When we feel imbalanced, disconnected, or full of dis-ease, we can often look to the living forces of nature to heal. Flower essences are just one of the many ways that nature provides immense healing. They help address stress and health problems by increasing awareness and releasing mental blocks, transforming emotions, attitudes, and behavioral patterns.
Over the years, I’ve often sought out flower essences to help navigate difficult situations. As I’ve delved into my herbal studies, I’ve deepened my conversations with plants and their healing gifts, learning to trust my intuition with their guidance. I’ve loved making my own flower essences from local plants and have found that there is a certain power that essences hold when made from my surrounding environment.
History: English physician Dr. Edward Bach pioneered a set of flower essences in the 1930s that are still widely used today. He began his medical journey researching vaccines, but found that conventional forms of medical treatment were inadequate due to numerous side-effects, both for people and the environment. Bach then started to collaborate with Samuel Hahnemann, the Father of Homeopathy. Bach firmly believed that Nature held the answer for all forms of dis-ease and continued to refine his homeopathic work. He realized that the subtle vibration of the plant, the essence of the flower, could be captured in a homeopathic-type preparation. He traveled around Wales for many years and selected a total of 39 flower essence remedies, choosing the plants that offered the highest vibratory patterns.
How to Make Flower Essences: I learned how to make flower essences from my teacher, Suzanne Stone of Moon of Hyldemoer Herbals in Belfast, Maine. Make sure the flower is in a wild area without pollution from cars or pesticides. It’s important to get acquainted with any plant you want to work with. You can do this by creating a drawing, smelling, touching, observing the plant. Give blessing and ask permission before harvesting. Flower essences are made by collecting the flower of a plant and infusing in water under the sun or moon. The essence of the plant's gifts are imbued in the water, which is then mixed with brandy to preserve. This 'mother essence' is then diluted a second time to make the 'stock essence' and a third time to make the 'flower essence'. Flower essences provide subtle deep medicine and have profound effects on our whole systems. Embodying the distinct imprint and energetic pattern of each flower, they work on an energetic level, similar to homeopathy, acupuncture, or Reiki. Physically, Flower essence therapy adjusts the electrical circuitry by creating new synapse connections in alignment with the conscious mind. Flower essences can release subconscious, mental and emotional patterns. Spiritually, they can clear a path for the Soul, so that we can become empowered in recognizing our truth, who we are and want to be.
Uses: Although there’s been extensive research on the healing properties of herbs and flower essences, we can also use our intuition and observational skills to see which one may work for us. For example, the gifts of Thyme, Thymus vulgaris, relate to helping our internal rhythm, maybe to speed healing or help us slow down and take our time. The color of the flower also provides indications of its properties. Purple flowers often have calming effects whereas red flowers often relate to action and more physical aspects of life. The ancient system, the Doctrine of Signatures, recognizes a plant’s properties by observing its shape and form. For example, the flower of St. John’s wort, Hypericum Perforatum, looks like a ray of sunshine bursting forth from roadsides and disturbed areas. Their gifts include bringing in the light and easing depression during cold winter months. Yarrow and Dill flowers resemble umbrellas, and both remedies protect the aura and the senses.
Bach’s foundation on Flower Therapy opened the doorway for many practitioners to expand on his research, to understand and develop flower remedies. So, I hope that you will check out my Herbal Products and start to dabble in your own understanding of the essence of healing flowers. Don’t forget to enliven your flower essence by sitting quietly and asking for your specific help or guidance, then gently tap on your palm or heart. Take 1-3 drops under your tongue, in drinking or bath water, on chakra points, or simply hold for support. Generally people take a few drops several times throughout the day, either by schedule or as needed. When a person is “done” with the remedy, they will start to “forget” to use it regularly.