Gold Leaf Botanicals

Dandelion The name comes from the French, dent de lion, which means lion’s teeth". Which refers to the familiar toothed appearance of the leaves. As one of the first to flower in spring, their bright yellow flowers attract bees and other pollinators looking for food after being dormant through the winter. "Dandelion magic is the magic of adaptation.."... It grows at altitudes ranging from sea level to 10,500 feet, in broad and open meadows as well as sidewalk cracks, and despite a wide range of difficult obstacles such as lawn mowers and herbicides. This speaks to Dandelion’s ability to adapt to its environment, no matter how challenging. "Dandelion magic is the magic of practical, gentle, and intentional transformation.." It is a transformer. Loosening compacted soil by growing deep roots, creating a micro-climate that draws earthworms, who’s job it is to change and rejuvenate the soil, drawing nutrients and toxins to the surface for use and transformation, dandelion is symbolic of the kind of magic that gently and firmly changes those conditions that no longer serve its environment. Much like our pollinating friends, long cold winters often result in our bodies systems feeling sluggish. Dandelion helps with the stagnancy and helps us "clean out the gunk". The leavesare a potassium sparing diuretic and are used for diseases associated with the kidneys, high blood pressure and swollen ankles.It is also an excellent salad leaf, being bitter but refreshing. The flowers are treasured for their mild analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, making them an excellent addition to products designed for sore muscles or other external aches and pains. They’re also traditionally used in preparations to heal rough chapped skin. My favourite use, is to infuse them in honey for use in tea, desserts or for a sneaky spoonful of sweetness. The roothas been roasted and ground as a replacement for coffee, and is brewed in a hot water extract (decoction). It is known as a liver remedy and can help produce more bile and digestive juices. This year, instead of digging, mowing or spraying our sunny friends. Embrace them, eat them, love them. See more

Happy Day! May today and all days following be in respect of our great mother. Protect her at all costs. Keep our water ways and oceans clean, our old forests untouched , her great planes wild and green, the skies visible, the air fresh, and all her creatures free to be. ... My hope is that we can continue to move forward into more sustainable practices. Away from large scale fishing, agriculture, farming, and get back to our roots. Return to traditional practices that work with the land and not against it. Let us tune into the earths wisdom. Sit with the plants, listen. They have much to tell us. Every day is Earth Day!!

The culture of smoking, specifically of herbs for medicinal needs has evolved over time as part of different traditional healing methods. Ayurvedic , TCM, Native Americana, Indiginous Australians, etc all use herbal smoke medicine. The pharmacological influence of the substances that become active in herbs while smoking them is extremely swift and highly efficient due to the large surface area of our lungs. Different particles in the herbs smoke are able to penetrate the blo...odstream almost as soon as you begin smoking, where they are transferred to the body’s different organs and tissues. Smoking the herbs has a great influence on the nervous system and brain and offers a stimulating or soothing response. Primarily though, the smoking of medicinal herbs is ascribed to the respiratory system and includes affects such as: drying mucus relaxation of the respiratory muscles relief for coughing expectoration Furthermore, the smoking of herbs can also offer relief for headaches and toothache, hormonal problems such as imbalances of the thyroid gland, anxiety, digestion and much more. * it’s important to remember that smoke is smoke. It can still negatively effect the lungs with tar build up and exposure to carbon monoxide, neither of which are all that healthy for you. I find it best to practice moderation and take regular breaks from smoking. pictured above: Calm Tea’N Toke blend.

For the Dreamers A dreamlike blend of organic herbs that can be used to deepen your dream work practices by increasing vividness and clarity and supporting dream memory. Whether your sipping, smoking or soaking in your herbs, you’ll feel yourself floating up into the dreamscapes.

A spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. Herbal infused honeys. A simple and tasty way to enjoy the benefits of your herbal allies. Drizzled over meals, used for baking, in tea or taken by the spoonful, or to make Oxymels ( a mix of honey & apple cider vinegar).... I’m currently obsessing over how well my Balsam Fir Oxymel turned out. It’s so darn tasty and has become a definite must have in my winter apothecary. Bonus- I’m completely surrounded by them on my property. The volatile oils and resins in Fir trees are beneficial when fighting a chest or sinus infection. They can kill bacteria, improve breathing, improve digestion, and be warming when chilled. They are also high in Vitamin C. They smell great and the needles can be harvested year round.

What’s on your ready list? I’ve recently added a few new ones to my shelf that I can’t wait to dive into. Top of that list Evolutionary Herbalism by Sojah Popham and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Such a beautiful snowy day here at home. We have been getting a constant dusting all day long that is accumulating quickly and turning our property into a winter wonderland. Its so magical. The poochies and I have been busy playing in the snow, lugging wood and making bean burgers flavoured with my Wild Fire marinade- something I came up with as a way to use the left over ingredients from my strained Master Tonic brews. They are sooo tasty and I’d be happy to share the r...ecipe with you. Now spending the afternoon cozied up by the fire, sipping tea and working through my herbal studies modules with Nahla bear at my feet and Nneko boy, still outside chasing snowflakes. #happysnowday . . How do you spend your snow days? See more

I love stickers. Ever since I was a kid- you name it, I probably stickered it with fun colourful, sparkly stickers. While the obsession isn’t quite as extreme as it once was, I still use stickers as a fun, simple way to personalize my packaging. Sam over @benniestudio bringing that sticker love back with the most adorable custom stickers for me .... . . See more

ADAPT herbal tea blend helps support my bodies ability to adapt to physical and emotional stress. Why? When you’re stressed, your adrenal gland releases the stress hormone cortisol, which then energizes you to tackle an emergency. But too much too often is usually bad for our bodies. ... Stress sets off a cascade of physical responses that affect immune function, our hormones, our cognitive function system, and our internal clock, called our circadian rhythm, If these stressors persist, this leads to chronic illness. When we can adapt to stress, we perform better and feel better despite what’s stressing us out. And with that, we can also improve our health and well-being. How? Adaptogens work at a molecular level by regulating a stable balance in the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands. These are involved in the stress response. These herbs aid our bodies in reacting to or recovering from both short- and long-term physical or mental stress. Some also boost immunity and overall well-being. Research shows adaptogens can combat fatigue, enhance mental performance, ease depression and anxiety, and help you thrive rather than just ‘get by’. ADAPT herbal tea blend includes: Reishi mushroom, Schizandra berries, Ashwagandha, Licorice root, Rhodiola and Holy basil (Tulsi). It’s just what you need to restore balance to all systems of the body in a gently delicious way.

There is something so magical about winter foraging. The woods are so quiet and peaceful and taking the time to sit amongst the trees, breathing the fresh crisp winter air brings so much peace and clarity to a busy mind. While many plants lay dormant beneath the snow and grounds surface, what remains when above, are some very powerful and abundant plant allies. Evergreens, you will find them all year round. but during the winter their beautiful greens contrast magically aga...inst the snow. Their medicines provide relief for many ailments during the winter months. Most conifer needles are edible, with the exception of the toxic yew (Taxus spp.) tree. Spruce, hemlock, pine, and fir all have wonderful herbal and edible uses. Conifer needles are especially useful in teas but have been used in applications varying from salves to body scrubs to infusions. Pine- a favourite use of mine is pine needle tea. high in vitamin C, a cold water infusion works best to retain vitamin c potency. Pine also being great choice for salves and balms due to the anti inflammatory, antibacterial, anti fungal and antiseptic properties. Spruce- also high in Vitamin C, it makes for a lemony tea useful for colds. I especially like spruce for clearing congestion of the sinuses. I combine fresh spruce and eucalyptus to a pot of simmering water, place my face over the pot and cover with a towel. breathing in the aromatics. Hemlock- steam inhalation can be used for relieving colds and coughs and rheumatism. the twigs and needles can be brewed for a wonderful kidney supporting tea. Fir- used for centuries in indigenous cultures for various complaints. the resin being used most often in poultices for cuts, burns and other skin complaints because of its antiseptic properties. Fir tips are used in herbal teas, cordials, and for flavouring in beer brewing and culinary dishes. they also hold analgesic, stimulant and expectorant properties. *When foraging it’s best to choose areas far away from roadsides and sprayed clear-cuts to avoid harmful contaminates. Avoid picking from the tops of trees so growth isn’t stunted. Only take what you need being mindful not to over harvest from one area.