Treasures from a Flower Essence Therapist's Notebook
I started studying flower essences about fifteen years ago. I became interested in them in regards to my own healing. I was amazed how powerful, yet also gentle, they were. Soon I was using them on friends and family. In 1992, I studied with Richard Katz and Patricia Kaminski at Flower Essence Services in Nevada City, California. Through their training program I became a Certified Flower Essence Therapist. Flower Essences are a wonderful complement to my Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology, and in my spiritual direction and counseling work. The information below comes from my experiences in using the essences with my clients.

ZINNIA - OKRA - CUCUMBER - GORSEI call Zinnia "giggle drops". Children love them because they love to giggle and they certainly brighten a child's mood. But giggle drops are also good for adults. They are particularly useful when one needs to develop a sense of humor about a life situation. They are also part of a program I use to lift a depression. They should not be taken for depression by themselves, but you can start out with either Gorse for extreme dispair or Cucumber for mild depression. When the mood begins to lift a bit, take Okra for negative thinking. Once your negativity begins to clear, you are ready for giggle drops.


CORNWhat I love about corn is its very gentle, yet grounding action. Corn is for the integration of the spiritual path with the root, or earth experience. It is a wonderful essence for feeling at home on the earth plane and also for bringing the full spiritual experience into everyday situations. Many people have asked me if eating corn has the same effect as taking the flower essence. The answer is "no." The vegetable corn is physical and has a physical effect on the body, while the flower essence for corn is vibrational and has an effect on the etheric template for the physical level, the emotions and the person's thinking patterns.


CHESTNUT BUD I think of Chestnut Bud (one of the orginal Bach flower essences) as karma busters. It is the essence of choice when you are trying to break any pattern or habit. It could be a behavioral pattern, or a health habit. It could be a particular psychological dynamic that you find yourself in again and again. If it is something that you tend to do repeatedly without thinking, and you really want to break this cycle, this is the essence for you.


HOLLY I think of all the flower essences associated with love and openning the heart, Holly (one of the original Bach flower essences) is probably the strongest. It seems to me that it is the best all-around love essence. You can use it to prepare for a new relationship or to get over the complexes associated with an old one. You can use it to improve your relationship with anyone or anything. My most interesting story regarding Holly involves a senior citizen. I gave her Holly to help her with an upcoming family visit. The next time I saw her, she was wearing hot pink pants and sporting a new 80 year old boyfriend! But the reason I like Holly the most is that it can help anyone become more loving in almost any situation. It is a wonderful essence for raising your love consciousness.


TOMATO and CELERY Tomato (Perelandra Flower Essences) is the essence for cleansing. You can use it whenever you have a cold or infection to further the healing process. You can also use it to help clear toxic substances or even toxic emotions such as anger, guilt, or jealousy from your system. Celery (Perelandra Flower Essences) is an essence that supports the immune system and the natural healing process. Again, you can use it whenever you have an infection, virus or cold to further the recovery process. It works well with both bacterial and viral infections when in conjunction with other homepathic, naturapathic and/or traditional techniques.

This is how I use these essences with my family: When my children would be at the very beginning of a cold or sore throat or stuffy ears, I would have them take the flower essences for tomato and celery twice every hour. I would place 2 drops under their tongues every 30 minutes. I would also let them suck on one low dosage chewable vitamin C per hour. This would coat their throats with Vitamin-C. For younger children and babies, consult your doctor concerning liquid Vitamin C. Depending on the situation, I might also give a dose of decongestant. (See the individual brand for further instructions.) However, most of the time I would prefer homeopathic remedies. There are cold, sore throat and ear homeopathic remedies available at your local health food store. (See the individual brand for further instructions on dosage.) By combining the flower essences with Vitamin-C and either regular decongestant or homeopathic remedies, the sore throat and or stuffy ear would start to clear within four hours. The information provided on flower essences is not to be understood as a medical advice and does not negate the individual's responsibility to seek professional care as needed.


Back