Hi, I’m Gina Badger (they/she), and I am the clinical energetic herbalist who runs Long Spell. I am a queer nonbinary femme of mixed western european ancestry born on Cree territory and currently living on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations. My lifework is contributing to a collective vision of holistic health care that’s equally heartfelt and irreverent, down-to-earth and visionary, gentle and rigorous.

I launched Long Spell in 2018, and I have been growing and making my own medicine, offering workshops, and serving as a community herbalist for more than ten years. I have completed over 2,500 hours of training in herbal medicine, botany, and first aid. Before pursuing herbalism as a career, I worked as a visual artist and editor for over a decade, having earned an MSc in Visual Studies from MIT (2010) and a BFA in Studio Art and Art History from Concordia University (2008).

Karyn Sanders and Sarah Holmes of the Blue Otter School of Herbal Medicine are my primary herb teachers, and I continue to benefit from their mentorship. Thanks to their teachings, my practice is informed by both Indigenous energetic principles (via Karyn’s Choctaw lineage) and the western herbal tradition. As a white settler practicing earth-based medicine on occupied Indigenous lands, I am committed to a lifelong process of transparency and reciprocity with respect to the knowledge I have been entrusted with. I strive to be holistic about this commitment, which includes honouring the teachings by working with them to the best of my ability; making regular financial and herbal donations in support of Indigenous-led organizing, herbalists, and herbal education; ethical herb sourcing (avoiding wildcrafting and wildcrafted herbs); citing my practices and rejecting cultural appropriation. I don’t have this all figured out and I welcome engagement on this topic for those who are interested—contact me using the form below!

I regularly access additional mentorship and training to expand my capacity as a practitioner. I am currently pursuing professional development with Colleen Emery, I participate in a Blue Otter peer mentor group, and I have benefitted from the visionary support of the Turtle Tank School for Radical Purpose.