Val Elkhorn shares about balancing the cosmic forces with the earth by gardening with the cycles of the moon. You'll also hear about:

• Bringing spirit back into the sciences
• Growing up in a conservative family and doing her own thing
• The chronic digestive issues that led Val to herbalism
• How society is disconnected from the energetic forces of nature

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*****

Val Elkhorn is a herbalist living in the enchanting northwoods of Michigan. Through her business Woodspell Apothecary she grows, harvests, and makes medicine to the rhythms of the moon, using the practice of Biodynamic farming. Woodspell Apothecary gracefully melds science and spiritually, through research and ritual. Val strives to create products that are as sustainable and Earth conscious as possible by sourcing from local businesses, using recycled bottles, and using organically grown plants.

In this conversation Val shares her journey to find her place in the Universe, and how chronic digestive issues led her to a path of herbalism with a focus on herbal bitters. Take the Find Your Bitters Quiz on her webpage!

In this episode, we talk about:

• Reconnecting with our ancestors and their land based practices
• Val's existential crisis at the age of 10
• Val's psychedelic packaging and her training as a Graphic Designer
• Identifying as an Earth tender, activist, and herbalist
• How Val found her place in the Universe, and her path to the plants
• Gardening with the cycles of the moon
• The chronic digestive issues that led Val to herbalism
• How a Naturopathic approach to health and healing, allowed Val to feel truly heard for the first time
• The spectrum of healing, and the time and place for conventional medicine
• Creating sustainable, plastic free products
• Nature as a guide to being present and connected to your body
• Disconnecting from the busy minds, to be held by the Earth
• Finding a sense of belonging with the plants
• Earth altars and rituals - as therapy
• Honouring beauty for the sake of beauty
• Coming out of the broom closet to your family
• Feeling out of place and being the "rockstar rainbow of the family"
• The unique catalysts for transformation in our lives
• Melding spirit and science in gardening
• Val shares her dreams of making her own biodynamic calendar and garden journal
• Biodynamic farming as spellcasting
• Balancing the cosmic forces of the garden
• Staying curious and being open
• The mainstream misconceptions of what is means to be a Witch
• Being disconnected as a society from the energetic forces of nature
• Moon gardening as a link to our ancestors
• Matching herbal blends to bodies

Bonus Secret Episode! Get the secret episode with Val Elkhorn on the co-evolution of humans and bitters, at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret.

Links:

• Learn more about Val's offerings at https://www.woodspells.com/
• Connect with Val on Instagram @woodspell.apothecary // https://www.instagram.com/woodspell.apothecary/
• Connect with Val on Facebook @woodspellapothecary
• Explore Val's YouTube channel
• Take the Find Your Bitter's Quiz https://www.woodspells.com/quiz
• Get the secret episodes at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret

References:

• Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth https://amz.run/3InV
• Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism http://clinicalherbalism.com/
• Herbalist, Jim McDonald https://www.herbcraft.org/
• Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine https://chestnutherbs.com/
• Juliet Blankespoor https://bit.ly/3hz6e76
• Lemon Balm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm
• Trillium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium
• Ramp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum
• St John's Wort (St Joan's Wort) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum_perforatum
• Herbal Bitters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitters
• The Wild Medicine Solution: Healing with Aromatic, Bitter, and Tonic Plants https://amz.run/3In4
• Urban Moonshine https://www.urbanmoonshine.com/
• Kate Clearlight https://www.instagram.com/kateclearlight/
• Theodore Rosevelt quote - https://bit.ly/37LqCx6
• The Loon (bird) call - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFpU22rTqPc
• Biodynamic Gardening and founder https://bit.ly/37OTWTB
• Herbalist, Deb soule https://www.debsoule.com/
• Rosemary Gladstar https://bit.ly/310O2xb
• Stella Natura Calendar http://www.stellanatura.com/

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Theme music is "It's Easier" by Scarlet Crow http://www.scarletcrow.org/ and "Meeting Again" by Emily Sprague https://mlesprg.info/

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