Jean Schneider
teacher, plant mystic, folk healer
Thank you for visiting my website. I hope the following gives you more information about my journey and my practice.
History
My connection with nature and plants was formed at an early age. I grew up in the country in Southern Wisconsin and had a lot of freedom to roam and discover. I laid in meadows and napped in trees, sang to the land and learned to listen to the whispers that called back. Met the visible and invisible aliveness of the wetlands, prairies and forests.
While at the University of Wisconsin,I studied about the land, the water and the plants for my Bachelor of Science in botany & ecosystems, and psychology. After a brief time in the corporate world, I was brought back to the land, the water and the plants, called by the spirit of the place where I live.
Teacher
Since 2008, I have been teaching classes about spirit work, herbs, plants, trees, spirits of the land, and medicine from the land. How to live more simply and within natures cycles. How to become a part of nature instead of living apart from it. As a teacher, it is important to me to empower people to be a participant and a leader in their own path. Most of my classes are focused in this way. All of my current offerings are over video.
Plant Spirit
I received my 1500 hour Clinical Herbalist Training from Red Root Mountain School of Botanical Medicine. I have also extensively studied with several master herbalists who have given me a deep understanding of Western medicinal herbalism. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have also influenced my Plant work. For many years, I had a clinical herbal practice that supported both locals and those further away on their healing path. This client work in medicinal herbalism led me to the understanding that what was healing for most people, was not finding the right herbs for their ailments, it was helping them to find relationship with plants.
My work with plant spirit has been even older than my formal training as an herbalist. Growing up with daily access to wild land, I came to understand plant spirits and land spirits in what I thought was my own way. After receiving training in the shamanistic traditions of Northern Europe, I discovered these were the practices of my magical lineage. I finally understood why my scientific study of plants and land felt so flat and devoid of spirit and magic.
Over several decades of working with plant and land spirits, and practicing the Northern European art of utiseta, the practice of “sitting-out” and being between realms, my relationship with plants and their preparations has become magical. Each plant I work with has required years of utiseta, listening and learning, before I have been given permission to share plant work with others.
Spirit Work
I work with the unseen. The belief that the world is vitally alive and all things have Spirit is a common thread in traditions around the world. One of the most significant aspects of my spirit work practice is based on developing a relationship with the Earth, the Spirits of the land, the Ancestors and other Helping Spirits. I have a deep interest in understanding ancestral stories, lore, traditions and Beings in indigenous cultures, both those of lost traditions and current ones. I read a lot of lore and story, quite a bit of my reading is academic with rune poems, sagas and eddas. Rooting out as many stories about plants, trees and land as I can find.
I have studied with healers from several cultures, most of which do not call themselves shamans. They call themselves spirit workers, root doctors, spiritual healers, folk healers, seiðr workers and medicine people. My background includes extensive study in Northern European traditions in seiðr, Norse mysteries, folk traditions, including completing two 1-year programs. I am so grateful to have studied with several people in the area of psychopomp; ranging from folk practices from several cultures, to modern shamanistic practices, including a one year compassionate deposession teacher training with Betsy Bergstrom. During the past two decades I have also completed a two year certificate training in advanced spirit work, along with dozens of 3-5 day trainings in: ancestral work, crystal energy work, advanced curse unraveling, Egyptian studies, space clearing and blessings, cord work, plant work and work within the Inka tradition.
The psychopomp work I do and teach is land and plant spirit based and comes from a place of knowing that every energy belongs somewhere. Energies are sometimes simply caught in their own trauma, and need cooperative care. For years I sought out experience with every type of energy possible, maturing my own practice and energetic signatures I know. Psychopomp work must be done from a genuine place of caring and done without fear.
My background in psychology along with my development of energetic practices that are accessible to everyday people has led me to work with over 100 mental health clinicians. I have hosted private trainings for mental health institutes and therapist groups.
Over the past several years I have been seeing clients for follow-up care from psychedelic plant/mushroom experiences, many of these have been referrals from psychologists. My unique background with plant spirit along with psychopomp and ancestral work has been very affective in helping people who have had unintended or difficult experiences while working with psychedelics.
Ancestry
My own ancestry is in the Northern Traditions of Scandinavia, the Norse/Germanic traditions as well as Celtic and Scottish. Both my spirit work practice and my plant practice have been influenced by these traditions. I have woven these traditions into my teaching work.
Teaching Experience
Nativa Medica
Plant Spirit "Weeds"
Plant Spirit Psychopomp - Practicioner training
Sovereignty and Energetic Structures
Boundaries, Protection and Clearing Work | Sovereignty
Spirit Work Emergence - 6 month series for personal practices
Intro to Plant Spirit
Plant Spirit Apprenticeship - a 3 month intensive personal journey with plants
Sacred Smoke: Plant Smoke for Cleansing and Clearing
Plant Spirit and the Norse Tradition
Sacred Plants
Energy and Space Clearing
Learn to Journey
Medicine Making
Ceremony for the Ancestors
Managing Your Personal Energy Field
Spirit Drum, Monthly for two years
Herb Day for Kids
Mentoring for psychologists, spirit workers, psychedelic practitioners and clients
Private trainings for mental health professionals
Society for Shamanic Practice 2023 in-person Conference, 3 hr workshop, "Northern European Practice of Utiseta for Modern Times"
The Hollow Bone, Utiseta: The Northern European Art of Plant Communication and Mediumship
PBS Wisconsin, Garden & Landscape Expo, Madison WI
Olbrich Botanical Gardens, City of Madison, Madison WI
University of Wisconsin Madison
Herb Day, Southern Wis Chapter of the AHG (American Herbalists Guild)
Herb Faire, MHS (Madison Herb Society)
Wisconsin Retired Educators Association
Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence
Dane County Land & Water Resources Dept.
Southern Wis Chapter of the AHG (American Herbalists Guild)
Co-Founder of the Chapter, 2016
Eco-Action Tuesdays, Monona WI
Libraries: Madison, Monona, Waunakee, DeForest, Prairie du Sac, Cross Plains
Harmony Valley Farm, Viroqua WI
Sun Prairie Garden Club Annual Meeting Presentation
Herb Day, MHI (Madison Herbal Institute)
Herb Collective Gardens, Madison Area Permaculture Guild
Monthly herb walks and talks May through September for 6 years
Madison Area Permaculture Guild, PDC Training (Permaculture Design Certificate) 2013