Hello everyone, This is a site that I stumbled on. I've always heard of these places, but never have found one on my own.. Guess I'm not a stupidity-finder virgin anymore, huh?

http://www.flamelcollege.org/magical_arts.htm#Wiccan Practitioner Certification

You might have to copy and paste in the explorer bar.

There are also ones for paranormal investigator, tarot consultant, and a couple more. I can't believe if anyone ever went ahead and paid for these classes.

Just, wow..  

Mara

P.S. If people believe this, then I have a bridge in Arizona to sell them.. Big one too.. And grey. Made of Platinum and Diamonds.   :roll:

Wow, I would love to see the expression on someone reading a resume with one of these degrees on it.

How is the information in the books they list? Are they credible or worth reading?

In my involvment with the local craft show circuit, I do a handful of shows every year that are "healing expos" or "spiritualist expos", in which many vendors and readers are referred to as "Rev,", "certified reiki masters", and the like. The tarot readers at these shows are, well, most of them they wear a lot of make up and do a lot of gossip, and as far as I can tell they don't chat with you unless you pay them. But they make bank, and I've been thinking I might like to get a tarot certification some day to take my place in this realm of facilitating communication (within and with-out) for a living. Also, I've noticed a lot of "certified herbalists" popping up, a title my herbal craft business could greatly benefit from. So, if this Flamel College for Wizards isn't the most credible place for receiving such certifications, what might be?

The books in their library are old works out of copyright law. In terms of credibility, most of these are translation from an unknown translator. As a librarian, that's a bit suspicious to me. A lot of the stuff is linked from www.esotericarchives.com. Overall, the stuff is pretty standard.

The "certified herbalist" think is funny because all of the herbalist organizations in the US specifically state that their is no such thing. I think there is one college that offers an undergrad degree in herbalism and botany, but there is no such thing as an accredited school among herbal schools. What you can do is attend a school that belongs to a known organization, like the American Herbalist Guild. RealEyez, you might want to consider joining the AHG or the National Botanical Council.

Here is a website with a list of herbal schools: http://cms.herbalgram.org/edlinks/listLinks.html?LW_EdLinksMapping.CategoryID=16&PageTitle=Schools/Educational%20Programs

Here is a website on how to choose a school: http://www.americanherbalist.com/herbal_education

Stacey, thanks for the links to the herbal schools.  Looks interesting!  May just have to take a peek and see if I can expand my horizons.

I've been eyeing up this lady's classes in what she calls the "Wise Woman Tradition":

Wise Woman Center


there's so much information about classes on her page it's overwhelming, but physically she's located closest to me out of anyone credible who's offering classes, and she seems to know a ton of herbal information in a perspective compatible to mine and my current/future needs for personal and business purposes. anyone heard of Susun Weed?


Maybe we should start a new thread called "Herbal Classes"...others interested in them might not think to look under "What the Hell" to find information    Look at what you've started here Maryn  

Susan Weed is a well known herbalist. She takes a more spiritual route to the practice. I tend to be a more chemical/science based herbal person, but I have to admit that the woman knows her stuff, and she is one of the women who really founded the herbal renaissance. If you are interested in her model of herbalism, checkout this interview with her: http://herbmentor.podbean.com/2008/07/06/susun-weed-interview/

Right now I am in nursing school and doing my clinicals in a "Long Term Care Facility", basically its a place that sick people go to be abused & neglected, shoved full of un-natural medications, and wait to die. �I have to admit, that I would just love to be able to bring these people home with me and feed them healthy natural unprocessed foods, give them some herbs, and get them outside in the fresh air, and off of some of these meds that are just totally disrupting their natual body functions. �I have never really been sick, nor was my family while growing up, nor my husband & son now, so the use of western/modern meds is not something that I was very farmilar with until recently, and it horifies me! �I am having a hard time with people getting a cold or flu and taking anibiotics for it! �Sorry for the rant and rave there.

In any case, what I am getting at is a big Thanks a bunch for the links for the herabal schools ..... when I am done with this school, I will be adding that to my education too.  Things have been really hard as of late (husband out of work, etc), but it has made my path in life much more clear.
.

Wow, I have to admit that I was mistaken. For my practical head, I wouldn't pay for this, I'd rather make time to do an internship or something, but I'm young and have no responsibilities other than to myself. I shouldn't have put this option down.

It all comes down to the fact that I don't think this kind of thing is certifiable. Once you start giving out degrees I think that attracts people who collect things like that. Just so they can put them on the wall or some such. I didn't think of the herbalist side of view. As a rule, I'm not trusting of people who want my money.

Mara.

I am glad that I put this up though, unexpected how it ended up.  

Lol, sorry about the title. I didn't know everyone would take this in another direction.

(zip)

Mara

RealEyez - I am a huge fan of Susun Weed, and have mentioned her here in the castle several times.  I have two of her books; "Healing Wise" and "Menopausal Years".  They are excellent.  I started following Susun after chemo therapy when I felt completely violated and totally unhealthy and nothing she has ever suggested has done me any harm, only helped exactly as she said it would.  In fact, I credit her with my recovery, current health, and a new much wiser way of taking care of myself.  I haven't taken her courses, just bought the books that pertained to my problems and visit her website and forum often.  I would LOVE to take some of her courses but lack of funds.......  If you do decide to take her course please, please let me know what you think of it.  It just may be the inticement I need to let myself spend some money on what I really want!

Maryn, I agree that alot of con artists are creating "degrees" for ridiculous things.  So much in the metaphysical field can't be quantified and therefore it seems can't be taught and tested on paper or via email.  However, if you're wildcrafting herbs you'd better be sure you're ingesting the right thing!  (I don't know if I'll ever feel proficient enough to wildcraft mushrooms!)  And courses for identifying plants, knowing what genus or species of plants contain certain medicinal qualities, etc is a very good thing.  Of course, once herbalism gets some publicity and "comes out of the closet"  big business or the government or some other faceless agency will regulate, restrict, or tax it into something unrecognizable.

I agree totally with you acasia, but I'd rather be with my teacher as I see the plant. To actually see the conditions that the plant grows in and ask your teacher in person, as you're seeing the plant is very important. Maybe the dark grey that he sees is a light grey to you, and maybe that color is the difference between life and death? Or atleast a different reaction than you wanted.. It's better to have that teacher locally to say "well, here are other reasons why it's this plant and not that plant".. A picture on the computer screen can't give you that kind of scope/reasoning.

I have no problem with learning things over the internet, but some of those things take months if not longer to fully become confident with.

Just because you bought a book and are taking a class online, doesn't mean that you're an herbalist, or a ghost investigator. And to be a Certified Wiccan Practioner?? $75 for a book and a piece of paper saying that you are a third degree Gardnerian wiccan? $30 to say that you're a practicing wizard??

I don't like the egoism(?) that some of the people in certain traditions have, but those people have to work for years to get that far. I think it's atleast a little disrespectful. Wouldn't you feel a little disrespected if you've been practicing for 10 years and someone who's only been practicing for 2 years, tried to show you up, because they have a degree and you don't? A lot of those sort of online classes take years of Personal experiences.

$95 to be a certified paranormal investigator? I don't think that those people from Ghost Hunters or Extreme Paranormal have degrees in this.. I might be wrong, but I don't think they do..

Isn't this all a bit much?

I know what it's like to harvest your own herbs, I grow my own Basil, Thyme, Mint, and Chives. Not very extensive, I know, but I did it on my own. I know that my basil is basil atleast. If there's an herb that I really want and I use it a lot, then I'll grow it myself. Why take plants out of their local ecosystem? I understand that some people don't have the room or the right growing conditions to grow some plants, but then either take an actual class to find out how to tell those plants apart, or order the materials online, and hopefully you'll get a trustworthy seller. Odds are that there is a substitute just as good as the herb you want. Or plant. There was a local story a couple years ago, that this one woman harvested some mushrooms from wherever and didn't eat any, but fed her family them. They all died but her. Don't you think that she was confident that she had the right plants?

It makes me upset that I've been on this path, whatever path it is, ever since I was about 16 or so.. I'm talking about seriously on it. Reading extensively trying things out, and honestly I wouldn't say that I'm a certified witch yet.  Haven't dedicated myself yet either, 'cause I don't think I'm close enough to take that plunge yet. I believe that it's a lifestyle that it takes a long time to fall in step with. I can't practice as much as I want to anyway, because I live with my sister at the moment. It's more than just a slip of paper and looking at a computer screen. It takes years of personal experiences and finding out what works for you and what doesnt.

Sorry about the huge post.  

Mara

actually Maryn I do believe a lot of these people ARE "certifiable"....

Lol, thanks Eeyoresgirl!  

Mara

maryn one thing we have learned over the years of thread making, sometimes they turn out totally different than what we start out thinking about.  

It's that 'left turn' thing!!!  

Someone might wanna start a thread pasting the class links into a new thread in the appropriate home base!!!!