bloomdew…
During the middle ages, alchemists would go out in the morning to collect dew from the lady’s mantle (Alchemella vulgaris - latin for “the little alchemist”). They were enchanted by the way the scalloped edges of her leaves held onto the glimmering pearls of water, creating a beaded rosary around her. They believed this water contained magical properties - the very essence of the plant. Now, because of Emoto’s study of water, we know that they were right. That is what I call “bloomdew:” the magical, sparkly, healing water that holds the vibration of the plant’s medicine. When I first saw it on the lady’s mantle, something within me woke — something ancient that has been with me through many lifetimes.
My practice is an homage to alchemy & the old ways, working with the elements of the earth as medicine and experiencing deep transformative healing through this slowing down and dropping in to the earth realm and all its elements.
The water element is particularly special to me. I have always belonged to bodies of water: the sea, the rivers, the waterfalls; the rain and the thunderstorms; the mist; and especially those little drops of dew. Water is a sacred conduit. We have come to understand that water holds frequency. Back to Emoto: water changes structure. Because of that, water can be infused with energy - imprinted with the memory of plants and flowers, and for the more clinically minded, it can act as a menstruum and be infused with vitamins, minerals, and various plant constituents in medicine making (tisanes, glycerites, hydrosols, and ritual baths). And of course, we are all made of something like 75% water. Water has the power to hydrate us and cleanse us. When we infuse water with the energy of plants, we invite that water as a sacred conduit to heal us on a cellular level and to connect us back into the system of sacred elements of the earth.
According to alchemy and folklore, the water element governs emotions (“the waters of the body”). Water is also related to the realm of womanhood and women’s health. These are my areas of special interest - you will find most of my offerings relate back to the water element through these physical manifestations.
Tending-to with plant medicine
My belief is that healing comes from deepening our connections: to ourselves, to the earth, to each other.
At its core, my practice has always been rooted in heart-centeredness. That’s what taught me how to heal. Western medicine focuses so much on the clinical, on the science, on “proof” that we have forgotten how to feel the truth with our hearts. This missing key unlocks the door to a truly holistic path of healing that integrates mind/body/spirit. How easily we forget these three entities are all contained as one within our being! Working with plants helps to quiet the mind, drop into the body, connect with spirit, and access that higher level of healing. When we feel into our body, we remember our heart is in fact at the center. Returning to our heart allows for softening, intuition, and play.
I have always been interested in helping others find the tools to help themselves heal. As a psychology minor at UNH, I considered taking the PhD track to become a counseling psychologist before I learned about the deep healing power of herbalism. I have spent much of my studies devoted to learning the ins-and-outs of women’s reproductive health, tending to the nervous system, and moving trauma through the body with herbal allies. Part of my personal lore is that I have a penchant for history, art, and folklore. It is no coincidence that I have been so enchanted by the water element and the lady’s mantle, whose folk traditions associate her with both the Virgin Mary (an homage to my Irish Catholic childhood) and women’s healing. The water element, the realm of women’s healing, and the emotional body are all interconnected. bloomdew offers tending-to with plant medicine.
Over the years I have found countless ways to incorporate plant medicine into my every day life. I am fond of the idea that “medicine” takes many forms. Of course I take my elderberry and echinacea at the first sign of a cold. I make myself mineral rich tea infusions to support my nervous system. I carry bitters around with me everywhere I go for digestive woes. Working with plant medicine can be as simple as a vase full of freshly cut flowers or a house plant. Maybe it evolves into growing your own medicinal herb garden and making tinctures, tea blends, salves, and flower essences. Personally, I love creating herbal cakes, confections, and libations; drawing and painting plants and flowers; journaling about my experience sitting with a plant; and experimenting with plant-based dyes on upcycled natural fiber garments. “Herbalism” as a word cannot contain the ways one may weave plant medicine into their lives, but it serves as the gateway into creating a multifaceted practice that may invite healing at a profound and gentle level.
I am here to help you figure out which ways work best for you.
Education & Trainings
Apprenticeships:
Sage Mauer - The Gaia School of Healing
Sacred Plant Medicine Apprenticeship year 1 - 2016
Sacred Plant Medicine Apprenticeship year 2 - 2017-2018
Mischa Schuler - Wild Carrot Herbs
Advanced Clinical Apprenticeship - 2019
Programs & Intensives:
Amanda Stanley - Jupiter’s Labyrinth
Living Ayurveda Class - 2016
Margi Flint - Earthsong Herbals
Reading the Body Workshop- 2022
Reading the Body Intensive - 2023
Sajah Popham - School of Evolutionary Herbalism
Vitalist Herbalist Practitioner Program - 2020
Astro Herbalism Program 2023
jim mcdonald - herbcraft
Lindera - 2024
Adrienne Irizarry - Moon Essence
Herbal Traditions for Women 2024
Reiki I Attunement with Jeff Arbor 2019
Voices of Celtic Wisdom 2023-2024
Bach Flower Essence Practitioner Training, Level 1 2024
Trainings & Workshops:
New England Women’s Herbal Conference 2015, 2016
International Herb Symposium 2017, 2023
HerbStalk 2019
Misty Meadows Women’s Herbal Conference 2024, 2026
“Formal Education”
University of New Hampshire 2013
BA English Teaching, Minor in Psychology
My name is Molly Branch. I’m a clinically trained folk herbalist living on the New Hampshire Seacoast.
I’ve been called to this path to assist others in cultivating a connection with the earth through ancestral traditions and plant medicine. As one may imagine, there is a bit of mysticism and folklore woven into my practice, both which guide and inspire me.
With over ten years of studying herbalism and alternative healing modalities, my practice is an ever-evolving fusion of the Wise Woman Tradition, Vitalist Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Plant Spirit Medicine, and Astro-herbalism. I was lucky enough to have spent over ten years working at and managing an herbal pharmacy in Portsmouth, NH which provided me with invaluable insight and experience in working with a wide array of people and a myriad of health concerns.
My areas of special interest include emotional well-being (the nervous system, trauma, and grief) and women’s health.
My current offerings include one-on-one consultations, workshops, seasonal potions, and herbal libations.
My soul’s purpose is to serve my community through herbalism, acting as a conduit to help others connect with the earth, create rituals inspired by plant medicine, and most importantly, to invite fun and play to the healing journey.
I’m here to help you find your medicine.
