Intuition Talks

The One and Only Albatross: Spiritual Herbalist and Rewilding Coach!

• Kristen OMeara • Season 2 • Episode 25

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In this week's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Albatross, spiritual herbalist, rewilding coach, and founder of FeatherBee Apothecary. Albatross has been immersed in the plant kingdom since she was a child. Her grandfather taught her how to talk with plants and develop a relationship with them. Her gift of spirit plant communication was encouraged, laying down the path she walks today to offer education, resources, and energy healing services for eco-conscious individuals who are passionate about holistic health and spirituality. Albatross' unique ability to sense and perceive tree energies significantly informs her holistic healing approaches in energy reading, coaching, and product formulation. Her bespoke herbal kits and products are aimed at facilitating authentic living, healing, and manifestation. Albatross is excited to share a free informational guide about self-care. You can find this eBook and learn more about her services and products at www.featherbeeapothecary.com
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The intro song “To Meet the Light” and outro song “Where the Light Is” by lemonmusicstudio

Kristen O'Meara:

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Intuition Talks. I am Kristen O'Meara, and I am here with my lovely new friend, Casey Albatross. Casey. How are you today?

Albatross:

I'm doing really, well. Um, today's been a quiet day, so I was able to actually get out into my garden and spend some time with my plants. I was able to get a harvest of some holy basil, which I'm so excited about because I can't wait to make a tea with the flowers and the leaves. Um, so I've been blessed this morning with a whole bunch of them to start drying so I can use it in tea.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh, I just love, love holy basil. I, it's probably the one tincture that I use that helps me with stress.

Albatross:

It's huge for stress relief. It's a, it just helps promote well being and the feeling of joy because the flower smell is so sweet. You can kind of almost just, no matter where you are, you can feel like you're sitting in a meadow of these flowers.

Kristen O'Meara:

It's a very special plant, and it has a long history, too. It

Albatross:

really does. It goes all the way back to India.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes.

Albatross:

In Ayurvedic medicine.

Kristen O'Meara:

Are they medicine? I love it. Well, folks, I want to introduce you to Albatross and give you a sense of her background. And of course, we're going to learn more about Albatross as we continue our conversation today, albatross is an educator in pharmacological studies at the college level and an apprentice clinical herbalist beyond her academic endeavors. She harnesses her innate metaphysical talents as a spiritual herbalist and wellness coach. She crafts bespoke herbal kits aimed at facilitating authentic living, healing and manifestation. Albatross is unique ability to sense and perceive tree energies significantly informs her holistic healing approaches and energy reading coaching and product formulations. But before we jump in to your story and working with plants, I have a channeling for you. And I received it this morning. I'm

Albatross:

so excited.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes. And this is the message to you, Albatross, and for folks who are listening today. Albatross, you are glorious to behold. We see you identifying many things. We see you identifying the plants, the trees, the grasses, and other aspects of your life for the benefit of you and for all who will be coming to you to partake in your wisdom and your grace. To serve man and woman kind and the spirits who are linked with all of you in the web of life. You see, your journey began at a very young age, an age that set the wheel in motion for you to discover who you are in the web of life. Who you are in relation with all the beings that surround you, you have suffered great losses and we are with you to help you understand that although there, there has been great pain and sorrow in your life, you are more than you're suffering. You know this. And so do all of the people who are listening today. The trials of a human life are significant. And it is important for you to continue circling back to your place in the web of life. And that includes all beings who live with you and what you call the natural world. You see, there is no distinction between the world that you consider living in and the natural world. All is one. Part of the medicine, Albatross, that you are giving to the world is to remind people that they are nature and that there is no distinction or separation to be made. You are here as a master teacher, and we see you so clearly holding a great staff, a great staff of a tree that you know well. A staff that was given to you, not taken without awareness, and that staff, even though it is movable and wieldable, it is connected deeply to the center of the earth. We see you with a beautiful cloak of self compassion and self understanding, a cloak that holds you and gives you warmth, but a cloak that also reminds you of the trials and tribulations of a human life. Thank you. So that you can continue weaving your magic and distilling it as medicine for those who resonate with you and your vibration to know that they are more than they're suffering, that they are more than being a human being. And that they are more than the life that they're living in modernity. With your staff and cloak and medicine, we congratulate you and we thank you for your service. There are many beings that humans do not believe have a voice. And you know these voices very well. Voices from the plant and animal kingdom. You are giving the plant kingdom a voice. You are connecting that voice to humans so that they know that they have brothers and sisters in the plant kingdom to help them. And they will learn through their connections with the plant kingdom that they are stewards and brothers and sisters of what is considered the natural world. You are playing a part to help heal. You are playing a part to help Reunite all spirit in the web of life so that all spirit remembers that there is no separation and that suffering is not the entire story. The plants feel you when you come near them. They know who you are and they applaud you as we do. Know in your heart that this is the truth and know in your heart that the medicine that you brew, the medicine that you give with your love and wisdom and awareness touches many. We are excited to see your path unfold and we are excited to see how others paths unfold as you touch and continue to make ripples of light. and awareness in the web of life. We are with you, dear one, and we love you.

Albatross:

That's powerful. Thank you.

Kristen O'Meara:

You're welcome. Did that resonate with you?

Albatross:

Absolutely. There is so much in there on my beliefs and how I interact, um, with the plant world and the spirit world. And yes, I do actually have a staff that's made out of it.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love it.

Albatross:

And I do, I carry it with me to events. Um, and it's a huge part of my spiritual work when I travel to the other side, um, to interact.

Kristen O'Meara:

I had no idea. I love it. I love it. Well, I was sharing with you before we hit record and I was like, I wonder who's going to come through. This was before I channeled the message and I got milk thistle. Oh, wow. So, and I was thinking like, you know, I haven't channeled plants. I've channeled animals, but I haven't channeled plants. And I was like, well, so they're living beings. They have a consciousness. But it was really interesting and for folks who are like, really milk thistle, you're channeling a plant. So what? When you channel higher forms of consciousness, they are that energy, that vibration is working with your mind and your aura. And you have your own vocabulary as a, as a human being. So they're able to work with that vocabulary. They're able to access the words that I know. And sometimes I get words that were like, I have to look them up. Like, I don't know that word. Yeah. But I'm like, what is that word? And I'm like, is that real? So I, you know, look it up. I'm like, wow, that's a real word. It's really old. But it's, it's there. So they use our, our vocabulary and they, they help us to bring that message through. So milk thistle. I don't know if you have a, if you're a friend of milk thistle. Um, but I thought that was really interesting.

Albatross:

So I haven't developed a one on one relationship with milk thistle. What I do know is that it's amazing for women. Um, it's a strong protector of the home and the hearth.

Kristen O'Meara:

So

Albatross:

it makes sense because it's so, my practice is so close to my home and my spiritual space, which is my garden, which I consider kind of my hearth.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes.

Albatross:

So, I could see why milk thistle would come through. That's

Kristen O'Meara:

interesting.

Albatross:

It's beautiful.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh, well I'm glad that you liked it, and I think milk thistle, and you of course. So, so let's start with what brought you into this work.

Albatross:

Sure. So I actually started when I was very, very young, as you, you're talking about. Channeling brought through. Um, but the earliest that I remember is actually going out to my grandfather's garden because he was, he farmed, they had a farm that they kind of rented and he got some of that from them. But I remember going out with him to the plants and he taught me how to talk to them.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh, I remember you telling me that. That's so amazing.

Albatross:

So it all kinda came from my grandfather who, who passed that on to me and then. You know, I just made more and more friends out in the field. So that's where they could always find me. Um, but you know, as, as you get older and you grow apart from that, you become more a part of the human realm and, you know, in school it wasn't, as cool to go hang out with the plants, you know?

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah.

Albatross:

Um, so as I got older I, I did kind of find that I was programmed to find some distance and I think that's true for most of us. Um, but then after a few years of about when I was 22, 23, um, I was really lost. I had lost my mother to cancer and I had spent several years after college taking care of her and kind of putting myself to the wayside. Um, I was supposed to leave to go to a graduate program in the UK, but that just wasn't possible because I needed to stay home to care for my mother. And when she left, I kind of felt this loss of everything. Loss of home, loss of a guiding star, just, I felt completely and utterly alone. And I, I was trying to find The best path back right to return to myself and because I ultimately realized that I couldn't live for anybody else anymore that I really truly needed to live for myself because I had spent so many years actually just not not doing that so discussed disconnected. Um, so the way that I kind of found my way home was to find my plant friends again, and. I was actually reading a very beautiful book, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer, and I found this quote where she's talking about how she taught her, her daughter's gardening. Because when she's gone, they'll still have a mother. Oh. It's, it's so beautiful and, and connects me to, you know, it was absolutely exactly what I feel when I go out to my garden, to my plants, you know, Mother Earth is still here.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes.

Albatross:

My mother may be gone in physical form, but her spirit is still here. And, um, Her father is the grandfather I'm talking about who spoke to me and taught me how to, to speak to the plants. So it comes through that line. So ancestrally, they're still here with me.

Kristen O'Meara:

Of course.

Albatross:

And their lessons and their legacy live on through me in this work that I've been doing. So I've, I've walked for a long time kind of feeling like, Um, because I work in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, uh, science, like you were talking about earlier. So I felt like I was walking through this world that was ever so off in vibration. And it was, you just feel like you're walking through a cloud and it's not quite aligning. And you're like, what is it? Everything seems weird.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah.

Albatross:

As soon as I like switched over and I started looking at. more Eastern practices, Eastern body, the energetic body, um, the spiritual herbalism, it just kind of clicked. So my world became a little less fuzzy, more aligned, and, and then now I'm here. So I started, uh, Feather Bee Apothecary in 2018, and I've been going strong since then with my different product lines. And here recently, I've decided that I'm going to That's all good. Um, but I really want to talk to people and make a difference for individuals. So I have opened up my wellness coaching that I really hope to take off and I call it rewilding instead of wellness coaching.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah. Tell us about that. Cause I love the rewilding.

Albatross:

Yeah. So that programming that I was talking to you about, um, when I was telling my story, I feel like And we, we find this kind of terminology in human design and in a few other, like, Eastern medicine, we find this programming or deprogramming kind of terminology or belief systems would be another way of saying it, but we've developed these ways of acting these ways of being that have sort of They have supported us through different situations, um, but we later on find out that they're really not the best adaptions. They're not the best beliefs to have, um, so we really need to deprogram ourselves to get away from that. And that's what I call our wilding. So we knew when we were little, like I knew when I was five years old what I was supposed to be doing. And I just did it naturally. There was no There was no thought, there was no block, there was no idea that it might be wrong or that somebody might laugh at me for it, right? Yeah,

Kristen O'Meara:

no doubt.

Albatross:

There was no doubt. Yeah, the ego

Kristen O'Meara:

wasn't like saying, oh, it's not safe to go outside this boundary, yeah.

Albatross:

Right, there was nothing there, there was no block there. Um, but then as I got older, you know, you're like, oh, maybe not. And that's that programming, so I want us all to get back to our wild, inner selves that know exactly, that intuitive self, because your soul knows, your soul came here with its plan and its path, and your soul knows where you need to be. So our, if we can just rewild and let go a little bit, We can get back there. So that's why I call him rewilding.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love it. It just reminds me of a wild forest, you know, or that's both words are kind of the same, but this forest that or field, something that is. For the most part left alone, you know, uh, there isn't any like what you said that programming there isn't any, um, structures built there to serve a purpose. It's just there and reconnecting the folks that you are working with. To that space that is wild, that has so much potential that has so many possibilities that's connected to like the channeling the web of life to remember that we're nature, that we're a part of that. And there's an illusion that, um, and a lot of folks know this, but you know, our house is kind of like, It provides shelter, safety, um, there are things that of course, gathering, family gathering, but it's not necessarily our home home. it's kind of an illusion in a lot of ways. Like, for me, when it's night time, I think of like, Oh, I just want to sleep outside. You know, I just want to walk, take a long walk outside. And I think that's why there's such a big draw to camping and to being outside and do this and do that. But sometimes our times out in nature seem like, and this is a broad generalization, but I'm going on a rafting trip, I'm doing this, I'm going camping, but it's stillness involved. It's kind of like what you said, play recreation, and this is a generalization and I definitely partake in that. But I love the stillness. I love what you're saying when you are with your work, talking to the plants and, and getting that information and connection. And I just think it's so beautiful because we have so much to learn, don't we? From the plants.

Albatross:

We really do. Um, I consider the plants our older brothers and sisters.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah,

Albatross:

they have been here for much longer than the human species has been here. And if you think about it, they kind of have unique circumstances. Now, as humans, if we have a problem, or we encounter something, we can always move, right? We can always get away, we can avoid, we have a lot of these tactics. Um, but our plant siblings do not have that. They had to adapt and overcome in different ways. They are 100 percent beholden to their environment.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah.

Albatross:

Each plant species has learned a different lesson, and they can share that lesson with us through either spiritual work, um, or the physical ingestion. or use of them as medicine. So, I mean, it's so, like, mind blowing and powerful to me, just to think of how strong the plant species is. And, and they, they put up a lot with us. Um, you know, they're quite kind still for, um, everything that the human species does. Um, but they're so kind and giving and pure, pure light, pure spirits. And, You know, that, that sharing that wisdom they have for us is just really, it's really immense, really immense.

Kristen O'Meara:

I want to offer myself up as an example, because I had a session with you, which was incredible in credible, incredible, and I keep learning about the tree and the plant that you identified my

Albatross:

It's your signature energy, my signature

Kristen O'Meara:

energy. Thank you. So I want folks to really understand how this works

Albatross:

sure. Um, so that particular session is what I call tree frequency guidance. Um, so when I sit down with someone, we're looking at, or I'm looking at what is their frequency, their tree frequency. And once I get that, I can understand a lot about their energetic body and the lessons that that person has come to learn, um, in their human experience. And specifically, it tells me a lot about where their chakra, their Energy body pulls from. Um, and you can kind of think of them as overarching. So, do you mind if I share yours?

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes, I want to, because I think it would really help. And yeah, when you told me this, all this, I was like, Oh my gosh, you have looked inside the depth of my soul. I've seen. I loved it.

Albatross:

And so your, your tree energy is a hawthorn tree which I find, um, really great and I love hawthorn trees, but this morning I was telling you I pulled some cards about our session today and through my oracle deck the hawthorn tree fell out and I was like, I know I'm going to see her.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love it.

Albatross:

So the synchronicities, you can't make this stuff up, um, but so you're a hawthorn tree and Hawthorne tree, if we think about these plants or these trees, energies that you align with, they're kind of an umbrella. So they give me an idea of where somebody is going to be pulling their energy from. And by understanding the botany of the plant, the physical attributes of it, but then I can also kind of work with its spiritual aspects. So we're kind of merging the two to understand the person from a holistic point of view, the energetic body and the physical body, because our energetic body, if we leave it for a long time, if we encounter issues or we have excess of energy in different places, the, it will reflect in the physical body. Which is amazing to me because the human body is so complex and just an amazing creation. Oh. On two, on two different levels. So that's my biology nerd showing. But so we get an idea of where those energies are pulling and specifically for Hawthorne trees, the biggest is going to be the heart chakra.

Kristen O'Meara:

As

Albatross:

we look at the Hawthorne tree, we can use that, and it is used, has been used for centuries, as a cardiac aid. Um, so heart aid. Um, so that's going to be like the biggest draw, but then if we also look at the hawthorn tree, we know we have some red berries going on, and the red kind of tells us a lot about the root, but also kind of leading back into the cardiovascular system. So we have all of that going on. So I know Hawthorne trees, if we look at them as an umbrella, we're going to have those two energy centers. that are working overtime. So a person who is a hawthorn tree is going to be giving a lot from their heart and a lot from their root. So they're, they're going to be nurturing, caring, kind people who are really focused on building home, setting space, and making sure that it's stable and secure. So that's kind of the umbrella of hawthorn trees. And then Underneath that each individual is going to be different because not every Hawthorne tree is the same. Right. With that, I'll use my intuitive gift to see what are the other layers that are going on with this person. And then how can we start to feed those energetic centers so that we can find alignment, we can find personal growth, and we're not depleted. We're not getting into a place where we're just so fatigued and tired and stressed because we've given all of our energy away.

Kristen O'Meara:

And that that's my story. Um, and that's something that I've been working on for years in the heart chakra and the root chakra. Well, the third two. Um, definitely what I've worked on to heal, to, to grow more awareness about, um, a lot of survival issues throughout my life, a lot of trauma, uh, the heart, my heart is easily open, but I can also keep it closed. And I loved what you said about the Hawthorne with the thorns. Because having certain traumas in my life, I have created a way to, without knowing how to perhaps set boundaries, or not knowing how to reserve my energy, or not having that Uh, not having that awareness. I've had this, um, way of keeping my, myself, uh, perhaps from getting hurt again. It's been a protective mechanism of the Thor.

Albatross:

Yeah, something that's built into you.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah, so it's, I loved Even though I knew a lot of this from counseling and my work in energy and my work, um, in all sorts of areas, I loved you bringing in the Hawthorne tree because it, it gives me goosebumps. It's like, oh, I have a very big love for gardening. I have for decades. I love plants. So it was that, but it also. validated a lot for me and it gave me another perspective. It was incredibly rich. It was incredibly rich and I was able to apply it in such a deep way. So, and for an example, if I feel depleted and I've given a lot in caregiving, um, I'll go out into the world and I notice that. I can feel kind of closed in, like my heart's kind of shut down a little bit. I feel a little prickly. I, I, I really got a sense of, okay, this is what I'm doing. So like, okay, I think that the, I think the thorns are out. I think my heart's kind of closed. Let's smile, you know, and not see it as me like giving, but just me being. Yes, me just being in joy and that can be hard to shift in and out of sometimes when we feel like we've given a lot like with. We taking care of a child with autism or my mother or, but you know, I, and I've been practicing, I've been feeling like, Oh, I can kind of sense the prickly. I can kind of sense that my heart's kind of shut down, like let's let the light shine, you know? So I don't know. I just found it just really, really deep, deep, powerful medicine.

Albatross:

I love the prickly reference. Um, it's so, it's so perfect for Hawthorne's. Oh,

Kristen O'Meara:

this is the only way I can reserve. And it's not true, you know, you know,

Albatross:

you, you are in that caretaker space and you're, you're constantly giving, like we talked about, you know, you, you feel depleted, you feel like there's no room for you. And oftentimes you feel like a boundary has been crossed, but you don't, you feel it. You just don't know what that boundary was. And for you, you know, that it is a crossing into your thorns. You know, somebody was actually like pulling all of your energy and they were kind of in a way like touching your soul. You know, they were depleting you to that. Um. So the natural instinct, you're, you're only protection, right? Hawthorne trees are susceptible to their environment. They can't go anywhere. So what do they have to protect them? These thorns that they've grown. Now that, that's one of the adaptions that they have taken on from their space to, to kind of prevent the, all of their berries from being eaten so they can reproduce. And to continue to give.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes. I just love that. I love that. We all need these metaphors. Not that this medicine is just a metaphor. It's not. I can hold the image of the hawthorn tree. I can hold it and just really let it sink in as medicine. Right, I really and I just feel the connection. So thank you. That was a big gift.

Albatross:

You're welcome. The visualization of the tree for you, you can actually have Hawthorne tea. We talked about a great tea ritual for you. So, in different cultures. They tie blessings or wishes on Hawthorne trees for the fairies. Um, so that, that was a really good, I enjoyed that one. Yeah. Um, and the fact that you have a Hawthorne tree nearby is just. That's awesome.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes. And it's, I think a Western one. Um, so, but yeah, so that's just a taste folks of, of what it's like, and it really is. And it's an in depth session. It's, it's like what, what Albatross is saying. There's a lot that is being shared about that. Yeah. Yeah. Perhaps another plan or so on. So it's, it's fascinating. What else would you like to share about your work?

Albatross:

Oh, um, so we haven't talked about working with spirit allies yet, or plant spirit allies. Yes, let's do it. And they can be used in conjunction if you know your tree frequency. But, um, Or, um, you can actually have a house plant familiar, which I absolutely love, love to pieces, So the idea is that you are working with the, a plant in your, a plant that you have out in your garden or a house plant that you have in your house, and you'll just create a meditation. And develop a relationship with your plant and the spirit will act as an ally for you. Um, in any kind of healing work that you're doing or even in spell work. Yes.

Kristen O'Meara:

That, may I ask, so you identified dandelion as a plant for me. So is that what you're referring to? Because I'm feeling, man, I can't tell you how helpful that was. Because the more I learn about dandelion, And how that heals verbally are those issues that I actually have remarkable. So I was like, Oh my gosh. And so I'm drinking dandelion tea when I see them. I, and I've always been drawn to them and I, I, but I really like what you're saying, developing a relationship with spirit.

Albatross:

So I

Kristen O'Meara:

love, I love what you're saying about, about that.

Albatross:

Yeah, I've actually been, um, developing my, my current relationship. I, I want to get to know all of the, the plants, um, but I'm currently working with chamomile, so I'm growing chamomile out in my garden, um, and I'll just make sure that I go and I sit with her. every day for, you know, it doesn't have to be too long. I like to set my, my limit at like five minutes, so I can get out there, um, kind of prune my plant up, make sure that she's got all the water that she needs, and then I'll kind of sit with her and, um, You actually sent me an amazing flower essence that I've been using

Kristen O'Meara:

with this as

Albatross:

well.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love it. So it's a flower essence society in Nevada City, California, and I love their essences. So I chose two. I was looking for something maybe different, and I'm like, Oh, you! You mentioned chamomile, that one and another one that I wasn't sure about, but did you, so you like the essence?

Albatross:

Yes, I absolutely love it. Um, so I've been taking it out with me and I, I just go and I have tea with my chamomile plant and I add the essence into my tea while I'm sitting and then I'll meditate. Um, and cross over into the spirit world to have a conversation with Cam and Neil that day. If she's there, someday she's, she's not willing to talk to me. And that's usually when I don't water her.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes. Yes. And you know, we learn about plant communication. Some plants are, you know, it takes a long time to develop a relationship. It's like developing a relationship with a person, right?

Albatross:

Yep. It's a person or another animal. They have their own personalities.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah.

Albatross:

Some of them can be a little bit more difficult to work with than others. But I have found Chamomile to be a really good, um, beginner one. Because she is very open and nurturing. There's a motherly aspect to her, um, and I just find it so wonderful that her flowers kind of come out in this. This crown around the gold of the sun. So we have like this sun crown happening and I just find her so beautiful. I

Kristen O'Meara:

love chamomile. It is like this motherly, like tucking you in, in bed,

Albatross:

another really great plant for stress reduction, um, and just nurturing the soul.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yes, yes. What are some of your favorite plants and what you've learned from them?

Albatross:

Well, so I'm totally obsessed with chamomile right now, because that's who I'm working with. But I adore sage as well. Peppermint is a really great plant and Lemon balm. Yes,

Kristen O'Meara:

I love lemon balm. It's

Albatross:

so light and bright. Um, it's just really like potent, but they're all really good. And maybe, maybe this is a sign for me, but they're all really good stress relieving herbs. Um, and I guess we could throw in lavender there too, but I haven't been successful with growing lavender yet. It's very, um. It's very difficult for me to find the right temperature. And we have, um, direct sun that just kind of beats down on the spot that I have all my plants in, so they're, they're constantly being harassed by the sun. So, yeah, I, those are some of my favorites. They're super easy if anybody wants to develop a relationship with them. So they're all kind of in the good beginner land. And they're usually something that you have available to you in your garden already, or maybe even in your kitchen. And they're super accessible through the grocery store, or through a, reputable website. sustainable organic plant, source.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah. How would you start for folks who don't know much about plant communication or developing a relationship with a plant? How, what do you recommend people do? Say that they're always been drawn to roses and they have roses in their, in their garden. What would you recommend?

Albatross:

Yeah, sure. Um, so if you have roses in your garden, that's great. Um, what I would suggest is you're building that relationship by helping to nurture them. So you can start on a purely physical level like, um, I do with my chamomile. So make sure the plant is comfortable, that it's getting all the light in the water that it needs, that it's flourishing. Um, and then you can just kind of sit with the plant and think about the colors. that the plant has, um, and what those colors mean to you, just take a moment of mindfulness and, and ask yourself, you know, what is it that draws you to this plant? Like, what is the energy that you get? Why do you feel joy? Or what is the spark that has aligned you to that plant? Um, and then just simply say, thank you. Every day. And, and that's a great way to start

Kristen O'Meara:

you're developing that relationship and you're kind of developing a kind of energetic link, like you're being mindfully aware of the road. And slowing down and seeing the color, like you said, and taking care of the plants, spending time out there.

Albatross:

Yeah. Removing the distractions and giving yourself that time, that moment to kind of be in that space to be fully present. And you know, thank you. Gratitude goes a really long way to starting a relationship with humans or plants. Yeah.

Kristen O'Meara:

It's just, it's just like being thoughtful, right? Yes. They're a living being.

Albatross:

Yep, you're, they're a living being and you're a living being and you just kind of find this, this common ground. And then if you're comfortable with it you can start meditating with the plant. I usually do still meditation but you could do a walking meditation as well. don't take your plant with you. Especially if they're planted in the ground, that's not a great idea. Um, but you could if you had like, um, the leaves of the plant, um, or if you had tea, you could certainly take that on a walking meditation with you,

Kristen O'Meara:

right?

Albatross:

I like to do still meditation. So what I do is I, I just sit and. I release my ego, release the self, and I kind of envision myself in a grove, surrounded by trees and plants. And then I kind of wait to see the plant in that space. And so, um, I can visualize it in that grove, growing in that space. And then I'll just go over and interact with the spirit.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh, I love that. So you're creating your own guided meditation, I love that.

Albatross:

I have found it to be the easiest way to access that energy. Um, as well as to just recharge myself because when I step into that space, that spirit space, I know that it's safe and it's comfortable and that I am a part of it. And I can absorb that energy to bring back kind of as a good recharging, which is basically all that I do in my work is the idea is to recharge your energetic body. No, we, we return to nature, we understand nature and in, in doing so we can return to ourselves.

Kristen O'Meara:

And that's exactly what I was doing without knowing what I was doing with the gardening. But it became a necessity for me when I was divorced and lived in on a property for about 10 years. And gardening was an everyday thing. And I, it, it gave me so much, it wasn't. Something else to do. It was my way of resetting. It was my way of being with the beauty and with mother earth and being a part of it and I was just basically, um, like you said, recharging. Becoming inspired. I had a lot of magical moments with hummingbirds and learning about the connection with other living beings as I was raising a child with autism, you know, just being able to go to my garden and, uh, not escaping. Although I think sure there were times where I was just like, Oh, this is where I just need to be here. But it was teaching me to know that there's so much more, I think, like what the channeling said, there was so much more to the hard days or so much more to the challenges. There's so much beauty. It was this cycle of day and night and watching the plants from, from spring to winter and seeing the, Oh my gosh, this is popping up here. I didn't plant that there. Or what is this new plant? It just was, it was so healing. for me at that time. It was a, it was a challenging but beautiful time.

Albatross:

Yeah, um, the garden has always given me so much and I think you said it really beautifully. Like, it just does remind you to be present and I think being able to see the cycle, you know, being able to watch life because plants have a shorter life than we do. Um, so you can kind of get a picture, a big picture of, um, The web, right, and everything that is in that and in the cyclical nature of things and sometimes by seeing that your problems can seem so small. Yes. Even though they're not, they, in relationship, it's easy to kind of step back and say, you know, Okay, this is okay. Like, it will be okay because

Kristen O'Meara:

I think we get a bigger perspective, don't we?

Albatross:

We do. And there's that promise too, the promise of new life. Yeah. Because when your plant does die, Right, there is something else that is going to come in and take that place. So we kind of get an appreciation for the fact that right now we might be in this death stage. No, there might be all of this turmoil and this pain and it is a shedding and it is letting go and But there is a promise that that will be a new seed, you know, it has laid seed, it is going to be a new plant and that there is more to come, that the story hasn't ended, it's just a new chapter that has started. And so plants really kind of offer us that beautiful look at life and allows us to kind of pull out a little bit from. Where we are to kind of see that big picture,

Kristen O'Meara:

right? And it's such a mirror to have our own lives and our own self development and growth and healing. The more we tend to ourselves, like our garden, right? Our own inner garden and how many possibilities there are, how much potential there is when we, take care of ourselves and give ourselves that self care and that love. Thank you. and self compassion. Um, we grow more, flowers, we allow for more life to be shared with us. Um, our, we're, our roots get stronger, right? Our branches get wider. Yep. It just, I have an image of like a tree, like an oak tree, and I was inspired because these are my oak, my oak.

Albatross:

Yes, I saw them. I love them.

Kristen O'Meara:

Um, just like the more we tend to our garden and take care of ourselves, our inner garden, we can support ourselves, but we also can't. Be more available to our loved ones and our community. I just find that really interesting to the garden and plants have so much to teach us, not just direct communication, but just they're show they're showing us, uh, how to live life in a way.

Albatross:

Because it is, it is so large, it can be kind of overwhelming of a concept to, to kind of like, pin down. Um, but, they're offering us so much, um, in that. And, you know, thinking about the, the Oak Treaty that you mentioned. And oak trees roots are just as large as its canopy, its upper branches. So, they are You know, the larger you grow, the more roots you have, so the more stable you are, but also the further outreach that you have, like there's so much symbology that we can kind of dig into and, and to find the stories that they have to offer us. We just have to listen. You know, that's it. We just have to be still for a moment and listen. And all of this knowledge is here for us.

Kristen O'Meara:

All of it. And there's so many creative ways, right? Like Live Oak growing up, growing up on an island off the coast of Georgia, we had so many Live Oaks as you have there, or you are in the Carolinas and man, that's a big tree for me. It's, it's, it's, it was, there was one right outside our front door practically and my brother and I would. Climb on Live Oaks because, you know, they, they branch out so wide. Yeah,

Albatross:

they branch out with their low branches. They're great, like, uh, tree houses. Yeah. You can sit on them and have picnics.

Kristen O'Meara:

So, you know, something that we can all do and something that I've been drawn to do for the last few years is to have pictures of my favorite plants and, and have, you know, like if I see oak leaves on the ground, just bring them inside and, and what do you do to keep inspired? I know you have your garden, but what would you like to do?

Albatross:

Sure, so I have plants all over my house. So, um, I make sure that I bring them in. And then I am really obsessed with windows. With what? With windows. Oh, windows, yes. So I often don't keep my windows closed. I mean, I live in a private space. I live out on a farm, so it's easier for me, I understand, but I make sure that all my windows are open all the time so I can constantly see outside and I can feel like I'm in that space. So that's a really big one for me. I don't ever want to feel confined, so I want to be able to see outside. And then by bringing the plants in, it kind of creates more of an illusion for me that I'm outside. Yeah. Um, so that really brings me joy. Um, I have, it's funny you mention it, but I do have a picture of the maple that was growing up in my childhood backyard that I was, I was really, really attached to. And I actually cried when we moved out. of my childhood home because I knew I would never see this tree again. It, it changed, I mean, it changed my life and it made me who I am. Yeah. That relationship is so important to me. Um, so I go back and I talk to him all the time. It was a maple tree.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh. And I

Albatross:

do have a picture in my, in my office here with it. And anytime that I feel like I've, you know, I've lost my way, or um, that I just need a good like return moment. I go to that tree, I go to that picture, and I just remind myself of of where I came from and how far I've come. And it's a good like, cheer on moment for me. Just to remember that the story is ever unfolding. Um, but yeah, it's a great place to remind you of your roots. So if you need something like that, I highly suggest of a plant that meant something to you. Yes, I love it.

Kristen O'Meara:

So inspiring.

Albatross:

And then, I mean, I'm a little bit of a plant weirdo, but, so I have a whole bunch of dried herbs that I use, and I use them in ritual. Um, I'll offer them an offering on my altar, um, or use them to make a loose incense blend if I'm, I'm getting ready to sit down and do like real spiritual work. So I'll, I'll use that to kind of set my sacred space and to offer to my altar, and then sometimes I'll take those out to the fairies.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh my gosh. We need to have a separate episode just for the, the deGrom,

Albatross:

I just put a, uh, fairy door in my garden. Oh. And I'm really excited. Oh, I love it. And I, I left them all sorts of things. I left them bread and flowers and some alcohol, and I'm, I'm really hoping that maybe we can attract a brownie or something to our home.

Kristen O'Meara:

Oh, I just love it. And for, can you give us a little, before we close, can you just tell us a little bit about, about the Devik Realm? Because I think it's very important. I feel like we need to mention this aspect of, of being with and working with plants.

Albatross:

Sure. Um, so the. fairies or the, the Devik realm, um, they're very much entwined with our plant brothers and sisters. So they, they use them as homes most often. And we see that specifically with Hawthorne trees, but they're really everywhere and they create little burrows and homes and bushes and trees. So whenever you're approaching a plant, it's always really kind to also acknowledge the fact that you might be approaching a home for a fairy. And just being mindful that you might be in somebody's backyard. I think that's like my biggest takeaway for working with fairies, um, because if you offend them, it might not be so great. Um, and we're not all hawthorn trees who have great connections with them. What kind of I'm telling you my

Kristen O'Meara:

story of, um, seeing a gnome, a garden gnome, uh, a smaller looking man. Um, this was, gosh, this was probably about 10 years ago and I was not quite in the space of, asking for permission before moving plants. Um, so, yeah. You know, asking for permission before I cut plants, I was still early on in my development. This was probably 10 or 12 years ago. And I was transplanting or moving some plants around and he was very, he popped in. Several times. It was very insistent on me leaving certain plants and me, you know, planting more roses and doing certain things. And he was in my life for, I would say for a good summer. And then I didn't see him very often, but I felt him. And he taught me so much about plants and about respect and about, cause I knew intellectually, sure. They're a living being. He But I, I wasn't getting, you know, my part in it, my physical part in it. Um, so yeah, it was a big lesson for me.

Albatross:

They, they can be really great allies if you can kind of connect with them like you have. Um, I haven't had that privilege yet. My, my husband has seen them. He, he, um. He actually saw a gnome underneath one of the oak trees that we have next to us. It was actually his grandparent's house. Oh. So there is a gnome that lives there. Um, so he goes and he, he's able to talk to him, but he's more of like a protector of that space and of that oak tree. Um, but yeah, it's, it's just, it's really important to be mindful that we are not the only ones. There are other spirits and, um, inhabitants here that we share space with, and if you're going to start working with plants, you know, if that's something that you're wanting to do, you know, gratitude, I said, is a great place to start, but also mindfulness and, and asking permission. No. Can I, is this okay? And, and some people ask, like, how will I know, like, if it is okay, right? Unable to see a fairy or a spirit to communicate with it, how do I know? And you can kind of just feel it, you know, your intuition will tell you. It will be a very strong yes or no. So it's not anything that's kind of left to ambiguity. You can really truly feel it.

Kristen O'Meara:

It's a, it's a clairsentience experience. Like when I go out dandelion picking, um, for Ruby, our tortoise, who loves dandelions, I ask, and I get no's a lot. I do too. I get one, like one flower here, and then I keep going. And luckily we have a huge field, um, that I can do this, but I get a lot of no's. Yeah,

Albatross:

I do too. And, and I'm grateful for that because if I didn't have that guidance, I feel like though I try to be mindful of sustainability and I try to be mindful of how I'm interacting in that space. Sometimes, on a different level, you don't quite know what that ecosystem is looking like. So, that having that intuition, and just having a moment and asking. Like, I can look at a field, and if there's one flower, yeah, obviously I know not to pick that flower, right? So I'm not gonna just, if there's one, I'm not gonna do it. But, and that's on my visual level, but if there's more than them, I might be inclined to say, okay, I could take, you know, two or three or, or five, depending on what it looks like, but then the other ones might not have great root systems, or they might have bugs who are eating them. So it's always having that mindful check in with that ecosystem, with that space, with the Devic realm. Now in saying, you know, can I take this? That's a good precautionary step.

Kristen O'Meara:

It's good manners.

Albatross:

Yeah, very good manners. Just be polite.

Kristen O'Meara:

Yeah, just be polite. I just love that. Well, I want to have folks know a little bit about your website. Can you, can you briefly explain? I know you've mentioned some of the services, but I love how you've categorized them into different phases of the moon. Is that right?

Albatross:

Yes. Um, so on my website, all of my. Products that you'll find are listed under different phases of the moon for the different eight energies that are associated with that moon phase. So we have the full moon and the new moon, which people are used to seeing. But then you'll also see listed the vanishing moon, and that's our waning moon. And then you'll see the waking moon, which is what I call our, um, waxing moon. So it's waking up, it's getting larger. And in my practice, those are the terms that I use just because it's very folk in nature. So I can understand. what the visual is that is happening with the moon. But each of those phases has a different energy and a different element, a different energetic body that's associated with it. So I have organized all of my products into those energies so that you can easily navigate to the energy that will work for you in the situation that you're looking, um, to enhance. So it be it spiritual work or in yourself, if you know that you're a water element, you can go right to the new moon. Or if you know you're a fire element, you can go to the full moon. Or if you're looking to add that element to your work, you can go there. So I've kind of categorized everything so it's easy to find for your intention.

Kristen O'Meara:

And when you have a session like I had with you, you were, uh, guiding me to know, but I, I believe my, um, was waking the waking room

Albatross:

to

Kristen O'Meara:

understand. And that really brought another layer to. To the work and to the medicine.

Albatross:

So I I'll let everybody know where they are, but, um, if you haven't had a session with me and you don't know, you can still kind of navigate to using your own intuition and knowing the element and what you want to add.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love it. Well, you're offering us so much, so much to reconnect with ourselves, to the earth, to all of our brothers and sisters, like you said, um, to That are around us, not just the plants and animals, but there's a lot of life like we were talking about with the Devon ground. There's a lot of life that we don't necessarily, we may feel it but we may not see it. So, I really appreciate all that you're giving us.

Albatross:

Yeah, thank you. It's brought so much to my life to share my gift and way of being able to interact, and it just means the world to me that I'm able to help people. And bring them some peace. So,

Kristen O'Meara:

well, you've helped me and I encourage everyone who is listening to, to meet you, to reach out to you and to learn about what you have to offer.

Albatross:

You can go to my website, which is www. featherbeapothecary. com. Um, or you can follow me on Instagram, which is at featherbeapothecary. Um, both of those sites I'm really active on. So you'll be able to reach out to me. On my website, I just launched a new free ebook on self care and balance and some of the plant allies that you can use to bring a little bit more self care and balance into your life. So that's something that you can find on my website as a free download resource if you're looking to get started.

Kristen O'Meara:

I love that. Well, I'll link everything in the show notes. I'll make sure that that I let everyone know about the ebook and that's a very generous offering from you and I'm just very happy to see your face. Yes. And I'm so glad that you came to join us and yes, for everyone who's listening, have a wonderful week and much love. Take care.