Sacred Journeys –
Wild Church and Workshops
“The real alchemy is transforming the base self into gold or into spiritual awareness. That’s really what new alchemy’s all about.”
Fred Alan Wolf
In my workshops and events I try to combine my interfaith ministry with my background knowledge and experiences as a qualified herbalist and a tour guide.
There is a strong emphasis on the natural world because now, more than ever, as we are attempting to pull our world back from climate crisis, I feel that it is vital that we re-recognise our connection to the world around us with deep respect and awe.
It's so easy, in our busy lives, to forget that spirituality and beauty are all around us - whether we are blessed to walk or live in stunning landscapes or be surrounded by more urban pathways. I would love to share some of the wonder and magic that is available all around us each day. So do keep an eye on any future events or workshops that are coming up on the Isle of Skye, further afield, or online.
Workshops
Wild Church
On EARTH DAY - 22nd April 2020, I launched Wisewood Interfaith Wild Church. Wild Church is an opportunity to fully engage with the ‘church of the wild’. A place to encounter and share the wisdom of the natural world, share poems, prayers, readings, guided meditations, sacred saunters and take time to breathe…and understand our reciprocal healing relationship with the wild world around us.
Wisewood is an interfaith (and none) space so holds no specific doctrine and all paths are welcome. Meetings may be online or at an outdoor location. To keep updated on what's happening you can watch this space or head to the Wisewood Wild Church page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/sacredpathsscotland
As I originally set up this initiative during Covid, traditionally any meetings have been online but I hope that in 2024 meetings can also be in person! Brightest blessings from the Wild Wood.
NB: For more info on SACRED SAUNTERS please head to my interfaith events page on this website.
Plant Encounters:
Adventures with native plants and
trees
Series 2
You can now read a review of these workshops - go to BLOG page
This series of workshops was last run in 2022. I leave the content here so you can get an idea of the types of plant workshops that my partner and I run. Keep an eye here if you are interested as we may run these types of workshop again in the future. If they particularly interest you then please do contact me and let me know. It will help us gauge how many folk may like to attend another plant series with us.
Hello everyone!
Are you interested in getting to know plants – specifically herbs and trees- a bit better. Would you like to spend some time with Jean and me in our ongoing series of plant encounters – learning about the marvels of the plant world? Then good because our Plant Encounters sessions are back! I have included some info below with dates, times and booking info. It would be great to see you again if you followed our first series and it will be great to see lots of new faces too!
Plant Encounters:
Jean Dow and Rev. Kim Atherton Dow
In our series of 4 online weekly sessions we will share our combined knowledge and experience as medical herbalists as we investigate plants as healers – physically, emotionally and spiritually. In each 90 minute session we will look at a specific plant from a variety of perspectives – historical, energetic, medicinal and ceremonial and we will illustrate how you can benefit from interacting with each one, how to use them in creating special space in your homes and lives – from uses in the kitchen and home pharmacy, to use in seasonal ceremony. We will show you how to make and use your own simple plant preparations for effective home remedies and provide ‘after-notes’ for you to use later. Sessions will also be recorded so that you can access them after the event to review, or if you cannot make the session live. Cost £100 for all four classes.
If you are interested then please contact Jean at jeantheherbalist@gmail.com or Kim at revkimscot@gmail.com and we can let you know how to book and secure your place.
And here is a bit about us….
Who are we?
Rev. Kim Atherton-Dow
Kim gained her BSc in Herbal Medicine at the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 2004. She worked as a medical herbalist, reflexologist and masseur for many years before becoming a storyteller and guide in Scotland. In 2019, after studying with One Spirit Interfaith Foundation, she was ordained as an Interfaith Minister and tries to bring as many people as possible to the joys and healing of the natural world through her Interfaith Wisewood Wild Church initiative.
Jean Atherton-Dow
Jean gained her BSc in Herbal Medicine at the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in 2004. She has been in practice for 20 years and sees a wide range of patients from the ages of 6 months to 92 years of age. Jean is also a qualified functional medicine practitioner – which combines traditional herbal practices with cutting edge scientific testing to get to the origins of complex chronic disease.
Both Jean and Kim share a love of animals and have a large family of rescue dogs, cats and hens.