It’s been awhile since I have posted anything here. I have been in the midst of a bit of writer's block and have been finding it hard to find the ambition to write about anything. Then I watched this video by Vice News and it got me all riled up and reminded me of one of the reasons I do what I do. (I also told off someone on FB today, so I must be in a mood…) I highly recommend you watch this video. It is called “Inside the Wellness Industry’s Controversial Supply Chains” (link here). It focuses on doTERRA and the Frankincense trade, specifically on a shady middle-man that they purchase from ..read more

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) can be found world wide with around 280 different species. There are two main species here in Southern BC, Crataegus douglasii (Black Hawthorn), and Crataegus monogyna (English Hawthorn/One Seed Hawthorn). Douglasii, or MÁT̸ŦEN ILĆ in the local SENĆOŦEN language, is the native species, and monogyna is a non-native invasive species. In Europe, Hawthorn was often used to plant hedgerows between fields and pastures to help contain animals, and there is some evidence that it was brought over by colonisers and used for the same purpose here. Black Hawthorn has been an impo ..read more

I have rewritten this post a few times now because I am not sure how to word it properly to get my view across in a way that makes sense…but I feel like this is an important viewpoint that I need to put out there, so here it goes… (apologies if it is a bit rambley) There is a word that has become a word of power and reclamation in this modern time of down with the patriarchy feminism and #metoo…the word Witch. This word bothers me…I am sorry if this word is a large part of your identity, I am not out to offend…there is just something about this label that doesn’t sit well with me… Did women ev ..read more

Mars, the Red Planet, and current holder of humanities ambitions. In traditional western astrology, Mars is the planet of action, war, anger, conflicts, arguments, courage, bravery, ambition, energy etc. Mars is masculine and yang in nature. It is the first planet outside of Earth’s orbit, meaning it is the first planet outside of our body, ready to take on and react to the outside world.  Hot, dry, excitatory, yang, acute, stimulating, inflammatory...these are all keywords for describing the pathological actions of Mars. Mars is considered the lesser malefic, with Saturn being the greate ..read more

In Astro-Herbalism and traditional Alchemical processes, the placement of the planets is crucial to the medicine making process. Knowing the optimal time to harvest each plant ensures that the plant’s vital force is at its fullest potential.  There are several factors at play here, and it is nearly impossible to have all the stars line up perfectly. (Pun intended). For example, say we wanted to harvest Dandelion roots. Roots are typically harvested in the fall or early spring, when the plant's vital force is concentrated in the roots and not the aerial parts. Dandelion is ruled by Jupiter ..read more

Kelp is one of my favourite seaweeds to harvest, and this past Super Full Moon created some amazingly low tides that were perfect for harvesting!  The coast of British Columbia has some of the greatest diversity of kelps found anywhere in the world. Kelps are part of the Brown family of seaweeds, known as the Phaeophyceae family, which also includes the Wracks which grow in the Upper Zone (we’ll talk about them another time). Brown seaweeds contain many beneficial compounds such as iodine, fucoidan, laminarin, alginates, phlorotannins and carotenoids. The Brown seaweeds have SO many healt ..read more

What is an Oxymel? There are many different ways to make an herbal extract. Tinctures, glycerites, infusions, hydrosols and essential oils are some of the better known ones, but oxymels are a bit more fringy. You don’t see them around very often, but they are a classic herbal extract, dating all the way back to Hippocrates!  Oxymels are some of my favourite medicines to make. They are an extract using vinegar and honey. They are typically used for immune support and upper respiratory issues, but have many other applications. A well known example of an oxymel is Fire Cider.   &nb ..read more

If you are like many other people these days, you’ve probably hopped onto the Alternative Health bandwagon. Whether you're riding it fully in the box, or you’ve got one leg dangling out, chances are you have recently purchased, or thought about purchasing some form of Herbal Medicine. Herbal Medicines come in many forms, like tinctures, flower essences, essential oils, oxymels, salves and teas, just to name a few. Most likely you’ve heard that this plant is good for that ailment, or that this plant worked for so-and-so so it should work for you, or that this essential oil is a magica ..read more

Gut health, and digestive health, are the foundations of our entire life. We are quite literally made of what we eat. If you were a tree, your guts would be your roots. Weak roots mean a weak tree. Health always starts in the gut. Leaky Gut is a modern condition, and can go undiagnosed and untreated for years and years, and in cases like mine, decades. It is not widely recognized in modern medicine as an actual condition, so it is not looked for. It has not been studied extensively, and because of that, it is treated as something people who practice alternative forms of healing have made up. M ..read more

Sometimes I wonder if I was born into the wrong century. A part of me longs for the days of the Healer. Before credentials and PHDs. When the Healer was respected and revered for their knowledge. When that knowledge was passed down from mother to daughter...wise woman to wise woman. The days when you went to the healer because you knew she could help, without any doubts. I dream of walking into an old world apothecary, with the wrinkled old healer behind the desk. You know the kind I am talking about. The kind portrayed in all the stories of the old days. Herbs of all kinds hanging from the ce ..read more