Flower essences are delicate extracts that are used to heal emotional and mind/body health problems. Using flowers for healing has been used by many cultures around the world. Dr. Edward Bach, a British physician, developed a system in the 1930’s using energetically charged flower essences for specific emotional and spiritual imbalances. He studied medicine at the University College hospital in London, England, and was a house surgeon there. Despite the success of his work in orthodox medicine, he became dissatisfied with the way doctors were expected to concentrate on disease and ignore the people who were suffering the illnesses. Dr. Bach moved to Mt. Vernon in Oxford shire, and it was in the lanes and fields of nature where he discovered and experimented with remedies which later became known as Dr. Bach’s flower remedies.
Because of his belief that emotions are the cause of physical illness, his treatment strategy concentrated on treating people for their emotional problems. According to his clinical trials, patients became physically well after achieving proper emotional health. After long research and hard work, he found 38 flowering plants and trees in England that caused healing of the underlying cause of the disease. He outlined seven main moods, which are the roots of all the diseases as they prevent us from being true to ourselves:
- Fear
- Uncertainty
- Insufficient interest in present circumstances
- Loneliness
- Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas
- Despondency or despair
- Over-care for the welfare of others
As there are seven moods that interfere with our health, so in his words: “there are seven beautiful stages in the healing of the disease:”
- Peace 5. Certainty
- Hope 6. Wisdom
- Joy 7. Love
- Faith
Dr. Bach stated: “Our fears, anxieties, greed, suppressed emotion, likes and dislikes, are initial causes of all diseases. Disease is in reality, for our own good, and is beneficent, in that it draws our attention to the need to listen to our true selves. The Flower Essenes return us to our own path, not by attacking the disease, but by flooding our bodies with higher vibrations from the plants, “in the presence of which disease melts as snow in the sunshine”. Here is the list of the 38 healers and the simplest symptom associated with their proper administration:
- Agrimony – mental torture behind a cheerful face
- Aspen – fear of unknown things
- Beech – intolerance
- Centaury – inability to say “no”
- Cerato – lack of trust in ones own decision
- Cherry Plum – fear of the mind giving way
- Chestnut Bud- failure to learn from mistakes
- Chicory – selfish, possessive love
- Clematis – dreaming of the future without working in the present
- Crab Apple – self hatred
- Elm – overwhelmed by responsibility
- Gentian – discouragement after a set-back
- Gorse – hopelessness and despair
- Heather – self-centeredness and self concern
- Holly – hatred, envy, jealousy
- Honeysuckle – living in the past
- Hornbeam – procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something
- Impatiens – impatience
- Larch – lack of confidence and self esteem
- Mimulus – fear of known things
- Mustard – deep gloom for no reason
- Oak – the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
- Olive – exhaustion following mental or physical effort
- Pine – guilt
- Red Chestnut – over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
- Rock Rose – terror and fright
- Rock Water – self denial, rigidity, and self-repression
- Scleranthus – inability to choose between alternatives
- Star of Bethlehem – shock
- Sweet Chestnut – extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left
- Vervain – over-enthusiasm
- Vine – dominance and inflexibility
- Walnut – protection from change and unwanted influences
- Water Violet – pride and aloofness
- White Chestnut – unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
- Wild Oat – uncertainty over one’s direction in life
- Wild Rose – drifting, resignation, apathy
- Willow – self-pity and resentment
Bach suggested using either single remedies, or up 5 flowers together in a treatment bottle. His preference was 1, 3 or 5 (but not more) flowers in a remedy. I have the complete set of flower essences and can therefore make any combination. One of the beauties of this type of medicine, is that it will not interefere with any western medicine medications. The remedy IS made with some brandy, and though this can be limited, it cannot be completely eliminated.
Bach made only one composite remedy and called it “Rescue remedy”. It is for any mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual trauma, shock or anguish. It is VERY useful indeed, whether the emotions are mild or extreme, experienced recently, or years ago. The more severe the distress, the MORE you are likely to notice the effect of the remedy. This remedy is SO useful, whether for humans, dogs, cats, horses or plants, I suggest we all keep some in our “medicine cabinets”. Unfortunately, the form sold in Canada is a homeopathically prepared formulation, which is not how Bach actually made it. Many feel the original flower essence form to be more effective. This is the form I use. When I make Bach’s 5 flower composite I cannot legally call it “rescue remedy” as currently a company called Bach/Karoch has bought the rights to that name. They are the only ones selling ‘rescue remedy” which is a the homeopathically prepared version. I simply label it as Bach’s 5 flower formula (the mother tincture is made by FES).
