A school of plant medicine where the gate stays open.
Three levels. Two ways to learn. One credential that travels with you. Move at your own pace, in person or virtually, all the way to the Apothecary Council.
4 weeks of hands-on herbal medicine-making, safety, and ancestral practice. The starting place.
Salves, syrups, oil infusion, and a Piney Woods East Texas field day guided by Justin Duncan of BluBottleBrand Botanicals. Cohort 2 completed May 23, 2026.
Cohort 2 graduated. Next in-person cohort to be announced.
See Level 2 details and Virtual optionThe advanced track. Five sessions deeper into plant medicine, ending with a Saturday at LBJ Farmers Market in Houston and Apothecary Council induction. In-person only, June 2 to June 23, 2026.
June 2 to June 23, 2026 · Houston classroom + LBJ Farmers Market day. $300 paid in full or $70 per session ($350 total).
Enroll or join waitlistLevel 3 is in-person only. The hands, the jars, and the council seat must be earned in the room.
Somewhere along the way we became a people who wait for permission to heal.
Permission from the doctor. Permission from the prescription pad. Permission from somebody else to tell us what is good for our own bodies. That is not how God intended it. God freely gave the plants of this earth · to all of us · so that we could care for ourselves, our families, and the people he places in our path. The knowledge of how to use them was never meant to be a secret kept by a few. It was meant to be passed down.
So I built a school where the gate stays open.
I learned this the hard way. When I lost my son Elijah, herbalism was one of the threads that pulled me back to myself. The plants. The teas. The salves. The slow, sacred work of preparing something with my own hands. These were the ways my body remembered it was still alive.
Out of that healing, Elijah Broke The Gate was born · a parent organization for women and families who have walked through the fire of child loss. From it grew creative arts therapy and holistic health offerings. The apothecary came first · where the medicine itself takes shape. Medicine Crafts Collective is the school division of Elijah Broke The Gate · a sister to the apothecary · where we pass the craft down so the healing has somewhere to live.
This is an empire being built brick by brick. One graduate. One jar of oil. One cohort. One walk in the woods.
If you are here, you are part of it. Welcome.
Welcome. Here is how to stay connected between classes and what you need to know before each session.
Your course materials, slides, and resources are all in one place. Use the password you were given in class.
Open Student PortalKeep using RetreatRX between classes for herb-drug interaction checks and journaling your herbal practice.
Get RetreatRXYour herbal reference guide has profiles for all 14 herbs we cover in this series, plus safety information and reflection pages.
Download PDFA notebook, an open heart, comfortable clothing, socks, and a bonnet or hair covering for when we are making medicine. All in-class materials are provided. For the field day: closed-toe shoes, long pants, and water.
Sessions 1 and 2: Jesse's House Headquarters, Houston, TX. Field day: private family-held land, Piney Woods East Texas. Exact address shared by email after registration.
A 4-week hands-on series covering herbal safety, salves, teas, and ancestral practice. Cohort 1 graduated April 28, 2026.
This 4-week series is your starting place if you want to safely make your own salves, teas, and simple blends. Build a small home apothecary with confidence. Learn herbal skills in a space that honors God, ancestors, and community.
No prior experience is needed. You will leave each week with remedies you made yourself and simple ways to keep practicing at home.
Medicine Crafts Collective is a Christ-centered space. We believe the herbs of the field are gifts from God, and we honor the ancestors who carried this healing wisdom forward. Our work is grounded in scripture, guided by prayer, and offered in service to community.
Complete all 4 sessions to earn your Level 1 Home Herbalist Foundations Certificate, 8 hours of documented hands-on training. Every graduate's certificate is embossed with the MCC seal.
Born from Elijah Broke the Gate, a grief-rooted, hope-centered wellness company. JC Jackson is enrolled at Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Integrative Health, pursuing her degree in clinical herbal medicine.
Visit Elijah Broke The GateUnderstand basic safety, preparation methods, and simple dosage
Know how to make salves, tea blends, and oils or simple blends
Have a small set of recipes and skills you can repeat at home
Practice bringing ancestral and spiritual care into your herbal work
Take a moment to arrive. This helps me hold space for where you are tonight.
Before you go, take a breath and reflect on what you're carrying home.
Real students. Real medicine made by hand. Selected images from Cohort 1, shared with the permission of every student pictured.
Houston, TX · Spring 2026 Cohort
Selected images from the Level 2 Piney Woods field day and solar infusion sessions. Shared with permission.
Piney Woods East Texas · May 2026
In-person only · Cohort 3 inducted June 23, 2026 · Cohort 4 begins Tuesday June 1, 2027 · Houston classroom + LBJ Farmers Market day
The advanced track for students who completed Level 2. Five sessions deeper into plant medicine, ending with a Saturday at LBJ Farmers Market where your craft meets community, and induction into the Apothecary Council. Cohort 3 graduated Shanta Jones, Youorson Francisca Hien, and Caryn B. Malone.
For students building a business. Walk away with a live landing page built alongside JC, using AI tools for research and content.
For students building a personal practice. Walk away with a designed Home Apothecary Blueprint, a printable PDF of your medicine cabinet, recipes, sources, and seasonal calendar.
Tuition includes all five sessions, the Saturday at LBJ Farmers Market, your chosen track deliverable, and induction into the Apothecary Council.
Pay all five up front at $595, or pay session by session at $90 each. Cohort 4 seats are opening now · see the 2027 Cohort page for full details.
The Council is the lifetime alumni body of MCC Level 3 graduates. At your June 23 induction you receive your embossed Medicine Maker certificate and a permanent seat on the Council.
Earn your seat. Carry the work.
Two 100-point evaluations · one for Medicine Maker market day, one for Apothecary Business pathway. Each comes with a visitor flyer of questions buyers can ask the student in real time.
The Apothecary Council is the standing body of Medicine Crafts Collective graduates. Once a student completes Level 3, they are inducted for life. Each Councilmember carries the school's lineage into their own community. Every certificate number below is verifiable in the public registry.
Founder · The Care Cottage
Caregiver-first body-care line rooted in ancestral herbal tradition. Serves the caregivers who serve everyone else.
Visit The Care Cottage ›
Founder · Kemajô Kà Fórô
West African ancestral apothecary bringing Baobab, hyssop, and community-shared plant medicine to the Houston market.
Visit Kemajô Kà Fórô ›
Founder · Bri's Apothecary
A family-first home apothecary and teaching practice. Designed around her Level 3 Home Apothecary Blueprint and delivered on her own launched site.
Visit Bri's Apothecary ›Every Councilmember's record is filed in the public Certificate Registry. Anyone can look up a certificate number, confirm the recipient, and see the scope of practice attached to that level.
Founder & Main Instructor
M.S. Candidate, Clinical Herbal Medicine · Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Integrative Health
Houston-based herbalist, author, and educator. Founder of Elijah Broke The Gate and Medicine Crafts Collective. JC sees her herbal practice as a calling that walks hand in hand with her faith and her commitment to accessible plant medicine for families.
Guest Instructor · Level 2 Wildcrafting Field Day
BluBottleBrand Botanicals · Agriculturalist
Joined us as a guest instructor for the Level 2 Piney Woods field day to teach plant identification, wildcrafting ethics, and the one-third rule on his East Texas land.
@blubottlebrandMore guest instructors will join us for Level 3. Announcements coming.
Herbs featured in this series. Always check for interactions before using any herb with medications.
Sacred resin from the Boswellia tree; anti-inflammatory, grounding, and used in healing rites for over 5,000 years. Native to Somalia, Oman, Yemen, and the Horn of Africa.
Generally safe topically. Avoid during pregnancy in high doses. Patch test recommended.
Check Frankincense InteractionsAncient resin from Commiphora trees; anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Safe topically in small amounts. Avoid in pregnancy. Not for ingestion. Patch test recommended.
Check Myrrh InteractionsGrounding and protective; used by Sumerians and Egyptians for embalming, medicine, and spiritual purification.
Safe for most adults topically. Avoid in pregnancy. Not for children under 2. Dilute well.
Check Cedarwood InteractionsThe "upside-down tree" with deep ancestral roots in Madagascar and mainland Africa. Rich in vitamins A, D, E, and F. Used across African traditions for food, medicine, and ceremony.
Baobab oil is gentle and safe for most skin types. Non-comedogenic.
Check Baobab InteractionsGentle nervine and digestive soother; calms tension and supports restful sleep.
Generally safe; may interact with blood thinners and sedatives.
Check Chamomile InteractionsAromatic nervine; eases anxiety, headaches, and restlessness through scent and infusion.
Generally safe externally and in tea; may enhance sedative effects.
Check Lavender InteractionsSkin-healing and anti-inflammatory; a foundation herb for salves and wound care.
Very gentle; avoid if allergic to plants in the daisy family.
Check Calendula InteractionsWarming digestive aid; relieves nausea, supports circulation, and eases cold symptoms.
May interact with blood thinners; use moderately in pregnancy.
Check Ginger InteractionsUplifting nervine; soothes anxiety and supports cognitive clarity and digestion.
May interact with thyroid medications and sedatives.
Check Lemon Balm InteractionsHeart tonic; strengthens cardiovascular function and calms emotional grief.
May interact with heart medications and blood pressure drugs.
Check Hawthorn InteractionsStimulating herb; supports memory, circulation, and digestion. Rich in antioxidants and aromatic compounds.
May interact with blood thinners and aspirin-type drugs; avoid large doses during pregnancy.
Check Rosemary InteractionsCooling digestive aid; eases nausea, headaches, and congestion. Uplifting and clarifying.
May interact with antacids and acid reflux medications; avoid with cyclosporine.
Check Peppermint InteractionsWarming analgesic; eases toothaches, supports digestion, and provides antimicrobial protection.
May slow blood clotting; interact with blood thinners and diabetes medications. Use moderately.
Check Clove InteractionsPowerful anti-inflammatory; supports joint health, digestion, and cellular protection through curcumin.
May interact with blood thinners, diabetes meds, and some cancer medications. Consult before combining.
Check Turmeric InteractionsNeed to check a different herb? Use the RetreatRX App for herb-drug interaction lookups.
Open Interaction Checker Powered by RetreatRX | Elijah Broke The Gate Apothecary DivisionLevel 2 is open to anyone who has graduated Level 1 of Medicine Crafts Collective in person, or who is enrolled in (or has completed) the MCC Virtual Beginner: Home Herbalist class. Pre-registration in the virtual class counts as enrollment.
Three sessions: Therapeutic Salves, Syrups and Honeys, and a Saturday Field Day with Oil Infusion and Graduation. You will leave with finished medicine and a certificate documenting completion of the Level 2 Apothecary Intensive.
Yes. The field day is a required part of Level 2. It is approximately a 1.5 hour drive from Houston, taught on private Piney Woods land in East Texas by Justin Duncan of BluBottleBrand Botanicals. The land-use and guide fee is included in your tuition.
Level 3 Cohort 4 (June 2027) tuition is $595 paid in full, or $90 per session paid as you go. Tuition covers all five sessions, the Saturday at LBJ Farmers Market, your chosen track deliverable, and induction into the Apothecary Council. Level 3 is in-person only.
Sessions 1 and 2 meet at Jesse's House Headquarters in Houston, TX. The field day is on private family-held land in the Piney Woods of East Texas, roughly an hour and a half outside Houston. The exact field-day address and carpooling information are shared with confirmed students by email after registration, about a week before class.
Yes. Medicine Crafts Collective is a Christ-centered organization. We see herbal medicine-making as a gift from God. We honor the ancestors who carried healing knowledge forward and we worship the Lord. This is ancestral wisdom held in the hands of faith. Everyone is welcome regardless of background.
All Medicine Crafts Collective certificates can be verified through our public verification portal. Enter the certificate number printed on the back of any MCC certificate to confirm authenticity and level of completion.
Level 1 Cohort 1 graduated April 28, 2026. The next in-person Level 1 cohort has not been announced yet. In the meantime, the Virtual Beginner: Home Herbalist track is open for pre-registration at $147 and can be started any time. Join the wait list below to be notified when the next in-person Level 1 dates are set.
The 2027 Level 3: Medicine Maker cohort meets June 1 to June 22, 2027. Cohort 3 has already graduated. Drop your name and we will email you first when 2027 seats open, plus early-bird pricing before public enrollment.
Making Medicine with Ancestral Wisdom
A 16-page digital resource built for beginners and seasoned plant lovers alike. Featuring watercolor botanical paintings, ancestral roots content, peer-reviewed herb profiles, and a step-by-step salve recipe you can make at home.
