The Practitioner's Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies

The Definitive Guide to All Flower Essences, their Making and Uses

Clare G. Harvey

• Publisher: Singing Dragon
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781848191730
• eBook ISBN: 9780857011268
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

This comprehensive encyclopedia brings together flower essences gathered from all corners of the globe, from Hawaii and the Himalayas to America and the Australian Bush.

It explains what flower remedies are, how they work and how to choose the right remedies for your clients' needs. The properties of 33 families of flower essences and the benefits of over 2,000 remedies, combinations, mists and creams are described. An easy-to-use ailment chart pinpoints remedies for a wide range of physical and psychological conditions, from stress to hormonal imbalance and from allergy to depression. The author provides instructions for prescribing, preparing and using flower remedies alongside illustrative patient case studies.

This will be the definitive handbook for practitioners, therapists and students of complementary and alternative therapies working with flower essences and will be valuable reading for those wanting to learn more about how they can use flower essences in their practice.

PART I

THE POWER OF

FLOWERS

CHAPTER ONE

THE HISTORY OF HEALING FLOWERS

The idea that flowers possess healing powers may seem new and revolutionary. It is, however, a very ancient concept, the origins of which can be traced back into the mists of time. For at least 40,000 years the Aborigines of Australia have been using flowers as part of their natural healing system. In other parts of the world where folk medicine is still alive, the tradition of utilizing flowering plants and their essences to restore wellbeing to body, mind and spirit has continued down the centuries to the present day.

Many of us instinctively turn to flowers to lift our spirits and make us feel better. It is second nature to bring bouquets to those who are sick or ailing. Without floral decorations, festive occasions or religious ceremonies would seem soulless and incomplete.

The task before us is to uncover and rediscover knowledge about the natural world that has existed for aeons.

TALES OF A GOLDEN AGE

Lemuria and Atlantis

Legend has it that flower essences were first used for healing some 500,000 years ago in a mythical place called Lemuria or Mu. Located in an area now covered by the Pacific Ocean, Lemuria was reputedly a veritable ‘garden of Eden’. The land was lush and, thanks to a near-perfect climate, all kinds of exquisite flowering plants flourished.

It is said that the inhabitants of this civilization were gentle, sensitive souls who truly appreciated the beauty of their environment and were content to live close to the Earth. They were also aware of the natural empathy that exists between human and plant life. To them, every plant was special and had its own personality, and some believe these people were ethereal beings who could sense the energy or vibration of all living things. It has been suggested that, to them, all living things including plants appeared as luminous or shimmering objects.

These people realized that the highest concentration of life force in a plant is found in its flowers. Just by being close to a delicate bloom they became aware of its particular healing qualities. The Lemurians were not, however, troubled by physical disease – indeed it is said they lived for around 2000 years. Instead they used flower essences to evolve spiritually, to attain enlightenment.

According to the myth, Lemuria gave way to Atlantis. Those who believe or suspect there was a civilization known as Atlantis think it probably existed between 12,000 and 150,000 years ago. Unlike the Lemurians, the Atlanteans were reputedly not content to live in harmony with nature. They wanted to dominate and manage it to their advantage. As their society became increasingly technologically advanced, stress seeped into their lives bringing with it all kinds of new physical, emotional and mental diseases. At this time, so the legend goes, flower essences were first used as a complete system of medicine.

Ancient Egypt, Crete and India

The ancient Egyptians certainly harnessed the healing powers of flowers; they did, after all, perfect the art of aromatherapy. Within magnificent temples high priests built laboratories where they distilled flowers to obtain aromatic essential oils. These were then blended to create medicinal formulations for treating a wide variety of illnesses. It should be stressed that essential oils are not the same as flower essences, although the Egyptians recognized the therapeutic benefits of both, for they also collected the dew from flowers and exposed it to sunlight to increase its potency.

The Lotus flower, which grew in abundance along the banks of the Nile, was sacred to the Egyptians. In their mythology it was the first living thing to appear on Earth. When its petals unfurled, the supreme god representing intellectual rulership was revealed to them. Its flower essence was used in rituals, as were those of other indigenous plants such as bamboo and papyrus. It has been suggested that the Egyptians imparted thoughts to certain plants, knowing they would reach and help us today.

The Minoans of Crete were another highly cultured people who recognized the healing potential of flowers. They are said to have held rituals devoted to the quest for spiritual understanding during which they would place a splendid flowering plant such as a wild rose in the centre of the ceremonial chamber, and place flowers or sprigs of plants floating in bowls of water around the room. Participants would sip the water or eat the petals to cleanse themselves of any disturbing thoughts or feelings during the ceremony.

At about this time, many miles away in the remote Himalayan mountains, flowers were playing their part in Ayurveda (‘science of life’), an ancient system of natural medicine dating back at least 5000 years. We know of it because the Ayurvedic principles have been handed down from generation to generation and are still alive today. Flowers with spiritual significance such as the Lotus continue to be used in Ayurvedic healing ceremonies. The petals were traditionally sprinkled into bowls of water, which were then drunk and used to anoint various parts of the body.

FLOWERS AND FOLK MEDICINE

If we look at the folk medicines practised by native peoples around the world, most make use of the flowers and plants growing in each region.

The Australian Aborigines

The Aborigines have always turned to their exotic flora for help in healing mind, body and spirit. They collect the dew that settles on petals at dawn, believing it to enhance emotional wellbeing and help them enter into the ‘dreamtime’. In some instances they may also eat the flowers themselves.

The Aboriginal story of how flowers were born and came by their healing powers was handed down from generation to generation and is told here by Ken Colbung of the Bibulmun people:

The Aborigines living in the southwest of Western Australia are known as the Bibulmun people. Their legends were given to them by the Demmagoomba – the spirits of the old people who lived here previously. According to the Demmagoomba, the creator (also known as the Gujub, God, Supreme Being or senior spirit) sent the Rainbow Snake, Waugal, down to Earth as a life-giving element. It landed at a place in the southwest of Bibulmun country known as Broiungarup.

Rainbow colours of the Rainbow Snake gave the flowers their colour at the time of creation. At Broiungarup you will always see beautiful rainbows. Some of the smallest and rarest flowers are only found in this one area.

The Broiunga is a clan. It is where you get your spirituality and your mortal being. You can be clan to birds, to a tree or to flowers. Your Broiunga is a special being for which you are responsible. If your Broiunga is a flower, then you must maintain this flower. It also has a responsibility to you. It gives you a beautiful feeling of colour, of its essence, which is the link to the Rainbow Snake.

The flowers of the Earth have different link-ups for different people’s needs. There are a lot of occasions when the body needs to be associated with the different types of flowers. The essences are important for our own spirit, or Djugubra. So we have what is known as Kaba nij nyoong (Kaba is the flower essences, nij is the ‘I’, and nyoong is the understanding of the person). We must be aware that when we first see a flower it will bring us happiness; when we have the essence from that flower it will bring us health and with health and happiness we have wealth – the wealth of the spirit Djugubra.

The flower sauna is a unique feature of traditional Aboriginal healing and is arguably one of the earliest forms of flower essence therapy, dating back around 10,000 years. The ceremony, still performed the same way today, is conducted by the Maban, a man or woman who is healer and Keeper of the Law. The sauna is prepared by lining a shallow pit with hot coals which are then covered with a layer of earth. Steam is created by sprinkling water over the hot earth. Clay blended with crushed flowers (specially chosen for the occasion) is then smeared onto the body of the person being healed – this helps the flower essence penetrate the skin.

The Maban takes charge of the patient, who enters the pit and is then covered with an animal skin to seal in the warmth. The patient remains there until sunrise the next day when he or she emerges, renewed with the spirit of the flowers.

Another ritual sees people sent to sit among a clump of flowers so that their souls may be purified and they become ‘spiritually reborn’.

Native Americans

In ancient times, the native peoples of North America were blessed with the ability to draw energy from flowers and plants. When they lost this gift they turned to imbibing the therapeutic properties of flowers in the form of teas and extractions. Some spiritual medicine people can still utilize this energy, but always request the flower’s permission first. The Native Americans match the energy of the flower to the particular part of the body that is out of balance and needs healing. Indeed, in their version of the creation story, when humans came into being much of their physical body was derived from the plants, rocks and waters of Mother Earth, while their spirit or soul came from the heavens or sky. To them this explains why certain plants have a special affinity for certain areas of the body. This idea is echoed in the legends relating to Lemurian times and in the creation myths of other indigenous peoples.

Russian medicine men

Across the Atlantic in Russia, medicine men or shamans also practise a natural form of healing handed down to them by their forefathers. All knowledge is passed on by word of mouth; nothing is committed to print. The medicine people living in the richest floral area of the Caucasus Mountains are called the Koldum. Nearly half the flowers growing here are unique to this area. These indigenous flowers are taken in the form of essences and tinctures. So famous are these remedies that people have been known to travel for miles to this region, even the infamous Genghis Khan, who made his pilgrimage from Mongolia. He reputedly prescribed them to his men to give them strength for battle.

The mystical Paracelsus

Healing with flowers was introduced into Europe during the 15th century by the renowned physician and mystic Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombast von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus.

While still in his early twenties Paracelsus left his home in Austria to embark on a ten-year adventure which took him to Russia, England and North Africa, where he encountered different kinds of folk medicines.

It is said that Paracelsus, aware of planetary energies and the healing power of flowers, gathered dew on glass plates exposed under various astrological configurations, believing that water when captured, concentrates and holds within it the plant as well as planetary energies. There is some question as to him prescribing the early morning dew from flowers to treat emotional disturbance in others but he would certainly have been exposed to the practice on his travels and exploration of indigenous peoples’ use of plants and healing methods. Paracelsus was also responsible for reviving the old ‘Doctrine of Signatures’, a system of equating certain features of a flower or plant – its shape, colour, scent, taste or natural habitat – to its healing properties. For example, Eyebright, a blue flower with a yellow centre, looks like an eye and is said to help treat eye problems. Similarly the Skullcap flower, resembling the shape of a human skull, may be used to treat headaches and insomnia, while the bark of Willow, a tree that grows in wet places, eases rheumatism and other conditions that worsen in damp weather. We now know that Willow bark contains an anti-inflammatory substance called salicin which eases the pain of rheumatism as well as headaches. Its synthetic form is taken by millions each day as aspirin.

Paracelsus also believed that plants tend to grow where they are needed most; dock leaves, which can be used to treat nettle rash, always grow near nettles, while plants for easing fevers can often be found close to swamps.

THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

With the birth of modern medicine, belief in the healing power of flowers appeared to die out. But this was not so; it simply became channelled into the popular notion that certain qualities or virtues are associated with flowers. From the earliest times the Rose has been a symbol of love. Cleopatra placed such faith in its romantic charm that she reputedly carpeted her bedroom with millions of fresh rose petals to help her seduction of Marc Anthony. Today, the Rose is still a symbol of love and romance, which is why lovers give each other red roses on St Valentine’s Day.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Of Related Interest
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Disclaimer
• Contents
• List of Plates
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I The Power of Flowers
• Part II Essences in Action
• Part III Encyclopedia of Flower Essences
• Appendix 1: Ailment Chart
• Appendix 2: Useful Addresses
• Appendix 3: References and Further Reading
• Colour Plates
• Index
• Also available