Muse: Hayley Williams

images by Lindsey Byrnes

It gives me peace of mind to know that there are things that grow from the ground that can be helpful remedies and support our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

-Hayley Williams

The first time I met Hayley, she came for a tea ceremony I was hosting at The Abode in East Nashville. I didn’t know who she was when she walked in the door, but I did notice her radiant energy and her effervescence! 

When you sit in ceremony with someone, you can sometimes feel their energy (this is one reason tea ceremony is such a connective experience) and hers was really bright- not blinding, just really magnetic.  When I first listened to Petals for Armor, it became clear that her light shines through her music as well. She has a way of distilling an intricate world of feelings into a single illuminating lyric that loops in the mind and plants it’s magic there.

The intention behind the creation of her bespoke teas was to bring this light, Hayley’s love for her fans and her reverence for the plant world, together. Bloom, a heart opening blend of cinnamon, hibiscus, rose and other sacred herbs promotes self-love. Alibi, an intoxicating chocolate green tea blend with peppermint, offers an escape, a shared sacred moment with a friend.

Steep a cup of Bloom or Alibi and join me in conversation with Hayley Williams.

Me: How would you describe the experience that tea is for you? 

Hayley: In a typical day, not many moments feel mine. Making tea is a quiet, slow process. It’s meditative for me… and it’s all mine.

Me: How does this help you cultivate your life? Bring you peace/ inspiration/ wisdom/ groundedness, etc…?

Hayley: I am really fascinated by apothecaries and the idea of alchemizing plant wisdom. It gives me peace of mind to know that there are things that grow from the ground that can be helpful remedies and supports our physical, mental, and spiritual health. Also, I was told once I should surround myself with flowers as a reminder of the life/death/life cycle. The tea we made together is full of flowers. 

Me: When/ how did you discover tea in this way? 

Hayley: When the pandemic really hit— like, once quarantine was really in effect, I realized how much I was starting to resent my own company and the quiet. In the before times, I’d gone to a few different tea ceremonies where I got to learn about the different ways they are performed in different cultures. I love the slow, drawn out process of each single cup of tea poured. It’s such an exercise in patience and appreciation. It absolutely is meditation. So I decided to start doing my own little tea ceremonies, by myself at home, some time last Spring. It’s helped my mind so much.

Me: Is there any correlation for you between music and tea? 

Hayley: Not really and that’s probably what makes it a healthy routine for me. The rest of my life is made up of music. Writing it, listening to it and consuming it, thinking about it… I think those things are their own forms of therapy but it’s been helpful to find other hobbies and interests that feel creative or satisfying in different ways. 

Me: What is your hope for people as they experience your teas?

Hayley: I’m hopeful that people will be able to feel in their body the reason these ingredients were chosen. We were really intentional about these blends. I hope this can demystify some of the potentially intimidating aspects of “tea culture”. I hope it increases people’s capacity for patience with themselves. I hope it gives people permission to get quiet and treat themselves to something that is ultimately a gift from the ground.