One bright summer morning, the stand of "Susans" in the garden yelled at me to get my essence making kit out. This is one of the most powerful remedies I commonly use. To be on the safe side, I generally warn clients when I include it in their formulas. It's for bringing up "shadow elements" of the psyche into conscious awareness, all that stuff in your psychic closet you'd rather ignore, had forgotten, or never even knew was there. The flower is the "signature" of this process, as the bright yellow petals draw you toward the dark center within the flower. Needless to say, some people find the revelations upsetting if they occur too quickly. The energetics of this essence are somewhat subtle, but is has an affinity for the third eye, intensifying your awareness and mental clarity. It stimulates your insight into your deeper nature. Like the bossy flowers in the garden, the power of this essence should be respected.
As the common name and the shape of the flower suggest, this remedy is good for a broken heart. When one is grieving due to the breakup of a close relationship or the death of someone near, Bleeding Heart helps one go through the grief process and release all the feelings of hurt and loneliness. However, as I found the second time I made this remedy, it's also good for "heart pains" not related to old relationships as well. It clears out old hurts, worries and concerns that have been weighing you down for a long time. In this regard, it's more of a general purpose releaser of the emotional heart center, similar to Motherwort. It seems to open up the heart chakra once again, releasing a huge burden from the chest, allowing one to feel emotions and intimacy, to love.
It took us 3 years to capture this essence, since it blooms so early in the spring. By the time we got some good weather, the flowers were always gone. Matt Wood describes the root of this plant as having an affinity for the blood (hence its name), but in Indian traditions, this also implies a certain spiritual attitude. The mental profile is of someone who is active and very willful, who uses spiritual powers in an irresponsible manner. This is the "fallen initiate" syndrome, a person who misuses and turns his/her back on higher powers. This misuse of knowledge and power comes across as reckless and overly intense. The aura of this flower was peculiar: it was unmistakably there, but it was perfectly transparent. For 5 feet around the pan, it looked like space just had a different texture, as though it was another world. The energetic feel of this remedy when taken is also remarkable. It really jolts the aura into wakefulness and is a potent stimulant of the entire chakra system.
This flower is the American cousin of the Vervain found in the Bach Remedies. Think of Blue Vervain as the big brother of the two. In homeopathy, blue vervain (Verbana Hastata) is used to treat mental exhaustion, depression, as well as nervous irritation and spasm (even epilepsy). As a flower essence, it is for a personality type that is too intense and driven, even fanatical. This is not only obnoxious to your companions, but it also causes great physical stress on the body and nervous debilitation. These people are so driven by mental ideals that they burn out the body. A characteristic symptom for this remedy is extreme muscular tension at the base of the neck, making it a valuable addition to our essences for the spine. It's a great way to relax when you've been pushing yourself too hard.
I feel Borage mostly through the heart, chest and throat. At first it brings feelings of emotional hurt and timidity to the surface which can sometimes produce sensations of vulnerability. There's a sense of heaviness or soul weariness that is gradually released. In time, this is replaced by the strength and courage to approach life more directly and without feeling defensive. Very helpful when life feels like a trial.
Not too surprisingly, Bridal Wreath seems to work on the heart chakra. It helps deal with the fears and burdens of commitment in relationships. Often past relationships that didn't work out make us wary of opening up to a new person, even if the circumstances are much different. Bridal Wreath lets you drop those worries and say yes to the heart. These fragrant flowers show us how sweet love can be.
The clusters of bright orange flowers in Butterflyweed give off a warm, sunny fire energy. I feel it most distinctly in the lungs and chest, and secondarily in the pelvic area. As an herb, Butterflyweed acts to diffuse stuck energies and fluids from the lungs to the kidneys and skin, and is most helpful after bronchitis or pleurisy (hence its common name "Pleurisy Root"). This same diffusive quality is present in the essence. I was also intrigued by the shape of the individual florets. Each one consists of two rings of five petals, one facing forward and the other reaching backward. It reminded me of those "energy vortex" pictures you see in books about chakras and auras. This pattern is a basic image of how energies flow in and out of the body. Unlike many flowers, which draw energy from above the crown and into the body, Butterflyweed seems to draw earth energy up from the earth, through the body, then towards the head. This contact with earth makes this remedy very grounding and soothing.
The FES Repertory recommends Calendula for those who use words like a weapon. It promotes an awareness of the power of speech to heal or to wound, allowing one to communicate with more warmth and compassion. This plant acts like "liquid sunshine" when one is feeling depressed. It may be effective for the blues due to too much cloudy weather in those affected by such things.
Obviously, with a name like that, this flower is not a native Minnesotan. This little "cup of gold" helps one discover the spiritual truth that all gifts of the spirit are found within, not outside in the world. This is one of our favorite vibrations, as it feels like a gentle breeze blowing through the soul. It's very soothing and calming, yet a subtle pick-me-up.
I had the chance to tune into this flower long before I made an essence from it. Like Snapdragon, it has a strong affinity for the throat and the 5th chakra. In particular, if there's a sense that the throat is swollen shut or closed off, giving a suffocating feeling, Columbine should be considered. It loosens the muscles in the throat, especially the voice box, releasing tension in the neck, cervical spine, and around the mouth. It helps to "free up the words" when something is not expressed openly.
The energetic sensation of Comfrey essence is quite remarkable. I've gotten used to the feeling of "layers" in the aura extending out from the body, but with Comfrey, the layers seem to go inward, ultimately enclosing the brain and spinal cord and even the energy channels within the spine. Gurudas recommends this one for people with injuries or trauma to the nervous system, as it helps the nerves reroute their signals around the injured area. The body sensations at this deep level of the nervous system and craniosacral system are often very spiritual, reflecting the deepest nature of the person. I suspect Comfrey would be very useful for people undergoing craniosacral work or other deep energy therapies, as well as any spiritual work that involves "going within".
Also known as Ground Ivy, this common "weed" is a mint plant that spreads or creeps along the ground, putting down tenacious roots and crowding out other plants. The motto for Creeping Charlie is "I belong here!" without the slightest sense of hesitancy or doubt. This essence comes in handy when the person is lacking in self-confidence or assertiveness. It also helps when there's no sense of belonging in a situation, that "I don't deserve to be here." Creeping Charlie lets you stand tall and claim your ground.
The common dandelion makes an essence that is a potent muscle relaxant. It is particularly useful for entrenched muscle tension due to unexpressed emotions that get locked in the body. By gently releasing the emotions, the body naturally relaxes. You can see a "signature" of this releasing process in the plant itself. The long tap root is good at bringing things (minerals or old emotions) up to the surface, while the white "puffball" flowers allow these issues to be dispersed to the winds. It is also very good for sprains when applied directly to the injured area (as well as internally), releasing the body's tendency to tighten up in protection. Not too surprisingly, the aura of Dandelion as the flowers cooked under the sun was bright yellow.