In each MUSE interview we take time to explore the lives + creative processes of the folks who inspire us to live each day most wildly and authentically, close to the Earth and to our own Spirits. Ally is one such person. I first met Ally Draizin when I visited Portland last Summer and ever since then, I’ve been eager to get back to the city of Roses, just to visit this special flower. It was such a treat to see Ally once again during my recent trip to Oregon and I’m so delighted to be able to introduce you to her.
Ally is someone who has taught me a a lot about true generosity and deep listening. She is a masterful herbalist, medicine maker, and aesthetician who shares her craft with remarkable grace and humility. Through her aptly named company, Heart Of Gold, Ally imbues all that she does with an exquisite simplicity and the kind of perfection typically only found in nature. Her formulas are incredibly skillful and though they are complex, each one rings clean and clear as a bell.
There are so many ways to work with plants for healing and no one way is any better than the others. Ally has reminded me of this again and again through her work. Because of the hyper-materialistic nature of Western culture, it is all too easy to dismiss skincare products, herbal or otherwise, as non-essential and reserved solely for cosmetic purposes. But every single one of Ally’s preparations is a medicine all its own – not only for the skin, but for the spirit. When treated with love and respect, Plants do not discriminate when, where, or how they choose to share their gifts. Heart Of Gold is Herbal Medicine at its finest – nourishing the spirit from the outside in.
