This is going to be a fairly in depth introduction to the shadow that stands behind the banner. I can guarantee you nothing but frankness.
As it goes; I am a caricature of the concept as above, so below. Chaos and order. The duality of life. I am driven by light and a weathered navigator of the darkness. Which can be clearly observed in my range of interests, variety of choices in clothing, music, and in my art…..but I have found a way to express the many facets within me, through plants too.
Things got witchy pretty early on with me; as a child I was always daydreaming, writing spells and poetry, making wishes on paper, tucking them away in books. Drawing sigils before I even know what those were. I also was known for and loved mixing water and oils with glitter then adding little rocks, bits, and baubles, pretending every ingredient was a powerful message of my intent. Later on, as a teen, I created potions for friends. Mysterious concoctions of flowers, rocks, plastic toys or mutual memory place holders, trinkets, and bugs (and more glitter). These to me, meant connecting heart to heart, spirit and memory with another. It wasn't just tacky and glittery, it was also me reaching for creative ways of bonding memories to physical objects to connect to my friends, of putting my will and heart into action. A witch before I even realized it.
The path to herbalism -or; wort cunning- started to appear before me around 2004, during my late teens and early 20’s while I was living in California. Little 'seeds' of inspiration were planted in my daily life by my surroundings and the people I knew at the time. I moved around CA for a handful of years, finding and losing my footing over and over. Artist in the street, bartender, juice squeezer, pizza slinger, vintage clothing seller, eventually did a stint in VT as a makeshift doula. It took awhile, but I ended up on the path I was meant to be on.
I've come to believe I'm here in this life to be a facilitator for a particular flavor of self-improvement, plant empowered nourishment and healing. I want to help people find the patience, strength, humor, and will to live a life of adventure, integrity, and compassion. I work to support growth, not just in plants as a gardener, but also in people as an herbalist and witch...from the womb to the rocking chair.
over the years, I came to realize that learning about and working with plants is an intimate experience, and that process doesn't look or feel the same for everyone. I feel we all intrinsically have the intuition to listen and observe the deeper environment around us; you can learn quite a lot from the universe on your own if you really want to ...
With all that said; I'm lucky to live in an area where generous teachers reside and hold classes, who offer to pass on their knowledge of the botanical world and beyond. Besides self teaching, exploring the physical plants themselves, experimenting with all manner of herbal books, and working with loved ones, I have completed numerous, in depth courses with amazing local teachers such as Chris Marano of Clearpath School of Herbal medicine and Brittany Wood-Nickerson of Thyme Herbal, taken classes with Deb Soule of Avena Botanicals, and Nancy Scarzello of Forest Bay Institute.
I also worked for over six years at a popular local herb shop + apothecary where I sculpted my personal magickal and herbal language by diving into the depths with customers. I have custom formulated and poured and blended many concoctions for hundreds of people over the years, and have so much love for that process.
After a brief stint as a stand-in pastry chef, I worked at another apothecary and gift shop for a couple years through 2020. These days I focus on my garden, my homestead, my art, and my special indoor chicken. Plants and art are my life.
To be true to myself, I am on the lifelong magickal path. Always working with no-bullshit, genuine intention, and cultivating grace in my approach, but I never forget my sense of humor. That's a key ingredient in all I do in this life. Laughing and instigating laughter.
I like to get to know plants a few at a time, first and foremost to respect and honor them, within nature and through out the process of use. I work diligently and thoroughly for every item I offer, researching, cross-referencing, testing periods/prototyping, etc. I also practice hedge witchery, which is much more personal journey to me. A hag at heart, awakened.
My passions are numerous, but plants and art are up top. I am first an artist in this life. I will always be a painter and write flowery, psychedelic poetry. I also am an avid bike rider, make + assemble jewelry, collect bugs, plants, and bones, love to strength train, I take lots of photographs (especially of flowers), I practice with firearms, am a novice in archery, I am a baker, and play piano and other musical instruments, I also weave, etc. etc. etc. for a million years: …etc.
I find comfort in my ravenous curiosity; exploring.. everywhere, from the forests in my region to the deep and dark crevices of the human mind, I like to remind myself of the beauty of the darkness as much as of the beauty of the lightness.
I do not adhere to any specific belief systems, I do love to learn about the many different ways that humans find hope and strength, purpose. Paranormal experience stories will have me coming out from under my rock to listen, and I could tell you a few of my own...
As a Pisces drifting into Aries territory, with a Libra Moon, and stubborn Taurus ascendant, I am prone to fiery impulsiveness, passionate, poetic outbursts, and oceanic dreaming. While I am entertained and sometimes even taken aback by astrology, it does not steer or dominate any part of my daily life or personality. Guaranteed.
As for Branch + Beak; I want to think I provide an open door for magick, a door that is approachable and accessible to everyone. In my opinion; magick isn’t anything other than a person’s focused will power to create a shift in their individual reality.
Driven by a deep curiosity, and love for learning, I prefer to process the life we all live by creating art in as many forms as I can! Art that hopefully will inspire kindness and fierceness that echoes and ripples outward for years to come..
Below is the final draft of the poem from which the name Branch & Beak came from, penned back in March of 2011:
"Cranes, crouching in a sedge under full moon, luminescent feathers fidgeting restlessly.
The minute makes a sound as it passes, a sound of wings ruffling, the swoop of them flinch.
Water tries and ripples outward, little whispers travel across mirrored pitches, night forgets them.
Trees sway like heavy heads, closed curtains on an open window, droplets of water hanging from branch + beak.
As fresh necks, outstretched, seek the hour's death. Night calmly keeps on, thick and slow as mud..
While every stillness waits, the heart is beating under wings in chaos."