Everything people ask us most

An online school of herbal medicine, taught live — not a video library you sit alone with. It is founded and taught by María Hrefna, a herbalist with over forty years among the plants. The flagship study is the HerbWoman® Foundations – Herbalist & PhytoArtisan™ Program.

We meet in a live class once a week, where María teaches and questions are answered on the spot. Each chapter opens one week ahead of its live class, so you arrive prepared.

Between classes you can send questions through the learning platform at any time; a teacher answers there daily on weekdays (not on public holidays).

The Foundations program is 80 chapters with 80 live classes, taken over about two years at a steady rhythm of one chapter a week. Each chapter states its estimated study hours, so you always know what the week asks of you.

Each year-group is a cohort named after a plant. The next cohort — named Calendula — begins on 20 August 2026. When you enroll, you join the next cohort that opens. See the course calendar for the year's rhythm.

No. The program begins at the very beginning — plant identification, botany, the old craft — and builds steadily from there. Complete beginners and experienced plant people study side by side, and both are stretched.

María teaches the live classes in Icelandic herself, and the written material is available in your own language; live classes are translated into several languages. Lessons can also be read aloud to you on request in all languages we provide — so you can listen while your hands are busy in the garden or the kitchen.

Life happens — the school is built for it. Every live class is recorded, so you can review it or catch up on one you missed. Chapters stay open once unlocked, and your questions are answered in the learning platform daily on weekdays whether you attended or not.

Chapters keep opening weekly through the year; only the summer pauses, which is also a natural time to catch up. Do note that live attendance matters for completing the program — see “What is required to complete the program?” below.

Prices are shown in your own currency, converted from Norwegian kroner (NOK) at the current rate and rounded, and we price fairly by region of the world — so the price you see on the course page is the one that applies to you.

You can pay in full, or in monthly instalments over 12, 24, 36 or 48 months. Payment is taken in Norwegian kroner (NOK) by card; your bank converts to your own currency automatically, so the exact amount on your statement may differ slightly from the figure shown.

Yes. Each year we set aside a limited number of scholarships for dedicated plant people whose circumstances would otherwise keep them out. Read about it and apply on the scholarship page.

Yes — the school is fully online and our students join from all over the world, including places where purchasing can be difficult; in such cases, please do apply for a scholarship. All you need is an internet connection. The school also installs as an app on your phone or tablet, so your studies travel with you.

The full policy lives in our Terms & Conditions — plain language, no surprises. If anything there is unclear, ask us before you enroll.

• A living community — you study among fellow plant people, not alone: online gatherings, circles and chat between classes.
• A study companion — our course-aware assistant answers questions about the material whenever you're studying, day or night.
• Your own notebook — highlight the lessons and keep margin notes; everything gathers in one place.
• Listening — lessons read aloud on request, in a warm human voice.

One chapter and one live class per week is the rhythm. Each chapter states its estimated hours — some are lighter, some deeper. Most students set aside a steady evening or two; the read-aloud and the app help the study fit into real life.

Three things, and none of them are surprises:

• Work through the chapters — the lessons, exercises and quizzes; your progress is tracked in the learning platform. Tests require a 70% pass mark, and you can retake them as often as you need — what matters is that you learn it, not how many tries it took.
• Be there live — cohort courses require attendance in at least 70% of the scheduled live classes, because part of the learning happens together, in the room. Recordings are there for review and catching up, but they don't replace being present.
• Finish everything — the certificate is earned by completing all the coursework. Time passing is not, by itself, enough; when everything is done, the certificate is yours.

The full details live in our Terms & Conditions (section 9). One honest note that also lives there: completing the program gives you real education and craft — it does not make you a licensed healthcare professional, and how titles like “herbalist” work is governed by the law where you live.

You complete the HerbWoman® Foundations program as a trained Herbalist & PhytoArtisan™ — grounded in plant identification, traditional craft and modern knowledge, and able to make real preparations with your own hands.