Soul of Herbalism

Where plants & Spirit bring healing to Life

Now accepting applications for 2025!

Begin your Soul-Led Journey into Herbalism

All programs runs through the growing season, April to October, in the gardens, outdoor classroom & clinic space at Dandelion Farm, 15 minutes west of London, Ontario.

Year One classes run every other Monday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm (plus inspiring online/guest in person classes).

Instructors: Valerie Paquette, Registered Herbalist & guest instructors.

This course is suitable for both beginner and advanced herbalists.

Community Herbalist Certificate program

YEAR ONE - Immersion Program

Gain confidence as a healer through deep communion with the plants around you. You'll graduate this course with the knowledge to safely and effectively treat common ailments, make medicines and notice the actions of herbs on the body. The community that is created through sitting together in a circle as women brings our ancestral wisdom alive. Note: Year 1 is a pre-requisite for Year 2 & 3.

YEAR TWO & Three - DEEP DIVE PROGRAM

Many Community Herbalists will want to take their herbal studies deeper. Year two offers a chance to deepen your relationship with specific plants and concentrates on advanced medicine making, formulations for specific ailments, and participating in clinic treatment. The Year Two Deep Dive Program creates a solid base for the serious herbalist.

Kendal M., graduate & community herbalist

"Being able to treat and support my friends & family with medicine I can grow has to be the very best thing I have done for myself since becoming an adult!"

Shannon, graduate & owner Booch Organic Kombucha

"These life skills will carry with me for my whole life and generations to come. I'm grateful to Val for holding the space for us to grow!"

Marlo R., graduate & community herbalist

"It felt good to be learning in a way that was peaceful and caring. [Val] is so attuned to the flow of the group. Her genuineness and love is so felt."

We start by planting seeds

Our season begins with planting the seeds of our eventual harvest.

Leave class with plant starts to tend in your own home.

We will all be caretakers of the established herbal gardens on the property, from growing each annual seedling to introducing new plants, and caring for the perennial plants throughout the season as new growth emerges.

The best way to get to know a plant is by growing it, learning how to care for and when to harvest each individual plant. By interacting with them at every stage of growth you will easily recognize them in the wild or in gardens.

Connection to Plant Spirit

Connecting with the plants as complex, whole beings meets us as complex, whole humans. Meditations and relationship with the Plant Spirit opens the doorway to the wisdom of all things. Different ways to tap into our own intuition are woven throughout our learning, and a core of this course.

We connect with Nature, and with our own true selves.

Reflections and meditation with Plant Spirit will help us deepen into our study.

Materica Medica

We will explore 40+ herbs in depth throughout the course, studying physical medicinal actions and uses and connecting with the energetics of the plant. Tasting both tea and tincture (and being with fresh herb if possible) helps us to engage deeply with the plants.

Self study in between classes: Take home preparations of teas and/or tinctures will be given each class to explore with between classes.

Harvest Herbs & Medicine Making

As each plant in the medicinal garden beds matures we will begin harvesting and preparing each one, from the tender spring greens to the roots in the fall, and making medicines as appropriate.

Learn the methods for making salves, flower essences, infused oils, glycerites, tinctures, tonics, capsules, syrups, tea blends, vinegars, fire cider, and using herbs as home/kitchen remedies.

Anna, graduate &
community herbalist

"Since learning to connect with plants, I have lived a healthier, more fulfilled and authentic life. It was Valerie who taught me how to make those connections. I highly recommend any course or workshop she offers!"

Michelle, graduate &
community herbalist

"Valerie’s ‘Soul of Herbalism’ course creates a space where people come to community to learn and grow in our interconnected relationships with nature’s plant gifts and each other. It was of great value to me in helping to point where my passions lie and how diverse a journey we can all take in our common interest."

Carrie, graduate & community herbalist

"This course has been one of the greatest joys in my life. It is so much more than receiving the beautiful, important teachings of healing plants: It has opened the flood gates for an inner healing journey. A journey back home to myself."

Meet your instructor

Valerie Paquette
Program Director, Soul of Herbalism I & II

Valerie spent 4 glorious years at Pacific Rim College, in Victoria BC, deeply immersed in herbal studies. Graduating in 2016 with a Diploma of Phytotherapy, Magna cum laude, she moved to Poplar Hill Ontario to open a herbal clinic and joined the OHA as a Registered Herbalist. Valerie’s clinic work and courses have evolved to connect deeply with Plant Spirit medicine. A passionate medicinal plant gardener, she sells plant starts each year to spread Earth medicine far and wide! Valerie is called to connect people with their personal plant allies and their own inner Light.

It is a joy to facilitate the the Soul of Herbalism Program. Watching students discover and develop their innate skills and inner knowing about plants is so powerful. It is my deep core belief that everyone can access this form of healing. No experience necessary (except being a human). It is my honour to teach this art to those who are called to it. Please reach out with any questions you have!

Warmly,

Valerie Paquette, RH

Guest Instructors

Taylor Jeffrey

Registered Herbalist

Foundations of Hydrosol Distillation

Learn more about Taylor at thehollyhock.ca

Tony Oakworth

Registered Herbal Therapist, Instructor at Pacific Rim College

Therapeutics & Materica Medica of Commonly Found Medicinal Mushrooms

Learn more about Tony at woodwardherb.com

Bree Nabholz

Registered Herbalist, Instructor at Wild Rose College &
Pacific Rim College

Introduction to Ayurveda

Learn more about Bree at wildyarrow.ca

Evelyn Mueller

Community Herbalist & Creator of The Lion's Tooth

Introduction to Phytochemistry

Learn more about Evelyn at thelionstooth.ca

Katie Gayatri Jeresky

Community Herbalist, Certified Forest Therapy Guide,
Certified Yoga Teacher

Forest Bathing Walk & Introduction to Tree Medicine

Find Katie on Instagram at @katiejeresky

Your Classroom

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also includes

YEAR ONE - Immersion Program

all medicine making supplies
teas & tinctures for ongoing self-study
materia medica reference book
ongoing email contact & support throughout the course
50% discount on 2024 single classes
25% discount on entire dispensary

Investment

Program cost: $2499

Please inquire about monthly payment plan options & trade opportunities.

Application Process:

Is this the right path for you?
An online video call is required to apply and ensure we are a good fit.

Email Valerie:
Send a note to valerie.herbalist@gmail.com to schedule your call.

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upcoming events and promotions

I originally signed up for the Soul of Herbalism course as a way to increase my knowledge about the plants that grow near us and their medicines that support us! I was attracted to the course to learn the latin names, the healing properties, and how they grow in the garden... but my favourite part is experiencing how they feel in the body. Feeling how Wood Betony is aligning, that Calendula works straight on my digestion or that Peppermint brings on clarity. You start to develop a hyper sensitivity to feeling where they move in your body- you can feel them expanding your heart, soothing your throat, or stimulating the tips of your fingers.

I fell in love with, and started to deeply appreciate each herb as we studied them. It's as if they have been waiting their whole life to be noticed and explored by us and finally there is a platform that introduces you. You get to know them on a deeper, much richer level than ever before. To experience this on your own isn't the same as being on Val's property with a group of beautiful women who are also on this life path.

There is belonging here.

Beyond learning their latin names and properties, we get dirty too! We rake the gardens, start the seeds in the Spring, plant them in the soil, care for them during the growing periods, and then harvest and make medicine- developing real life skills.

We've become medicine women.

We've made tinctures, salves, glycerites, vinegars, honeys... the list goes on. These life skills will carry with me for my whole life, and generations to come, and I'm so grateful to Val for holding the space for us to grow!

Herbs are universal and I would highly recommend the Soul of Herbalism course to everyone. There is no better time than now to meet our plant allies, work with them, and develop deeper relationships with them.

Mamma Earth is calling.

- Shannon K.

Alexa Young, CA