Plants are more than medicine. They are living presences: intelligent, communicative, and deeply woven into the spiritual ecology of the land. Across the old herbal traditions of Europe, the herbalist was not only a healer of the body, but also a listener, a translator, and a relationship-builder between humans and the green world. In this free workshop, we’ll explore the foundations of the plant spirit path: a practical and grounded approach to building direct relationships with herbs and trees through observation, intuitive perception, and simple spiritual practices. This is a time dedicated to slowing down, listening deeply, and recognizing the ways plants speak through sensation, symbolism, emotion, and insight. Together we’ll cover: • What plant spirit pathwork is (and what it isn’t) • How traditional herbalists related to plants beyond chemistry, and how we do it still • Ways plants communicate through dreams, body sensations, and intuitive knowing • Simple methods for meeting a plant ally safely and respectfully • How plant spirit connection can deepen herbal practice and personal healing The class will also include a short guided plant connection journey with one of the most ubiquitous trees of the Salt Lake City area, offering participants a direct experience of meeting a plant presence and receiving insight in a calm, grounded way. No prior experience is needed- just curiosity and an open mind. Come as you are, bring a journal if you’d like, and prepare to listen. About Josh Williams: Josh Williams is a clinical herbalist, educator, and practitioner of traditional plant spirit work, blending grounded herbal knowledge with the living folklore and spirit traditions of the Celtic lands. Through his teaching, writing, and community work, he helps students reconnect with the intelligence of plants: not only as medicine, but as guides, guardians, and initiators. Josh’s approach weaves together traditional herbalism, animist spirituality, ritual practice, and traditional craft, offering a path that is both deeply practical and richly enchanted. He is the founder of The Green Arte, where he shares teachings on plant lore, green sorcery, and reciprocal relationships with the natural world. When he isn’t teaching or seeing clients, Josh can usually be found in the mountains and hedgerows, learning directly from the land and the spirits that dwell within it. Josh is in clinical practice at Flow Acupuncture & Apothecary in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah where he offers private herbal medicine consultations and workshops both in-person and online. Learn more about Josh Williams here: www.HerbalistJosh.com & www.TheGreenArte.com https://www.goldenbraidslc.com/events/an-introduction-to-plant-spirit-work
