ve formed with both classmates and local plants. I feel confident these connections will deepen every year as I now have the ability to identify and work with the plants in their various life stages. The course was supported by comprehensive written materials and time spent sitting in silence with select plant beings, providing a holistic view of their medicines. Jessy and Harmony are excellent facilitators; knowledgeable, fun, creative, and active stewards of the land here on Vancouver Island. A unique course that empowers one to continue learning and practicing as a lifestyle.”
Class time will be spent with hands-on lessons in medicine making. Studying at the herb farm gives us the benefit of witnessing peak harvest times to inform our practice and enhance the medicinal potency of our herbals. Medicine making preparations covered during the course include teas, tinctures, double extracts, herbal vinegars, hydrosols, infused oils and salves.
Botany & Herb Growing
The apprenticeship explores how to work with the vital force of nature to grow potent medicines in the home garden. We will discuss basic botany topics such as taxonomy, plant identification, propagation, and garden care through the season as it applies to growing and harvesting medicinal herbs. Integrated hands-on learning in the herb garden will take place throughout the course.
Ethical Wildcrafting
Harvesting plants from the wild in an ethical, and truly sustainable way, means having a real, living relationship with the land. It means understanding the manner in which each plant grows, so that when you harvest it you act to increase its growth and well-being, rather that harm it or deplete it in any way.
Ethical harvesting necessitates an awareness of the needs of the plants, as well other species and traditions that exist in relationship with the plants. Building a relationship to the land takes many years of observation and dedication. It is something that, just like in all of nature, is always evolving and changing. To practice ethical wildcrafting is to be forever a student of nature.
Throughout the course there will be field trips to local natural areas to spend time with the wild medicine plants in their natural habitats.
Plant Spirit Medicine
The plants are our greatest teachers. There isn’t a book, video, podcast, program, or instructor that can instil in us the deep-rooted knowledge that comes from learning directly from the plants themselves.
Speaking a language that we once all new and understood, the plants can offer us direct knowledge of their medicine. Learning this language is a practice, a refining and reawakening of the inherent senses we have laying dormant within us.
Throughout the Apprenticeship we will be learning how to open to the wisdom of the plants, and gain insight through direct communion and heart-centred perception. When we humble ourselves in gratitude to our plant teachers, potent wisdom and insight can be gained, both of the plant's medicine and of ourselves and our own true natures.
COURSE FAQ
Q: What is the vision for this program?
The vision for the program is to give the student a foundation in herbal medicine that is experiential in nature and in direct connection with the plants themselves; while providing a tangible skill set that can easily be taken forward into practice and applied to daily life. The apprenticeship is not designed to simply give you another opportunity to consume information, but rather to embody true knowledge through experiential learning. The program is designed to help you become a carrier of plant wisdom, and connect to a living tradition that has been passed down over thousands of years.
Q: What makes this program different from other herbal programs?
A: What makes this program unique is that every class takes place on our herb farm, and in the surrounding wilds, where the opportunities to engage with the medicine plants in person are abundant and strongly encouraged. The building of real relationships with the actual living plants is something that we believe is essential to calling oneself a herbalist. The course is taught from the Vitalist perspective, which emphasizes a truly holistic approach to working with herbal medicine, rather than a symptomatic, ‘this herb for that’ or ‘medical’ approach.
Q: Are students required to adhere to a particular set of protocols, or a certain agenda or narrative?
A: Absolutely not! We do not police students, enforce protocols, or require you to adhere to any particular social or political narrative. What does this really mean? - that you are free to be genuinely you with your own unique thoughts, beliefs and perspectives, even if they go against the grain, and we won’t call you out for that. We don’t care if you consider yourself a Liberal or a Conservative, or are vaccinated or unvaccinated (we will never ask). We trust in your inherent goodness and believe in meeting everyone where they are at with acceptance and love. We hope you will help us to create a warm and welcoming space in honour of each other, the plants, and this magical journey!
Q: Is this course open to anyone? Do I need experience to apply?
A: This course is open to all people, from all walks of life, with or without experience. While many of our students come into the program as complete novices, it is also just as common for others to have completed previous herbal courses or programs. The only prerequisite is a continued passion for learning about plants, natural health and healing, and a commitment to show up fully to the best of your ability and dive deep into the experience!
Q: What will I take away as a graduate of this course?
A: You will gain a solid foundation in herbal medicine built from direct experience and practice, rather than simply thoery and textbook learning. Graduates will walk away with a firm grasp of how to grow and gather herbs, identify plants in the wild, make a wide variety of potent medicinal extracts, formulate effective remedies based on holistic theory, understand the language of the body, connect with plants for spiritual healing, deepen relationship to the seasons, nature, self and community.
Q: How are the class days structured?
A: Each class day is structured with at least half the day spent outdoors in activities such as meeting the plants, learning medicine making, practicing plant spirit medicine, practicing plant id on native plant walks, learning harvesting methods from the wild and the farm. The other half is spent in our cozy geodesic dome classroom with various lessons on the foundational theory behind holistic herbal practice, including herbal actions, energetics, constitutional theory, formulation, and case study exercises.
Q: What is the class size? Student to teacher ratio?
Due to the hands-on format of the course we usually take around 18 students. Both instructors will be present at each class, providing a wealth of experience between them, and a supportive atmosphere that allows for discussion and plenty of time for Q & A.
Q: Do you offer a payment plan for tuition? What about trades?
A: Yes, a four instalment payment plan is available for all students; a small admin fee is added to the payment plan. Trades may be available by request. We often need help with cleaning, construction, farm labour. Or do you have a special skill ? ~ let us know what services or goods you have to offer.
Q: Will written course materials be provided?
Yes. Each student will recieve a printed and bound, highly detailed, 277 page Materia Medica book written by Jessy. The book contains detailed monographs of all local and wild plants studied in the course, with colour photos of each. Students will also recieve a large binder of theory notes also written by the instructor, over 200 pages in length.
Q: Is a general course outline available?
A: Yes, last years course outline may be viewed here: Course Outline
Q: How much homework will be required?
A: Students will be expected to complete a short assignment following each class; with an extracurricular time requirement of 4-6hrs monthly.
Q: Will there be any quizzes, exams, or longer assignments?
There will occasionally be fun hands-on quizzes that will allow students to build confidence in materia medica and plant id. There won’t be any exams, but there is one longer Plant Ally Assignment required. Students will be assigned one plant to work with more deeply, details for this assignment can be read here: Plant Ally Assignment details.
Q: What plants will we be learning about during the course? Is a plant list available?
A: The program focuses only on plants that can be found or grown in our local ecosystem. View the Materia Medica plant list.
student testimonials
“The program is the most inclusive I have found in terms of covering much more than textbook theory. Every class is packed with information on topics like materia medica, plant spirit medicine, cultivation, energetic theories and systems, wildcrafting, clinical application, and hands-on medicine making (lots!), and Jessy’s tips from her years of experience. The days were well structured to include both theory lectures and discussion, and hands on application. The little assignments and class exercises were a good way to confirm and consolidate the material, without feeling overly stressed about being evaluated or graded based on what you can memorize. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone seriously wanting experiential knowledge of the plant medicines they are working with.” - Dawn
“I walked into this course with only some knowledge of our beloved plant kingdom, and walked out with more confidence and trust within myself. This journey was a multi level adventure, and I would recommend the medicine of this course to anyone that wants to gain deeper knowledge of our Plant allies, as well as deeper insight into self. The learning is never ending when it comes to our natural world, and Jessy and Harmony, were very patient, loving, understanding, and open to all questions I would bring to class.” - Octavia
“The Herbal Apprenticeship has been a deeply profound experience for me. I came in as a plant newbie, and after nine months of studying, I am leaving with a sense of confidence in my ability to identify plants, harvest sustainably and make medicine. As a bonus, I feel a renewed sense of balance in my emotional, physical and spiritual health because of the work I’ve felt compelled to dig into on this journey. Connecting with the plants in person has been deeply nourishing for my soul and I really enjoyed that aspect of this course. Jessy & Harmony both bring a wealth of knowledge, passion and warmth to the course material and I would not hesitate to join them again on this plant path. Thank you for creating this space for others to share and find their passion!” - Shanna
“Jessy and Harmony hold a wealth of knowledge about medicinal plants, which they shared in real time. This kind of experiential learning is exactly what I was after when I enrolled in the program since you just can’t get it from books or videos. I loved the hands on aspect of the program and the opportunities for discussions and questioning. I gained confidence in developing relationships with the plant and working with their medicine. I feel comfortable making my own medicine and experimenting freely. I am really grateful for this program.” - Sony
“I started the course wanting to understand how better to use herbs for the health and wellbeing of my family. What actually happened was something akin to an awakening. I have learnt so much about these amazing plants and also myself in this process. I have deepened my connection to the natural world and have a developed an even greater respect and appreciation for these herbal wonders. Jessy has so much knowledge to share and being able get hands-on experience in how to grow, connect, harvest and transform these herbs into powerful medicines has been empowering and life changing. My confidence and curiosity is at a whole new level and I am excited to see where the journey goes from here. I am truly grateful for the opportunity and for all Jessy’s wisdom and experience.” - Katherine
“I came into this program with a beginner knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants and I am blown away by how much I’ve learned. I’ve become so confident with my plant identification and medicine making, and I feel like I’ve been able to build strong connections with the local flora here. It’s incredible how far I’ve come in such a relatively short period of time. The knowledge I’ve gained really is indescribable. I feel so lucky that I was able to join, it really has changed my life and changed how I view our forests and plant friends. Courses like this one are slowly but surely changing the world. ” - Kaitlin
“Jessy’s love and advocacy for plants and the natural world is truly inspiring. As a teacher, she communicates through her passion to create a holistic and deeply connected learning environment. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs is backed by years of dedication and her own personal experiences. She encompasses biological understanding, herbal energetics and plant spirit medicine into her teachings which has made my learning experience incredibly enriching. Jessy’s apprenticeship program is a reflection of her deep seeded knowledge and I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to strengthen their relationship with ‘self’ and our ancient plant allies.” - Justyne
“I recently read a post somewhere describing herbalism as a form of activism and, having finished the Herbal Apprenticeship Program, I couldn’t agree more. The program has helped me cultivate a deeper and far more meaningful relationship with plants than I ever could have gained simply by reading reference books, with the relationships and first-hand knowledge I’ve acquired spurring a meaningful change in my own personal life. The time I’ve spent with Jessy learning about plants – how they grow, how they heal, and the powerful part they can play in enriching our lives – has been transformative. For me, the Herbal Apprenticeship Program has served as a form of activism in the very fact of empowering me to take an active role in my own health and that of my community. Herbalism is often called ‘the peoples’ medicine’, and I believe the Apprenticeship offers students an invaluable link between knowing this, and experiencing it firsthand.” - Megan
“This program offers a hands-on curriculum which includes wildcrafting, medicine making, an introduction to plant spirit medicine and a broad range of information on materia medica, particularly focusing on our local native plants. The course is set up perfectly from spring seeding to fall harvest and everything in between; structured yet held in a casual and friendly atmosphere, with room for class discussion and group learning. I now feel comfortable making a wide range of herbal medicines... My family and friends are benefitting from my knowledge and I have even managed, under Jessy’s direction, to prevent the use of antibiotics with my son, which was a huge milestone for me. I got much better with plant identification, and love that every day of class included time outdoors.” - Dee
program application
Before proceeding please make sure you have read the Program Details, Course Syllabus, Course FAQ, and Student Testimonials above, as well as the COURSE DETAILS PDF.
To apply for the 2024 Ravensong Herbal Apprenticeship Program please fill out and submit the form below. Please answer all questions thoughtfully and in detailed long-form answers. Once accepted in the program, a non-refundable tuition deposit of $350 is required to hold your spot in the program.