1. INTENSIVE: Introduction to Mandala Art
Come and play! Using your innate creativity, presence and playfulness, you will become a conscious co-creator of beauty and form utilizing simple materials of whit pencils and black paper. Learn the power of Mandalas! Tap into your inner light & playmate, unlock your divine birth-rite of creatress and enjoy a morning of playing with color and form! Let your Light SHINE!

• Tap into Your Divine Creativity Easily & Effortlessly
• Celebrate & Reclaim the Co-Creative Process
• Discover your Inner Light & Let it SHINE!
• Focus Your Intention & Desire
• Learn how Peoples both Ancient & Modern have created Mandalas for Art and Healing

Making Mandalas is a healing and a joyful experience. Dedicating a Mandala to a person for a special event, such as a wedding, arrival of a baby, birthday, coming of age ceremony or healing is a unique gift of light & love that keeps on giving! No prior artistic training needed!

2. Co-Creating Healthy & Balanced Pets
This class will include topics such as:

• Boosting our Pets' nutrition, with green smoothies and vegetable and fruit juice
• The Importance of Hydration & its relationship to toxins
• Communication: How we all can be animal whisperers, verbally, energetically, psychically, & through Sign Language
• Exercise, Discipline, & Affection
• Touch, Clearing Energy Fields, Animal Chakras
• Healing: Our animal friends are our greatest mirrors, teachers & healers.
• How they heal us and how we can hold space for their healing.

1. TBA

1. INTENSIVE: Wine Making 101 beginning/ all levels
This beginning wine making class will give you tips and instructions for starting your own batch of fruit based wine. We will discuss the basic things to know and how to get started, dos and don'ts, materials and equipment needed, and start a demonstration batch during class. Once you understand the process, the magic is in your imagination and alchemical ingenuity! Make your wine be your medicine!

1. INTENSIVE: Nutritional Canning, Be Prepared   beginning
Have you always wanted to learn how to use a pressure canner but too afraid? Come to this canning class! We will learn the safety and fun in canning your own food. Learn the nutritional benefits of “putting up your food”. In this four hour class, we will be preparing food together, canning, talking, sharing our experiences, and seeing the fruits of our labor. Everyone may take a jar home! This isn’t a class to bring your little ones too, so please make arrangement for them.

1. Beginning Botany: Plant Sex 101   beginning
One very rewarding thing about being an herbalist is gathering medicines from the wild. In order to safely and ecologically harvest medicines and foods from the wild it is imperative identify the plant correctly. Botanists identify plants based on flowers, which are the sexual organs of plants. Learn to look at the plants through the eyes of the botanist and delve into the intimate, outrageous beauty of flowers and fruits and begin to understand how plants are botanically classified into families.  

2. Deep Herbology Plant Walk   beginning/intermediate
Do you want to connect deeper to the rich and abundant plant life around you? Are you interested in learning more about the abundance of medicinal, edible and fascinating plants growing right here at the Hog Farm? Join Jolie for a fun-filled fantastic adventure to deepen your relationship with the plants around you. On this short walk we will delve deep into the stories of the plants by immersing ourselves into ecology, botany, medicine, mythology, ethnobotany and mystery. This walk is easy paced.

3. Acorn Food: the Original California Cuisine   beginning/all levels
Acorns are an abundant, sustainable, nutritious and delicious Californian food. Wild food foragers love acorns because you can not only survive on acorns but you can thrive. Come join a hands-on playshop to make acorn food and learn to identify the oak species on site. Class will also cover oak ecology, mythology, medicine and ethnobotany. We will end with a tasting of yummy acorn food.

1. Body Rhythm Goddess Dance Class, 1 and 2
Rejuvenate your Body and Soul with Dance and Live Drumming
Express your Self while Enhancing your Health through Movement
Empower your Spirit as you Connect with your Inner Rhythms
This class is a fusion of African dance, active healing movements and dynamic stretching. We will re-connect our bodies to their natural state of well being, which is abundant with health and vitality. We’ll start off with a rhythmic warm-up to loosen up the body and prepare it for more movement. Next, we’ll learn an easy and fun African dance routine.
Finally, we’ll end with a relaxation stretch.
No experience necessary ~ Everyone Welcome

1. Put Your Drama on the Stage Where It Belongs
Sherry will present a two day emotional theatrical workshop based on our organic life experiences and natural characters. Explore passion, courage, beauty and joy in a theatrical setting. Learn to turn drama into situation comedies. We will create therapeutic scenes and monologues through improvisations and other exercises. Along with herbs, laughter is the best medicine.

2. Put Your Drama on the Stage Where It Belongs, Part 2

1. All About Paps And Treating Cervical Dysplasia   all levels
Before there is cervical cancer there is cervical dysplasia – and dysplasia can often be treated very effectively with natural methods. We’ll be talking about what a PAP is and what we can learn (and can’t) from this test. We’ll learn about what various PAP results actually mean (beyond “normal” or “abnormal”) and the current ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) recommendations for treatment followed by most medical doctors. Donnalee will share her experience with treating cervical dysplasia naturally over the past 10+ years.  She’ll have speculums available and perhaps we can look at a cervix or two (and/or you can in private).

2. Deep Peace    beginning
Many of us believe that deep peace for the world starts within, yet we find it hard to live and breathe peace when we ourselves are agitated, exhausted or in pain. We will taste and consider nine herbs that can help us to gently calm the mind, body and soul.

3. What Is This Stuff?  all levels
We’ll be looking at Lichen, some of the most fascinating beings on the planet. Here at Black Oak they are all around us every day in wild diversity… do you know them? They’re not plants, not animals, not fungi, not algae….  Come hear some lichen lore, learn to recognize some of the more common types and their many gifts to humankind.

4.When Is A Crone A Crone?  all levels
Yes, to be a Crone  (one who holds the wise blood within), your moon cycle bleeding must be past. Some of us are shocked to realize we are Crones. Some of us can’t wait to be Crones. Some of us have questions: What if I’ve had a hysterectomy so I don’t bleed any more…am I a Crone too? What if I’m still young and sexy and juicy…am I a Crone too? To embrace yourself Crone is a major life transition and a significant shift in self-image and community role. All are welcome to join a few of our crones and explore the mysterious path to Cronehood together, and share in a journey with Walnut flower essence.

1. Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.
Everyone we know, knows of someone with diabetes, especially in Indian country. Once known as a disease of the affluent, diabetes strikes hard on rural and urban areas at all monetary levels. There are many myths about diabetes still out there. Let us unravel some of these myths, including heredity, learn some facts about the nature of diabetes and how to treat, not it, but the person as a whole.

2. Ethnobotany of Mendocino County
Each tribal area in California has a vast array of botanical diversity. Indigenous peoples of Northern California have utilized this body of knowledge since the beginning of time. Although there are a multitude of plants, certain ones are always used more than others. However, all plants have purpose and have reason for being.

3. What is Native American Herbology: Past, Present and Future.
Western Herbalism has roots in Native American Herbology, Pharmacopeia’s of America have contained many of our native plants. Lets explore the foundations of Traditional herbalism from a california native perspective. As earth beings and inseparable from our mother (earth) without consequence, how did and does that effect world view in relation to plant spirit medicine, body systems and medicinal protocol.

1. INTENSIVE: Bringing Funerals Back Home with Grace and Compassion   all levels
What are Home Funerals, Natural Death Care, Green Burials and Why should you care? In this workshop you will learn about in-home services, wakes, family-directed home funerals and green burial options. This graceful approach opens the door for more family involvement and can secure profound closure during the sensitive time of a final passage. These personalized end-of-life celebrations help reduce fears about death and allow for more healing through creative expression and community support. Families are able to choose funeral options to fit their special needs while saving unwanted expense.

We will explore:

• Personal concerns/fears when facing a death and planning a final passage.
• Social, economic, ecological and spiritual benefits of caring for our own:
• Natural Death Care and other arrangements
• Ecological Green Burial; shroud-only or eco-caskets
• Bereavement benefits for family and community

2. A Death Salon   all levels
Most people have little opportunity to air their questions and feelings regarding the end-of life, stories about their beloveds who have died or personal near-death experiences. During our time together we will explore the taboo subject of death, share personal death stories and listen with compassionate hearts. Please bring any death chants, prayers or poetry that speak to your soul.

1. Fully Supporting Our Social Change Work, part 1   all levels
Caring about the state of our world can be hard on us, and wishing things could be different can leave us pissed off or depressed. This two part class will give us a chance to vision our dream, to feel into the mourning we have about our issues, to examine the judgments and enemy images that get in the way, and to fuel ourselves with celebrations. The cycle of the Great Turning will be supported by our transformational actions, and also by our growing compassion with ourselves in the process. Bring your impassioned selves and a willingness to lean into our future interdependently. 

2. Fully Supporting Our Social Change Work, part 2  all levels
We will continue. See Fully Supporting Our Social Change Work, part 1 for full description.

3. Truth Mandala    all levels
A truth telling ritual that invites and holds precious the expression of our grief, fear, anger, confusion and hope. Joanna Macy says “Truth telling is like oxygen. It enlivens us.” This circle will allow for us to access our love and courage, our passion for justice and our room for new to unfold. Because it is a sacred ritual, it is important to arrive at the beginning and stay in circle until we close. (This one is not suited for a drop-in experience.)

2. Playing Music with Anny, 2
This class repeats. See Playing Music With Anny, 1 for full description.

1. Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies, part 1   advanced
Did you know that Northern California is a hotspot for deer tick transmitted Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)?  This class will outline the symptoms and diagnosis of both acute and chronic infection. During part one, we will focus on prevention and diagnosis, and in part two will cover treatment strategies, with emphasis on botanical medicines for treating Lyme and co-infections.

2. Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies, part 2
We will continue. In part two we focus on herbal and other treatments for Lyme and co-infections. See Lyme Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies, part 1 for full description.

3. Natural Home Remedies You Probably Already Have    beginning
This class is for anyone who lives in a house. Chances are, between your kitchen spice cupboard, the pantry and the bathroom, you have almost all the ingredients and tools on the handout I will provide at home already. We will go over what you can do on the fly to help heal most minor health issues without even walking out the door.  Backyard herbal remedies will also be covered.

1. Finding Wholeness: Relief from Anxiety, part 1

2. Finding Wholeness: Relief from Anxiety, part 2

3. Traditional Nutrition
The legacy of Weston A Price, an overview of the importance of traditional foods and diets, food preparation techniques, respect and support for the land, traditional animal husbandry. Includes discussion of overall human nutritional needs, addresses metabolic individuality, eating well on a budget, recipes given. Importance of herbs for nutrition and health support discussed.

4. Minerals and Health
This class will cover trace and macro minerals with a review of their physiologic functions. We will take a look at rich food and herbal sources for various nutrient minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, manganese.

1. Singing With The Children, 1  for mamas, aunties, and children 7 and under
Bring the little ones each day and enjoy a morning of music, puppets and movement in nature. Lots of engaging and interactive songs about trees, bugs, birds, animals and more!  The class will vary slightly each morning, but will have many similar songs that the children will remember. Please come prepared to dance! This class is intended for children 7 and under to enjoy with an adult companion.

2. Singing With The Children, 2  for mamas, aunties, and children 7 and under
This class repeats. See Singing With The Children, 1 for full description.

3. Singing With The Children, 3  for mamas, aunties, and children 7 and under
This class repeats. See Singing With The Children, 1 for full description.

1. Come Home To Nature all levels
Your body and soul come alive to the rich sensory textures and planetary rhythms of the natural world. But indoor living has a way of cutting us off from those crucial relationships. When you go back home after communing with Black Oak Ranch, how will you keep your nature groove going? Come learn the ten things you need from your environment in order to thrive—and how to get more of them, even if you live in a city or suburb. (Rural dwellers who don’t get outdoors enough are welcome, too.)

2. Creating Outdoor Rooms For Personal And Planetary Health all levels
Outdoor rooms can expand your living space affordably, make your house more energy-efficient, and get you out of the house and into a setting that nourishes your senses. Whether your outdoor space is a balcony or a big yard, you’ll learn how to take advantage of nature’s gifts of sun, wind, and water to create comfort and delight, while minimizing the not-so-welcome impacts of the elements. We’ll explore the joys of porches, patios, sunrooms, windbreaks, trellises, and backyard wildlife habitat gardening, all with the goal of creating a natural paradise right where you live. This class stands alone, but it pairs well with Come Home to Nature.

3. Natural Remodeling Slide Show all levels
If your home wasn’t designed to dance with the natural world, there’s still hope! Almost any home can be massaged into greater harmony with the natural elements—getting heat and light from the sun, cooling from shade and breezes, and sensory nutrition for you and your family. This slide talk will show you a delicious array of ways to naturalize your home, for a wide range of budgets (including almost none). This class pairs well with Come Home to Nature.

4. Natural Remodeling Class all levels
Do you want to bring your home into greater harmony with nature? This class will help you understand how your home relates to the natural elements, and show you how to get heat and light from the sun, cooling from shade and breezes, and sensory delight through outdoor connections and choices of interior materials. We’ll look at everything from simple, inexpensive changes to major remodeling. This class stands alone, but you’ll get even more inspiration of you attend the Natural Remodeling Slide Show.

1.The Sugar Class
Sugar. a sweet treat or an addictive toxic substance? We’ll talk the truth about this powerful substance and what it is dong to our bodies, our health, our societies, and our planet.

1. Dragon Time for newly menstruating young women
Welcome maidens, to the Circle of Women! Join us in celebrating the beauty and strength of this phase of your life, the time of your bloods. We will explore ideas and feelings, hear stories, make things to care for ourselves and prepare for the Maiden' s Rites of Passage Ceremony to be held Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. Any young woman who would like to go through the Maiden Ceremony must attend this class.

1. Intro to Mandala Art for Mid-Kids
Using our own creativity and playfulness, we will become a creator of beauty and form. We will learn the power of Mandalas! We will tap into our inner light and playmate, and enjoy a class of playing with color and form! Let your Light SHINE!

1. Zumbatomic for  Lil Starz ages 5-7

2. Zumbatomic for Big Starz ages 8-12

1. TBA

1. Yoga

• Bringing Funerals Back Home with Grace and Compassion   all levels 

• Nutritional Canning, Be Prepared beginning  

• Making Herbal Wines