divinabotanica

24/04/2024

A very special Aid Box Community - Hope and Help to Refugees workshop coming up for Earth Day on Wednesday. Join divinabotanica at Bridge Farm to learn how to make food and medicine from local plants. All refugees and asylum seekers welcome 🌻

08/01/2024

Saturday, 20 January 2024 from 14:00-16:00

I will be joining on Saturday 20th as part of their Women of the World series of events.

Inviting all women, trans women and non-binary femme identifying folk to gather in community on 20th January to share what's important for you and meet others, co-create and swap clothes and share skills.

I'll be leading the circle through a slow, intentional herb blending practice. Nestled within the yin energy of Capricorn, attendees will be supported to explore their connection to their deepest need, and how herbal medicine can nourish us in these dark winter months. We will be making a herbal tea blend that can be drunk, bathed in, or used in ritual or ceremony.

This is a free workshop, you can find a link to tickets here :

https://billetto.co.uk/e/wow-women-of-the-world-monthly-circle-jan-20th-2024-tickets-922739?fbclid=IwAR26EsN3pdzLpCtX6u0xkKD_lx96ro9HxiEXKq8jQbNgW5IDN81VyiYG7bQ

Join us to explore our innate relationship to the more than human world. 🌟🪻💓

09/05/2023

My dearest ones

This Saturday we are hosting a flower crown workshop at my beloved Bridge Farm for people with mixed heritage.

I've had the pleasure of hosting a few workshops with in the last 18 months and these spaces are so nourishing and supportive. Beyond the Mix have done such a brilliant job of creating community and we would love for you to join.

We will begin by being introduced to floristry as a wellbeing practice. You will be encouraged to visualise your crown and imagine how you would like your design to make you feel. Elsie will show you how to work with flowers, handle them with care and bring your vision to life. This meditative workshop will heighten your senses and deepen your appreciation for nature.

Step away from this experience with a stunning and unique piece of wearable art, and knowledge on how working with flowers is a restorative form of self-care.

Grab a ticket whilst you can, link is in the boom

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24/04/2023

Dearest ones. Our Floral alchemy workshop is live! Join us this Sunday afternoon for an opportunity to learn about aromatherapy, and make a pulse point oil to take home.

Hosted at the fabulous Shop 264 on Church Road, a gorgeous lifestyle store. Join us for good company, an opportunity to play with luxurious organic oils, and make a special self care product to support your wellbeing and personal growth.

Link in bio,see you there xx

19/04/2023

Its been a wee while since ive done wedding flowers. This shoot was a collaboration with .allie and

I adore this colour palette, what do you think ? Xx

17/04/2023

Throw back to the course ran with with

Bringing joy, community and togetherness through flowers. X

13/04/2023

Hello!

I'm Elsie, and this was me clearing out the flower beds at the end of the season last year.

I'm a florist, flower farmer and mental health practitioner.

I'm a Sagittarius sun, Capricorn moon and Capricorn rising, with a chart that's dominated by planets in the 12th house. I'm currently in my 12th house profection year, and the pull to hide from the world is strong.

My deep love, respect and awe for the natural world spurs my curiosity every day.

The books on my bedside table currently are :

Holistic Medicine and the Extracellular Matrix by Matthew Wood - a mind boggling book which shifts the focus of healing away from the cells into the waters of the body. Most focus in modern medicine is on targeting germs/viruses/bacterias present in cells, holistic medicine looks to the environment , or the terrain in which those cells live. A healthy environment allows a cell to function properly and thrive. This book goes one step further in explaining the science behind how the waters of the body, or the extracellular matrix unites and controls the functioning of cells.

Very sciencey, quite hard going, but extra points for being unbelievably fascinating. 3 chapters in, 7/10

Conversations with Plants - Towards a New Multidimentional Understanding of the Human Plant (Or Another Way of Looking at Things) Part 2 by Nikki Darrell () - possibly one of the best books I have ever read. Nikki draws parallels between the human body and society, making links between our inner and outer functioning as humans, which is not something I've seen done before e.g the lymphatic system as a healthy or unhealthy community. Not only is there herbal science in there, but also deep understanding of the spiritual nature of the Human , and how that impacts health and healing, and corresponds to connects with the plant spirit kingdom. Utterly beautiful and extra points for the best book title ever , 11/10

10/04/2023

Dreaming a new way into being.

Spring offers us a beautiful opportunity to move with fresh energy, ideas and inspiration.

Have you had a moment to tap into the energy of spring? In my last newsletter I shared a meditation to connect with the daffodil. Daffodils are the heralds of Spring, holding a frequency of self worth, joy and optimism. They are a beautiful flower to develop a relationship with at this time. Go and sit with some daffodils and ask them if they can share their energy with you .

Xx

09/04/2023

Slow flowers.

I've taken the decision to scale back my flower farming to allow me to return to work and regain some financial stability.

I lost my phone a few weeks ago, and my car was up for it's MOT. These two events combining made me realise just how difficult it has been to run a business during a cost of living crisis. I've been food bank broke and have been given hand outs from kind friends who have been worried about me.

I share all of this because I think it's important to remove the veil that social media creates. Running a small business with no capital and no rich family behind me has been hard work. There is a building interest in my work, which is heartening and affirming, but podcasts don't pay the bills.

I have been struggling with the concept of monetising a connection to nature which feels so intimate and personal, and in taking a step back for a few weeks something has become crystal clear.

I can do both. I can grow flowers and I can share their wisdom, and I can work a full time job. What will support this balance is a redesign of the approach to my business.

There is a building conversation around rest and care. I've struggled with engaging with this conversation as I have been viewing rest as a privilege afforded to people who can afford to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. It's a basic human function that is denied to many , many people.

What will afford me that privilege is building a life that allows me to give from an overfilling cup.

I'm looking forward to slow flowers, and sharing this next part of my journey with you. X

06/04/2023

Spring is here.

It's half term and I'm spending my days with 3 bouncing children. We headed to Charmouth, my father's ancestral home , and I cut some narcissi to take to my grandmother's grave. Sadly, my fleeting childhood memory couldnt find her, but prayers were said to the water as I watched my son swim out to sea. Cold, but happy.

I hope these days are treating you all well.

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30/03/2023

My lovely chickadees !

I've logged on to Instagram to see that I've managed to get to 2000 followers. It's a blessing to see that so many people are interested in working with flowers for healing. Divina Botanica is dedicated to connecting people to their highest good and greatest joy through flowers.

I would LOVE to offer someone a floral self care kit to celebrate this milestone :

❀ Herbal Tea blend.
❀ Wildflower seed bombs
❀ A flower essence of your choice from our range
❀ Bunch of everlasting flowers

All you need to do is -

❀ Follow Divina Botanica
❀ Like and share this post
❀ Tag 3 friends who love flowers

Spring kisses to you all. ###

22/02/2023

Did you know just looking at an image of a flower can have profound effects on physical health recovery ?

There is a delicate balance between physical health and mental health, where our emotions and how we feel can impact how we recover from illness. A study in Japanese scientists in 2020 by has demonstrated that just looking at images of flowers has an effect on blood pressure, stress hormone release and regulation of our emotions. These responses in the body then create space for the physiological healing responses to occur, thus aiding recovery.

If you'd like to check out the study -

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342443565_Viewing_a_flower_image_provides_automatic_recovery_effects_after_psychological_stress3

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01/02/2023

Today is Imbolc.

Imbolc finds us at the threshold of darkness and light. Somewhere between Winter and Spring, it is a festival marked in the Celtic Wheel of the Year, an ancient mapping of the seasonal shifts we witness here on the British Isles.

In Celtic mythology, this moment in time , where the earth is fecund with the possibilities of new life, the Goddess Brigid is said to be pregnant with Spring. Traditionally, she is known as the Goddess of the arts, fire, magic, smithcraft, creativity and fertility.

While we may not identify with the stories or the imagery we see dipicting this day (tradtionally St Brigid's Day), the energy signature of Imbolc is a universal phenomenon, and it may be that your lineage or ancetry imbibes this signature too. There are palpable shifts in the energy of the land. The Earth begins to warm, signs of new life begin to reveal themselves to us and ,the winds of change can be felt. Viewing this from an astrological perspective, in the Northern hemisphere we are entering Aquarius Season. Aquarius season acts like a bridge, moving from the darkest month of the year, gathering light as it moves into Pisces.

There are nature connection practices we can do to help us tap into this threshold moment, to keep us grounded and present in ourselves, and on this land we call home. Get out into a green space, and try these.

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01/02/2023

Valentine's Day Pre orders are now available on the website for your Vals, pals and gals ! Ethical, British grown fresh and dried flowers and floral self care gift sets are available for your loved ones!

Offering delivery or collection of fresh flowers in Bristol on 13th and 14th Feb 2023💞🌟💐

Dried flowers and self care gift sets are available for UK wide delivery. Last order date is Thursday 9th February 2023 to guarantee Valentine's Day arrival.

Love is the answer. Always. Xx

30/01/2023

Valentine's Day Pre orders are now available on the website ! Ethical, British grown fresh and dried flowers and floral self care gift sets are available for your loved ones!

Offering delivery or collection of fresh flowers in Bristol on 13th and 14th Feb 2023💞🌟💐

Dried flowers and self care gift sets are available for UK wide delivery. Last order date is Thursday 9th February 2023 to guarantee Valentine's Day arrival.

Love is the answer. Always. Xx

20/01/2023

Here's some gorgeousness for your Friday!

These were some of last summer's blooms. My colour tastes have changed over the last few months, that might be because it's the winter though 🤔

In this we have feverfew, zinnias, and snaps.

Sending some flowery love to you today ###

15/12/2022

This lil beauty is on its way as a Christmas gift for someone buying flowers via the website.

The season has wound down now, and these everlasting wonders will take us through until next spring.

If you would like to gift some flowers over this Xmas, pop me a DM or head over to the website

Xx

23/10/2022

Hello loves! I've been featured in a publication by the Landworkers' Alliance that is celebrating underrepresented land workers across the UK.
It contains a series of full colour photos and a smaller booklet of interviews and is a really nourishing read.

Small scale and peasant farmers feed 70% of the worlds population on less than a 3rd of the available agricultural resources, so small scale, regenerative land practices continue to be the most effective and supportive way to ensure that the world is fed. If you have ever been interested in growing your own, or finding out more about the lives of small scale farmers in the UK, take a look at this zine.

As a flower farmer and ecotherapist, my relationship with the land is one of connection and reciprocity, and my interest is in how the land supports our mental, emotional and spiritual health. In my opinion, the more personally resourced we are, the more we can take on the work of making the desperately needed change on this Earth. You can read more about what I do and how I do it via the publication.

The project has been led by LWA’s LGBTQ+ working group ‘Out On The Land’ alongside participants from the wider land-based worker community.

If you'd like to support the movement, check it out here :
https://landworkersalliance.org.uk/.../land-workers.../

25% of proceeds for this from sales of this publication will be donated to ‘Say it Loud Club’ a charity offering support to LGBTQI+ refugees in the UK.

A publication celebrating underrepresented land workers in the UK, and containing a series of full colour photos and a smaller booklet of interviews.

21/09/2022

Over the Summer I was invited to run a children's workshop for .⁠
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I decided to run a Hapa Zome workshop, which is a leaf printing workshop with its origins in Japan. It's a simple technique that yields really beautiful and satisfying results, even for the wee'est ones! ⁠
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I adore working with children, and nature offers us so many ways to be creative. If you are stumped for a children's party idea, please dont hesitate to get in touch! ⁠
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14/07/2022

Photos from our gorgeous workshop with Beyond the Mix xx

05/05/2022

This month I am running a workshop with Beyond The Mix! Flowers as Therapy.

This 2.5 hour workshop explores how flowers are medicine for the soul. Flowers are an invitation to slow down, take notice, and engage the senses. Their evolutionary purpose is to draw life in. Together we will take this journey into the world of flowers, and explore how the life cycle of a flower mimics our own.

You will be invited to explore your own relationship to flowers and be given tools to hear their language. Using self reflection and floristry practice we will create a posy of flowers to take home, rich with symbolism and meaning.


£30 - bursary places are available.

Beyond the Mix is a safe space for mixed heritage women to connect and share. Their aim is to build a community where mixed women can explore their identity, attend classes and events together while feeling safe and supported. They plan to run a variety of courses, workshops and events through 5 different strands - Movement, Family, Identity, Business & Fun!



Photo by

27/03/2022

Thinking of everyone today, and really tuning into the faculty of mothering and caregiving which lives in all of us.

Nature connection is a deep and profound way of feeling held and loved.

Its been a personal journey for almost my entire life, and interesting to see how it has weaved into my professional life too, where i have been able to develop the skills and the training to describe and hold others through nature connection.

There are so many layers to the experience, and I would like to go deeper into explaining trauma informed nature connection via polyvagal theory, so these slides are an introduction to the practice, and over the next few months we can dive deeper together.

With love and gratitude for all the Great Mothers blessings, Elsie x

22/03/2022

A quick post to say i have a few slots available for local flower deliveries this sunday on Mothering Sunday. For you, your loved ones, or those who mother.

Hop over to my website and I will be sure to deliver a bunch of fresh Spring blessings direct to them. There will be an option to include a gift message too, which I can add to a card, free of charge.

Local delivery is Bristol BS1-BS16.

Orders will close on Thursday evening.

If you would like to send flowers in the post , i have dried bunches and gift sets available. Last post is tomorrow. xx

18/03/2022

Shout out for the last Everlasting Flower Crown workshop of the season! on Saturday 19th March from 11am at Bridge Farm, Eastville, Bristol.

Come and learn how to make a flower crown from scratch using ecologically grown British dried flowers to adorn yourself this year!

Maybe you have an event coming up where you would like to look extra special, or you would like to spend an afternoon relaxing and crafting surrounded by beauty. Leave the session feeling grounded and gorgeous. 💜💐

Spaces limited. Sign up via the link in bio xx