Alberta Apothecary

Grande Prairie friends! I’ll be there this weekend! Two Medicinal Plant ID workshops on Saturday! Drop by if you get a chance!

Episode 2 is up!
I sat down and chatted all about what the heck 2023 was, and how it lined us up perfectly for 2024. Grab a cup of warm deliciousness and sit down to listen to this quick episode!
Got topics you want me to cover or talk about? Let me know!

Self love

What is it?
How do we engage in loving on ourselves?

For me Self Love is many things.

It’s commitment to self. It’s consistency with self. It’s checking in with yourself, the same way you check in with your partner or your friends and family. Self love is all about seeing what we are pouring out into the world, and pouring those same actions and care to our selves.

When we think of love, we often think of the gentleness, the embracing, the sense of feeling “full”, the 5 love languages. We think of all the softness that is love. Which it is.

But it is also..
holding yourself extremely accountable for your words, actions, and feelings.
Sitting with your demons and getting to know them on a name to name basis. So we can understand why they are there and what they want, and how we can create homeostasis with them and ourselves.

Self love is taking a moment to breathe and see where your body needs attention, and care.

Self love is nourishing every aspect of your vessel.

Self love is being strict with yourself, and saying no to “toxic” wants in life.

Self love is playing in our darkness, so we can appreciate the light.

Once we start feeling deeper into ourselves, our love, and how we want to be loved, we can then in turn feel deeper into that love for life and other people.

Artist is unknown

I’m still blending and brewing in the apothecary!
Recently I made up a custom ultra nourishing hair oil for a gal pal. With ALL the benefits.
Moisture locking
Growth Stimulating
Flakey Fighting
Smells like that great vanilla s**t your stylists puts in your hair at the end of a sit in the chair.
And
Made with wild horsetail of the Alberta lands!

I have two extras from this micro batch!

If the winter dryness and static is getting to you. This is you sign 🪧

DM me to claim one of the last couple!

New moon day!
Januarys new moon in Capricorn reminds us of a few important things. Most importantly, to show up authentically, and passionately.

Want to know how you can harness this months new moon energy? I have one spot left on Saturday for my “Deep Winter Readings”! Is this spot for you? Let’s connect 🌸

Wanting to go a little deeper in your winter season?
As we dive into a new calendar year we tend to shift our focus on what is to come.
The deep winter encourages inward reflection, rest, nourishment and to seek comfort within discomfort.
To look at all the growth the past seasons have brought and how to weave that growth into the next seasons.
Sit down with me for an hour to look deeper at your season of rest. Perhaps shed some light on areas you are seeking insight on, moving forward. Whatever it is. I got cha covered 😎

An hour reading includes:
🌸Deep intention setting for your energy and mind, and energy clearing.
🌸A full specially curated card spread, just for you
🌸A look into your Akashic Records to deepen guidance
🌸 Ila’s intuitive flair

DM me to book your time slot or book on my website

I can’t wait to sit with you 💎

Happy Holidays from my heart to yours.
May this festive season be kind and warm and full of gratitude.
This year has been a rollercoaster and many of us are celebrating a little differently this year, but regardless of your holidays situation, I wish that you celebrate with open hearts.

How I’m feeling rolling into the holly-daze 🙃
Throwback to the festive season of 2016 👀
2023 was a hard one full of so many different emotions and experiences. I moved myself and my business 3 times. Entered into the unknown. Prayed more than I ever have. Lost many loved ones both emotionally and physically. Started relationships with new medicines. Sat in countless large and small ceremonies. Found more bits of myself that were burried away in hidden darkness. Helped my community bloom a little harder. Met old friends of lifetimes ago. And most importantly grew.
Thank you to everyone that participated in ceremony, circles, workshops and bought medicine off me this year. You all are the reason that I do what I do and love doing it.
Year after year, I meet such amazing, and wonderful people doing the work that I do. Some I help on their healing journey, while others help me on mine. But we all go further and get better together.
Year after year.
I’m met with immense gratitude each year as I reflect on what I’ve done and where I’ve gone the past 12 months. Thankful for every breath, every step, every word.
I do it all in service.
For me
For you
For the Land
For the Ancestors
For the Divine
For the Oneness
I look forward to another year ahead, what it brings and how it will further shape myself and the collective.
*que 2024*

Happy Winter Solstice or Yule 🌲
The longest night of the year reminds us how important the light is. How important warmth, family, rest, gratitude and love is.
Usually I celebrate with a harvest dinner, candle light, and ceremony. What do you do?

The details of Yule Simmer Jar shinanigans 🫙🌿

Yesterday we crafted Yule Simmer jars here at the Apothecary. Fresh pine and spruce were collected to add to seasonal herbs, berries and spices!
Simmer pots is a practice that has been used for centuries. Dating back to the pagan era. These deliciously scented pots were filled with seasonal fresh and dried ingredients from the land to clean and lay in beneficial properties to the air in the home but also to bring in protection, abundance, cleansing, and love into the homes. Amoung other values.
During Yule we use things like:
•Evergreen Bows
•Seasonal Fruits (Oranges, Apples, Persimmon)
•Dried Berries
•”Fruity” Herbals
•Spices
And not because they are festive and fun. But because they offer benefits to the season.
Evergreen is anti viral and anti microbial.
Seasonal fruits offer many vitamins and minerals to boost immune systems.
Berries and herbals, especially ones that have been locally foraged offer all kinds of benefits ranging from anti bacterial (Juniper) to immune support (Rose Hip).
Spices are all kinds of anti everything, as well as super warming for those cold winter evenings.

Do you make simmer pots?

Join me December 9th in the Apothecary workshop to make some Simmer Jars!

Simmer jars are a beautiful way to incorporate herbal healing into your homes air as well as enjoying the beautiful scents of the season!
This photo is an example of what we will be creating.

I have 5 spots available for this workshop, so please don’t dilly dally on getting your spot 🌸

I can’t wait to host and open the doors to my Apothecary to you all!

Missing me at markets this season?

Me too, and that’s ok.

I’m busy revamping how to better and more authentically serve my medicines to my community.
I’ll still be busy in the Apothecary, crafting all things wild foraged but the way things are offered is going to change.
I’m really sticking to the Apothecary roots 😎 hint: think bulk barn but herbal
Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come.

These lands hold memories.

I serve and educate..

to help these memories surface
to help the land tell its stories
to help the plant Kin connect with us in the way that they long to
to help you remember where you belong
to help you journey back home, to the dirt, to the mothers womb, to you and your community.

Simply a vessel for the Divine.

The details of ceremony ✨

I spent last weekend in ceremony with my love , my dear soul sister and her amazing daughter.
We all served, and we all received.
Education
Medicine
Healing
Flow
Nourishment
Tribe
Love

For me, going deeper in my own healing and service means I am better able to serve myself, and in turn my community.
We all walk a journey. And it’s my own learning on my journey that helps me guide you on yours.

If you are ready to step into your own path and I are here to hold, and serve you 🌸

The community medicine.
Mama Cacao and I have been sitting down for weeks, structuring how to better serve Her medicine to the people.
And it’s finally come to fruition.

Community Cacao Ceremonies

These ceremonies are meant to engage our community in play with each other. In growing and healing with each other.
This container will reinvigorate a sense of love for life and self. And I can’t wait to hold you in this space 🌸

4 spots are available for this ceremony! DM or email me to reserve your place in the circle.

Ancestors.
We are all connected.
This past weekend we celebrated our ancestors.
With both the celebration of Remembrance Day, where we hold in our hearts each and every soul that was laid to rest across this globe to fight for a better tomorrow.
The 11.11 portal. An energy portal that’s open to connect with these souls and their guidance.
To connect to self. And manifestation.
It’s in this time where we are given the immense grace to hold ourselves, and the journey of those before us so we may continue to walk our own path with guidance and divinity.
They stood in their power so we may stand in ours.

If you don’t keep up with earthly and solar energy activity. You’re missing out.
A lot is on the go.
We are exponentially rising in frequencies.
We are jumping timelines.
We are shooting through time and space.
It’s really neat stuff.

Have a hard time remembering to use your plant medicines?

The secret is: Keep them accessible!

Keeping your medicines in a “special cabinet” often leads to them being forgotten about. I get it, a home medicine cabinet is sooo aesthetic visually, but looking at the medicine doesn’t heal. Working with them daily does!
Instead, try keeping your plant medicines where you use them!
🌸Teas in the cafe cupboard
🌸Tinctures by the drinking water
🌸Salves in the first aid kit
🌸Massage oils by the bed
🌸Bath Blends by the tub

I have blends all over the house in all sorts of places.
And because of that, I remember to use them! Integrate plant medicine as a daily practice, not just when you “need” to. They are friends to hangout with daily, not just on special occasions.

We’re back baby!

Elderberry Syrup making is happening at the Alberta Apothecary workshop in November.

I haven’t been running my usual Fall workshops this year as I have been revamping how to better serve my community and my medicines while keeping respect to the process, Lands and Kin.
I’ll be launching a whole collection of Alberta local in-person workshops and Ceremonies in the weeks to come and I’m so very excited and grateful that I can share this medicine with you like this!

Register for “Medicine Making: Elderberry Syrup” by emailing your name and payment to [email protected], spots are limited so act quickly 🌸

Hello! I have some new faces here and I’m so happy to have you!
I’m Ila, the face and brains behind Alberta Apothecary! Great to meet you!
I wear many different hats in my life; Medicine Woman, Welder, Healer, Partner, Sister, Daughter, Witch, Wild Woman.
Herbalism or Folk Medicine has been around me my whole life. I grew up spending many hours getting lost in the trees and flowers on the land. Learning their language, their medicine, their love.
I created Alberta Apothecary out of my love for the Plants that I serve, as well as love for my community and its healing.
Alberta Apothecaries goal is to aid folks in going back to their roots, their healing and connecting deeply with the land, and the Kin that share it with us. I create space here to share the wisdom of the plants through ceremony, carefully crafted Herbal Plant Medicines, safe and connective healing circles, and Plant Medicine education workshops.
I focus on connecting our communities closer to the lands they walk on, as well as with themselves in the process.
Love of the land and healing is what we do here.

Friday the 13th
Not so spooky after all.

Most of us grow up with the indoctrinated superstitions of Friday the 13. Bad luck, bad omens, bad energy, blah blah blah.
True is: society sucks and has done a great job of twisting the story.

Friday is the Goddesses day, Venus day. A day to celebrate the divine feminine energies in us ALL. The day to relax, unwind and sink into the comforting energy of the feminine.

13 is a sacred number. There is 13 weeks per season, 13 cycles of the moon per year. In Greek and Norse Mythology there is a group of 13 gods and goddesses. There is 13 cards per suit in a deck of playing cards (derived from Tarot originally), 13 is Fibonaccis number and there is 13 layers of consciousness.
13’s all around, to make the world go round.

Friday the 13 is a sacred day, it’s a powerful day. To manifest, to honour creativity, and to celebrate the beauty, wisdom and nourishment to the soul.

Let’s rewrite the narrative that we’ve been taught about Friday the 13th!

Energy heals.

Research at Stanford University is finding acoustics to create new heart tissue!

This image shows the ‘cymatics’, or geometric patterns created in heart cells when applying various sounds. In bio-acoustic sound medicine, is taught that sounds are imprinting every cell and science continues to prove this ancient axiom.
Cardiologist Sean Wu, MD, PhD and Utkan Demirci, PhD, an acoustic bio-engineer use acoustics to manipulate heart cells into intricate patterns. A simple change in frequency and amplitude puts the cells in motion, guides them to a new position and holds them in place. Acoustics can create a form that resembles natural cardiac tissue. With sound they can create new tissue to replace parts of damaged hearts. Acoustics can be used in reconstructing other organ tissue and blood vessels.

Sounds are use to create and harmonize, as well as clean and release. Both principles are used in science using high precision acoustical generators. The same principles can be applied safely by individuals using non-invasive, natural harmonic sounds, such as our voices and acoustic instruments.

Williams - Songaia Sound

Here is a link to the Stanford study: https://stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-helping-harness-sound-acoustics-healing/?fbclid=IwAR2JDGrgyGIqTwM8CrTkE2sOfWjZseg6vQhmTsI8pbk5q-K2bMmeyU6Tbuw

Feel like your missing the Rose Moon circle announcement this month?
It’s cause I haven’t made one yet. Ryan and I will be in ceremony ourselves with receiving Cacao and sound medicine!
We do have something in the works for an autumn gathering tho! Stay tuned!

My beautiful new friend 🥹
This handsome man is buffalo and created by the hands of a wonderful brother in southern BC. From the hunt to the final product, love in every step, and it can be felt and heard.
I can already feel this king is going to bring me deep into myself and I’m so very excited to grow our relationship.

Artemisia Vulgaris or Mugwort as we commonly know it 😍
This plant Kin is a supporter of the womb space, especially moon time, both internally and externally. Internally by relaxing the uterine muscles, relieving cramping or brining on a late moon, as well as balancing hormones.
Externally she massively supports by creating a healthy portal for new life, toning muscles and loving on our sacral energy center.
Have you seen this beauty around this season?

Live on Spotify and Anchor!
Link in bio 🌸🌱

This has been two years in the works and I’m so glad to finally be able to share!
Join along as we dive into some pretty intense, wild and weird and wholesome topics! I got lots to say and I can’t wait to share all the hustle and bustle in my mind.

Oh to be back laying in fields of horsetails 🥰
Horsetail is one of those herbs that tells us so blatantly what medicine it serves.
To be hardy and able to root even in squishy environments.
To have fragments that make up a whole.
Support to the joint system, the ligaments, the hair and nails.

Physically this plant Kin is loaded with silica which our body needs to create collagen! The nutrient responsible for the health of our bendy bits and hair and nails!
In the spring when the shoots are new and the leaves are pointed to the sun is when it’s best to pick this Kin. As the quantities of silica haven’t concentrated in the plant. Later in the season the leaves droop with high concentrations of silica, nodding to us that they are past their beneficial stage. Too much silica in the body can build up causing “filter organ” problems. So use this Kin with respect and knowledge.

Want to know more about this Plant friend? Shoot me a message or keep your eyes peeled for upcoming workshops and courses! 🌱

Go with the flow🦦🏞️

September 14, 2034 at 7pm in King Edward Park, Edmonton (DM for address 🌸)

I’m sorry I forgot to post this to instagram! Facebooks had it for a while though, so if you don’t follow me there, please do cause not everything is cross posted!🙃

Join and I for another nourishing evening around Grandfather Fire to sit with sound and chat about the ebbs and flows of life! We can’t wait to see you and hold you in a safe container to be you 🌸💗