37. Nature as a Co-facilitator and the Need for Deep Listening: Jacqui Bushell on Herbal Education The Elder Tree Podcast

Today I interview the potent and prolific Jacqui Bushell. We travel together down a winding colourful road of Jacqui's experiences and gain a beautiful insight into her wisdom which is based on over 40 years of being a practitioner and herbal educator, in which she has blended the modalities of nature-based therapy, essences, herbal medicine, Reiki, meditation and energy healing.



Jacqui is is also an author and runs incredible range of desert retreats and online workshops as well as face to face workshops. She has been a teacher at Endeavour College, Nature Care College, the Awareness Institute and within many other spaces.She has been dancing with the mythic imagination for much of her life, through her love of the wisdom held in fairy tales and her work as a spiritual herbalist listening for the voices and stories in the land.



In this interview we speak about reciprocity and accountability in our relationship with the plants and honouring them as teachers, with a strong commitment and also about being responsible in the way that we work with these plants. We talk about the importance of storytelling, the importance of having Deep level of listening with our heart and with our bodies and with the land. We discuss the widespread current lack of custodian mindset in wildharvesting indigenous medicines. and the need for sustainable and appropriate dosages of herbs, particularly because of the rampant consumerism of herbal medicine that is currently globally taking place.



Jacqui shares her potent vision for the future of herbal education in Australia, her passion is contagious and she is a strong bright spark in the realm of herbal medicine in Australia. It was an absolute honour to interview her and deepen our connection and I invite you to make a pot of herbal tea, sit down and listen to this beautiful interview.





You can find Jacqui here on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jacqui.bushell.52/



And on Instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/jacqui_bushell_sacredpresence/





Here are some of her upcoming plant medicine offerings:



ROSE IMMERSION CEREMONY ONLINE

Saturday July 22, 3.00-5.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rose-immersion-ceremony-online-tickets-654723243847

 

WILD PRESENCE DESERT RETREAT

‘She Carries the Sky Within Her’7 nights, Oct 31- Nov 7Broken Hill and Mutawintji NSW

More information:

https://mailchi.mp/wildearthwisdom/ijrui2n91e

 

ALCHEMY IN THE DESERT RETREAT

Making transformational flower essences as a spiritual practice

Sept 20-25, Broken Hill and Mutawintji

More information:

https://mailchi.mp/wildearthwisdom/alchemy-in-the-desert-retreat

 

 

THE SCHOOL OF SACRED STORYTELLING (USA)

WILD PRESENCE SACRED NATURE  - A WILDER KINSHIP: EARTH AND PLANT WISDOM

A 4 week online program starting July 24

Awaken your visionary dreaming, hidden soul gifts and live in greater communion with the wisdom of the earth

It’s not listed on their website yet, but will be very soon!

https://leahlamb.com/upcoming-classes/





To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here.



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Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at:  asktheeldertree@gmail.com

The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins.  You can find Chad's music here and here.