28 Dec Wild and Free Sober Herbalism
Being sober and an herbalist is an oxymoron; herbalists use a lot of alcohol in their work—specifically in the form of tinctures—those liquid extracts made with alcohol which are a dominant preparation. If you are a non-alcoholic herb enthusiast, then you are a supposed minority and your options are minimal and even openly minimized. Most sources like books and influencers outright downplay herbal extracts made without alcohol or don’t even mention them. In this three hour class, I lead attendees through an intensive re-education in how to make strong non-alcoholic liquid extracts using vinegar, honey and glycerine based on my work and experiences.
The portal of sober herbalism initiates expanded consciousness of the possibilities for medicine and people. To boldly go beyond the known tincture bottle and engage in a symbiotic relationship of elements, beings and earth systems is a radical and intimate practice of deep embodiment and communication with our co-evolved species of plants. This wild ride moves through your senses, back through time, across biodiverse landscapes, through patterns of energy and relationships of tremendous healing capacity. And you don’t need alcohol to do it.
To make bold and effective non-alcoholic extracts, the herbalist is invited to access the physical senses of the body and journey into patterns of energy and co-evolutionary relationships with plants for direction and innovation. I will provide an instructive handout and pass around multiple examples of strong non-alcoholic herbal medicine extracts, as well as share experiences using non-alcoholic extracts in free clinic environments, herb schools and my personal practice.
Wild and Free Sober Herbalism will be shared by Drea Moore
