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golden seal

Golden Seal - Hydrastis canadensis
"This is one of the largest Golden Seal plants I've ever seen.",
Adam Weiss, professional plant identification instructor.

This plant was found growing wild.

One plant was removed from a colony of 8+ plants. This actually benefits the colony by aerating the soil and encouraging new growth. Golden Seal has also adapted to being harvested over thousands of years of use by humans and wild animals and thrives better due to this disruption.



golden seal harvested

Golden Seal - Hydrastis canadensis
This is the Golden Seal after harvesting.

Conservation by using less herb:
28 dry grams (1 dry ounce) of any herb used to prepare an alchemical/spagyric tincture makes approximately 6,000 mililiters (202 ounces, which equals over a gallon and a half) of purified herbal tincture when regulated at 12.5% alcohol by volume.

It's as if the purity increases the potency, or it's simply more effective because it's easier for the body to absorbe. The body doesn't have to give up it's own stored energy digesting this herbal food. Digestion is the body's way of purifying what we consume, so we can absorbe the parts we want. Our body has to make digestive juices which takes energy that could be used for healing. An alchemical preparation is ready to absorbe, the body can rest.

INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES

Timothy & Cricket are founders of the Midwest Herb Fest,
an annual festival held since 2006.

timothy
Timothy Wilkerson

HERBAL ALCHEMY
ALCHEMY ASTROLOGY
MEDITATION TECHNIQUES


Timothy A. Wilkerson, author of the handbook "Alchemy Astrology: Lost Key To The Philosopher's Stone", studied Herbal Alchemy and Spagyrics at Paracelsus Research College, with Frater Albertus in 1984. He lectured on Alchemical Astrology at the 2008 International Alchemy Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the 2013 NW Alchemy Conference, in Redmond Washington. He is currently the laboratory manager producing herbal products for Laughing Lady Bug Botanicals. He is co-founder of the Midwest Herb Fest where he presents an annual spagyric demonstration and speaks about laboratory alchemy and astrology. He is a current member of the International Alchemy Guild.

Additionally he is lab manager for Laughing Lady Bug Botanicals. See logo below.

#alchemyastrology


Cricket Heinichen
Cricket
in action

PLANT ID HIKE
PLANT CONSTITUENTS & TERMINOLOGY
PLANT MEDITATION

Teri "Cricket" Owens, RN, BSN, MS, began her training as a critical care nurse in Chicago in 1983. She has studied herbal healing arts since 1995 and has completed her master's-equivalent degree in herbal and Chinese medicine. She has taught a variety of herb classes to all ages at area grammar schools and in the field. She is the founder of Eco Kids, a children's learning program focusing on herbal facts and lore, medicine making and Earth ecology. She is co-founder of Laughing Lady Bug Botanicals and the Midwest Herb Fest. She was a Land Steward at Glastonbury Nature Sanctuary in Culver, Indiana, and worked as an assistant teacher, harvester, and medicine maker, at the Chicago College of Healing Arts. She has presenter her Plant ID hike at Mellinium Park, and North Park Nature Center, for the Chicago Park District, and at the City of Chicago's, "City Wilds Festival", in 2005.


Here's a link to Cricket's "Eat Your Weeds" Plant ID herb hike, which is just one of many types of plant presentations she has instructed. Presented on Saturday, September 11th, 2004, at North Park Village Nature Center. Article by Nancy Maes, published in the Chicago Tribune's, Wednesday "Good Eating" food section: article & photo


cricket conducting a plant id hike

Cricket conducting her Plant ID Hike.




Laughing Lady Bug Botanicals

Sponsored in part by,
  Laughing Lady Bug Botanicals  

HOME ..... Midwest Herb School

INSTRUCTORS ..... Timothy Wilkerson, Cricket Owens

COURSES ..... six courses, four meditations

CONTACT ..... via email

Midwest Herb Fest ..... annual event in August

Alchemy Astrology ..... for practical laboratory use




alchemy demonstration

Alchemy demonstration class at the Midwest Herb Fest.


Cricket out standing in her field

Cricket out standing in her field.