The Gaia Hive
Animism & Ceremony
Plant Spirit Medicine School
Ontario, Canada
Since 2017
The plants are the stars of the earth
They help you remember why you came here, bring clarity,
presence, and connection to your path.
Welcome home
Join the Year One / Herbalism mentorship 2027
Markdale, Ontario
​
​The Gaia Hive Mentorship is a 5-weekend immersive, hands-on journey into animism, herbalism, plant connection, and community. Over one weekend each month for five months, you will learn to identify, harvest, and transform fresh plants into tinctures, teas, oils, salves, flower essences, and ceremonial blends while deepening your relationship with the land through plant spirit journeys and traditional teachings. Far from online learning, this experience invites you to slow down, unplug from the noise of daily life, and learn through direct experience, story, observation, and community. Whether you are seeking practical herbal skills, a deeper connection to nature, or a circle of like-minded people, this mentorship offers a place to belong, grow, and walk the plant path alongside others.
​
Come find your people. So many people are walking this plant path alone,
learning herbs, making medicine, and longing for others who understand the journey.
The Gaia Hive Mentorship & Plant Circles are a place to gather, learn,
share, and grow in community. You don't have to walk this path alone.
​
Gaia Hive is a place for those of you that feel:
There is more than phytochemicals and isolated compounds in plants.
A knowing in your soul that plants are people too.
Your relationship with plants is essential to a good life.
Plants are not pills. They are living beings.
​
I warmly welcome you to join us. We will celebrate plant consciousness
and learn from the plants together on the land in person.
​
​
Enjoy Ceremony & Harvest Medicine with New Friends.
 IMG_20221123_082151_273 |  20210925_175624 (1) |  Screen Shot 2021-12-20 at 4.41.12 PM |
|---|---|---|
 IMG_20240521_143653_903_edited_edited_edited |  20220626_090528 |  Screen Shot 2021-12-14 at 10.06.45 PM |
 20210210_181203 (1) |  Screen Shot 2021-12-14 at 3.43.19 PM |  Screen Shot 2021-12-14 at 4.13.30 PM |
 Screen Shot 2021-12-20 at 4.35.45 PM |  003 |  Screen Shot 2021-12-14 at 4.04.54 PM |
 Screen Shot 2021-12-20 at 4.32.10 PM |  Screen Shot 2021-12-20 at 4.33.32 PM |  Screen Shot 2021-12-22 at 2.03.31 PM |
 IMG_20220725_212551_392 |  2018 033 |  Screen Shot 2021-12-20 at 4.36.51 PM |
2027 celebrates 10 years of the Gaia Hive!
Herbalism Mentorship
Markdale, Ontario, Canada
​
​
​​
​The Living Herbalism Animism School​
​​
This is more than a school.
It is a living circle of support. ​
​
Maybe you simply want to go deeper into herbalism or you’re tired of:
• Learning through screens, disconnected from real experiences
• Second-guessing yourself when making herbal remedies
• Wanting something deeper than store bought herbs and capsules
• Feeling the pull towards the land—but not knowing how to begin
• Craving a sense of belonging, ritual, and rhythm that modern life doesn’t offer
​
This is where that changes.
This is not just a course.
It’s a return—to slowness, to touch, to remembering.
It’s IN PERSON. On the LAND. No screens.
Think a living classroom!
​
Step Into the Medicine Circle
Imagine arriving and feeling your nervous system settle.
You’re not rushing. You’re not consuming information.
You’re being guided. You are supported.
​
Each day begins grounded and held:
• Opening circle & land acknowledgment
• Forest exploration & wild harvesting
• Plant-spirit journeys
• Hands-on medicine making
You don’t have to figure it out alone anymore.
Learn to Make Your Own Medicine
No more wondering if you’re doing it “right.”
​
You’ll leave knowing—because you’ve done it, with your own hands:
• Tinctures
• Oils & salves
• Teas & infusions
• Smoke & ceremonial blends
• Flower essences
​
This is for you if some of these apply:
• You feel disconnected from the wild and want a real relationship with the land
• You’re craving something slower, deeper, more meaningful
• You want to trust your intuition—but don’t yet
• You’re ready to step out of passive learning and into embodied practice
• You’ve felt the quiet call: there’s more...
​
Who You flower into:
🌱 Someone who trusts themselves with the plants
🌱 A grounded, intuitive medicine maker
🌱 Deeply connected—to land, seasons, and something older than words
​
Your Guide
Julie Gaia has over 20 years of herbalism experience.
She lives and breathes plant medicine.
2027 celebrates 10 years of mentorships.
​
​
​
2027 Schedule
5 Weekends | April–September/July is OFF
​​
April 24 & 25
Meet the plants face-to-face and let the land become your teacher.
-
Ethical wild harvesting & tree bark medicine
-
Plants for clearing, cleansing, and blessing
-
Honey Ceremony honoring your Ancestors
-
Spring herbal medicines and preparations
-
History of Herbalism & Intro to Botany
May 29 & 30
Deepen your relationship with the trees and the medicines of spring.
-
Cedar bundle making & journey with Grandmother Cedar
-
Spring plant and tree medicine harvest
-
Herbal vinegar creation
-
Digestive and respiratory health
-
Tobacco teachings
-
Medicine harvest
-
Plant Spirit Journeys
June 26 & 27
Celebrate the abundance and beauty of midsummer.
-
Flower essence creation
-
Herbal oils and infused medicines
-
Summer medicine harvest
-
Ancestral Foods Dinner
-
Living altar creation
-
River-time- Water & Strawberry Moon Ceremony
-
Plant Spirit Journeys
July /Off/ Have a holiday!
​
August 21 & 22
Listen deeply to the wisdom carried by plants, stones, and water.
-
Women's herbal medicines
-
Stone communication
-
Summer medicine harvest
-
Salve and balm making
-
Herbal smokes
-
Group gifting ceremony
-
Plant Spirit Journeys
September 18 & 19
Prepare for the colder months with confidence and community.
-
Herbal first aid
-
Cold and flu remedies
-
Honey Ceremony honoring the Ancestors
-
Late summer medicine harvest
-
Plant Spirit Journeys
-
Final Herbal presentations
-
Certificate of Completion & Graduation Ceremony
A Year of Remembering
Walk alongside the plants through the seasons, learning traditional herbalism, medicine making, ceremony, and deep relationship with the land. This immersive program blends practical skills, ancestral wisdom, and forest connection to help you cultivate confidence in caring for yourself, your family, and your community.
What’s Included in Your Herbal Immersion
10 In-Person Teaching Days
Saturdays & Sundays | 9:00 AM–4:30 PM
If you’ve been craving real learning—not another online course—this is it.
Step into the forest, gather by the fire, and learn the
way herbal wisdom has always been passed: in community,
on the land, through lived experience.
​
All Medicine Included
Work with freshly harvested plants and leave with medicine
made by your own hands—
and the confidence to keep making it long after the program ends.
This is a skill set you carry for life.
​
Lunches Included
Homemade vegetarian lunches each Saturday & Sunday.
*(You make your own other meals in the outdoor kitchen or go to town.)
​
Overnight Options (Optional)
Camp, stay in the communal yurt, book an Airbnb, or go home.
Simple, rustic, flexible—
​
Location
A private forest sanctuary near Markdale, Ontario—
cedar woods, meadow paths,
and open-air ceremonial spaces.
Bird song haven.
​
🌿 Investment
This is a ceremonial mentorship shaped by
20+ years of plant relationship and 9 years of teaching.
Lineage, mentorship, and transformation.
Pay all at once to make it simple!
​
**The first round of applications is complete.
You can submit your application for the second round by September 1st. Apply today.**
​*Regular Price -$4100 plus tax
(Gainfully employed/ you have enough money folks)
Ages 15-18 are $1100 + tax if you join with a Mamma or Auntie!
*​3 Low Income Spaces- $3499 plus tax
*Payment plans are available for an additional $300
* A deposit of $700 plus 5 payments.
​
​​Ready to Step In?
Your application begins with an intake form. Click the link below.
Once received we will book a 10-15 minute phone call.
The second round of applications closes September 1st.
​
May your life be a prayer for the next seven generations.
​
Testimonials
​"Julie’s Gaia Hive mentorship and extended programs have filled me with knowledge, confidence and connection not only to the plants but the people you learn along side. She curates a delicious container to hold our experience and nurture our learning and curiosity." R.B
"This mentorship changed my life in immeasurable ways. I felt truly seen and heard in a group setting. Every day I met new plants and was surrounded by the most delightful wild woman. The plant spirit journeys and delicious lunches were a highlight." Anonymous.
​
"What a magical way to reconnect with the child in you who was fascinated by the plants and knew their healing power. Julie is the kind of mentor I've always dreamed of working alongside, from day one our group felt like a little family. This mentorship was nurturing, restorative, and so special. Truly something I would love to experience year after year. Thank you Julie for everything you do. "Syd
 seeds |  nettles |
|---|---|
 LiatAharoni-Julie-72 |  cattail-flower-with-pollen |
 20220722_195818 |  20220625_155359_edited |
 flyingsquirrel |  20220722_182859 |
 20220626_090550 |  20220625_121624 |
 20150101_073433 |  Screenshot_20221130-113407_Samsung Internet |
 20200903_164036 (1) |  20210321_180906 (1) |
 20200710_131122 |  USER_SCOPED_TEMP_DATA_media_upload1_1601825868160_6718544646128536678 |
 20201025_151213 |  Screen Shot 2021-12-14 at 11.44_edited |
"What holistic medicine the journey with Gaia Hive is. With the medicine of plants, community, Julie, the elements, the circles and beyond. Starting each weekend together honouring + welcoming the directions, spending each day in presence and connection with each other and the plants, learning and meditating, singing & laughing. A weekend may not seem like such a long time, but the days are so enriched and it always amazed me how much we would do + explore ." J.R
​
" Julie shows up as her radiant self, sharing teachings that are simple, profound, and wild. You know someone is good at something when they make it look easy; and sometimes you need someone to take your hand, invite you in, and say, “here, try it like this; let’s do it together.” Julie does this with grace, ease, and love. It is a blessing to know her and learn from her." C.B
​
​
Gaia Hive is on the Traditional Territory of the Anishinabek Nation: The People of the Three Fires known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. And further gives thanks to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, now known as the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, as the traditional keepers of this land. May the work of the Gaia Hive be of service and a prayer
to the next 7 generations.
Mentorships are open to all genders. It is a safe place for LGBTQIA folks. We will work together to co-create a loving and healing space for everyone. Plants are amazing non-binary teachers. The learning area is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible.
We will be walking on uneven terrain.
