Mountain Spirit Classes

Herbalist and teacher Denise Joy is a generational herbalist, taught by her great grandmother, and is the last in her family line. She has been working with herbs for more than 40 years.

Mountain Spirit offers a full array of classes. We only teach the apprentice programs here on our land, but classes and lectures can be brought to you. These are classes that have been taught in the past but they can be tailored to meet your community’s needs.

Each class has a base fee of $40.00 per person, based on a class size of 6 to 8, plus my travel expenses, although fees can be negotiated if needed. Classes range from 2–3 hours each, but full-day workshops can also be arranged.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Basic Medicine Making Series

Come learn the basic processes involved in making salves, tinctures, soaps, and proper blending of tea and bath herbs. Usually taught as a series, each class provides hands-on opportunities to make medicines, as well as a wealth of information about when to use which modality, and the herbs being worked with. Classes may be offered as stand-alone workshops.

A Basic Soap Making Class

Come learn the basic processes involved in making soaps. This class provides a hands-on opportunity, learning to work with lye and oils to create a soap that works for you and your family. We can make an olive oil soap, or a shampoo bar with olive oil as the base, and we will also touch on infused oils. This is a 2–3 hour class. Come away with your own soap (great gifts)!

Salve Class

An herbal salve is an infusion of plants in an oil and beeswax base. These bring out the soothing healing properties of the plants you choose to use. In this salve class I will explain the best oils to use, the plants that can only be used fresh, and the plants that can be used either dry or fresh. We’ll also make a medicinal herbal oil from the plants that work best without any heat. Learn which plants have healing properties for your best personal blend. This class can be any size but works best with 8 or less people.

Women’s Herbs from Menstruation through Menopause

Learn to treat and prevent basic women’s health problems through diet and herbs. This class is usually a series but can also be broken into workshops.

PART ONE—From the first moon time through child bearing
We’ll discuss herbs for balancing hormones and ways to treat PMS, cramps and heavy bleeding. Discover which herbs are good for increasing fertility, pre- and post-natal care, and women’s basic health through diet and herbs.

PART TWO—Peri-menopausal through menopause
We’ll discuss herbs for heavy flows, and prevention herbs and diet for women-related illnesses. We will cover hot flashes, disappearing flows, headaches and many other hormonal-related changes in our aging women bodies.

APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

Classes are taught in the yurt on my land and in the fields around the area. At the end of each course there is a certificate of completion; this has been used in the local high school for class credits and also some colleges.

Mountain Spirit Beginning Herbal Apprentice Program

Fees are $40 per class, $900 per season, $310 per quarter or 4 hours work-trade—shop, land, or garden time—per class (2 or 3 people, depending on need, per year). A $50 nonrefundable deposit is required at sign-up. High school students 15 or older attend for free (3 spaces per year). Class size limit is 10. Register at the Port Townsend Farmer’s Market, by phone or email.

After completing this course you will have a basic understanding of using herbs for your health and body’s needs and herbal treatment of basic ailments for yourself and family members.

• Basic Medicine Making    • Food Herbs for Prevention of Illness
• Growing and Cultivation of Herbs in the Pacific Northwest
• Women’s Herbs from Menstruation through Menopause    • Male Herbs

This class is conducted from fall until spring, and meets each Wednesday from 10am–noon. There will be hands-on projects such as salves, tinctures, and soap making, and some field trips (depending on weather), followed by question and answer time, and a review of last week’s herbal homework.

Mountain Spirit Advanced Herbal Apprentice Program

Class fee is $800. Payments or work-trade arrangements can be made. An interview is required before sign-up.

After completing this course you will have a basic understanding of using herbs for your health and body’s needs, and how to heal basic ailments.

• Combination Medicine Making and Herbs for Prevention of Illness
• Growing and Cultivation of Herbs in the Pacific Northwest
• Women’s Herbs from Menstruation through Menopause    • Male Herbs

The class is conducted over four months. We will meet one afternoon a week from 2pm until 4ish. This is an intensive class. There will be some medicine making but mostly working with combinations and their benefits, followed by question and answer time, and a review of last week’s herbal homework.