What people are saying about
Prayers Answered
This class appeared to me through a flyer at Bodo’s Bagels, an hour or so after I had finished an intense prayer for guidance to find a healing class. It has been one of the best classes I’ve ever taken, and also quite challenging. It would not be an exaggeration to call this a Masterpiece of a course, so beautifully were its many levels woven together.
I recall the first sunny spring day when we met and were told to remote view chickweed, then find it. From then on our ability to know through our hearts and be taught by the herbs and Nature was a given.
I appreciate how Mary Ann led us on this journey, first with direction and gentle coaching, gradually to the place where she no longer answered the questions that we needed to look inside for our own answers. Our ceremonies kept opening us up to deeper realms within ourselves. We practiced sacred crafts in making our Medicine Bag, Power Animal totem, and Power Shield. We made tinctures, oils, and vinegars from the flowers, leaves and roots that we were attracted to through our senses and our hearts. We met the powers of the 7 directions, we let go of everything through severance and the Death Lodge, and we survived a powerful rite of passage on our Medicine Walk.
I am especially grateful to get to know the plants in this region, to make medicines and be an herbalist. The past life regression was profound and revealing. The persona exercise helped me find myself, the self image that I feel good about and had lost over these past years as people told me who I should be and who I was not. I think this was a turning point in the class for me and in my life. Now I know that there are many personas that I can find and draw power from.
This was more of a journey than a class. I am not now where I was when we started. I came wanting to learn how to access my heart/ multidimensional intelligence. Now, I am at a point where I rarely question the information that comes to me from the multiple dimensions of myself.
I enjoyed so much the opportunity to spend the whole day outside each class; that in itself was a teaching and a blessing. I am very thankful to the group for sharing this journey. We always held each other with deep positive regard, reflected our journeys back to each other, and we laughed a lot, too. Thank you, ladies.
As we progressed in getting to know our heart intelligence, we were given tons of information from different models and worldviews. The amount of information given is staggering. It will take me some time to weave it all together.
Recently I began Tom Brown’s class on Healing Cancer, in which he took us quickly to the application of Inner Vision, ceremony, and plant communication. I was able to open to those realms effortlessly and I feel that our training in this class enabled me to do so.
I have changed through this journey. I am more of myself and less of my baggage. More of who I always felt I was, and less of who I was told I was. The journey continues, but I know that I am a Medicine Man walking the Path now, instead of looking for it.
Thanks to Mary Ann for creating this masterful course, and for offering it in such a loving, wise and centered way. Your patience with us helped me to be patient with myself, and that has helped me to trust myself more and more.
--Michael Jabalee
Closing Letter 1-22-2010
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Surprised
It came as a big surprise to me that one of the effects of taking this course is that I no longer feel the need to explain myself to people. I always felt that I was a little out of step with others and all of my life I have felt I had to explain myself and justify my actions. Well, after being in this herb training – even for only a few classes – I just don’t feel I have to do that. And I am dancing and singing and drumming and I don’t care who sees and hears me! It is exciting and freeing and I love it!
-- DF, Afton, Va.
Not for the faint of heart
The class has given me so much information on so many levels.
I have met incredible people who all confirm the goodness and the struggles from which we learn such powerful lessons. This learning experience has been much more than I expected. The resources used have been readily shared- with exquisite timing.
The planning of the various exercises was clearly intentional.
This provided a rich foundation of experience to build upon. This was not just a 2 days a month experience.
I thought about the teachings, the experiences, my classmates, Mary Ann and her family (animals included) and all of the plants very often.
This class has enriched and changed me... The depth of my knowledge was increased but more importantly- the depth of experience was valued above all else!
This class is not for the faint of heart. - If, however, one would want to explore plants and him/herself from a new, deeper perspective-this is an incredible opportunity~
--Pat, RN
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My Magical Adventures With Chickweed
I have always seen chickweed as just a troublesome weed. But after doing the Inner Journey with chickweed and seeing that my intuitive discoveries about the plant were right on, I realized how great chickweed is. Now I love chickweed and after seeing it in class I found it at my Dad’s place while I was staying there. Every day I would make a chickweed salad. It was delicious. I’d have it with tomatoes and such. It was such a good feeling. It tasted so good and I felt it was so good for me. Usually the things I eat that taste good aren’t good for me at all. And this was just delicious.
And going outside to pick the chickweed every day got me outside with the plants if even for a just a few minutes each day and that was nourishing in itself.
My dad would look at me weird and ask – “What are you eating?” And then horrified he’d say “You’re eating weeds!” And I thought - well these weeds are nicer to me than you are being right now and it gave me comfort and strength to notice how supportive just eating “weeds” can be.
I hadn’t noticed it until today – as I am having these allergy symptoms – that while I was eating chickweed I didn’t have any allergy symptoms at all and today since I stopped eating chickweed – because it is all gone for now – I see I now have allergy symptoms again.
-- HCK, Waynesboro, Va.
What the Magic and Meaning of Herbs Class has Meant to Me
About 15 years ago I began searching for better and alternative ways of healing. I discovered Reiki, felt drawn and connected to it so learned it. I also have always been drawn to plants and nature and started researching herbs for healing. I also learned about flower essences as well as essential oils. They all seemed to go together for me. I wanted to study more and looked around for a class but found nothing nearby. Instead I bought and read a lot of books and spent time in the gardens learning about the plants that were around me. Many I had never seen, many I knew, and as I researched it just ignited the fire within me as I went back to past lives, remembering.
When I disovered that Mary Ann was offering a class very near my home I knew I had to be a part of it. It has been far more rewarding that I ever expected. Being a part of a very close knit group of like-minded people was wonderful. I have enjoyed my journey of learning with them and made lasting friendships.
One of the most important things to me was Mary Ann encouraging us to become more multi-sensory humans in our learning and observing. The Native American influence and approach felt "right at home" for me as I have always felt a great natural connection to it.
This class has been a very influential stepping stone for my continuing journey into herbs and herbal healing. I now feel quite comfortable with my intuitive learning process. Having the hands-on experience with an inspirational mentor has been extremely rewarding. Mary Ann is definitely a "one-of-a-kind" teacher.
--Gwen Casale
The Nurturing Place,
Shipman, VA
