Jams & Jellies
February 19th Saturday, 10:30 AM Pacific time. $25 A special class dedicated to Martha Navarro Garcia and to Linda Garcia. Learn how to make classic jams and jellies from scratch. A…
Latest Posts from the Blog
Beginning Hispanic Herbalism January 14 6:00 PM Pacific Time
Beginning Friday January 14 at 6:00 in the evening Pacific Time an 8-week course covering the history and use of herbalism in California will be offered. Each class will be a little more than 1 hour. …
Payment Options
All payments for classes can either be made by check, money order, or Paypal. Checks can be made out to Charles Garcia, as can money orders. They can be sent to 2801 Lincoln Avenue, Richmond CA …
Jam, Jelly, and Canning
Jam, Jelly, and Canning For many years Martha Garcia, Charles’ mother made jams and jellies in a small two person company. She also preserved many of the fruits and vegetables grown in he…
A Summer Tale of Yerba Mansa
I was born and raised in a time when neighbors did not lock their doors at night, when summer nights were punctuated by the rumbling of the nearby Contadina cannery, and pickup softball games could la…
A Memory of Autumn: Ritual of the Orchards by Charles Garcia
Ritual of the Orchards A few years ago I returned home to the central valley of California for a short visit and to pay my respects to the ghosts of memory that occasionally haunt me for good or ill r…
Curanderismo
About the Academy
The California School of Traditional Hispanic Herbalism officially opened its doors in January of 1998 in the San Francisco East Bay city of Richmond, California, to teach and preserve the healing traditions of the Hispanic curanderos and curanderas (folk healers) of California. Many of these classes had been informally taught for two years prior to the creation of the school.
Primarily offering classes in herbalism, the school also stresses an understanding of Curanderismo, the healing techniques and philosophies of Native-Hispanic California. The cross-cultural influences of European and Asian herbs, along with the use of native plants, made California Curanderismo a unique and potent healing medium. These practices also include the use of intuitive diagnosis skills, psychoactive plants, ritual and magic.
Classes
Due to COVID restrictions all classes are hosted online using Zoom videoconferencing software.
All class times are Pacific time zone.
Hispanic & California Native Herbs
A unique course focusing primarily on the herbs and herbal methods used by early Hispanic settlers and Native Californians.
Cough & Cold Remedios
Learn to make effective cough and cold syrups using commonly acquired herbs, fruits, and honey.