After Bach developed the original 12 remedies he went on to creating a second set collectively known as ‘The Seven Helpers’. The Seven Helpers differ from the 12 Healers in that they are used for issues related to life responses and resonance with life. They treat states of mind that have become more persistent almost to the point where the negative states become seemingly inseparable from personal expression.

Some correlations can be made between some of the 12 Healers and 7 Helpers, such as gorse/gentian. Both deal with areas of despair and hopelessness. Vine/vervain both deal with strong energy in the personality such as dominance and dogmatism. While these two pairs of essences share similar signatures, the other 5 remedies function separately and offer unique energies for balancing the personality.

Wild Oat-(bromus ramosus)

This essence deals with purposeful directed action, in regards to vocation and life direction. It helps us to find our true calling by showing us how we can serve the world. It works to align the will with spiritual purpose, it is about finding the thing that comes natural to us, what we do effortlessly. Wild oat is useful when we feel unfulfilled and dissatisfied by our job. It helps us shift frustration in a way that frees up the energy tied within it making this energy available for change.

Rock Water (solarized spring water)

Rock water is the essence of all essences it is solarized spring water from the spring that all the Bach essences are made with. ‘Rock Water’ is a Celtic term for the water flowing from the earth, they recognized that fresh living spring water has potent healing qualities. Dr. Bach also recognized the healing properties of living spring water and felt it was the ideal base for flower essences. To prepare Rock Water a bowl of freshly drawn spring water is set to charge in the sun. This solarization of naked water, water that has been swimming in the womb of the earth and is birthed to the light carries the qualities of flexibility and greater ease.

Vine (vitis vinifera)

Vine is one of the two essences that was made outside of England, vine was prepared in Italy by a friend of Dr. Bach’s. Dr. Bach gave full instructions for the preparation and it was sent to him for research and testing. Upon testing Bach noted that Vine helps the strong/dominant leader access their Higher Self. This access with higher self serves to temper the ego and selfish tendencies. This fosters more self less service helping the leader to go beyond ego identification.

Olive (Olea Europaea)

Olive is the other remedy that was prepared outside of England, it was also prepared in Italy by a friend of Dr. Bach. Those needing olive essence have gone through a period of physical struggle and now are experiencing a period deep exhaustion. This period of exhaustion allows the person to access their soul and realize there are forces beyond the body that serve to support the energy and health of the person. Olive essence helps to build the vital forces of the body and aid in rest and recuperation.

Heather (Calluna Vulgaris)

This remedy supports tranquility of the mind and emotions. The delicate pink flowers help one to access inner quite and use this space as food for the emotions. The person needing this remedy may not even know it, as one main characteristic is self absorbtion. Being so self absorbed they feel a need to always talk about their problems and when in conversation they turn the conversation back to themselves. This essence helps such people access the space within themselves where they can find the inner quite which fosters more balanced emotional self sufficiency.

Gorse (Ulex Europaeus)

Gorse has some similarities with Gentian, as they both work to treat discouragement doubt. Gorse deals with a more persistent doubt one that sets in when a person has been dealing with an illness for a long period of time and resigns themselves giving up hope. This essence fosters greater optimism and trust in a positive outcome and is of great benefit to those suffering from debilitating conditions or diseases.

Proceeding past procrastination.

Inertia is a great force a condensed energy, that keeps our plant spinning and all the elements of the solar system moving in their prescribed ways. Inertia is manifest in our bodies in a number of ways, the flow of fluids in our bodies for example proceed along their routes through blood vessels, arteries and chambers. This constant movement serves to keep the organism functioning in way that maintains overall health.

There is another type of inertia that exists in the human body, this though relates more to feelings and states of mind. There are times when the inertia of certain thoughts and feelings stymie our overall health and well being. Whether this be dwelling upon the less uplifting events or feelings we have experienced. Or feeling stuck in our ability to translate thoughts/emotions into action. When these ‘ruts’ get lodged in our consciousness and we feel them holding us back, inertia ceases to become our ally.

There are a few essences we can use to shift this type of unhealthy inertia and reconnect with passion and positive forward evolution. The three I will talk about today are blackberry, cayenne and larch. They address different qualities of the way inertia can manifest in our personal experience. The two areas they address are the mind and the emotions.

Blackberry: This is a powerful bush full of thorns and tasty fruits left unchecked this plant will literally dominate the area where it grows. Its power to proliferate is a testament to the qualities of the essence. Blackberry assists one to take ideas and put them into concrete action, this assistance is made by helping one to contact the will forces necessary for action.

When sluggishness dominates the mind and frustrations take hold blackberry will assist to transform these elements. It helps by forging a greater connection to the will, the internal power we use to project thoughts, ideas and goals. By assisting to bridge thoughts to will and will to external action movement is created, conscious movement towards a reality we desire.

Cayenne: This flower essence deals more with stagnation in growth/soul evolution. There are times in life when we reach certain plateau. These plateaus allow us moments of reflection before we move on to the next stage in our evolution. But there are times when we get stuck at these platues and just seem to idle on. This comfortable feeling may even start to express its self as resistance to growth. Or we may have just a general resistance to growth based on faulty conditioning.

Cayenne can be used at these times to breakthrough our own internal resistance to change. The action of this essence serves to ignite the emotions helping us use these powerful energies to move us forward in our soul evolution. Cayenne works through ignition of the fiery forces within us. This force helps to unite the body and soul, which helps us to forge a greater connection with life and overcome inertia.

Larch: Larch is a type of conifer tree, being a tree larch conveys the energy of confidence standing in our own power. Larch is a useful essence, when inertia centers around feeling related to our self esteem. States of low self esteem hold us back from life in many ways for example we may not apply for a job which we are qualified for.

Larch helps us to access states of confidence and/or renew flagging states of confidence. It increases our belief in ourselves, which serves to spark creativity and action. It also helps us to recilibrate what success means, so we are acting from our own definition and not from the definition of forces outside of use. Which interestingly enough may be the cause of our esteem issues in the first place.

All three essences serve a similar structure/function yet they deal with the challenges of motivation in different ways. There are many other essences which could have been listed here and will be featured in future posts. The immedieate action of the essences listed above is why they were choosen. They can be used alone or together, for immediate action it is suggested to use the essence at stock level 2 drops 3 times a day for a week. For more long term use it is suggested to make a dosage bottle and use that for 3-4 weeks.

Is there sensory capabilities that extend beyond the mind? I am sure we all have heard about seeing with the heart but what does that mean? The heart is a muscle and according to western occult sciences the heart is our actual solar center. Behind the heart is a nerve complex known as the cardiac ganglion which is connected to the sympathetic nervous system. A ganglion is a clump of nerve cells located outside of the brain, these clumps exist in other areas of the body. Totaled up the human body has more nerve cells outside of the brain than in the brain. So this idea that the brain is our main perception organ may not be entirely accurate.

So what does this mean? For one it is evidence that we have the ability to use different areas of the body to perceive with. There is a common phrase referring to that familiar sensation we experience in the stomach when things just ain’t right, the gut feeling. This is perceiving without the mind and reflects our ability to sense and perceive with the body. This is very basic stuff here our brain is only one of many ‘organs of perception’.

Our society values the brain and its decision making capabilities , it is an amazing organ that we can’t do without. But maybe we don’t need to do so much with it or use it as our sole organ of perception. We’ve done this neat thing with the brain and perception we create our reality. We started doing it so long ago that we don’t even know we are doing it. We do it partly through filters which serve to filter and categorize the perceptions we receive. These filters are related to our beliefs and values. But these beliefs and values maybe only remnants of what we learned from an early age and have nothing to do with us now. We pick them up as we go along and we cherish them because that is our proof in a sense, our proof that our perceptions of the world are ‘right’.

Pick any of the limiting beliefs you have and observe how you prove them to yourself daily. This whole belief/perception structure is great it is integral in creating our reality but there are times when they may fail us. Fail us in the sense of placing limits upon something truly unlimited, perception. But we need structure you may say and I agree, without structure and limits things won’t grow. So all these limits have helped us immensely in getting to where we are now.

But where we are now may not be where we want to be . . . so maybe we need to discard some old beliefs in exchange for some new ones. This is where getting in touch with greater perceptions of the body becomes useful. Learning to shift sensory perception from the mind to the heart is a powerful exercise that opens one up to new vistas. It takes practice and you can do it at any time. Place your attention on your heart and feel how it looks to see from this new perspective. You may feel immense comfort or relaxation flow through you, it also gives your mind a rest. This simple action serves to put us back into our bodies, to function more as whole body being.

This piece was inspired by my recent use of the foxglove flower essence from Blossem Remedies of Holland. Foxglove-digitalis purpurea, contains a glycoside (sugar) that is used by the pharmaceutical industry to treat heart issues. Its use as a heart medicine dates back to the days of ‘witches’ and folk herbalism. As a flower remedy it is for ‘going beyond thinking’. “It eases the mental process so you are able to contact your heart again. Helps you let go of thinking structures and patterns of how we think we should behave. . . . Foxglove opens you step by step to higher realms beyond thinking.” I am finding coming out of the mind to access information is easy yet seems unfamiliar because it goes against all that I was taught.

Yet the more I do it the more I learn to accept the value of insights gained from the heart and higher realms. I am learning to value it as one might value a key that unlocks many doors leading to lands and frontiers we never thought we could perceive.

Dr. Edward Bach revolutionized the world of health and healing with the creation of flower remedies. One of the major contributions he made with his keen observation was the correlation of the personality to states of dis-ease and disharmony. While working with patients Dr. Bach noticed that the same personality types suffered the same afflictions. And, he explored using the personality as a guide to health. He was able with the help of flower essences to assist his patients restore health and a positive outlook. By helping patients heal their fears, tensions, worries and anxities Dr. Bach noticed their physical health also improved.

Our personality is malleable and constantly develops throughout all of life’s stages. The beginning stages of personality development happen while we are young and is influenced by our parents, teachers, peers and society. While young we receive impressions and instructions on what is appropriate behavior and ways of being, they are fed to us and accepted as true. The rules of engagement we learn about life may not always be true for us. Yet as a child we lack the experience and perspective to appropriately determine the judgment of of others.

The system Dr. Bach developed is aimed at aligning the personality with the truth of who we are. In short it is aimed at whole body health, clearing traumas and getting in touch with the truth of who we are.

The Bach Remedy System is neatly broken down into 3 parts which follow chronologically the order in which the remedies were discovered. The first twelve are known as The Twelve Healers which are soul type/archetypal remedies that deal with broad themes such as courage, enthusiasm, compassion, wisdom and balance to name a few.

The ‘Key Words’ used are general headings which the remedies treat and the themes are areas of the personality these remedies will help to develop. “Use for’ referrers to areas of personality imbalance that the remedies correct. Keep in mind these are general descriptions and serve as a simple guide to beginning to understand the remedies.

The Twelve Healers

Mimulus- (mimulus guttatus) Key Word: Fearlessness

Themes: confidence, bravery, security Use for: fear of known things, shyness, timidity

Impatiens- (impatiens glandulifera) Key Word: Compassion

Themes: patience, tolerance, harmonious relationship with time Use for: impatience, developing tolerance, irritablity

Agrimony-(agrimonia eupatoria) Key Word: Truth

Themes: honesty, authentic humor, openness Use for: masked emotions/inner pain, escapism via drugs/alchol

Clematis-(clamatis vitalba) Key Word: Integration

Themes: vision, awareness, present in the body Use for: dreaminess, withdraw, ungrounded awareness

Centaury -(centaurium erythaea) Key Word: Dignity

Themes: boundaries, self esteem, self reliance Use for: weak personality, being used, servant, taken advantage of

Cerato-(ceratostigma willmottiana) Key Word: Instinct/Knowledge

Themes: trust of self, discernment, decisive Use for: discretion, trust of self wisdom, easily influenced

Gentian -(gentiana amarella) Key Word: Hope

Themes: faith, trust in positive outcome, positive outlook Use for: doubt, pessimism, depression, despair, hopelessness

Chicory-(chicorium intybus) Key Word: Love

Themes: fulfillment, radiant love, unconditional love Use for: possessive, heart ache, manipulative behavior

Vervain- (verbena officianalis) Key Word: Passion

Themes: enthusiasm, optimism, dynamic Use for: overly stressed, type A, high strung, righteously indignant

Scleranthus -(scleranthus annuus) Key Word: Decisive

Themes: decisiveness, balance, stable Use for: indecisiveness, mood swings, trust in decision making

Rock Rose - (helianthemum nummularium) Key Word: Assurance

Themes: calm strength, emotional steadiness Use for: panic, stuck emotions of terror

Water Violet -(hottonia palustris) Key Word: Unity

Themes: gracefulness, quite, integration with group Use for: feelings of loneliness, isolation, pride, superiority

The Language of Plants, Flowers and Doctrine of Signature.

The whole world is speaking to us constantly, in a language beyond words, the world is speaking to us through gestures. By observing the gestures of plants their growing habitat, flower color and the plants climatic temperament and growing range, we can glean a fair amount of pertinent information. This information can be very useful when researching a flower remedy.

On a vibrational level Walnut flower essence is used when we are making major changes in our lives. Moving, changing jobs, partners etc, walnut flower essences assists us in making a clean break from the past. This means once the change has been made you feel unencumbered by the past and can move forward without regret or attachment to things gone by. This differs from honeysuckle which useful when we are seeking to live in the in the good ol’ days. Walnut flower essence is indicated for times when we want to or have taken take great steps forward and may feel some tugging from the past.

 The walnut ‘mother’ tree secretes a chemical which prevents the growth of other walnuts from sprouting up around it.  This prevents other walnut trees from rooting and growing near the mother.  The walnut is encased in a pericap. This coating protects the nut inside and when it matures and drops the sponge like pericap allows the nut to bounce and roll from the mother. In a sense the baby walnut is free to follow their own journey and grow independently and stand alone.

This signature of walnut tells us much about how the essences helps us to free our minds from the past and move forward with confidence. The walnut has two halves and the nut has distinct folds and crevices similar to the human brain.   This essence helps make big changes in our conscious mind which can lead us forward as we grow and change. This psychological independence is necessary for our growth and development as into our true selves.

Dr. Bachs life is a prime example of the positive walnut state. He left behind London, a lucrative medical practice and a world that was familiar to him to pursue something new.  His freedom of mind and spirit led to a new paradigm of healing. This new paradigm of treating the personality is revolutionary in its approach and effectiveness. In the spirit of walnut, may we all be free to pursue our destiny and fulfill our purpose.

Use walnut flower essence when paving new ground and leaving behind old conventions, limitations, restrictions, places and relationships.

Large Format Easy To Understand Excellent Reference

In this easy to use reference guide, Mechthild takes us through each remedy individually offering keen insights on the positive potential of each flower. She clearly explains each plants range of use and healing potential.

Ms. Sheffer brings a wealth of knowledge to the topic gleaned from years as a therapist and head of the Swiss and German Bach Flower Therapy Research and Education centers. This type of hands on experience makes her highly qualified to expand on Bach’s work. The reader is led through Bach’s vision and philosophy, then goes on to explain in clear terms how the remedies work on a soul level. She provides diagrams and examples to illustrate and convey her points.

It contains full color photographs and tag lines for each flower followed by two full pages of how the flower works with the personality. She conclude each definition with a table of “Behavior Patterns in the Blocked State” and “Key Symptoms”.

For example:
Agrimony: The Honesty Flower From Pretend Harmony to Inner Peace

Key Symptoms: attempts are made to conceal disturbing thoughts and inner restlessness behind a cheerful face and a life free of worry.

Behavior Patterns in the Blocked State: (the book contains a list of up to 20 for each flower)
You try to please all the people all the time, you look through rose colored glasses, you want to live in an ideal world so you intentionally ignore flaws in a partner.

Positive Potential:
You are able to deal with both positive and negative situations and grow from them

At the end of the book the reader will find a table to use when trying to decide between two remedies. This easy to use tool is brought to life by featuring kirilian photographs of the energy signature of each flower.

This book is a great addition to any reference library, for the beginner or advanced student alike