Embassy of the Free Mind, Amsterdam
29/10/2026
5 pm - 7 pm
A multisensory workshop on medieval plant wisdom.
Join herbalist and author Lynn Shore for a two hour exploration into the world of Hildegard von Bingen, weaving together medieval plant knowledge, the Embassy of the Free Mind's collection, and the living plants of its Alchemical Garden.
Beginning in the 12th century, you will trace Hildegard's world and her understanding of plants, health, and the bond between body, mind, spirit, and the natural world. Lynn will draw connections between rare texts held in the Embassy's collection and the plants growing in the Garden and throughout Amsterdam.
Together, you will examine how these plants were understood and used in Hildegard's time, what she recorded of them, and how her observations meet contemporary herbal knowledge. You will consider the many paths people have taken toward understanding their kinship with the natural world, through observation, medicine, tradition, symbolism, and spiritual practice.
The workshop unfolds as a deeply sensory experience. Participants will smell, taste, and sit with herbal infusions, exploring the traditional idea of a plant's spirit or essence alongside their own embodied response to it.
From there, each participant will craft a bespoke herbal tea blend, selecting plants according to personal need, intention, and desire. Along the way, we will consider how Hildegard's relationship with the natural world might inform our own, and how plants become a meeting point between ancient knowledge, contemporary herbalism, and the search for connection and meaning.
This workshop welcomes anyone drawn to Hildegard von Bingen, herbalism, alchemy, witchcraft, plant wisdom, or simply the stories and qualities of the plants growing around us.
Embassy of the Free Mind
https://www.embassyofthefreemind.com/events/hildegard-von-bingen-s-garden-of-joy
