Classes taught by John Slattery at the

Fire to Fire Gathering

in Tabiona, UT

June 13-19, 2021

REGISTER HERE

Some classes I will be offering throughout the week:

Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk - Date & Time TBD 

Healing Herbs from the Desert: Show & Tell - Date & Time TBD 

Ogham and the ancient Cosmology of the Celts - Date & Time TBD 

Vitalism: How to Augment our Immunity via Mother Nature - Date & Time TBD 

Oaks & Acorns: Our Ancestral Food - Date & Time TBD 

Edible & Medicinal Plant Walk

Date & Time TBD

We’ll take a walk, identify and discuss some edible and medicinal plants, perhaps taste some tinctures, and maybe take a seat for awhile and just listen to what the plants have to say.

Healing Herbs from the Desert: Show & Tell

Date & Time TBD

Several plants from the lower desert will be discussed in this class. There will be samples of each plant passed around, including teas and/or tinctures to taste, and some stories about their healing properties and real life applications. We’ll wrap up with a question and answer session.

REGISTER HERE

Ogham and the ancient Cosmology of the Celts

Date & Time TBD

Ogham (pronounced OH-um) is an ancestral language of Ireland and the druids which is dated to around the 3rd to 5th century BCE in Ireland. It is also found in Scotland and England…as well as North America where it possibly dates back to 2,000-3,000 years ago. We’ll discuss some of these occurrences and how this may have happened well before Europeans were ever supposed to have been here.

To begin to understand the Ogham we need to attempt to look at it from the perspective of those who created or used it. The cosmology of the “Celts” is something that is somewhat difficult to piece together through the remaining fragments, yet it resonates with cosmological views of other ancient cultures.

Commonly known as “the language of the trees” this arcane and ancient language reflects a deep relationship with Nature and directs us back to the source of the knowledge of the ancients. We’ll explore then depth of knowledge and wisdom present within this system while reflecting on some of the local trees which feature in this language such as birch (“Beth”) and willow (“Saille”).

Vitalism: How to Augment our Immunity via Mother Nature

Date & Time TBD

In light of the events of the past year, it’s important to understand our body’s immune system and how we are able to fortify its responsiveness.

Oaks & Acorns: Our Ancestral Food

Date & Time TBD

A discussion of our ancient relationship with this sacred tree and its food, the acorn. Known as the Nemeton in ancient times, the oak grove was a place of sacred worship and coming together with the natural world. We’ll take a brief look at a deep, deep history of relationship between humans and oaks that spanned the entire northern hemisphere over 1,000s of years. Just as ancient cultures venerated the oak and its acorns, it became a symbol of stamina, endurance, fecundity, and creativity. The great oak en-dures in our collective psyche from the great Vedic tales to the forming of the American Republic, and its acorn our great ancestral, spiritual food.

REGISTER HERE

Acorn Processing and Bread Baking

after lunch   

We’ll take a close look at the important steps required to process acorns for consumption. Although all acorns are edible, most require some preparation before consuming. Methods vary from region to region, but some techniques are better applied to certain types of acorns over others. We’ll discuss and experience a dry acorn, cold leeching process that we’ll wrap up the class by baking some bread with.

We’ll also have a full range of Desert Tortoise Botanicals and Desert Forager products available for sale at our booth.