October's Optimism

Exploring the abundance offered to the body, mind and spirit through the month of October, as seen through my lens.

Warm Greetings from the brisk autumn climes of southern Ontario everyone!

October is a month of vibrant autumn colors, abundant Goji berry, ginger and medicinal herb harvests in our garden and backyard. I like to stroll through the woods and practice my tree identification skills allowing the geometry of the colorful and decomposing leaves to educate me about the most efficient way to design living systems. I pick piles of Goji berries, harvest buckets full of ginger rhizome, hang up bundles of tulsi, anise hyssop and lemon balm to dry and gather Ginkgo leaves for making medicine from our garden.

Take a walk into our garden and the autumn forests of Ontario with me. The following pictures explore the abundance offered to the body, mind and spirit through the month of October, as seen through my lens.

close up of a Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaf (southern Ontario, 2023)

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaves (southern Ontario, 2023)

close up of the underside of a Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaf

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) leaves and seed balls (southern Ontario, 2023). You can use the seed balls (which most people just see as an annoying mess that falls on their front lawn) to make a powerful antiviral medicine. Sweetgum seed balls contain a compound called shikimic acid which not only serves to provide anti-viral benefits but it also helps to mitigate the damage of synthetic spike proteins that have been introduced into the body via the mRNA based injectable genetic bioweapons (which were being marketed as “vaccines” during the covid scamdemic) The seeds of the Sweet Gum tree contain shikimic acid at 2.4-3.7%. The bark contains smaller amounts. So, the Sweet Gum tree is a renewable domestic, natural source of shikimic acid as an antidote against the effects of covid vaccine transmission). (Source) How does shikimic acid work? Simply stated, to reproduce themselves, viruses need to break out of the cells they are in. A protein makes that possible. It is believed Shikimic acid inhibits the protein to halt viral replication.

For information on the medicinal properties of the Sweetgum Tree check out:

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441155/

- https://mayimfarm.com/pages/sweet-gum-tree

- https://deeprootsathome.com/sweetgum-a-medicine-tree-w-shikimic-acid-to-halt-viral-replication/

Ginkgo biloba leaves

harvesting Ginkgo biloba leaves for making medicine (tea and tinctures)

Sometimes Mother Nature gifts us something that provides not only poetry for the senses (visual beauty) but also medicine for the body. The recorded medicinal uses of Ginkgo in China can be tracked back nearly 5000 years. Ginkgo leaves have an unusually large number of medicinally active compounds. These include terpene trilactones such as ginkgolides A, B, C and J as well as various bilobalides. Additional components of ginkgo extract include flavonoid glycosides such as myricetin and quercetin. The plant also contains alkylphenols, biflavones, phenolic acids, polyprenols and proanthocyanidins. Specific compounds in gingko include 4-O-methylpyridoxine and 6-hydroxykynurenic acid. It’s been widely studied for its effective anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, platelet-forming and circulation-boosting effects. According to current research, ginkgo biloba benefits include improved cognitive function (Increases absorption of oxygen and glucose in the brain), positive mood, improved blood vessel health (it fights hardening of the arteries and reduces plaque build-up), increased energy, increased stamina/endurance, improved memory and improved respiratory function. Ginkgo biloba also boosts immune system function and muscle recovery by reducing mitochondrial damage and reducing oxidative stress. Due to it's potent antioxidant content, ginkgo biloba helps with eliminating toxins from the body and also inhibits the action of PAF, a leading cause of stroke.

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaf

close up of a Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaf

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaves

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaf at a later stage in October

Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) offers forage for native pollinators, habitat for many beings and medicine for humans. The leaves have an essential oil which serves as an apoptotic agent for human glioblastoma and the roots contain compounds that serve as an anti-inflammatory agent and also increase the production of specialized macrophage white blood cells, boosting the innate immune system. Thus, Tulip trees also make for an excellent addition to in a Food Forest design or regenerative garden.

a sugar maple leaf in the process of returning to the Earth from once it came, revealing the sacred geometry (branching fractal dendritic patterns) within it’s veins

blueberry leaf returning to the Earth, revealing the same geometry

magnolia leaf almost totally finished the process of returning to the Earth

a moody skyline in a brisk October afternoon on the Bruce Peninsula, near Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada. The next 14 pics below were taken in that same area.

looking into a cave on the shore line of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

looking into the water in a cave on the shore line of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

looking into the water in a cave on the shore line of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

an Inukshuk we build along the shore like of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada (yes you can surf on the waves on these lakes in Canada)

sunset during a storm looking into a cave on the shore like of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

a large cliff with autumn colors on the shore like of Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

a stormy autumn sunrise in Leamington, Ontario

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) leaves

freshly harvested homegrown young Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizomes

freshly harvested homegrown young Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizomes, stems and leaves

close up shot of a freshly harvested homegrown young Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome. We like to use our homegrown ginger in recipes such as The 5 Grain Bibim-Buddha Bowl, Ethiopian cuisine, Moroccan Tajine, Wor-Wonton Soup with Sprouted Hokkaido Black Soy Bean Dumplings, Vegetarian Khao Poon, and creating fermented preserves that offer Radioprotective benefits as well as immune system optimizing health benefits.

this image shows about half of our 2023 ginger harvest (before washing off the rhizomes for storage)

This image shows our garden ginger harvest after washing off the rhizomes and separating the leaves for preserving separately. Most people do not realize that Ginger leaves are also edible and medicinal! The young ginger shoots are eaten raw, steamed or sauteed, however the most common use for ginger leaves in North America is ginger leaf tea. They can be used in marinades, curries, soups, stir-fries, and fresh or dried for ginger leaf tea and ginger leaf infused soup broths, which is how we like to use it. The ginger leaf has been proved to have great potential to be developed into functional foods and other health products, because it has a high antioxidant activity. Studies show the efficacy of ginger extract as a natural antimicrobial, alone as well as in symbiotic combination with black pepper and thyme extracts. The ginger leaves contain a volatile oil rich in valuable phytoconstituents and found to be effective on dental bacteria and plaque. Further, a study on the essential oil from ginger leaf versus rhizomes, indicated that both the leaf and rhizome oils were moderately active against certain bacteria. Ginger leaves contain compounds that have anti-inflammatory effects. Research has shown that these compounds can help reduce inflammation in the body, which can help alleviate conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Ginger leaves have long been used in traditional medicine for their anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Traditional use for pain include making tea to help relieve menstrual cramps, sore throat, and cold symptoms. Ginger leaves are also rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

For more info on the health benefits of Ginger and how to grow your own at home, check out :

oak trees from underneath, Wheatley, Ontario

a hopeful autumn sunset in Leamington, Ontario

Red Goji (Lycium barbarum) berries and blossoms in our garden, October, 2023

This image shows one of our 7 year old Goji berry vines (which was grown from seed that a friend collected from the wild on the border of China and Mongolia for us). I have let this vine grow and do it’s own thing and some of the branches are now over 30 feet long (reaching right up onto our elevated deck, which I trained along the railing for easy snacking and harvesting while cooking). This single vine has produced more than 10 pounds of berries for us this year (2023)

Freshly harvested Goji leaves from our garden. I harvest the majority of our goji leaves after the berries are all done for the year. We use them like spinach for soups, casseroles, stir fries or smoothies. I freeze some and dry some for using in the winter months. If you are growing Goji Berries do not forget you are growing two separate nutrient dense crops on one plant! Goji Berry leaves are packed with nutrition and like the berries they offer several medicinal effects. The leaves somewhat bitter if eaten alone and fresh but good if tenderized or crushed and added to tea or soup. They can also be blanched and then dried and powderized to make an excellent smoothie ingredient for days when you need a little something extra. I also sometimes add a handful or two to batches of kimchi. Goji leaves contain high amounts of phenolic compounds. Scientific tests show that goji berry leaves contain 18 amino acids, 6 essential vitamins, 8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides, 5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols, 5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin (below), lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll, numerous phenolic pigments (phenols) associated with antioxidant properties and calcium, iron, zinc as well as selenium.

ripe goji berries on one of our vines in our garden, October, 2023

Red Goji (Lycium barbarum) berries at different stages of ripeness on the vine, October, 2023

freshly harvested ripe homegrown Red Goji (Lycium barbarum) berries

This is what a typical daily harvest of Red Goji (Lycium barbarum) berries from our three mature vines looks like in October. We like to use our Goji harvests to make mead, smoothies, epic taco mixes and recipes like Jeweled Tabbouleh with Ancient Grains and North African Spices.

Here are a few pics of a Goji Berry infused taco mix we made about a week ago.

Adding goji berries to our taco mix (along with Goji leaves, Nettle, Cilantro, homegrown sweetcorn kernels, sweet potato, wild rice, sprouted heirloom black beans, onions, peppers, chiplotle peppers in adobe sauce, fresh mortar and pestle ground whole spices and a splash of beer).

Our goji infused taco mix after simmering. If you have access to fresh goji berries I highly suggest using them in Mexican dishes. Goji is in the same family as tomato (Solanaceae) so the fact that it pairs well in meals that were created with (Solanaceae) fruit in mind makes sense, but while tomatoes are indeed very good for you (if they are homegrown in living soil) including Goji berries in Mexican dishes improves their nutrition by leaps and bounds and takes your meal into the realm of medicinal super foods.

building our goji berry infused tacos

time to dig in ! :)

For more information on how to cultivate Goji berries at home and the many medicinal and nutritional benefits this amazing crop offers check out:

Ok now lets head back to the forest! :)

Green Column Black Maple (Acer nigrum) leaves

a Green Column Black Maple (Acer nigrum) leain my hand with Red Maple (Acer Rubrum) leaves in the background

Green Column Black Maple (Acer nigrum) leaves on the ground

a single Green Column Black Maple (Acer nigrum) leaf on the ground close up

red maple leaves

service berry leaves

service berry leaves

Beauty Berries aka Callicarpa dichotoma berries will be the newest addition to our garden (and the 27th variety of berries to be planted in our young urban food forest). We will use this plant for food, (the leaves) for mosquito repellent, edible landscaping, and its many benefits for native wildlife. Beautyberry plants provide numerous wildlife benefits: 1. The flowers provide pollen and nectar for native bees and butterflies. 2. It’s a host plant for multiple pollinators, butterflies and beneficial moths. 3. It creates habitat for bird nests as well as native insects like Carolina mantises. I often see mantis egg casings/oothecae stuck to beautyberry branches after the leaves drop at the nursery where we got our bushes. 4. The ripe fruit is a nutrient-rich food for numerous bird and mammal species during winter when other fruit is scarce. Beautyberry nutritional content : They have high Vitamin C levels (hence their tang),contain high concentrations of other vitamins and minerals, have high levels of carbohydrates, like other berries (sweet),have very high fiber content (if eaten raw with seeds and skin),contain high levels of beneficial antioxidant compounds, which give them their purple color.

red oak leaf close up

If you pay attention, Mother Nature is always speaking to us. She often whispers empowering truths to us in the form of repeating sacred geometrical patterns. She speaks to us of a trail map towards symbiosis, humility, abundance, longevity, peace and lasting fulfillment. As you walk in the forest or tend to your garden, never forget, you are in the presence of ancient alchemists, learned scholars, intrepid explorers, courageous protectors and wise teachers. We humans are among the youngest species on this beautiful planet on the outskirts of the Milky Way Galaxy and we have a lot to learn from our elder species on planet Earth.

For a fun tangent and brief intermission video (related to the geometry present in the plants shown in the pic above and below I invite you to behold, the fractal geometry of our universe. Fractal beauty and equilibrium can be found on all levels of existence, sacred geometry evident in most minute building blocks of matter and life up to the structure and energy dynamics of entire galaxies. Here is The Torus & Toroidal Flow extract from Thrive 2011 documentary :

close up of “chicks and hens” (Sempervivum tectorum) after our first frost of 2023

I call this picture “The Spirit Of The Forest”, it was taken in Algonquin Provincial park, in Ontario, during the first snow

Algonquin Provincial park, in Ontario, the first snow starting to gather on turkey tail mushrooms

Algonquin Provincial park, in Ontario, the first snow starting to gather on the ground

Algonquin Provincial park, in Ontario, the first snow starting to gather on the ground

first snow of 2023 on Ginkgo leaves, southern Ontario

rose after first frost 2023 (southern Ontario)

oak leaf hydrangea leaves after first frost 2023 (southern Ontario)

sunset on Lake Huron, Ontario

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I have more pictures but that was already a pretty epic journey through the beauty of October in Ontario so i`ll stop myself from adding more now :)

I hope you all take time to get out in nature and enjoy all the nourishment for the soul, mind and body that the remainder of November has to offer.

Each moment we choose to be truly present and give our attention to the wisdom that the Creator and Mother Earth are sharing with us (through the fractal geometry that is revealed in the living systems all around us and the symbiotic relationships between Earth’s inhabitants) we are offered a glimpse into a ‘scripture’ that is far older than all man made religious texts. In this ancient gospel as old as the mountains and as ancient as the seas wisdom is inscribed which teaches us to live in peace, abundance, symbiosis and harmony with our fellow beings.

Through opening our eyes to the symbiosis and fractal geometry embedded in all levels of nature we are invited to become one with a resilient and learned community of life. When we pay attention to these interwoven facets of nature which have coexisted in perfect balance on earth for countless millennia we are then able to emulate and embody those living systems and apply their tested and proven wisdom to our relationships in our lives and societies on earth. Through learning from those ancient living libraries of knowledge (that were created through eons of trial and error while nature experimented with what works and what does not) we can let go of our unsustainable path and choose a new direction as a species. With the ancient symbiotic relationships in nature as our teachers we can begin to release the arrogant and backwards path we have been on and embrace a new path that can lead humanity into a new paradigm and a new civilization on earth which is reverent, equitable, regenerative and prosperous.

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