If you have ever been interested in, or tried plant essences, you may have started your exploration with the Bach Flower Remedies developed in the 1930’s by the English homeopath, Edward Bach. Because of the lack of historical evidence, it is often concluded that Bach “invented” the concept that a flower could heal through its essence, but in fact, essences have been used in spiritual practices in Tantric traditions in Tibet and India, and by the Native Americans for thousands of years. Unfortunately, most of the precious documentation for essence formulations from Tibet was destroyed, while the Native Americans shared their ritualistic practices with plants through storytelling and metaphor.
Healing the energetic aspects of your totality
Just as you can make an oil of lavender through pressings of the blossoms for your bath, or a tea of the dried flowers of chamomile to sooth your nerves, on another octave altogether, you can make an essence of a flower to address the more subtle aspects of your energetic totality. Most of us are now aware that we are much more than just our physicality. in fact some researchers now say that we are 99% energy and 1% physical body. One of the mistakes that we make in the western world, in terms of our healing, is to think that we can address just the physical part of the body. but the issue originated on an energetic level first and then manifested as a “dis”ease or imbalance on the physical level. it makes sense to address the problem on the energetic level to entirely clear the energetic totality of the problem.
In the energetic totality, sometimes called the aura, clairvoyants can “see” the negative patterns of “dis”ease, which are called “samskaras” (translated as ‘scars’ in Sanskrit). amazingly, flower essences can ‘clear’ the energy field of those negative imprints or patterns resulting in healing that encompasses all of the subtle layers of our being, which include not only the physical, but also the emotional, mental, spiritual, soul, and co-creative aspects of ourselves.
Uses of plant essences for body, mind and soul
Plant essences have as many uses as there are plants. Many of the remedies treat the more subtle aspects of the body, mind and soul. For example, there are flower essences that address the physical level by giving energetic support to the functions of the organs or by increasing the vitality of the bones, or by aligning the vertebral column and detoxifying the body.
On the emotional level, one can learn to contain the energy of emotions, rather than dissipating it through the roller coaster of ups and downs that many of us experience. a broken heart can be healed through the wisdom imprints held in the plants. if you tend to be highly empathetic and feel or even take on the problems of others, there are essences that teach you inwardly to establish healthy boundaries. if you find yourself apt to get drawn into dramas that continually push your buttons and leave you exhausted, there are essences to help you to be compassionate, but also much more detached.
“Flower essences can assist us with a meditation practice or to hold an inner still point.”
On the mental level, you can benefit through essences that increase focus and concentration and help you to maintain an inner calmness and tranquility, no matter what is going on around you. there are flowers that help you to become more contemplative and to give revelations and insights. You can improve your memory and clear the mind of incessant chatter. Flower essences can assist us with a meditation practice or to hold an inner still point.
On a spiritual level, there are a myriad of benefits. First and foremost, there are plants that assist with our ability to connect to the God of our understanding. When it comes right down to it, one of the most important things you can do is to be able to hear your inner voice. if you cannot hear that inner voice, you may be in a constant state of indecision. if you metaphorically liken the GPS system for your car to your ability to connect with your higher inner voice, you can see that the connection is very important. if you miss a turn, you can become lost; and if you don’t “hear” a step in your higher guidance, you also can be quite lost and unsure of your direction in life.
“Plant essences have as many uses as there are plants. Many of the remedies treat the more subtle aspects of the body, mind and soul.”
Secondly, the flower essences can raise your resonance so that your energy field is able to “raise its antenna.” it is well known that there are seven chakras hovering energetically in a vertical column, but what our current understanding is expanding to is an awareness of thirteen additional chakras stacked outside of the physical body that allow you to be able to access different dimensions. as you learn to reach these levels or frequencies, you will be able to co-create with other dimensional realms to bring co-creative ideas into manifestation through channeling or “downloading”. For example, if you are an artist, you can receive inspiration from a higher realm of angelic healing and paint a picture that communicates a feeling of healing and even spiritual revelation to those that are a witness to it.
How plant essences work
As we have learned, the essence of a plant has energetic effects at a much higher or comprehensive level and often has very different therapeutic effects. to “capture” the plant essence, nothing physical is transferred to the solution. The actual essence is the electromagnetic pattern of the plant flower, and it holds the wisdom for the correction. Just as nutritional elements found in plants are useful for the health of the physical body, so are there patterns of bio-magnetic energies discharged by flowers on frequency levels for the health of various energetic layers of your body’s energy system.
If you were to take a Kirlian photograph during the process of extracting flower essences into a bowl of purified water, you would see a mist-like imprint of the flower with small trails of light moving into the water. in this process, you are working with the life force or etheric imprint of the plant.
Once a plant essence touches the tongue it intermingles in a complex way with our physical and energetic systems. according to Gurudas in his book Flower Essences and Vibrational Healing, the remedy almost instantly settles “midway between the circulatory and nervous systems. The two systems contain quartz-like properties and an electromagnetic current, especially enhanced in individuals that have been consciously working to improve the energetic flows in their life force fields. The essence moves into that current of the energy meridians. The meridians are the interface or doorway between the physical and ethereal properties of the body and the essences can either move immediately into some aspect of cellular activity in the physical body, or move to the subtle bodies or the chakra system.”
Plants use subtle body language or “Plant Signatures” to communicate their healing properties
How plants communicate their healing abilities to us has been a question that has fascinated herbalists and scientists for centuries. it is known that a plant can be “read” much as a person might be read. a face burdened with frown wrinkles around the mouth and eyes is probably an indication that this person would have been unhappy a good deal of the time. a plant also communicates its information through various signs, a theory that is known as the “doctrine of signatures.” a renaissance doctor known as Paracelsus popularized the “doctrine of signatures” through his widespread healing activities.
The “Doctrine of Signatures” can be demonstrated through the following examples.
In the case of bloodroot, the blossoms are ivory white, representing purity and the roots ooze a dark red liquid that looks exactly like blood that metaphorically represents our bloodlines. the stem between the flower and the roots is a vivid orange and this color is known to signify healing. bloodroot’s gift is for purification and healing of our bloodlines. in every family, there is a tendency to repeat certain harmful patterns from generation to generation. bloodroot purifies and clears those negative patterns that are repeated from generation to generation and helps us to find the positive aspects of our genetic heritage, rather than focusing on the negative features.
It should come as no surprise that common thistle is for protection and for establishing healthy boundaries. this flower is well known for helping to shield you from the mundane responsibilities that are keeping you from fulfilling your deepest spiritual desires. thistle helps you to see how to use your energies wisely and protects you from escapism and other endeavors that are no longer serving your soul’s purpose. the purple rays emerging triumphantly out of the top of the thorn covered “protective sphere” signify overcoming outside forces and blossoming into your full potential.
Elizabeth Patric is a plant essence therapist, astral biologist and spiritual healer. She is the author of Flowerspeak: The Flower Whisperer’s Guide to Health, Happiness, and Awakening. She has created collections of plant essences and does auric readings to determine how the essences of plants can help you to heal and bloom into your full potential. Elizabeth has been administering remote healings since 1997. www.spiritwatergardens.com
