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In a time of great cultural change, now is the time to discover and deepen our relationship with Plants: our greatest teachers.  In this dynamic, comprehensive and transformative online program, you will learn the eloquent language of herbalism.

Through experiential group learning, you will be rooted in a community of fellow herbalists. With hands-on, practical teachings, you will cultivate a knowledge beyond any textbook.

May 2021 - October 2021

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If you are ready to awaken to the deep magic, grounded science and creative potential of plant medicine, this course is for you.

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Session1

SESSION 1

 Saturday May 29, 2021

Collective Plant Journey: Rose 

Live Session: Establishing connection with the Green Bloods upon the lands we live. Activating our nervous system to receive the wisdom of plants.

Video Sessions:

  • Introduction to Herbal Medicine (Peter Conway)
  • The Wild Medicinal Plant Walk (Amanda Howe)
  • The Art of Medicine Making: Internal Preparations (Seraphina Capranos)
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SESSION 2

Saturday June 26, 2021  

Collective plant journey: Comfrey 

Live Session: Deciphering the ways in which plants speak to us; a lesson on herbal energetics.

Video Sessions:

  • The Art of Herbal Medicine Making – External Preparations (Amanda Howe)
  • Herbal Body Products & Gift Making (Dr. Marisa Marciano)
  • The Medicinal Kitchen (Jennifer Brott)

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SESSION 3

Saturday July 24, 2021

Collective Plant Journey: Milky Oats

Live Session: The vital force: maintaining and replenishing.
Sexual Health and Core Energy

Video Session:

  • Materia Medica Introduction (Amanda Howe)
  • Materia Medica history, medicinal uses, growing and harvesting tips for more than three dozen herbs (Amanda Howe)

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SESSION 4

Saturday August 28th, 2021

Collective Plant Journey: Pine

Live Session: Protecting our Qi, preparing for Winter.

Video Sessions:

  • Herbal Therapeutics: Introduction to herbal actions, dosing and formulating (David Cauldwell)
  • The Digestive system and Cardiovascular system (David Cauldwell)
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SESSION 5

Saturday September 25, 2021

Collective Plant Journey: Holy Basil

Live Session: Anxiety & Depression

Video Sessions:

  • Herbal Therapeutics; The Respiratory system and The Nervous system, & The musculoskeletal system and Skin Health (David Cauldwell)
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SESSION 6

Saturday October 23, 2021

Collective Plant Journey: Elecampane

Live Session: Ancestral Healing Practices, The essence of nourishment and protecting our vital force

Video Sessions:

  • The reproductive system, urinary system and tonics and adaptogens (David Cauldwell)

Included: Pacific Rim College Home Herbalist Course

The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine offers incredible value to students as it includes access to the full Pacific Rim College Home Herbalist Course through Pacific Rim College Online (PRCO). The PRCO Home Herbalist Course focuses on the classical teachings of Western Herbalism and offers an excellent background for the home herbalist.

 

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The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine

How it works

• Upon enrolment students will receive a welcome and instructions for accessing the course and a link to the private Facebook Group.  

• 18-hours total of Live Zoom sessions with Seraphina. These are 3 hour classes take place a Saturday once a month between 10 am - 1 pm PDT (including a 20-minute break), from May 2021 thru to October 2021. These sessions are recorded if you cannot attend live. 

• You will be guided and welcomed with Seraphina’s warm, engaging, and inclusive teaching style through a Plant Meditation, where you will explore a particular herb and discover what unique teachings it has for you. Students will need to purchase a small sampling of each herb for these meditations from any herb seller. You will also be guided through a tutorial and a group discussion.

• Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact in real time. Sessions will be recorded and made available to students for review and as a resource for self-study.

• As part of the apprenticeship students will access the 46-hour Pacific Rim College Online (PRCO) Home Herbalist program taught by experienced faculty (value $890). 

• While you can certainly watch the PRCO course videos in advance, The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine is designed for us to work through the course together. This helps motivate students to complete the online course, plus you get mentorship from Seraphina through the process.  

• Students will receive a Certicate of Completion from Pacific Rim College once all homework is submitted. 

Herbs Featured in This Course

Arnica
Bearberry
Borage
Calendula
Chamomile
Comfrey
Dandelion
Echinacea
Elder
Elecampane
Garlic
Ginger
Hawthorn

Holy Basil
Hyssop
Lady’s Mantle
Lavender
Lemon Balm
Linden
Marshmallow
Meadow Sweet
Milk Thistle
Mint
Motherwort
Mullein
Nettle

Oats
Oregon Grape
Plantain
Red Clover
Rosemary
Rose
Sage
Skullcap
Thyme
Turmeric
Valerian
Wood Betony
Yarrow

READY?

This in-depth herbal program invites you to explore the richly varied, endlessly creative botanical universe. Delight in the wisdom that is revealed both in traditional knowledge and modern naturopathic practice. Access your innermost instincts as a healer, and embody the principles of self-care that are integral to the life of a medicine-maker.

Included are:

  • A total of  18-hours of Live teaching sessions with Seraphina
  • A total of 46 hours of pre-recorded video lessons with easily accessible, step-by-step guidance from master herbalists via Pacific Rim College Online - Home Herbalist Course 
  • One 490-page e-book (plus the option to buy a hardcopy) with lusciously detailed, beautiful instructions to follow along with every video lesson

This course is carefully calibrated to balance intuitive learning with practical knowledge.

Plant medicine is a lifelong journey: whether you are newly dipped in the herbal elixir or have been steeping for many years, this course will bring you nourishment and inspiration.

Learn Herbal Medicine Online the Alchemy of Herbal Medicine

May 2021 - October 2021

READY?
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INSTRUCTORS

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Seraphina began a professional study of natural medicine at Emerson College of Herbology and then completed a 4-year training in classical homeopathy. She been teaching herbal medicine for 15 years.

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Peter Conway trained as a Medical Herbalist in the UK where he ran a clinical practice for over 20 years.  In addition to seeing patients, Peter has taught herbal courses at several UK universities and other academic institutions.

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Amanda Howe has been a Herbalist for over thirty years. She trained in England in the early ’80s and became a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. She went on to receive her MSc in Herbal Medicine from the University of Wales.

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Dr. Marisa Marciano is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor & Registered Herbalist (AHG) with expertise in both the education and clinical applications of phytotherapy. She strives to empower both her patients and her students to take a “hands-on-herbal approach” to learn the arts & science of herbal medicine.

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David Caudwell studied Herbal Medicine at the College of Phytotherapy and the University of Wales. He has a passion for the world’s indigenous medicine systems, which has led to travel on five continents.

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Jennifer Brott is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. Her expertise and private practice are rooted in an unwavering commitment: to empower individuals to reach their health and wellness goals by providing them with the tools to thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

This course is for the person who has a desire to deepen their relationship with herbs. They wish to understand the sacred, scientific, medicinal and mystical message of our green allies. This course is for the individual who wants to better understand: healing, wholeness, health, disease, and form their own personal definitions of these words. It is for the individual who enjoys learning with like-minded people, and who can appreciate the diversity that exists among a group setting

This course is likely not the right fit for you:

  • if you are interested solely in the medical approach to botanical medicine 
  • if online learning is a challenge for you 
  • if you are averse to a group setting or impatient with class discussion 
  • if you do not have access to a computer with video and microphone capabilities.

Yes, in the Pacific Rim College Online Home Herbalist certificate there is online submissions of medicine making assignments, developing materia medica/plant monographs of individual plants and short online module quizzes.  However, these are all optional. 

I teach a select group of herbs deeply. I was taught that a successful herbalist knows over a hundred uses of just one herb, rather than knowing just one use of a hundred herbs. I have found this to be true. The focus is on herbs that are common to the western herbal tradition such as elderberry, yarrow, calendula, echinacea and many more. Like many herbs, these are "weeds" and fairly easy to grow across various regions or even in pots.  I do not believe that herbal medicine needs to be expensive, nor should people rely solely on buying herbs commercially. In the case of the recent pandemic relying on commercial herbs made it challenging to acquire herbs. Also relying on commercial herbs, you may know where the herbs were grown but what about soil quality, harvesting practices, were the herbs wild-crafted or cultivated, were pesticides used etc. Herbalism is about using the bounty of herbs growing in your backyard and your neighbourhood.

I teach the energetics of herbs based on a medicine wheel, and weave the wisdom of materia medica and client care based on my background as a classical homeopath. 

After completing the Home Herbalist Course from Pacific Rim College Online you will receive a certificate as a home herbalist, however this is not sufficient training to set up a clinical practice. While anyone can call themselves a herbalist and offer herbs to people,  you can not prescribe or “see patients”. You may educate about herbs, diet and lifestyle habits and make suggestions to help people to find balance or homeostasis. I recommend you pursue professional training beyond this course.  Not just in herbs but in anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, diagnostics, ethics and so forth that culminates in at least a two-thousand-hour program. The practice of herbalism is not officially regulated and certification is complicated. 

The training that is required to become a qualified health practitioner is much greater than the Home Herbalist Certificate and what I have to offer at this time. I recommend naturopathic college, Pacific Rim College’s Diploma of Phytotherapy, Homeopathy School, Acupuncture School or another professional program. In addition, I recommend seeking hands-on training with an experienced herbalist/mentor where you see clients and gain feedback from your mentor.

Yes, all Zoom video calls will be recorded for later viewing for a maximum of one year after the program ends.  This provides the opportunity to watch and re-watch at anytime to maximize your learning. You will have life-time access to the Pacific Rim College online videos.

Students may be refunded 80% of course registration price within the first 7 days of the course start date. There are no refunds after 7 days of course registration, including for those students on payment plans.

 

TESTIMONIALS

Tessa

Seraphina is a powerful and gifted teacher.  Weaving together scientific frameworks with intuitive ways of knowing, she supports her students to dive deep into the mystery of plant medicine and holistic healing.
 
Infused with beauty, ritual, and heart, her classes open up a space in between worlds -rooted in the physical and simultaneously immersed in the ever expansive spiritual realm of which we are all a part of. 
 
Seraphinas warmth and deep presence supports her students to connect with their own intuition, inner wisdom and ancestral ways of knowing that are rooted deeply within our bodies.  This is a precious and vital gift in a world that often has many of us disconnected, disempowered, and severed from our own truth and wholeness.  Re-membering our way back into relationship with ourselves, each other and the land is a deep deep medicine and Seraphina guides this journey with skill, integrity, compassion and wisdom. 
 
TESSA,
Nurse 

Jordynn

Studying with Seraphina has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Her teachings have profoundly impacted my life in a variety of ways, even outside the realm of herbal medicine. Not only have I gained knowledge and confidence working with medicinal plants, I have been introduced to the innate healing power we all carry within, the complexity & sacredness of the healing journey, and a whole new outlook on how I see the world, the plant realm and my Self. Seraphina is an incredibly wise, grounded, captivating and humble teacher. I truly couldn’t of asked for a better mentor as I walk the healing path. I particularly appreciate the way she seamlessly weaves together the sacred and ancient with the scientific and modern. Thanks to Seraphina I feel competent and confident to treat myself, loved ones, and clients, teach workshops, and formulate beautiful and effective remedies. Studying with Seraphina has truly been a blessing! I highly recommend her programs to folks of all levels of herbal medicine experience.  

JORDYNN
Maria

My experience with Seraphina as a mentor of mine in the Alchemy of Herbal Medicine course allowed me to sink deeply into my roots as a herbalists and expanded my awareness into my own capacity as a healer. Seraphina provides a safe container for her students to explore themselves and for their own inner wisdom to come shining through. Her own wisdom radiates through in a manner that invites you in, comforts you, and gives you the curiosity to learn more. She is a sensational teacher who pours her heart into her work as a mentor and into the beauty of who she is and what she creates. She doesn’t just teach herbalism, she awakens you to the power of the plants themselves. She guides you on a profound journey home to yourself and your power within.

MARIA R,
Herbalist, Mama & gardner
 

Moss

As a budding herbalist, I had read a lot of herbal books and tried a lot of things at home. As a student in Seraphina’s Alchemy of Herbal Medicine program, I gained skills in medicine-making, and deepened my understanding of the materia medica. My relationship with many herbs was forged, and my apothecary expanded. As a graduate of the program, I was prepared to support loved ones to find better health through herbal remedies. I can’t thank Seraphina enough for sharing her wisdom and hard-won herbal knowledge and practice in this program—we need more empowered community and family herbalists in this world.
 
MOSS DANCE,
student of Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbalist, and homesteader

Laura

From the moment that I started with Seraphina in her herbal training I knew that I belonged. In previous herbal courses I always felt slightly overwhelmed and as if I would never be able to memorize the properties and preparation of the hundreds of assigned herbs weekly. With Seraphina, she showed me that my body and my unconscious mind hold so much of this information already and that with herbs, knowing fewer herbs more intimately will deepen your practice and confidence. With her guidance and mentorship, I was able to access and encourage my inner knowing and allow it to grow and flourish along with the herbs surrounding me. By the time I completed her training, I was itching for more but was also left feeling confident in knowing how treat that itch with a plethora of local wildcrafted herbs ;). I know without a shred of doubt that if you choose Seraphina, you will not regret it. Welcome to a beautiful community that weaves magic, lore and practical herbal knowledge into an accessible format that guides you to build a community, your inner knowing and weaves herbs and magic into your daily life.

LAURA H,
RN, MScN:FNP student
Ashley

Since taking The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine with Seraphina my view of the world has been drastically changed. I see medicine everywhere, and have such a deeper appreciation for the spirit of the plants as well as their physical constituents. The plant sits that we did in this program were amazing. The plant journeys that she took us on will stay with me forever. This was my first dive into holistic medicine and it was 100% the best place to start. She is a warm, passionate, and insanely knowledgeable teacher with such a beautiful and grounding energy. With her expertise in homeopathic medicine alongside herbs, Seraphina adds another layer to her teachings that you won't find in the common literature. This is more than just a herbal medicine course. Seraphina holds a container for transformation and healing with her huge heart and expansive tool kit of wisdom. Whether you are new to herbs or have been exploring them for awhile, I believe this course has something for everyone.
 
ASHLEY,
Massage Therapist 

Bonnie

After researching several programs and teachers, I made my choice to go ahead with Seraphina Capranos and her course The Alchemy of Herbal Medicine. And wow, what a wise decision it was. With both her professional background and being a generational Herbalist, Seraphina has a rare and natural gift of translating deep wisdom through educational templates. Her course was incredibly informative, organized and was the first real open door for me, into the world of Herbalism. I found each part of her program to be a clear and concise glimpse into the beautiful connection that is possible, and dare I say necessary, with the natural world. Thanks to this program and Seraphina, years later, I now walk through the world with confidence in identifying, foraging, contemplation and medicine making with the plants.
 
BRIGID DEVOE,
Facilitator at Elemental Eros, Founder at Moonrise Project

Lisa

Taking the Alchemy of Herbal Medicine course with Seraphina Capranos was one of the best things I have done for myself in a very long time! The course was both very practical as well as almost mystical and ethereal at times. Along with all of the information about the various herbs that we covered there was a large component of health and wellness and body systems. Seraphina wove it all together quite seamlessly. Her wealth of Knowledge and her ability to deliver all of this vast amount of information in very accessible ways made learning easy and enjoyable under her compassionate and supportive  tutelage. Since completing this wonderful educational program I have been absolutely delighting in gathering herbs and creating tinctures, syrups, salves and creams throughout the seasons! 

 
LISA S
@thesingingamma 
Bree
Seraphina is an amazing, compassionate, natural teacher. Through her Alchemy of Herbal Medicine course, I’ve learned so much about myself and many wonderful plants that are there for our benefit. She has a deep understanding of the different plants, their nuances and complexities, and how they work in harmony with the body, mind, and spirit of an individual. She brings vast clinical experience into her lessons yet shares this in an engaging way. Studying with her has taught me so much, I can’t recommend this course enough.  
 

BREE,
Nutritionist
 https://ecohumanhealth.com  breez_kitchen instagram 

Tina

At a time in my life where I felt utterly lost  and going through major hormonal changes, I came upon Seraphina's Program.  There never goes a day that I am not grateful I learnt from Seraphina. She teaches in a way that allows you to tap into your own innate being to really hear, feel and see what a particular plant has to offer. Seraphina teaches with pure love of the plant world, which you may not find in a conventional setting. When I started to work with plants in the way she teaches I learned to listen to my own inner wisdom and started to become into a more vibrant state of mind, heart and soul. Seraphina brings her ancestral knowledge alongside her educational knowledge and the combination is beautiful. She has a soft and yet potent way of teaching, you are sure to have a journey of a lifetime when you step into her virtual classroom. 
 
TINA LLEWELLYN
Langley BC 

Tracie

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my herbal apprenticeship with Seraphina Capranos. The information has been remarkably useful and deeply interesting. I've especially appreciated the balance of right brain / left brain learning supported with practical hands on experience. Seraphina is an extremely knowledgeable and competent teacher. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of and confidence in herbal medicine.
 
TRACIE MCINTYRE
Still Mountain Farm Salt Spring Island
  www.stillmountainfarm.com

Aly

Taking Seraphina's course was one of the best decisions I've made with my herbal medicine studies. She is so knowledgeable, patient, sincere, and personable and makes the lessons clear and memorable. I've taken other courses where the teachers zoom through herbs and I don't absorb the information, but Seraphina makes sure the class takes their time to really get to know the herbs and their properties on a physical and even emotional level. I felt so connected with plants while taking the course, it inspired and encouraged me to work with them seasonally and make beautiful medicine without feeling intimidated by the process. I can't recommend Seraphina's herbal course enough, it is something that will stick with you for a lifetime.
 
ALY COY
@alybarefootdaughtercoy

Ready

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One Payment $1500

 

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Two Payments of $760

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Three Payments of $550

In Canada? Click here

Experienced Herbalist Option

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Are you already an experienced medicine-maker? Or already enrolled in a qualifying Herbalist Program? I am offering my mentorship program without Pacific Rim's Home Herbalist Program & guidebook for $750 to qualifying applicants. Please email us with your experience to enrol: [email protected]

Please email us with your experience to enrol: [email protected]
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In recognition that financial circumstance often correlates to systems of privilege and oppression, there are some scholarship spaces set aside for BIPOC.  Scholarships are limited and on a first come basis.

We welcome all genders, all gender histories, all races, all ages and sexual orientations and all those differences of life situation, background, and ability that increase our diversity. As we know, nature prefers diversity as it creates strong, healthy ecosystems. 

All living beings are worthy of respect. All are supported by the sacred elements of air, fire, water and earth. We work to create and sustain communities and cultures that embody our values, that can help to heal the wounds of the earth and her peoples, and that can sustain us and nurture future generations.

Seraphina will donate a portion of proceeds to RAVEN - Respecting Indigenous Values and Environmental Needs - supporting access to justice for Indigenous Nations. 

 

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